บท 37: CHAPTER 37

At this moment, Rhodes unleashed a dazzling beam of light, aiming it directly at God King Odin. Simultaneously, he swung his fist, and the eternal spear met his luminous onslaught, creating a deafening clash of forces.

Inhabitants of Asgard gazed upon a spectacle akin to a second sun.

Seizing this chaotic moment, Heimdall, though severely wounded, summoned his last reserves of divine power to create a rainbow bridge.

The immense impact launched God King Odin, caught in the explosion's midst, backwards. He crashed through the throne of the God King and tumbled out of the Odin Temple.

And Heimdall, too, remained steadfast in his resolve. Using the last traces of his strength, he constructed the rainbow bridge. The other end of this bridge led directly to the sun, the supreme force within the solar system.

Rhodes, meanwhile, was hurled a considerable distance by the explosive eruption. But as he regained his footing, he sensed something amiss.

An unfathomable suction force, originating from behind him, now drew him in relentlessly. Though Rhodes exerted his utmost effort to resist, it proved futile. In a matter of seconds, he succumbed to its pull, along with fragments of the Temple of Odin.

The colossal suction extended its grasp to encompass the entirety of the Odin Temple. Asgardian gods, lying helpless after their defeats by Rhodes, found themselves drawn into this vortex. But just as they neared the Rainbow Bridge, it abruptly sealed shut, ending the tremendous pull.

In the nick of time, Rhodes had entered the far end of the Rainbow Bridge. It wasn't that Heimdall sought to prevent harm to other Asgardian gods; rather, Heimdall's own divine power had been depleted. If Rhodes had persisted for a mere second longer, he might have avoided the fate of being ensnared within the Rainbow Bridge's vortex. However, no one could withstand the sun's terrifying gravitational force, not even Rhodes in his current state.

With the Rainbow Bridge safely transporting Rhodes into the sun, Heimdall let out a sigh of relief before losing consciousness entirely.

For a considerable time afterward, Asgard's gods lay sprawled on the ground, appearing lifeless. Except for the faint sounds of their breathing, they remained utterly immobile, their severe injuries rendering them powerless.

Had Heimdall not employed the Rainbow Bridge to transport Rhodes to the sun in the final moments of the battle between God King Odin and Rhodes, the entirety of Asgard's gods might well have succumbed to Rhodes' might alone, leaving none to oppose him.

Fortunately, their gambit had succeeded.

Rhodes experienced a nightmarish, inexorable pull that inexorably drew him back. As he passed through the Rainbow Bridge, he realized that its trace had vanished entirely.

Only then did he comprehend that Heimdall had employed the same tactic against him that he had once used against Thanos, who sought to confront the Hulk. Heimdall had teleported Rhodes, albeit unwillingly, away from the Temple of Odin.

Rhodes vented his anger with a stream of expletives aimed at Heimdall, including references to the deity's ancestors spanning eighteen generations. Yet Rhodes was unaware that he was now suspended within the vacuum of the universe, making it impossible for Heimdall in Asgard to hear his tirade.

Rhodes, in the absence of air in the vacuum, began to experience suffocation. But then, a notification from his system provided relief:

"Ding, the host [Rhodes] has acquired [Vacuum Survival], enabling survival under vacuum conditions."

Rhodes breathed a sigh of relief. He realized that, had he not acquired this ability, he would have suffocated in the vastness of space before avenging Hela's torment.

Rhodes continued to float toward the sun's core under the influence of its gravitational pull. As he approached the sun, the system automatically bolstered his body to withstand the extreme conditions.

As Rhodes drew closer to the sun, he welcomed the gradual augmentation of his strength, courtesy of the sun's energy.

Viewing himself as a limitless solar power bank, Rhodes absorbed the sun's radiant energy, rapidly advancing toward the sun's core. As he journeyed, the system continued to enhance his physique.

However, the monotony of life on the sun soon began to wear on Rhodes. It was an environment where nothing but him could survive.

He lamented, "When will I be released from this prison? There's nothing to do but bask in the sun's rays. That Heimdall must have sent me here to die of boredom."

Innocently, Heimdall had merely intended to incinerate Rhodes with the sun's fury, a plan gone awry as Rhodes proved to be indestructible.

With no other options, Rhodes reclined on the sun's surface, deciding to catch some sleep. It was an unusual prospect, as he became perhaps the first being ever to slumber on the sun.

Rhodes awoke, only to find that he had been asleep for an extraordinarily long time. During his slumber, Earth had transitioned through millennia, advancing from ancient Greece and Rome to the technological marvels of the 21st century.

Heroes like Thor, Hulk, Captain America, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Black Widow, and others had emerged, their powers evolving as they became Earth's protectors.

As humanity advanced, so did their technological prowess. While not reaching the heights of Wakanda or Asgard, Earth's science and technology had progressed significantly since ancient times.

One day, NASA and various international space organizations collaborated in their exploration of the universe, searching for celestial phenomena to advance their technological understanding.

Suddenly, the United States' space station detected a disconcerting change in the sun. An American official answered the call, his blond hair reflecting his American nationality.

"NASA headquarters here, please state your report."

The voice on the other end belonged to the Nassar Space Station. "This is the Nassar Space Station. It appears the sun is exhibiting unusual fluctuations, as if its light is wavering."

"What? The sun's light wavering? Are you certain?"

The incredulous NASA official could hardly fathom the gravity of the situation.

"I assure you, we're not making this up. It's true. I guarantee this statement on behalf of the United States' space station."

Shortly after, NASA headquarters began receiving numerous calls from civilians across the United States. Each one carried a message of alarm.

"The sun's light is flickering, and it seems the sun is on the brink of explosion."

These reports, consistently repeating the same dire news, left the staff at NASA headquarters shaken. Though they knew that the sun would eventually extinguish when its internal heat waned, it shouldn't be happening so soon.

NASA's top officials received a call from the White House, instructing them to investigate the matter with urgency.

To do so, they utilized one of NASA's black technologies—an astronomical telescope capable of withstanding the sun's intense rays—to study the sun's movements and gather information.

Meanwhile, on Earth, the sunlight flickered like a disturbed reflection on water, a phenomenon that could not be attributed to clouds or atmospheric disturbances. This peculiar occurrence spanned the entire planet, inciting widespread fear and curiosity.

The situation demanded NASA's full attention, for the unthinkable was unfolding: the sun, the lifegiver of the solar system, was demonstrating signs of a cataclysmic event.