Kul, in his serpent form, roared fearfully to the heavens, shaking the entire world.
He was an immense serpent. As the god of fear, his sudden burst of divine power naturally spread fear, attempting to intimidate the world. Kul hoped to reap even more of it. With
so many humans on this planet, a simple act of intimidation like this would surely yield a significant harvest. Even if it wasn't as abundant as Earth in the Prime Universe, it should still be substantial, enough for him to feast on.
But within a few seconds, a look of astonishment and bewilderment crossed Kul's enormous serpentine head.
He had indeed absorbed fear from all over Earth, but not much.
"How could it be so few? This planet has as many humans as Midgard in Universe 616. Even if their quality were lower, it wouldn't be this low."
Kul, in his serpent form, was stunned, shaking his head in disbelief.
He sensed countless emotions of fear with his own authority.
"Another unknown entity has arrived on Earth? Could it really be a subterranean being this time?"
"It looks like a monster from ancient mythology. Is it a snake or a lizard?"
"It doesn't look like a god at all. What god would be this hideous?"
"But it's a truly grand spectacle. It feels like every capable warrior under Duva has gone to battle. This is the first time I've seen anything like this... Could it be that Duva has set his sights on this giant snake again?"
Across the world, a vast number of people were discussing this.
Even though ordinary people clearly sensed the majesty emanating from Kul, they were mostly surprised and surprised, and fear was the only emotion. The farther from the battlefield, the less people contributed.
Because no matter what kind of enemy, it would be difficult for them to directly cause significant damage to the planet before Duva fell. This was the prestige Duva had established through many major events in the past.
Just seeing Duva still fighting, people's fears dissipated a little. The other half was mainly praying that they wouldn't be so unlucky that they would die before the disaster subsided, becoming just another casualty in the list of casualties.
This discovery deeply distressed Kul. His immense body thrashed wildly, and with a single blow from his massive tail, he crippled countless aliens.
"Your anger only reveals your incompetence. I see a little sheep thrashing about, lashing out against the fence in anger because it can't get the food its master has granted it. What do you think, venerable God-King Kul?"
Dua, omnipresent like a ghost, a distant observer, coldly observed the unfolding events.
Even the supremely revered God-King, even from the Prime Universe, could not command Dua's extra respect.
Dua would look anyone or any god at his eye level. If he showed any extra courtesy, it often meant one of two extremes: either they were definitely not enemies, or they were enemies who must be eliminated immediately.
In response, Kul flung the speaking Laofey alien away.
"No one has ever dared to humiliate me like this, human. You are the first, and you will be the last. I will hang your corpse from my throne in another universe."
"Really? But how can I do that? The God of Fear, who can't even touch you with fear?" Duva's voice emanated from the Laufey Alien.
"You're lucky I didn't bring the eight hammers with me, or I would have conquered this world long ago."
Kul bared his fangs, ready to bite the Laufey Alien to pieces.
Honestly, Kul regretted it now. He had expected Mephisto to be up to no good, but he hadn't anticipated being summoned to such a precarious position from the start.
Guys like Reynolds were enough to annoy Kul. If he were at his peak, he could easily have taken on several Skyfathers alone.
What truly infuriated Kul was the Laufey Alien. He recognized it; it was clearly another form of Laufey. If he had held the Ice Box, it would have been Laufey himself.
So, this universe's Laufey has also become an alien? Kull's fascination with the aliens reached its peak. Even being able to steal the bloodline of the World Tree Gods was truly remarkable.
But the greater their remarkableness, the greater his murderous intent grew. Only a God King like him could wield such a dangerous species that stole the bloodline of the gods. He absolutely would not allow a Midgardian to possess such power, as it would be a threat to him.
But if only he could seize the aliens and bring them to the main universe
, that would be even better. "It's a waste to have a human like you command the aliens! Only I am worthy of such a race's following!"
Kull grabbed Reynolds's fist and lashed him in the chest with his tail, which was as fast as light. The terrifying blow instantly shattered the golden light from Reynolds's body.
This was just the beginning. He turned his head and opened his mouth, unleashing a stream of magic to meet Ikaris's heat vision.
But then the Hyperion Alien suddenly attacked, punching Kul's head, causing the impossibly large skull to tilt slightly.
"Your head isn't as hard as your words," Reynolds taunted, condensing his stellar energy.
A swarm of Dracula Aliens, Eternals, and others seized the opportunity to attack, frantically assaulting Kul's massive form.
Facing such a siege, Kul's energy was being drained with each passing second.
For Kul, the most crucial thing now was a sufficient reserve of energy; expending more energy was a taboo.
Kul felt as if a swarm of insects were buzzing around him, but he couldn't kill them all in one go.
This universe's Midgard infuriated him immensely, leaving him with very little fear energy to consume, especially against these aliens, who showed no fear at all!
"These creatures, possessing a full range of emotions, yet display no fear of a god far superior to them? Very well, I don't know how you gained their allegiance, but these creatures should belong to me!" Kul said.
At this moment, Odin arrived.
The World Tree never trembled in unusual ways. It was a massive entity that supported nine large worlds and held together countless planets. It was both the embodiment of laws and a truly existing substance.
In Odin's millions of years of memory, nothing like this had ever happened.
Odin rode his eight-legged Pegasus, opened the Rainbow Bridge, and descended to Earth.
This teleportation technology, derived from Asgard, was extremely conspicuous and instantly perceived by many on Earth.
The Rainbow Bridge, spanning the universe and the stars, could not be concealed.
"Here comes a disgusting fellow," Kul glanced at him, feeling incredibly disgusted.
Even if the Odin in this universe has no grudge against him, he will feel a deep-seated anger just by seeing Odin. "Outsider, tell me your name." Odin, fully armed and mounted on a majestic steed, wielding the Eternal Lance, pointed it at Kul.
This was a challenge.
With his time running out, Odin wanted nothing more than to sacrifice his life in one final battle to uncover the truth behind the otherworldly visitor's stirrings within the World Tree.
This was crucial; he needed to use his remaining life to pave the way for Thor and eliminate any uncertainty.
More importantly, as King of Asgard, he needed to participate in Duva's battle and assert Asgard's position.
After all, Duva had been incredibly ferocious over the past two years, repeatedly defeating gods and making the alien race's reputation resound throughout the universe.
This was achieved by trampling over countless gods, and was also the result of Duva's rapid deployment of alien breeding colonies across the universe, allowing more people to come into contact with the aliens and understand their terrifying nature.
"Even Odin from the main universe wouldn't dare treat me like this. Okay, okay, your unknown universe has many courageous individuals."
Kul opened his bloody mouth. He felt that every prominent figure in this universe was a bad person. The weak refused to vent their fear, while the powerful showed him no respect.
"Hey, Thomson, do you think there's a chance I could possess this giant? Then you can retire."
"'You think' is just an illusion. The boss will kill you. He gave you to me, not for you to find an opportunity to change jobs." Lightning Thomson wandered the battlefield, communicating with Venom.
The man and the symbiote stared intently at Odin, who had just arrived.
They felt nothing for Kul, but for Odin, it was overwhelming.
Odin carefully felt it, frowning slightly. He sensed a blood connection with Kul, a very close bloodline.
"It seems that without me in this universe, you can ascend to the throne unopposed," Kul said coldly.
Odin had already raised the Spear of Eternity and stabbed it forward.
"I don't know what our relationship is like back in your universe, and I don't care. All I have to do now is eliminate you and prevent you from becoming a threat to this world."
The elderly Odin finally struck. He stabbed Kul with his spear, shattering its energy barrier. Then, with a fierce thrust, he launched the giant snake into outer space.
This action surprised Duval at first, then gave him
a moment of reflection. "You know you won't live long, yet you insist on doing this meaningless thing? Wouldn't it be better to live a little longer, buying Asgard a little more time? Thor needs time, too," Duval said.
"You didn't notice the changes in the World Tree?"
"Because you did, I'm surprised by your attack. Perhaps you'll realize in the end that your efforts are meaningless—except for one last burst of life, proving to everyone that you're still Odin, the King of the Gods," Duval said.
These simple words made Odin, who was struggling to strike, frown, and he glanced at the aliens around him with a puzzled look.
Even he didn't understand why the World Tree had changed, so how could Dua know?
As far as he knew, Dua wasn't one to lie.
Kul and Odin clashed with divine power and magic.
The aged Odin, completely disregarding the strain on his body, recklessly unleashed his accumulated divine strength. Millions of years of accumulation had brought his power to its peak, unleashing its final radiance.
This was the final outburst of a powerful Celestial Father, condensing a lifetime's accumulation. Even a single strike from Odin could cause a violent tremor across countless dimensions, creating cracks and rifts.
"You're about to die, yet you're still risking your life against me? Is that your decision? Even more foolish than you in Universe 616."
Kul roared, a roar that echoed throughout the solar system, causing prominences to appear on the sun. He could tell that this universe's Odin was poised for death and was fighting with the mindset of a one-on-one duel. Kul
had no desire for such a situation. He had come to this universe to increase his power, not to seek out an enemy to consume him.
At this moment, aliens or alien heroes, capable of space combat, transformed into streaks of light and flew out from Earth, forcing their way into the battlefield between the two God Kings.
The Laufey alien, in particular, the primary carrier of Dua's consciousness in this battle, now fully unleashed its reserves of divine power. Waves of icy divine power erupted, directly strengthening the Laufey alien's connection with the World Tree.
The clash of three celestial fathers sent billions of divine particles piercing through various dimensions, triggering a response from the entire World Tree.
Odin took a deep breath, feeling the weight of his weight on his shoulders, and he felt the strain of his strength. He surveyed the aliens involved in the battle. In the past, he would have joined forces with Kul to expel them from the battle, forbidding any third party from participating until one of them fell.
But now, Odin had to understand something. He was nearing death. With the help of Kul, Odin vaguely perceived a key element within the World Tree that he had previously overlooked.
And it seemed that Dua knew something about this key.
"Dua, tell me, how much do you know?"
Odin struck Kul with a spear, causing the terrifying serpent to howl. He gasped and asked wearily, fearing he would collapse before he could finish Kul off.
"I know a great deal. After inheriting the bloodlines of the many giants of Jotunheim, I know even more," Duua replied.
He knew what Odin was asking; it seemed even Odin had sensed something was amiss.
The shadowy Old Gods, residing high in the shadowy side of the World Tree, were its true masters. They hid behind the scenes, repeatedly pushing Ragnarok forward, deriving the apocalyptic energy from its devastation to sustain their survival and enhance their power.
Duua had become aware of these beings the last time he intervened in the World Tree to gain divine power.
He knew full well that they were formidable and numerous. He knew it was best not to recklessly expose the shadows to the light of day before gaining sufficient strength. That would only lead to a frenzied counterattack from the shadow side, potentially tumbling the entire World Tree.
"No wonder people hate surprises; they often lead to passive deviations from the original plan."
Duva couldn't help but shake his head. If Odin didn't join the battle, and this war was allowed to continue, those shadowy old gods would sooner or later take action.
These guys wouldn't miss any opportunity to trigger Ragnarok. As long as they could ensure Ragnarok's success and hide their existence, they really didn't mind using gods from other worlds to promote Ragnarok in this universe.
"Hunger? Even gods are not immune to this negative concept. All we can do is find an opportunity to send those guys to their deaths. The concept of death is much more advanced than that of hunger," Duva said.
Chapter 115: The idea of infiltrating the main universe. The Time Stone's transmission
resembled a giant serpent capable of devouring planets, swiftly slithering through the universe.
The giant green serpent gaped, its bloody maw surging with boundless divine power and magic.
Stars shone brilliantly in the universe, symbols of life and hope, but now pale before the giant serpent.
But the serpent's predicament seemed far from favorable.
Hideous wounds appeared across its massive frame.
Generally speaking, the difference in size can be enormous.
A lethal attack from one enemy of equal size might appear bloody, but if such an attack were delivered to an enemy hundreds or thousands of times larger, it would be like an ant biting a human—the pitiful wound would barely itch.
But for the combatants, the situation was quite different.
Despite the diminutive size of Reynolds, Odin, and the others, as father-like beings, they commanded a power powerful enough to easily shake galaxies. If unleashed recklessly, they could even shatter vast swathes of space.
Odin, wielding the Eternal Spear, pierced the serpent's skin with a single blow. A divine force hotter than a star erupted from the Spear, nearly ripping the skin in two.
Kul roared in anger and, with a sudden surge of force, enveloped Odin and his steed, compressing spacetime so horribly that horrifying cracks appeared in the area.
The eight-legged steed was the first to collapse and exploded.
Odin frowned. His old comrade had fallen at the hands of the serpent, and perhaps he would soon follow suit. But at least he had to eliminate this alien visitor, a close kinship.
Odin also felt reassured by the power of Duval. Several powerful Celestial Fathers joined him in besieging the serpent, unleashing a force so powerful it would have even made Odin shudder.
"It's truly remarkable! He's already unleashed such power in just a short time... For Asgard, having such a powerful race stationed within the World Tree isn't necessarily a good thing, but it's certainly not a bad thing."
Odin's eyes were fierce. His body, growing increasingly languid, felt its vitality rapidly draining away, as countless cells, unable to withstand the overwhelming divine power, rapidly died.
Even he himself didn't know how much longer he could hold out. Compared to the vibrant energy of Duval's subordinates, he was a dead tree.
"What's our goal? Is it really to kill this giant snake? I think we should capture it alive."
Reynolds, the earliest Celestial Father-level warrior under Duval's command and the only Celestial Father-level alien hero, believed he knew Duval best.
He naturally believed the best approach was to capture the giant snake alive and find a way to bring it back.
"Perhaps we should let Hyperion's offspring parasitize this creature... Just imagine, a carefully bred facehugger, born from this snake, possessing all the abilities of Hyperion and the Serpent..."
Reynolds felt the image was incredibly beautiful. He would definitely prioritize this new creature and find ways to recruit it into his own superhuman forces, rather than allowing Foster the opportunity to join the Protoss.
"Reynolds, don't dwell on areas that are beyond your control. If you're killed, I'll have to seriously consider whether to waste time trying to revive you in the future."
Duval's voice echoed in Reynolds' mind.
"You can even resurrect the dead?"
Reynolds was shocked. It was the first time he'd heard such a thing from Duval. But the next second, Reynolds was struck by a powerful blow from Kul. A divine vision blasted Reynolds thousands of kilometers away, plummeting towards the moon.
Black Bolt, who had been observing the battle, opened his mouth and let out a soft cry. A terrifying wave of sound emanated from his mouth, visibly spreading wildly through the vacuum of space, blocking Reynolds and deflecting the terrifying impact.
As for why Black Bolt's voice could travel through the vacuum of space... it simply could. This was the greatest power Black Bolt possessed.
"All of you, as members of the alien race, are inherently bound to me. Theoretically, if I ever achieve the ability to avoid death, I will be able to reshape your bodies." Duval's voice echoed in Reynolds's head at the perfect moment.
Since his debut, countless aliens have died fighting for him, but these dead aliens have not completely vanished from the world, leaving no trace.
On the contrary, their greatest trace is in Duval's ocean of consciousness.
Every known individual who has ever lived, protected Duval's consciousness, and is remembered by him, constitutes the greatest trace.
According to the rules of the Marvel Multiverse, as long as one can be certain to encompass related concepts and not be subject to overlaps of similar magnitude or to suppression by higher-level entities, attempting to reverse life and death and reshape the universe is commonplace.
If Duva were to become powerful enough, not to mention equivalent to death on a multiverse scale, even slightly less, Duva might be able to make some attempts.
Reynolds glanced intently at Black Bolt, surprised that such a powerful figure could reign among the Inhumans on the moon.
But he quickly lost interest in Black Bolt, transforming into a stream of golden light and lunging at Kul once again.
Several figures launched attacks in quick succession, leaving Kul's body covered in a dense mass of horrific wounds.
Countless divine powers and various powerful spells bombarded the vacuum of the universe, creating a dazzling display of energy and brewing annihilating catastrophe. Each collision was comparable to a planetary explosion.
The movement transmitted from the World Tree became increasingly alarming.
After all, several Skyfathers wielding divine power hold significant weight within the World Tree. If they were to take action, the entire World Tree would share the burden.
Numerous gazes, traversing the vast expanse of space, descended upon Midgard.
Those who learned of the battle marveled at Odin's renewed action, and in league with Dua.
Even more astonished was the question of what kind of enemy could force Odin to swallow his immense pride and join Dua in a fight?
Where had that great green serpent emerged from?
Why was the divine power it wielded also that of Asgard? And why did it possess the power to instill fear in all living things?
A god of fear? Could such a Skyfather exist within the World Tree?
"I've never heard of one. A Skyfather couldn't possibly appear out of nowhere, and we were unaware. Something must be amiss."
"There are signs of demons infesting Midgard, and there are also violent spatial fluctuations. Perhaps that serpent isn't our native god." "Hmph, that's even more wrong. Why would an intruder from another world cause our World Tree to react so violently?"
"That's perfectly normal. Perhaps this fellow is the brother of Odin from a parallel universe."
As the battle intensified, the countless worlds and planets across the World Tree took notice. Some clever individuals, incorporating the various changes, had begun to speculate about Kul's identity.
They were also amazed by Kul's strength and admired the great snake.
But that was all.
The more they fought, the angrier and more horrified Kul grew.
"Why, why is your universe so strange? Am I not strong enough? Or am I not spreading fear? Why, with so many lives in your universe, can you only contribute a paltry amount of fear power to me?!" Kul finally lost his patience.
Tragically, he found himself single-handedly challenging several enemies of his own level, wandering madly through the starry sky, causing the entire World Tree to tremble.
But after all this, he was covered in wounds. He only hoped to draw the vast amount of fear power from the countless planets in the nine worlds above and below the World Tree to replenish his losses and thereby increase his strength.
The God of Fear's strength lies in the fact that, as long as enough people observe him and understand his terrifying power, the more feedback he receives, the greater his power will be, exponentially increasing.
Kull's true formidability lies in his growing strength with each fight. His starting point is high, and his ceiling is even higher.
Therefore, as the God of Fear, Kull never fears battle. To use some of Duva's words from his previous life, Kull is like possessing a "system," requiring him to demonstrate his divine power before the world. The more emotional points he harvests, the more he can add to his six-dimensional attributes.
Unfortunately, this tactic was dismantled by Duva from the outset.
"The fear you spread in the main universe is nothing in ours. If the next few years are peaceful, you'll definitely gain more if you return. But not now. We've already faced many powerful enemies before dealing with you," Duval said. "Even the God of Fear isn't enough to frighten us, veterans of so many battles. On the contrary, do you know how excited my men are by your presence?"
"Are you trying to parasite me? Don't be ridiculous! Just because you defeated Laufey in this remote universe and seized his body, you think you can use the same method against me."
Kul's mouth opened wide, his sharp teeth brewing with murderous intent. "I still have eight men in the main universe, each carrying a portion of my power."
"No one cares. Whether it's eight or eighty, there will be troublemakers who will use you for some ulterior motive. Be it Mephisto or someone else," Duval said.
He sized up the giant snake, its surface covered in scars, yet still capable of fighting.
Under normal circumstances, the fate of this great serpent was already sealed in the Prime Universe: death alongside Thor, the Prime Universe's god of thunder.
Everyone wanted to make use of Kul, and Duval certainly did, considering him a rare find.
Duval could seize this opportunity to extend his reach into the Prime Universe.
Don't get me wrong, he wouldn't cultivate a vast alien population in the Prime Universe just yet, as too large a population would attract the unwanted attention of the gods.
Duval simply needed the presence of aliens in the Prime Universe. That way, whenever he chose, he could descend upon the Prime Universe, standing at the center of the multiverse and monitoring countless worlds.
The Prime Universe, after all, was the center of the multiverse, the intersection of billions of concepts and their derivatives. To reach a higher level, to achieve godhood through concepts, one had to circumvent the Prime Universe.
...
The Ancient One's battle with Mephisto had entered its final stages.
A dozen or so Mephistos would be a formidable challenge at best. If he simply tried to stall for time, he would employ all sorts of bizarre spells, sapping the Ancient One's energy.
But without exception, none of these Mephistos could escape the Ancient One's pursuit.
"Seven dead, nine alive," the Ancient One nodded silently, surveying his haul.
"Hehe, this world is truly fascinating. Even you, the Ancient One, are completely different from the Ancient Ones of other universes, embarking on a path I've never even heard of."
A Mephisto bared his fangs. "I believe it's because of Duval that you've had more time and opportunity to advance further on this path."
"You could say that without his intervention to eliminate the Dark Mage, I might have abandoned this body by now, leaving Strange to deal with you," the Ancient One admitted frankly.
Having traveled through many parallel universes, Mephisto naturally knew that different paths converged in certain respects, so there was no need to hide many things from Mephisto.
"The god you summoned from another world will surely be defeated by Duval. Even I don't know the extent of Duval's hidden power and the secret schemes he's plotting. Even if you were Mephisto, it would be difficult for you to gain an advantage over Duval," the Ancient One said.
"How interesting! I've been killed by natives from many universes, but no one has ever despised my wisdom."
"This isn't contempt. I'm simply stating a fact. Unless you come in person, or send a few more demons of the Father's caliber,"
these words silenced the many Mephistos.
He wanted to use Kul to pry open the World Tree of this universe and give Dua some leverage, but he began to wonder if Dua was aware of the existence of the Shadow Gods.
"Look, the helpers you invited have been defeated," said the Ancient One, opening a passage from the mirror dimension to the outside world.
Mephisto saw a giant snake falling.
"The God of Terror fears that this universe has lost its soil, but Odin is also going to die." Mephisto said in a low voice, "Once Odin dies, the World Tree will be in chaos. How are you going to face this messed up universe?"
"Me? I'm going to die soon, why would I care about these? Even if a civil war breaks out in this universe, or it is simply ruled or destroyed by Duva, I won't care about these. Strange will take over my job."
"Hey, Strange... I don't believe the Strange in this universe is stronger than the Strange in the main universe. Kull has already provoked a war on the earth in the main universe. If something happens here, how do you plan to deal with the investigation from the main universe? Is Duva going to lead the alien army to invade the main universe?"
"That's Strange's problem. I'll give him the Time Stone. When the time comes, all time will be on his side, and he'll be prepared to deal with it."
The Ancient One didn't care about the future at all. She only took care of matters within her jurisdiction. Instead of worrying about the rest, she should think about how to find her place after facing Vishanti or Eternity, and how to communicate with the Ancient Ones of other universes.