Marvel: Awakening the Universe.

Chapter 385 The Price of Acquiring the World Tree (Third Update!!!)
If there's anything more bewildering than Thor at this moment, it's time.

If time had a consciousness, its CPU would probably be practically smoking by now.

Unfortunately, it doesn't.

but……

This didn't waste any time at all. Standing above and below the bewildered figure, they stared blankly at the World Tree that had vanished without a trace in their own time.

What happened?
Time is confusing.

Just now, it had already opened its blood-red maw, ready to swallow the World Tree that had fallen into its mouth whole.

But the result is.

The World Tree, which had clearly fallen into its mouth, suddenly bumped its own teeth as it closed its mouth to chew.

Time opened its mouth.

In the mouth—

Empty!

What about the World Tree?

In the blink of an eye, he was completely enraged. Then, the moment he activated Time Reversal, the scene froze at the instant the World Tree collapsed and fell, with golden light completely replacing the white light.

at the same time!

Time also witnessed a phoenix standing atop the collapsing World Tree amidst endless golden light, spreading its wings and soaring high.

And then there's Hawk, sitting cross-legged among the phoenixes, his eyes also gleaming with golden light.

at this time.

Seemingly sensing the gaze of time, Hawke, sitting cross-legged atop the World Tree, instantly locked his shimmering golden pupils with time.

Time was stunned.

Then--

Time is utterly enraged!

at the same time.

At the top of the World Tree, Hawke felt a sudden tremor from his sixth sense and slowly closed his eyes.

Just as he expected.

He was discovered by time.

but!

Before coming here, Hawke had prepared himself for time to discover him and for him to bear the consequences.

In any case, the most that will happen is that his Gwent will be banished to Earth in some multiverse.

and then?
Does it dare to erase the traces of Gwen's existence from time?

No.

Time dares not, at least not before Hawke dies.

Because Gwen is his wife, from the moment she uttered her wedding vows that day, Gwen had already left the main universe's timeline and existed at a fixed point in Hawk's timeline.

Time doesn't have that capability.

even……

Not only is Time unable to erase Gwen, but even if Time banishes Gwen to Earth in some multiverse, it cannot find a way to harm Gwen; in fact, it needs to ensure Gwen's survival.

one more time.

Until Hawke dies, they must ensure that Gwen survives unharmed.

Hawke actually really wanted to not back down and kill Gwen while transferring her to some multiverse Earth.

Because in this way, he can resurrect Gwen in his own timeline.

then……

The moment Gwen is resurrected, time itself will collapse.

Don't ask Hawke why he's so sure.

Because Gwen is Hawke's time trap.

Then the problem is coming.

Will time dare to banish Gwen again?

The answer is yes.

It still dares.

after all……

This is the only way for time to instinctively vent its anger, even if it seems frustrating.

But no matter how frustrating it is, it's still better than doing nothing.

because--

Time is inviolable!

Any act that offends time will be punished by time.

On the world tree.

Hawke sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, his expression calm.

only……

At this moment, a fire of anger was building up inside Hawke.

He originally thought he was prepared to bear the consequences of whatever he did.

Just like he always has.

Hawke never felt any regret or apology for anything he did.

He originally thought this time would be the same.

Because Gwen was already prepared.

Hawke is also ready.

But he found out.

When the consequences actually came, he was not prepared.

"I am your wife."

"Whether in good times or bad, in wealth or poverty, in health or sickness, in joy or sorrow, I will love you, cherish you, and be loyal to you without reservation, until death do us part!"

"I am Gwen Phoenix!"

"I am your wife."

"..."

Hawke recalled how Gwen had hugged him and whispered her wedding vows in his ear before he left that day.

"A temporary separation is only for a long-lasting future together." "So..."

"I'm waiting for you to come back to me, my husband!"

"I will."

"boom!"

Hawk, who was sitting cross-legged on the World Tree, was surrounded by towering golden phoenix flames. Then, Hawk reopened his eyes, his heart as still as water, and stood up from the World Tree without any expression. He looked down at the World Tree below him.

The gap in the World Tree, which Surtur had cleaved in two with his flaming greatsword, was now flowing with phoenix fire that had turned into lava.

This is the life-giving flame of the phoenix.

Hawke acted at the right time and did the right thing, thus getting ahead of time and swallowing the World Tree the moment it collapsed.

This completely fulfilled the "mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind" scenario, turning all the calculations in the main universe's timeline into Hawke's prize.

but……

This is not the end, it's just the beginning.

Although Hawke swallowed the World Tree, the World Tree was still in grave danger.

Simply put.

Hawke only managed to prop up the World Tree just as it broke; he hasn't completely repaired it yet.

The loss of Midgard, Asgard, and Helheim caused a massive loss of the World Tree's essence. In addition, the long-term conflict with the main universe has left the World Tree in a state of critical illness, like a patient lying in the ICU.

The reason why Helheim also disappeared is actually quite simple.

Because Helheim is located below Asgard.

Surtur, the fire giant, delivered his final blow, taking away not only Asgard but also Helheim.

therefore……

"If I need to revitalize the World Tree, I must thoroughly replenish the lost essence of the entire World Tree."

"Otherwise, all of this is nothing but a mirage."

Hawk emerged from the surging golden light, his Phoenix Cloth parts rapidly disintegrating into a phoenix soaring atop the World Tree, radiating endless golden light and becoming a new flame that illuminates the five remaining kingdoms of the World Tree.

Oh, I forgot to mention it.

Surtur also disappeared, and naturally, the eternal fire that was imagined to never be extinguished also disappeared along with it.

and so……

"Trouble!"

Hawke, now sporting waist-length golden hair, took off his Phoenix Cloth, glanced up at it, shook his head, sighed, and muttered to himself, "Never mind, let's deal with the easy stuff first. Let's get Hades out of here."

Say it.

Hawke took a step and arrived at the World Tree connection point where Helheim was originally located.

The projection of the Phoenix Universe appeared instantly.

into the eye.

In the Phoenix Universe, the Underworld, which also presents a flat and round sky, was placed in the original location of Helheim with a thought from Hawke, just like dragging a file from a folder on a computer and placing it on the desktop.

Rumble!
The moment the Underworld, having moved to its new home, was fully settled in the location of Helheim, a tremendous roar resounded.

The World Tree, and even the Underworld, trembled at this moment.

next second.

puff!
Hawke's face suddenly flushed red, and then, his mouth opened uncontrollably, spitting out a mouthful of golden blood.

"damn it."

"If you do not submit to me, you will die!"

"I'm trying to help you."

Hawke, who spat out a mouthful of blood, looked limp the moment he fell onto the Netherworld soil where ordinary souls were placed. However, he quickly got up, looked up at the World Tree, and cursed angrily.

The World Tree trembled once more.

It seems to be saying...

roll!
I would rather die than submit.

As the World Tree trembled once more, Hawk, who had forcibly replaced Helheim with his own Netherworld, turned red again and spat out a second mouthful of golden blood.

"Fuck Fuck!"

"If you don't eat the toast, you will be punished with a drink."

"Row!"

"You won't let me touch you, huh?"

"I'm going to touch it, and not only touch it, I'm going to stick my hellhole in there."

Hawke was furious at the World Tree's unyielding spirit. He casually wiped his mouth with blood, then sat cross-legged on the Netherworld, cursing, "Anyway, it's just the two of us left here. I want to see if you can outlast me or I can. I'm giving you one last chance, so don't push your luck!"

talking.

Hawke closed his eyes completely, and the phantom of a phoenix was projected behind him.

only……

It seemed that because he had spat out two mouthfuls of primordial blood, Hawke's phoenix phantom became much more blurred when it was projected this time.

And it was at the very moment Hawke closed his eyes.

I don’t know how long it took.

Behind him, wisps of black mist began to seep out from the ground of the underworld, silently and slowly condensing into a black figure.

After the black figure appeared, it looked at Hawk, who was facing away from it and constantly burning his golden cosmos, and then looked up at the World Tree, which was rustling and seemed to be fighting Hawk in real time.

next second.

The black figure couldn't help but lick its lips, and a very distinctive black blade began to appear on its right hand, which was now converging.

It's a very special kind of black, just exceptionally black.

It was even darker than the shadow itself.

But just as the shadowy figure gripped the blade, it seemed to remember something and stopped again, looking at Hawke who had suddenly stopped moving.

Almost at the very moment the shadow was about to disappear.

puff!
With a thunderous roar from the World Tree, as if it would rather die than bend, Hawke once again spat out a mouthful of golden blood.

next moment.

Without hesitation, the shadowy figure emerged completely from the shadows, took three steps in two, grabbed its particularly dark blade, and stabbed it directly through Hawke's chest from behind!
Hawke screamed in agony!

"what!"

"..."

(End of this chapter)