A colossal serpent, capable of devouring planets, slithered swiftly through the cosmos.
The green beast, its maw agape, surged with boundless divine power and magic.
Stars gleamed, symbols of life and hope, yet dulled before the Serpent's presence.
But the Serpent's situation seemed far from ideal.
Its massive form bore gruesome wounds.
Typically, size disparities dictate vast power gaps.
An attack lethal between equals might appear brutal, but against a foe hundreds or thousands of times larger, it's akin to an ant's bite, barely noticeable.
Not so for these combatants.
Despite their smaller stature, Reynolds, Odin, and others wielded Skyfather-level power, capable of shaking star systems. Unleashed fully, they could shatter swathes of space.
Odin, wielding Gungnir, pierced the Serpent's hide. The spear erupted with divine energy hotter than a star, nearly tearing the skin asunder.
Cul let out a furious roar, coiling with force, ensnaring Odin and his steed while compressing space-time, spawning eerie cracks in the region.
Sleipnir buckled first, bursting apart.
Odin frowned. His old comrade had fallen to the Serpent, and he might soon follow. But first, he'd eliminate this otherworldly kin.
What reassured Odin was Adam's forces. Multiple Skyfather-level allies joined him against Cul, their combined might astonishing even him.
"Remarkable." Odin thought. "In so little time, he's amassed such power… For Asgard, having this formidable race within the Yggdrasil may not be ideal, but perhaps it's not entirely bad."
His gaze sharpened, vitality draining from his increasingly frail frame. Cells died rapidly, unable to withstand his immense divine power.
Compared to the vibrant vigor of Adam's forces, he was a withered husk.
"What's our goal? To kill this Serpent?" Reynolds asked. "I say we capture him alive."
As Adam's first Skyfather-level warrior and sole Skyfather Xenomorph hero, Reynolds believed he knew Adam best.
Capturing the Serpent and bringing it back was the optimal plan.
"Maybe let Hyperion's offspring parasitize him." Reynolds mused. "Imagine a Facehugger, carefully bred, birthing a hybrid with Hyperion and Serpent powers…"
The thought thrilled him. He'd cherish the newborn, pulling it into his Superman Corps before Foster could claim it for her divine squad.
"Reynolds, don't meddle in decisions beyond you." Adam's voice cut through his mind. "If you die, I'll have to weigh whether reviving you is worth the effort."
"You can resurrect the dead?" Reynolds gasped, stunned. It was the first he'd heard of this.
But the next moment, Cul targeted him, blasting a divine ray that hurled Reynolds thousands of kilometers, crashing toward the Moon.
Black Bolt, observing the battle, opened his mouth, emitting a faint cry. Terrifying soundwaves, visible in the cosmic vacuum, intercepted Reynolds, cushioning the impact.
How Black Bolt's voice propagated in a vacuum was a mystery, but it did, his mightiest power.
"All of you, as part of the Xenomorph collective, are inherently linked to my consciousness." Adam's voice echoed in Reynolds' mind. "Theoretically, if I ever evade death's grasp, I could reshape your bodies."
Since his debut, countless Xenomorphs had died for him, but they weren't erased from existence.
Far from it. Their greatest mark endured in Adam's sea of consciousness.
Every known individual who lived, served, and was remembered by Adam left an indelible trace.
Per Marvel's multiversal rules, encompassing a concept, absent interference from equal or greater entities, made reversing death or reshaping universes routine.
If Adam grew powerful enough, perhaps not on par with multiversal Death but close, he might attempt such feats.
Reynolds glanced at Black Bolt, surprised to find such a formidable Inhuman guarding the Moon.
His interest waned, and he streaked back as a golden comet, rejoining the assault on Cul.
Multiple figures struck, leaving Cul's form riddled with ghastly scars.
Divine power and potent spells collided in the vacuum, a dazzling spectacle brewing cataclysm. Each clash rivaled a planet's explosion.
The Yggdrasil's tremors grew ever more pronounced.
Multiple Skyfather-level beings, tied to the Yggdrasil's divine paths, bore significant weight. Their conflict burdened the Tree with their power.
Countless gazes pierced distant space, converging on Midgard.
All who learned of the battle marveled that Odin had struck again, allied with Adam.
More shocking was the question: what enemy could compel Odin to set aside his immense pride and fight alongside Adam?
Where had this green serpent emerged from?
Why did it wield Asgardian divine power, imbued with the innate ability to evoke primal fear?
A god of fear? Did the Yggdrasil harbor such a Skyfather?
"Never heard of one." A voice mused. "A Skyfather can't appear from nowhere without notice. Something's wrong."
"There've been traces of demons near Midgard, plus intense spatial fluctuations. That serpent might not be native." Another speculated.
"Then it's even stranger. Why would an outsider provoke such a reaction from our Yggdrasil?"
"It's not unheard of. Maybe he's Odin's brother from a parallel universe."
As the battle intensified, the Yggdrasil's realms and countless worlds took notice. Clever minds, piecing together clues, began guessing Cul's identity.
They marveled at his strength, awed by the serpent's might.
But that was the extent of it.
The longer the fight dragged, the more enraged and astonished Cul became.
"Why? Why is this universe so bizarre?" Cul roared. "Am I not strong enough? Have I not spread fear? With so many lives in this universe, why do I gain only a pittance of fear energy?"
He was horrified to realize that, despite battling multiple peers, streaking through the cosmos, and shaking the Yggdrasil, his efforts yielded little.
Bloodied and scarred, he had hoped to harvest vast fear from the nine realms' myriad worlds to replenish his reserves and boost his power.
A God of Fear's strength lay in observation: the more who witnessed his terror, the greater the fear feedback, exponentially amplifying his might.
Growing stronger through battle was Cul's true terror, high starting point, higher ceiling.
In terms Adam's past life might use, Cul was like a character with a "system." Thriving on public displays to harvest emotional "points" To boost his six-dimensional attributes.
But Adam had dismantled Cul's strategy from the start.
"The fear you sowed in the main universe means little here." Adam said. "If you'd come in a few years, during calmer times, you'd reap more. But not now. Before you, we've faced countless formidable foes. A God of Fear doesn't scare those hardened by such wars. On the contrary, do you know how excited my forces are because of you?"
"Parasitize me? Don't jest." Cul sneered, his jagged teeth glinting with menace. "Defeating this universe's Laufey and claiming his body doesn't mean you can do the same to me."
"I have eight lieutenants in the main universe, each bearing a fragment of my power."
"No one cares about your eight or eighty." Adam replied. "Troublesome players will use you for their own ends, Mephisto or otherwise."
He studied the serpent, its surface marred with wounds yet still formidable.
In the main universe's fated course, Cul was destined to perish alongside Thor.
Everyone sought to exploit Cul, and Adam was no exception. He was a rare prize.
Adam saw a chance to extend his reach into the main universe.
Not to build a sprawling Xenomorph empire there, that would draw unwanted divine scrutiny.
A foothold was enough. With Xenomorphs present, Adam could descend to the main universe at will, standing at the multiverse's heart, monitoring countless realms.
Earth-616, the multiversal nexus, was where billions of concepts and derivatives converged. To ascend to godhood through concepts, bypassing it was impossible.
---
The Ancient One's battle with Mephisto neared its end.
The dozen-plus Mephistos were merely troublesome. Intent on stalling, they unleashed bizarre spells, taxing her slightly.
But none escaped her pursuit.
"Seven dead, nine captured." She noted, satisfied with her haul.
"Heh, this world's fascinating." One Mephisto said, baring sharp teeth. "Even you, Ancient One, differ starkly from your counterparts, treading a path I've never heard of."
"Adam's influence gave me time and opportunity to walk it further." She admitted.
Mephisto, having roamed many universes, knew certain convergences were inevitable. Some truths needed no concealment.
"Your otherworldly god will fall to Adam." She said. "Even I don't know the depths of his power or his hidden schemes. You, Mephisto, will struggle to gain the upper hand."
"Intriguing." He replied. "I've been killed by many natives, but none have scorned my intellect."
"It's not scorn. It's fact. Unless your true self comes, or you send more Skyfather-level demons."
Her words silenced the Mephistos.
He'd hoped to use Cul to destabilize this universe's Yggdrasil, challenging Adam. But now he wondered: had Adam sensed the Shadow Elder Gods?
"Look, your ally's defeated." The Ancient One said, opening a portal from the Mirror Dimension to the outside.
Mephisto saw the serpent plummeting.
"The God of Fear's terror finds no purchase here, but Odin's dying too." He said darkly. "His death will upend the Yggdrasil. How will you face this chaotic universe?"
"Me? I'm dying soon. Why care?" She replied. "If this universe erupts in war or falls to Adam's rule or ruin, it's not my concern. Strange will take my place."
"Strange?" Mephisto scoffed. "I doubt this universe's Strange surpasses Earth-616's. Cul's ignited war on 616's Earth. If trouble arises here, how will you handle 616's scrutiny? Will Adam lead a Xenomorph army to invade the main universe?"
"That's Strange's headache." She said. "I'll pass him the Time Stone. With all time on his side, he'll manage."
The Ancient One dismissed future concerns, focusing on her jurisdiction. Rather than fret over what lay beyond, she pondered her place before the Vishanti or Eternity and how to commune with other universes' Ancient Ones.
Hey guys! If you're a fan of Marvel and looking for an interesting story to read, don't hesitate to check out this new fanfic:
[The New Asgardian (Marvel × WoW)]
Synopsis:
A man reincarnated as a Paladin from World of Warcraft to Asgard long before humans could even think of creating fire.
What else could possibly go wrong?
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