Malekith turned his head in bewilderment.
Then, he saw it.
The ferocious canine behemoth was tilting its head, covered in bone spikes, watching him quietly with an icy, highly intelligent gaze.
Within those scarlet beastly pupils, the pure desire for slaughter and chaos were gone, replaced only by undisguised, all-seeing... mockery.
As if looking at a self-righteous fool.
"You..."
Alarm bells exploded in Malekith's mind. A chill a hundred times stronger than facing an enraged Thor surged from the depths of his soul.
Something was wrong!
Without a second thought, he tried to activate the Reality Stone to heal his wounds and create distance.
But it was too late.
The movement of the canine behemoth was faster than his activation of the Stone.
Its originally massive and bloated body instantly contracted into a blurry shadow. In the next second, it appeared behind Malekith.
Before Malekith could react, a giant maw reeking of foul-smelling mucus snapped open—large enough to swallow a car—defying physical laws as it engulfed the unprepared Dark Elf King and the red light shimmering on his body in one gulp!
"Gulp."
A distinct swallowing sound echoed across the deathly silent battlefield.
Everyone was stunned by this sudden, bloody, and brutal turn of events. One moment, they were celebrating victory over a god-like enemy; the next, that enemy was devoured as a snack by his own pet?
Thor stood frozen, Mjolnir still raised in a poised strike, completely dumbfounded.
In the distance, Odin leaned on the Eternal Spear, his already pale face turning even whiter, his single eye filled with solemn gravity.
After swallowing Malekith, the Monster's body began to writhe and contort violently. Streaks of red light shone through its skin as its body swelled and shrank erratically. It roared in pained, suppressed agony, its massive form rolling on the ground, each convulsion cracking the floor of the Golden Palace.
The red power of reality and the pitch-black curse power of the Abyss clashed and fused violently within its body.
Finally, all light and noise ceased abruptly.
The Monster slowly rose from the ground.
Its size had halved, but its appearance became clearer and more terrifying. The bloated flesh had transformed into form-fitting black chitinous armor, engraved with sinister, twisted runes. From its back, a pair of enormous, tattered fleshy wings slowly unfurled, the tip of each wing bone burning with the black fire of the Abyss. Its head was no longer purely canine; it had elongated and deformed, sprouting a pair of massive black goat horns that curved towards the sky.
When it lifted its head again, its eyes were no longer chaotic red, but a profound black like black holes, reflecting a trace of amused, intelligent mockery.
It, or rather "he," spoke.
His voice was no longer a Beast's roar, but a metallic, ancient, and hoarse common tongue, carrying the heart-palpitating authority of a superior being.
"Truly... it's been so long since I've tasted such pure 'rules.' A bit tainted, but the flavor is decent."
He extended a long tongue, licking the remaining blood of Malekith from the corner of his mouth, a human-like expression of satisfaction on his face.
"My name is Lisdar Nors, of the great Nors family."
"To think that after being hunted by those fools of the Seven Gods Church, executing a brilliant feigned death, I would awaken in such a barren yet fascinating remote star system." He glanced around, his gaze sweeping over Tony's armor, Loki's magical radiance, the eerie aura around Lin Huai, and finally landing on the weakened Odin, a flicker of disdain in his eyes.
"That fool Malekith thought he could help me recover using a Canine Old God corpse tainted by the mysterious, believed he could imprison my soul with their strange methods, and erase my will with so-called Aether Particles? Laughably naive."
He spread his arms, feeling the surging power within his body, and let out a hearty laugh.
"Still, I must thank him. This red stone, these so-called Aether Particles, are the perfect nourishment. It's like the Beyonder characteristics of those Lunatics on the 'Sailor' Pathway, but completely free of corruption. It even perfectly suppresses the madness brought by that damned corpse within me! Ha, this is nothing short of a true miracle!"
He looked down at his new, more solidified claws, boundless ambition and fanaticism igniting within his pitch-black eyes.
"Praise the Abyss! With this power, I will surely obtain the perfect [Demon] body! Look, a completely undeveloped fertile land, such tender souls! By sacrificing this place entirely to my Lord, I might even skip [Blatherer] and become a great [Bloody Archduke]!"
His gaze abruptly turned towards the Avengers and all surviving Asgardians, a merciful yet cruel smile spreading across his face.
"And you shall have the honor of being the first sacrificial offerings for my grand ritual."
"Perish here, all of you!"
Before his words finished, the tattered wings on his back gave a powerful flap, and his entire figure vanished instantly!
"Watch out!"
Thor's combat instincts made him react first. Mjolnir, wreathed in lightning, smashed towards where Lisdar Nors had stood a moment ago, but struck only air.
"Over there!" Steve's tactical lenses captured a blurry shadow, and he shouted a warning.
But the shadow's speed was too great, even surpassing Pietro's maximum!
In the next instant, he appeared behind Wanda, a claw shrouded in dense Abyssal energy aimed straight for her heart.
"Seeking death!"
At the critical moment, Loki's figure suddenly materialized behind Wanda, using his own body to block the fatal strike.
*Thud!*
The claw pierced through Loki's abdomen with ease, blood spraying out. However, the "Loki" that was struck dissipated into a green light. Another Loki in the distance paled, clearly having expended tremendous energy on that illusion.
"Oh? Petty illusions?"
Lisdar sneered contemptuously, splaying his five fingers wide. The surrounding space seemed to turn into sticky syrup as an invisible force pressed in from all sides.
All the illusions Loki had created popped like bubbles at that moment. Loki himself spat out a mouthful of blood, falling to one knee, unable to steady himself.
"Your little tricks are nothing but child's scribbles before me."
Utilizing the power of the Reality Stone, Lisdar instantly suppressed Loki's magic.
"Tony! Twelve o'clock! Maximum power!" Lin Huai's psychic link exploded in everyone's minds.
Tony didn't hesitate. The arc reactor on his chest blazed brightly, unleashing a massive repulsor blast instantly.
However, the energy beam capable of obliterating a fortress warped and disintegrated strangely half a meter from Lisdar, transforming into a shower of beautiful golden rose petals that fluttered down.
"Flashy but insubstantial."
Lisdar commented disdainfully, flicking a finger. A wisp of black energy shot towards Tony at supersonic speed.
*Clang!*
Steve's shield blocked the path in front of Tony just in time, but the seemingly insignificant attack possessed terrifying corrosive power. A fingernail-sized black pit was instantly burned into the surface of the vibranium shield. A dreadful force transmitted through the shield, sending Steve staggering back seven or eight steps, his arm numb.
In just a few breaths, this newborn "Demon" had effortlessly suppressed several superheroes present as if they were monkeys for his amusement.
He had not only inherited Malekith's Reality Stone but had perfectly fused his own "Abyss Pathway" abilities—bizarre, corrupting, and corrosive—with the Stone's reality-warping power!
"Too weak, far too weak!"
Lisdar hovered mid-air, looking down at the beleaguered heroes with utter disappointment in his eyes.
"You don't even possess the qualification to make me slightly serious. My Lord, accept the offerings of your faithful follower!"
His gaze locked onto the weakened Loki once more.
"Let's start with you, little insect. Let me see how delicious your despairing soul will be!"
He flashed, appearing before Loki again. This time, he gave no one a chance to react. A claw wrapped in dense, almost solid Abyssal black flames tore through space, aimed directly at Loki's head!
"NO—!"
Thor roared in grief and fury, throwing Mjolnir with all his might. But the hammer was deflected mid-air by the warped power of reality.
Facing imminent death, a trace of self-mocking relief actually surfaced on Loki's ashen face.
But, just as the claw was about to touch his forehead...
A frail yet resolute figure shielded him.
It was Odin.
The all-father used his aged body as his son's final shield.
*Thump—!*
The sharp claw pierced through Odin's heart without any resistance.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
The triumphant smile on Lisdar's face grew even more maniacal.
"And then? What does blocking this one achieve? He will still die next time."
Thor, Loki, Frigga... the pupils of every Asgardian dilated to their absolute limit.
"FATHER!!!"
Heart-wrenching roars tore through the heavens.
Yet, Odin, with his heart pierced, showed no trace of pain. Instead, his single eye blazed with a light never seen before, bright as a star.
Summoning his final ounce of strength, he clutched Lisdar's arm, which had pierced his body, with a death grip. His other hand tightly held the Eternal Spear, symbol of his kingship.
"For Asgard..."
His voice was weak, yet filled with unquestionable authority.
"...Thor, Loki, the future of Asgard rests with you now!"
Gungnir—the divine spear said to never miss its target—at that moment, converged all of a God-King's life force, will, and divine power, transforming into an indescribable golden stream of light.
Under Lisdar's horrified, despairing gaze, guided by Odin's control, it pierced fiercely through Lisdar's own heart!