Marvel: The other side of the double-passing door is Devouring the Stars

Chapter 439 Beast Chieftain!

"You're awake?" a gentle voice sounded in my ear.

Silver Moon turned her head and saw a young girl sitting beside her. The girl had long, seaweed-green hair, pale blue skin, and eyes like the deep ocean.

"Who are you?" Silver Moon asked in confusion.

“I am the guardian of this sea,” the girl said with a smile, “or rather, the embodiment of the ocean's consciousness in this trial space.”

Silver Moon suddenly understood. No wonder she could communicate with the ocean so easily; it turned out the ocean itself was conscious.

"You've done very well," the ocean avatar praised. "You didn't choose to forcibly reclaim land from the sea, but instead chose to cooperate with the ocean and complete the task in the gentlest way."

“That’s the only right way,” Silvermoon sat up. “The ocean is not something to be conquered, but a partner to be respected.”

“You understand the true meaning of the trial,” the ocean avatar nodded. “Power is not for conquering nature, but for living in harmony with it. You have created not only a physical path, but also a bridge connecting humanity and nature.”

Looking into the distance, Silver Moon could see the winding coral path. Bathed in the setting sun, the portion of the path above the water shimmered beautifully. Some daring residents had already begun to attempt walking along this path, their faces beaming with excitement and joy.

“This path not only connects continents and islands,” the ocean avatar continued, “but more importantly, it changes people’s perception of the ocean. They will understand that living in harmony with nature is the right path.”

Indeed, Silvermoon noticed the people walking along the coral path, carefully avoiding the corals that protruded from the water, as if afraid of damaging these beautiful lives. Some children squatted by the roadside, curiously observing the small fish and shellfish in the coral reef.

“And this path will continue to grow,” Silvermoon observed the coral’s condition. “I only provided the initial guidance, but the subsequent growth will be a natural process. Over time, it will become stronger and more beautiful.”

“That’s precisely where the perfection lies,” the Ocean Avatar agreed. “You’ve created a sustainable solution, not an artificial structure that requires constant maintenance.”

Silvermoon stood up, feeling her strength returning. Although she was still somewhat weak, her spirits were exceptionally high.

“You have passed the trial,” the Ocean Avatar said with a smile. “You have proven that you possess true wisdom and respect for life. This is precisely the quality represented by the Heart of Light and Darkness—not conquest, but coexistence; not destruction, but creation.”

The surrounding scenery began to blur, and the trial space was about to disappear. But Silvermoon could hear cheers coming from the other side of the continent; people were celebrating the miraculous path that connected the two places.

"Remember what you've learned here," the Ocean Avatar concluded. "True power lies not in how much you can destroy, but in how much you can create, and how many lives you can make better through your efforts."

The light completely faded, and Silver Moon returned to the Crystal Hall. She saw that Rowan had also completed his trial and was standing in the center of the hall, his face also bearing the tranquility of someone who had undergone a spiritual cleansing.

"You're back too," Rowan said with a knowing smile when he saw Silvermoon. "It seems we've both passed the trial."

“Yes,” Silvermoon nodded, “these trials have taught me a lot.”

The two exchanged a smile, both seeing growth and transformation in each other's eyes. They had not only accomplished what seemed like an impossible task, but more importantly, they had come to understand the true meaning of power.

In the center of the hall, the Heart of Light and Darkness still floated, radiating a warm golden light. But now its light seemed softer, as if welcoming the two warriors who had passed the trial.

"Now only Thor is missing," Rowan said, looking at the third pillar of light. "Hopefully, he can complete the trial successfully too."

“He can definitely do it,” Silvermoon said firmly. “The three of us are the best of friends, and I believe in him.”

The two stood silently in the hall, waiting for Thor to complete his trial. Meanwhile, their thoughts drifted to their brother outside the cave, facing alone against the army of dark minions.

"Hong, hang in there," Rowan silently prayed. "We'll finish the trial soon, and we'll be there to help you soon."

Thor felt the third pillar of light completely envelop him, and the intense energy fluctuations made his body tremble slightly. Unlike Rowan and Silvermoon, Thor did not feel warmth, but rather a burning fighting spirit, as if countless war drums were beating in his ears.

As the light faded, Thor found himself standing on the edge of a smoke-filled battlefield. The deafening sounds of fighting, the clanging of swords against metal, and the cries of wounded soldiers echoed in the distance. The air was thick with the stench of blood and gunpowder, making it difficult to breathe.

Thor looked down at himself and saw that he was wearing simple soldier's armor and holding an ordinary longsword. This equipment was completely different from the high-tech armor he usually used.

"What's going on?" Thor looked around in confusion.

Not far away, a veteran with a dirty face was inspecting his equipment. Seeing Thor, the veteran approached: "Rookie? Judging from your bewildered look, is this your first time on the battlefield?"

“Yes,” Thor answered smoothly, “Excuse me, where is this place?”

"This is the Blood and Tears Plains, the battlefield where humans and beastmen fought their final battle," the veteran pointed to the distant battlefield. "See those over there? Those green monsters are the beastmen. They've been besieging us for three months. If we can't break through soon, the entire legion will be wiped out."

Thor looked in the direction the veteran was pointing and saw a battlefield teeming with fighting figures. Human soldiers, clad in tattered armor, were using their flesh and blood to resist the ferocious orc warriors. The orcs were tall and incredibly strong, each swing of their weapons claiming the lives of several human soldiers.

"Is the situation that bad?" Thor frowned.

"It's not just bad, it's utterly hopeless," the veteran shook his head with a bitter smile. "Our supplies have run out, and reinforcements are nowhere to be seen. The commander said today is the last battle; either fight your way out or we all die here."

"So what is our mission?" Thor asked.

"Mission?" The veteran looked at Thor, a hint of sorrow flashing in his eyes. "To survive, if possible. Or rather, to kill as many enemies as possible before we die, to make our sacrifice more worthwhile."

After saying that, the veteran patted Thor on the shoulder: "Remember, there are no heroes on the battlefield, only survivors and the dead. Protect yourself, trust your comrades, and maybe you'll still have a chance to go back alive."

A bugle call sounded in the distance, the signal to assemble. The veteran hurried away, and Thor followed the crowd toward the assembly point.

At the assembly point, Thor saw thousands of soldiers. Most of them were wounded, their armor tattered, and their eyes filled with exhaustion and despair. But when the commander appeared, they all straightened up, their eyes rekindling their will to fight.

"Soldiers!" The commander, a middle-aged man with a scarred face, spoke in a loud and powerful voice, "I won't lie to you, today's battle is a fight to the death. But we have no other choice! Behind us are our homes, our families. If we fall, the orcs will raze our city to the ground and slaughter our loved ones!" The soldiers remained silent, but their eyes grew increasingly resolute.

"I know you're tired, I know you're afraid," the commander continued, "but remember, we are humanity's last line of defense! Today, we will use our own flesh and blood to forge an unyielding Great Wall!"

"For our homeland!" The commander raised his sword high.

"For our homeland!" Tens of thousands of soldiers shouted at the same time, their voices shaking the heavens and the earth.

The war drums sounded, and the charge began.

Thor charged into the battlefield with the crowd. His soldiers roared, their eyes burning with a death-defying glint. These were ordinary people, without powerful laws or advanced technology; all they possessed were their weapons and their determination to defend their homeland.

Soon, the two armies met.

Thor saw a young soldier beside him being cut down by an orc warrior, blood gushing out. He instinctively wanted to unleash his lightning powers, but found that his strength was completely sealed; he was now just an ordinary soldier.

"Damn it!" Thor swung his sword to block an attack from an orc warrior, but the immense force made his hand go numb.

This was his first time fighting as an ordinary person. Without the power of laws, without superhuman strength, he could only rely on skill and courage.

Thor took a deep breath and adjusted his mindset. Although his power was sealed, his combat experience and skills remained. He began to carefully observe the orc warriors' attack patterns, searching for weaknesses.

A sword thrust out, striking the orc warrior precisely in the throat. The massive body crashed to the ground.

"Well done!" exclaimed the veteran beside him in surprise. "You've got some skills, kid!"

But Thor had no time to respond; more enemies were already closing in. The battlefield was a scene of carnage and bloodshed. Thor mechanically swung his sword, parried, and counterattacked; every movement was driven by a desire for survival.

Time blurred during the battle. Thor didn't know how many enemies he had killed, nor how long the battle had lasted. His armor was stained crimson with blood, indistinguishable between enemy and his own. His arms ached, his breathing was rapid, but he couldn't stop; stopping meant death.

Just then, Thor noticed a group of soldiers surrounded by orcs not far away. The leader was a boy who looked only seventeen or eighteen years old, wielding a long spear and fighting desperately, but he clearly wouldn't last long.

"Hold on!" Thor rushed over, slashing down an orc warrior with his sword and relieving the siege of the soldiers.

"Thank you!" the boy said gratefully to Thor.

“You’re welcome, we’re comrades,” Thor said, panting. “We need to cover each other to survive.”

"My name is Allen," the boy introduced himself. "This is my first time participating in a war."

"First time?" Thor looked at the boy in surprise. Although his marksmanship was still raw, the courage in his eyes was no less than that of any veteran.

“Our village was massacred by the orcs,” Allen’s voice trembled. “My parents, brothers, and sisters are all dead. I joined the army to avenge them, to prevent anyone else from experiencing my suffering.”

Thor fell silent. This young man should have been enjoying a peaceful life at home, but war had taken everything from him and turned him into a warrior.

“Stay close to me,” Thor said finally. “I will do my best to protect you.”

“No,” Allen shook his head firmly, “I don’t need protection, I need to fight. Only by fighting can I avenge my family.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than a new wave of orc warriors charged forward. Allen was the first to meet them, his spear moving like a dragon emerging from the sea; though his technique was still somewhat immature, his imposing presence was astonishing.

Thor followed closely behind, fighting alongside Eren. On the brutal battlefield, the two developed a perfect teamwork. Eren was responsible for the offense, while Thor provided cover, compensating for each other's weaknesses.

As the battle progressed, Thor began to understand the deeper meaning of this trial. Rowan's trial was creation, to forge a path. Silvermoon's trial was connection, to reclaim land from the sea. So what was his trial? Was it merely about killing enemies?

Thor looked around and saw countless soldiers fighting valiantly. They weren't fighting to kill, but to protect. Every fallen soldier had given their life for their homeland.

“I see,” Thor murmured to himself, “My trial is not about destruction, but about protection.”

Having figured this out, Thor's fighting style changed. He no longer simply pursued the number of enemies killed, but focused more on protecting his comrades. When soldiers were in danger, he would rush to their rescue; when a team was scattered, he would help them regroup.

"Follow me!" Thor shouted. "Form a defensive formation and cover each other!"

Upon hearing Thor's command, the surrounding soldiers spontaneously began to gather together. Although they didn't recognize Thor, in the chaos of the battlefield, an experienced commander was more important than anything else.

Soon, more than twenty soldiers, including Allen, gathered around Thor. Under Thor's command, they formed a tight combat squad.

"Front row, raise your shields to defend; back row, attack with spears," Thor calmly commanded. "Don't panic, maintain formation!"

This simple yet effective tactic greatly enhanced the squad's combat effectiveness. While the Orc warriors were individually powerful, they struggled to utilize their advantages against a tightly packed formation. Thor's squad began to establish a foothold on the battlefield and even gradually advanced.

"Are you really just a new recruit?" A veteran who had joined the unit at some point asked in surprise, "Your command skills are comparable to those of a professional officer!"

"Don't get distracted on the battlefield," Thor said while parrying attacks. "Survival is the most important thing."

But at that moment, the situation on the battlefield suddenly changed. From behind the orcs, a gigantic figure appeared. It was an orc chieftain over five meters tall, covered in heavy armor, wielding a massive battle axe.

"It's the orc chieftain!" a soldier cried out in terror. "We're doomed!"

(End of this chapter)