"My God, this isn't a Hollywood CGI image, is it?"
"This is literally the end of the world."
"It's so terrifying. The giant monster covers the sky and the sun. This isn't a monster humans can fight. Just look at its body and wings. I doubt our most advanced missiles could even penetrate its hide."
"It must be a demon, but demons are evil. They can't defeat justice. Salina isn't afraid of evil."
"The Scorpio Gold Saint is guarding this world. Under the will of God, we should not be afraid. We are lucky because we have a powerful god to protect us."
"Give it a rest, man. Your god only guards the port of Madripoor."
"You damn b*d, you're talking nonsense. We're sailors from the Ghana fishing boat. We ran into a storm when we set sail. All 58 of us, including the captain, were flipped over by the waves. She saved every single one of us. You bd, trying to slander God!"
The traffic on social media completely exploded, with new topics emerging one after another. When Salina was recognized by the Gold Holy Cloth, it had already caused a global discussion, and this latest incident only added fuel to the fire.
Even if governments wanted to control public opinion, they couldn't completely suppress it. However, their minds weren't on public opinion but on the gigantic basilisk and the sudden global panic. The fear didn't last long, and although it didn't cause any major damage, who knew if this would continue to happen? This left them feeling overwhelmed and increasingly helpless. They finally realized that in the face of such non-human, terrifying creatures, human civilization was too insignificant.
It was at this time that a new piece of information quietly caught everyone's attention. The God of Fear was spreading fear. He had left Midgard, but he had sent seven Sky Hammers to other countries. The Sky Hammers scattered across the globe like meteors. When someone held a Sky Hammer, the Sky Hammer Lord would spread fear in the most brutal way imaginable.
A major event had also occurred in Asgard. Odin, who was in his sleep, was assassinated. An Asgardian guard, corrupted by fear, had somehow snuck into Odin's sleeping chamber and attempted to kill him with a fear blade. Odin sensed the danger, and his power erupted, killing the guard. But before the guard died, the blade, which was cursed with fear, pierced Odin's chest, causing him to fall into a coma.
The entire Asgard was placed under martial law. When the two brothers, who had been beaten and failed to stop the threat, fled back to Asgard, Thor and Loki found their father, the God-King Odin, lying in bed, his face pale and his breathing weak. Thor's anger was beyond words. Loki, who had long harbored a hatred for Odin, fell silent, filled with mixed emotions.
Frigga, his wife, sat by the bed, her face a mask of sadness and worry. At that moment, Sif walked in with light steps, calling Thor and Loki away. The two followed her outside the bedroom, where the Three Warriors of Asgard and other gods had gathered.
"Thor, aside from Midgard, wars have broken out in other countries. The Great Serpent's lackeys, the Sky Hammers, have been revived. They have started wars and massacres. Heimdall has seen that fear is spreading to other countries. The Great Serpent must be growing and strengthening at an alarming rate. It won't be long before he returns to his peak, and then he will inevitably launch a war against Asgard."
The one-armed God of War, Tyr, his face weathered, looked more like an ordinary person than a warrior, but his strength was greater than Thor's. He was the most powerful among the assembled gods.
"Where is the Great Serpent?" Thor ground out through clenched teeth.
Sif shook her head. "Thor, we don't know. The serpent is on the same level as Odin, and Heimdall cannot see him."
"Damn it!" Thor's initial plan to gather all their strength to destroy the serpent before it recovered was now in vain. The God-King Odin had been assassinated and was in a coma, and Thor cursed angrily.
"We have gathered the army and are ready for war at any time," Fandral said calmly.
"We can't just sit here and wait to die! If we can't find the Serpent, we can kill his Sky Hammer Lords so that he can't spread fear!"
"Thor, you know we can't do that," the Goddess of Wisdom stopped him. "The Serpent and his daughter, Casti, are currently hiding. If we disperse our forces, it's very likely they will take advantage of the situation and attack Asgard."
"Then do we just wait and watch other countries fall into war and do nothing?" Thor asked angrily. "Since when has Asgard been so cowardly?"
"Thor, anger can't solve this problem," Tyr said, placing a hand on Thor's shoulder. He looked at the other's angry face and whispered, "We aren't being cowardly. This is about the safety of the entire Nine Realms. You and Loki faced the Serpent directly. How did you feel?"
Thor fell silent. After a moment, he looked at Loki and slowly said, "Powerless. Loki and I tried to stop Casti, but we failed. The moment the serpent appeared, we were both overwhelmed by fear and didn't even have the courage to take action. We almost died at his hands."
Thor's angry expression turned to one of dejection. He had always boasted that he was the most powerful and brave warrior, but the moment he faced the serpent, his courage was defeated by fear. His anger had made him forget this fact for a short time, but now that he remembered it, the buried fear resurfaced.
"Fear?" Tyr's expression became very serious. "He is the God of Fear, with the authority to control it. Any warrior who doesn't have a strong enough will can only be slaughtered when facing him. With the God-King Odin in a coma, there is no one among us who can fight the serpent."
Everyone present looked at each other, their expressions serious and heavy. If they faced the opponent directly, they would be overwhelmed by fear and lose their fighting power, like cattle and sheep being slaughtered. How could they deal with such an enemy?
The atmosphere became stagnant. After a moment of silence, Tyr sighed and said, "Maybe I should tell you, Thor. Before he sealed the serpent, the God-King Odin sought the answer to destroy the serpent from the Book of the World. He received a prophecy that only you could kill the serpent, but that you would also die in the serpent's hands."
"I don't care, I just want to protect..." Thor said subconsciously, but he didn't finish the sentence. "Protect? Protect who? Asgard? The Nine Realms?" He was a person who had lost his courage because of fear when facing the serpent. What right did he have to talk about protection? It was just a joke.
"Why can't I do it?" Thor said bitterly. As soon as he finished speaking, his Mjolnir hammer fell to the ground with a "bang."
"Thor, you..." Sif looked at him in disbelief. Thor stared at Mjolnir on the ground. He bent down and tried to pick it up, but the hammer seemed to be glued to the ground and didn't budge.
"Even you no longer recognize me, Mjolnir," Thor said, his once-upright posture now slightly hunched. His dejected temperament made him look completely different from the invincible, high-spirited Thor he once was.
"Thor..." Sif wanted to speak, but Thor shook his head and walked out of the palace with unsteady steps.
"Loki." Everyone looked at Loki, who had been silent from the start. He now had a complicated expression, but to everyone's surprise, he didn't seem as depressed as Thor.
"He has never experienced such a tragic failure. When he loses his courage and no longer believes in himself, his divine power and companions will leave him," Loki sneered, as if he was mocking Thor, and perhaps himself.
"Loki..." The Three Warriors of Asgard, Fandral, Hogan, and Volstagg, were angry, not understanding the meaning of his words.
The God of War, Tyr, stopped the three angry warriors and looked at Loki seriously. "We don't have much time, Loki. The God-King is in a coma. We need the old Thor back. What can you think of?"
Facing the focused eyes of everyone, Loki hesitated, and suddenly thought of that tall, sacred, and elegant figure in his mind. That unparalleled power that also made him feel powerless and afraid. "Maybe, there is someone who can help us."
"Who?"
"A god who can also make people lose their courage."
The turmoil in the Nine Realms did not include Earth. Although social media on Earth had exploded in the past two days, it still seemed much calmer than the chaotic wars in other countries.
Madripoor Port
This country, praised by the entire world as the true kingdom of God, looked beautiful and lively at night. However, on this day, three people who were not from Earth came here. Loki, Tyr, and Sif, wearing gorgeous robes and armor, entered the city, attracting countless people's attention. At the end of the sacred street leading to the temple, which few people ever walked on, the three of them stopped.
The people around them couldn't help but cast strange looks their way. In addition to the tourists, the residents of Madripoor Port held a deep belief in their country and the person who ruled it. Although there was no explicit ban on walking on the road to the temple, the residents had a tacit understanding not to.
Fortunately, the three of them did not step onto it, as they were mindful of proper etiquette, otherwise, the surrounding residents would have surely stopped them.
"Who are these guys?"
"They're dressed strangely, like something from the Middle Ages."
"Are they here to make a pilgrimage?"
"I think they're here to pray to our God, hoping for his mercy and help. Look at that guy; he's missing an arm."
"I think so too. He must be here to pray to our God to heal his arm."
More and more people gathered, but not long after, two graceful figures in silver armor walked from the temple. Although their steps were not fast, they appeared in front of Loki and the other two in the blink of an eye.
Loki, Tyr, and Sif were startled. Although the women made no extra movements and showed no malice, the three of them could feel a silent oppression just by looking into their eyes. The silver armor was gorgeous and noble, with a style different from Asgardian armor. It seemed to contain majestic vitality and power.
Loki and the other two immediately placed their right hands on their chests and bowed respectfully.
"I am Loki, son of Odin."
"Tyr."
"Sif."
"We hope to see your God-King."
"Follow us." The two women exchanged a glance, and one of them spoke before turning and walking toward the temple. Loki and the other two were delighted and hurried to catch up.
The road wasn't long, and their pace was quick. They arrived at the temple, walked up the long stairs, and entered. The moment they stepped inside, the space immediately shifted, and their surroundings changed as if they had entered another world. This was a beautiful, dream-like garden.
Endless, bright flowers formed a sea, and their fragrance filled the air. Loki and the others' expressions changed slightly. This silent method had brought them to another space. This wasn't an ordinary method; was it magic? Or some special space-transferring ability? Whatever it was, the three of them calmly looked at each other and continued to follow the two women.
They walked along a path through the sea of flowers for a long time, finally reaching their destination. In the center of the garden was a fountain with a goddess sculpture. Petals were scattered all around, making it look like a beautiful dreamland. A large lake lay at the far end of the fountain. Leon stood in front of the fountain, reaching out to touch the water flowing through his palm.
The two women didn't approach but stopped a few dozen meters away. They gestured for the three to continue walking, and then their figures disappeared.
(End of Chapter)
────────────────────────────────────
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [One Piece: General Blue]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Naruto: Starting with Tsunade-san]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Battle Through the Heavens: Heavenly comprehension]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Soul Land 2: Golden Dragon King]."
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [Marvel: Hades]."
"If you want early access to nearly 60+ chapters, join my patreon:- patreon.com/BaDwYGaMeR"