Even Skyfathers, born of divine beings and basking in sunlight, held the Yggdrasil in awe.
The Yggdrasil generously bestowed its radiance, its divine power paving a path for gods that mortal races could scarcely dream of, their starting point impossibly high.
Yet behind the light, darkness always lurked, poised to exact a toll from those who reveled in the sun.
As countless worlds and stars sent envoys to Asgard to mourn Odin, shadowy, towering figures stood in the gloom cast by the Tree's vast branches, coldly observing.
These The Those Who Sit Above in Shadow watched the conflicts of myriad realms, the birth and death of countless stars, and gods drawing power from the Yggdrasil.
They saw Cul's arrival and grew eager, briefly plotting to use him to ignite Ragnarok.
When was the last Ragnarok? So distant that even these The Those Who Sit Above in Shadow had forgotten its exquisite flavor.
For the Shadow Elder Gods, Ragnarok's cataclysm was their sole sustenance, fueling their survival and strength.
Regrettably, the plan to spark Ragnarok through Cul had to be shelved.
"What a shame." One of The Those Who Sit Above in Shadow lamented. "We thought Cul could be our tool to shatter Asgard. His hatred for Odin clearly stemmed from conflicts with his universe's counterpart."
"That serpent was the ideal first choice, but he was defeated by our second."
"What now? We can't reveal ourselves. The Those Who Sit Above in Shadow thrive in mystery, feared as the Yggdrasil's true masters."
In the darkness, their forms flickered, conversing in an ancient tongue.
A scholar of divine linguistics would recognize their speech as akin to Gorr's ancient godly vernacular, obscure, each syllable resonating with divine power, laden with vast information.
At the Skyfather level, a mere mortal's capacity for information was staggering, let alone these The Those Who Sit Above in Shadow who manipulated the Yggdrasil, subtly influencing divine power distribution.
"I sense that human, Adam, has detected us." One said.
"No matter if he has." Another replied. "We were too hasty, eager for Ragnarok's feast, and acted prematurely. Even a dying Odin noticed us."
Cold voices echoed, restrained to avoid reverberating across the Yggdrasil, audible to all wielding its divine power.
The Those Who Sit Above in Shadow scrutinized Asgard.
Odin's death removed a nuisance, and Adam's rise was a boon. This aggressive human led a warlike parasitic race, perfect for destroying Asgard if harnessed.
Far from fearing Adam's rapid expansion, they welcomed it.
Ragnarok's destined target was Asgard. The priority was toppling this near-ruler of the Nine Realms.
As for facing a stronger Adam and his Xenomorphs post-Asgard… The Those Who Sit Above in Shadow saw no issue.
They might not choose Midgard for the next Ragnarok, unlikely, as a new Asgard would rise after eons, birthing new gods, making it the probable site again.
That was millions of years away. Asgard's destruction would yield energy to digest for ages.
At worst, empowered by that surge, they could easily crush Adam and his Xenomorphs.
Their arrogance stemmed from unmatched strength and Yggdrasil mastery.
"Adam's always been the true first choice." One said. "Thor, Asgard's new king, wields the Odinforce, Stormbreaker, Gungnir, and the Destroyer armor blessed by the gods. With him guarding Asgard…"
"Neither Surtur, Loki, Hela, nor Fenris can overpower Thor and destroy Asgard. Without Adam, who else? He's siphoned Yggdrasil power through Xenomorphs and will claim more. Plus, he holds the otherworldly Skyfather Cul."
"Using that serpent to devour Asgard was the ideal script for this Ragnarok cycle. Since Cul's in Adam's hands, we choose Adam."
"Malekith's an option too. The Dark Elves plot to reclaim their Yggdrasil foothold."
"Dark Elves… a last resort, but worth watching. We can intervene if needed."
The Those Who Sit Above in Shadow reached consensus, eager to feast on a long-awaited banquet.
Gods' wails, divine beings' fall, worlds' ruin, the mere thought made them salivate.
Their gazes fixed on Asgard, locked on Thor and Adam.
---
"I've never liked dealing with gluttons." Adam said. "They obsess over seizing sustenance. To handle them, you either kill them or sate them. Problem is, their hunger's insatiable."
Thor listened, half-understanding, instinctively probing each of Adam's words for deeper meaning.
As Asgard's king, every action and word bore the weight of his clan and the stars they ruled.
"Is this about the shadows Father mentioned?" Thor asked, lowering his voice, though it was futile. "He must've discussed it with you. What's your plan? Tell me."
"It depends on when those shadow rats make their move." Adam replied. "I don't know how they view Cul, but their patience is thin. It'll run out soon. No worries, though, they're scheming, and I'm scheming against them."
Adam and Thor spoke as they walked through Asgard's lands.
Onlookers paused, nodding respectfully, their faces awed.
Especially envoys from other worlds, seeing Xenomorphs for the first time, felt curiosity tinged with primal fear.
Thor was manageable. Though likely empowered by the Odinforce, his growth was transparent.
Adam seemed quite formidable, commanding a powerful Xenomorph horde, and had made a great name for himself within the entire Yggdrasil, establishing a terrifying reputation with his own hands.
One after another, strong enemies fell before him, as pitiful and helpless as wheat.
Jotunheim, one of the Nine Realms, had become a hunting ground for the Xenomorphs. The various giant tribes living there were either forcibly turned into Xenomorphs or voluntarily joined them, living in dire straits.
It was foreseeable that even if Jotunheim were to have great luck in the future and a remarkable Celestial were to rise, it would still be impossible to shake Adam's strong rule. The best outcome would be to become the next Laufey.
Adam relied on his own formidable strength and endless tactics to establish his position under the Yggdrasil.
"Thor, as a friend, I must remind you that you don't need to worry about the shadow realm for now. If there's any change, I'll act before you do. The real trouble you're facing is about to arrive," Adam said.
"What trouble? The Valhalla you just mentioned?" Thor asked.
"You'll find out soon enough."
At the same time, in Hel, the death goddess Hela successfully broke free from Odin's seal, and a grim, cold smile gradually appeared on her face.
"Has Odin finally died? It's a pity that the old man won't be able to see me reclaim the throne of Asgard."
Hela's mind was now filled with thoughts of revenge. She wanted to kill indiscriminately, bring death to Asgard, and conquer more worlds, especially Jotunheim and Muspelheim.
The more Odin forbade her from doing something, the more she wanted to do it to prove that the hypocritical Odin was wrong.
Her two-thousand-year imprisonment in darkness had severely twisted Hela's mind, filling her with intense hatred.
"Two thousand years is too short. Who will be the new king? That old man specifically imprisoned me in the deepest part of Hel, not allowing me to see him one last time before he died, forcing me to find out the news myself."
Hela began wandering around Hel, capturing spirits left and right.
But after interrogating them, Hela was completely stunned.
"What? Jotunheim was occupied by a race that isn't even a god tribe, and Laufey was killed in battle... died, but not completely dead? What kind of nonsense is this? You low-level spirit, you brainless thing, can't even speak properly."
Hela split the spirit in half with her sword. Soon, she figured it out; what the spirit said was true.
A parasitic combat race that repelled the symbiote god Knull and the Dark Dimension lord Dormammu, and actually occupied Jotunheim?
Odin's recognized friend of Asgard, Thor's good brother, the most generous lord of the Yggdrasil, the supreme king of the combat race, the one whom Mephisto personally vouched for as wise?
"What is all this mess? In such a short time, from Midgard, a place like that, a new, powerful race emerged?"
Hela was completely baffled.
Of course, she knew about Midgard. Though it's called the world of mortals, there are actually many dangerous beings residing there. Midgard's core planet, Earth, has even caught the attention of the Cosmic Beings, who have placed many experimental subjects on Earth.
But this is entirely different from a super race that has strongly emerged and risen in just a few years.
Just in terms of the number of Celestial-level combat powers, the Xenomorph race led by that human named Adam even rivals Asgard, which has developed for countless years.
This is too exaggerated, almost defying common sense.
Hela looked at the large number of spirits lying before her, silent for a long time, and decided to return to Asgard first.
At least, she needed to deal with Thor, the God of Thunder, and reclaim her throne.
In Hela's judgment, this younger brother she had never met had no remarkable achievements to show. He always lost in major battles, especially serving as a foil to Adam, often mentioned to highlight Adam's greatness.
"Even if the old man passed on the Odinforce to Thor before he died, in such a short time, that idiot Thor wouldn't be able to master much of it."
Hela gripped the Nightsword, pondering how to get to Asgard.
...
Adam opened his eyes, no longer paying attention to Asgard's affairs.
His relationship with Asgard's two kings, whether Odin or Thor, was mainly mutual benefit. Adam felt he had done all he could.
"If I'm not mistaken, Hela should be on her way to Asgard now. I wonder when she'll arrive without the Bifrost."
Just thinking about a Celestial being forced to travel through the dark cosmos made Adam shake his head.
Instead of worrying about the sibling rivalry between Hela and Thor, Adam turned his attention to his own matters, planning how to provoke the Shadow Ancient Gods to personally enter the fray, so that when they showed a weakness, he could strike a fatal blow to The Those Who Sit Above in Shadow, seize their authorities, and supplement his own divine power branches.
He was thinking about the two most important trophies in his hands: one was the great serpent Kur in his possession, and the other was Mephisto, who was with the Ancient One.
The Ancient One brought several Mephistos to meet with him.
"I thought you would go directly to Asgard to mourn Odin," Adam said, looking at her.
The Ancient One calmly shook her head: "There's no need at all; I didn't know him well."
"Among those from other planets who go to Asgard to mourn Odin, few actually knew him well. Even I only spoke a few words with Odin. To put it bluntly, you just think it's unnecessary. It seems you've made up your mind?"
"Yes, it's time for me to leave; there's no place for me here anymore."
"But you haven't groomed Strange properly yet. With the threat of the dark magician gone and Dormammu's attack temporarily averted, this should be the best time for you to train Strange."
Adam looked strangely at the serene Ancient One: "Let me guess, you have no intention of guiding Strange at all; you're just letting him grow wild?"
"You could say that. Mordo and Wong are qualified mentors. As for how far Strange can go, it depends on himself and what Mordo and Wong can teach."
Adam thoughtfully observed the Ancient One and suddenly asked, "Did you encounter some difficulty?"
"When Mephisto opened the barrier of this universe, my counterpart from a parallel universe sent a message. I need to set out now, to where I'm supposed to go."
After saying that, the Ancient One pointed to the several Mephistos on the ground: "I captured nine Mephistos; I'll give you six, and I'll keep the remaining three, imprisoned in Kamar-Taj."
Mephisto watched as the humans divided him up like merchandise.
Perhaps becoming merchandise was actually the best outcome. The humans in this universe were more abnormal than the next, and their problem-solving methods were even more demonic than demons themselves.
"You shouldn't have been born as a human; you should have brought your Xenomorphs to be born in some hell, and you would have become a remarkable hellish demon," Mephisto said sincerely.
But Adam treated all of Mephisto's words as nonsense, don't think that by reverse-interpreting Mephisto's rhetoric you can dismantle his traps; Mephisto could think of that too, and it would only lead to more troublesome consequences.
"Lord of Hell? That's a good suggestion. I'll send a promising demonic Xenomorph to your hell to replace you, but the biggest problem is, I don't have a demonic Xenomorph yet. How about starting with you?"
Adam looked down at this infamous great demon from many universes.
"Mephisto, quickly offer me your precious body."
Hearing this, Mephisto's expression turned ugly because in Kamar-Taj, there was another human saying similar things.
Strange stared with blood-red eyes at Mephisto trapped in the magic circle.
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