Chapter Summaries

Evenson and Sif found Thor unconscious after British artillery devastated the battlefield, while Malekith survived and destroyed the artillery positions. Ancient One arrived with Klayya and trapped Malekith in the Mirror Dimension, but a bewildered old man unexpectedly appeared inside it.

• Evenson and General Sheffield watched British artillery bombard the battlefield, and Sif rushed Evenson to search for Thor.
• Sif dug Thor out of the rubble, while Malekith emerged and used his Aether-powered flagship to destroy all three artillery positions.
• Evenson spotted the unharmed woman in the qipao, then welcomed Klayya and Ancient One as they arrived in the Mirror Dimension.
• Ancient One told Evenson that a special visitor had resolved the crisis at R'lyeh, and Evenson suspected the woman in the qipao was that visitor.
• Ancient One trapped Malekith in her space, but an elderly man suddenly appeared there and commented that taking drugs could cause mental illness in old age.

Malekith misread the battle as a trial arranged by God and faced Klayya, who revealed herself as the Twilight Knight and overwhelmed him with shadow powers. As Malekith reconsidered whether he needed to save the Aether’s strength to rewrite the universe, he unleashed its power and vowed that the Dark Elves would endure forever.

• Malekith survived humanity’s artillery barrage and found Thor unconscious while Sif and Evenson treated him.
• Ancient One drew Malekith into the Mirror Dimension and chose Klayya to fight him alone, prompting Evenson to object.
• Klayya donned her armor, called herself the Twilight Knight, and attacked Malekith with shadow-powered techniques.
• Klayya deflected Malekith’s Aether attacks, while Evenson and Ancient One watched her display her strength.
• Malekith weighed the cost of using the Aether against his plan to rewrite the universe, then declared the Dark Elves would endure forever as its power surged.

Malekith sacrificed his body to unleash the Aether, forcing Evenson, Ancient One, and Klayya to defend themselves and trap him inside the Tower of End. Ancient One and Klayya broke through his defenses and struck him with Excalibur and Rhongomyniad, but Malekith welcomed the darkness that consumed him.

• Malekith transformed into a tide of blood and red matter to draw out more of the Aether's power, while Sif, Evenson, and Ancient One defended the group.
• Ancient One refused to use the Time Stone and instead called on Klayya to release the restraints on her lance; Zahaiyd appeared and revealed that Ancient One was also Demon Queen Morgan.
• Klayya released Rhongomyniad and fixed the battlefield inside the Tower of End, preventing the Aether from breaking through unless Malekith could unleash its full power.
• Ancient One used Excalibur to shatter Malekith's Aether defenses, and Klayya pierced him with Rhongomyniad's Spear of Annihilation.
• As the storm absorbed him, Malekith cried out that the darkness had devoured him, then rejoiced that it had accepted him.

After Malekith’s defeat, Ancient One and Evenson discussed her past as King Arthur and the relics she had brought to the battle. Nyarlathotep arrived to watch the aftermath and explained that she hated followers who tried to predict and cater to her wishes.

• Klayya’s Shadow Storm consumed Malekith, leaving the Aether particles behind.
• Zahaiyd teased Ancient One about her failed kingdom, and she revealed that her stone slab came from the Wall of Camelot and her armor was worn at the Battle of Camlann.
• Nyarlathotep arrived, drew the Aether particles around her wrist, and told Evenson not to bow because gestures could mean challenges in other worlds.
• Evenson asked why Nyarlathotep had come, and she explained that a follower had invited her to witness a grand tragicomedy.
• Nyarlathotep said she hated spoilers and explained that people who tried to guess and fulfill her wishes made events predictable and ruined the show.

Evenson learned that Nyarlathotep had intervened in R'lyeh, transferred Cthulhu's remaining power to Klayya, and marked her with an Elder Sign after enjoying her performance. Nyarlathotep refused to keep Aether, and she explained that the Three Pillars shared equal power but pursued different interests.

• Ancient One questioned Nyarlathotep about intervening in R'lyeh, and Nyarlathotep explained that Cthulhu had abandoned his connection to Earth before she gave his remaining power to Klayya.
• Evenson asked whether Nyarlathotep had rewarded Klayya, and Nyarlathotep said her Elder Sign made Klayya a contracted actress under her protection.
• Ancient One lamented that her struggles had made her only an actor in someone else's play, while Nyarlathotep argued that she had not earned the right to demand respect.
• Evenson urged Nyarlathotep to keep Aether, but she rejected it as outside her domain and called it residue from Yog-Sothoth's creation of reality.
• Nyarlathotep warned Evenson not to speculate about the Three Pillars' status and explained that they shared equal power but had different interests.

Nyarlathotep explained the origins and natures of Yog-Sothoth and Shub-Niggurath, then revealed that she had once lived as Nasaya, the mentor of Sathir and the Eredar Twins’ grandmaster. The Twins embraced their connection to her after learning she was one of the Three Pillars, while Evenson remained wary of what her interest in him meant.

• Nyarlathotep described Yog-Sothoth as too lazy to share his knowledge properly and Shub-Niggurath as the source of all life.
• Evenson discovered that Shub-Niggurath’s name appeared in Warlock life spells and Soul Stone activation incantations, then argued that Titans also wielded life-giving power.
• Nyarlathotep summoned Aurelles and Saloras, who recognized her as their old acquaintance Nasaya.
• Aurelles and Saloras explained that Nasaya had mentored Sathir and taught him the power of the Twisting Nether.
• Nyarlathotep revealed that Nasaya had been one of her identities and disclosed her true name as Nyarlathotep.
• The Eredar Twins declared that they still recognized Nyarlathotep as their grandmaster, while Evenson wished to avoid learning anything from her.

Nyarlathotep explained the Three Pillars’ roles and revealed that all life shares Shub-Niggurath’s origin, while order and disorder are only ingredients in the Primordial Chaos Core’s greater chaos. The discussion ended with her asking Evenson to imagine what might happen if Yog-Sothoth went mad and changed the laws of reality.

• Nyarlathotep told Evenson that the Three Pillars were equal, but she was most important as the messenger who interpreted the Primordial Chaos Core’s will.
• Nyarlathotep explained that she had given up the power to see the future and that the Eredar’s use of Fel and the Burning Legion’s rise were not simply part of a struggle between good and evil.
• Nyarlathotep revealed that all forms of life, including the Titans, were Shub-Niggurath’s children and challenged Evenson’s assumptions about the Titans and the void.
• Nyarlathotep distinguished disorder from chaos, explaining that Yog-Sothoth’s laws and Shub-Niggurath’s life were raw materials she blended into chaos.
• Nyarlathotep told Evenson not to worry about the Primordial Chaos Core’s will and asked him to consider what would happen if Yog-Sothoth made one plus one stop equaling two.

Evenson and the others learned more about the Three Pillars and Nyarlathotep, then failed to persuade her to leave. Nyarlathotep decided to stay in Los Angeles, and the Eredar Twins received her phone number so they could arrange a house for her.

• Evenson realized that Nyarlathotep’s power over the foundations of reality made resisting her pointless.
• The Eredar Twins invited Nyarlathotep to stay, and she accepted despite Evenson’s attempts to send her away.
• Nyarlathotep asked the Eredar Twins to buy her Hollywood tickets and invest in films she would make.
• Evenson offered to send Nyarlathotep to a hotel in Los Angeles, while the Eredar Twins offered to buy her a villa.
• Nyarlathotep warned the Eredar Twins that seeking knowledge from Yog-Sothoth could exact a terrible price and described a time theorist who had lost most of his ability to move.
• Nyarlathotep vanished after giving Saloras a slip of paper, which turned out to contain only her phone number.

After Nyarlathotep’s revelations, Evenson focused on raising his allowance while Ancient One struggled with what she had learned. Thor awoke, agreed to take the Aether particles back to Asgard, and witnessed Ancient One begin abdicating her nominal rule of Earth in favor of Klayya.

• Evenson demanded a larger allowance from the Eredar Twins, and they and Klayya agreed to raise it while urging him to seek help.
• Ancient One remained troubled by Nyarlathotep’s words, but Evenson encouraged her to carry on with her life.
• Thor woke, learned Malekith was dead, and decided to return the Aether particles to Asgard for permanent safekeeping.
• Ancient One showed Thor the document establishing Earth’s nominal autonomy from Asgard and asked him to witness her abdication.
• Ancient One named Klayya as her successor and explained that she trusted her to inherit the position and document.

Ancient One arranged to pass Earth's throne and the Earth Sovereignty Pact to Klayya, while Thor witnessed the abdication. As Klayya hesitated, Evenson negotiated with Zahaiyd for Bio-Dome technology in exchange for mining rights on a planet.

• Ancient One explained that Odin might use the pact's renewal to challenge Klayya's succession, so she arranged the abdication with Thor as witness.
• Klayya struggled to accept the throne and pact, while Ancient One planned to divide the Sorcerer Supreme's public and internal duties and leave Klayya in charge of the order's true power.
• Evenson asked Zahaiyd about his plans, and Zahaiyd said he intended to leave Earth to help other universes resist the Void.
• Zahaiyd tried to persuade Evenson to use the Voidling Royal Casino, but Evenson refused to gamble and asked instead for Bio-Dome technology.
• Evenson offered Zahaiyd mining rights over 150,000 square kilometers of a planet for one year, with excavation limited to 1,200 meters, and Zahaiyd accepted.

After Klayya took Earth’s throne, Evenson accompanied Thor to Asgard to report the change to Odin and claim a promised reward. Odin accepted the news, then let Thor refuse the crown and return to defending the Nine Realms.

• Evenson offered to inform Odin about Klayya’s accession, and Klayya named him her fiancé and gave him high-ranking titles to establish his status as envoy.
• Thor took Evenson and Sif to Asgard, where the people welcomed them as heroes.
• Evenson told Odin that Ancient One had yielded Earth’s throne to Klayya, and Odin approved the change without protest.
• Evenson reminded Odin of his promised choice of treasure and left with Sif for the royal treasury.
• Odin praised Thor and offered him a reward, but Thor refused the throne and vowed to defend the Nine Realms instead.
• Odin reluctantly granted Thor permission to leave.

Evenson entered Odin’s vault to choose a treasure, but became suspicious of a hidden necromantic aura beneath the floor and found a giant gold brick apparently planted to discourage him from taking anything valuable. Queen Frigga offered to let him choose another treasure and take the brick as well, leaving Evenson wary that her generosity came with a price.

• Evenson sensed a faint, ominous aura beneath a floor tile and recognized it as resembling the necromancy spell he had cast, but chose not to investigate.
• Evenson entered Odin’s vault and fixated on a huge gold brick, suspecting Odin had placed it there to steer him away from the valuable treasures.
• Sif led Evenson into the vault, and Queen Frigga arrived before he had chosen anything.
• Frigga called Odin’s maneuver underhanded and offered to speak on Evenson’s behalf so he could choose a treasure that was not too important.
• Frigga also offered the gold brick as her personal gift, and Evenson accepted cautiously, suspecting she wanted something from him.

Frigga asked Evenson to provide more Fel Blood so she could confront hidden dangers in Asgard, offering him a choice of treasures in return. After rejecting the vault’s unsuitable or unobtainable artifacts, Evenson reached into the Eternal Flame and took a small cluster of fire.

• Evenson realized Frigga was offering a treasure to secure his help and asked how he could repay her.
• Frigga admitted she wanted more of Evenson’s medicine, despite knowing Fel Blood was evil, because she had discovered hidden dangers in Asgard.
• Evenson agreed to prepare another batch of Fel Blood, explaining that he needed time to replace the ruined key material.
• Frigga let Evenson choose a treasure, but he dismissed the gauntlet, the Eye of Agamotto, the Cosmic Cube, and the Casket of Ancient Winters as fake, unsuitable, or too valuable to take.
• Evenson approached the Eternal Flame, and after Frigga warned him he could not take it, he grabbed a small cluster of fire.

Frigga told Evenson that the Eternal Flame held Surtur’s power and could threaten Asgard, then gave Evenson a larger cluster in exchange for producing potions quickly. Evenson promised a first batch in three months and hinted that he knew where to find stronger potions, though they were guarded by unreasonable people.

• Frigga explained that Odin had defeated Surtur with Hela’s help but could not destroy him, so he took the Eternal Flame, Surtur’s source of power.
• Frigga remembered her prophetic dream of Asgard burning and decided to monitor Muspelheim, guard the treasury, and form a Valkyrie Corps.
• Evenson asked to keep a small piece of the Eternal Flame, and Frigga gave him an even larger cluster while demanding potions as soon as possible.
• Evenson promised Frigga the first batch of potions in three months.
• Evenson told Frigga that better potions existed and that he knew where to get them, but warned that their guardians were unreasonable.

Frigga agreed to join Evenson’s planned assault on the Fel Scar Rift in exchange for a share of its treasures, while Odin let Thor leave for Earth. Frigga then discovered that the wine Odin had drunk was poisoned and exposed him as Loki, who had been believed dead.

• Frigga learned that Evenson’s medicine was inferior to the Fel treasure held in the Fel Scar Rift, and she insisted Asgard would help seize it by force.
• Evenson agreed to notify Frigga when the attack was ready and promised to provide her with medicine within three months.
• Evenson planned to use Frigga’s army as added support for a swift assault on Hailmondas and the Burning Legion forces near the Fel Scar Rift.
• Odin agreed to let Thor go to Earth to be with his girlfriend, and Thor left through the Bifrost.
• Frigga offered Odin wine, noticed it was hissing and smoking, and slapped him as the disguise vanished to reveal Loki.

Loki seized the throne after disguising himself as Odin, but Frigga revealed she was alive and exposed his deception. She arranged to rule as regent while Loki remained king, then forced him to take a potion to convincingly feign illness.

• Loki disguised himself as an Einherjar, returned to Odin, ambushed him, and used an illusion to exile him to Earth in an Einherjar's form.
• Loki impersonated Odin, dismissed the returning Einherjar, and later fooled Thor into leaving for Earth to pursue Jane.
• Frigga revealed herself to Loki, knocked away his poisoned wine, and struck him until his disguise failed.
• Loki told Frigga he had sealed Odin's memories and sent him to Earth, and she approved of his handling of Odin.
• Frigga told Loki to remain king while she governed as regent, and Loki reluctantly agreed.
• Frigga forced Loki to drink a potion that would make him appear dizzy and unwell.

Evenson and Sif delivered the Aether to The Collector, Taneleer Tivan, in the Land of No Law. After Sif left for Asgard, Evenson returned to Tivan with a caged creature and offered it as a collectible.

• Evenson and Sif traveled through the lawless city toward The Collector’s collection, where they saw a dog in a Soviet spacesuit.
• Sif handed the boxed Aether to Taneleer Tivan, who promised to keep it safe.
• Evenson asked Sif to return to Asgard without him so he could explore the Land of No Law.
• Evenson returned to Tivan’s collection carrying a curtained birdcage and offered to sell him what was inside.

Evenson traded a wild imp to The Collector for outdated aerospace technology, hoping to use it to develop Earth’s civilization without exposing Earth to incompatible Fel technology. The deal left both men pleased, while Evenson also asked The Collector to look out for mercenaries and hinted at future collectibles.

• Evenson offered The Collector a wild imp in exchange for science and technology, and The Collector agreed after learning Evenson only wanted spacecraft technology suited to travel within a Solar System.
• The Collector mistook Evenson’s plan for a civilization-raising game, while Evenson privately explained why Gernos’s Fel technology could not safely be introduced to Earth.
• Evenson warned that he might bring The Collector more unusual collectibles, then asked about the mercenary business and whether The Collector could find him mercenaries.
• The Collector offered to introduce mercenaries and asked whether Evenson had another collectible; Evenson offered a dog, but The Collector refused because he already had one.
• The Collector’s maid brought bundles of aerospace documents, and Evenson handed over the wild imp in exchange for them.
• Evenson and The Collector each privately thought they had made a great deal, then laughed together.

Evenson returned from Asgard and reported to Nick Fury, who questioned him about his unauthorized trips and discussed the possibility of establishing contact with Asgard. After Evenson left, Nick Fury reviewed files on Evenson and the Eredar Twins, Ada Wong and Kara Wong.

• Evenson arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters after his phone filled with messages from Nick Fury, and explained that his back hurt from packing truckloads of documents from The Collector.
• Nick Fury reprimanded Evenson for traveling to Hong Kong, London, and Asgard without permission, while Evenson claimed his trips had been accidental or unavoidable.
• Evenson argued that formal diplomatic contact with Asgard could provoke Odin, and Nick Fury agreed that official dealings might make matters awkward.
• Nick Fury asked whether Evenson had made progress with Gideon Malick, and Evenson said Malick had been friendly and might soon ask about Asgard.
• Nick Fury dismissed Evenson with a teasing remark about his back, then examined a location report and background files containing photographs of Ada Wong and Kara Wong.

Evenson returned to the company and learned that the alien documents he had traded for mostly contained outdated aerospace technology, though some information on cheaper satellite launches showed promise. The Eredar Twins then led him to B Restaurant, where they planned to show him products developed by Moira and Gernos, as a strange figure emerged through a wall elsewhere in the building.

• Evenson arrived at the company and found Gernos and his assistants sorting three truckloads of alien documents.
• Gernos revealed that some documents described basic spacewalks and three-stage rockets, but he had also found information on cheaper satellite launches.
• Evenson told Natalia to contact her arms-dealer father so they could sell the basic technology, and warned the assistants to keep working.
• Evenson suggested hiring alien mercenaries for the coming war, but the Eredar Twins rejected the idea and instead considered using his contact to market their products.
• The Eredar Twins led Evenson to B Restaurant to show him what Moira and Gernos had developed.
• A translucent figure seeped through a wall on another floor of the building.