After successfully establishing initial cooperation and trust with the dwarf race, 'Narcissus' did not fully relax.
He knew well the nature of the god of trickery, especially at a time when the trajectory of fate was beginning to align with the original texts.
Before leaving Svartálfaheimr, he held another special meeting with the dwarf elders, solemnly reminding them:
"Dear craftsmen, our cooperation is based on honesty. But not all beings in the Nine Realms follow this path. Beware of Loki of Ásgarðr, the god of trickery. He is skilled in rhetoric and provocation, especially delighted in creating competition and hatred among outstanding masters for personal gain and amusement. If he comes and mentions something about a 'competition' or the 'greatest master', I hope you will treat it with caution and not fall into the trap of his words."
The dwarves listened, doubt on their faces.
They had heard of Loki's reputation for cunning, but were confident in their own judgment, thinking the Vanir King was being overly cautious, perhaps even suggesting the dwarves not get too close to Ásgarðr.
However, out of respect for 'Narcissus's' skill and their previous sincere attitude, they nodded in agreement: "We will be careful, Your Majesty, God-King."
And indeed, Loki soon arrived quietly, in his boots capable of walking through the sky, just as 'Narcissus' had predicted.
He stepped onto the magical boots and headed straight for Svartálfaheimr, where the dwarves lived.
Loki calculated in his heart that the three Sons of Ívaldi were the most skilled among the dwarves.
He entered the iron forge, hidden deep underground, the sound of heat and hammer blows hitting him in the face. "Good day, Sons of Ívaldi."
Loki smiled: "I have traveled throughout the Nine Realms and heard that Brokkr and his brother Eitri are the most outstanding craftsmen in the world."
"Absurd!" the eldest son of Ívaldi immediately retorted. "We are the undisputed grandmasters."
"But some swear that the Brokkr brothers can create treasures equal to yours."
"Nonsense!" the second son shouted angrily.
"Even if it's the saddle of a warhorse, I wouldn't give it to those two clumsy oafs."
The youngest, but smartest, third son shrugged slightly: "Whatever they propose, we can create even better masterpieces."
"Alright! You've received the challenge." Loki's eyes flashed with the light of a successful plan.
"Decide the winner with three artifacts. The gods of Ásgarðr will act as judges. But..." He pretended to add casually.
"One of them must be golden hair—flawless, endless golden hair."
"That's as easy as turning over our hand," the three sons spoke in unison. In the steaming mist, Loki could barely make out their faces.
When Loki traveled across the mountains to the workshop of the Brokkr brothers, his expression changed to one of concern:
"The Sons of Ívaldi are making three artifacts for the Æsir, and the gods will try them out. They told me it's impossible to forge such exquisite treasures with your brothers' crude craftsmanship, and called you 'clumsy oafs'."
The elder Brokkr stroked his thick beard, his eyes like torches: "This is very much your style—sowing discord like this, Loki."
The god of trickery immediately put on the most sincere expression: "This has nothing to do with me."
He spread his hands innocently: "I just think you should know the truth."
"You really don't want anything?"
"No selfishness at all."
Brokkr exchanged glances with the silent Eitri.
Being the more decisive of the brothers, he said in a deep voice: "If that's the case, we would gladly compete with the Sons of Ívaldi. But..."
He changed his mind.
"Since it's a competition, there should always be a stake. How about betting your head, Loki? Eitri just needs a new material—maybe a thinking machine or an inkwell."
The smile on Loki's face remained unchanged, but he secretly frowned in his heart. He calculated: as long as he ensured the Brokkr brothers were defeated, the gods would still get six artifacts, and Sif would also get her golden hair.
It was easy for him.
"Deal." He readily agreed. "My head is at your disposal."
As the workshop furnaces ignited in the mountains, Loki began his real plan.
He transformed into an annoying gadfly and constantly bit Eitri's hand while he was forging Thor's hammer.
Thus, the final casting of Thor's hammer was missing its handle.
However, Loki did not realize that in a dark corner of the workshop, a dwarf elder was watching everything.
The old man rubbed the runestone in his hand, engraved with the pattern of the World Tree, recalling the prophetic warning of the Vanir God-King, and a flash of clarity appeared in his murky eyes.
In Vanaheimr, by the lakeside dwelling, 'Narcissus' sensed the fluctuation of the runes.
He read the message from the dwarf elder, and there was no unexpected expression on his face.
"Loki, indeed, he acted," Metis's consciousness was filled with slight understanding.
"Expected," Hades's will replied.
"This is an opportunity to strengthen our relationship with the dwarves and further expose the methods of Ásgarðr."
He did not set out himself, but gave clear guidance to the dwarf elder through the transmission rune:
'Narcissus's' will clearly echoed in the dwarf elder's consciousness through the transmission rune, its content subtle and far-sighted:
"Respected master craftsman, Loki's trick is confirmed. But conflict is not the only outcome; wisdom can turn a crisis into a turning point. Please advise the Sons of Ívaldi and the Brokkr brothers: Since the skills of both sides are indistinguishable, why not turn the competition into cooperation?"
"The new rule: each side should create three artifacts. But these three artifacts must cooperate with the three artifacts created by the other workshop to realize their true power. If used separately, their effectiveness is greatly reduced and even becomes mediocre."
"Thus, this not only distinguishes between winners and losers but also promotes cooperation. To win or lose the 'bet', considering that Loki's interference did affect the performance of the Brokkr brothers, the final title of 'winner' can be attributed to Brokkr's side, to save face and win the bet (Loki's head). However, the actual effectiveness of the artifacts requires the coexistence of both sides."
The dwarf elder's eyes flashed, and he immediately understood the profound meaning.
This not only resolved the immediate dispute and avoided internal conflict among the dwarves but also created truly unique 'combined artifacts' requiring the two dwarf workshops to jointly maintain and know the secrets, greatly strengthening the cohesion of the dwarf community.
He immediately went to the workshops of the Sons of Ívaldi and Brokkr respectively, to convey 'Narcissus's' advice.
At first, both sides were a little resistant due to the fierce competition, but after careful consideration, they understood the genius of this plan.
This was no longer a zero-sum game, but a cooperation that brought greater value and guaranteed the status of both sides.
For the Brokkr brothers, who would save face and have Loki's bet (his head) be even more important for them to obtain the title of 'winner'.
Therefore, according to the new rules, the two groups of dwarf craftsmen temporarily set aside their prejudices and began to communicate and cooperate on the secret design:
· Sif's long golden hair (workshop of the Sons of Ívaldi) was still created to be endless, like flowing gold.
But to gather this flawless golden hair into a perfect bun and preserve it forever, a pair of magical hairpins made in Brokkr's workshop, containing the law of 'eternal styling', were needed.
Without this pair of hairpins, although the golden hair was beautiful, it was difficult to control and easily scattered.
· The golden ring Draupnir (Brokkr's workshop) still produced eight identical gold rings every nine nights.
But its endlessly reproducing magic required a stable container; otherwise, the reproduced gold rings would scatter uncontrollably.
This container was a seemingly simple 'inexhaustible wooden box' created by the workshop of the Sons of Ívaldi.
Only when the gold ring was placed in this box could its copying ability be accumulated in order; otherwise, it would be ephemeral.
· Thor's hammer Mjölnir (Brokkr's workshop) had a short handle due to Loki's problems.
To compensate for this 'defect' and facilitate control over the immense power of thunder, the workshop of the Sons of Ívaldi specially forged a pair of 'Thunder Control Gauntlets'.
Only by wearing this pair of gauntlets could one safely and accurately wield the short-handled Mjölnir; otherwise, it was very easy to get injured and even hinder the unleashing of its full power.
The design of these three sets of 'combined artifacts' perfectly reflected 'Narcissus's' intention: it not only satisfied the form of competition but also prevented either side from independently possessing the full power of the artifacts, quietly binding the interests of the two main dwarf workshops.
As for the other three artifacts originally intended for the competition:
· The eternal spear Gungnir: a spear that pierces everything and always hits its target when thrown.
· Skíðblaðnir: this treasure ship could be folded into a pocket and unfolded to hold an army of gods.
· Gullinbursti, the golden-bristled boar: this golden boar could run day and night through the sky, ocean, and land.
The dwarves, especially the elders, recalling the power of Odin and the cunning of Loki, agreed that such powerful weapons should not be delivered to the capricious Æsir.