Balthakk was before me, likely expecting me to kneel in submission and fear. I knew that kneeling was the easiest way to avoid conflict; if I didn't obey, I could simply be turned to dust. I didn't know the powers of this entity, but I understood that this entity was far beyond my current abilities.
But the pride of being born a prince of Asgard ran deep in my heart, going against my rational thoughts. If I were to die, it would be with my spear plunged into his heart.
"I am Baldur Odinson, and I only bow before my king."
The temple began to tremble, and though Balthakk had no face or body, I could feel his rage.
"Son of Odin!? Do you think you're safe just because you're his son?"
"I can kill you here and now. I doubt he has the courage to come to my dimension."
Each deity had their own dimension. There, they were almost omnipotent and immortal. Winning a fight against a deity in their own dimension was practically impossible.
The walls and ceiling began to crack, showering dust down upon us. At this rate, I would be buried alive.
"Perhaps, but I'm sure you'll never dare to leave your dimension again."
Feeling the tremors in the room intensifying, I prepared for an attack, activating my runes to maximize my powers, even though I knew it was a futile attempt.
"You're right, but I don't think Odin will care if I wipe out one or two of these cities inhabited by these monkeys."
He was right; the Asgardians would only protect Earth if it faced a major invasion that could lead to its destruction.
(He wants something from me. I can use this.)
"What do you want?"
The tremors in the room ceased. Balthakk shrank in size, now appearing as red smoke with black particles emanating from the red diamond.
"You will become my avatar."
"How?"
(I was expecting him to ask for my soul or my powers.)
"Many eras ago, we eight cosmic entities of the Octessence—Watoom, Valtorr, Cytorak, Farallah, Ikonn, Krakkan, and Raggadorr—made a wager. To determine which of us is the most powerful, we created eight magical artifacts with the power to transform ordinary humans into our avatars. The eight avatars would then duel until only one remained, thus deciding the winner."
To my shock, I recognized one of the names: Cytorak, who created the red gem used by Cain Marko, better known as Juggernaut.
"Why me?"
"You possess abilities similar to mine. If you become my avatar, you will have a power akin to mine, ensuring your victory."
"So if I accept, I'll have to fight against the other seven avatars?"
"Wrong. According to our agreement, the artifacts were supposed to be kept in our temples on this underdeveloped planet. Unfortunately, we lost our worshippers, and the temples were forgotten. The only temple that can still be easily found is that of the worm Cytorak. As a backup plan, I created a spear for the purpose of locating that place. It was later found by the fool you defeated."
Now I understood. This was his last chance. He couldn't kill me, but if he killed the innocent people nearby, I could bury this place, ensuring the diamond was never found again. And since I also possessed the spear created by him, the chances of someone finding this place again were zero.
"I refuse."
Being an avatar means I can harness a portion of the entity's powers, but it also means surrendering to its control. I know I can't simply decline without putting Africa in jeopardy. I have an idea of what to do.
Balthakk expands again, clearly intending to attack.
"Then this land will pay with blood."
"I won't be your avatar. Instead, I propose another wager."
"Interesting. Speak then."
Making a bet with a cosmic entity is foolish, but it's my only chance of victory and will buy me time to plan better.
"Simple. I'll fight the other bearer of the gem when the time comes, but not as your avatar. I want you to seal your power within the diamond. I will try to take your power."
"And if my power consumes you?"
"Then you win the bet, and my body will be yours."
It's a high-stakes gamble. If I can control the entity's power, I'll be much more powerful. If I can't, I'll be controlled. The risks and rewards are high.
"Very well! Your powers are akin to mine. If I possess a body like yours, I will undoubtedly be the most powerful of the eight. I accept your wager, Odinson. You have until the defeat of Cytorak's avatar to control my powers. If you fail..."
Balthakk shrinks back into the diamond, disappearing. The immense diamond begins to shrink, becoming the size of a grape, floating towards me, waiting for me to grasp it.
It was a dangerous deal, but now I have the chance to evolve my powers in a cosmic manner.
I take the diamond, feeling an absurd amount of energy coursing through my body. Now I have access to all of Balthakk's power. The problem is, he possesses too much power. I feel like I'll burst like a balloon if I continue touching it. To win the bet, I have to control all this power without being destroyed. I place the diamond in the middle of my spear's shaft. It controls my powers, so perhaps it can give me some control over the diamond.
An explosion erupts from me, with golden, red, and black lights like a nuclear blast, causing the temple to disappear, leaving only a crater with me in the center. Segil now has a diamond embedded in the middle of its shaft. I can use its power whenever I want now. I just have to be careful not to turn into dust in the process.
"PRINCE BALDUR!"
I look around and see General Nordur staring at me from atop the crater created by the explosion, his face etched with concern. He's covered in dust, likely thrown aside by the blast.
"I'm fine."
I leap out of the crater to stand beside the general.
"Is anyone injured?"
"No, sir. All the slaves have returned to their homes. It was just me here."
The explosion obliterated the temple, leaving only a gaping hole in the ground.
"Let's go, general. We must resume our journey."
ONE MONTH LATER
We still haven't found Wakanda. We've been crisscrossing the continent, occasionally stumbling upon people in peril and aiding them.
My trip to Egypt was disappointing. I encountered only a few slaves who had been liberated a bit earlier by me. Unfortunately, I didn't find any gods or magical artifacts.
I've spent most of my time trying to manipulate cosmic energy, with little success, I must admit.
I have until I defeat the Juggernaut to control cosmic energy. I know Juggernaut was born during the Korean War when Cain Marko stumbled upon the ancient temple of Cytorak while deserting the battlefield. But that doesn't mean I have to defeat him the moment he finds the gem.
I'll leave it all to fate. I'll encounter that arrogant fool at some point. Right now, I'm flying over what will later become Somalia. Ahead, in a vast forest, I hear cries of pain.
(A war.)
"General, head in that direction."
The general steers the boat towards the cries, maintaining a safe altitude.
In the middle of the forest, there's a large clearing devoid of trees. In it, a sizable group of people are locked in combat, oblivious to us due to our altitude.
The two groups don't differ much, except that the larger group has someone wearing what appears to be the white hide of a gorilla. He possesses a strength far beyond that of ordinary men, as he effortlessly dispatches an opponent with just his hands.
The smaller group is on the verge of annihilation. Their only advantage seems to be the higher quality of their weapons, some of which appear to be made of a metal far ahead of our time.
(Vibranium.)
Perhaps they don't yet realize the value of the metal, as they've even forged the tips of their arrows with it.
The second group is being pushed back by sheer numbers and forced into a defensive circle. Seizing the opportunity, the first group splits up and encircles them. Their archers take the front lines, ready to decimate the second group after the first wave of arrows.
The ones I believe are from Wakanda raise their shields in a desperate attempt at defense.
(It's time to intervene.)
"General, stay here."
Without waiting for a response, I leap from the boat and land squarely between the two armies. Without hesitation, I thrust the tip of my spear into the ground, igniting golden flames. Unlike before, these flames have hints of black and red, a manifestation of my newfound control over the entity's powers.
The flames race along the ground, forming a circle around the second group just as the enemy arrows are unleashed. As the arrows approach the wall of fire, they turn to ashes.
Everyone is astonished by my grand entrance. The leader of the larger army, the man who cleaved his opponent in two with his bare hands, steps forward to face me.
Clad in the white gorilla hide that covers most of his torso, he wears the gorilla's head as a helmet, obscuring his face from view.
"The small and strange man dares to defy the orders of the monkey god," he declares.
(Great, another god.)
"I shall split the strange man in half as well," he continues, seemingly somewhat deranged, perhaps a consequence of augmenting his strength to such extremes. The gorilla-man looms over me, standing at over three meters tall. He grabs my arms and attempts to pull them apart, his face reddening with exertion.
"Are you okay?" Nordur asks.
I really don't have time for this; the flames will extinguish in a few seconds, leaving them defenseless.
"Strange man not break," he retorts.
I free myself from his grasp and deliver a swift kick to his knee, causing him to bend forward. Then, I strike both his ears with the palms of my hands. The pressure and force cause his face to flatten, and a part of his skull explodes in a small spray of blood.
(Maybe I was a bit too cruel.)
The body slumps to the ground, lifeless. I doubt that the enemy army will retreat just because of this; perhaps the death of their leader will only further motivate them. Seizing the opportunity before my flames extinguish completely, I decide to strike another blow to their morale.
I retrieve Segil from the ground and point it towards the enemy army. The flames around the soldiers of Wakanda coalesce into two small balls hovering near me. Then, I unleash them in two different directions. When they reach the enemy, they explode, claiming the lives of all within a ten-meter radius.
The intense heat of the flames prevents those struck from even uttering a scream; they simply become charred corpses on the ground.
"Retreat or burn," I declare.
Upon seeing the charred bodies of their comrades, they immediately drop their weapons and flee into the forest.
(Looks like I've stumbled into a war,) I think unto myself.