Back when Thanos obtained the Soul Stone, he too arrived at a tranquil lakeside, a scene remarkably similar to the current Realm of Eternity.
But this lake was different—it held a magnificent statue, and within the statue seemed to swirl the endless stars and galaxies of the cosmos. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
Gorr the God Butcher knelt before the statue, a relaxed smile spreading across his face.
He had finally reached Eternity, and he could finally fulfill his vow—to make a wish here and kill all the gods!
Watching this scene, Billy Butcher let out a cold laugh from beyond the screen. "Ha, what an idiot. He keeps ranting about how praying to gods is pointless, that they never answer... but what is he doing now if not begging a higher god for a wish?"
It was clear Billy followed the most hardline fundamentalist logic—if one opposed all supernatural power, then that stance had to be absolute. No matter how much one could benefit from it, compromise was unacceptable.
And to him, Gorr making a wish to Eternity was exactly that: a compromise.
Hughie frowned in disagreement. "But if it weren't for the gods' power, Gorr would've been killed by Rapu right at the start. Using divine power to defeat the gods doesn't seem wrong to me."
Billy let out a mocking chuckle. "I'm guessing you've never heard the story of the dragon slayer who became the dragon?"
"Of course I've heard it. But this clearly isn't the same... And honestly, I don't agree with killing all gods either. Just like us normal people, there are good and bad ones."
"But when regular people screw up, we've got laws to punish them, police to arrest them. What about the gods? Who's out there holding them accountable?"
Billy locked eyes with Hughie, his voice full of pressure. "You've experienced this, haven't you? That scumbag who killed your girlfriend, turned her into roadkill. What punishment did he get?"
"A half-assed apology and a payout?"
"C'mon, Hughie. If you were really okay with that, you wouldn't be mixed up in all this with me."
Billy's words hit a nerve. Hughie's face turned red, his chest heaving like a broken pump.
The other players had mostly been watching the video, but now they stole frequent side glances. Upon hearing Hughie's story, Annie, Stephen, and the others looked on with a mix of sympathy and outrage.
Hughie took a deep breath and clenched his fists. "He'll pay for what he did."
"Good. We're not gonna end up like that goddamn Gorr. He's full of crap."
Satisfied with Hughie's resolve, Billy finally turned his attention back to the screen.
On the video, Thor realized that with Gorr, fighting was no longer an option. So he tried a different tactic—words. He said patiently, "Gorr, what you're really looking for isn't death or revenge."
"Oh really? Then what is it?" Gorr sneered.
Thor glanced back at Jane Foster, now out of her powered-up state, weak and collapsed on the surface of the water. "You're searching for love."
Gorr's expression shifted. "Why?"
"Because everyone needs love." Thor said, then turned and walked toward Jane.
Gorr's face darkened. "You dare turn your back to me?"
They'd fought enough times to know each other's strength, and Gorr felt he was being looked down on.
But Thor replied calmly, "You've won, Gorr. But if these are my last moments, why would I spend them with you instead of her? I choose love. And you can too. You can bring her back."
Thor wasn't a silver-tongued speaker, but sometimes, genuine emotion speaks louder than words.
Gorr hesitated. Watching Thor hold his dying lover, he couldn't help but remember himself holding his own daughter. He finally remembered—he had once known love too.
Then it hit him—his life was at its end. He looked torn as he said, "I'm dying. She'll be alone…"
Jane, sensing his inner conflict, turned to him and gave him a weak but sincere promise, "No, she won't be alone." Then she looked at Thor.
Thor understood. He nodded.
Seeing this, Gorr finally let go of his doubts. He turned toward Eternity and made his wish. His dream came true—but so did his death.
This was once the man who fought the mighty Thor head-on, who dragged gods down from their thrones and chopped off their heads. But now, he was just a dying father.
And yet, before the end, he saw his daughter return from death, and for the first time in ages, his face lit up with a sincere smile. "My love... I missed you so much."
"I missed you too," his daughter whispered gently, already understanding that her father would soon be gone forever.
On the other side, Thor held Jane in a final embrace. As their lips met one last time, she dissolved into golden light in his arms.
Thor had wandered and suffered, but he'd finally found the love he thought he had lost. Yet just as he found it again, he lost it for good. Still, in that loss, he discovered his true purpose in life.
Even in his final moments, Gorr thought only of his daughter. He entrusted her to Thor, giving the god a new responsibility—and a new bond.
"Take care of her. Take care of my love…"
Only after Thor nodded did Gorr close his eyes in peace, bringing an end to a life filled with torment and rage. But at least, in the end, he mended the greatest regret in his heart.
Thor, though grief-stricken, stood tall once more. Looking at the young girl Gorr left behind, he forced out a smile. It seemed that from now on, this space Viking was going to be a full-time dad.
The cosmic Viking's adventure ended on a bittersweet but meaningful note.
Another victory would be added to Thor Odinson's impressive résumé. But little did he know, being a dad would be a whole new battlefield—and one not so easy to win.
Gorr's daughter had been gifted back by Eternity itself—she wasn't human. More like a born-supernatural being. And she was no docile child either. More energetic and mischievous, she could shoot purple lasers from her eyes and even doodled all over Mjolnir like it was her coloring book…
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