Chapter 9: The Fall of the Olympian Pantheon
This mind-reversal magic was not unfamiliar. In Thor: Ragnarok, little brother Loki had used this very magic to make the Valkyrie recall her past, thereby awakening her will to fight.
Hela did not know what a relay or projector was, nor did she care about Orion Cross’s teasing. She drew two short swords from her waist and threw them in front of Carol and Nick Fury.
"Hold the hilts."
"And then?"
Carol did not hesitate in the slightest and did exactly as Hela said.
Nick Fury hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Goose in his arms. With a little more confidence, he also grabbed the hilt.
"See what I have seen..."
Hela’s slender fingers guided a wisp of black energy, linking the two short swords to herself. Then, with her other hand, she pressed against Orion Cross’s forehead.
Orion Cross felt a power slowly seep into his consciousness. After discovering that this power carried neither hostility nor invasive intent, he slightly opened up a portion of his mind.
In that instant, one image after another appeared before the eyes of Hela, Carol, and Nick Fury.
It was an unknown era from the distant past. The current Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One, was still only an apprentice then. She still had a head of golden, curly hair, and her appearance resembled Gabriel from Constantine.
At that time, the Olympian gods, who had left behind legends in ancient times, had returned.
Similar to Asgard, the Olympian gods were divine alien beings from another dimension.
The perspectives of Hela, Carol, and Nick Fury were placed upon the Ancient One. Through her, they listened as the previous Sorcerer Supreme explained the purpose behind the descent of the gods from another dimension.
Once the Olympian gods’ plan succeeded and they took root on Earth, Earth would never again give birth to superhumans in the future. From then on, Earth would become the gods’ pasture and nourishment.
The perspective shifted, and the three of them found their viewpoint transferred onto a tall and imposing mysterious figure.
From their perspective, two people stood before them. One was Orion Cross, and the other was the owner of the viewpoint they had just occupied, a young female mage.
"Heracles, half of the blood flowing through your veins belongs to mortals. You are a hero praised by mankind. Why have you become Zeus’s gatekeeper?"
The Ancient One was the first to ask. Her expression was calm and cold, while the golden hair before her forehead swayed in the wind.
"The divinity within him has surpassed his humanity. He is no longer the Berserker who completed the Twelve Labors."
From the three of their perspective, Orion Cross slowly stepped forward, exhaled, and then, without saying another word, charged straight at them.
Next, Hela and the other two experienced a battle from a second-person perspective.
The battle did not last long, but as it neared its end, they personally enjoyed the feeling of being beaten savagely.
The perspective shifted again, and the three of them discovered that they had appeared on a resplendent golden chariot, surrounded by dazzling golden light.
However, before they could carefully observe their surroundings, the world spun violently, and they crashed down to the ground.
After that, they saw Orion Cross’s familiar figure again. Only this time, for some reason, the Ancient One was nowhere to be seen.
"Kratos-brand Sun God flashlight, here I come."
Orion Cross walked forward while saying something completely incomprehensible.
Before the three of them could think further, they felt a tearing force at their necks.
Slice!
The final thing they saw was a headless corpse collapsing to the ground.
...
Countless images flashed before the three of them. One epic battle after another unfolded vividly before their eyes. Finally, a divine sword shining with dazzling radiance pierced through the hearts of Zeus, King of the Olympian gods, and Gaia, Mother Earth, at the same time, declaring the end.
Hela dispelled the magic, her expression somewhat complicated.
As for the ordinary human Nick Fury and the once-ordinary human Carol, they were still immersed in it.
From the perspective of those being beaten, they had witnessed Orion Cross’s past and watched his rise.
However, in the end, when Orion Cross killed the final Olympian god and declared Ragnarok, the divine power he had obtained in Olympus also vanished along with the Olympian pantheon.
It could be said that if he had left even a single Olympian god alive, he would have been able to become the new God-King.
But he refused. Divinity had not extinguished his humanity.
"Odin should feel fortunate."
Having personally witnessed the fall of an entire pantheon, as well as the miserable death of Hades, who shared the same divine rank as her, Hela could not help sighing.
At this moment, Carol, who had regained her senses, heard Hela’s words and nodded in deep agreement.
Odin should be grateful that the divine power Orion Cross had obtained in Olympus had already dissipated. Even more than that, he should be grateful that the Asgardian gods merely called themselves the guardians of the Nine Realms and had not interfered in Earth’s affairs.
"This is insane."
After regaining his senses, Nick Fury picked up a bottle of mineral water from the side, twisted off the cap, washed his face, then looked at Orion Cross. "So myths and legends all truly existed? Then why is there no record of you in them?"
At this point, Nick Fury paused and glanced at Hela. "Or perhaps the two of you discussed this beforehand and used illusion magic to create false images?"
"The more mediocre a person is, the more they doubt everything because their vision is limited."
Hela glanced at Nick Fury with disdain and spoke.
"Fine. I’ll show you a few things. Though these things are already useless."
Orion Cross thought for a moment, then stood up and walked toward an empty patch of ground nearby. He decided to throw out a few pieces of trash that had been sitting in his system space for a long time.
Hearing this, Nick Fury immediately followed.
He was not questioning Orion Cross just to be contrarian. He wanted enough evidence and reason to believe him.