Chapter 320: The System Upgrade Completes, and Loki's Rough Day
"Here's a hundred bucks. Don't say I never looked out for you." Ethan reached into his wallet, wincing, and pulled out a crisp, green Franklin.
Beside him, Pietro watched the whole exchange with open disbelief — anyone walking by would've assumed Ethan had just handed over ten grand, the way he was carrying on. Ten thousand dollars wouldn't even register as a real expense for the man.
"A hundred bucks'll get you plenty of meals, and it's enough to hold you over till you land a job. And once it's gone, don't come crawling back dropping my name — I'm not bailing you out," Ethan said, watching that single hundred-dollar bill with genuine pain, handing it over to Loki.
Ethan was famous for taking money OFF people. Nobody, ever, in the history of Hell's Kitchen, had managed to take money FROM Ethan. This hundred bucks only happened at all because of Thor's face — and even then, grudgingly.
If Thor ever found out his own personal credibility was only worth a hundred dollars in Ethan's eyes, he might've reconsidered the whole favor. Might've been better off asking Tony instead — Tony would've probably been more generous.
Not that Ethan considered himself cheap. In the land of the free, a hundred bucks could stretch three or four days easy — order fried rice with tax and tip every meal, and you're set for a solid three days. Stick to plain burgers, and you could push it to four or five. Cook for yourself, and it'd last even longer.
If Loki couldn't land a job within ten days, well — he could just resign himself to being a proper Hell's Kitchen bum living off the free soup kitchens.
That's right — thanks to both the God of Stories and Thor's relentless begging, Ethan had ultimately caved and agreed to take in this universe's very own MCU Loki.
Not that he had any intention of actually looking after the guy personally. Loki had no godly power left anyway — just an ordinary man now.
An ordinary, powerless Loki couldn't stir up much real trouble in Hell's Kitchen. If anything, he might struggle just to survive here at all.
Ethan honestly thought the whole "imprison Loki" thing in the movies was a joke. In Asgard's dungeons, Loki got food and drink delivered to him daily. Hell's Kitchen offered no such luxury. Whether Loki ate well or starved from here on out was entirely up to him.
Still, knowing Loki's arrogant, condescending personality the way Ethan did, the man was bound to get thoroughly beaten down by Hell's Kitchen's residents sooner or later. If he wanted any kind of decent life here, he'd need to change that attitude fast.
Hell's Kitchen had a way of teaching every mouthy troublemaker exactly the lesson they needed.
With that thought, Ethan flashed a wicked smile at Loki, who still had no idea what he was actually in for.
Loki's previously indifferent expression stiffened the instant that loaded smile landed on him.
An inexplicable chill ran through him, like he'd been plunged into some frozen abyss. He shivered despite himself.
He'd assumed, given his connections to Thor and Odin, that little old Hell's Kitchen wouldn't dare actually do anything to him. Even exile, in his mind, amounted to little more than a change of scenery — a vacation, essentially. Odin was still King of Asgard, after all; he needed to at least put on a show of discipline for his subjects and everyone else watching.
As far as Loki was concerned, this whole exile business was just formality — a brief inconvenience, over before he knew it. As for the sealing of his godly power, he hadn't given it much thought either. Powerless or not, he was still a god, standing far above these lowly mortals. Untouchable.
Still, he was starting to sense that staying in Hell's Kitchen might not be such a great idea after all.
Even so, he still carried himself with a god's dignity, convinced his mere presence here was an honor Hell's Kitchen didn't deserve.
"Why would a god such as myself have any use for this so-called 'money'? Shouldn't I simply eat whatever I please, whenever I please?" Loki said, dripping with contempt, apparently still oblivious to his actual situation.
"Sure, sure. Weren't you always supposed to be the clever one, Loki? How is it you still can't see the position you're in? Or is your so-called cleverness only good for scheming — because if you were actually smart, you wouldn't have ended up here in the first place."
Loki bristled at the jab, shooting to his feet, glaring daggers at Ethan. "How DARE you insult me like this!"
But the fury faded quickly, replaced by something calculating in his eyes.
He seemed to turn something over in his mind, then settled back into that same practiced, earnest smile, looking at Ethan with what appeared to be genuine sincerity. "I'm sorry. I know I was wrong. I failed to read the situation properly, and I shouldn't have done any of it. I regret everything I've done — deceiving Thor, coveting the throne, and worst of all, trying to conquer Earth.
For my brother Thor's sake, I ask you, Lord of Hell's Kitchen, for one chance. One chance to make things right."
Loki fixed Ethan with an earnest, pleading look, hoping this heartfelt little speech would win him over.
If Ethan hadn't known exactly what kind of man Loki really was, he might genuinely have fallen for that sincere act.
Ethan had no doubt this guy was already cooking up some new scheme — but he couldn't have cared less, and wasn't remotely worried about it either. With everyone else around, if Loki ever actually tried anything, someone else would take him down long before Ethan needed to lift a finger.
He took back the hundred-dollar bill, pulled out two twenties instead, and tossed them at Loki.
Without giving him a single chance to respond, Ethan opened a portal directly behind Loki — one leading straight to Hell's Kitchen's Lower District, currently the single most chaotic, lawless corner of the whole neighborhood. It sat right on the border with Brooklyn, and honestly, it barely counted as Ethan's territory at all anymore.
Most of the gangs Ethan had driven out of the rest of Hell's Kitchen over time had ended up pushed into that district specifically, which was exactly why the place had descended into such chaos.
Ethan planted a foot squarely in Loki's back and shoved him straight through the portal. He watched Loki's figure vanish, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
Loki's arrival was just a minor sideshow, after all — today's real headline event was the System's upgrade.
Loki's figure abruptly materialized on a street in Hell's Kitchen's Lower District, and he crashed hard onto the pavement, wincing in pain.
He scrambled back to his feet fast, brushed the dust off himself with as much dignity as he could muster, fury flashing in his eyes.
"Just you wait, Ethan. I WILL have my revenge. Even without my power, I'll turn Hell's Kitchen completely upside down!" Loki declared, brimming with confidence.
Just as Loki was busy plotting his next move, the atmosphere around him shifted, growing suddenly tense. He noticed a cluster of tattooed, thuggish men closing in on him from every direction. Danger radiated off every one of them, their eyes gleaming with open greed and hunger.
Loki understood exactly what these men were after, but he didn't show a shred of fear. Sure, he'd lost his godly power — but his combat instincts and close-quarters skill were still very much intact. He drew a dagger from beneath his robes in one smooth motion, gripping it tight, ready for whatever came next.
"Hey. Dressed that fancy, you gotta be loaded. Hand over everything you've got!" one of the tattooed thugs barked.
"Damn, pretty boy's got some soft skin on him. Dibs. Don't be scared, sweetheart — stick with me, and I'll keep you safe," another leered, eyes crawling over Loki with naked greed.
Fury sparked in Loki's eyes at their words.
A god does not suffer such insults.
He drew a sharp breath, then lunged straight at the nearest thug, dagger flashing with cold, deadly light.
The gang, seeing this delicate-looking pretty-boy not only unafraid but actually charging THEM, exploded into furious shouts, swearing to teach him a lesson, and surged forward to meet him.
Ethan had no idea Loki had run into trouble quite this fast — and honestly, even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared.
He had more important things on his plate right now.
At that moment, he was watching his System interface light up.
「DING!」
「System upgrade complete!」
「Congratulations, Host! Exclusive Skill acquired: 'I'll Treat Myself!'」
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you