[Crimson Omen is a cursed sword forged from the heart of a dying star and infused with the blood of the damned.
Originally wielded by Vaelor the Hollow, a warlord who sought ultimate power, the blade became a vessel for an ancient, malevolent entity.
The more blood it spilled, the stronger its influence grew, driving its wielders to madness and corruption.]
'A sword from the past? The Crimson Omen?' Vorrak was confused as to why he had this weapon.
[You have activated additional system features. You now have the ability to synthesize entry cards, discard entry cards, and enhance your entry cards at designated entry points.
Entry Point Conversion Rates:
White - 1 EP
Green - 10 EP
Blue - 100 EP
Gold - 1000 EP
Red - 10000 EP
Upgrade Requirements:
White to Green - 10 EP
Green to Blue - 100 EP
Blue to Gold - 1000 EP
Gold to Red - 10000 EP
Red to Perfect Red - 1000000 EP]
"Is that a new addition? Perfect Red? What level is it?" Vorrak murmured, still overwhelmed by the rapid sequence of events. Since he had picked up the sword, fragments of his memories had been gradually coming back, and now he had regained most of them.
He finally remembered his identity; he was Carl Regal, an orphan from the Philippines who met his end when a child accidentally shot him with a nail gun while he was running. The nail pierced through his phone and struck his head, resulting in his death.
The surge of energy he felt, the malevolent power of the sword, the sudden shift to another universe outside Earth, the restoration of his memories, and now this new ability from the system—all stemming from a single crimson sword that he had envisioned.
He was now grasping the sword and felt an unnerving sense of familiarity, as if it were meant for him. He could even keep it within himself without any risk of injury.
However, before anything else, he needed to figure out where he was and how he had ended up there. All he understood was that he was beyond the boundaries of the universe. He hoped that his sons, who had come from him, would know about his intention to gather DNA from various individuals. If they didn't, he would need to look for another brilliant mind in their respective fields to help him acquire some talent.
Strangely enough, even with his inter-dimensional portal at his disposal, he found himself unable to access it. It seemed that some sort of force was preventing him from tapping into that power.
All he could wish for was to remain in the Marvel Universe.
With no specific destination, Vorrak quickly shifted into his eagle form and soared through the expansive universe without any particular goal in mind.
Given that the distances between planets can span tens of astronomical units, even with his power, it would take him quite a while to arrive anywhere.
(AU = Astronomical Unit. 1 AU = 150,000,000km)
By traveling manually and not using the portal, Vorrak had already managed to cover tens of thousands of kilometers in a mere two hours.
He knew how long he had been gone because he was wearing a watch he had taken from one of his victims; he found it appealing, so he decided to keep it.
With this pace, his average speed was about 5,000 km/h. However, even at that rate, moving between planets would still take an incredibly long time—a year would be a quick estimate.
If you break it down, with 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year, that totals 8,760 hours. Multiplying those hours by 10,000 km/h gives a staggering 87,600,000 km traveled in a year.
This means it would take him years just to reach one of the planets. The distance isn't small; even when planets are relatively close, you're looking at around 100 million kilometers or so, never dropping below 50 million due to gravitational forces.
He chuckled to himself, reflecting, "That was a foolish move to draw the sword. But honestly, it was worth it. I've pushed past my cowardice. I used to let someone make me feel like being cautious was the same as being brave, but deep down, I knew I was just afraid."
Now, with a new sense of courage and confidence, Vorrak was determined to improve himself.
At the moment, he couldn't shake the weight of his main issue: traveling between planets.
Days had passed since Vorrak journeyed through the vastness of space, and he hadn't spotted anyone else along the way.
Given the enormity of the universe, it was uncommon for him to cross paths with another traveler. Just when he thought he was alone, a spaceship materialized in front of him, blocking his path.
A voice came through a specialized communication device, trying to reach him across the void. Unfortunately, the language they spoke was foreign to him, leaving Vorrak unsure of his next move as the ship hovered steadily in place.
Slowly, the ship drifted closer, and its door swung open to reveal a woman in battle armor. Dagger straps hung from her sides.
Despite being in his eagle form, Vorrak's puzzled expression made it clear he didn't understand her language. Recognizing this, she quickly attempted to communicate again, this time using something that seemed more familiar to him.
"Who are you? What species do you belong to?" she demanded, her tone firm.
Vorrak paused before responding, taking a moment to closely examine her physique. She looked similar to a human, yet her strength far exceeded any human he had encountered before.
This reminded him of Asgardians, who share a similar appearance to humans.
"Are you an Asgardian?" he replied, sidestepping her original question.
The woman raised an eyebrow, slightly taken aback, and instinctively gripped her sword, eyeing him cautiously. While Asgardians were recognized throughout the Nine Realms, their reputation as peacekeepers had started to spread to other galaxies as well.
Still, not everyone was familiar with them, which accounted for her surprise at his comment.
Reflecting on it, she realized that as a novice traveler beyond the Nine Realms and being alone for the first time, it was quite unexpected for someone to know who she was right away.
"How did you know I'm an Asgardian?" she inquired, eyeing the alien with caution.
"Because you look like humans from my home, and you're the only one I've encountered in space. The humans I know haven't made it this far in terms of space travel," Vorrak replied calmly. "Even if they did, they would only explore their own galaxy, not the one I'm familiar with. So, I've pieced together that you're an Asgardian based on myths I've read on Earth."
Of course, he left out that his knowledge came from movies in his past life.
Still feeling doubtful, she fell silent, studying him closely.
"Can you tell me your name?" she asked, this time genuinely curious.
"My name? I'm Vorrak, a symbiote," he said with a grin, morphing into his human form with five tentacles extending from his back.
"Nice to meet you, Vorrak. I'm Laussa Odinsdottir, daughter of Odin, the All-Father, daughter of Frigga, the All-Mother, sister of Thor, the God of Thunder, and sister of Loki, the God of Mischief." She proudly announced her lineage.
'Laussa Odinsdottir? Where on Earth am I?' Thought Vorrak, suddenly taken aback.
Hearing that name for the first time and realizing she's Odin's daughter made everything feel even more strange and surreal to him.
Yet, despite the chaos swirling in his mind, he maintained a calm and composed demeanor, appearing unfazed by her words.
"That's quite a lengthy introduction. Anyway, can we move this conversation inside instead of just floating around out here?" Vorrak suggested, and the woman in front of him nodded in agreement.
They stepped into the spaceship, which was hurtling through space at a speed of 20 Mach. The only reason for such velocity was that Laussa preferred not to arrive at their destination too quickly.
"Now that we're settled, I have a few questions for you. Why are you drifting through space? Is there a specific reason for it?" Laussa inquired.
Since she first spotted Vorrak moving at 5,000 km/h, she had become intrigued by him and had been following his path for the last several minutes.
"Well, it was an accident I can't disclose. I hope you understand," Vorrak said. Surprisingly, he felt comfortable with her, like when he was with the Ancient One.
"How about you? What makes you travel around the universe?"
"I have traveled because I want to be independent. My father and mother always want me to stay in Asgard, but I don't want to, knowing that my brothers are fighting as warriors. Here I am, being imprisoned inside Asgard," Laussa pouted, clearly displeased by her father and mother's choice.
Vorrak stayed in silence as she ranted about how she lived in Asgard like a captive, being held in a prison where she could only walk a specific distance. Basically, she could only be in Asgard.
While she was talking, Vorrak listened to her, thinking that she was no different from an Earth girl who has a problem with her life.