Immersed in the cosmos, Maierin felt the fragmented remnants of a small universe. Slowly, piece by piece, he began to restore it, gathering the scattered fragments back together.
"Sigh, the extent of this destruction is truly tragic. It'll take at least thirty or forty years to fully recover," Maierin sighed.
It was his own fault for being reckless back then. He had foreseen the ambush but still insisted on gathering all those gods together in an attempt to wipe them out in one fell swoop.
The result? A complete failure.
He was sealed away, his wife had to endure countless hardships trying to break his seal, and the Sanctuary he had painstakingly built had fallen into ruin.
"Moreover, this world is actually a chaotic megaverse. I really need to be more cautious this time," Maierin muttered to himself, revising his plans. He couldn't afford to be as reckless as before—he needed allies.
"Hmm? A cosmos is approaching? This is… haha, speak of the devil," Maierin chuckled as his cosmos vanished, and the scenery around him transformed into a pure white space.
This was Maierin's consciousness space, and within it, another figure appeared.
"If you're here, that means your divine soul has awakened?" Maierin asked.
"Of course. My divine soul has been awake for ten thousand years. I never expected to witness your return."
"Haha, so the Twilight of the Gods didn't completely erase you. Hmm? Your power…"
"You noticed?"
"Who do you think I am?"
"Fine, my power is indeed draining—but only in this body. As one of the ancient deities, my divine soul is eternal and indestructible."
"Alright, so what scheme are you plotting this time, Odin?"
That's right—the visitor in Maierin's consciousness space was none other than Odin, the Allfather of the Norse pantheon.
And in this world of chaos, Odin had a second identity: the ruler of the extraterrestrial civilization Asgard.
Maierin had long suspected a connection between the Asgardian Odin and the Norse Odin. Now, he finally had confirmation—they were the same being.
In ancient times, the gods waged countless wars for followers, battling for dominion over the Earth. Almost every god was an enemy of Maierin and Athena, but there were exceptions—one of them being Odin and his Norse pantheon.
At first, Odin had considered conquering territory as well. However, after an initial battle with Maierin, the two found mutual respect for each other. Eventually, Maierin permitted the Norse gods to maintain their followers in the northern regions, and the two pantheons coexisted in peace.
Frequent interactions led to familiarity, and after several instances of aiding one another, they became close friends.
"Who has more bad ideas than you, Maierin? The god who makes all other gods tremble—the Father of the Earth," Odin teased.
"I learned my lesson. Those who act recklessly meet their downfall. But tell me, Odin, how did you end up in space?" Maierin asked.
"While you were busy trying to annihilate Zeus and the others and got ambushed, we had our own problems. Ragnarok descended upon us. Despite our preparations, all our divine bodies were destroyed, and our souls suffered severe damage, forcing us into deep slumber. I awoke ten thousand years ago—only to find myself the ruler of Asgard."
Maierin chuckled. He could feel the irony in Odin's words.
"Besides you, who else has awakened?"
"Only Frigg."
"I see. And Loki? Wasn't he the one who instigated Ragnarok?"
The Norse gods were known for their bold and straightforward nature, which was why Maierin and Athena got along with them so well. But there was one exception—a god both Maierin and Athena despised: Loki, the god of lies and mischief.
Loki was cunning and deceitful, always scheming. Maierin even suspected that Loki had deliberately orchestrated Ragnarok to weaken both the Norse gods and Maierin's forces simultaneously.
"He's gone. Completely erased, soul and all. Not just him—his sons, Fenrir and Jörmungandr, and his daughter, Hela—I destroyed all their souls," Odin said, his expression dark and ruthless.
Maierin clicked his tongue in response. That was brutal—wiping out his own sworn brother and his children without hesitation.
But then, a thought struck him. Didn't Asgard also have a Loki, Fenrir, and Hela?
Loki was Odin's adopted son, the biological son of Laufey, the king of the Frost Giants. Hela was Odin's eldest daughter, and Fenrir was Hela's pet…
How confusing. Why was this world so chaotic? Wasn't it only the Greek gods who had ridiculously messy relationships?
Such irony. But Maierin kept his thoughts to himself.
"What about your war? How did it go?" Odin asked.
"Though I failed, the battle had its merits," Maierin replied.
"Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon led part of the Olympian pantheon, joining forces with Vishnu and Shiva, Ra and Osiris, and even the Buddha himself.
"But they underestimated me.
"Hades was nearly obliterated—his divine soul barely escaped and fled to some unknown place. Poseidon? I tore off his limbs and threw him back into the ocean. Zeus lost his left arm and left eye before fleeing to another universe.
"Vishnu and Shiva were taken down by my Seven Divine Officers—self-sacrificing their souls in the process. Only remnants of their spirits escaped.
"Ra and Osiris were slain by Athena. As for Buddha… well, you know those guys. They're terrible at fighting but masters of running away.
"As for everyone else? Our side suffered heavy losses. The first-generation Gold Saints were nearly wiped out. So, you get the picture."
Odin took a sharp breath.
"Jeez… you two are terrifying," he muttered.
No wonder Maierin and Athena were known as the most fearsome figures of the mythological era. Even with so many gods ganging up on them, they still decimated their enemies.
But the cost was high—Maierin himself was sealed away, forced into a fifty-thousand-year slumber. His Divine Officers perished. Even the strongest Gold Saints of that era were crippled. Athena, though only injured, had to reincarnate over and over, gradually losing most of her divine power, becoming vulnerable to countless attacks.
Even though Odin had been in a distant star system, he was aware of the holy wars that had taken place.
But he had his own responsibilities and couldn't intervene.
"What are your plans now?" Odin asked.
"Recover. Adapt to this new era. I have no idea what happened, but I woke up to a world that's completely different from the one I left," Maierin said, exasperated.
"Exactly—and more dangerous. We used to think Earth was everything, but after awakening, I realized the universe is far vaster than we ever imagined. And out there, many beings surpass us in power."
"I know. I sensed it when I awoke. I even suspect that Uranus is still alive… and that legend…"
"You mean—!" Odin's face paled in shock. He recalled an ancient myth, a forbidden tale from the age of gods.
"Yes," Maierin nodded.
If this universe was a chaotic megaverse, then the existence of a multiverse was inevitable. And if a multiverse existed, what about higher-dimensional realms beyond it?
"Looks like we need to regain our full strength as soon as possible. Otherwise, we won't survive the coming crisis," Odin said.
"Agreed. But for now, my only concern is the Holy War."
"Hades?"
"Yes. Even if he hasn't fully recovered, he's likely regained most of his strength. This time, I will make sure he sleeps forever," Maierin said darkly.
Seeing the murderous intent radiating from Maierin, Odin shivered.
Hades was doomed.