The moment Charlie locked eyes with Odin, his consciousness suddenly blurred.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing on a mirror-like surface beneath a sky of blue and white clouds.
The mirror reflected the sky, making it impossible to tell what was real and what was illusion.
Charlie stood on the surface, looking around at the boundless world.
It seemed endless, yet felt like a confined space.
There wasn't a single sound—eerily quiet, yet it allowed Charlie to truly calm his mind.
"No way," Charlie muttered. "Playing this kind of game with Spider-Man? How'd he know I'm into this stuff?"
He grinned.
The next moment, the mirror before him rippled, and a simply dressed, white-haired old man appeared silently.
"Spider-Man, I've been waiting for you," the old man said with a smile, as if greeting an old friend.
Charlie nodded, then shook his head.
"This should be our first meeting."
"Perhaps," Odin said, still smiling. "I welcome Earth's superhero on behalf of Asgard, but I suspect your intentions aren't so simple."
Charlie shrugged. "You saw through that, huh? Looks like Thor didn't inherit your wisdom."
Odin chuckled. "Haha, he still needs to endure some hardships to grow. He'll need your help in the future."
"You think I'll help him?" Charlie raised an eyebrow.
"Of course you will. You know what a stronger Thor can do for you," Odin said with a smile.
Charlie rubbed his forehead. "Honestly, old age makes people—and gods—cunning. In front of you, I feel like a rookie straight out of boot camp."
"Honestly, you're not that funny," Odin interrupted, waving his hand. The world spun, and in a blink, they were sitting among the stars.
The universe seemed small as Odin casually sat on a planet, turning to Charlie and patting the spot beside him.
"Have a seat."
Charlie approached, curiously spinning the planet in front of him. "Feels like plastic."
He plopped down on it, and as the planet rotated, he took in the cosmic view.
"Before we get to business, wanna chat a bit?" he asked.
Odin shook his head. "We've already chatted. Let's get to business. My time is short."
"Short?" Charlie blinked, surprised. "I can sense your divine power isn't weakened. You have to bite the dust?"
Odin paused, quickly catching Charlie's meaning.
He gazed over the starfield. "Ragnarok is inevitable. It's what will make Thor stronger."
Charlie didn't get it. Propping his chin, he said, "You might not know, but when it comes to letting friends suffer to grow stronger, Spider-Man's got experience."
"But it's not very efficient," Odin said with a smile. "Everyone has their own fate, even gods. Breaking your fate invites terrible disasters."
Odin's words carried weight, and Charlie fell into thought.
"You trying to tell me what to do?"
"No, just a reminder."
Odin pointed to the dazzling starry sky. "You know what you've done. Those actions could've destroyed this universe countless times.
Yet our universe hasn't shown any anomalies, and there's no special reason for it."
He looked at Charlie. "Every universe has its fate, tied closely to one individual.
As long as you're here, this universe will never fall to ruin. That's its fate—and one of yours, you could say."
Odin's words hit Charlie like a hammer, but he shook them off.
"Hahaha, so I am the main character!!"
Charlie stood, hands on hips, laughing triumphantly. His smug demeanor made Odin briefly consider smacking him.
"Spider-Man, don't get too excited," Odin said patiently. "I call this role the Anchor, or the Pillar, the one who holds the universe steady. You're this universe's Pillar, but other universes have their own. They're just not as obvious as you.
In some universes, when a Pillar dies, the universe finds another.
So, Spider-Man, you're not the only option. This universe could replace you anytime."
Charlie didn't care. "Let it find a replacement, then."
But then he frowned, confused. "I know some folks called the Time Variance Authority. They say universes can collapse way easier than we think. Any tiny multiversal glitch could destroy one."
Odin answered instantly. "That only happens with highly similar universes, usually newly split ones that aren't stable.
In a way, they're part of the same universe, sharing a sacred timeline.
Only those multiverses need to maintain a sacred timeline.
But here's the thing: those universes spawn freaks, like the Conqueror, under certain influences, leading to their destruction.
Their downfall is fated because their Pillar has mutated or abandoned them.
The next Pillar can't bear the burden of protecting the universe. That's their fate."
"Fate…" Charlie muttered, then scoffed. "One day, I'll stomp that weird stuff under my foot and spit on it."
Odin just smiled, saying nothing.
Young people loved big talk. He used to think the same.
But years of battles and losses taught him what fate was.
Everything his father told him, he now fully believed.
He chose not to tell Thor, knowing Thor wouldn't believe it.
Meddling with Thor's growth would do more harm than good. Better to let it unfold naturally.
He'd accepted his fate, but Thor wouldn't.
Defying fate led to misery.
Knowing the outcome but being powerless to resist was worse than ignorance.
Odin had chosen his fate.
Charlie, seeing this, didn't bother continuing the topic.
Whether it was the fate of a cosmic Pillar or Spider-Man's fate, he wouldn't let some weird force control him.
Sure, controlling Spider-Man wasn't just about those two things.
He knew his future was full of unknowns.
Breaking fate was one thing.
Accepting it was another.
In one word: Fight!
He took a deep breath, changing the subject. "Great Odin, I've been feeling off lately. Low energy, dizzy, weak, sleepless, nightmares, sore back and knees…"
"That's a sign of physical overexertion," Odin said.
Charlie went quiet for a moment.
"Can you explain it clearer?" he asked.
Odin stood. "Use your strongest power. Come on, hit me." He patted his chest.
Charlie: "…"
"You sure?"
"Absolutely."
"Alright."
The moment he spoke, a black-and-red spider landed in his palm.
Chitter chitter chitter~
Splat!
As the spider bit his hand, destructive and evil energy surged into Charlie's body.
Instantly, the starry sky filled with dark lightning. A blood-red blade shot from the void, landing precisely in Charlie's hand.
"Before me stands the legendary Allfather Odin, so I won't hold back this time."
Charlie spoke coldly, but as he raised his hand, Odin signaled a pause.
"That's enough. Stop."
Charlie: "…"
He studied Odin's expression, confirming the old man wasn't messing with him, then reined in the Black Death Sword's power.
"What's the deal?" he asked.
Odin's face was serious. "Even if I didn't say it, you'd sense it yourself."
Charlie narrowed his eyes, nodding. "Yeah, a few days ago, I visited the Ancient One. She told me to find you, so here I am."
If not for that, he wouldn't have bothered personally escorting Thor.
They sat back on the planet's surface.
Charlie gathered his thoughts and spoke slowly.
"From the moment I got the Black Death Sword, I knew something was off. Is its power really that strong?"
He shook his head, answering himself. "It shouldn't be. In Gwen's hands, it was terrifying, but not to the point of slaying gods like it does now. Even with spider magic boosting it, it shouldn't give me the power to crush newborn Celestials.
Lately, every time I use the Black Death Sword, my body feels wrong, but I don't know what's happening.
I've got a hunch: if I keep using it, even my so-called immortality won't save me."
His expression grew grave.
Maybe this was why he was strong on the outside but weak within, barely able to handle his… overly enthusiastic female fans.
A man's pride—he had to protect it!
Find the problem early, treat it right, and fix it fast. That's the way of a true hero.
Odin, unaware of Charlie's true fears, stroked his white beard. "I've heard of Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. Even I can't see through her power.
She sent you to me, and she was right.
You came, and you were right."
"You know the reason?" Charlie's eyes lit up.
Odin shook his head. "Not certain, but I can guess."
He sensed the lingering power of the Black Death Sword. "This is a terrifying force. Asgard has records of it, but they're sparse.
I suspect this power comes from another universe—a super-universe with even greater power, where this force is also fearsome.
The Black Death Sword you have is incomplete, which might be why it's draining your life force, making you weak."
"Incomplete…" Charlie frowned, already aware of this.
"But I wouldn't say I'm weak," he countered weakly.
Odin's face was stern. "That's because you're already strong. For a normal person, just touching the Black Death Sword would kill them three or four times over."
Charlie's frown deepened.
"My friends used it too, and they didn't have this issue."
Whether it was Gwen or the Spider-Men in the Resurrection Match, they'd wielded the Black Death Sword without problems like his.
Odin closed his eyes, recalling Asgard's records.
Soon, he opened them. "What do those who used the Black Death Sword have in common?"
"Common point?" Charlie thought. "Symbiotes!"
"Yes, they all had symbiotes!" he realized.
Whether it was Gwen or the Spider-Men, they'd had symbiotes in their bodies.
Gwen's came from Venom Parker, while the Spider-Men's were split-off versions granted by the Black Death Sword.
Odin stayed silent as Charlie kept thinking.
If hosting a symbiote prevented the Black Death Sword from draining life force…
No, that didn't add up. When switching to the Black Death Sword's form, he had a symbiote too.
So the common point wasn't the issue.
The only possibility…
This life-draining effect likely came from the Black Death Sword's master, the symbiote god, Knull!
The thought sent a chill down Charlie's spine.
"Looks like you've hit on the closest thing to the truth," Odin said.
Charlie exhaled slowly. "Not the exact truth, but definitely terrifying."
He looked at Odin. "The Ancient One sent me to you because you must have a way to fix this."
Odin thought for a moment. "I think I understand why she sent you to me."
"You're only now getting it?"
Charlie's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I'm starting to think you're pulling my leg."
"No, absolutely not. Follow me."
"You mean you'll take me out."
"Er, sorry."
Odin waved his hand, divine power spreading. The starry sky vanished, replaced by a vast underground vault.
Here, Charlie saw countless precious treasures.
Dim light shone on dusty gray walls, where an ancient European greatsword hung.
As if sensing Charlie's approach, the sword trembled slightly, its sharp aura slicing through his clothes, leaving a faint blood line on his skin.
The mark vanished quickly, thanks to Charlie's healing factor.
But breaking his defenses proved the sword's extraordinariness.
Odin introduced it. "This was the sword of a king from some Earth civilization. I can't recall which, as the Dark Ages' invasion forced me to kill him. His sword became part of my collection."
"Forced?" Charlie asked skeptically.
Odin chuckled. "Truly, I had no choice. No need for such measures."
"Alright, what's that?" Charlie pointed to a stone platform encased in ice.
"That's the Casket of Ancient Winters, a trophy from defeating the Frost Giants."
Charlie nodded, then spotted a golden gauntlet.
"Whoa, an Infinity Gauntlet?" His eyes sparkled.
"Infinity Gauntlet?"
Odin walked to the gauntlet and patted it. "This is the Hand of the Golden Gods. I cut off the Golden King's arm and forged it into this."
Charlie looked closer, noticing no gem slots.
"Alright, got excited too soon."
He continued admiring the vault's treasures.
But Odin hadn't brought him here to sightsee.
He walked to a corner, pointing at a stand made of withered wood.
"This is an artifact crafted from a branch of the World Tree. It can suppress all evil forces. Place the Black Death Sword here, and it'll completely block its draining power."
"What?"
Charlie froze.
This guy was definitely messing with him.
Leaving the Black Death Sword in Asgard? That was like handing a butcher's knife to Hela.
More importantly, he wanted to suppress the sword's effects, not abandon its power.
This old man's scheming was loud as hell.
Sensing Charlie's displeasure, Odin shifted gears.
"Well, that method might not suit you, so I found something else."
As he led Charlie deeper into the vault, he said, "Your condition will worsen. Even if you stop using the Black Death Sword, it's still siphoning your life force, maybe leaving a curse-like substance until it consumes you entirely.
But where there's darkness, there's light. To suppress the sword's dark power, you need light's power."
He stopped, pointing to a teardrop-shaped blue gem on the wall.
"The Tear of Life, left by the Light Elf Queen. It holds immense light and life force, capable of suppressing the Black Death Sword's darkness and replenishing your drained life force."
Charlie's eyes lit up. "Good stuff."
He reached for it, but Odin added, "Sadly, its divine power is already used up."
Charlie: "…"
"I knew it. You're screwing with me," he said, face darkening.
Odin waved his hands. "Not at all. There are more Tears of Life, just not here.
You can search Alfheim, home of the Light Elves. You might find something."
Then he took a sharp turn. "But because Thor accidentally freed the sealed Dark Elves, who are mortal enemies of the Light Elves, you might be too late to find the Tear."
Odin's face twisted in mock distress. "For this, I've punished Thor, but the mistake's been made. Someone needs to fix it.
Alas, I'm too old. Loki lacks the ability, and Thor hasn't awakened his true Thunder God power. Who could stop the Dark Elves from wiping out the Light Elves and get you that Tear?" He looked anguished.
Charlie's face darkened further.
These guys—Ancient One and Odin—teaming up to trick him into this? Was that necessary?
He fumed, then sighed helplessly.
Two old fogies desperate to retire, conning a young guy into this mess. Shameless.
With their power, either could handle this easily. Why bother…
Unless the Dark Elves had something trickier up their sleeves?