Chapter 685: Strength

"Reinforcements are no problem—"

Odin looked thoughtfully at Zeus: "But I recall Your Majesty Zeus once said that you had laid meticulous plans in Twilight Dragon City and the American Underworld, with great hope of toppling that Dream Goddess from her throne as Hades?"

Zeus's voice was helpless: "I did say that, but the current situation is different from what we anticipated, isn't it? In America, we haven't gained any advantage, and that Fate Dominator even has considerable surplus strength. Given the current battle situation, I can't convince those fence-sitters to take risks for us."

In fact, just a day ago, he and Hades had been quite confident.

The Dream Goddess had always governed the Underworld through a policy of 'enfeoffment'—also called 'contracting.' And although this Hades had signed nearly flawless and meticulous agreements with her vassals, this still left them considerable room for maneuver. At a certain cost, the system Angela had established in the American Underworld was not impossible to dismantle.

Zeus even thought that if the timing were right, the sister of Goddess Ishtar, 'Ereshkigal,' and her husband would become a deadly blade aimed at Angela's heart.

But now he was certain that the Babylonian mistress of the Underworld had surely abandoned all thoughts of making a move.

The power the Fate Pantheon had displayed today not only shocked them but also had no less significance within the Fate Pantheon than the Battle of Granden.

"I believe you all haven't been idle in the American Underworld, have you? Your contacts with those underworld vassals are no fewer than mine. But now, can you persuade them to defect?"

Zeus scanned the assembled crowd but received no response from Odin or Isis.

This was within Zeus's expectations. He sighed softly and looked back at the chessboard.

"So, we were too naive and overly optimistic."

They had naively believed that when Gaia and Rhea joined in, and when they truly united in harmony, they could solve the problem of Andre Lee Willenstein.

But this Fate Master, once regarded by them as a 'minor nuisance,' 'must be watched, but not worth paying too much for,' had already grown into a towering tree.

Zeus reflected on the past and didn't think he was wrong. Because the trajectory of that guy's rise completely exceeded all their understanding. If displayed in a report, it would surely be a straight line shooting upward, with a momentum that pierced the clouds.

"Indeed, it was too presumptuous."

Isis rubbed her forehead in great distress: "Earlier, I contacted four Greater Gods and one Major God of the Fate Pantheon. I originally thought this would surely give us a significant advantage on the battlefield. But now—"

She spread her hands, looking very helpless: "I paid a huge price, but so far it hasn't had any effect."

"Is there no evidence left?"

Ahura looked over thoughtfully: "I presume Your Highness Isis had anticipated this situation?"

Isis shook her head: "There is some evidence, but none can be used for direct accusation or threat. After all, not every god is as foolish as Epimetheus and Menoetius. Before the wind direction is certain, they won't make rash choices."

'Afterthought God' Epimetheus, Pandora's husband, is synonymous with foolishness among the gods. Menoetius, now the 'Angel of Wrath'—both are brothers of Prometheus. Prometheus, the second-born, seems to have absorbed all the wisdom of his two younger brothers.

"I expect that even if this evidence is placed before that Fate Master, it won't be of much use. He only looks at facts. What kind of person our enemy is, you should all be clear."

Only Li Mochen's magnanimity was something Isis admired.

Though the Wish-Granting Tower was a powerful artifact, in Isis's view, if any ordinary mortal held it, they would hardly achieve what Li Mochen had.

"So what's the point of discussing all this?"

The Lord of Radiance's expression was as cold as ever, only the blazing light like flames leaking from his body revealed some of his emotions.

"Since in the end we must rely on our own strength to solve the problem, why hesitate? Is it doubt that our strength cannot bring him down? Or has that Fate Master already made you lose confidence?"

Zeus's eyes flickered slightly.

The Lord of Radiance's words hit the nail on the head. Their discussion of the battlefield situation and the underworld situation ultimately stemmed from unease and indecision.

The Fate Master's continuous initiative had already shaken their confidence.

"After thousands of years, Your Highness Horus still has lofty aspirations!"

Odin praised, then stood up: "Ladies and gentlemen, I can probably understand your thoughts. If this time it's still like the Battle of Granden, our chance of losing exceeds fifty percent!"

His tone was sincere, and he fixed his gaze, full of oppressive force, on the assembled god-kings, especially Zeus and Ahura: "So I hope that in this battle, none of you will hold back. Of course, I myself as well. If we lose this battle, then I think even if you retain much power, it will be meaningless. I also firmly believe that as long as we show sincerity, there is no reason to lose. And we must not fail; we have no way back."

"If that's the case, then our chance of defeat is indeed minimal. The things you've been hiding should be brought out now."

Ahura smiled with self-mockery: "In fact, at this point, even if we know we might lose, we must fight, right? But—"

He looked down at the earth: "If you all can fulfill your promises, then I will go all out. But before that, shouldn't the Primordial Mother Goddess, who has already reserved the 'Wish-Granting Tower,' first show her resolve?"

"As you wish!"

At that moment, the entire earth shook again, and countless sharp stone spears suddenly erupted from beneath the temporary defensive lines of the American Federal Army, piercing upward. They extended tens of thousands of miles left and right, each row magnificent and majestic.

But before these stone spears could pose a threat, they all broke and collapsed. Li Mochen responded immediately. The divine authority called 'Yin and Yang' instantly severed Gaia's control over the earth and stone. The imbalance of yin and yang caused these stone spears to collapse from within.

Li Mochen himself then appeared on the battlefield. His 'All-Heaven Thunder Star Core Sword Formation' had already unfolded in the sky, merging with the stars of the heavens.

"Couldn't hold back after all? Your Majesty Gaia, to be honest, your choice disappoints me. It seems that unrealistic greed and desire have finally blinded your eyes."

Li Mochen looked with contempt at Gaia hidden beneath the earth.

"Since you are full of confidence and want to kill me and seize my artifact, what are you waiting for? Come on, everyone, I am here waiting for you, waiting to grant you another defeat, just like at Granden a year ago."

"Is that so?"

A flash of thunder exploded, and Zeus's figure appeared at an altitude of two hundred thousand meters. He looked at Li Mochen with an extremely gloomy and murderous gaze.

After him, several god-kings appeared one after another. Their expressions were similar to Zeus's, mixed with some surprise.

They hadn't expected his response to be so tough, just like at the Battle of Granden. This Fate Master appeared on the battlefield without any hesitation, and his momentum was even more overbearing and domineering than theirs.

"Your Majesty Willenstein, are you trying to provoke us? Or are you simply carried away by success? You don't think you can win, do you? Relying on those Archangels under your command who haven't appeared yet? Or—"

Isis's initial voice was flat, devoid of any emotion, until at the end, the corner of her mouth slightly tilted, half-smiling: "Is it to stabilize morale, bluffing?"

In her view, this Fate Master's response was actually very wise. Facing the current situation, Li Mochen indeed could not show any weakness; he must use thunderous force to intimidate the disloyal.

Otherwise, the divine kings present had ways to dismantle this powerful Mandate pantheon.

This was no longer the time of the Battle of Glendan, when the gods cared nothing for the newborn deities of this world, despising them from the bottom of their hearts and seeking to seize their divine offices for themselves. Back then, the Mandate gods had little choice but to follow the Lord of Fate in battle.

But now, whether it was her, Zeus, or Odin, they could all offer sincere terms and genuinely wished to recruit them to strengthen their own power.

The Lord of Fate had perceived this change, and thus in this battle he confronted them tit for tat, showing no weakness.

Isis thought that if the gods were still as scattered as they were at the Battle of Glendan, his chances of victory would still be considerable.

Yet it was precisely his strength that made the gods willing to unite and go all out.

"How will it turn out? Let's try and see?"

Li Mochen smiled contemptuously, then appeared before Isis with extreme abruptness.

Boom!

A blazing white light illuminated the battlefield, bursting the eardrums of ninety percent of the mortals present.

Li Mochen's striking speed had long surpassed the speed of light, beyond the perception of mortal eyes. Even the gods with powerful divine status could only see a blurry afterimage.

Within 0.01 seconds, millions of slashes and clashes also exceeded the limits of their vision.

Isis's body, like light and shadow, was flung thousands of kilometers away, completely involuntarily away from the battlefield. Not only did blood ooze from her mouth and nose, but her entire body bore hundreds of lacerations. She had collapsed at Li Mochen's first sword—not due to divine authority, but sheer force. The brutal, overwhelming power he displayed shattered her in one blow, nearly cutting her in two.

She was saved only by the timely aid of the Radiant Lord and Odin, who was not far away.

"How is that possible?"

Incredulity filled Isis's eyes. The moment she stabilized, she immediately looked toward Li Mochen.

Then she saw that after her, Odin's divine body was also blasted away. His plight was not much better than hers; he was hurled two thousand kilometers, crashing into the surface of the Gulf of Alaska, raising huge waves and a mushroom cloud.

The Radiant Lord, along with Zeus and Ahura, who had encircled him, were also in an extremely sorry state.

Her son Horus could not even maintain his incarnation as the great sun. Each of Li Mochen's strikes shattered both him and the light of Ahura's incarnation.

This Lord of Fate simply gave these two no chance to hang the sun in the sky. The irresistible 'Dutian Thunder Fire Star Core Sword Light' contained unmatched power and destructive force.

Every time a 'sun' manifested, Li Mochen destroyed and shredded it instantly. The 'Tearing' at the level of truth he displayed reminded Isis of Chaos—an ability that could tear apart all things.

"Rare to see you all so united in effort!"

Li Mochen's laughter was full of sarcasm: "But I doubt you think that truly working together can defeat me, do you? It's not a few years ago, everyone. Show me all your strength! Otherwise, today will be the twilight of you old gods."

The moment he finished speaking, another thunderous explosion resounded in the sky. A hundred-thousand-meter stellar sword light swept across half the sky, erasing all thunder, clouds, and rain. Zeus's figure appeared 120 kilometers from Li Mochen, his expression extremely grim. What was shocking was that his chariot of thunder had been cut with a deep sword scar.

The depth of that scar was enough to damage this powerful mythical armament.

"The twilight of the old gods? Does that include me, Gaia?"

At this moment, a colossal stone giant rose from the ground, its body reaching a height of fifty thousand meters, wrapped in black source energy armor. Though it appeared cumbersome, its movements were incredibly agile and swift.

Around it, everything became slow—light and lightning alike grew immensely sluggish.

"Of course!"

Yet facing this majestic giant, Li Mochen's expression remained unchanged. He simply flashed before the stone giant, and as its mountain-like fist swung down, he met it with his own fist.

"Did you think you could be an exception, Gaia?"

There was no earth-shattering tremor. With a loud bang, the Alpine-like giant disintegrated entirely, crumbling into particles and dust.

At that moment, aside from the few god-kings locked in fierce combat, the entire battlefield fell into dead silence. Everyone stared at the scene in the sky with shock. Some trembled with fear, others were elated and inspired, and still others were stunned, secretly regretting their actions.

Apollo, the god of light, was not among these three groups, but he too paused, turning back with surprise.

Then, a whisper escaped his lips that no one else could hear: "He seems to have grown even stronger."

Atop the magic tower of Destiny's Domain, Garcia Ferron's lips curled into an exaggerated smile: "I told you, Prince Bismarck, today is the day His Majesty establishes his empire! From now on, no one can stop his radiance."

But Bismarck's eyes held disbelief: "When did His Majesty's power become so formidable?"

He thought that even Hercules, who possessed the Truth-level 'Strength,' could not compare to Li Mochen. The scene before him was too shocking.

At this moment, Li Mochen displayed the aura and divine might of one who could single-handedly suppress all gods.

"It's the Crimson Dragon Armor. His Majesty acquired the power of a Star Beast."

'Secret-Seeing Angel' Reinhard Heydrich smiled: "Besides that, His Majesty's 'Strength' divine authority reached the Pseudo-Truth level long ago."

At this time, if his lord's opponent were Hercules, he likely could not display this sweeping, crushing divine might. Even though Li Mochen's base strength far exceeded Hercules', it wouldn't be enough. The gap in divine authority rank meant Hercules' understanding and application of strength far surpassed their lord's.

But unfortunately, none of those locked in battle specialized in the path of 'Strength.' Even Odin only possessed the Ultimate 'Strength' divine authority.

"It's not just strength."

Hercules said calmly: "His Majesty has traced back through time and destroyed the internal structure of the stone giant. After obtaining the authority of 'Leap,' Gaia can hardly face His Majesty head-on, even though she still wields the Truth-level 'Origin.'"

This was likely an ability similar to 'Truth'—an authority gained after comprehending the essence of origins, capable of greatly enhancing other divine authorities.

But even the Truth 'Earth' strengthened by the Origin could hardly contend with Li Mochen.

He then drew his 'Sword of Execution Decree.'

"It's time for us to enter. I'll go first!"

He knew that Li Mochen had fought alone earlier to further stabilize the morale of the 'Fate Pantheon.' But to win, they would need to rely on the strength of several of them.

Hercules considered himself one of the slower among those present, so he used the Star Leap technique to flash away and head to the battlefield.

But just as Hercules left the magic tower of Destiny's Domain, everyone in the sky above the battlefield, including Li Mochen, simultaneously stopped.

Their gazes and attention were drawn to a battle unfolding in the underworld.

At this moment, Li Mochen's lips curled slightly upward: "It seems, as Her Highness Isis believes, that I am certain to win this time, with no reason to lose! Everyone in the entire Fate Pantheon has not let me down, so how could I possibly let them down?"

Even Gaia could not help but change color slightly at this moment.

Not long ago, that Dream Goddess had manifested a fantasy divine body in the Underworld capable of tipping the scales of battle—

※※※※

In the underworld of 'British Columbia' in Maple Leaf Country, the radiance of the 'All-Heaven Thunderfire Stellar Core Sword Formation' illuminated every corner of this underworld.

The four hundred and one Thunderfire Stellar Swords manifested by Angela, though condensed from dream power, could resonate with the true 'All-Heaven Thunderfire Stellar Core Sword Formation', displaying divine might infinitely close to the latter.

And the 'Li Mochen' fantasized by her stood with hands behind his back at the highest point of the magic tower array, looking down from above at the invaders of the underworld outside the array.

They included dozens of powerful deities, among them Hades, the King of the Underworld; Angra Mainyu, the 'God of Destruction'; Hera, the Queen of Olympus; and Frigg, the Queen of the Aesir; along with two underworld legions of Olympus and three angelic legions under the Lord of Light.

Yet this formidable lineup, enough to rival a pantheon, was now in an extremely dire situation. The majestic divine might of the Fate Divine King covered the entire underworld, and all 'deities' and warriors below the 'Virtue Angel' rank in the five great legions could only prostrate themselves on the ground, unable to move.

Due to the vastness of the pantheon's power, Li Mochen's exclusive authority as the pantheon's ruler, 'Soul Suppression', had ascended to the ultimate level! Without a divine king of equal rank to contend with, almost no one could resist the authority of the Fate Sovereign in this underworld belonging to the Fate Pantheon, with their negative soul bodies.

Worse still, Angela, as the ruler of the Underworld, also wielded ultimate 'Soul' and 'Soul Control', elevating the soul pressure of the Fate Sovereign to an even more uncontrollable level.

"Look at this wretched dream, this wretched fate!"

Hades, outside the magic tower array, could not help but curse loudly, losing all composure.

He had not expected that Angela, who had been fighting him with that dreamy blue dragon, would manifest 'Andre Li Willenstein' after Hera and the others arrived.

This was simply cheating—Hades knew that the 'Fate Sovereign' appearing in the underworld could not be considered entirely Angela's dream creation, at least not completely.

Besides dream power, it also incorporated part of the consciousness of Andre Li Willenstein's original body, giving this fantasy body of the 'Fate Sovereign' characteristics nearly akin to an external incarnation, with rank and abilities infinitely close to the original 'Fate Sovereign'.

Angela manifested it by borrowing people's cognition of the 'Fate Sovereign', essentially stealing the power of the 'Fate Sovereign', so this manifested creation had no rejection of the divine thought descending from the 'Fate Sovereign'. Correspondingly, 'Andre Li Willenstein' could also borrow part of the power from the true Lord of Fate.

This placed Hades and the others, led by him, in an extremely perilous situation.

Hades felt that his own fate, as well as that of Hera and Frigg, was being arbitrarily woven and manipulated by the other side. The 'Fate Sovereign' also used his temporal power to interfere with the past, securing every possible advantage for their opponents, causing everything in this world to move in a direction unfavorable to them.

And the authority named 'Death' was continuously stripping them of their vitality.

Angela's strength had not yet reached a level that could threaten Hades, although this was her controlled underworld, equivalent to half of Angela's divine kingdom. Yet Hades, who held the truth 'Death', was confident he would not lose to this young goddess of the Underworld and Dreams in this regard.

However, besides Angela, that 'Fate Sovereign' also wielded a pseudo-truth-level 'Death'. And by borrowing the power of the myriad stars and the laws of the underworld, he endlessly elevated and strengthened it.

Hades himself was not afraid of this, but his legions could not escape; their souls were rapidly decaying, constantly approaching 'Death'—true death, eternal slumber at the soul level!

Even the two powerful pseudo-divine kings, Queen Hera and Queen Frigg, were affected to some extent; their vitality was being slowly drained by the power of the 'Lord of Fate'.

More threatening was the 'All-Heaven Thunderfire Stellar Core Sword Qi' under 'Li Mochen's' control. Countless sword lights fell from the high sky of the underworld, continuously pursuing Hades and the underworld deities under his command.

If not for the Dream Goddess showing some restraint and not going all out, Hades' subordinates would have already suffered heavy casualties.

Evidence was that among the three angelic kings leading the legions under the Lord of Light, two had been severely wounded by the 'All-Heaven Thunderfire Stellar Core Sword Qi'. Time and fate had destined this outcome, impossible to defy!

At this moment, they were fighting not only the Dream Goddess Angela but also a 'Lord of Fate' with fifty to sixty percent of the original's strength!

"Retreat! Hades, this is my final warning."

Angela looked at Hades, who was constantly flickering in and out of sight, not hiding the threat in her eyes: "I know you have little interest in the American Underworld; you are merely abiding by the covenant with your brother. And now, Hades, you have done your part."

This was because Hades had held back considerably in his previous fight with her, so Angela was reciprocating this time by not slaughtering Hades' subordinates.

But this situation could not last forever. Angela would not allow herself to be pinned down, nor would she let anyone disrupt their agreed plan. She must do her utmost in the coming great battle to help her husband.

"Hades, you don't need to fight for Zeus, do you? I heard that in ancient Greece, whether Greek or Roman, there were no statues of you. They were unwilling to offer sacrifices to you, and even your altars could only be built underground and in sewers. They gave you not a shred of respect, Zeus and Poseidon—"

"Silence!!!"

Hera roared, simultaneously piercing countless lightning spears toward Angela and 'Li Mochen': "I see you and your husband are both getting carried away. A fantasized piece of trash makes you think you have victory in hand? Don't daydream, bitch!"

If the anger burning in her eyes could turn into substance, it would surely incinerate Angela on the spot!

Ares' 'death' made her hate Li Mochen to the marrow, and this hatred extended to Angela. The scene of Li Mochen sniping Ares from afar was etched into Hera's heart, unforgettable for eternity.

And today, Hera saw an opportunity to repay this blood debt; she could make the Lord of Fate suffer the same pain as herself.

And she did just that. Boundless thunderfire burned and exploded around the magic tower array before her. The power of the Earth caused the underworld to quake and shake.

Hera's thunder and fire were dispelling the death aura here; her 'Earth' was shaking the law network of this territory, preparing to dismantle it from the ground up.

But the next moment, this Queen of Olympus saw Angela cast a glance at her, utterly cold and devoid of any emotional fluctuation—as if looking at a lifeless object.

"I perceive a deep-seated hatred from you. You want to avenge your son, don't you?"

Angela's eyes seemed to see into the heart, yet remained indifferent, indifferent enough to make one's heart tremble: "You have always been like this, thinking yourselves above all, believing everything in this world belongs to you, never reflecting on the reasons. A Mo was right; only power can make you sober, make you recognize your own stupidity and arrogance!"

The moment she finished speaking, Hera's divine power exploded with a bang. At the same time, a supremely sharp sword light fell from the high sky, striking while Hera's divine power was in chaos, causing blood to burst from her body and cutting off an entire arm with the 'All-Heaven Thunderfire Stellar Core Sword Qi'.

Hades, not far away, could not help but inhale a breath of cold air, a look of terror in his eyes.

He could roughly discern the cause of Hera's injury—it was the divine might resulting from the combination of the authority 'Creation' and the forbidden spell 'Unknown Substance'.

Angela used temporal power to trace back the past, mixing the 'Unknown Substance' she created into Hera's divine power, then detonating it in the 'present' moments ago, creating an unexpected flaw in Queen Hera. This was identical to Li Mochen's technique in Alaska when he shattered Gaia's stone giant.

But this required, besides the necessary divine authority, absolute control over the divine authority itself, over divine power, and over timing!

How could that 'Fate Sovereign', merely a product of Angela's fantasy, possess such ability? Even if it had been infused with a bit of the 'Fate Sovereign's' fundamental divinity, making its rank equivalent to the latter's incarnation, it was still different from a true incarnation. And even a true incarnation had a huge gap in ability from the original, even for dualistic entities like Ahura and Angra Mainyu.

Hades also noticed that the Angela before him was vastly different from usual. There was no sense of sharpness; she felt like the emotionless 'Will of the Source', facing the world with an attitude devoid of any feeling. Her state was also similar to the Source, possessing unparalleled control over all things. It was as if this Fate Queen was the creator of this world.

If one had to describe it accurately, the Eastern saying 'Heaven and Earth are ruthless, treating all things as straw dogs' would be a more precise description.

"Foolish woman, I suspect Zeus chose you as his queen precisely because you are the most foolish and easiest to control, right? But I must say, his thinking is also foolish."

At this moment, the sword qi scattered within Hera's body, guided by the power of fate, continuously churned her divine power and energy. By the time Hera exhausted herself to expel this sword qi, the second 'All-Heaven Thunderfire Stellar Core Sword Qi' had already descended vertically from the high sky, causing Hera to bleed profusely again and be blasted to the ground.

This time, her injuries were even more severe; her entire chest and lungs were pierced through by the sword light!

"See? Though both of us borrow our husbands' power, you and I are ultimately different."

Hera's divine power exploded again, and tens of thousands of blood holes appeared all over her skin, densely packed enough to make anyone with trypophobia faint.

This was because Angela had again altered the past, embedding more 'Unknown Substance' while Hera was dealing with the sword qi inside her.

The Queen's injuries had become so severe that Angra Mainyu, the 'God of Destruction', who was trying to destroy Angela's 'network' in the distance, had to temporarily lend a hand, shattering the successive 'All-Heaven Thunderfire Stellar Core Sword Qi' one by one.

Yet the sword lights came in an endless stream, thousands upon thousands, striking down at the two without cease, giving them no chance to regroup.

Hades even sensed that the fate of the 'God of Destruction', his past, was also being manipulated. Angela constantly tried to lay the groundwork for her future victory in the past.

As a result, Angra Mainyu had to devote most of his power to countering time, fate, and causality, rendering his truth-level 'Destruction' nearly useless.

Hades was also unable to spare any attention; Angela's way of pinning him down was to directly target the underworld legions under his command.

The millions of heroic souls of warriors who had invaded the underworld with Hades had now become not an asset but a liability dragging him down, even hostages.

Relying on the magic tower array and her direct underworld armed forces, the American Underworld Queen was completely unafraid of their massive legions. But the main reason was that the manifested 'Fate Sovereign' had rendered most of his and the Lord of Light's legions combat-ineffective.

At this moment, if any full-scale pantheon ruler descended here, the problem would be solved. But Hades knew this was highly unlikely; at this time, Zeus could not spare a true divine king to descend into the underworld, which was equivalent to half the Dream Goddess's divine kingdom.

If they did so, he believed the 'Fate Sovereign' would not hesitate to drag the main battlefield here, using the power of the American underworld to secure victory.

Thus, Hades had to rush about tirelessly, defending his subordinates against the countless stellar sword qi falling from the high sky—unlike the sword qi that injured Hera, these were very fine, as thin as silk, yet all extremely lethal. Due to the gap in power level, even a single strand of sword light as thin as a hair could easily kill a powerful deity.

Hades had to be fully alert, pouring all his strength into resisting the overwhelming tide of swords.

The two underworld legions he had brought here were the foundation for Hades to establish himself in the myriad worlds and spread his faith in the future.

Hades dared not take risks. Although Angela had been 'showing mercy', he knew that if he crossed her bottom line, this Fate Queen would show no mercy.

At this moment, Hades was only grateful that Angela had not also manifested the Scarlet Dragon Armor and the Lord of Fate's new abilities.

Otherwise, he would raise his hands in surrender now; this battle would no longer be necessary—it would surely be a one-sided hunt.

Yet what astonished Hades immensely was that at this moment, he was not the only one slacking off. About thirty kilometers away, the Aesir Queen Frigg appeared to be summoning giants, bombarding the magic tower array furiously, and continuously freezing the void without regard for cost.

But Hades, well-versed in the art of idleness, saw at a glance that she seemed to be of the same ilk as himself.

But that made no sense. Frigg was different from him; Odin would not allow this war to fail, and Frigg could not betray Odin.