Odin was silent for a few seconds.
He didn't answer, but instead asked:
"How do you know that name?"
Russell didn't hide it and told him about the prophecy he had heard from the vampire.
After he finished speaking, he noticed Odin's expression turn gloomy—darker than when he had seen Loki earlier.
Odin took a deep breath and said slowly and solemnly:
"The Great Serpent is actually my brother."
"And the next All-Father, after Bor, was not originally me—it was him."
He paused and continued explaining:
"The Great Serpent… or rather, his true name is Cul. After becoming king, he revealed his true nature. He is tyrannical, dictatorial, and cruel."
"For the sake of power, he shrouded the Nine Realms in terror. The World Tree began to crumble under the weight of fear."
"As a last resort, I ambushed him and sealed him away—in Midgard."
Russell was a little surprised. He hadn't expected such a bloody history behind Asgard's past.
But he was still a little puzzled.
"If that's the case, why didn't you just kill him? Don't tell me you couldn't."
Odin's expression darkened even more.
"It's not that I couldn't. Cul feeds on fear. As long as there is fear in the Nine Realms, he cannot truly die."
"Seven hundred and twenty years ago, in search of a way to kill him completely, I went to the Well of Wisdom, sacrificed my left eye, and received a glimpse of fate."
Russell asked curiously:
"And what did fate show you?"
Pain flashed in Odin's single eye.
"When the Great Serpent returns to the world… Thor will fight him—and they will both perish."
Russell immediately understood.
Thor wasn't imprisoned in the dungeon because he had committed some crime. On the contrary—Odin was trying to protect his son.
And Odin clearly knew Russell had realized that.
But—
Russell narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Then, God King, would you care to explain what your Asgardian army—fully mobilized—is planning to do?"
Odin suddenly fell silent. His gaze deepened.
Russell's lips curled into a faint smile, but his eyes turned colder and colder.
The atmosphere took a sharp and dangerous turn at that moment.
After a few heavy breaths, Odin suddenly let out a sigh, and his once-dominant aura completely faded.
"That's the Divine Flame Legion… the Bone Crusher Battalion… and the Wolf Riders."
"I was planning to wipe out Midgard."
Russell sneered.
"'Was'?"
Odin didn't seem bothered by the sarcastic tone. He looked at Russell and said:
"If it weren't for you, I would have done it."
"The Sorcerer Supreme alone can't stop me. I've fought him. Even Bifrost alone could destroy most of the life on Earth."
"Midgard should be thanking you."
The whole timeline should thank me... Russell rolled his eyes. Since Odin didn't plan to carry out the attack anymore, there was no need for a fight.
Now, the more urgent matter was dealing with the Great Serpent.
"I'm taking Thor with me," he said firmly.
Surprisingly, Odin didn't object. Or rather—he set conditions.
He suddenly seemed to age a thousand years in an instant, and said in a dazed voice:
"Maybe this is fate. I can't stop it anymore..."
A crackling sound echoed as the two stepped out of the Mirror Dimension.
Thor descended in a flash of lightning, landing with a thunderous boom. He looked at Odin in confusion.
"Father… what just happened?"
Odin sighed.
"It was Loki. He died again."
Thor looked uncomfortable.
He didn't understand why his brother had become like this—so strange and unpredictable.
"Such a strange personality…"
In the void.
Inside a palace that resembled Asgard, a man wearing a short-horned crown and holding a slender scepter suddenly opened his eyes. He frowned and muttered to himself:
"Strange. I've never seen someone like that in any version of Asgard."
He stood up and looked into the void, green light flickering in his eyes.
A few seconds later, he scratched his head in confusion.
"Even the time-space coordinates are missing. This is getting weirder and weirder."
"Normally, characters you create are immortal.
There shouldn't be any mental degradation like this."
After observing a bit longer, he gave up completely.
"Forget it. Time is chaotic in there anyway—and this universe doesn't matter much."
After a moment of thought, he returned to his seat and flipped open a notebook full of numbers.
With a light tap of his finger, a green glow appeared over a specific string of digits.
Back in the palace, Odin was still discussing the prophecy with Thor when he suddenly noticed Russell looking up, staring into the depths of the universe.
"What did you find?" Odin asked, growing alert—worried Loki might return again.
Russell shook his head.
He had sensed something for a brief moment—something dark and mysterious—but when he tried to grasp it, it was gone. Nothing.
Just then, the system's voice echoed in his mind:
[Residual power of destiny detected. Link established. Interception complete.]
[Power of Destiny – Defective (Golden-Red)]
Note: None.
Russell blinked.
What was going on? Where did this power of destiny come from?
No, he had sensed it correctly earlier.
Something had happened—something beyond his understanding.
But this was the first time he had obtained an entry that had no effect.
He wasn't sure if it was due to its weak presence or for some other reason.
Even so, the word "destiny" in the Marvel universe was no small matter.
Even if it was labeled as defective, it was already golden-red—a rarity stronger than fragments of the Phoenix Force.
Russell couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
So what if it was defective?
He had just gained something valuable—for free!
Who knew when it might activate?
Thor, standing to the side, was completely confused.
This guy was frowning just a moment ago… and now he looked so happy?
Was this how strong people thought?
Totally unpredictable!
Russell then noticed Odin and Thor watching him.
He immediately coughed and pretended like nothing had happened.
"Are you done talking?" he asked casually.
"I'll take him back to Earth soon. And don't worry—fate isn't set in stone."
But the moment he said those words, Russell paused.
He felt the newly acquired entry tremble slightly… and then calm down.
Strange.
Was it reacting to what I just said?
Russell wasn't sure.
At that moment, Odin spoke up:
"Thor, your uncle is right. Fate is not unchangeable."
"Maybe you won't even need to act—maybe the World Serpent will be slain without you lifting a finger."
There was a hidden meaning in his tone.
Russell's mouth twitched.
Odin really would say anything if it meant keeping Thor alive.
And he himself had just earned honor for an entire generation without doing a thing.
But considering the danger Loki posed…
He shook his head and said helplessly,
"Don't worry. I won't just stand by and watch."
Odin was finally relieved.
Thor, on the other hand, looked a little embarrassed.
After discussing the plan a bit further—
A rainbow torrent burst forth, racing toward Earth!
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