Marvel's Shendu: Dominating the Multiverse

Chapter 101 Another Chaotic Magic

Jane's face turned deathly pale upon hearing Frigga's words.

Frigga held Jane's hand: "You don't need to worry. The Holy Lord said that he will safely retrieve the Aether Particle afterward. Thor believes in him, and I believe in him too."

Jane looked into Frigga's determined eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Frigga stood up and patted Jane on the shoulder: "Get some rest. Leave the rest to us."

Frigga turned and walked out of the garden, then stopped a few steps later: "Dr. Foster."

"Hmm? What's wrong, Your Majesty?"

Frigga didn't turn around, her voice tinged with amusement: "Saul cares about you a lot, please treat him well."

Jane blushed as she listened to Frigga's words.

In a side hall of the Golden Palace, Riodin was having a private conversation with Thor.

The Allfather sat on an ancient wooden chair, his eyes fixed on Thor with a complex mix of emotions—pride, worry, and unease.

"Thor," Odin said in a low voice, "how much do you know about the Holy Lord?"

Thor stood silently before Odin for a moment before saying, "Father, I know him well enough."

"How much is enough?" Odin's tone held a hint of skepticism. "Do you know where he came from? Do you know his true identity? Do you know his purpose in collecting those artifact fragments?"

Thor opened his mouth but said nothing.

He truly didn't know; his understanding of the Holy Lord was pitifully small. He knew the Holy Lord was powerful and trustworthy, and that the Holy Lord's goals did not conflict with Asgard's, but he was completely unaware that all of this was merely his subjective conjecture.

Odin provided the answer for Thor: "You don't know him; you just think he's trustworthy."

Thor gripped Mjolnir tightly: "Father, my intuition has never been wrong."

Odin scoffed, "Never? What about Loki? You thought he was trustworthy back then too."

Thor froze, and said in a stiff voice, "The Holy Lord is not Loki."

Odin rose and stood before Thor, staring into his eyes: "How do you know? How do you know he won't betray you at the crucial moment? How do you know he won't turn and leave after getting what he wants?"

Saul fell silent again. He couldn't answer these questions now, and he couldn't find where his trust in the Holy Lord came from. This trust came from the depths of his soul but had no logical support.

Thor raised his head, a determined light flashing in his eyes: "Father, I believe in the Holy Lord, and that is enough."

Odin stared into Thor's eyes for a long time before finally sighing, "I hope your trust won't ruin you."

Odin turned and sat down beside him again: "Go, do what you think you should do."

Thor bowed, turned, and left the side hall. Odin watched Thor's figure disappear through the door and sighed again.

"Frigga," Odin called softly.

Frigga's figure emerged from the shadows of the side hall and walked to Odin's side.

"Did you hear that?" Odin asked.

Frigga nodded: "Saul trusts him a lot."

Odin tapped his fingers on the Spear of Eternity: "Too much trust, this kind of trust is abnormal."

"You mean... what did the Holy Lord do to Thor?"

Odin shook his head again: "Perhaps. I can sense a power within Thor that has been influencing him. This power is not control, but more like guidance."

After a moment of silence, Frigga asked, "Since you suspect Shendu, why don't you just ask him directly?"

A hint of helplessness flashed in Odin's single eye: "There is no evidence, and we still need him now. The subsequent actions will require the Holy Lord's involvement."

Frigga grasped Odin's hand: "Then let's observe first. If he really has some ulterior motive, he'll slip up sooner or later."

Odin nodded and said nothing more.

On the terrace of the Golden Palace, the Holy Lord stood alone, his gaze passing through the buildings of Asgard and landing on the dark elf warship in the distance.

"Holy Lord".

Loki's voice came from behind, but Shendu did not turn around and continued to look at the distant warship.

Loki walked to his side, leaned against the railing, still toying with the dagger in his hand, a calm smile on his face.

"What did you talk about with Odin?" the Holy Lord asked.

Loki's smile froze for a moment: "How do you know I spoke with my father?"

The Holy Lord turned his head and said, "You only need to answer my question."

Loki and Shendu stared at each other for a few seconds before looking away: "I told him that I was the one who defeated Malekith."

"Anything else?"

"And you're the one who told me to leave this treasure vault."

The Holy Lord's lips curled slightly upward: "You are indeed honest."

Loki sheathed his dagger: "I'm just protecting myself. If I completely hide things from you, Odin will find out sooner or later. If I tell him part of the truth, he'll believe I've told him everything."

"Part of the truth," the Holy Lord repeated. "How much of it did you tell?"

Loki shrugged: "Enough, but it doesn't mention our deal."

After a moment of silence, the Holy Lord said, "You did the right thing."

Loki was taken aback; he hadn't expected the Holy Lord to praise him.

The Holy Lord continued, "But that doesn't mean I trust you. I know you could betray me at any time, just as you betrayed Thor and Odin."

Loki's smile vanished completely: "Then why are you cooperating with me?"

A cold glint flashed in the Holy Lord's eyes: "You are still useful. Your intelligence, your cunning, your ambition—these are all things I need. This is why I haven't used the Mind Stone to control you. As long as you continue to serve me, I will not touch you."

Loki's lips twitched slightly: "What if I refuse?"

The Lord's voice remained calm: "You will not refuse, you have no other choice. Odin will never hand over the throne to you, Thor will never truly trust you forever, and the people of Asgard will never regard you as a true prince. Only I can give you what you want."

Loki fell silent; he knew that everything the Holy Lord had said was true.

The Holy Lord patted Loki on the shoulder: "So keep doing your job well, don't try to play tricks, don't try to betray me. As long as you offer your loyalty, I will keep all my promises."

Loki lowered his head, his expression becoming complex: "I understand."

Wanda walked alone down the corridor of the Golden Palace, her eyes shrouded in chaotic magic. Her task was to inspect the defenses around the Golden Palace, a tedious task, but Wanda never complained. She would only do her best to complete the tasks assigned by the Holy Lord.

Wanda stopped at the corner of the corridor. She sensed something—a faint yet familiar energy fluctuation.

The chaos magic wasn't her own; it came from another source.