Chapter 183: As If From Hell, As If From the Underworld (Extra Chapter)

Countless people looked toward the sound, momentarily stunned.

Every hair stood on end, souls shivering with cold.

"My heavens." Director Takahashi stared behind Lei Shen Thor, who stood before the Gates of Heaven, so frightened that beyond an exclamation he could not utter a single word.

Squad after squad of divine-armored soldiers marched forward, emerging from behind Lei Shen Thor along a celestial bridge that stretched from the vault of heaven into the depths of the sky's chaotic mist.

The celestial bridge was magnificent, broad as the surging Yellow River, formed of seven-colored divine light, radiant and gleaming, its divine luster flowing forth.

"The Bifrost!" someone recognized it—this was the Bifrost—and looked toward the chaotic mist at the bridge's far end in the vault of heaven, where through the haze one could faintly glimpse majestic Shanhe scenery; that was Asgard, home of the Norse Aesir gods.

Each soldier was clad in divine armor and silver mail, gripping war-glaives, bearing war-swords at the hip, their weapon-light flashing, piercing metal and splitting stone; they marched out from the Bifrost, stepped into this realm, and advanced toward Lei Shen Thor.

This was a formidable army; every soldier was powerful, having crossed worlds to arrive, all gleaming with divinity, radiating iron-blood and murderous intent.

Their numbers were staggering—fully ten thousand—marching out in strict discipline, their array shaking heaven and earth, the gathered momentum making all things tremble; the armor's killing aura and the weapons' murderous qi together dimmed the stars and made the sun and moon shake.

Looking up, at the front of the terrifying army were leading soldiers holding aloft a great banner that snapped and fluttered with the surging of divine power; the divine wind it stirred made the stars sway, ready to fall as meteorites at any moment.

A single emblem was inscribed on the banner's face.

The emblem gleamed gold, radiating heaven-shaking divine presence, like an ancient god standing tall; in a daze one could see the divine race's army galloping across the battlefield, iron-blooded Shanhe, Conquer all realms, invincible.

When the great banner unfurled, it thundered like thunder, pounded like a war-drum, shaking the soul, overwhelming gods and demons alike.

"The Aesir divine army!!"

Those versed in Norse mythology stared wide-eyed, nearly moaning aloud, for they recognized that the emblem on the great banner was the mark of the Aesir gods.

Banner unfurled, drums pounding, ten thousand troops sallying forth, warring in all directions!

Their momentum was vast and sweeping, looking down on the eight directions.

This was a true divine army, gods formed into a military force—similar to yet different from the angelic host; equally sacred, yet carrying an additional iron-blooded murderous air.

Director Takahashi and the others jolted violently, suddenly turning to look at the Mayan gods, drawing a sharp breath.

That murderous iron-blooded aura was identical to what emanated from the Mayan gods; the only difference was that a single person's aura was weaker than the Mayan gods', but the murderous iron-blood condensed from ten thousand men was no less than that of the Mayan gods.

"They... have fought on the Primordial Battlefield, and not just skirmished at its edges." Director Takahashi was shaken.

He dared to be certain—and many others dared to be certain too—that the Aesir divine army had taken part in the Primordial Battlefield; even if they hadn't charged into its center, they had fought into the battlefield's formations, not edge skirmishes, not edge-obing.

The Aesir divine army arrived at this stretch of sky, came to a halt behind Lei Shen Thor before the Gates of Heaven, neatly blocking the entrance to the Gates of Heaven.

"My apologies."

Lei Shen Thor said to the Mayan gods, waving a great hand; the Aesir divine army spread out, directly encircling the Gates of Heaven, leaving no gap.

The sudden change caught everyone off guard, no one reacting; upon coming to their senses, all wore complicated expressions.

The believers, A-kawa and the others were fervent, joyful—it was a heaven-sent turn of events; they had thought the Mayan gods had victory in hand and the angelic host was bound to block them, never expecting gods from another mythology to appear.

Director Takahashi and the others, however, sighed, feeling a sense of injustice on their behalf, indignant at the unfairness.

Although they didn't know what reason Lei Shen Thor had for helping the Lord God, the current situation was an undeniable fact: if the Mayan gods wished to pass, they would have to face the Aesir divine army of ten thousand, and with Lei Shen Thor besides, breaking out would be extremely difficult.

Clang!

The Seven Archangels and the angelic host raised their holy swords, their morale grand and imposing.

The situation was utterly dire.

Heaven's side ahead, the Aesir divine army behind—should fighting break out, the Mayan gods would be caught in a pincer, trapped in a deadly encirclement.

Anyone else in this situation would likely have wet themselves, possibly even thrown down their armor and fled, but the Mayan gods showed not a trace of fear; their morale surged to overturn Shanhe and push aside the starry heavens, their eyes shining with an intimidating divine light, fully prepared to fight to the death.

"What if we insist on passing?"

The giant-spirit-like god paid no heed to the angelic host, fixing his gaze on Lei Shen Thor; his eyes blazed like colliding meteorites, surging divine power raging like fire, like an ancient wrathful god.

His gaze fell on Lei Shen Thor, then swept toward Beimeizhou's Mi Nation outside the Gates of Heaven, madness flickering in his eyes.

Clearly, they intended to meet the attack, intended to break out—even now, in this life-and-death situation, even though breakout was exceedingly slim, they still wished to fulfill Quetzalcoatl's commission.

Because this concerned Quetzalcoatl's glory, and even more so the Mayan gods' dignity.

His madness was plain for the world to see, and their hearts were a tangle of mixed feelings.

Was this meant to tell us, through death, through blood and sweat, that not a single Native American god is a coward...

Lei Shen Thor sighed and spoke:

"Camulus, why must you do this? The Aztec gods and the Inca Empire gods are all dead, and of your four great Mayan divine races only three remain; even now they still hold the Primordial Battlefield, and with only those of you who have returned, breaking out is futile."

When the words spread, the world suddenly understood and turned together to look at the giant-spirit-like god.

"Camulus? It's him! Kohmool Camulus." Professor Zhongtian explained to Director Takahashi and the others: "He is the leader of the Camulus divine race, one of the four great divine races of Mayan mythology."

In Mayan mythology, through the passage of ages, four great divine races were born.

In order of succession: the Corn Race led by Yuum Kaax; the Camulus divine race led by Kohmool Camulus; the Beast God Race led by the Eagle God, the King of Beast Gods; and finally the Itzamna divine race.

And Lei Shen Thor called the giant-spirit-like god Camulus, while in Mayan mythology there was only one called Camulus—precisely Kohmool Camulus of the Camulus divine race.

"I should have realized long ago that he was Camulus." Professor Zhongtian sighed, explaining: "The Camulus divine race was the second divine race to appear after the Corn Race, known for divine power and majesty; this burly god doesn't look like the Beast God Race at all, so it could only be the Camulus divine race."

The rest of the world also understood—no wonder the Mayan gods were so few; they were holding the Primordial Battlefield and hadn't returned. Some couldn't help but hope desperately that the three great Mayan divine races could come relieve them, but it could only be wishful thinking—after all, Lei Shen Thor had said so himself; the three great races probably didn't know the situation here.

At the same time.

The instant Lei Shen Thor's words rang out, as if from hell, as if from the underworld, a lazy voice echoed across this land and sky.

"Since when have you lot, Thor, been mixing with Jehovah?"

(PS: Damn, I clicked too fast and forgot to add the Alliance Leader thanks in the title—I'll add them one by one for the three Alliance Leader bosses tomorrow)