Chapter 173
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No doubt about it. In this world where gods gather, the legendary supreme Greek god, Zeus, is certainly present. Although the Greek and Norse pantheons are different, comparing the two, Zeus' status is never lower than Odin's.
So, what could have happened in Asgard's future that made Thor and the female Thor seek Zeus' help? Though the exact issue is unknown, it must have been an incredibly significant matter. Perhaps Odin had already passed away by then?
"Seeking help from Zeus?"
In Vanaheim, having just quelled a rebellion and resting at the base, Thor couldn't help but furrow his brows. What kind of issue would be so severe that Asgard couldn't handle it on its own, making him seek Zeus' aid? Ragnarok, perhaps?
In Thor's understanding, only something on that scale would compel his future self to make such a desperate move. So, is his father's prophecy true, and one day in the future, Asgard will indeed face such a catastrophe? The thought weighed heavily on Thor's heart.
Meanwhile, Iron Man was intrigued by entries in a mysterious diary about Atlantis:
"Not just this time, but later the undersea empire Atlantis invaded Wakanda, killing Wakanda's queen and nearly destroying the city. This forced the Wakandan elders to decide to retreat to the mountains. If it wasn't for Shuri synthesizing the Heart-Shaped Herb in time and becoming the new Black Panther, Wakanda would have been annihilated by Atlantis. Yet, the Panther Goddess never showed up. A once-great Wakanda ended up relying on Shuri and Ironheart, two young girls, to turn the tide."
"Atlantis has emerged?"
"Wow, this world is full of surprises!"
"If someone told me hell existed, I wouldn't be surprised."
Iron Man spread his hands, expressing his astonishment. Atlantis, one of the most renowned lost civilizations, had intrigued scholars for ages. Though most believe it to be a myth, some argue for its historical existence. Legends placed Atlantis in the mid-Atlantic, reputedly fostering an advanced civilization capable of constructing immense buildings and machines in prehistoric times.
Atlantis' enigmatic end theories range from divine wrath to planetary impacts or tectonic shifts. Around 10,000 BCE, it supposedly sank into the ocean, vanishing from history. Tony Stark had always dismissed Atlantis as a mere legend, but now the diary stated it was real. Well, with gods existing, Atlantis being real wasn't that surprising. Who knew if the Atlantis mentioned was the same legendary one that later evolved into an undersea empire after sinking?
Tony didn't have the answers but couldn't deny this undersea empire's considerable power, almost toppling the technologically advanced Wakanda, even with its Panther Goddess.
Nick Fury, with another diary, was drawn to the term "Heart-Shaped Herb," which seemed crucial for becoming Black Panther, indicating it was more important than the Black Panther suit. So, what exactly was the Heart-Shaped Herb? Given Black Panther's involvement in the civil war among heroes, it suggested possessing extraordinary abilities, likely derived from this herb.
Ironheart piqued Fury's curiosity too. The alias suggested a superhero similar to Iron Man, utilizing armor for superhuman abilities.
"Speaking of Ironheart, she isn't just anybody."
"In the Marvel universe, she's one of the top minds."
"Building her first mechanical device at three and an armor suit in her teens! Though simple, it had all essential functions, even surpassing Stark's first Iron Man suit."
"And as a student, she was the only person on Earth who could create a vibranium detector."
"With a lab from Wakanda, she immediately built a suit rivaling Namor. She's far more reliable than the Panther Goddess."
"Sir, did you have any impressive achievements at three?" Jarvis' voice quipped, teasing his boss.
"Yes, four," Tony retorted. "Building a circuit board is harder than making a mechanical device, right? The definition of a mechanical device is broad; technically, a discus counts as one."
Tony's competitive streak showed, though he genuinely admired the mentioned Ironheart. Creating an Iron Man suit as a teen was undeniably impressive.
Even someone as arrogant as Tony Stark had to admit it.
Even though he was reluctant to admit it, deep down, he was indeed somewhat provoked.
A teenager?
Still a student, right? Achieving such accomplishments while still in school was nothing short of extraordinary. And being the only person in the world capable of creating a Vibranium detector truly showcased the brilliance of Ironheart.
Wait a minute, a Vibranium detector?
Tony's heart skipped a beat. It seemed that the existence of Vibranium on Earth had been exposed to the world in the future.
However, was Vibranium really that difficult to detect? Among billions of people on Earth, they couldn't find anyone else who could create a Vibranium detection device except a little girl? That was exaggerating a bit.
Moreover, who was Namor? From the context of the diary, it seemed he was from Atlantis and was extremely powerful. At the very least, he had the strength to take on an Iron Man suit single-handedly! Undoubtedly, he was a super warrior wielding extraordinary power.
Tony silently added this name to his watchlist.
"Wait a minute, just realized, could it be that the Black Panther Goddess is too scared to come out because of Gorr the God Butcher?"
"So that's why the Black Panther Goddess appeared in the Pantheon? Seeking protection?"
"Given Gorr the God Butcher's terrifying reputation, it's indeed possible!"
"After all, Gorr did slaughter countless gods."
"Thinking about it, it does make sense! At that time, Gorr had already killed several of the Ennead!"
"I can't remember exactly which ones, but those poor souls who didn't show up when Khonshu was being judged probably all perished."
Gorr the God Butcher!
Tony's brow furrowed deeply. The thought that crossed his mind was audacious. A god butcher? From the literal meaning, that was someone who specialized in killing gods. Alternatively, the name could have been given because he killed so many gods that such a terrifying nickname was deemed appropriate.
In any case, this Gorr person had the ability to butcher gods and had killed a large number of them—that was indisputable.
Gulp.
Thinking about this, Tony couldn't help but swallow unconsciously. There truly were all kinds of ruthless characters in this universe!
Of course, gods, like humans, varied in strength. Tony was well aware that not all gods were as powerful as Odin or Zeus.
For instance, the Warriors Three from Asgard, with whom Tony had fought alongside, were indeed gods. While their power was considerable, it wasn't something Tony, clad in his Iron Man suit, couldn't handle.
The diary didn't specify exactly which gods Gorr had killed. Nonetheless, scaring the Black Panther Goddess into hiding in the Pantheon was enough to prove his might.
As Tony read further, he realized he had underestimated this god butcher. Gorr had "slaughtered countless gods"! Regardless of the gods' varying powers, the sheer number of gods he had killed indicated how terrifying Gorr was. Not to mention the Ennead gods were among his victims.
Indeed, Tony knew about the Ennead. After the previous wave of spoilers, he had learned about the existence of gods like Nezha from the Chinese pantheon and had researched other major godly pantheons. The Ennead, being a major Egyptian pantheon, was familiar to him.
Because of this, Tony was even more surprised at Gorr's power. This Gorr was far stronger than he had imagined!
But one thing puzzled him. Why was Gorr targeting gods? Judging from the diary's tone, Gorr had killed some gods from the Egyptian pantheon while also scaring off the Black Panther Goddess, who clearly wasn't part of that pantheon. This suggested that Gorr didn't target a specific pantheon.
Thus, Gorr's god-slaying actions left Tony somewhat perplexed. Of course, due to the lack of intelligence on this matter, Tony couldn't figure it out just by sitting and pondering. So, after a bit of thought, Iron Man decided not to dwell on it and shifted his focus to another name.
Moon Knight.
Though he had never heard this name before, it was undoubtedly that of a superhero. Given the style, Moon Knight seemed quite similar to Batman's Dark Knight. So, was this a superhero who liked to operate at night?
As for Moon Knight's strength, it must have been formidable, otherwise, why would the Ennead be involved in judging him? Achieving such a level was certainly no small feat.
"God Butcher?" Thor in Vanaheim couldn't help but sneer. This Gorr fellow must be out of his mind. What kind of name was that?
But those gods killed by Gorr must have been useless, and the Black Panther Goddess of Midgard was equally useless. Those Ennead gods killed by Gorr were all useless!
Gorr was only so arrogant because he hadn't encountered the great Thor. Otherwise, Thor could guarantee to smash that God Butcher into pieces with two swings of his hammer. No matter why Gorr wanted to kill gods, he better pray he never runs into Thor!
"But then again, even Zeus admitted he was afraid of Gorr. So, it's understandable why the Black Panther Goddess was scared."
"After all, Gorr got a hold of the Necrosword, right? A sword specifically designed to kill gods!"
"In Universe 199999, the origins of the Necrosword are unknown, but in the main universe, it was forged by the symbiote god to counter the Celestials."
"He even used it to kill Celestials, refining the Necrosword with their blood!"
"Such a terrifying weapon isn't something ordinary gods can deal with."
"Gorr the God Butcher is that powerful?" Even Thor couldn't help but be astonished. Through the revelations in the diary, he knew Gorr was indeed strong, but he never expected Gorr to be so powerful.
Even Zeus was scared! Not just scared, but he admitted his fear! That was Zeus, a god with a status on par with Odin in the Greek pantheon.
The fact that such a high-level god feared Gorr spoke volumes about his power.