Chapter 57

The battlefield still crackled with residual psionic energy. Carol Danvers hovered mid-air, breathing heavily, her suit scorched and tattered. She had barely survived the onslaught of Lin Fan's psionic clones, her body aching from the brutal confrontation. Yet, despite her victory, a lingering unease settled in her chest.

Lin Fan observed her from the command deck of his flagship. Though she had disrupted the fusion of his clones, his expression remained calm—almost amused. Carol had won the battle, but she had merely scratched the surface of his full capabilities.

"Shall we pursue, my lord?" Ebony Maw inquired, standing at Lin Fan's side. The sorcerer's fingers twitched, eager to unleash his own power.

Lin Fan shook his head. "No need. She's exhausted. Let her take this as a victory."

From behind him, a projection of his remaining psionic clones materialized in the air, awaiting their next command. Unlike their fused form, which Carol had managed to destabilize, these individual entities had already learned from their previous mistakes. Each one refined its technique, adapting its strategy to ensure no such weaknesses could be exploited again.

"Spread out," Lin Fan ordered. "The Kree Empire is in turmoil. Let's ensure they don't recover."

The clones nodded in unison before vanishing into streams of psionic light, dispersing across the cosmos. Each clone was tasked with infiltrating different empires—some into the Skrull territories, others into Shi'ar-controlled space, and a few even targeting the hidden strongholds of the Celestial enclaves.

The purpose was clear: destabilization, manipulation, and conquest.

Aboard the remnants of a shattered Kree battleship, Carol wiped sweat from her brow, glancing toward the night sky where Lin Fan's flagship loomed. She knew this was far from over. If he could create that many powerful psionic constructs with ease, how many more could he unleash across the universe?

Meanwhile, Lin Fan watched her through a holographic display. His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of his chair.

"Carol, you're strong," he murmured to himself. "But strength alone won't be enough."

As the clones spread across the galaxy, Lin Fan leaned back, satisfied. The first phase of his plan had been a success. Carol Danvers may have walked away from this battle, but the war had only just begun.

---

Few Days later ....

On the Dwarven planet Nidavellir, screams echoed through the vast underground forges. Bound by enchanted chains, Vader, the God of Nature and Odin's lesser-known son, writhed in agony as Supergiant's psionic grip tore into his mind. His once-radiant emerald eyes flickered with defiance, but his will was crumbling.

"Tell us how to enter Asgard," Supergiant whispered, her voice slithering through his thoughts like a viper. "Your mind is strong, but even gods can break."

Vader grit his teeth, blood trickling from his nostrils. "You... will never... reach it."

Ebony Maw stepped forward, holding a gleaming dagger forged from uru metal. "You misunderstand. We do not need you to take us there. We only need your blood."

With a swift motion, he sliced Vader's palm, letting the golden ichor drip onto the ancient runes etched into the forge floor. The symbols pulsed, absorbing the divine essence. The very air around them shuddered as an unseen force stirred awake.

The ground trembled. A gateway, long sealed, groaned as ancient magic unraveled.

Supergiant smirked, wiping blood from her fingers. "The key to Asgard was always in your veins."

As the portal flared to life, Ebony Maw turned to Lin Fan's awaiting forces. "The way is open. Asgard will fall."

With that, they stepped into the shimmering abyss, vanishing toward the realm of gods.