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

Chapter 440 Protecting the Entire Universe!

Indeed, the moment this orc chieftain appeared, the surrounding human soldiers were harvested like wheat. Each swing of its battle axe claimed several lives. Moreover, it seemed to possess some special ability; ordinary weapons were completely ineffective against it.

“Damn it,” Thor gritted his teeth, “we ordinary soldiers are no match for an enemy of this caliber.”

The morale of the human army began to crumble. Faced with such a terrifying enemy, even the bravest warriors would feel despair. Some soldiers began to retreat, and some even threw down their weapons and prepared to flee.

"We can't do this!" Allen suddenly shouted. "If we retreat, what will happen to the cities behind us? What will happen to our families?"

“But we can’t beat that monster at all!” a soldier said in despair.

"We'll fight to the very last moment!" A resolute light burned in Allen's eyes. "I've already lost all my family; I can't let others go through the same pain!"

After saying that, Allen raised his spear and charged towards the orc chieftain.

"Alan! Come back!" Thor shouted, but the boy had already rushed out.

Allen knew he was no match for the orc chieftain, but he also knew that if no one stepped forward, the soldiers' morale would completely collapse. His charge wasn't to kill the enemy, but to awaken the courage in his comrades.

"For our homeland!" Allen's shouts echoed across the battlefield.

His spear thrust at the orc chieftain, but was easily deflected. A massive battle axe swept across, sending Allen flying in an arc through the air.

"No!" Thor rushed over and caught Allen's body.

The boy's chest had been cleaved open by the battle axe, and blood was gushing out. His eyes began to glaze over, but a calm smile remained on his face.

“I did not back down,” Allen said with difficulty. “I protected my home.”

"Don't speak, you'll be alright," Thor's voice trembled slightly.

"Thank you for protecting me. For fighting until now," Allen's voice grew weaker, "...keep going. Keep protecting them. Don't let more people lose their families."

Before he could finish speaking, Allen's arm fell limply to his side, and his eyes slowly closed.

Thor looked down at the young life in his arms, a surge of indescribable emotions welling up within him. This boy should have had a bright future, but war had taken everything from him, ultimately even taking his life.

"Why," Thor murmured to himself, "why must there be war? Why must these innocent people suffer like this?"

He looked up at the orc chieftain who was slaughtering human soldiers. Anger, sorrow, and resentment surged within him.

"What is my trial?" Thor questioned inwardly. "Is it to watch these brave men die? Is it to experience the powerlessness of the weak?"

Just then, Thor suddenly understood. This trial wasn't testing his combat abilities, but rather his heart.

Rowan's trial was creation, learning to forge paths. Silvermoon's trial was connection, learning to live in harmony with nature. And his trial was protection, learning to cherish life and understand the true meaning of battle.

“The battle is not about killing, but about protecting,” Thor gently laid Alan’s body down and stood up. “These soldiers are not destroying, but protecting the world behind them with their lives.”

He picked up the spear that Allen had dropped and turned to face the orc chieftain. Although he was just an ordinary soldier, and although his strength was insignificant compared to that monster, he could not back down.

"Listen up, everyone!" Thor raised his spear. "I know you're afraid, I know you want to run, but remember, our home is behind us! If we retreat, our loved ones will suffer the same fate as Eren!"

The soldiers around him looked at Thor, at the spear in his hand, and at his resolute gaze.

"That boy showed us with his life that some things are more important than life itself," Thor continued, "our courage, our responsibility, our determination to protect our families!"

"We may die, we may not be able to defeat that monster," Thor's voice rose higher and higher, "but at least we fought! At least we protected! At least we did right by the home we left behind!"

His words ignited a fire in the soldiers' hearts. Those who were about to flee stopped in their tracks, the wounded soldiers who had fallen to the ground rose again, and the warriors whose eyes had been filled with despair were reignited with fighting spirit.

"For our homeland!" a soldier shouted.

"For our homeland!" More voices joined in.

"For our homeland!" In the end, tens of thousands of soldiers shouted in unison, their voices shaking the heavens and the earth.

Morale was rekindled, and the human army once again formed battle formation. Although the orc chieftain remained powerful, they were no longer afraid.

"Charge with me!" Thor raised his spear and was the first to charge at the orc chieftain.

He knew he might die, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that his actions awakened the courage in his comrades and made them understand the meaning of the fight.

Just as Thor was about to make contact with the Orc chieftain, a miracle occurred.

A golden beam of light descended from the sky, striking the orc chieftain. The massive body let out a painful roar, and its enormous battle axe fell to the ground.

"Reinforcements have arrived!" someone cheered.

Indeed, dozens of warriors clad in golden armor appeared in the distant sky. They were the kingdom's elite troops, finally arriving on the battlefield at the most crucial moment.

With reinforcements arriving, the tide of battle quickly turned. The orcs began to crumble, and the human army pursued them relentlessly. Thor fought bravely among the enemy, but his mind was no longer on killing them.

He thought of Allen, of the soldiers who fell on the battlefield, of the determination and courage in their eyes. These ordinary people used their own flesh and blood to protect the world behind them. They are the true heroes.

When the battle ended, the blood-soaked field was littered with corpses and broken weapons. The surviving soldiers collapsed to the ground, some weeping, some silent, and some searching for the remains of their fallen comrades.

Thor came to Eren's body and gently closed the boy's still-open eyes.

"Rest in peace," Thor said softly. "You have completed your duty of protection."

The surrounding scenery began to blur, and the trial space was about to disappear. But Thor could hear the voices of the soldiers, mourning their fallen comrades and celebrating their hard-won victory.

"You've grasped the true meaning of battle," the planetary consciousness's voice echoed in Thor's ears. "Power isn't for destruction, but for protection. True strength isn't measured by how many enemies you kill, but by how many lives you protect."

“I understand,” Thor nodded. “Fighting is a means, not an end. Protection is the true meaning of battle.”

“You have passed the trial,” the planetary consciousness said. “You have proven that you possess a heart of protection, the very quality required by the Heart of Light and the Heart of Darkness.” The light completely faded, and Thor returned to the Crystal Hall. He saw Rowan and Silvermoon already waiting there, both with expressions of relief at surviving the ordeal.

"Thor!" Silvermoon greeted him happily, "You've finished too!"

“Yes,” Thor nodded, but his eyes still held the weight of the trial he had just endured, “it was an unforgettable trial.”

“You look like you’ve been through a lot,” Rowan observed Thor’s condition. “Are you alright?”

“It’s nothing, I just saw something that touched me,” Thor took a deep breath. “Now I understand the meaning of power even more.”

The three exchanged a smile, each seeing growth in the other's eyes. Each of them had gone through different trials, but ultimately they all understood the same truth: true power lies not in destruction, but in creation and protection.

In the center of the hall, the light from the Heart of Light and Darkness grew even brighter. It seemed to sense that the three had passed the trial and began to slowly descend.

"We succeeded!" Silvermoon exclaimed excitedly. "We can obtain the Heart of Light and Darkness!"

“Yes, but we can’t forget Hong,” Rowan said seriously. “He’s still out there buying us time; we must complete this final step as soon as possible.”

The three of them simultaneously reached out and touched the Heart of Light and Darkness. A warm energy instantly flowed through their bodies; it was a pure and powerful force that contained both the warmth of light and an understanding of the pain of darkness.

"This is the Heart of Light and Darkness," Rowan felt the power within him. "It's not just a divine artifact, but a symbol of an ideal."

"Creation and protection, connection and harmony," Silvermoon concluded, "this is the true power."

“Now that we possess the Heart of Light and Darkness, we have hope of saving the Lord of Darkness,” Thor said firmly. “But first, we must save Hong!”

The three of them gripped the Heart of Light and Darkness tightly, turned around, and rushed out of the cave.

The three rushed out of the crystal hall and ran upwards along the cave passage. The closer they got to the cave entrance, the denser the dark energy in the air became, and the pungent smell of sulfur and blood mingled together, making them nauseous.

“Hong’s breathing is very weak,” Rowan said anxiously. “He won’t last much longer.”

"Accelerate!" Silver Moon gritted her teeth and pushed her speed to the limit.

When the three rushed out of the cave, the sight before them made their hearts clench.

The space outside the cave entrance was completely shrouded in darkness. Hundreds of dark servants formed a circle and launched a fierce attack on Hong in the center. Hong's golden armor was riddled with cracks, and his body was covered in wounds, from which blood dripped continuously. He knelt on one knee, supporting himself with his sword, but still did not retreat an inch.

“Boom!” Thor roared angrily.

Hearing the familiar voice, Hong struggled to lift his head, a weak smile appearing on his lips: "You...you're finally back. I thought I'd never see you again."

"Damn dark minions!" Rowan unleashed the Storm Law, and a raging hurricane instantly swept across the battlefield, blowing away all the dark minions that were besieging Hong.

Silver Moon also made her move at the same time. The law of ice condensed in the air, and countless ice spikes poured down like a torrential rain, pinning those dark servants to the ground.

Thor's lightning laws transformed into countless bolts of lightning, exploding in the darkness with dazzling light, each strike hitting its target with pinpoint accuracy.

The three attacked in perfect unison, clearing out the enemies near the cave entrance in just a few seconds. Luo Wen rushed to Hong's side and helped his swaying brother up.

“Hang in there, we’re coming,” Rowan said, his voice choked with emotion.

“I…I did it,” Hong said weakly. “I bought you time.”

“You did a great job. Leave the rest to us.” Yin Yue took out a high-grade healing potion from her storage space and fed it to Hong.

After taking the medicine, Hong's injuries began to heal at a visible rate. Although he was still very weak, he was at least out of immediate danger.

"Have you obtained the Heart of Light and Darkness?" Hong asked weakly.

"We obtained it," Rowan showed Hong the crystal ball radiating golden light from his arms, "and we both completed the trial, our strength has also improved."

"That's good," Hong closed his eyes, "I can rest assured for a while now."

“You rest well, leave the rest to us,” Thor said, settling Hong behind a relatively safe rock. “Silvermoon, take care of Hong. Rowan, we’ll go clear out the scum.”

But just then, even more dark servants surged in from all directions. It seemed that news of Hong's battle here had spread, and the Lord of Darkness had dispatched even more troops.

“There are too many,” Silvermoon frowned. “At least a thousand.”

"So what?" Thor's eyes flashed with fighting spirit. "We've just finished our trial; it's a good time to test our new powers."

“That’s right,” Rowan gripped his sword tighter, “and we’re not just fighting now, we’re protecting. Protecting the Flood, protecting the Heart of Light and Darkness, protecting the entire universe.”

The three exchanged a smile and simultaneously released their respective powers of law. However, unlike before, this time their laws incorporated the insights gained from the trial.

Rowan's storm was no longer merely destructive; it carried a creative power within its howling. Wherever the gale passed, it not only repelled enemies but also formed barriers, protecting Hong's position.

Silver Moon's icy power is no longer merely an attack, but a means of creating connections within the freeze. The frost spreads, dividing the battlefield into different zones, restricting enemy movement, and simultaneously creating advantageous terrain for its own forces.

Thor's lightning was imbued with a protective will. Each bolt of lightning struck precisely those enemies who tried to approach Hong, forming an invisible defensive line around his comrades.

The trio's teamwork reached an unprecedented level. They no longer fought individually, but formed an organic whole. Rowan was responsible for controlling the pace of the battlefield, Silvermoon for dividing the enemy, and Thor for precise strikes.

"Storm Domain!" Rowan unleashed his domain, encompassing a space within a thousand meters radius. Within this domain, he was the master, able to manipulate the power of the wind at will.

Countless dark minions were swept into the storm, their bodies torn apart by the gale. But Rowan controlled it precisely; the storm targeted only the enemy, remaining as gentle as a spring breeze to Hong's location.

"Frost Seal!" The power of the Silver Moon's laws condensed into complex patterns in the air. Those patterns, like chains, froze swathes of enemies in place.

"Thunder of Judgment!" Thor raised his right hand, and countless bolts of lightning struck down from the sky, each carrying the power of purification, turning the servants of darkness into ashes.

(End of this chapter)