Kamar-Taj “Enlightenment” (Part Two)

The power hierarchy in the Marvel world was actually quite orderly. Though some comics often pulled stunts that broke both the upper and lower limits, there was generally still a basis to follow.

The oft-repeated ranking was the cosmic classification. From smallest to largest, it went: Single Universe, Multiverse, Megaverse, Omniverse, and Unique—five levels in total.

Most heroes familiar to Marvel movie audiences belonged to the Single Universe level, such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, and so on.

Readers who had seen some comics might know of the beings at the other levels, such as the Multiverse-level Five Creator Gods. Of course, the most widely known was Thanos wearing the Infinity Gauntlet, the ultimate villain of the Movie Universe.

Yet even Gauntlet-wielding Thanos was only at the Multiverse level. Many beings possessed abilities beyond his.

The most famous being in the Megaverse was Goddess of Vengeance. In fact, Goddess of Vengeance was the true origin of the Infinity Stones.

The story was simple. Goddess of Resurrection grew bored of living, so she turned herself into six gems. Therefore, if one wanted to trace the true culprit behind Thanos’s snap, it went all the way back to the Megaverse-level Goddess of Vengeance.

Above that, at the Omniverse level, there were also two famous figures: the Living Tribunal, a former nobody who rose to greatness, and the widely known Phoenix Force.

The Living Tribunal had originally been created by Goddess of Vengeance, but was later killed by the Beyond-Realm Gods. Adam among them became the new Living Tribunal, directly serving the big boss of the entire Marvel Universe, OAA.

There was even less need to mention the Phoenix Force. The Marvel Universe never lacked Phoenix fanatics. However, one point needed to be clarified: the Omniverse-level Phoenix Force referred to its most complete form. Beneath it was also the King of White Phoenix, a Multiverse-level being.

It should be noted that the complete Phoenix Force had never truly appeared in the Marvel Universe. Even the strongest King of White Phoenix was merely a tiny avatar of the complete Phoenix Force, utterly insignificant compared to the true Phoenix Force.

Above this level was the omniscient and omnipotent OAA, the undisputed big boss of the Marvel Universe.

These hierarchical settings were actually more complicated than they looked, because one also had to distinguish their positions, behavioral logic, origins, and so on.

For example, although Spider-Man was a Single Universe-level being, the Spider Totem behind him was Multiverse-level, and the Morlun Family was Multiverse-level as well.

This example alone showed that not all Multiverse-level beings were equal. The Morlun Family and the King of White Phoenix were both Multiverse-level beings, but the gap in their strength was worlds apart.

You might be wondering how weak a Multiverse-level being could possibly be.

But in the comics, the Morlun Family had no particularly impressive feats either. Their so-called power-draining depended more on countering their opponents, who were basically all at the Single Universe level. They only made it to the Multiverse level because the Master Weaver opened the door for them. Pure nepotism.

Returning to Dimensional Demon Gods, this concept was also a general term. Its members included beings at both the Multiverse and Single Universe levels.

Among them, the mighty Lord of the Crimson Dimension, Setar’ak, was a major Multiverse-level figure. Not only could he ignore the effects of the Infinity Stones, but within his own domain, he could beat up anyone he pleased.

A step below him was Dormammu of the Dark Dimension. In the early settings, he had been incredibly powerful, described as second only to the old Living Tribunal. Later, though, he became rather underwhelming.

Then there were beings like Shuma-Gorath, originating from the Cthulhu Mythos, and the reportedly even stronger but relatively obscure Zom.

And, of course, the Vishanti Trinity and the like.

Beyond them, there were Hell Lords such as Mephisto, Lucifer, and Blackheart, all of whom could also be considered Demon Gods.

These settings sounded rather mystical and complicated, but from another angle, they were easy enough to understand.

For example, these Demon Gods did not avoid dealing with one another. They knew each other, had formed organizations together, joined forces when facing trouble and crises, and promptly split apart after cooperating.

Didn’t that sound familiar?

That was right. They were like an enlarged, evil version of a superhero team. The members knew and were familiar with one another, lived in different territories, but occasionally chatted. When something happened, they formed temporary war councils, and when disagreements arose, they fought fiercely.

They also understood tactics like forming alliances, borrowing strength to strike with strength, and defeating the strong with the weak. Mephisto had once become paranoid, believing Dormammu intended to destroy him, so he gathered Hela, Mephisto, Hades, and others for a war meeting to deal with Dormammu.

Their meetings were no different from those of superheroes. They found a table to sit around, voiced their opinions, then parted on bad terms and let the matter fizzle out.

In the Fear Itself side story, even Lord of the Crimson Dimension Setar’ak, Great Demon Shadow Shathra, and Shuma-Gorath participated in a meeting. It was basically everyone sitting in a circle and taking turns speaking. In the end, Mephisto made a shocking statement, but it was actually useless.

This proved that they had stable social relationships, as well as their own interests and positions.

The stronger ones tended to appear detached from worldly affairs. Setar’ak, for example, could close his door and live perfectly well on his own, making him seem free of desires.

But that was not actually the case. In the comics, Setar’ak had also organized his own Demon God team to come to Earth and establish influence. As for Dormammu, there was even less need to say anything. If he went a day without coming to Earth to spread darkness, he felt uncomfortable.

The Demon Gods weaker than them fought even more nakedly for power. To gain greater strength and larger territories, they had small fights every three days and major fights every five. Once the fighting got underway, the fractured realms became a complete mess, and every so often they would stir up some major incident.

"It’s difficult to expect Demon Gods born from chaos and disorder to understand rules and order," The Ancient One concluded. "Their pursuit of power is innate, carved into their instincts."

"I don’t quite understand." Strange asked in confusion, "If they want power, then they can pursue power. Why come to Earth? What does Earth have that attracts them?"

"Earth is special. It is the center of the universe." The Ancient One’s tone remained calm and unhurried.

Just as Strange was about to speak, The Ancient One explained, "I know that in your worldview, Earth may be just an ordinary planet in the universe. The Sun is the center of the Solar System, and the Milky Way Galaxy is incomparably vast. But in the theories of the Multiverse and dimensions, that is not the case."

"The vast majority of extra-dimensional Demon Gods come from Earth. Part of their power comes from the faith of Earth’s believers. That is why they wish to expand their influence here and gain greater power. It is an instinct no Demon God can escape, even one as powerful as Dormammu."

Then The Ancient One’s tone became lighter. "That is why I said your plan has brought me many pleasant surprises. You have grasped the key point."

"Though dimensions cannot be simply understood in terms of distance, if I must explain it through concepts you can understand, then the current situation is this: the Crimson Dimension is relatively close to Earth, the Hell Dimension is not far either, and Dormammu’s Dark Dimension is relatively farther away, closer to the fractured realms, though it is actually still quite close."

"With these three dimensions in place, most weaker Demon Gods cannot extend their territories to Earth. This is also the tacit understanding that several generations of Earth’s Sorcerer Supremes reached with them."

"But the problem is that with these three dimensions in place, the other Demon Gods lack the power to extend their territories here. I would not mind taking their power for my own use, but they are shut outside the door, and it is rather troublesome to go out every time."

Strange could even hear a hint of anticipation in The Ancient One’s voice as she continued, "There are fewer and fewer Demon Gods who dare to charge headfirst into Earth now. Many of the newer generation have grown smarter. Even if they need to find other Demon Gods in this region, they first go knock on Odin’s door."

The Ancient One shook her head and said, "Demon Gods who run to the skies above Earth and loudly proclaim that they will rule the planet have not appeared for a very long time."

Whether it was an illusion or not, Strange actually heard deep regret in those words.

"When I first became Sorcerer Supreme, I lacked experience. I handled such matters too rashly, and now there is no one left to follow." The Ancient One spoke in a low tone.

But considering this Sorcerer Supreme’s past experiences, Strange knew she regretted hitting too hard when she was younger. The Demon Gods who came to Earth had been beaten so badly that most no longer dared to come.

"Fortunately, you will certainly be a qualified successor."

Strange hurriedly said, "This plan still requires your help. We still have many difficulties that have not been overcome."

"I can help you contact the Vishanti. I believe they will be very interested in this plan."

"There is another question. Regarding the power of Demon Gods, I already knew there were many different Demon Gods in the universe, but is their power interchangeable? Can it be treated as a universal equivalent, like money?"

"If their powers were not interchangeable at all, why would they fight over territory?" The Ancient One asked Strange in return.

Strange thought about it. That was indeed true. If attacking another party could not seize power that one could use, then why fight at all?

"The origin of the universe remains constant. Power is merely its manifestation. If there is an exception, it is Earth."

The Ancient One revealed more secrets to Strange. "Earth—or rather, the faith of Earth’s humans—is different. Humans on Earth can provide Demon Gods with the purest power. That is why they go to every length to compete for believers on Earth."

"Though the powers between Demon Gods can also be converted into one another, it takes time and involves losses."

Strange stroked his chin. He understood what The Ancient One meant.

Simply put, the power of human faith was like a serving of wagyu beef: delicious and nutritious. Other Demon Gods’ power was more like black bread: unpleasant in texture and difficult to eat, but still filling.

The main reason this plan could succeed was that most Cosmic Demons born from chaos pursued power without end, like Big Eaters who could never be full.

If obtaining a wagyu steak and a loaf of black bread required the same effort, everyone would certainly choose the former. But if the choice became one wagyu steak or a ton of black bread, then those Big Eaters with bottomless appetites would definitely choose the latter.

To Strange’s surprise, not only did The Ancient One not think this plan was underhanded, she also swiftly helped him refine its occult implementation. She continued, "All-Father Odin is the rightful ruler of the Nine Realms, as well as the nominal lord and king of Midgard. If a conference is to be held, it must be in a temple of Asgard."

"Let’s do this." The Ancient One said directly, "In a moment, I’ll take you to see Odin. We can discuss this plan together and see when his temple will be free. I imagine the next few days should work."

Then she turned to Wong beside her and said, "Have Mordo communicate with the Dark Dimension and ask whether Dormammu has time recently."

"You personally communicate with the Crimson Dimension. I remember Setar’ak has already finished his previous season of slumber. Though he is a neutral Demon God, he should be willing to join in the excitement."

"What was the name of the apprentice who contacted Mephisto last time? Lucas? Then have him ask whether that Lord of Hell has time recently."

"I remember Vatumb recently went to the Realm of Lingering. I don’t know whether he has returned. If he has, remember to send someone to invite him. Kalakhan was beaten half to death last time, so he probably has not recovered yet…"

The Ancient One shook her head and said with some frustration, "Counting it all up, there are far too few who are useful."

Looking up information has completely confused me. Is the Morlun Family really this weak?

Where are their feats? Their presence? Their cool entrances?

If anyone has found something, send it over. I couldn’t find any famous feats myself. (The only one was fighting the Cosmic Worm, and that was an attribute counter.)

Come on, you’re really weak.