The more you know, the more unknowns there are.
Wen Yi only truly understood the meaning of this sentence from that moment on.
He suddenly felt as if his entire life had been designed, especially after discovering the existence of the TVA.
Wen Yi's discovery of the TVA was an accident.
As the Sorcerer Supreme, he observed all potential dimensional invasion points in this world.
He observed the future of these places and prepared in advance.
As a result, in certain future fragments, Wen Yi discovered the existence of the TVA.
And it wasn't the TVA after Loki changed it; it was the TVA responsible for pruning time branches.
From that moment on, Wen Yi confirmed that his fate was predetermined.
Because only then would his becoming the Sorcerer Supreme not attract the TVA to prune him.
Discovering the TVA was like flipping a switch; Wen Yi discovered more and more things afterward.
He found his parallel world selves, found more and more souls similar to him, and saw their destinies.
Afterward, through contact with these people, Wen Yi began to speculate that if his memory might be fake, then there must be a 'real' memory.
The person with the real memory was likely the origin of everyone, the sole 'original body'.
So Wen Yi waited for Kevin, and after that, he began to design all of this.
Until finally, he completely became a part of Kevin's body.
From Wen Yi's perspective, Kevin saw everything he had done, all his efforts to date.
At the same time, he also received the last words Wen Yi left for Kevin:
—I lost, so you, for me, go see the 'truth'.
...
"You really think highly of me."
Opening his eyes, Kevin murmured softly.
Wen Yi seemed to have made a plan: if he won, he would directly take everything from Kevin and go to a higher dimension to see the so-called 'truth'.
Even if he lost, his desire to see the truth would be imprinted in Kevin's heart, pushing Kevin to advance to a higher level.
No matter what, someone had to go and see who the mastermind behind all of this was.
Kevin had no other choice; if he didn't want to be inexplicably picked off like a 'fruit', then he could only go all the way.
"...By the way, why haven't I grown taller after accepting Wen Yi's power?"
Having received a large amount of Wen Yi's memories, Kevin, who had finally recovered from his daze, looked down at the ground, then raised his hands to look at them.
But he found that he didn't seem to have grown taller.
Although he felt his power had grown sufficiently, only his height had not continued to increase.
However, after some thought, Kevin didn't delve deeper.
Not growing was actually a good thing; it meant Kevin hadn't fully 'matured' yet, and it wasn't time for him to be 'picked'.
Closing his eyes slightly, mourning Wen Yi and those killed by Wen Yi, Kevin finally turned to face the Space-Time Mirror beside him and wiped his hand across it.
On the brilliant mirror surface, the scene changed, revealing the interior of the TVA.
According to Wen Yi's memories, the TVA had long been unrecognizable due to the participation of the 'Kevins'.
Although the original characters were still there, they were no longer the high-ranking officials of the TVA.
Even Loki didn't voluntarily become the Story God; Wen Yi had directly captured him and forcibly made him sit on the Time Throne.
And now, the surviving 'Kevins', or rather the victors of the Kevin War, were managing the entire Marvel Universe's timeline within the TVA.
However, even if everything had reluctantly returned to its original destiny and Loki had become the Story God, the world's crisis had not yet been resolved.
Just as Wen Yi once said, Loki was only the Story God of the Marvel Universe.
If the Marvel Universe collided with other universes, then he would be powerless.
Therefore, Kevin had to go to the TVA.
He pointed his finger at the Space-Time Mirror, and ripples appeared before his eyes.
Kevin stepped directly into it, and as the scene shifted, Kevin was already standing inside the TVA.
As soon as he entered, a piercing alarm sounded throughout the entire TVA.
"Intruder—!"
Miss Minutes, whose intelligent core had been reset, jumped out of the TVA's computer to alert everyone.
But just as she gave the warning, the alarm was suppressed by someone.
"Don't be nervous, it's one of us!"
Nightcrawler, dressed in a suit, suddenly appeared among the crowd to calm them down, then he turned to Kevin:
"You arrived too suddenly, at least give us a heads-up!"
"Sorry, I thought I was still your agent."
Kevin said apologetically.
Nightcrawler rolled his eyes at that:
"The TVA's system was reset earlier, your previous identity for sneaking in is long gone! You've met Wen Yi, don't you even know this?"
"Hmm..." Kevin pondered for a moment, "I guess I thought it wasn't important, so I forgot."
"..."
Nightcrawler was instantly speechless; he didn't know what to say.
How could such an important thing be forgotten?
Well, perhaps for Kevin, who could now travel to any world at will, such things really weren't important.
Thinking of this, Nightcrawler sighed.
He dismissed the surrounding staff who were watching, then asked Kevin:
"Since you're here, it proves that Wen Yi has failed, right?"
"Looks like you know what he was going to do."
Kevin looked at Nightcrawler in surprise.
He had thought that only Wen Yi himself knew about this.
After all, in his memories, Wen Yi didn't seem to have told Nightcrawler what he was going to do.
Wen Yi explained:
"I know. Although he didn't say it, I should be the one who understands him best, otherwise, why would he hand the TVA over to me?"
"Hand it over to you... What about Mobius and the others?"
"Mobius wanted to travel and relax... Sylvie is with him, and Cassie too, mainly to prevent them from doing anything."
Nightcrawler stammered a bit here.
Kevin also recalled what Wen Yi had done to Loki and the others, and he felt a bit helpless:
"What you guys did... was a bit unfair."
"No choice. Who told the plot to completely go off the rails after our involvement? Loki didn't want to become the Story God, and the plot couldn't continue, so..."
"But you can't just forcibly tie him up! Is voluntary the same as forced? Are you really not worried he'll tear apart all the timelines in a fit of rage?!"
The memories left by Wen Yi detailed the situation of Loki and the TVA.
Because of the changes in He Who Remains and the participation of the Kevins, the plot of "Loki" ran wild like a runaway horse, galloping in unpredictable directions.
Although Loki solved the problem of time slipping, he wasn't ready to become the Story God.
After all, Loki was very smart; he could see that even without him, the 'Kevins' would definitely find a way to deal with the runaway timelines.
So Loki didn't want to sit on the toilet and be some Story God.
But Wen Yi wasn't having it.
If Loki didn't become the Story God, the entire Marvel Universe's timeline would undergo massive changes again, and who knew what it would turn into.
Therefore, Wen Yi and his group actually tied Loki up and forcibly pressed him onto the toilet... no, onto the Story God's throne!
Look at what they did!
If Kevin were Loki, he definitely wouldn't agree either!
But hearing Kevin's words, Nightcrawler grinned, revealing white teeth beneath his blue skin:
"Hmm... he definitely can't tear the timelines apart."
"..."
Hearing Nightcrawler say that, Kevin instantly had a bad feeling.
He hesitated for two seconds, then said to Nightcrawler:
"Take me to see him."
"Now? Don't you want something to drink? The TVA's hot cocoa is actually quite good."
"Hot cocoa can wait! Now, take me to see him!"
Kevin couldn't imagine what state Loki was in right now; he just wanted to see Loki quickly and let him be freed as soon as possible.
At Kevin's urging, Nightcrawler didn't waste any time and led Kevin directly to the deepest part of the TVA.
In the area originally important for observing the Sacred Timeline, it was now replaced by a lush green Time Tree with dense branches and leaves.
The Time Tree stood in the void, and besides it, nothing else existed in the surroundings.
Including the TVA members, they weren't here either.
Kevin and Nightcrawler stood at the edge of the void, looking at the Time Tree inside.
He could vaguely see that in the very center of the Time Tree, Loki was tied up with ropes, and countless timelines had become the shackles binding him.
"..."
Seeing this scene, Kevin was instantly speechless.
He didn't know what to say.
He turned to look at Nightcrawler, and all his complaints finally turned into a sigh:
"Sigh, never mind, I'll go get him out."
"?" Nightcrawler was stunned, and quickly grabbed his arm: "You're taking him out? Do you know what consequences that will have? Without a replacement, as soon as he comes out, all the timelines will be in chaos!"
"Of course I know."
"Then you... Wait, you want to replace him?"
Nightcrawler seemed to realize something, his eyes wide with shock as he asked.
He had thought Kevin came to check on Loki's condition and determine the current time of the Marvel World.
But he never expected Kevin would want to replace Loki and become the one controlling the Time Tree.
Kevin didn't explain much to Nightcrawler, only saying:
"You'll see in a moment, don't worry, I don't want to stay here forever."
He said, flying towards Loki in the center.
Loki, bound to the Time Tree, seemed to be dozing, his head bowed, his hair obscuring his face.
But as Kevin approached, he suddenly lifted his head, his hair all thrown back, and his deep green eyes looked at Kevin.
"Mmm mmm mmm—!!"
Loki's mouth was also blocked by the timelines, and Kevin couldn't hear what he was saying at all.
But he could tell from his expression.
Loki was definitely swearing profusely.
Smiling apologetically at Loki, Kevin said:
"I apologize to you on behalf of my variants; they did something very excessive to you... But it couldn't be helped, after all, you were originally supposed to become the Story God..."
"Mmmph! Mmmph mmmph mmmph!!!"
"...Cough, cough, let's not talk about that. I'll help you get free first. Oh, right, the ones who tied you up here were them, not me. Don't blame me later."
Kevin, looking a bit guilty, averted his gaze and reached out, gripping the green Time Lines that bound Loki.
The Time Tree continued to grow, with more branches and roots spreading out from both sides.
To make this entire Time Tree Kevin's, he needed to exert more power.
But fortunately, what Kevin lacked least right now was power.
His strength, elevated by his integration with the skill tree, and his strength from merging with Wen Yi and the variant souls, were all present within Kevin's body at this moment.
Therefore, the moment Kevin placed his hand on the Time Tree, countless Time Lines began to change colour.
From the green representing Loki, they turned to the blue representing Kevin.
As more and more blue appeared, the restraints on Loki diminished.
By the time the entire Time Tree had turned blue, Loki had completely broken free from the Time Lines' bondage.
As soon as Loki stepped off the Time Lines, he quickly jumped to the side, looking warily at Kevin.
Kevin ignored him. He grasped the main trunk of the Time Tree and walked forward, finally sitting on the throne that originally belonged to Loki.
It was at this moment that the blue Time Tree instantly burst forth with brilliant light!
The entire void was filled with that pure blue.
"You… you are Kevin…?"
Loki only now realized that the child in front of him was not a Kevin variant, but Kevin himself.
He had just thought that standing before him was yet another Kevin variant, coming to tell him something about 'fate' or 'karma'—things he couldn't understand.
He hadn't expected the other party's purpose was to save him.
Even more unexpectedly, the other party had succeeded!
And Loki remembered that the damned Sorcerer Supreme who had pinned him here had said before leaving that only Kevin's true body could save him.
In other words, this child now, was actually Kevin's true body?
He turned into a child?
Kevin, sitting on the throne, said nothing. He even closed his eyes, as if he had fallen asleep.
Loki's heart sank.
He knew what it felt like to sit on the Time Throne; it wasn't terribly uncomfortable, but it certainly wasn't pleasant either.
All the Time Lines had to pass through his hands, and the vast amount of temporal information almost burst his head!
So most of the time, Loki was dozing off, only occasionally checking on how the Time Lines were developing.
Now it seemed Kevin was the same, exhausted and asleep from the immense information overload…
"What are you looking at?"
"WTF—!?"
Before Loki could finish his thought, he felt someone tap his shoulder.
Turning his head, the adult version of Kevin stood beside him!
"You, you, you… you… he… huh?"
Loki pointed at the child sitting on the Time Throne, then looked at the adult Kevin beside him, his eyes wide, unable to react for a long time.
Kevin knew what he wanted to ask and explained:
"I'm using a clone now. After all, no one stipulated that you can't use a clone to mess around after sitting on the Time Throne, right?"
"…You still have spare power to control a clone?!"
When Loki was tied there, he had no energy at all to control a clone.
All his power was invested in fighting against the Time Lines.
But now, looking at Kevin, he still seemed to have plenty of energy?
And even had the power to split off a clone to play around??
Wait… just how strong is this guy Kevin, anyway?
Loki just realized that he seemed to have never known Kevin's exact strength.
However, he figured his strength must be quite formidable, after all, the power of those variants wasn't weak; they could even tie him, who could control time, here.
"I can play for a little while. Alright, there's something I need to tell you. Let's go out and talk."
Patting Loki's shoulder, Kevin turned to look at himself sitting on the throne.
His current power should have already surpassed the limits of these multiverses.
And because of this, even using only half his power, he could replace Loki and sit here.
Although his main body still couldn't move at all, at least he could use a clone to move around outside.
He could even leave the Marvel Universe and return to The Boys Universe.
After all, the two universes were now indistinguishable.
However, despite this, Kevin had no intention of staying on this throne forever. For now, he was merely temporarily replacing Loki. Later, this position would have to be returned to Loki.
Taking Loki from the World Tree, Nightcrawler found a private room for them to talk.
Once seated, Loki immediately began to complain:
"You guys are really something. I told you I didn't want to sit in that position, to be some damned Story God, but you insisted on doing it! I'm telling you, this isn't over!"
"Alright, calm down, calm down. They had no choice. After all, in the original destiny, you were supposed to become the Story God."
"That's what I can't understand the most!"
Loki, sitting on the sofa, straightened his body and looked directly at Kevin, saying:
"I saw my original destiny in the Time Theater! To be killed by Thanos, that was my destiny! But now you're telling me… telling me I'll become the Story God?
"If this is true, then what about the destiny of my previous death?!"
"The destiny of death belongs to the destiny of all 'Loki's, while the destiny of becoming the Story God is your unique 'story.' Do you understand what I mean?"
"You mean… I'm special?"
"Yes, you are special."
Kevin nodded in agreement.
Among countless universes, among countless Loki's, only one person ultimately became the Story God, and that was the Loki before him.
The only Loki who transcended his original predetermined destiny and became the Story God.
He truly was special; in the entire Marvel Universe, there was no existence more special than him.
Hearing Kevin say this, Loki quieted down.
He didn't know what he was thinking, just silently looking at Kevin, then his gaze shifted, no longer continuing the topic they were discussing, and he said to Kevin:
"I don't want to do this anymore. That destiny you're talking about has nothing to do with me! All I want now is to see Mobius and Sylvie, to see my friends!"
"You can."
"…"
Kevin's swift agreement left Loki stunned for a long time.
He probably hadn't expected Kevin to answer so decisively.
Loki thought he hadn't made himself clear, so he repeated:
"I mean, I… Loki, don't want to be the Story God, don't want to follow the original destiny. I just want to go back…"
"You don't need to repeat it. I heard you very clearly, so my answer is 'you can.' You can go back and enjoy your life; this is what you deserve."
Kevin wasn't lying.
No matter what foolish things Loki had done in the past, or how many people he had killed, at least now, he was a true hero, a hero who had saved countless multiverses.
He had the right to enjoy his own life, to do what he truly wanted to do.
"Then… then I'm leaving…?"
Loki stood up, hesitantly saying to Kevin.
Kevin nodded to him, then suddenly said:
"Oh, right, before you go see your old friends and your little girlfriend, do you want to meet one more person with me?"
After speaking, Kevin didn't wait for Loki's answer and added:
"Of course, you have the right to refuse. I just thought of it, I want to… it's like I want to fulfill a wish of my own."
Loki didn't understand what Kevin meant by that. How did Kevin's own wish get tied to him, Loki?
However, thinking that Kevin had, after all, saved him from the Time Tree, Loki decided to stay for now and asked Kevin:
"Who are we going to see?"
"Come with me."
Kevin opened a portal and gestured to Loki.
Loki thought for a moment, then walked into the portal with Kevin, heading to the mysterious place the other party mentioned.
…
Earth, 2022, New Asgard.
Kevin and Loki appeared on a grassy cliff.
Before them, facing the sea, was a Thor as round as a ball… Thor.
The time Kevin chose was just after the war between the Avengers and Thanos had ended, a period when everything was starting anew.
At this stage, Thor had already passed the throne to the Valkyrie, and he himself was preparing to travel the universe with the Guardians of the Galaxy.
This time was precisely before he left Earth.
"This is…"
Loki looked at the person standing in front, he didn't recognize him as his brother Thor, he just felt somewhat familiar.
Kevin explained:
"This is New Asgard, which Thor founded on Earth after your death, a divine pure land. The one in front of you is Thor."
"…"
Loki was instantly speechless.
He didn't know if he was stunned by what Kevin said, or by realizing that the Fat Man in front of him was Thor.
He slightly parted his lips and asked Kevin:
"…Why did you bring me here?"
"You should at least meet your brother."
"He's not my brother."
Loki said: "…You and I both know, I can't go back."
From the moment Loki was taken by the TVA, Loki could no longer return to his original world.
Even meeting Thor, it wouldn't be the Thor he knew.
Such a meeting would be meaningless.
But Kevin didn't think so.
He gently patted Loki's shoulder, and softly said:
"Even so, you must have something you want to say to Thor, right? Go talk to him."
"This is meaningless…"
"Go."
"…"
Loki turned to look at Kevin, his mouth slightly opening and closing, but he couldn't say anything.
He looked again at Thor, who had his back to him, took a deep breath, and walked towards him.