The divine light in Russell's eyes gradually faded, revealing a brief flicker of daze.
He hadn't expected to break through like this.
That's right—
He had now stepped into a singular divine state.
The moment he completed the time anchor point, he naturally shattered the invisible barrier… and saw the true face of the world.
He hadn't anticipated that the spiritual clarity brought by anchoring time itself would lead to such a radical transformation.
Though he hadn't reached absolute godhood yet, he had already surpassed the level known as High God-Tier—the so-called Godfather Rank.
Russell slowly turned his gaze across the divine congregation—Odin, Zeus, Ra, and all the other so-called gods.
With the power to see through divine illusions, Russell could now perceive the inner workings of their sacred powers. It was as if he had X-ray vision—clearly observing the flows, nodes, and cores of the divine energies within each god.
The core of their power, shining in rich, radiant hues, sat within the corner of each god's soul.
And Russell knew—if he wanted, he could stab through it with a single strike.
With one sword swing, the so-called "immortal gods" could be instantly killed.
At that same moment, those who had met Russell's gaze—Odin, Zeus, and others—suddenly froze in place.
They felt it.
A shiver surged from the depths of their souls, as if death itself had brushed past them.
Their whole bodies instinctively stiffened.
Zeus was stunned.
What... what is this feeling?
Just one glance… and it felt like I was a prey animal being hunted by a primordial predator!
He desperately tried to shake off what he thought was an illusion—but the more he resisted, the more clearly he understood:
This was real.
Behind him, Apollo felt as if he'd been plunged into an ice-cold abyss.
His divine power, usually radiant and bold, was now smothered and muted, nearly frozen solid.
Athena quietly bowed her head.
When their eyes met just now, she instinctively activated the Eye of Wisdom—
—and instantly recoiled in agony, as though her mind had been pierced by countless needles.
The Theban pantheon had always been the weaker of the three great godly factions.
Now, even among their ranks, aside from Ra, the backs of the other eight Egyptian gods were soaked in cold sweat, their expressions pale.
They felt as though they could be wiped from existence at any moment.
Odin took a deep breath.
Only he truly understood what had just happened.
This mysterious man… had grown stronger again.
Previously, Russell had already reached the pinnacle of High God-Tier.
But now?
Now he stood in a realm beyond the known divine hierarchy.
A tear welled in Odin's ancient eye.
He finally understood why the World Tree had responded the way it did.
Because…
A new being had emerged—one capable of shattering the most terrifying fate of the Aesir.
Ragnarök.
The destined twilight of the gods.
That day, the divine realms would fall in flames.
The World Tree would burn, collapse, and all of creation would meet its end.
Odin stepped forward slowly, ignoring the puzzled glances from the other gods.
He raised his sword with both hands.
And with solemn reverence, he declared:
"Asgard is rising again.
It awaits the return of the All-Father who can truly protect the Nine Realms.
Perhaps... Loki was able to destroy it before—because no one was worthy.
But now…
Only you have the power.
Only you have the right."
Thor was stunned, then suddenly widened his eyes in shock—his father was going to abdicate as the All-Father of Asgard!?
He never cared much about the position, but the announcement was far too sudden!
Not just Thor—Zeus and Ra also looked at Odin in disbelief!
This was supposed to be a tribute gathering—why was Odin suddenly giving up his throne as the King of the Gods?
Was he trying to throw the rest of the gods into chaos?
Even gods, who were long used to power, would hesitate to give it up out of fear.
Thor glanced at Ra and saw the same unease in his eyes. A chilling thought crept into his mind: Could this be a trap Odin set? Perhaps he wanted Asgard to rule over the three major pantheons.
Most importantly—
If the uncrowned king (Russell) wanted to, he could do it.
And now, Odin might be giving them a "choice."
Either surrender willingly, or wait to surrender after a few gods are killed.
There seemed to be no third option.
Thor gripped his scepter tightly but didn't know what to do.
The other nine Pillars had different thoughts running through their minds.
Russell silently observed the expressions of the gods and suddenly felt bored.
These so-called gods had existed for countless years, yet their strength had stagnated. At this very moment, they were still clinging to divine power and status like mortals clinging to crowns.
But for him, this world—this timeline—was no longer his to remain in.
"No need," Russell said indifferently, his voice void of nostalgia.
"Power, status, rulership, and the worship of billions mean nothing to me."
"In this universe, only power is eternal. The world I see is far more brilliant—one with things beyond your understanding."
The gods, including Zeus, were stunned.
That answer was completely unexpected.
But after only a second, they understood—the being in front of them was pursuing something far beyond their mortal comprehension. A strange mixture of relief and shame crept into their hearts.
Not just in strength…
They were completely outclassed in terms of mindset and perspective.
At that moment, they were like short-sighted earthly kings.
And Russell—he was a true god.
"I understand," Odin sighed, withdrawing the Sword of the All-Father. His face was filled with regret.
Sensing the heavy atmosphere, Tony Stark stepped forward and broke the tension with a smile.
"Alright, now that everyone's here, let's not just stand around."
"Mr. Russell has arranged a feast—let's not waste it."
Zeus forced a cheerful smile and joked:
"Absolutely. Mr. Russell, you must tell me later whether the King of Terror begged for his life before he died."
The other gods laughed along, and the atmosphere lightened.
Tony glanced at Russell, who remained composed, and whispered internally through their connection:
"Boss, come on, don't be so serious—smile a little."
"I saw Zeus send a whole chariot just for those golden apples. If you don't want them, give them to your girlfriends. They'll keep you young for a thousand years, and your physique will go through a real transformation!"
Russell finally let out a faint smile.
For a brief moment, the hollow feeling of drifting through a dead cosmos faded away.
If we're talking about that kind of thing… now that's more interesting.
Truthfully, he felt every one of his women deserved to be pampered.
Even the "Secret Guest" couldn't keep up with him anymore.
"Sure. I'll tell you all about how the giant serpent begged for mercy later."
With a casual wave of his hand, golden magical sparks bloomed in the air, opening a glowing portal—a Level 4.6 space entrance!
Beyond the portal lay a verdant valley.
Flowers bloomed across the land. Butterflies danced in the air. Elves flitted between tree branches.
At the center stood a magnificent palace, where a grand banquet had already been prepared—crafted by a top-tier chef from the Universal Culinary Guild, handpicked from countless worlds.
All expenses were covered by Earth's beloved Sorcerer Supreme.
Then, amid the laughter and praises of the gods, Russell led the group inside with an effortless calm.
As the portal slowly closed behind them, Nick Fury finally began to process what had just happened.
It all felt like a dream.
But he knew—no matter how long he lived—he would never experience something like that again.
Letting out a long sigh, Nick turned and left.
Damn it.
I'm the one who's seen the most now.
He was already planning how to brag to the other Avengers—the ones who always refused to follow orders.
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