The air was thick with a feeling named "awkwardness"—but only for Loki.
For Frieza, this was just an appetizer before the main course.
Watching the infuriated "god" in the green robes raise his scepter, the tip glowing with a dangerous blue light and aimed directly at his forehead, Frieza didn't even twitch an eyelid.
It was like watching an ant holding a toothpick try to pierce a tank—nothing but ridiculous.
Just as the razor-sharp tip of the scepter was a mere 0.01 centimeters from Frieza's brow, he let out a faint, dismissive "Humph" from his nose.
He made no dramatic movement, didn't even take his left hand out of his pants pocket. He simply raised the hand holding the wine glass, extended a long, slender index finger, and gently touched the tip of Loki's unstoppable scepter, as if flicking dust from his lapel.
Clink!
A crisp sound rang out, like metal striking the hardest diamond.
Loki's previously furious expression instantly froze. He felt like his powerful, angry strike had hit an immovable, towering mountain. A huge rebound force traveled down the scepter to his hand, shaking his entire arm numb.
"Th-this is impossible?!" Loki's eyes widened, his emerald pupils contracting violently.
This was the Mind Scepter! A god-tier weapon gifted to him by Thanos! Even Thor, the God of Thunder, wouldn't dare block this attack with a finger!
However, what happened next was even more devastating.
"Is this what you call... the power of a god?" Frieza's elegant voice was like a demon's whisper right by Loki's ear.
The next second, a small, marble-sized purple energy sphere instantly coalesced at Frieza's fingertip. Though tiny, the aura of destruction it contained made every hair on Loki's body stand on end.
"Too fragile. Truly, utterly fragile."
Snap!
There was no suspense.
The Mind Scepter, a symbol of power, instantly disintegrated upon contact with the purple energy, shattering into countless metal fragments that scattered across the floor.
Amidst the flying debris, a gem, flashing with a faint yellow light, gently floated into Frieza's palm like an obedient pet.
The Mind Stone!
Frieza toyed with the smooth, warm gem in his hand, a look of satisfied contentment curving his lips.
Well, hello there. This is a nice little score.
One of the Infinity Stones, a top-tier cheat code in the Marvel Universe. To get one for free right at the start? With luck like this, he could probably win the lottery every time he played.
If he collected all six stones, maybe he could try snapping his fingers for fun? Like wishing all the real estate in the universe was signed over to his name?
Hmm, that idea sounds pretty good.
In contrast to Frieza's leisurely composure, Loki on the opposite side was so shocked his jaw nearly hit the floor.
He stared disbelievingly at the mortal, who still maintained his elegant posture, and at the gem—which had been his—now in the mortal's hand. His mind went blank.
"Y-you... you..." Loki's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, repeating meaningless sounds: "How did you do that...? Who are you? You are definitely not from Earth!"
How could a mortal crush the scepter with his bare hands? How could a mortal touch an Infinity Stone and be completely unharmed?!
It defied science! It defied magic!
"Who I am is not important. What is important is..."
Frieza casually slipped the Mind Stone into his suit pocket, the motion so relaxed it was as if he were pocketing a simple glass bead.
He leaned slightly closer, his scarlet eyes locking onto Loki's, and sneered, "With the Mind Scepter Thanos gave you gone, what will you do now? My dear... God of Mischief?"
BOOM!
The sound of that familiar name completely broke Loki's composure.
If exposing his lineage had only made him angry before, hearing the name Thanos on this person's lips now plunged him into utter terror!
This mortal knew everything! He knew about the Chitauri, he knew about Thanos, and he even knew where the scepter came from!
What kind of monster is he?!
But, as a Prince of Asgard and the foremost sorcerer of the Nine Realms, his pride wouldn't allow him to surrender so easily.
Even without the scepter, he was a god! A god was still a god!
Although he didn't understand where this blonde monster got the monstrous strength to destroy the scepter, magic was his strong suit! He still had countless ways to kill this mere mortal!
"You have enraged me, mortal!" Loki shrieked, his body instantly blurring.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
The next moment, over a dozen copies of Loki materialized out of thin air in the luxurious office.
Some stood on the remnants of the desk, some leaned by the shattered window, and some were right behind Frieza.
Every Loki was lifelike, every Loki was staring at Frieza with venomous eyes, a triumphant and maniacal grin plastered on their faces.
"Hahahaha!"
The dozen Lokis laughed simultaneously, their voices overlapping, creating a dizzying, surround-sound effect that echoed through the empty room.
At the same time, a flash of light appeared in their hands, and a pair of sharp Asgardian daggers materialized.
"Mortal, are you scared now?"
All the Lokis spoke in unison, their voices coming from all directions, making it impossible to tell which was real and which was fake.
"This is the power of a god! A level your low-class species can never comprehend!"
"Kneel before me! Repent your ignorance!"
Facing a scene that would have caused a normal person to have a mental breakdown, Frieza merely shook his head with an air of resignation, even letting out a soft sigh.
He took a sip of his red wine, his eyes filled with the kind of affectionate indulgence one might give a child performing a cheap magic trick.
"As a Prince of Asgard, I have to say, you do have some power." Frieza commented dryly.
Loki's grin widened at that, believing the mortal had finally been awestruck by his godlike power and was about to beg for mercy.
"Hmph. Although I don't know who you are or why you know so many of my secrets..." Loki triumphantly brandished his daggers and slowly approached, "But now that you have witnessed the majesty of a god, quickly kneel and kowtow. Perhaps I'll be in a good mood and leave you a whole body, otherwise, I will carve you into pieces and feed you to the dogs!"
However, Frieza slowly set down his wine glass, a signature, chilling Frieza-esque smirk appearing on his face.
"You misunderstand."
"I said you have some power..." Frieza raised a finger and gently shook it, "...but not much."
"More like the skill level of a carnival trickster."
Before the words fully left his mouth, Frieza's figure vanished from the spot!
Fast! Too fast!
It was a speed that completely transcended the limits of human visual perception!
Loki didn't even have time to blink before he felt a terrifying gust of wind pressure hit him.
Before his brain could register what had happened, Frieza's handsome yet wicked face abruptly appeared right in front of him.
It wasn't any of the dozen illusions.
Frieza had pinpointed the real Loki, who was hiding in the furthest corner, with unerring precision, as if he had map-hacks.
"How..." The Loki's pupils instantly shrank to pinpoints. The word "shock" hadn't even had a chance to leave his throat.
THUD!!!
A dull impact rang out, like a heavy hammer slamming into leather.
Frieza's punch, which wasn't even full power, landed squarely on Loki's soft stomach.
"Ough—!"
Loki's eyes immediately bulged out, his entire face twisting into a hideous, purplish-red due to the extreme agony. He felt as if his internal organs had been instantly churned, and all the bones in his body let out a groan of protest.
A stream of blood mixed with bile spewed from his mouth.
Whoosh!
The dozen magnificent-looking illusions surrounding them vanished instantly, like bursting soap bubbles, leaving no trace.
Loki collapsed limply onto the floor, his body painfully curled up like a cooked shrimp. His face was a mask of terror, his once-elegant horned helmet askew. He was utterly wretched.
"Cough... cough..." He lay on the ground, struggling weakly for breath, staring at the pair of gleaming dress shoes in front of him, continually repeating the phrase: "You... you monster..."
This was not a mortal! This was absolutely not a mortal!
While the Hulk possessed great strength, it was a savage charge; while Tony had his armor, it was a pile of technology.
But this man... this pure, overwhelming, despair-inducing power and speed was like the most terrifying nightmare from the depths of the cosmos!
Tap.
A foot stomped down heavily on Loki's regal head, grinding his godly face into the glass-strewn carpet.
Frieza looked down at the insect beneath his foot, a cruel smile playing on his lips.
"Next time, remember to show some respect to the Emperor of the Universe, wild child."
Just then, a series of pleasant chimes sounded in Frieza's mind.
[Ding! Detecting extreme fear from Loki! Fear Value +500!]
[Ding! Fear Value +500!]
[Ding! Fear Value +500!]
...
Watching the numbers jump on his internal dashboard, Frieza's mood instantly brightened.
See? This is the right way to play this game.
However...
He glanced at the "10 Billion" Fear Value needed to unlock his Second Form on the system interface and couldn't help but wince.
Seriously? Is this system dealing with inflation?
How long would it take to fleece this one sheep, Loki? It looked like he'd have to start thinking bigger.
But every little bit helps, so he might as well squeeze this one dry first.
The pressure on Loki's head increased slightly, prompting a pig-like shriek of pain from the God of Mischief.
"Ah! No! Don't kill me!"
At this point, Loki had none of the dignity of the God of Mischief left. He was shaking like a leaf, begging hysterically, "I'm sorry! I'm truly sorry! Please, let me go!"
Dignity? In the face of death, dignity meant absolutely nothing!
If it meant survival, he'd call Frieza his dad!
"Let you go?" Frieza scoffed, his eyes ice cold. "You wrecked my tower, cost me billions. Now you think a simple 'I'm sorry' is enough?"
"What's in it for me if I let you go?"
Loki instantly grabbed onto this as a lifeline and cried out, "I'll do anything for you if you don't kill me! I have money! I have magic! I can help you rule this planet!"
"Ruling a planet is something I can do perfectly well myself, I don't need your useless help." Frieza curled his lip dismissively. "Besides, you're the famous God of Mischief, the God of Lies. How do I know you're not trying to trick me?"
"What if I let you go, and the next thing I know, you're stabbing me in the back?"
With that, Frieza's foot pressed down harder, as if he were seconds away from stomping Loki's head and spilling his clever brains all over the floor.
"No! No! I swear! I swear on Odin's name!"
Loki was terrified, trembling like a bowl of Jell-O. He screamed, "Don't kill me! Spare my miserable life! I can truly serve you! I can sign a contract! A soul contract!"
Hearing the words "serve you," Frieza paused the pressure of his foot on Loki's head.
He thoughtfully stroked his chin.
He has a point. He would definitely be expanding into the universe real estate business in the future.
A venture that huge couldn't be run alone, even with cloning techniques, he'd be overwhelmed.
Look at Lord Frieza—he had the Ginyu Force, Zarbon, and Dodoria. He traveled in a spaceship, had minions to fight for him—that was true class.
Right now, Frieza was all alone, without even someone to fetch him a cup of tea.
Though Loki's power level was low and his character was questionable, the guy was smart, durable, and most importantly, decent-looking enough to serve as a lackey or guard dog without embarrassing Frieza.
And if any trouble like Thor or Odin ever showed up in the future, throwing Loki out as a human shield wouldn't be a bad idea.
With that thought, the killing intent on Frieza's face gradually faded, replaced by a satisfied smile, like a rancher picking out livestock.
He slowly withdrew his foot and smoothed out the slight wrinkle in his dress pants.
"In that case..." Frieza looked down at Loki, who was wheezing on the floor like a dead dog, and elegantly extended his hand.
"You may be the first member of the Frieza Force!"
"Consider yourself honored, wild child. This is the greatest fortune of your pathetic life."
Loki, sprawled on the ground, looked up at the hand reaching out to him. Although his heart was bursting with humiliation and resentment, he didn't hesitate. His trembling hand reached out and grasped Frieza's, clinging to it like a drowning man grasping a last chance for life.
"Y-yes... Yes, my Master..."
Frieza watched the exchange, his smile growing wider.