There were quite a few individuals like Skurge.
Crushed by Adam's campaign of conquest, awed by his power, and worshipping the strength of the Xenomorphs, they chose without hesitation to join Adam's ranks and accept parasitism.
As it turned out, in any era, victors would always attract a fanatical group willing to throw everything into following them.
When Skurge stood once more on Asgardian soil, full of vigor, he looked down on everything around him. Whether it was his imagination or not, he felt that every Asgardian's gaze toward him had changed... filled with respect.
In fact, many Asgardians did recognize this small giant as one of the earlier captives, the one rescued by Queen Frigga and her people.
But now Skurge had a new identity... a Xenomorph.
Skurge felt an unprecedented sense of pride, something he had never experienced during his time as a Wind Giant.
"Heh. So this is the so-called strongest divine race of the World Tree. Stripped of their holy facade, they're just a bunch of bullies who prey on the weak. No different from the giants of Jotunheim."
Skurge had seen through it all. He brainwashed himself over and over, firmly believing he had chosen the most correct path in his life so far.
In his excitement, Skurge looked around, trying to find an axe so he could chop up a few giants to celebrate. As Jotunheim's rising "Butcher," torturing and dismembering enemies was his favorite pastime.
Unfortunately, his weapon had long since been lost somewhere in Jotunheim. As a new Xenomorph, Skurge searched around and eventually found two M16s in Asgard's vault.
Yes... some ingenious Asgardian had apparently scavenged these firearms from Midgard. After being enchanted, they now had infinite ammunition.
"Wahahahaha! These are way better than an axe!"
Skurge lifted the two M16s and fired wildly into the sky. Then he aimed at a giant captive, revealing a bloodthirsty grin. He was eager to see this towering, mighty giant turn into a pile of meat paste before him. But the next second, several Xenomorphs pinned him to the ground.
Dealing with ordinary targets required only one Xenomorph, but Skurge was too strong. Several Dracula Xenomorphs had to work together just to hold him down.
"What are you doing? Damn it... we're the same race now! One of your own wants to kill a captive to hone his skills. Is that not allowed?" Skurge struggled, making the Xenomorphs exert considerable effort. It wouldn't be long before he broke free of their restraint.
"Every captive is Adam's property, not yours. Know your place, newcomer."
Druid had specifically rushed over from Earth. The moment he saw the unruly Skurge, his gaze lingered on the two M16s the giant had chosen.
"Among all the suitable weapons in Asgard's vault, why did you pick these two?" Druid asked coldly.
"No special reason. They're from Midgard. By choosing them, I feel closer to Adam," Skurge replied.
Clearly, Druid was very satisfied with this answer. "You should feel fortunate. Not everyone who fails on the battlefield gets the chance to be parasitized by a Xenomorph. You're one of the lucky few. I can sense the immense energy within you. From now on, I'll be responsible for training you."
Skurge was clearly unwilling. He wanted to serve directly as one of Adam's bodyguards. But one look from Druid forcefully invaded his mind. Combined with the Xenomorphs' compulsion, it made Skurge... who hadn't yet fully grown into his strength... realize he had no choice.
Perhaps in the future he would. Skurge thought. He could feel that in recent years his power had been growing rapidly. In a little more time, he believed he could take down Druid with a single blow.
The two walked along Asgard's continent. Skurge had no interest in examining the locals' customs and quickly asked, "So, what's my first mission after joining the Xenomorphs? Who do I kill?"
"You're good at killing?"
"Of course. Give me a target... anyone... and I can kill them. Even if it's you," Skurge said with a cold laugh. He licked the muzzle of one M16. He was quite fond of these novel weapons. They were like high-rate-of-fire bows.
Every moment, Skurge could clearly feel the throbbing in his chest. He carefully sensed his new self after fusing with Xenomorph genes... stronger senses, terrifyingly lethal blood, and astonishing regeneration. Three bloodlines merged into one, and his potential had surged once more. This left Skurge eager to test himself.
He knew he was strong and growing stronger every second, but he didn't yet know exactly how strong. That would require constant hunting and combat to determine his place in the food chain.
But Druid, who had rushed to Asgard, had no interest in his thoughts. If not for Adam sending him a command to pay attention to Skurge, he wouldn't have bothered with this bloodthirsty madman.
"We're here to pay respects to the dead. He was once my comrade. We fought together for nearly seven thousand years. That's an incredibly long time… perhaps."
As Druid spoke, he entered a hall. This was a place specifically for storing the remains of warriors. At the moment, it also contained some Xenomorph corpses that hadn't yet been transported back to Earth.
Druid's expression changed. From endless indifference, it shifted to extreme excitement.
"I don't understand. Am I seeing things? You're actually happy? One of our own died, and you're pleased?"
Skurge had originally slung the two M16s across his back. Now he rubbed his bald head, thinking that it might be more appropriate to pull out his weapons and beat this even crazier guy into submission.
"No, you don't understand. Every species has a different interpretation of death. Look at the Asgardians around us. They pray for the dead, sincerely hoping their souls will enter the so-called Hall of the Fallen. I don't even know if the Hall of the Fallen truly exists. Maybe it was a crude lie from the beginning."
Druid reached out with fascination, stroking the dead Xenomorphs one by one. Finally, he stopped before one that had clearly been very powerful in life but was now reduced to a few large chunks of flesh.
"I know this one. I saw him get killed by Laufey from afar," Skurge said. Even from the remains, he could faintly sense an intense aura of power.
"Yes. This is a form of magnificent transformation. Gilgamesh must be happy. His body became a Xenomorph, but only now has his soul finally received true salvation. He will become one of the hopeful in a place that is forever beautiful, forever bright, forever warm... until eternity. What an enviable outcome."
"?"
Sure enough, this guy was a madman... even crazier than he was. Skurge thought silently. But whenever he tried to do something, Druid's mental control ability would forcefully invade his mind, interfering with every thought that arose.
"Once I adapt to your level, my mind will be trained enough to resist your control," Skurge growled.
"I originally didn't know why Adam would take notice of someone like you. But now I roughly understand. I absolutely will not allow you to waste your talent in the wrong direction," Druid said with a serious expression. "You should squeeze every bit of potential from yourself and devote it fully to the great cause. Whatever Adam wants, we must risk our lives to accomplish it."
The surrounding Asgardians had originally entered with mournful expressions to pay respects to their fallen kin. But when they saw these two, their faces grew strange. As they listened, horror spread across their features.
"This is terrifying. Listen to what they're saying... absolute indifference to death and fanatical pursuit. Is this the creed of their race? It's too insane."
"Do the Xenomorphs have their own Hall of the Fallen?"
While Druid instructed Skurge, Adam slowly withdrew his gaze.
Yes... Adam had been monitoring Skurge the entire time.
"The Butcher. I never expected him to join me this way... by chance, before he truly rose. Fate truly is a wondrous thing."
Adam smiled with satisfaction and nodded. He could sense the changes in Skurge. As time passed, this promising brute would gradually be dyed in Adam's colors.
Adam clearly remembered that the Butcher was someone who could arm-wrestle Thor. Under normal circumstances, he would eventually become one of Thor's strongest rivals.
At least in this universe, Skurge now belonged to Adam.
Adam looked forward to it deeply. Under Xenomorph genes, Skurge would grow rapidly, displaying fuller power in less time, and stand before him.
He would value every choice Skurge made... whether active or passive... and offer approving gazes and encouraging mental words.
Not just Skurge. The sky-father level Xenomorph as well.
"Laufey, embrace the truth... and become the truth."
Adam immediately began the parasitism process on Laufey.
To be honest, it was extremely difficult. He failed several times in a row, causing several facehuggers to die miserably.
"Even harder than I imagined. A sky-father god-king... even if only a few pieces of muscle remain under his control, his instincts will subconsciously resist foreign genetic material."
Adam frowned. He acted again, meticulously severing every nerve connection in Laufey's body and brutally tearing apart muscle from muscle.
After considerable effort, the parasitism finally succeeded. Soon, a Xenomorph with sky-father level potential would burst forth.
Adam could also feel that this Xenomorph embryo was the strongest he had ever seen.
He knew very well that this Xenomorph couldn't possess sky-father level strength right after emerging. That was unrealistic.
"Divine power… I think when I truly unravel the mysteries of divine power and master the World Tree, if I were to parasitize a particular god race, I would be able to steal not only at the genetic level but also inherit and replace divine power at the World Tree level."
Adam pondered. He had already accumulated so many god-race Xenomorphs. Their total number had reached over two thousand, with many more soon to come. And with the Laufey Xenomorph... a sky-father potential god-race Xenomorph... as their leader, it was time to begin probing the World Tree.
No matter how others viewed the Xenomorph army, Adam himself was very clear. His ascension plan had never stopped. The idea of upgrading the Xenomorphs... from planetary life to cosmic life... had never wavered.
Whoosh!
In the void, the minds of over two thousand god-race Xenomorphs were unified and gathered under Adam.
In the mental world, countless points of light converged. At Adam's command, these god-race Xenomorphs began frantically wielding their respective powers, tracing the threads of divine energy. Using their mental will as a foundation, they searched in the void for the origin of their own divine power.
Skurge naturally soon felt this call. He had originally not understood Druid, but now... sensing his own state and the presence of the many god-race Xenomorphs around him... he vaguely began to grasp it.
"So this is the true Adam? He isn't an individual. I misunderstood from the beginning. In other words, right now I am actually part of him. He is me…" Skurge's eyes burned with fervor. His body trembled slightly, and he clearly felt Adam's gaze upon him.
Thousands of god-race Xenomorphs exerted their power together. Using divine power as the pivot and the mental world as the vessel, they followed their instinctive call in the void.
"I feel it. Sure enough, what Rune King Thor could do with this method, with so many Xenomorphs assisting me, I have a certain chance of achieving as well…"
The World Tree was real, not some illusory spatial concept.
At least in this universe, it was.
When Adam, relying on thousands of "gods" offering themselves wholeheartedly and gathering their many consciousnesses, sensed that colossal entity in the void...
He saw it clearly.
A tree covering countless dimensions, stretching endlessly with dense, nearly infinite branches. These branches ultimately divided into nine larger ones, supporting nine worlds that encompassed countless planets.
Even more branches extended into the distance. Adam guessed these might represent realms like Olympus and other god races.
"As long as I can secure a place on this World Tree, I can create a true god-race of Xenomorphs that will naturally receive the World Tree's divine power transmission."
Adam didn't hesitate. He immediately pushed the consciousness of the Laufey Xenomorph to the forefront, rapidly climbing this vast, seemingly illusory yet undeniably real World Tree.
Every instant, endless divine power surged. Every moment, it was as if billions of scenes flashed before Adam.
Anyone else attempting to contact such an overwhelming flood of information would have been crushed in an instant, their soul shattered into countless fragments.
But Adam used his vast number of Xenomorphs to share the mental burden, managing to hold on for a few extra seconds.
Naturally, ancient entities noticed Adam's arrival. In their vision, Adam was the sum of countless consciousnesses clustered together, forming a river-like stream of minds winding around the World Tree's massive trunk.
Light gradually faded. The dark shadows hidden behind the World Tree extended their tentacles toward Adam.
"An outsider. I know these are the creatures called Xenomorphs from Midgard. Newly born."
"It's been a very, very long time since a new species has been worthy of entering our sight."
"These things actually use parasitism to gain the identity of gods and thus sense the World Tree's existence. How interesting."
"So, if these creatures are willing to kneel at our feet, we wouldn't mind bestowing upon them some insignificant power... just as we have done with the other god races."
"Ragnarok has a new weapon. A new cycle can begin…"
These colossal entities in the shadows seemed to be the will of the World Tree itself, conversing casually. Their unintentional exchange was intermittently perceived by Adam in the void.
It was as if to confirm these mysterious beings' words. Their wills merely resonated faintly, and the entire World Tree responded. In an instant, vast divine power surged into Adam, only to dissipate the next moment... as if it were the gods' game, their power toyed with and manipulated according to their capricious whims.
But this was clearly intentional. It also let Adam feel just how terrifying these beings were.
"Deliberately using this casual attitude to display their status? Trying to prove to me that the entire World Tree is merely their plaything? These shadow gods are quite interesting."
Adam laughed coldly in his heart. He understood everything clearly.
The shadow gods... existing in some parallel universes, the ones who had personally created Rune King Thor... existed in this universe as well. That made things interesting…
"I feel it. As expected, what Rune King Thor could achieve with this method, with so many Xenomorphs assisting me, I have a certain chance of achieving as well…"
The World Tree was real.
At least in this universe.
When Adam, relying on thousands of "gods" offering themselves wholeheartedly and gathering their many consciousnesses, sensed that colossal entity in the void...
He saw it clearly.
A tree covering countless dimensions, stretching endlessly with dense, nearly infinite branches. These branches ultimately divided into nine larger ones, supporting nine worlds that encompassed countless planets.
Even more branches extended into the distance. Adam guessed these might represent realms like Olympus and other god races.
"As long as I can secure a place on this World Tree, I can create a true god-race of Xenomorphs that will naturally receive the World Tree's divine power transmission."
Adam didn't hesitate. He immediately pushed the consciousness of the Laufey Xenomorph to the forefront, rapidly climbing this vast, seemingly illusory yet undeniably real World Tree.
Every instant, endless divine power surged. Every moment, it was as if billions of scenes flashed before Adam.
Anyone else attempting to contact such an overwhelming flood of information would have been crushed in an instant, their soul shattered into countless fragments.
But Adam used his vast number of Xenomorphs to share the mental burden, managing to hold on for a few extra seconds.
Naturally, ancient entities noticed Adam's arrival. In their vision, Adam was the sum of countless consciousnesses clustered together, forming a river-like stream of minds winding around the World Tree's massive trunk.
Light gradually faded. The dark shadows hidden behind the World Tree extended their tentacles toward Adam.
"An outsider. I know these are the creatures called Xenomorphs from Midgard. Newly born."
"It's been a very, very long time since a new species has been worthy of entering our sight."
"These things actually use parasitism to gain the identity of gods and thus sense the World Tree's existence. How interesting."
"So, if these creatures are willing to kneel at our feet, we wouldn't mind bestowing upon them some insignificant power... just as we have done with the other god races."
"Ragnarok has a new weapon. A new cycle can begin…"
These colossal entities in the shadows seemed to be the will of the World Tree itself, conversing casually. Their unintentional exchange was intermittently perceived by Adam in the void.
It was as if to confirm these mysterious beings' words. Their wills merely resonated faintly, and the entire World Tree responded. In an instant, vast divine power surged into Adam, only to dissipate the next moment... as if it were the gods' game, their power toyed with and manipulated according to their capricious whims.
But this was clearly intentional. It also let Adam feel just how terrifying these beings were.
"Deliberately using this casual attitude to display their status? Trying to prove to me that the entire World Tree is merely their plaything? These shadow gods are quite interesting."
Adam laughed coldly in his heart. He understood everything clearly.
The shadow gods... existing in some parallel universes, the ones who had personally created Rune King Thor... existed in this universe as well. That made things interesting…
Adam reopened his eyes. Everything from before felt like a dream. The memories were rapidly blurring with the passage of time. It was as if some unseen rule allowed him to perceive certain things but prevented him from remembering them clearly, while subconsciously leaving him longing for that surge of power. Perhaps this was one of the shadow gods' methods.
Before Adam could think of his next plan of action, he immediately sensed an urgent prayer crossing endless light-years, penetrating countless spaces, roughly locking onto his location and reaching his ears.
"Ancient and holy existence, you are the great god, the immortal essence of all things. Your worshipper and follower has fallen into dire straits and hopes to borrow a transcendent power to achieve… Ah, it's you."
The Ancient One had rushed over, using a very powerful magic to perform a grand and solemn ritual. But upon discovering that the target of her prayer was actually Adam, she felt deeply disappointed. "I originally thought I was lucky to encounter a newly born or newly awakened god. Why is it you?"
Adam's expression turned strange. For a moment, he had a stomach full of complaints but didn't know what to say.
What could he say? That he was shocked by the Sorcerer Supreme's incredibly vast range of perception? That she had sensed a change that hadn't even occurred on the material plane... one whose existence couldn't even be confirmed?
Impressive. This was the first time Adam had felt such admiration for a person.
"So you're always doing this kind of thing? Listening to the voice of the universe, monitoring countless extra-dimensional changes around you... not just blocking those demon gods but also… borrowing from them?" Adam paused for a moment before speaking.
After a long while, the Ancient One's voice came through intermittently. Clearly, maintaining this ultra-long-distance magical ritual was very difficult. "What else did you think I was busy with? Resisting demon gods from every dimension at once is exhausting work. If I have the chance to turn some of them into my own people, isn't that the best approach? Unfortunately, I never expected it to be you this time. And a fake one at that. How disappointing."
It was clear the Ancient One was genuinely regretful... a feeling like picking up a stack of hundred-dollar bills only to discover they were counterfeit notes made by some mischievous prankster.
In any case, the Ancient One didn't have the patience to spend these fake bills one by one. It would waste too much of her time.
"Still, the fact that you could cause a momentary change on the World Tree means you've made a major discovery."
The Ancient One spoke in fits and starts. "Come to Kamar-Taj next time and tell me about it in detail. It might give me some inspiration… I've been constantly searching for Mephisto's traces, but that demon hasn't come to Earth in our universe recently."
"You're always doing this? Looking for new gods?"
"Generally, yes. As long as it's not a god born from sin itself, inherently carrying a destructive authority, I'll make tentative contact. The moment I sense something wrong, I immediately cut the connection and use the power of the magical ritual to block their reverse spying. But opportunities are rare. Beings at the level of gods aren't born so easily. Often tens of thousands of years pass without a single one appearing."
The Ancient One continued, "The last time I tried to make contact with something, it was a group of vampires from another universe. These beings who don't even qualify as gods quickly killed Peter Parker and wanted to linger in this world for a while to hunt other spiders. After hearing my words, they immediately withdrew. If I had known, I should have killed those Inheritors. I shouldn't have held onto any illusions."
If it were me, I'd be afraid too. The moment they arrived in this universe, they encountered a madwoman who tried to borrow debt the second she opened her mouth. Since they had successfully hunted a Spider-Man, there was no need to clash with this universe's Ancient One. Adam thought.
It seemed this universe's Ancient One knew something about the Inheritors. The gods above the Inheritors had some connection to the Vishanti.
"By the way, Loki should have gone to Earth. I don't know what mischief he's planning," Adam said casually.
"I know… Odin told me…" The connection from the Ancient One's side cut off.
Who knew what Loki was doing on Earth.
…
While the entire World Tree was focused on and discussing Adam…
Loki had already arrived on Earth and begun a carpet-style search for news of that black dragon from years ago.
Using the methods of a trickster god, he quickly found something.
"S.H.I.E.L.D.? So they hid the black dragon under an iceberg."
***
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