Chapter 130: Planning for the Future

Loki sneered, his tone dripping with mockery. "Do you have any idea what kind of place Jotunheim is? And you want to make it strong?"

"It is a frozen, dead, doomed planet. The Frost Giants are waiting for their extinction in endless darkness and cold."

"In a place like that, you talk to me about making it strong—making it equal to or even surpassing Asgard? You are dreaming."

"I actually thought you might have some extraordinary insight, but after all that, you’re just another fool like Thor. Enough. Open this space; our conversation ends here."

Clearly, in Loki’s eyes, Gu Zhongyan was just an ignorant, naive fool.

Faced with Loki’s mockery, Gu Zhongyan’s expression remained unchanged. He insisted, "Don't be so impatient. I understand everything you've said, but do you know why Jotunheim became the way it is now?"

"What do you mean?" Loki narrowed his eyes, looking at Gu Zhongyan thoughtfully.

Gu Zhongyan let out a soft huff. "Asgard has gone through three generations of God-Kings. Even in the era you and Thor were born, they were still conquering the Nine Realms. Don’t you want to know why?"

"It wasn't because they were bored and just wanted to go around killing people. It was because there were sufficient benefits to be gained."

"Yes, Jotunheim is a cold and dead planet now, but that wasn't always the case."

"Jotunheim may have been a frozen world once, but it possessed a unique vitality. Otherwise, it couldn't have birthed such powerful lifeforms as the Frost Giants, and Odin wouldn't have lost an eye fighting for it."

"The reason Jotunheim became what it is today is that it lost its most important artifact: the Casket of Ancient Winters."

"The Casket is the source of Jotunheim’s power and the capital the Frost Giants relied on to contend with Asgard for so many years. But after the Frost Giants were defeated over a thousand years ago and the Casket became a trophy in Odin’s vault, the future of Jotunheim was buried along with it."

At this point, Gu Zhongyan couldn't help but sigh. It was no coincidence that Asgard was surrounded by enemies.

The Casket of Ancient Winters, the Eternal Flame, the Aether, plus the banished Hela—every one of Odin's actions was a challenge to the future of an entire race and planet. Under such circumstances, how could they not fight him to the death?

However, Asgard’s current glory was built upon these stepping stones. He even suspected that the formation of the World Tree and the Nine Realms itself might be tied to this.

But these speculations were too sensitive. He dared not share them with Loki; if he let something slip, it would be far worse than the matter of the Casket.

Deep in thought, Gu Zhongyan continued, "However, even though Jotunheim’s future was buried, Odin never intended to destroy it entirely. As long as the Casket of Ancient Winters is returned, there is hope for Jotunheim to recover its former state."

"Of course, rebuilding is much harder than destroying. To save a planet on the brink of collapse, even the Casket is not enough; it requires outside help. And that depends on your choice, Prince Loki."

Hearing this, Loki was intrigued. He looked Gu Zhongyan up and down.

"What do you want?"

"The Eternal Flame and the foundational magic of Asgard," Gu Zhongyan said without hesitation.

Loki sneered. "Ha! What an appetite. Do you have any idea what kind of value you are asking for?"

Gu Zhongyan nodded nonchalantly. "Of course I do. The Eternal Flame is the source of the Fire Giants' power, equivalent to the Casket of Ancient Winters. As for Asgardian magic, it is one of the most profound in the entire universe."

"And you still dare to ask for it? You should know that, aside from the magic, both the Casket and the Eternal Flame are treasures that even I cannot touch at will."

"You not only want me to use one to control Jotunheim, but you also have designs on the other. Have you gone mad or are you just stupid? Where do you get this confidence?"

Gu Zhongyan shook his head and smiled. "The source of my confidence, naturally, is you and Thor, Prince Loki."

"You are a Frost Giant. When Odin adopted you, he likely intended for you to control Jotunheim once you grew up, to bring that restless planet under Asgard's heel."

"I even recall that Frost Giants are fundamentally elemental beings. Their gender is fluid and can be changed at will. Perhaps he even considered having you take a female form to marry Thor, using a political marriage to control Jotunheim?"

"Although I don't know what King Odin’s current intentions are, if you want to reclaim the Casket and become the King of Jotunheim, I doubt he would stop you."

"After all, reshaping Jotunheim is not something a single Casket can achieve. It is far too difficult; Odin likely doesn't believe you can do it."

"Even if you succeed, you grew up in Asgard. You are Odin’s adopted son. The existence of Frigga and Thor is enough to ensure you and Asgard can coexist in peace."

"So, getting the Casket back shouldn't be a big problem."

"And the Eternal Flame?" Loki pressed.

"Have Thor provide it as compensation and a token of gratitude," Gu Zhongyan said as if it were obvious.

"You two brothers turned Earth into such a mess; shouldn't you offer some compensation? As the great Asgardian palace, are you really going to bully us weak and helpless Earthlings?"

Weak? Helpless? You?

Loki’s mouth twitched, and he cursed internally. What kind of weak and helpless Earthling could pin a God of Mischief to the ground and beat him up?

This was a Loki who hadn't yet been "educated" by the Avengers. If he had, hearing Gu Zhongyan say this would have earned the man a swift slap, even if Loki couldn't win the fight, just to show him what "weak and helpless" really meant.

Ignoring Loki’s strange look, Gu Zhongyan continued, "Of course, this compensation cannot be compared to the value of the Eternal Flame."

"Therefore, I plan to help Thor realize his mistakes, learn how to become a true king, and regain the approval of Mjolnir."

"I think, by helping Asgard cultivate a qualified king, adding in the compensation for Earth, and leveraging the brotherly bond between you and Thor, he can use his status as Crown Prince to provide some small assistance. Securing the Eternal Flame shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

Upon hearing this, Loki immediately caught the main point.

"What did you just say? You can get Thor to regain the approval of Mjolnir? That’s impossible!"