395

Venom in Fancy Dress

"Odin, you have slaughtered countless races and occupied numerous territories. It is these actions that have placed you on the throne of the Lord of the Nine Realms. But now you wear this hypocritical facade. Do you believe it portrays your benevolence?" Ulic's eyes bore into Odin's, blood gushing from his wound, staining his entire body crimson.

Odin paced a few steps. "Perhaps you fail to grasp. Through countless conflicts, I have come to understand the essence of peace better than any other."

"The essence of peace?" Ulic scoffed. "Is that why you massacred the trolls in Nornheim?"

Odin's tone grew stern. "I did not order the slaughter of trolls in Nornheim... that was Karnira's unauthorized action."

Ulic stared mockingly, too weakened to respond. The Demon Slayer Sword pierced his chest, the wound refusing to heal, torn open with each labored breath.

After a pause, Odin spoke again. "I will not end your life, Ulic. Spend your final years in peace at Vanaheim."

Determination flashed in Ulic's eyes. Through gritted teeth, he declared, "I refuse to be your prisoner again!"

Before Odin could react, Ulic seized the Demon Slayer Sword, driving it into his own heart.

Odin's expression changed.

"Ragnarok will judge all, including you, Odin..." Ulic's words were choked with blood, crimson flowing to his pale hair, then onto the soil in thin rivulets.

Ulic's Asgardian physiology slowed his death, the wound lethal only due to the sword lodged in his heart.

Yet Odin made no move to intervene, allowing Ulic to determine his fate.

As Ulic's blood seeped into the ground, staining it a deep red, the former troll king met his end.

"Thank you all for your efforts." Odin's gaze swept over the gathered crowd, resting on Forseti, whom he patted on the shoulder. "Well done, Forseti."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Forseti bowed respectfully in reply.

Odin casually gestured towards the Sulfuron Warhammer in his hand. "Was this forged by Eitri?"

"Yes."

Odin studied the weapon for a moment.

Finally, he nodded slightly. "I sense its fiery power; it suits you well."

After Ulic's escape, Forseti recovered the symbiote once possessed by the wild horse and journeyed to Klyntar, the symbiotes' homeworld.

With the Droplet spacecraft undergoing extensive modifications by Eitri in Nidavellir, Forseti had to purchase a small Skrull-made vessel from an interstellar merchant.

To Asgardians, such craft was inexpensive. Due to his status among the Aesir, Forseti acquired the ship at a lower cost than even the Skrulls themselves.

With the vessel secured, Forseti embarked on the journey to Klyntar Star alongside the two symbiotes.

"Mustang, are you confident in recalling the route to Klyntar?" Forseti inquired.

Mustang, though each symbiote bore a unique name, had been referred to as such by Forseti since their encounter.

The name stemmed not only from habit but also from the peculiarities of symbiote nomenclature, diverging from conventional linguistic norms and thus appearing somewhat awkward.

"Certainly," affirmed Mustang. "Although symbiotes may appear alien to you, we are a formidable civilization well-versed in celestial navigation."

"During our interstellar travels, I meticulously logged numerous pulsars along our route. Utilizing these, I can reconstruct our path based on the star map."

Forseti nodded, accessing the star map via the spacecraft's system. Together with Mustang, he identified each pulsar and mapped out the route to Kuntar.

Pulsars, or neutron stars, served as prominent navigational beacons across the cosmos due to their luminous visibility.

Despite Mustang's confident assertion, the reconstruction process proved somewhat arduous, owing to slight inaccuracies in his recollections.

Midway through the route reconstruction, Venom interjected, addressing Mustang with keen interest. "Ever thought of becoming like me?"

"What?" Mustang was puzzled.

"Like me," Venom proclaimed triumphantly, a golden specter dancing in the breeze.

"...," Mustang fell silent for a moment.

Venom's current form not only perplexed human observers but also unsettled other symbiotes. Mustang's hesitation thus stemmed from this newfound uncertainty about identity.

"How did you even become like this?" Mustang queried.

Venom replied, "Through the power of the Holy Light. Embrace its baptism, and you too can share my transformation."

"Holy Light?"

"A potent, sacred magical force. It empowers any creature, provided they shun darkness akin to demons, forging strength and fortitude," Venom expounded to fellow symbiotes. "Believe in the Light, friend... It shall safeguard you."

"No," Mustang rebuffed decisively.

"Why?" Venom appeared taken aback.

"You've changed drastically," Mustang noted. "Trust me, no symbiote will find your ostentatious attire appealing—especially the elders, who may perceive your flamboyance as a corrupting influence on Klyntar's youth."

"Nonsense! This isn't fancy dress!" Venom protested animatedly. "I'm now a Lightcast symbiote, stronger than before, unafraid even of fire!"

"You're not afraid of fire?" Forseti queried, surprised.

"Gods, I assumed your change was merely superficial, but to... Indeed, the realms beyond Kuntar offer manifold temptations," Mustang lamented.

Navigating through the boundless cosmos, Forseti piloted the vessel, navigating temporal and spatial anomalies, adjusting the course toward the fabled Kuntar Star with occasional detours.

"Is Kuntar located in a remote expanse?"

"Indeed. Our obscurity arises not solely from remoteness but also from our insular disposition, shunning external interaction," Mustang explained.

Forseti nodded, steering toward a nearby planet for refueling before continuing.

Unexpectedly, his pupils dilated, a sudden realization dawning. "This is..."

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