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Chapter 24 - 24: The Devoured Demigods

A streak of divine light cut through the endless cosmos, streaking toward a blue planet below.

As it pierced Earth's upper atmosphere, the light suddenly vanished—gone as if it had never existed.

At that very moment, in Kamar-Taj, the heart of Earth's mystical defense, a bald woman lifted her head from meditation.

Her expression was calm, but a knowing smile flickered across her face.

"You've arrived sooner than I expected."

She turned slightly toward her disciple.

"Kaecilius, go. Our guest has come."

Kaecilius, ever rigid and solemn, gave a short bow and strode out of the chamber.

Moments later, a streak of divine brilliance tore across the sky above Nepal, descending upon the hidden sanctuary of Kamar-Taj.

The gathered sorcerers immediately went on high alert.

They were warriors who had fought against horrors from countless dimensions—vigilance was second nature to them.

But when the radiance faded, the figure that appeared in the air above them silenced every heart.

He floated there effortlessly, wreathed in faint divine light—majestic, serene, yet untouchably distant.

The aura surrounding him was not merely magic—it was godhood, and its mere presence made even the most disciplined of minds instinctively bow in reverence.

Kaecilius stepped forward and bowed low.

"Your Grace, the Sorcerer Supreme awaits you."

Balder was unsurprised. He knew the Ancient One could sense his arrival long before he touched Earth's atmosphere.

Unlike many who feared her, he found the Ancient One surprisingly easy to deal with.

Her logic was simple:

If she considered you a threat, you wouldn't even see her. She would simply erase your existence from this reality.

If you could walk freely into Kamar-Taj, it meant she had already decided you were not an enemy.

With that thought, Balder nodded and followed Kaecilius into the temple.

Only after the divine presence disappeared did the other sorcerers dare to breathe again.

"Who was that?!"

"He could fly—mutant? Inhuman?"

"No, Kaecilius bowed to him. That wasn't magic… that was reverence."

"Tell me I'm not the only one who felt it—he felt like a god."

Inside the great hall, Kaecilius prepared to leave after escorting Balder, but the Ancient One's gentle voice stopped him.

"Kaecilius. Stay."

Though puzzled, he obeyed and took his place at her side.

The Ancient One's golden eyes shimmered with serene warmth as she looked at Balder.

"Your Grace… we meet again."

Kaecilius froze.

That title—"Your Grace"—was reserved for divine beings. Even the Ancient One never used it lightly.

And yet, she said it to this stranger as if greeting an equal.

Balder took a seat across from her—on a cushion that was, quite clearly, already prepared for him.

"You speak as though we've met before, Ancient One."

"Not yet," she replied with a faint smile. "But we will—in the future."

Balder's eyes glimmered. He understood immediately.

As the guardian of the Time Stone, the Ancient One could see countless possible futures.

For her to speak so openly meant only one thing—his existence in those futures was significant enough to defy the usual taboos of temporal interference.

"So I'm… special enough that you don't worry about paradoxes," Balder mused.

"For most beings, I would be cautious," Ancient One said softly. "But not for you."

"Then let's skip the riddles," Balder said calmly. "You already know why I'm here."

Ancient One raised three fingers.

"You may ask for three things—or three answers. Either will do."

"And what of your rule of equal exchange?"

"The future you has already paid the price," she said lightly, as though stating a fact.

Balder's lips curved slightly. "Very well. My first request—I need the Fear Hammer."

Without hesitation, Ancient One extended a hand.

A dark, rune-carved hammer appeared in her palm, emanating a sinister, pulsing aura—Cul's Fear Hammer, forged by the God of Fear himself.

She gently pushed it toward him, as though performing an action she'd already done countless times before.

Balder accepted it, studying her expression. There was no hesitation, no surprise—only inevitability.

"Second question," he said after a pause. "According to your foresight, what should I be asking right now—and how did you answer me then?"

A dangerous question, layered and clever—a double inquiry disguised as one.

But the Ancient One didn't even blink.

"The question you should ask," she replied evenly, "is why Asgard's Demi-Father tier has all but vanished."

"And the answer is simple: they were devoured."

Balder's pupils shrank.

Devoured?

"Asgard's Demi-Fathers—those standing just below the Heavenly Father level—are both tragedy and food," she said, voice as calm as still water.

The revelation hit like thunder.

For ages, Balder had wondered why Asgard's hierarchy was so broken.

They had Odin, a true All-Father.

They had Hela and Cul, both beings of terrifying Heavenly Father strength.

And yet, there was a gaping void below them—no Demi-Fathers, no bridge between gods and kings.

He had even suspected Odin himself.

But now…

"So it's the Invisible Elder Gods…" he murmured.

The Ancient One didn't deny it.

They were ancient entities without form or substance—formless gods who fed on the rise and fall of Asgard itself.

Not omnipotent, but insidious beyond measure.

Each Asgardian king had fought them and failed.

They weren't stronger than the All-Fathers—but they controlled Fate, twisting destiny to ensure Asgard's cycles of glory and ruin continued eternally.

To them, Demi-Fathers were the perfect meal—strong enough to be nourishing, but still too weak to resist.

Thus, none survived long enough to ascend.

Balder exhaled slowly.

"If I leave the Nine Realms to advance, will their influence still reach me?"

"Diminished," said Ancient One. "The farther you go, the weaker their hold."

A long silence. Then Balder rose and bowed slightly.

"Thank you."

He finally understood.

In another timeline, the "him" who had been erased by the Scarlet Witch's words might well have been devoured through fate by those same invisible parasites.

They were not invincible—but they were the puppeteers of destiny.

To survive, he would need to transcend the Demi-Father stage as quickly as possible—and seize control over Fate itself.

As he walked out of Kamar-Taj, the path ahead was clear.

His divine light flared once again—

and for the first time, even the threads of destiny trembled.

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