The breeze blew, and the dust settled.
The hot sunlight poured over the pyramid, making the top of the tower shine with golden light as the yellow bricks were covered in a shimmering veil.
Renzo sat comfortably on the silver throne, swinging his legs as he watched the three gods below kneel trembling on the ground. Their bodies were prostrate, almost touching the floor, barely different from lying flat on their stomachs.
Don't ask why there were three.
Amit had cursed Anubis hundreds of times in his heart. If you can't fucking beat him, just call me out! Call me out! I won't say anything if we fight together. You look at me—when I'm getting beaten up in front, you hide behind me. When I get knocked down, you come out from behind and act like you're the one fighting! What the hell!
The crocodile's teeth were broken in half, and its long, swollen snout made it look like Zhu Bajie himself.
The jackal wasn't much better. He had been beaten even more badly. His nose was crooked, covered in burn marks, and the fire had singed him until he was still blinking through the smoke. Canines had an especially sensitive sense of smell, and Anubis could feel nothing but burning pain in his nose.
Much of the gray-black fur on his head had been torn away, leaving patches scorched by the flames. It was uneven and extremely ugly.
He had never been humiliated like this before. Whenever the gods had seen him in the past, they had always praised how well-kept his fur was!
Khonsu had it worst of all. He said nothing, his heart as still as stagnant water. His white bones were covered with traces of repeated beatings. Golden and silver radiance intertwined across his body. The combined power of the Moon God and the Mind Stone suppressed him, while Wanda had left behind only a trace of Chaos magic. Khonsu's mind had now returned to normal, but he still didn't know what had happened to Mark.
There was a hint of sadness in Renzo's eyes. He had discovered that Wanda's control over Chaos magic was growing stronger and stronger. In less than a month, Miss Witch's strength had undergone a tremendous transformation. She had gone from possessing upper-tier combat power to becoming a supreme existence comparable to the gods!
Chthon's power and status were superior to those of the Five Great Powers. Even his successor's strength could approach the universal level. Chaos magic was a ridiculously powerful force. Wanda was also worthy of being compared with the Phoenix Force, whose host Jean was likewise regarded as one of the strongest heroines.
Renzo had long realized that Charles was hiding something from him—not only from him, but also from Reed and Mordo. His calm expression concealed a worried heart.
There was a lethal weapon comparable to Wanda hidden on the fourteenth floor of the underground prison. The power that occasionally leaked from it triggered the Mind Stone's frantic alarms. The last time Renzo had encountered an alarm of that intensity had been when facing Wanda.
It wasn't difficult to imagine a girl whose strength rivaled Wanda's, especially when she was a mutant being secretly protected by Charles. One name immediately came to mind.
Hope.
The successor to the Phoenix Force, who had inherited Jean's power, the opposite of the Dark Phoenix—the first White Phoenix of the Crown!
If it was her, everything made sense.
Charles was right not to let anyone come into contact with Hope. There was already one unstable witch in this world. If a girl who couldn't control her own power encountered Wanda, Renzo feared there would be another unstoppable force on Earth.
Renzo also agreed with Charles's decision. He didn't understand Hope, and it was better to prepare for the worst and nip the danger in the bud than regret it later.
The power of Chaos had already made it difficult for him to resist. If the Phoenix Force were added to the equation...
Renzo was afraid he might really have to abandon this universe. He would run as far as he could, and before leaving, he would take all the information he had gathered from this universe. He would even destroy the Space Stone to prevent the two of them from invading other universes.
The man sat alone on the throne and sighed.
The coordinates recorded by the Observer on the Space Stone had been scattered during his battle with Chthon and could no longer be found. This meant he couldn't find his way home right now. He could only search bit by bit. It might take a long time, or he might find the way on his first attempt.
But the risk was too great.
According to the normal timeline, Thanos should have massacred Xandar and intercepted the Asgardian refugee ship. Dr. Banner should have returned to Earth, and the Avengers should have begun their resistance.
But because of his intervention, Asgard still existed, and Dr. Banner had been sent back to Earth ahead of schedule. Thanos's army had suffered heavy casualties in its battle with the Ultimate Team. All of his commanders had died, leaving Thanos alone and barely able to support himself. There was no way he could complete his grand plan of population control.
Now that the Avengers were united, even if Thanos decided to attack Earth alone, it was unlikely that he could defeat them in a direct confrontation.
Therefore, there was no need to worry too much about the current threat posed by Thanos.
But other threats still needed attention.
The Celestial embryo inside Earth, Kang the Conqueror's journey to conquer the multiverse, and the secret invasion of the Skrulls.
These three major crises made Renzo's mind a mess. He only had a partial understanding of these events. The Eternals were manageable, but there was really nothing he could do about Kang or the Skrulls' secret invasion.
The three gods knelt on the ground, listening to the invincible man above them sigh.
What?!
What on Earth could make someone like this sigh?
His strength was already almost comparable to that of the gods of the universe.
Of course, they didn't understand the crises brewing in the outside world, nor did they know that the man on the throne came from another universe. They only wanted the God of Plague to leave as quickly as possible.
As long as they could send him away, they were willing to lick his shoes.
"My lord... look... we..." Khonsu nervously raised his head. He was the weakest of the three gods because he had given Mark too much of his power. Even though he was skilled at manipulating people's minds, he still couldn't understand the nature of this strange life-form.
Renzo finally came back to his senses, and his mind received Reed's message.
Mark was safe. His body temperature was no longer rising, and the red mist around his body had been suppressed by Charles using the Mind Stone.
This also gave Renzo some free time to think about other things.
He glanced lightly at the three gods below. They were so frightened that they immediately lowered their heads again, not daring to meet the eyes of this madman.
He was crazier than that witch.
At least, Miss Witch didn't slaughter gods indiscriminately.
Renzo suddenly felt that he was quite suitable for the title of God Killer.
God-Slayer Renzo?
Sounds good.
A smile appeared on Renzo's lips, frightening the three creatures below even more. In their eyes, the smile of this monster was terrifying.
"Well... I'll give you a chance. Let's try signing a contract."
"Contract?"
Khonsu, Amit, and Anubis were all shocked.
This man was so powerful that he actually wanted to divide their power.
Khonsu had signed a contract with Mark. It was a contract between a god and a human, an "equal" contract.
Of course, that equality was relative. Most such contracts were dominated by the gods because they were strong enough to control the other party. They granted their avatar power while giving them orders.
But all of that was based on one side being stronger than the other.
The three gods certainly wouldn't imagine that they would be the ones receiving power.
In fact, they were right.
"I want to become your avatar, and you have to put in the effort, just like Mark and Khonsu."
Renzo toyed with the Chthon stone statue in his hand. Its head had been shattered by falling rubble, leaving the entire statue incomplete. It could no longer draw strength from Chthon, so Renzo held it without concern.
"I'm sorry. I have already signed a contract with Mark Spector, and I cannot create another Moon Knight."
Khonsu raised his sharp, slender beak. He looked like a pale crow, less ominous and disastrous than before, but still carrying an air of divinity and indifference.
What Khonsu said was true.
An Egyptian god could indeed only form a contract with one human. If there were more, the god's power and life would be affected, while the original contractor would suffer even more. They would normally lose their power, paying the price for the additional contract.
For example, if another Moon Knight appeared in the world, Mark Spector's power would disappear. Mark would lose the life he had bargained for and die on the spot.
Renzo decided not to make things difficult for this miserable crow.
Perhaps "white pigeon" would be more appropriate. His appearance really wasn't very impressive.
Renzo turned his gaze toward the other two kneeling gods.
The power of death radiating from Amit and Anubis immediately aroused his interest. His Black Lantern Ring responded with intense excitement. Especially when Renzo looked at the two gods, that excitement almost reached a climax.
He had never seen this greedy thing lose control like this.
Never.
Especially under the suppression of the three Infinity Stones, the Black Lantern Ring had never behaved so honestly.
Renzo had always remained highly vigilant toward it. Although its power wasn't as great as that of the Infinity Stones, it was the easiest power for him to use.
He simply couldn't exert the full power of the Infinity Stones. Even if he could use only one-tenth of their power, he would already surpass almost every non-divine race in the universe. One-tenth of their power could destroy a planet, or even a star.
The Black Lantern Ring was much easier to control.
Renzo increasingly enjoyed the feeling of being wrapped in darkness. It made him feel as though he had released his truest self.
When the filthy, bloody, viscous black liquid flowing from the Black Lantern Ring covered his entire body, an unrestrained and exhilarating sensation swept through him, as though the whole world were resting in the palm of his hand. The feeling struck his heart like a great bell, nearly making him cry out in pleasure.
Something resembling mud covered his body.
From that moment, he seemed like a god who had created everything, or an indifferent monarch. Anyone who dared to resist him would be dragged before the gallows as an example of his power.
That feeling was both wonderful and terrifying.
He rarely used the power of the Black Lantern Ring because he was afraid he would lose himself in its darkness, become indifferent to life, and gradually lose the humanity within him.
"What about you two?" Renzo asked.
Amit raised his head. He didn't dare refuse. Who knew whether this madman would kill him?
He was even more unpredictable than Amit himself.
Amit had once thought that no one could be more shameless and greedy than him.
Now he had seen one.
"Do you want to refuse? You look very dissatisfied."
Renzo narrowed his eyes, leaned forward slightly, and rested his chin on his right hand.
Amit had no doubt that if he said, "No," he would die without even a complete corpse.
Maybe Renzo would drain his divine power first and then throw him away.
My God!
He wasn't even the same species as the Nile crocodile, and Amit swore he had no desire to bathe in muddy water.
"I am willing!"
"...?!"
Amit looked at Anubis beside him in disbelief.
The cold-blooded god's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets.
Was he kidding?
The God of Death, Anubis!
He had actually bent his knee before someone else and was willing to become a mortal's servant?
Even if this mortal was powerful, they were still gods!
Gods should have dignity!
Gods couldn't bow their heads to mortals!
Amit viciously bared his remaining normal fangs, his ferocity and unwillingness practically written across his face.
His expression was firm, and a few words slowly emerged from his slender mouth.
"My lord, I am willing too!"
"..."
Amit dropped to his knees with a thump, his long snout striking the ground with a loud crack.
Anubis's eyes twitched.
This thing was even more shameless than he was!
Khonsu and Anubis both moved aside in disgust, afraid that Amit's shamelessness might somehow rub off on them.
They were noble gods!
And so, under Renzo's harmonious and friendly persuasion, Amit and Anubis willingly signed avatar contracts they would never regret, generously giving half of their own power to Renzo so that he could exercise their functions and authority over death on their behalf.
"I'll miss you."
Renzo reluctantly stepped into the portal leading to the Arctic base. The sadness of parting nearly brought him to tears.
Amit was so moved that he actually shed tears.
My God!
The crocodile cried!
Incredible!
Anubis also forced out a few tears, though the Jackal's pride wouldn't allow him to cry properly.
Khonsu was helpless because he didn't even have a body. He was covered in bones, and beneath the gray bandages was nothing more than a shriveled skeleton without a trace of flesh. Organs had never existed for him.
The three gods watched helplessly as the God of Plague departed, weeping sorrowfully and nearly collapsing to the ground. They even secretly glanced at the vortex.
He's really gone.
Is he really gone?
He's really gone!
Khonsu and the other two gods were so excited that tears streamed from their eyes.
This time, they really were crying.
Anubis couldn't understand it.
He was the God of Death and the most vicious among them. How had he ended up being bullied like a little guard dog?
It was...
Wuwuwu!
The three gods hugged each other in a heap.
...
"That's really good."
Renzo felt the power surging through his body. The combined power of Amit and Anubis's contracts, together with the power of the Mind Stone, allowed him to clearly sense the excitement of the two gods.
They were almost unbearably excited.
"Looks like I'll have to be more 'friendly' next time."
Renzo murmured to himself.
Taking a step forward, he returned to the Arctic base and was just about to tell everyone about his masterpiece...
Whoosh!
"Wow!"
Renzo quietly touched the sword pressed against his neck.
"Madam, I think we can talk."
"Where are Balder and Volstagg?!"
Sif shouted angrily.
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