During a meeting of world leaders at the United Nations, the leader of China received a request for an official visit from the Vatican in Rome.
In the past, such an event would have been a major occurrence. The visit of the Pope, who was seen as one of the most significant religious leaders in the Western world, was a confirmation of China’s alignment with the Western world. In the past, there had been numerous rumors about the Pope visiting China, but they had always turned out to be false.
However, the leader of China remained calm upon hearing this news. China no longer needed the recognition of the Western world, especially with the arrival of supernatural abilities, which had led to the division of human society into different cultures. While Western culture still dominated, Eastern culture was gradually rising in the wake of the advent of superhuman abilities.
In the present day, on some important occasions, the leader of China chose to wear traditional Chinese clothing instead of Western suits and ties. This was a way of showcasing their own culture and instilling cultural confidence. In the contemporary world, promoting one's own culture was seen as a quest for the mystical, a way of honoring ancient ancestors.
Nevertheless, the leader of China attached great importance to this event. The reason was that the God worshiped by Christianity was believed to be a true god. Despite the small territorial size of the Vatican, it holds a significant position in today's world. In particular, when Christ Louie ascended, He left behind an Earthbound angel in the Vatican. In comparison to the ancient gods in China, this angel was the envy of leaders in other countries.
This was because the old immortal from China and the priest from Japan were figures from history, originating from a truly mystical era. Therefore, the governments of China and Japan couldn't fully rely on them; instead, they could only offer sacrifices. In essence, these two superhumans were not under human control.
The Vatican's angelic nun, on the other hand, was different. In the past, she had been a world-famous figure, resurrected by Christ and endowed with power. She understood human suffering and had insights into worldly politics. While even the Pope couldn't command her, she had a better understanding of human nature compared to the old immortal and the Shinto priest.
"Receive them with the utmost respect and ceremony!"
The Chinese President orderd his subordiante. Today, the leader viewed the visit of the Vatican's Pope as more important than even the visit of the President of the United States. Furthermore, in the phrasing of the Vatican's request, it was indicated that the angelic nun would accompany the Pope to China, and they hoped to meet with the old immortal This information vaguely made the leader feel uneasy, but they agreed to it readily and instructed their subordinates to expedite the scheduling of this visit.
In both China and the Vatican, the recent events in the Antarctic continent seemed to be of little concern. There was a belief that those events would not bring disaster to humanity.
……
“AAAAAAAaaaaaaa—”
In the icy landscape of the Antarctic continent, the evil god Cthulhu emitted an extremely eerie and unpleasant scream. Fortunately, satellite broadcasts only transmitted images, sparing humanity from the horrifying sound that could drive people insane or make their minds explode.
As Cthulhu screamed, numerous living creatures living in the Antarctic perished in agony. Thunderbolts rained down from the sky, reducing the massive octopus-like entity that was Cthulhu to a charred, lifeless remnant.
Thor, the god of thunder, lived up to his reputation as the mightiest warrior in Norse mythology. In the early myths, Thor's position was even higher than that of Odin. His arrival had brought about a dazzling victory. A single blow annihilated all the fire giants, freeing the valkyries to engage in battle.
Following that, Thor roared once more, summoning endless thunderbolts. Each hammer strike left Cthulhu gasping for breath, weakening the evil being further.
Countless human girls couldn't help but be enamored by Thor. Although he did not possess the modern image of delicate and graceful beauty, his rugged appearance embodied the kind of strong and majestic masculinity that resonated with them. Thor's arrival stirred the hormones of all females.
With just two strikes, the catastrophe that could have annihilated humanity had been nearly obliterated from the entire Antarctic continent. The fire giants were incinerated, Cthulhu was rendered powerless, and now only the King of the Fire Giants, Surtur, who had just been released from his seal, remained.
Thor swiftly shifted his focus to Surtur, the god representing 'fire’. Cthulhu, who was a god of chaos, recognized the situation and made a quick decision. Although the gods of Cthulhu mythology were said to bring madness to all things, it didn't mean they were absolutely insane. They still possessed some degree of rationality, driven by the basic instincts of survival, even if that rationality was scarce.
When Cthulhu noticed that Thor's attention was elsewhere, the entity's icy platform underfoot immediately began to spin, creating a whirlpool-like vortex. Through this swirling portal, Cthulhu opened a tunnel reminiscent of a rift in spacetime.
People could see the other side of the tunnel through this passage, and it revealed a city in a state of decay. It seemed to exist underwater, and the entire city had been corroded by seawater. The city's architecture appeared highly distorted, with stones that seemed to bulge outward from one angle, but from another perspective, they appeared to be concave. What was particularly eerie was that the city's layout and structure were entirely different from those found in human cities. Humans pursued symmetrical beauty, but this city deliberately embraced asymmetry.
The buildings varied wildly in terms of height and width. A single glance made it seem like there were lurking threats within the twisted angles, igniting a sense of restlessness in humans.
"R'lyeh! It's definitely the City of R'lyeh!"
"There’s no mistake about it. It's said to be the eternal city of Cthulhu!"
"Look at those glowing green buildings. The structure doesn't conform to Euclidean geometry at all. Just looking at it makes you feel impure!"
"That green, luminescent building material is definitely not something from Earth!"
"I've heard that R'lyeh's main gate is located in the Pacific?"
“......”
Whether on the internet or among experts gathered at conferences, intense discussions were underway. Mathematicians and architects debated the city's architecture, while materials scientists puzzled over the origin of the peculiar building materials. Enthusiasts of literature and mythology explored the possible location of R'lyeh. Some even boldly proposed venturing into the Pacific to find the entrance to the City of R'lyeh and embark on an adventure to uncover the unknown aspects of humanity.
This proposal, though daring, had ignited the spirits of many adventure-seekers. Numerous adventurers had already begun preparations to set sail and had aimed their sights at Pohnpei Island, as legends suggested that R'lyeh was located near this island.
However, everyone understood that R'lyeh was, at most, the entrance point. The city itself was not on Earth; it was, like the previous incident involving the School of Magic in the waters of Scotland, part of another dimension.
Regardless of how bold humanity was, even wanting to explore Cthulhu's home, Thor, on the Antarctic continent, didn't pay any attention to Cthulhu's escape. For the mightiest warrior of Norse mythology, Cthulhu was insignificant.
Thor was more concerned about the arrival of Surtur, the sworn enemy of the Aesir and the harbinger of Ragnarok, the Twilight of the Gods.
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