At this moment, tens of thousands of timelines shook violently.
Across all of Asgard, from King Odin to Thor himself, every god looked up to the heavens.
They saw it—the manifested body of the World Tree.
And looming behind it, an exaggerated, ultimate shadow realm.
From within, faint laughter echoed.
A presence radiated outward—so overwhelming that every Asgardian felt their hearts seize, as if confronted by a natural predator. Fear carved itself into their faces.
Timeline 24575.
In this branch, Supreme Tony Stark stared at the sky in shock.
He had never witnessed such a colossal dimensional manifestation. His voice trembled as he muttered:
"This… is this Utgard!?"
"The legendary Shadow Land… it's real?"
"Is this the true Ragnarök—a doom that spans every timeline?!"
Through the endless shadows, Tony thought he glimpsed five vast, fallen shapes. His soul itself screamed with alarm.
Five Dimensional Mephistos.
Compared to these beings, even the so-called King of Terror seemed like a joke.
Tony didn't know what the ancient gods intended—but one thing was clear: Asgard was doomed.
A bitter thought struck him. His friend—the one with Aesir blood, who once fought at his side—would not escape this fate either.
Tony's eyes dimmed.
This was something far beyond him. All he could do was remain in the sanctum, guarding the dimensional barrier with the Sorcerer Supreme of his world.
But then, voices thundered across the realms—layered, echoing, terrifying.
"Gods are creatures of stories. Stories are but shadow plays projected upon stone walls. And we… we are the shadows, blocking out the light, birthing Ragnarök."
"Russell, descendant of Gaea—the Earth Mother."
"Unlike those low-blooded Aesir, we are willing to offer you a gift."
"Join us… or become food on the plate, like all the others."
The voice tore through dimensions, crossing into reality itself.
Most beings could not hear it. But to Supreme Tony, the words landed like thunder.
These five ancient gods… each more powerful than Dormammu himself.
And yet, what shocked him most was the name.
Russell.
…!*
Was it coincidence—or truly that Russell?!
Tony shook his head violently. Impossible.
That man had already reached All-Father levels of power. How could he possibly be courted by these primordial monsters?
But then—Tony froze.
A familiar laugh echoed through the dimension.
"Choice?"
"Haven't you been waiting for this moment?"
"Since the day I was hung upside down on the World Tree, your malicious eyes have lingered—waiting for rune power to appear…"
"…waiting to devour the feast!"
Tony was stunned.
He recognized that voice.
It was Russell.
But how could this be possible?!
All-Father level.
Multiversal.
This wasn't just the difference between heaven and earth—it was the difference between a single cell and an entire galaxy.
At that moment, a surge of blue light ignited within the shadowed realm.
It was the power of runes—drawn from all timelines, converging through the World Tree—scattering the shadows.
In an instant, Tony saw it clearly: the World Tree itself.
And there, hanging upside down from its branches, was a familiar figure.
Endless streams of blue energy, glittering like stardust, poured into Russell's body. But upon closer look, Tony saw it wasn't starlight at all. It was countless runes, etched into his very being.
The barriers of reality trembled beneath their weight.
Multiversal power.
And only a body strong enough—only a will vast enough—could contain it.
Tony's eyes widened. He thought he must have been sealed away for a hundred million years and woken to a universe gone mad.
Otherwise, how could something so utterly impossible stand before him now?
Then—he felt it.
A gaze fell upon him.
And at the same time, a figure dropped from the void beside him.
"Thor?"
Tony's mind reeled. Question marks filled his head.
Thor looked equally stunned. Things had escalated too quickly for him to comprehend, but he managed to explain in fragments: no matter how far they were from the battlefield, even the aftermath alone was impossible to resist.
Tony swallowed hard. There was no doubt left. The figure before him was indeed Russell.
And Russell was no longer a man.
He was a god.
A true god.
Tony had no time to regret not clinging tighter to that alliance when he had the chance. All he could do now… was worry.
Yes, Russell was multiversal. But it was one versus five.
And those five… ancient gods, each far more powerful than Dormammu.
Russell was only a newly ascended multiversal being.
Perhaps his only advantage lay in the power now swirling around him—runes upon runes, countless in number, wrapping him like armor.
Even across the barrier of reality, Tony could feel it—his soul itself shivering in fear.
Then, a voice colder than death echoed through the void.
"Arrogant. Stupid. You dare to appear, knowing the price?"
"If not for you triggering the power of runes, we would have devoured you the moment you touched the multiverse."
"Do you truly think you can claim it?"
"Naïve!"
A second voice followed, dripping with cunning malice:
"Flame Giant… it's time to fulfill your destiny."
The words ripped through dimensions.
Across tens of thousands of timelines, the Flame Giant Surtur awoke from slumber.
But instead of striking Asgard, he descended into the lower realms, his body wreathed in crimson fire.
One by one, he hurled himself into the roots of the World Trees.
The impact unleashed seas of fire.
In an instant, every World Tree—save the true one—was engulfed in red inferno.
The rune power those trees had been channeling shattered. Streams of lost runes drifted aimlessly into the shadow realm, cut off from their masters.
Then came a laugh, loud and merciless, shaking the Shadow Land itself.
"Did you think we did not know the power of runes?"
"Did you think we would let you wield it against us?"
"We let you awaken it only because we were prepared. Already, the trap is set."
"The power is yours, yes… but once we kill you—once we consume you—those runes will belong to us!"
From the beginning, they had never intended to let Russell join them.
The offer had been a trick, nothing more.
Whether he refused or not—it didn't matter.
The cunning voice returned, mocking:
"Hahaha! So what if you've ascended to the multiverse?"
"You're nothing but a tool—a vessel for us to draw out rune power."
"And then, you'll become our most delicious meal."
"Russell—your fate ends here!"
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