Both start in hell: but their talents are multiplied a hundredfold.

The laughter was rough and loud, bouncing back and forth between the metal bulkheads of the aircraft carrier, making Fury's eardrums buzz.

Thor laughed so hard his shoulders shook, one hand on his stomach and the other tapping the deck with the hammer handle, as if he were witnessing the most ridiculous sight in the Nine Realms.

"My little brother!" Thor finally caught his breath and reached out to wipe away the tears that had welled up in his eyes from laughing.

"You, a deity, actually got caught and beaten up by mortals this time?"

Loki lifted his unswollen eye from Steve's shoulder and stared at Thor with a cold gaze that was a mixture of humiliation and disbelief.

His lips moved, uttering a hoarse syllable, probably some kind of Asgardian swear word.

Shen Jue found this scene amusing.

After his examination, Loki was indeed Thor's younger brother without a doubt.

Thor's laughter gradually subsided, but a smile still lingered at the corners of his mouth.

He stepped forward and looked down to examine Loki's face closely.

"The swelling is quite symmetrical," Saul commented, his tone carrying a sincere admiration that only a close brother would express.

"Which mortal did this? I must buy that mortal who defeated the Asgardian warrior a drink!"

Loki turned his face away.

Thor then turned around to face Shen Jue.

His smile had faded considerably, but a certain relaxed quality remained in his eyes.

That's the kind of relief one feels after seeing Loki alive and kicking, and although he's been badly beaten, he's clearly not fatally injured.

Throughout his long years in Asgard, Thor had long been accustomed to Loki causing some earth-shattering incident every now and then, only to be beaten, imprisoned, released, and then causing some more earth-shattering incident.

It's a cycle, but it puts Thor at ease.

But a serious look began to appear in his eyes as he looked at Shen Jue.

Although Thor is straightforward and a bit carefree.

But he also understood what constituted a dangerous and worthwhile warrior.

At this moment, Shen Jue standing before Thor exerted an irresistible sense of pressure on him.

How could these mortals coexist peacefully with such beings inside this steel contraption?

A question mark crossed Thor's mind.

He obviously overlooked the fact that Earthlings do not possess the same level of perception as Asgardians.

Although Shen Jue did not deliberately conceal his aura, the gap between him and ordinary humans was so great that it was despair-inducing.

Human beings' instinctive genes compelled them to ignore Shen Jue's presence and sense of oppression.

This is why most of the people present felt that Shen Jue was kind and approachable.

Thor shifted his gaze from Shen Jue and then glanced at Loki again.

Loki was pretending to be nonchalant; he wasn't swaying on Steve's shoulder like a fish.

But Saul knew his younger brother all too well.

The more Loki pretended to be indifferent, the more turbulent his heart became.

Thor withdrew his gaze and faced Shen Jue, his expression filled with formal solemnity.

He rested Thor's hammer on the deck, placed his hands on the top of the handle, and bowed his head slightly.

This is a pose that Asgardian warriors only strike on formal occasions.

"Unknown gods!" Thor said.

"As Odin's son, prince of Asgard, and heir to the throne of Asgard, I formally request your presence."

Shen Jue smiled and looked at Thor, without interrupting him.

"I beg you, release my foolish brother."

As soon as he said those words, Loki's back stiffened abruptly.

The words "foolish brother" made Loki's shoulders tremble slightly.

Loki's entire body was visibly trembling.

It was an anger that welled up from the depths of one's bones.

Throughout his long years in Asgard, he had heard similar words countless times.

"My foolish brother."

"My good-for-nothing younger brother."

"You'll never be as good as Thor, but that's not your fault, after all, you're just a..."

After all, what are you?

Loki knew better than anyone what the unfinished sentence meant.

Thor continued talking, his tone carrying that matter-of-fact, brotherly frankness.

Loki couldn't hear him.

All he could hear was the sound of his own heartbeat, each beat heavy like a hammer striking an anvil.

Thor didn't even realize what he had said.

In Saul's view, "foolish younger brother" is a nickname, like "naughty child" or "disobedient puppy," carrying an affectionate reproach.

But Loki never heard any intimacy.

He was nominally the number one mage of the Nine Realms, the god of cunning, yet he was called a stupid brother by Thor, a muscle-bound big stick whose brain was nothing but muscles.

This is actually a reminder to Loki, no matter what he does, no matter how smart, cunning, or hardworking he is.

In Thor's eyes, in Odin's eyes, and in the eyes of everyone in Asgard, he was always that foolish younger brother.

The crown prince is unworthy to inherit the throne of Asgard.

Shen Jue took all of this into account.

Thor pleaded earnestly, his blue eyes filled with frankness and seriousness, completely unaware of what his words had just ignited in his younger brother's heart.

Shen Jue sighed inwardly.

The family education in Asgard is a complete mess.

No wonder Loki looks like this now.

A child who was constantly compared to his brilliant older brother from a young age, a child who could never earn a word of affirmation or recognition from his father no matter how hard he tried.

Loki, a child whose definition alternates between foolishness and naivety, did not go to extremes. He simply enjoyed showing off and craved recognition, which already demonstrated his strong will.

Thor finally finished speaking and looked at Shen Jue expectantly.

Shen Jue didn't answer immediately. He glanced at the trembling Loki before saying, "No."

Thor was surprised. He instinctively gripped the Mjolnir tightly, then put it down.

If Shen Jue hadn't been there, he could have easily robbed Loki and run away.

As long as Heimdall teleports the two brothers back to Asgard, no matter how much trouble the humans on Earth cause, they will no longer be able to interfere with the two brothers' affairs.

The problem is that Thor is not confident he can snatch Loki away from Shen Jue.

At this point, Saul realized that he had to use his intelligence.

Thor will use the art of language to negotiate with Shen Jue and take Loki away.

Thor placed the Mjolnir at his feet, as if making a firm decision, and said, "Unknown gods!"

"How about we make a bet?"

Shen Jue glanced at Thor curiously, and seeing that the others remained silent, asked, "What are we betting on?"

Thor flexed his massive muscles bulging beneath his armor and said, "Arm wrestling!"

"You win. Loki is at your disposal!"

"If I win, let me take Loki with me!"

Having said that, Thor smiled confidently.

Shen Jue's lips curled into a very subtle smile. He tugged at his priest's robe, barely able to contain himself.

Thor wore a victorious smile, because in his view, Shen Jue possessed a far greater sense of oppression than his father, Odin.

But Thor thought that Shen Jue was a warrior like Loki, who was not very good at fighting or physical strength.

Therefore, Thor, who was extremely confident in his physique, extended an invitation to Shen Jue.