Chapter 113: How Can This World's World Tree Tremble for a God from an Otherworld?
This great serpent was in a state of half-satiation, desperately needing to feed. Du Wa came to this conclusion.
In fact, Du Wa's deduction was correct. Cul the Serpent was in a terrible mood.
He had been imprisoned by Odin for tens of thousands of years, suffering endless torture in the Eternal Prison. Now that he had finally rekindled his fighting spirit and decided to seek revenge on Odin, he began spreading fear across the Main Universe's Earth, feeding on the terror of countless humans.
Nourished by billions of humans, it wouldn't be long before he returned to his peak. This was the birthright of the God of Fear, especially since Cul had never imagined that Earth would come to host such a massive population.
They were numerous, yet their individual strength was paltry. A little intimidation was all it took for them to provide a continuous stream of fear. There was simply no better source of food for him than humanity on Earth.
But unfortunately, all of this was interrupted by Mephisto's summons.
"Demon, you'd better give me a reasonable explanation, or I won't mind finishing you off as well."
God-King Cul appeared in an eruption of towering rage. A tangled mess of long, black hair covered his face, leaving only his bloodshot eyes visible, overflowing with endless tyranny and bloodlust.
The God-King stared fiercely at Mephisto.
"Hehe, God-King, you should thank me for bringing you here. This place is an untapped ocean. I'm sure you know how complicated the situation in the Main Universe is. Compared to fighting tooth and nail over there, why not recover to your peak in a parallel universe and then charge back in? Odin has been accumulating power for millions of years; he's exceptionally strong. Challenging him without proper preparation is a huge risk," Mephisto enticed.
Of course, Cul knew Mephisto was using him, but he also knew Mephisto was right and not lying.
Cul merely glanced at the Earth beneath his feet and could sense the auras of countless humans. He needed more time and a larger population to strengthen himself for the challenge against the Main Universe's Odin.
At this moment, Du Wa spoke up. "Although this demon can be disgusting at times, he's right about one thing. If you force a fight with Odin now, you'll definitely be beaten to a pulp. While you were locked away in the Eternal Prison, Odin claimed the throne of God-King and waged war for millions of years. Even if he's old and frail now, he's not someone you can easily deal with."
Cul, as the former God-King of the Main Universe's Asgard, was defeated by Odin and imprisoned in the Eternal Prison.
The Main Universe's Odin only ascended to the throne after defeating his own brother, Cul.
Even back then, Cul was arguably no match for the Main Universe's Odin, let alone in his current weakened state.
Cul looked indifferently at the talking Xenomorph before him, then his gaze shifted to the greater number of Xenomorphs surrounding them.
He had never seen this kind of creature before. Normally, species as insignificant as ants would never enter his field of vision, but the Xenomorphs were different. He could clearly sense quite a few capable fighters among them.
Moreover, many humans also carried the aura of this creature within them.
If this was the extent of their power, it still wasn't enough to warrant much of God-King Cul's attention. He had enough confidence in his own strength and naturally held a condescending attitude towards these unseen enemies from a parallel universe.
Clearly, it was Mephisto who made Cul more wary.
"These things are what you couldn't handle, forcing you to call me over? How incompetent. Your actions don't match your reputation at all," Cul sneered.
Mephisto paid no mind to this level of humiliation. Why should he be angry at a tool who was, indirectly, working for him?
Knowing full well that Cul had a terrible personality, Mephisto still sought out the imprisoned God-King in the Mariana Trench of the Main Universe's Earth and enticed him with words. Wasn't the whole point to make this guy his hired muscle?
"Now, Cul, it's time for you to do what you do best. Spread fear throughout this parallel universe." A chorus of Mephistos cackled. "The human controlling these Xenomorphs is named Du Wa. Do you know why he's speaking up for me, advising you to stay here? Because only if you remain in this universe will he have the opportunity to capture you and forge you into his finest weapon."
The Ancient One acted directly, unleashing a torrent of spells that precisely struck each of the gaunt Mephistos.
Numerous magical chains layered over one another, rapidly pursuing and binding them.
"Be careful, don't kill too many of them," Du Wa kindly reminded the Ancient One. Anyone unaware of the situation would be confused about which side he was on.
"I can't guarantee that. These demons have become incredibly weak after being sacrificed for a banishment spell. They refuse to be captured, yet they refuse to die. It puts me in a difficult position." The Ancient One reached out, grabbed a chain, and violently yanked the group of demons backward.
*Kaka-ka!*
A multitude of prism-like fractures appeared in the air. The Ancient One was trying to drag the demons into the Mirror Dimension to deal with them one by one.
She couldn't just let these guys run rampant all over the world; who knew what other tricks Mephisto might pull.
The violently fluctuating magical particles instantly blasted the row of villas to smithereens. When dealing with Mephisto, the Ancient One wouldn't hold back.
In response, Cul merely stood there with a cold smile, like an iceberg emanating endless malice, yet constantly radiating terrifying magma.
This God-King didn't care whether Mephisto lived or died. He had listened to Mephisto and decided to escape the Eternal Prison to seek revenge on Odin, primarily because that's what he wanted to do himself.
After killing Odin, Cul would consider how to deal with the scurrying Mephisto. It wasn't as if a Great Demon of Hell couldn't be killed.
"These little pets of yours are quite peculiar. I've never seen them in the Main Universe. Are they some freaks forgotten by the Multiverse? To even use Symbiotes as equipment... it's truly disgusting," Cul commented on the surrounding Xenomorphs.
With just one glance, Cul could tell that the Xenomorphs' bodies were built for combat. Every single line was designed for fighting, as if they were meticulously calibrated products.
They had to be artificial creations, given the signs of interference. But it didn't matter. What truly displeased Cul was that he couldn't sense any form of fear from this vast number of Xenomorphs.
Without fear, he, the God of Fear, couldn't receive any nourishment and couldn't increase his strength.
So, how could a thing like a Xenomorph be allowed to live in this world?
An aura of madness emanated from Cul as he decided to go on a killing spree.
"Do not let this one escape." Du Wa's command echoed in the mind of every Xenomorph.
A group of powerful Xenomorphs immediately launched a siege against Cul.
One-on-one duels were generally something that individual Xenomorph heroes would only do to test their own talent and standing.
Against a powerful enemy from the Main Universe, they would, of course, fight as a team.
In an instant, the many powerful Xenomorphs that had been scattered across the world all rushed to the scene.
"Cul, you have made the arrogant mistake of thinking that being from the Main Universe truly makes you superior to those from other universes," Du Wa's voice emanated from every Xenomorph.
"Hmph, and am I not?"
As the former God-King of Asgard, it was impossible for Cul to be completely ignorant about other parallel universes. Countless pieces of information passed down through the generations in Asgard had long since recorded such matters.
But the strength of the Xenomorphs still surprised Cul somewhat.
One powerful Xenomorph hero after another launched their attacks without hesitation. From the moment they received Du Wa's command, they would never retreat, regardless of how terrifying the enemy was. Unless Du Wa ordered them to, they would fight to the death.
Knowing full well that their enemy, Cul, was incredibly dangerous, they showed no intention of backing down.
Cul was moved. He couldn't understand why this battle-born race, which existed only for combat, would appear in such an unknown universe and pledge loyalty to an ordinary human. It was an absolute waste of their potential.
And the large number of humans and gods who seemed to have merged with the Xenomorphs also greatly interested Cul.
"Thor? Has the Thor of this universe also defected to you?"
When Cul saw Foster, his gaze immediately fell upon Mjolnir.
He knew that his younger brother had passed this divine weapon on to Thor, and that his nephew Thor, whom he had never met, was deeply entangled with Midgard, having fought for it many times.
He hadn't expected it to be the same in this unknown parallel universe.
"It seems the Odin of this universe is just as foolish, actually using the power of Asgard to curry favor with the people of Midgard."
Cul quickly identified that Foster did not have the blood of Asgard and was just a pure Midgardian.
But this only made him angrier. Mjolnir in the hands of an Earthling? Why would something so absurd happen?
The Odin of this universe was a complete and utter fool, just like the Odin of the Main Universe.
He just wondered what situation his own counterpart was in, whether he had also been backstabbed and sealed away by this universe's Odin.
Waves of terrifying divine power surged forth.
Vast energy and magic converged, weaving an endless web that shot into the heavens and shook the planet.
In an instant, all the villas in this affluent area turned to ash. The ground was peeled up layer by layer, flying high into the sky, only to be blasted into countless particles of dust that dissipated into nothing.
For any life form that reached the Skyfather level, one of their most basic abilities was the manipulation of molecules and atoms. As long as they were willing to expend the energy within their bodies, they could easily dismantle or reassemble matter.
Similarly, their efficiency in using various forms of energy reached an unbelievable degree.
And that was just for an ordinary Skyfather. For a being like Cul, who had been a Strong Skyfather in his prime, single-handedly suppressing many Skyfathers would be an expected outcome.
But not now. He had yet to recover to his peak from millions of years ago when Mephisto summoned him, only to be besieged by a horde of powerful enemies the moment he appeared.
The several hundred Dracula Xenomorphs represented the minimum threshold for joining this battle.
Don't be fooled by the fact that the Dracula Xenomorphs were mass-produced. They were scattered all around, most of the time cautiously dodging the various blasts of energy. A moment of carelessness, a direct hit from Cul's divine power, and their bodies would shatter on the spot. Survival would be a matter of luck.
But the Dracula Xenomorphs were constantly looking for opportunities to attack Cul, even actively charging forward when necessary, using their own lives to create an opening.
This almost machine-like, frenzied coordination and willing self-sacrifice even surprised Cul.
A single Dracula Xenomorph was certainly no match for him; he could incapacitate one with a single move. But with so many of them attacking together, they were enough to cause him a bit of trouble.
Killing them all would consume more of his stamina, but without using sufficient power, he couldn't take out an incoming Xenomorph in one blow. The original host of the Dracula Xenomorphs, Dracula, was an ancient being, and his raw power was absolutely formidable.
"Cul, you should be proud. Since I first made a move, no enemy has ever been worthy of me deploying so much high-end power."
Du Wa was like a specter. His voice, his consciousness, could emerge from any Xenomorph or Xenomorph hero at any time.
Just look at the deluxe lineup currently besieging Cul:
Reynolds, Foster, Sunspot, Lady Deathstrike, the Hyperion Xenomorph, the Ikaris Xenomorph, the Attuma Xenomorph, the Abomination Xenomorph, a Speed Xenomorph, and other Eternals, as well as the developed Deviant Xenomorphs, had all joined the fight.
There were even a few second-generation Xenomorphs. For example, after a Hyperion Xenomorph transformed into a Queen, Du Wa, for the sake of an experiment, had commanded it to spend a great deal of time and energy to birth a second-generation Hyperion Xenomorph. Its abilities were all inferior to the original Hyperion, and it was even slightly weaker than the Ikaris Xenomorph, but not by much. It was sufficient to be used as a pseudo-Superman Xenomorph.
The terrifying battle instantly tore open the cosmos and blasted a gaping hole in the atmosphere. Layer upon layer of destructive power accumulated, escalating at an exponential rate.
Cul furiously threw a punch, beating Lady Deathstrike—who had charged at him and was madly stabbing him with her claws—half to death. Yet, he watched helplessly as her injuries rapidly healed. Even her Adamantium ribs, half of which he had caved in, were slowly self-repairing.
But at that very moment, the other Xenomorph heroes all struck. Heat vision, super-strength, lightning, and all sorts of other attacks were unleashed upon Cul at once.
By the time Cul roared and detonated a hurricane of divine power, leveling everything around him, he looked again to see that Lady Deathstrike had already finished regenerating and was pouncing on him once more.
Cul raised his hand to cast a spell, but in the next second, Reynolds charged in again, sending him flying with a punch. Heat vision followed close behind, and Sunspot converted sunlight into flames, spraying them onto Cul. The other Ikaris and Hyperion Xenomorphs followed up, firing their own heat vision.
A massive number of beams converged on Cul, irritating the great serpent to no end. It had been too long since he had tasted such a terrifying burning sensation.
But what truly sent him into a rage was the Laufey Xenomorph, hidden amongst the Dracula Xenomorphs, which took the opportunity to strike.
Extreme heat was followed by extreme cold. It was the divine power of ice, bit by bit sealing away Cul's life force, causing him immense pain.
He let out a roar like the Abyss, and countless rays of divine light surged. His burly humanoid body twisted and, before the onlookers' eyes, instantly transformed into a giant green serpent!
"Ah, an ugly lizard. But if you think you can absorb the fear of all humanity in this form, you're mistaken," Du Wa commented.
Far away in Asgard, God-King Odin had already donned his armor.
"Thor, guard Asgard well," said Odin.
"Father, there's no need for you to go yourself. I can also..."
"You cannot. I can feel the World Tree trembling. This is not normal. It is related to the otherworldly visitor Du Wa is fighting. Something deeper must be happening, but I have not yet discovered what it is."
Odin revealed his one eye, dragging his overly aged body forward. This would be his last battle.
At the very least, he had to figure out what was happening—why the World Tree was responding so violently to a god from an otherworld.
"Thor, do what you must, just as I have taught you. As a king."
(end of chapter)