In Asgard stood a palace unlike any other.
Where the rest of Asgard flaunted rugged grandeur and golden halls of strength, this place shimmered with elegance. Every column, every corner was carved with intricate grace, exuding beauty instead of might.
At the deepest part of that palace, a woman reclined lazily on a velvet couch.
A thin, almost translucent veil draped over her perfect figure, revealing just enough to ignite the imagination. Every curve, every subtle movement carried an unearthly allure — she was a temptress carved from divine dreams.
Amora the Enchantress.
An Asgardian unlike any other.
While most of her kin gloried in brute strength and reckless valor, Amora devoted herself entirely to magic — not the destructive kind Asgardians preferred, but the subtle, dangerous arts of charm and illusion.
Compared to Loki's endless boasting as "The Greatest Sorcerer of the Nine Realms," Amora's mastery was the real thing. If Asgard ever had a true archmage, it was her.
Suddenly, Amora's body trembled. Her expression paled, yet her lips curved into a smile — seductive, dangerous.
"Interesting… Balder. So, you've been hiding your strength too."
For anyone to detect her scrying — that was unthinkable. Even Thor and Loki, princes of Asgard, could never notice her watching.
But Balder had sensed it.
Not only sensed it — he had struck back, shattering her projected spirit with a single blow of light.
Her laughter, low and melodic, filled the silent room.
"Such a dangerous, fascinating man… I like him."
In that moment, Amora's beauty bloomed like a crimson poppy — intoxicating, fatal, impossible to ignore.
Meanwhile, in the Hall of Magic, Balder stood motionless, his gaze fixed on the void.
"Someone could peer into the Hall itself… That's not something just anyone can do."
To achieve that, one had to be either beyond Skyfather level, or possess tremendous psychic power.
But in all of Asgard, there was only one being beyond the Skyfather class — Odin, the All-Father himself.
And Odin? Unlikely.
The All-Father's divine power had long reached its limit. His godly vessel overflowed with energy; every time he unleashed it, his lifespan burned shorter. At this stage, Odin fought only when absolutely necessary.
Which left only one option:
"A mental-type powerhouse…"
Two names surfaced in Balder's mind.
Though Loki prided himself as "Asgard's Greatest Sorcerer," those who truly understood Asgard's arcane hierarchy knew better. Among the younger generation, two women reigned supreme.
The Twin Witches of Asgard — Amora the Enchantress and Lorelei, the Ice Queen.
Few understood their power.
Amora, who toyed with hearts and minds, had buried her true strength behind layers of deceit and seduction.
Lorelei, cold and distant, immersed herself in the purest form of ice magic — aloof from the rest of Asgard.
"Lorelei specializes in pure ice magic. Long-range scrying isn't her style. So… Amora."
Balder frowned. Why would that woman be spying on me?
Could it be that she wasn't watching him, but the Hall of Magic itself?
No — even Amora's spirit wasn't strong enough to watch the entire Hall.
Then his eyes fell to the book in his hand. A thread of his divine will seeped into it, and a faint glimmer passed through his eyes.
"So that's it. She marked this book with her magic. The moment I read it, I triggered her sigil… and caught her attention."
He let out a quiet sigh.
"So, she's interested in Skyfather ascension… or maybe in anyone capable of achieving it."
Remembering her mastery of charm and temptation, Balder could already guess her motive — or at least, the game she was about to play.
"A troublesome woman."
He smirked faintly.
In the Marvel world, beautiful women were rarely harmless.
Amora the Enchantress, Wanda Maximoff, Jean Grey, Hela…
Every one of them, a living paradox — divine beauty wrapped around cosmic danger.
"Forget it. She's not my problem right now."
His goal was clear — to ascend, to break through to Skyfather level as quickly as possible.
The path of Physical Ascension was arduous — endless battles, alchemical enhancement, and eons of tempering.
But Divine Awakening — the evolution of his godforce — could be achieved with the right catalyst.
That's how Thor had done it.
When Odin had imbued him with a spark of the Odinforce, and Hela's overwhelming power had cornered him, Thor's lightning transcended itself — awakening into true divine thunder.
But Balder had no wish to stand beneath Odin's shadow.
Not yet.
There were others, too — beings whose divine power equaled or rivaled the All-Father's.
Hela, Goddess of Death.
Cul Borson, God of Fear.
Hela, however, was sealed by Odin's own hand. Balder had no doubt the All-Father still monitored that seal. If he got too close, Odin would know.
That left Cul.
Also sealed — but unlike Hela, Balder didn't need to reach him directly.
He needed only one of the Serpent's Hammers — also known as the Fear Hammers.
Forged by Cul himself, each hammer was infused with pure, unfiltered fear energy.
"The problem is… where do I even find one?"
Even in the original timeline, the hammers' locations were never fixed. They simply fell from the heavens, choosing their wielders at random.
And this universe — one among countless Marvel realities — might not even have them.
As he pondered, a name surfaced in his mind.
"The Ancient One."
That bald woman — follower of the Five Abstracts of Eternity, heir to the Vishanti Trinity, wielder of the Time Stone.
If anyone understood the hidden truths of this universe… it was her.
Balder smiled faintly.
"Seems it's time I paid Earth a visit."
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