After returning to Earth, Ragna headed to the far side of the moon.
With a single blow, Attilan—the secret city of the Inhumans—was driven deep into the moon's surface, leaving behind a massive crater. This was the price the Inhumans paid for instigating Carol Danvers to challenge Ragna.
Then, Ragna began to wait.
Stonehenge, England – 2013
Jane Foster, unaware of the cosmic battles unfolding beyond her understanding, continued her astrophysical research. Acting on Dr. Erik Selvig's theories, she investigated an anomaly—a space-distorting phenomenon hidden within an ancient ruin.
As she activated a specialized gravimetric anomaly detector, a golden blur flashed before her eyes. Before she could react, Ragna momentarily materialized in front of her—then disappeared just as suddenly.
Ragna had no intention of interfering with Jane's research. His true target lay beyond. Passing through the chaotic folds of space, he reached a mysterious void where he grasped a swirling red substance—the Aether.
The moment Ragna's fingers closed around the volatile mass, the Aether reacted violently, attempting to merge with his essence. Unlike other Infinity Stones, the Reality Stone existed in liquid form, bonding symbiotically with its wielder.
For ordinary mortals, this integration was fatal. The Aether consumed life force at an exponential rate, eventually causing its host to explode from within. Each time this happened, the Aether would seek a new host, repeating the cycle endlessly.
The Dark Elves, ancient masters of the Reality Stone, had studied its properties extensively. From it, they derived a deadly mutagenic compound, one that transformed their warriors into monstrous juggernauts—Cursed Warriors.
Infused with this dark energy, a Cursed Warrior's strength approached the threshold of a Fourth-Order being, granting them enough power to resist even the might of Mjolnir.
Ragna contemplated for a moment before tightening his grip, exerting divine power to suppress the Reality Stone's chaotic energy. He neither absorbed it nor handed it to Hexi.
While Hexi's celestial physiology could theoretically withstand the Reality Stone's corruption, the challenge lay in reversing the process. Even Odin, ruler of Asgard, had been unable to separate the Aether from a host once it had fused with them.
Though Ragna had full confidence in himself and Hexi's scientific expertise, he had no desire to spend decades unraveling the stone's mysteries.
Instead, he decided to lure the Dark Elves to him.
By allowing them to track the Reality Stone's energy signature, he could eliminate them and seize their knowledge—including the extraction methods for the Aether, their Cursed Warrior augmentation process, and their advanced stealth warship technology.
The Dark Elves, once an empire that rivaled Asgard, possessed core scientific advancements that would greatly bolster the Sacred Heavenly Palace. Ragna had no intention of letting such an opportunity slip away.
Casually appearing and disappearing again in rapid succession, Ragna left Jane in stunned silence.
Meanwhile, Thor, observing Jane from a distance, abandoned his plans to reunite with her. He had already seen the changes in her life—her new boyfriend and her move away from their past together.
With the Reality Stone secured, Ragna relocated to an isolated battlefield, preparing for the inevitable arrival of the Dark Elves.
At the same time, he sent Valina to Asgard, assigning her to protect Frigga.
The Dark Elves' stealth technology was unparalleled—even Heimdall, the omniscient guardian of the Bifrost, had failed to detect their warships in past conflicts. Moreover, their hatred of Asgard ran deep.
Although the Reality Stone was in Ragna's possession and not on Asgard itself, there was no guarantee that Malekith wouldn't attack Odin's kingdom out of spite.
Frigga's safety was paramount. And for now, Valina was the best protector Asgard could have.
A Few Days Later – In the Desert
A colossal, dagger-shaped Dark Elf battleship materialized out of thin air, its cloaking field dissipating in eerie silence.
Ragna, standing at the heart of the barren wasteland, watched as scores of Dark Elves descended from the ship. Malekith, their leader, stood at the forefront.
For the first time in centuries, the Dark Elves had emerged from the shadows.
Yet, despite the formidable display, Ragna remained unmoved.
Dark Elf technology was truly impressive. Even with his heightened senses, he had only detected the warship's presence at the last moment. Any civilization lacking advanced sensory systems would only realize the danger when the first wave of bombardment struck.
This kind of stealth capability was invaluable in space warfare. Incorporating it into the Sacred Heavenly Palace's fleet would significantly increase their tactical superiority.
The Dark Elves wasted no time.
Without a word, Malekith signaled his warriors, launching an immediate and merciless assault, hoping to kill Ragna and reclaim the Aether.
But the desert battlefield was no accident—it was a trap.
At that moment, two figures materialized beside Ragna:
Kaisha, wielder of the Space Stone, and Liang Bing, who had mastery over the Mind Stone.
With a flick of Kaisha's wrist, the Space Stone's power surged, freezing the weaker Dark Elves in place, trapping them in an immovable void.
Liang Bing unleashed a pulse of psychic energy, knocking them unconscious one by one.
However, the strongest among them—Malekith and his elite warriors—were powerful enough to resist.
Realizing their forces were being subdued with terrifying efficiency, one Dark Elf warrior made a desperate move.
Clutching a dark red crystal, he attempted to crush it, ready to undergo the brutal transformation into a Cursed Warrior.
A single Cursed Warrior could turn the tide of battle.
But Ragna would not allow that to happen.
In a blink, he severed the elf's arm at the elbow, snatching the crystal before it could be activated.
The Dark Elves were already weak compared to true cosmic powers. Letting them transform here would be a waste of valuable resources.
Tossing the crystal into the air, Ragna caught it again before throwing it toward Hexi.
"Take a look. If you can't reverse-engineer it, we'll transform a Dark Elf and study them directly."
Malekith watched in horror as centuries of careful planning unraveled in moments.
"Who are you?" he demanded, his voice laced with desperation.
The Dark Elves had waited for millennia for this day. The Convergence of the Nine Realms had finally arrived. The moment was perfect—if they reclaimed the Aether, they could plunge the universe back into eternal darkness.
Yet before they could even strike… they had already lost.
Would they be reduced to mere test subjects?
Malekith clenched his fists, refusing to accept such a fate.
Ragna, however, didn't even bother to answer him.
With a simple wave, Liang Bing intensified her telepathic assault, knocking Malekith unconscious.
If not for the unique knowledge he possessed, Ragna would have eradicated him on the spot.
With the entire Dark Elf force captured alive, they were handed over to Liang Bing for interrogation using the Mind Stone.
Shortly after, Valina sent a report.
Some Dark Elves had attempted a covert infiltration of Asgard, sparking a minor rebellion. However, Odin's forces swiftly suppressed the attack.
Frigga remained unharmed.
The only complication was Loki, who had been demanding to see Ragna.
Asgard had not been kind to him lately.
Reading the report, Ragna issued a simple directive:
Valina was to continue guarding Frigga. Loki was to be ignored.
With the Inhuman King Black Bolt's power seed now in his possession, Ragna turned his attention to another pressing issue.
Skye had advanced to Third-Tier strength under his guidance, making her an invaluable asset in what was to come.
A God-given warrior, capable of sensing dark energy, had uncovered something troubling—something ancient and dangerous.
The Celestial Convergence was approaching.
And deep within the Earth, a long-hidden demon had begun to stir.
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCE 40+ CHAPTERS
patreon.com/Kora_1