"Damn it, how many waves of attacks has it been today?"
"Where are these guys even coming from? Aren't they afraid of death?"
"Why won't they just die already!?"
In the depths of space, Star-Lord unleashed a few bolts of magic lightning, effortlessly wiping out another wave of Matrix lifeforms. But as he watched the twisted, monstrous figures continue to charge forward, his frustration grew.
The Guardians of the Galaxy had never faced a crisis like this before.
Upon entering Kree Empire territory, they had been cautious, doing their best to avoid unnecessary trouble. Yet, they never expected things to be this dire.
At first, everything seemed eerily calm.
The Kree patrols—who would normally have confronted any trespassers—were nowhere to be found. It was as if they had vanished entirely, showing no interest in stopping the Guardians' intrusion.
This was strange. The Kree purebreds were notoriously aggressive, never allowing outsiders to step foot into their domain without a fight. The fact that they didn't retaliate should have been a red flag.
For a brief moment, they thought the mission might go smoothly.
But all that peace was just the calm before the storm.
The Kree had indeed disappeared—but in their place, an unrelenting horde of abominations had taken over.
These creatures… no, these things could hardly be called individuals.
They felt no pain. They showed no fear. All they did was attack.
They were grotesque hybrids of flesh and machinery, a fusion so unnatural it was almost nauseating to look at.
And no matter how many they killed, more kept coming.
Among the Guardians, one person in particular was deeply disturbed by their appearance.
Nebula.
For someone who had endured extreme cybernetic modifications, these creatures were a nightmarish reminder of her own past. The sight of them reawakened painful memories she had long tried to bury.
Every time she lost a battle against Gamora, Thanos would order another part of her body to be replaced with machinery. Piece by piece, she had been stripped of her humanity.
And now, staring at these mindless mechanical monstrosities, she could see herself in them.
She clenched her fists, trying to suppress the trembling.
Gamora noticed her sister's distress and cast a worried glance her way.
"These monsters… they remind me of Thanos' Chitauri," she murmured. "But they're worse. Stronger. More relentless. It's not even a comparison."
Nebula snapped out of her daze, looking down at her own body—her real body.
Aaron, the God of Magic, had given her this second chance. He had not only restored her form but also granted her the ability to wield extraordinary magic.
A spark of gratitude flickered in her eyes. But alongside it was something else. Fear.
And beneath that—determination.
Everything she had now was a gift from her master.
She had already made up her mind.
She would dedicate her future to him.
Even if it meant conquering the entire universe in his name.
"Monsters… go to hell!"
"Wait… Chitauri?"
"Could it be that Thanos is behind all this? Did he already wipe out the Kree Empire and create an even deadlier army?"
Rocket blurted out his theory, but Nebula immediately shot it down.
"I've been keeping tabs on Thanos. He's still near Titan, and he hasn't shown any signs of mobilizing his forces."
She paused before adding, "Besides, the God of Magic already told us—our enemy is a mechanical lifeform known as the Matrix Family."
"Our mission isn't to fight them. We're here to investigate the state of the Kree Empire… and prevent the Matrix from destroying it."
She and Gamora had more knowledge of the situation than the others.
As the Third Apostle, Nebula's rank far surpassed that of Star-Lord and the rest, who were merely granted limited access to the magic web.
"Matrix Family? That's a weird name…"
"But come on, how could a bunch of no-name freaks take down the mighty Kree Empire?"
"The Kree aren't pushovers. If they were defeated this easily, what chance does the rest of the galaxy have?"
"Just a few of us against enemies who crushed the Kree? Yeah, no thanks."
For once, Star-Lord wasn't being overly cocky. Even he had some grasp of how outmatched they were.
Drax and Mantis, who rarely put much thought into strategic matters, nodded in agreement.
"As much as I hate the Kree, I have to admit—Kree Empire is one of the strongest forces in the galaxy," Rocket muttered. "There's no way we're taking them on by ourselves."
Each of the Guardians had gained powerful abilities through the God of Magic, combining their natural skills with newfound mystical prowess.
But at the end of the day, they were not gods.
They weren't even close.
Against small fleets, they could hold their own.
Against an empire? Against an enemy that had defeated an empire?
Not a chance.
Even Ronan, an exiled Kree warlord, had been more than they could handle.
So how were they supposed to fight something even stronger than him?
"Rely on you guys? Please." Nebula scoffed. "Just because you call yourselves the Guardians of the Galaxy doesn't mean you can actually save it."
"The truth is, if this situation is as bad as it seems, we won't be the ones dealing with it."
"Our job is to gather intel and report back to the Master. He will handle it when the time comes."
"And when that happens, these so-called 'monsters' will be nothing but dust beneath his feet."
"Master, master, master… you talk about him way too much," Star-Lord grumbled. "We live in an age of personal freedom, you know? Who even calls someone 'Master' anymore?"
"And if this dude is so powerful, why doesn't he just deal with all this himself?"
Nebula rolled her eyes. "Do you see gods wasting their time squashing ants?"
Star-Lord opened his mouth to argue, but before he could speak, he realized something.
She wasn't the only one with that look in her eyes.
Gamora had it too.
That unwavering faith. That devotion.
Star-Lord found it unsettling.
Just as they were about to continue their argument, an approaching fleet of ships caught their attention.
Nebula's eyes lit up.
"Our reinforcements are here."
Star-Lord blinked. "Reinforcements? Who—?"
"She is the Master's First Apostle," Nebula announced.
"Hela. The Goddess of Death."
The name sent a ripple of unease through the group.
"Hela?" Star-Lord repeated, his voice uncertain. "You mean… Asgard's Hela? The Goddess of Death?"
"That's right," Nebula confirmed. "She's here to assist us in locating the Matrix Family's main base."
"A real god," Gamora added.
Both she and Nebula stared at the approaching ships, their expressions filled with something close to awe.
If they could become as powerful as Hela…
Then even Thanos would no longer be a threat.
Star-Lord sighed. "Another god, huh? The Goddess of Death? Great. So… does that mean she'll be in charge of us when we die?"
As he muttered to himself, a realization hit him.
The real gods were getting involved now.
This war was about to reach an entirely different level.
Meanwhile, in a distant star system…
The Matrix Family had gathered their forces.
Dozens of Matrix warships, each more advanced than anything seen before, rose into formation.
Their mission?
To annihilate the Guardians of the Galaxy and kill Hela before she could interfere.
If the God of Magic wouldn't back down…
Then Ragnarök was coming.
And this time, no god would be spared.
"God of Magic Aaron... I hope you don't make the wrong choice!"
"If you wait patiently, you might live a little longer."
"If not—Ragnarök is coming!"
"Hahahahaha—"
A Week Later
The news of Thor's ascension as King of Asgard and his victory over the God-Slayer had spread like wildfire.
In the Almighty City, the gods were abuzz with discussions. Thor, single-handedly, had defeated the God-Slayer—a foe that had long been a thorn in their side.
Odin himself had declared it: Thor had surpassed the old and outshone the new.
That statement alone was enough to shake the foundations of the divine realm.
It was like dropping a deep-water torpedo into a calm ocean.
Boom!
The shockwaves rippled through the Almighty City.
For most of the gods, Thor had always been seen as just another main god, the son of Odin, his title and legends bearing the influence of Zeus. He was powerful, yes—but nothing extraordinary in their eyes.
To them, he was just another warrior god among many.
But now? Odin had proclaimed that Thor had exceeded even himself.
That declaration sent shockwaves through the divine hierarchy.
How could this be?!
Whispers turned into debates. The gods began searching for an explanation.
And then, they thought of the Magic Net.
Could it be that Thor had used the Magic Net's power to surpass the strength of a god-king?
After all, even as Odin's son, there was no way he could have grown so powerful so quickly.
And if that was the case…
Thor was not the only son of a god-king.
The Almighty City had plenty—Hercules, Apollo, Diana…
Countless divine figures boasted the bloodline of the most supreme beings.
Why had Thor reached such heights while they remained the same?
Were they truly inferior to one god?
Ridiculous!
When all other explanations were discarded, only one possibility remained:
The Magic Net.
The gods' interest in the Magic Net surged to unprecedented levels.
Some had already begun their journeys to Earth, using Thor's coronation as an excuse to investigate further.
They needed to see for themselves if the rumors were true.
Elsewhere…
Gorr, the God-Slayer, had finished creating yet another batch of shadow monsters.
His body, already frail, weakened further.
The Black Death Sword drained more of his life force, hungrily feeding on him.
Without fresh divine blood, the sword turned on its master.
But Gorr didn't flinch.
Instead, he smiled—a crazed, twisted smile.
Looking at the monstrous army assembled before him, obedient and waiting for his command, he felt something he hadn't in a long time.
Hope.
"Here I come, rotten gods!"
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