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Do you like Loki's creations, dangerous experiments, and willingness to challenge enemies that appear above his league? Then you will definitely like Thairon, the protagonist of my original story, Arrival : Ruptures. Comments, likes and reviews are appreciated. Here are the links for : AO3, Spacebattles, Royal Road and Webnovel.
Note: The first two chapters of Anakin Skywalker : Sorcerer Supreme will be out after I post everything else. Don't forget to check my profile.
—
Asgard
"What do you think we should do?" Thor asked. His conflict was not over the fact that Angrboda was a Jotun but that she could be here to steal the casket.
"Just keep an eye on her. She does not seem foolish enough to try to enter the vault, but you can never know," he muttered. His father always kept an eye on the vault, and there were only four people on Asgard who could defeat the Destroyer.
"You think she could be just unwilling to live in Jotunheim?" Not every Jotun had followed Laufey out of a desire for war. It stood to reason there would be those who did not wish to live in isolation.
"Possible. I certainly wouldn't with a king like Laufey," Loki said. He would never call him "father" for sure.
"Then there is only one thing left for us to do."
—
"Well?"
Loki squinted his eyes. "Give me a minute, brother."
The scans of the flesh sample did not reveal anything unnatural. The DNA structure did not suffer any damage. It had been digitalized and brought back exactly the same.
"There are no issues."
"Hah!" Thor exclaimed. He walked into the pod, waiting. "Go on, brother, send me in."
Loki floated his brother out of the pod. "My creation, so it is only fair if I go first."
"But you are the only one who can fix it should something go wrong," Thor said, walking back in.
He floated out again. "I won't risk your life to test something I created."
And walked straight back in. "You just said the tests were successful. I don't think there will be any issues."
Only to be removed once more. "Indeed, but digitalizing a flesh sample isn't the same as digitalizing a person."
Thor took a deep breath. "How about we flip a coin for it?"
"We should find a third person to do it."
"Agreed," he nodded. Peeking out of the door, he called a guard inside.
"Yes, my prince?" the guard saluted.
"Flip this coin," Thor said, holding out a gold coin for the guard.
"Odin," he chose, leaving the Asgard side to his younger brother.
The guard flipped the coin and caught it. His hand opened, revealing the Odin side up.
"Hah," Thor chuckled, "seems fortune is on my side, brother."
"Go in," Loki grumbled. He dismissed the guard, who looked confused but left with a bow.
Thor strolled inside the scanner for the last time. He felt the seidr wash over him. His body lightened up, and he saw a multitude of lights.
When he opened his eyes, he stood in a verdant field.
"Yes," he shouted. If he didn't know this realm was a mere creation, he wouldn't be able to tell the difference. The wind on his skin felt pleasant, the sun was warm,
"What happens if I get harmed here?" he asked.
A small screen appeared in front of him. "There is a pain level, but it is at one for one. Even if the wound is fatal, you will only feel numbness, nothing more."
"Then create me an enemy, and make it at least sting," he said. It was great to fight in the simulation room, but the safety measures stopped the opponents from harming him.
He did not worry about wounds here.
"How about a cursed Dokkalfar?" Loki said, already manifesting the enemy.
Thor grinned. The tall, dark creature appeared in front of him without a prompt. It immediately charged, and he had to duck to avoid the hit.
He swung Mjolnir at the monster's outstretched arm, targeting the elbow. Unaffected, the cursed soldier swung back. He ducked again, going for the right knee this time. The strike created a shockwave, bringing it down.
Thor twirled Mjolnir and struck the Dokkalfar on the chin. Its head snapped back. A hit he didn't see coming sent him flying back.
He smiled, feeling a dull throbbing in his chest.
Loki watched the fight and frowned. The cursed soldier was immune to blunt force, so his brother resorted to lightning. The creature managed to resist it to a degree as well.
His work on replicating the seidr channeling properties of Uru had revealed more than that. That very same seidr reinforced the atoms, covering them in a shell of energy. It gave Uru its signature invulnerability.
It also gave him new ideas.
"Loki, where is your brother?" His mother came in. He was too absorbed in his work to notice her arrival.
"Inside the Tenth Realm."
Frigga blinked. "What?"
"Here, come look," he said. His mother walked with rushed steps. At the screen, she could see her eldest fighting a cursed Dokkalfar soldier in a field with no end.
She gripped the hems of her dress tightly. "Are you telling me he is inside the computer?"
"Yes. I was going to go in first, but he insisted."
"You two are sure it is completely safe?" The number of dangers associated with such a fusion of seidr and machinery would be immeasurable.
"I wouldn't have let him in otherwise."
Her son's work had never failed Asgard yet. "Very well then. Thor," she called to the screen, "finish your battle quickly; your father wants a word."
"Mother?" Thor asked, distracted long enough for the cursed soldier to send him flying, "I just entered here."
"Thor," his mother said, dragging out the o.
His brother frowned. "Brother, can you assist me from there?"
"Meteor strike?" he asked, already working on executing the combination maneuver.
"Yes."
Loki entered the command, disabling gravity for Thor, and once his brother was high, turned it on with greater intensity.
The aptly named Meteor Strike left a crater greater than the one they had left back in Svartalfheim. There was nothing left of the cursed soldier.
He brought Thor out. The scanner's door opened, but his brother did not step out. He waited with closed eyes.
"Thor?" he asked, worried that something unforeseen might have happened.
His brother guffawed, striding to hug Loki. He grunted, feeling his bones creak in protest as Thor shook him.
"This was the best fight I had, ever. Thank you, brother."
"You are welcome." He patted Thor on the back awkwardly, as his arms were trapped. "Now let go before you break something."
Frigga smiled. She pinched their cheeks. "It warms my heart to see you two like this."
"You said something about Father wanting to see us?" Thor asked, rubbing his cheek. They weren't children anymore, but a mother's heart rarely
"Yes, come."
"You know, I never understood why he sends you as a messenger rather than just giving us a call."
"Because he is old-fashioned, that is why," Frigga grumbled.
Thor and Loki sniggered. Even the Queen of Asgard could be frustrated with her husband.
—
"Father."
"My sons."
"Our recent guest, Lady Angrboda. What do you think of her?"
Loki glanced at Thor, who did the same.
"We did not have the opportunity to talk to her, but there is something we should say. It is not seem urgent since Lady Angrboda did not seem interested in entering the vault, but she is a Jotun in disguise. Though, you most likely knew," Thor said. If Loki had noticed Angrboda's true nature, so had their father.
Odin huffed. It was most likely his youngest who had uncovered it. "Indeed she is."
"In truth, her family abandoned Jotunheim at the beginning of the war. They never supported Laufey's madness," he explained. There were very few people who knew the truth, with him being one.
Frigga gave a very pointed look at her husband, who shook his head.
Loki and Thor shared another look, smirking.
"As long as she is peaceful, I do not see a reason why she shouldn't be allowed to visit Asgard."
"To think that once you claimed you would slay all Jotnar."
"I was a child; I have learned better since," he replied, putting a hand on Loki's shoulder.
"Since she is a foreigner, and a young one at that, keep her company. I do not believe she enjoys being cooped up with people far older than her."
"As you wish, Father," Thor said. It had become a usual sight around Asgard for the two of them to keep important guests company.
Before they could leave, Frigga cleared her throat. "Loki, don't you have something to say?"
"I have finished that project I mentioned a century or two ago. If you wish to test it, it will be in the Hall of Science," he said to his father. He too had taken to regularly fighting in the simulation room and would certainly enjoy the Tenth Realm.
"Oh? I shall do that then, when I have the time."
—
"Lady Angrboda, excuse our tardiness. Please accept our belated greetings." Thor, as the more social of the brothers, was the first one to greet the guests. Loki followed along, and once his brother charmed the guest, he left quietly to work on his projects.
"No apologies are necessary, my prince. I am sure you two are busy."
"We appreciate your understanding."
"Were you working on one of your creations again, my prince? Your fame and the word of your wonderful creations are frequent topics of conversation."
"I am sure my brother would be delighted to tell you all about it," Thor said, winking at Loki, who looked ready to murder him.
"You got this," he whispered, and fled from the scene.
"This way, my lady."
—
He described the idea behind the Tenth Realm to Angrboda. He didn't go into details to avoid any leaks. Not that any of the realms were advanced enough to replicate his work, but in case someone wanted to sabotage it.
She was fascinated and asked for the chance to try it.
He allowed it, seeing it as a chance to test whether a Jotun's digitalization would present any issues. The scanners had to adapt for the different physiology first, but Angrboda found herself in the digital realm in one piece.
For now, there wasn't much to do. He would have to bring everything in Realms of Valor to the Tenth Realm. The quests, the exploration, and the accounts.
A number of public scanners would grant the rest of Asgard access to the digital realm.
Angrboda stuck with him for the rest of the day. She was too interested, though whether it was caused by the Tenth Realm or him, he could not say. He kept a respectful distance and found an excuse to leave her at the dining table.
She was back the following day. Fortunately, his father had found time to visit his workshop.
Upon digitalizing, his father inspected the realm first. He checked the soil, the wind, and how it felt to move. Once he was satisfied, Loki summoned an enemy for him.
He chose to fight a cursed Dokkalfar first, followed by a replica of himself, and Surtur for dessert. His age might have advanced, but his father's skills as a warrior had not dulled. He blitzed through all three since the use of seidr did not present any issues in the digital realm.
It was the first time he had ever seen his father go all out. It was terrifying. Even Angrboda was silent, watching the Allfather cut both of Surtur's legs. He proceeded to grasp the horns of the fire demon and launched him to the sky.
A massive beam of seidr erupted from Gungnir. With one attack, his father carved Surtur from head to groin in half.
All of Asgard saw it through the live stream.
"How do you feel, Father?"
"I am well. Fighting like this, without worrying over the consequences, was great."
"Would you like to continue, or should I pull you out?"
His father dispelled his armor. Taking the cue, Loki brought him to the real world.
—
They were to have a month-long feast in his honor. He wanted to refuse, as it would be too bothersome, but neither of his parents nor Thor would hear it. In addition, this very day would be named Loki's Day and celebrated every year as a day of progress.
Having a day named after him did cause his pride to swell.
The month was a blur. Feast after feast, filled to the brim with mead, caused his head to spin. By the end of it, he forgot what he was celebrating.
He wasn't alone in that regard.
There were some close calls with Angrboda. The idea of monstrous children had caused him to sober quickly on those occasions.
His mother, ever observant, wondered why he refused the advances of a wonderful lady such as her. She was worried it might be because she was a Jotun.
He, rather reluctantly, revealed the Midgardian beliefs regarding him and Angrboda and their children, Jormungandr the World Serpent, Fenrir, and Hel, the Goddess of Death.
The last two names had caused his mother's smile to waver.
Once assured, she had dropped the matter.
The feast proved to be a good way to relieve stress. The demand from the population for access to the Tenth Realm was overwhelming. Even those that had refused to utilize the hardware for Realms of Valor wanted to be a part of it.
A limited number were allowed in the first phase. He wanted more feedback for the actual release.
Which was more than just creating a full-fledged planet.
The computer had to be updated to handle the load. More parts were brought from Nidavellir while he worked on the energy source. The current number of Eternal Flame replicas was not enough. He needed thousands more, or one that could supply the power of one.
One difficult matter was safety. The smallest error could kill or cause someone to disappear into the digital realm forever. He had to build redundancies for everything: the power source, the computer parts, and even the programming.
Nidavellir, Vanaheim, and Alfheim were interested in the Tenth Realm as well. There were inquiries on having a similar creation built on the planets. He had to explain the difficulties in managing one system. Instead, he offered to connect these realms, much in the way they had been connected to the Realms of Valor.
As he worked, his father made plans. There would be large-scale battles, football matches without the usual constraints, tea parties without the participants traveling between the realms, and more.
His father had livened up with a fervor he didn't remember when he saw it last.
He had always desired peace and harmony between the realms as long as Loki was alive. The Tenth Realm might be a new piece on the board for his vision. The Nine Realms, at least the ones that had connections with Asgard, could interact in one world rather than through the Bifrost.
Thor, along with Lady Sif and the Warriors Three, was frequently willing to assist him. He would work out a problem; they would test to see if it had worked. Within months, he was ready to launch it for all of Asgard and then Vanaheim.
—
In the next chapter:
"You should have seen Malekith's face when Father disarmed him like he was fighting a child," Thor said with a laugh as he came out of the scanner.
Sif chuckled. "Was the battle too easy, or were we just too good?"
"Our new armor and weapons have no doubt played a great part in it," Hogun said. The losses on Asgard's side were extremely light because of it.
Fandral agreed, twirling his sword. "The Dokkalfar might as well be fighting with sticks."
"Eat up and rest; we still have the football match," Thor ordered, rolling the round, white and gold ball beneath his feet. Volstagg was already making his way to the table, and if they tarried any longer, there would be nothing left.
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