What happened inside the Sanctum…
Karl, who had already left Earth, naturally had no way of knowing.
After comprehending the Path of Laws, Karl's strength rose again.
In one leap, it pressed right up against Skyfather-level.
It could be said that—
Compared to Thanos as he was now,
other than the power of Thanos's forces and subordinates,
Karl and Thanos had essentially no gap in personal combat strength.
With power like that, anywhere in the universe, he counted as an overlord in his own right.
If just one person entered the cosmos, they could carve out a whole star system by themselves.
If he entered the cosmos—
it would be the open sea for a fish to leap through, the boundless sky for a bird to fly.
But Karl had no intention whatsoever of "going out to conquer the universe."
No other reason—
this Marvel universe was simply far too dangerous. One hazard after another, endless and unpredictable.
He had no desire to go courting death.
So—
out in outer space, he admired beautiful Earth for a while, then appreciated the Moon for a good long time.
Then Karl directly tore open a Portal—and left.
Kamar-Taj magic was just that unreasonable.
As long as your spiritual power was strong enough, you could smash through the barriers in space and cut across to anything.
In theory, your Portal could be opened to anywhere.
Obviously, Karl's spiritual power was more than enough.
With a single thought—
he ripped open a Portal.
And then…
he saw Asgard in all its overwhelming grandeur.
In truth, Asgard couldn't really be counted as a planet.
More accurately—
Asgard was a vast continent floating in the universe, perfectly matching those ancient "round sky, flat earth" imaginings.
It was something that existed between a real world and the Mirror Dimension—
a boundary-place between the trunk of the World Tree and the physical realm.
So here, you could witness scenes that felt outright unbelievable:
Waterfalls pouring off the continent's edges, and around it, a thunderous chariot of the God of Thunder surging down through towering pillars of—something—like a rushing column of troops.
Mountains of Asgard standing in the void itself, impossibly majestic.
No exaggeration—
Asgard alone was a miracle in the universe.
If you dropped it onto Earth, it would be a world-class tourist destination, the kind people would cross oceans to see.
But now…
Karl felt something was off.
"Is this Asgard? Why does it feel like I walked into the wrong place?"
"Where's the palace?"
Karl was stunned.
He wasn't wrong about the general location.
He wasn't wrong about the surrounding scenery, either—it all matched what it should be.
But…
where did Asgard go?
Where was Asgard's golden palace? The Bifrost? The Rainbow Bridge?
Those were Asgard's signature landmarks!
Calling them the jewel of Asgard wouldn't be an overstatement.
But now…
they were gone.
Only some golden buildings remained out on the outskirts.
In the very center of the city, there was only an enormous, misshapen crater-like ruin—as if a child had stomped down on a toy and left it crushed into the ground.
Inside it were nothing but crystal shards, the unmistakable traces of soil fused and melted by extreme heat.
Even the magnificent Rainbow Bridge had been reduced to half a span.
"Hiss—"
"What happened here?"
"Don't tell me this is what's left behind from Odin and Hela's fight?"
"That's… way too ridiculous."
"Odin really is Odin."
Karl couldn't help but sigh in awe.
A Skyfather—someone powerful enough to destroy worlds—truly possessed unfathomable might.
Even in a place as strong as Asgard, ordinary powerhouses would struggle to survive.
"Under an attack like this, even someone on Hela's level definitely took a devastating hit!"
"While she's sick—take her life!"
With a thought, Karl stepped through the air itself and strode forward.
The moment he entered Asgard's range—
Karl saw the sky suddenly dim.
Within the heavy storm clouds, muffled thunder rolled, and lightning flickered in suppressed flashes.
"Odin isn't dead yet? Still fighting?"
Karl stared up at the clouds, weighing it in his mind.
"No… Odin wouldn't be this weak."
"I don't feel any threat at all. That means it's probably that meathead Thor."
"Is that idiot out of his mind? Did he suddenly decide life isn't worth living?"
"He's actually daring to go pick a fight with Hela."
Karl couldn't help but complain internally.
At the same time, he quickened his pace and rushed deeper into Asgard.
He still arrived too late.
Thor had refused to leave—and had been beaten half to death.
Karl felt he really had come late.
No other reason—
the God of Thunder lay sprawled on the ground in utter misery, most of his armor shattered.
Hulk was beside him, supporting him.
Hela, on the other hand, looked as though she hadn't suffered even the slightest injury.
"Little cutie—Odin sent you away and spared your life, and yet you came back to die?"
"You don't understand how strong my power is."
"You also don't understand what I can do."
Hela tugged the corner of her mouth into a cold smile.
Her hand clenched—
and the supposedly indestructible Mjolnir in Thor's grasp was crushed into fragments by sheer force!
That metal, once blessed by Odin, fell to the ground like dead weight, as if all power had drained out of it.
"You!"
Thor roared, furious, forcing himself up from the ground—
trying to raise what was left of his weapon.
Hulk, at the side, was visibly rattled.
"Thor—we have to run. Now."
"Our chances are way too low…"
Loki spoke up directly.
"She killed our father! She ruined Asgard!"
"Hulk! That was our father!"
Thor's eyes were bloodshot as he bellowed.
Loki froze for a moment, stunned.
"Little cuties…"
"You're really willing to get hurt for that old thing—"
"and even ruin your own father."
"That's such a shame."
"It looks like I can only kill you."
Hela shook her head with a sorrowful sigh.
She lifted a hand.
A thick, brutal spike burst from the ground and shot straight at Hulk—who was propping up Thor.
But—
the spike pierced straight through the two figures as if they were smoke.
Their silhouettes flickered.
A moment later, a pale-faced Hulk and an exhausted Thor appeared off to the side.
"Oh?"
"Not bad Illusion."
"If you kneel down and beg, maybe I'll give you a chance."
Hela wore the smile of a cat playing with mice.
"Really?"
Hulk looked like he was moved, and spoke.
"Of course. My little brother—Odin didn't treat you all that well, did he?"
"The only thing he valued was his own bloodline."
Hela said coolly.
"You're right."
Hulk nodded.
"Hulk!"
Thor shouted in rage.
Hulk acted as if he hadn't heard, and walked forward.
"That's right. I'll give you a chance to live."
"If I rule this universe, you'll be the first great Demon King."
Hela declared arrogantly.
"Then… I'll accept your offer, Joō-sama."
"I, Loki of Asgard, swear loyalty to you."
Hulk slowly approached Hela, dropped to one knee, and bowed his head.
Hela walked over and casually brushed a hand across his shoulder.
Right at that moment—
"Hulk" snapped his head up.
A dagger appeared from nowhere and stabbed straight at Hela!
Unfortunately—
Hela seemed to have anticipated it. She grabbed Loki's arm, stopping him dead before the blade could reach her.
"What a boring game."
Hela scoffed, then flicked her hand.
Loki was sent flying.
"Now, I'm done playing."
"You can die."
As she said that—
her expression twisted into vicious delight.
Several black longswords shot toward Loki and Thor like streaking death.
If they hit…
those two would likely die on the spot!
In an instant—
the situation became unbelievably critical!!
(End of Chapter)
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