mtl008 Chapter 3708 Doomsday (1)
Chapter 3708 Doomsday (1)
Chapter 3708 Doomsday (Part 1)
Manhattan is far busier than the suburbs. In the summer, New York occasionally experiences light rain. The raindrops left early this morning made the ground sparkle, and many people were jogging and exercising on the paths of Central Park. As Steve ran past downstairs, Schiller, sitting behind his desk, stretched and put aside the parchment scroll covered in various mysterious runes.
He took out cable ties from the drawer, bundled the parchment scroll he had just written on, ticked it off on the schedule, and picked up the phone next to him to call Strange.
"I've finished writing out all the props for the film shoot. Should I send them to the Sanctuary now, or wait until you return to New York to pick them up?...Didn't you say you'd be back today?"
Schiller glanced at his watch with some confusion, then said, "You've been busy for half a month now. Loki is nowhere to be seen either. Has something happened in Asgard?"
Strange said a few words over there. Schiller sighed and said, "Alright, I'm going to the Sanctum Sanctorum now. You wait for me there."
Schiller went downstairs, got into his car, and arrived on Wall Street before Manhattan's morning rush hour. He walked into the Sanctuary, greeted the receptionist, and went straight into Strange's office.
As soon as he arrived, a portal opened in front of him. Strange and Loki walked out one after the other. Schiller's gaze swept back and forth between the two of them.
“Something’s happened,” Strange said.
"What exactly happened?" Schiller asked.
“Don’t tell me you know nothing about it.” Loki walked to the sofa next to him and sat down, sighing as he said, “The conflict between the three great empires is getting more and more intense. In the past two weeks, their highest military commanders have all sent letters to Asgard, all trying to win Asgard’s support.”
“That’s a good thing.” Schiller lowered his eyes and sat down on the sofa in the reception area. Strange went to pour them drinks.
“Thor is currently holding off the pressure as much as he can. But you know, once a full-blown interstellar war breaks out, Asgard cannot remain neutral indefinitely. We’ve been having heated discussions about this recently. You understand, Asgard is full of warmongers.”
Strange placed two glasses of whiskey in front of the two men, then sat down on the opposite sofa with a glass of whiskey of his own. He looked at Schiller and said, "Even with preparations for Steve's birthday party, you couldn't possibly be completely oblivious to the situation in the universe. Even ordinary people and governments have heard about it. I've been reassuring various governments lately, putting their minds at ease about the fear of interstellar war."
“When we started this war, we knew this day would come,” Loki said, shaking his head slightly. “To break the stagnant interstellar order and secure a better position for the Nine Realms, growing pains are inevitable. The problem now is that once we decide to get involved, the Nine Realms are hardly guaranteed to be safe.”
“Karmar-Taj and Asgard discussed many options.” Strange interlaced his fingers, his forearms resting on his knees, and said, “The Nine Realms have a well-known weakness: the World Tree. If anything happens to the World Tree, the Nine Realms will collapse instantly. The dimension where Earth is located will also be affected. We know this ourselves, and the three great empires know it too.”
“So rather than inviting them, they’re threatening them,” Loki said, taking a sip of his drink. “They all possess weapons capable of threatening the World Tree. If pushed to the limit, they might just use those weapons to drag the entire Asgard down with them.”
Schiller nodded, seemingly unsurprised. Asgard's fighting style was well-worn: lightning-fast decapitation strikes centered around the Allfather. No matter where they attacked, they charged in, leaping forward and stunning their opponent with a single punch.
They had also had many conflicts with the three great empires, but never engaged in direct warfare. Odin understood that the Asgardians alone could never destroy any of the three great empires, because their mode of warfare lacked the capability for direct combat.
Even if Asgard's most effective decapitation tactics succeed once all-out war begins, the enemy army will undoubtedly have already reached the gates of the Nine Realms. They won't have enough troops to withstand such a relentless onslaught. Once the World Tree falls, the Nine Realms will be utterly destroyed.
In terms of sheer size, each of the three empires is a well-trained army, while Asgard is a peerless martial arts master. Although he can easily storm into the command center and pose a deadly threat to the enemy's leader, once the army is mobilized, he has no way to escape.
Therefore, the three great empires possess the resources to threaten Asgard. Although they are currently at war with each other, they still have the capacity to divide their forces to deal with Asgard. "If you don't help me, I'll beat you up." Even if Asgard can keep attackers out without taking the initiative, fighting a war on its own soil is always a losing proposition. If even one or two branches of the World Tree are damaged, it will be difficult to recover them.
“I can assure you that the Shi'ar Empire will not make a move,” Schiller simply said. “No matter how much pressure they put on you, it’s all just a performance. What you need to focus on are those two mechanical civilizations.”
"Those two are our biggest concern. The Shi'ar Empire's ultimate weapon is the Great Portal, but it's not just a weapon; it's also a very important tool for their own country, and they won't use it lightly. The strategic weapons possessed by the other two empires, however, are not so easy to deal with."
Schiller knew that, just as many countries on Earth possess nuclear weapons, many advanced civilizations possessed strategic weapons—weapons that, once deployed, would wipe out everyone, a single strike capable of deciding victory or defeat. These weapons could destroy a galaxy at best, and shatter an entire dimension at worst. So far, no country had actually used such strategic weapons, which precisely demonstrated their immense deterrent power.
In this situation, neither side can afford to push the other into a corner, otherwise the other side will drag everyone down with them. But before that, they can naturally use the deterrent power of this strategic weapon to win over allies. The more powerful allies they have, the greater their bargaining power. The more room for negotiation after the ceasefire, the greater the room for maneuver. War is merely a means; what they want is profit.
Asgard is currently caught in this predicament. The three great empires are locked in a fierce battle, exchanging blows and escalating the conflict, which is now approaching the star system level. The next level would be the star cluster level. The thousand-year war between the Kree and Skrull empires has remained at this level.
In this situation, everyone desperately wanted to end the war, yet no one wanted to stop it while suffering losses on their side. Every empire needed a shot in the arm, and Asgard was the best ally.
While Asgard might not excel in direct combat, their blitzkrieg capabilities are most effective when someone is engaged in direct warfare, making them a formidable strategic deterrent. Every empire's leader fears a sudden, unexpected attack from Asgard. Regardless of the losses, the sheer humiliation is undeniable.
Don't assume that a tightly controlled mechanical civilization like the Kree Empire doesn't need strategic confidence. While their main population does indeed obey the Supreme Intelligence, their territories contain many subordinate civilizations, including several advanced civilizations just below the level of a major empire, much like the United States and its allies.
Every time the United States goes to war, it not only seeks victory, but a crushing, overwhelming victory—a resounding triumph—all to boost the confidence of its allies. Even in defeat, it strives for honor. If the war is lost and the country is exposed, the consequences are far more severe than mere personnel losses. Once the myth of invincibility is shattered, morale will inevitably waver, severely undermining the foundation of the nation.
The three great empires all understood that Asgard wouldn't cooperate willingly, so they naturally resorted to coercion and enticement. It's easy to imagine the immense pressure Thor and Loki endured during this period.
"Tell me your plans," Schiller said, shaking the glass as he watched the ice ball inside gradually melt.
"First, we must ensure the safety of the nine kingdoms. At this critical juncture, the three great empires will definitely be up to something. So recently, we will seal off the dimensional passages between the nine empires, and no one can travel between the kingdoms without Asgard's permission."
“Secondly, Asgard will comprehensively strengthen the defenses within the nine kingdoms,” Loki said, glancing at Strange. “That’s what we’ve been busy with lately. We’ll station troops in each kingdom to deal with any unforeseen events.”
“Oh, that’s a bit sensitive,” Schiller nodded. “Let me think…you’re definitely not the commander of the garrison, are you?”
“How could it be me?” Loki smiled helplessly. “Those people won’t listen to me. The general sent to Midgard this time is Heimdall.”
"It seems you value this place."
"Of course, the Central Court's strategic position is now second only to Asgard and Vanaheim. This is thanks to humanity's own efforts, and also related to Thor's change in governance style."
"Okay, where do you plan to station your troops?"
“We’re discussing this,” Loki said, taking another sip of his drink. “We plan to build the base on Uranus. That way, it’s farther from Earth, so it won’t cause you any panic, but it’s closer to the starport, which will protect humanity’s most valuable cosmic assets.”
“Uranus?” Schiller frowned slightly and said, “That’s not a good place. I thought you would choose Pluto. Or is it that the special low temperature there is more conducive to certain races settling there long-term?”
Loki pursed his lips and said, "Although no one in Asgard listens to me, I am, after all, a Frost Giant. The Frost Giants were severely weakened by Odin back then, almost to the point of extinction. I went to unite the remnants of the Frost Giants and prepared to send them to Uranus. At least they are a force to be reckoned with."
"It seems you don't quite trust Heimdall."
“From Asgard’s perspective, he is trustworthy. But all Asgardian warriors have one problem: they are too warlike,” Loki sighed. “When faced with problems, they don’t choose to handle them calmly; instead, they resort to violence. Heimdall is considered relatively rational among Asgardians, but it’s hard to say whether he might escalate the conflict if he encounters an enemy. That would be bad for both Asgard and Earth.”
“Are you sure you can control your own kind?” Schiller took a sip of his cold wine and said, “It’s not that I don’t trust your abilities, but the Frost Giants seem to be more volatile than the Aesir.”
“The volatile ones are all dead,” Loki laughed again. “Thanks to the Allfather, the most warlike Frost Giants have all been killed. The rest are either more moderate or have some brains; most of them are anti-war factions among the Frost Giants, and they are relatively easier to control.”
"Alright, if you insist on doing it this way, I won't object. Also, I reminded you before to go to the dark elves to retrieve Laufey's skull, why didn't you go?"
“Not now,” Loki said. “We have to wait until the Frost Giants recover, and then, as Laufey’s son, I’ll go after the Frost Giants to retrieve the bones, and while I’m at it, I’ll wipe out the Dark Elves who insulted the remains of the Frost Giant King. That way, I’ll have a legitimate reason to go after them.”