Chapter 261: 261
“Tap!”
A blur moving too fast for the naked eye to follow suddenly descended from the sky, only to slow abruptly just before reaching the ground.
Fenris landed lightly and looked at Laufey, whose entire body was trembling, whether from fear or pain, no one could tell.
“If I come any closer, you’ll do what?”
When Fenris looked his way, Laufey stiffened and took several nearly imperceptible steps backward.
Loki was still pinned beneath his foot. The movement ground him against the ice, worsening the already grievous injuries of the God of Mischief and drawing an involuntary cry of pain from him.
“Loki!”
Frigga cried out, but Laufey immediately tightened his grip around her throat, choking off the rest of her words.
“Mother!”
Thor could no longer stand by. He charged forward with his hammer raised, lightning instantly filling his eyes as he roared furiously at Laufey.
“Laufey, let them go!”
Laufey completely ignored the enraged Thor. He did not dare take his eyes off Fenris for even a second.
“All of you, get back! Especially you!”
“You!”
Thor’s eyes widened, but a strong, well-defined hand suddenly barred his path.
Fenris silently guided Thor back a step.
“Keep moving!”
“Everyone knows how fast you are! Who do you think you’re fooling by backing up that little?”
“Back! Keep backing up!”
Fenris complied, and the two of them retreated several dozen meters.
Standing behind Fenris, Thor silently gauged the distance between the two sides. His gaze swept over Fenris several times before he closed his mouth and remained silent.
“What do you want?”
Fenris glanced at Frigga.
The Queen of Asgard gently shook her head at him.
He then lowered his gaze to Loki.
Their eyes met. Loki rolled his eyes toward Laufey, then simply closed them without saying a word. Not the slightest hint of unnecessary anxiety could be seen on his face.
“The Casket of Ancient Winters! Give it to me!”
Seeing that Fenris genuinely seemed concerned about the two hostages, Laufey finally relaxed slightly. From the corner of his eye, he swept his gaze across the surrounding Asgardians, who were in an uproar but had no idea what to do.
Even so, he did not dare lower his guard. Tilting his head toward the Casket of Ancient Winters, he gestured at it.
“Give it to me, then escort us out of Asgard!”
“Once I’m certain I can leave safely, I’ll naturally release them.”
Perhaps the pain was affecting his thoughts, because Laufey tilted his head and considered it for a moment.
“You can trust my word.”
“Bullshit! Your word isn’t worth…”
Hearing this, Loki’s eyes snapped open. He began cursing Laufey from beneath his foot.
“You, Laufey, making promises… Ah!”
A wave of dull agony abruptly cut him off.
“Fine. I’ll give it to you.”
Without the slightest hesitation, Fenris nodded and agreed.
Laufey narrowed his eyes at how readily he had accepted.
“Fenris, you can’t…”
Fenris gently pushed Thor’s hand aside, then extended his palm toward the distance.
A speck of white light gathered in his palm. As freezing air spread outward, the thick layer of ice beneath everyone’s feet suddenly trembled.
In the distance, the ice seemed to come alive. It carried the Casket of Ancient Winters toward Fenris at tremendous speed.
“Snap.”
With a soft snap of his fingers, the Casket was suddenly launched upward. It flipped through the air before dropping neatly into Fenris’s palm.
The ease with which he had done it made Laufey’s pupils contract sharply. At a time like this, however, he had no time to think about it. He merely forced himself to remain calm and nodded.
“Give it to me, then escort us out of here.”
“Don’t worry. I always keep my promises.”
Laufey deliberately emphasized that point once again.
“You want it?”
Seeing the desire that Laufey was desperately trying to suppress, Fenris toyed with the exquisite blue casket in his hand and suddenly laughed.
This was the first time the treasure had ever fallen into his hands.
The instant he touched it, Fenris felt as though every pore in his body had opened. A refreshing coolness swept through him in an instant, bringing a sense of comfort no different from absorbing an enormous amount of radiation.
The frost energy unique to the Ancient Snow Demon within him immediately became more active. Even his perception of the cold permeating the surrounding air grew much clearer.
A seemingly endless amount of terrifying energy brewed within the Casket. Fenris felt as though, with a single thought, he could use it to unleash a glacial storm powerful enough to engulf the entire continent.
This really was an incredible treasure.
No wonder Laufey had been willing to risk everything to obtain it.
However, the boost it gave Fenris did not seem nearly as exaggerated as the one Laufey had received. For Laufey, it had practically allowed him to ascend to the heavens in a single step.
“Yes! Give it to me!”
The faint, ambiguous smile on Fenris’s face suddenly filled Laufey with instinctive unease.
But things had already progressed too far. There was no path of retreat left for him. As if making a show of his resolve, he stomped heavily on the grievously wounded Loki and tightened his grip around Frigga’s throat.
The distinct sound of cracking bones immediately rang out.
“Don’t try anything! All I want is to take my people and go home!”
“Fine!”
Fenris’s expression went blank. He raised the Casket of Ancient Winters and made as if to approach.
“Stop! You stay right there!”
Laufey’s eyes widened instantly.
There was no chance he would allow Fenris to get close. He rapidly retreated while shouting frantically at him.
“Don’t come any closer! Use the ice to send the Casket over!”
“Fine.”
Fenris agreed without hesitation, then gently placed the Casket on the ground.
Freezing air surged around it. A thin layer of ice lifted the Casket of Ancient Winters into the air and slowly carried it toward Laufey.
“Yes, just like that.”
Laufey finally relaxed. His eyes gradually widened as the Casket drew closer.
The situation had taken an unexpected turn in his favor. With this priceless treasure in his possession, the temporary defeat he had suffered today meant nothing. One day, he would rise again.
Closer.
The Casket of Ancient Winters floated closer, inch by inch. Laufey did not dare grow careless, and his eyes remained locked firmly on Fenris.
“Hostages really are useful after all…”
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief and was just about to seize the divine artifact when his peripheral vision, which had never once left Fenris, suddenly caught the faint upward curl of his lips.
“Something’s wrong!”
There really was a trick!
Alarm bells immediately rang in Laufey’s mind.
His body moved without the slightest hesitation. He brought his foot down with tremendous force, stomping heavily on the grievously wounded Loki.
At the same time, he tightened his grip and choked Frigga unconscious before slinging her over his shoulder. Then he snatched up the Casket of Ancient Winters and used the counterforce from his movements to launch himself backward in a desperate retreat.
Kill one useless hostage, withdraw from the battlefield, and seize the Casket of Ancient Winters.
In that split second, his thoughts were incomparably clear. Every movement flowed seamlessly into the next, pushing nearly everything he could possibly do to its absolute limit.
“You thought you could trick me?”
The moment the Casket of Ancient Winters entered his hand, Laufey was overcome with delight.
From the very beginning, he had never believed that his enemy would obediently follow his demands.
Everything was proceeding according to plan.
“Everyone, retreat!”
(End of Chapter)
“Zaelum”]