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Hawk had more than one option when it came to manifesting his Phoenix Universe into reality.
However, using the existing Phoenix star system as a conduit was undeniably the simplest, most direct route.
The Phoenix system was right there.
Visible. Tangible.
Furthermore, his divine authority was inextricably linked to it. Therefore, using the Reality Stone in tandem with the physical Phoenix system was the optimal strategy.
There was no close second. But right now, this optimal strategy was blocked by a massive, cosmic stop sign.
A temporal trap!
Granted, this was entirely based on his own deductions following his conversation with Odin.
It was all just suspicion.
It was entirely possible he was shadowboxing—fighting an enemy that didn't exist, overthinking a problem that wasn't actually there.
But once again.
Detectives need evidence to build a case.
Hawk only needed a suspicion to change his plans.
The mere possibility of a trap was enough to make him hit the brakes.
After all, he only had one shot at this.
The moment he initiated the manifestation of the Phoenix Universe, there was no going back. If he realized halfway through that he had stepped into a trap, there was no 'Ctrl+Z.' He couldn't just hit undo.
The sheer, catastrophic amount of energy released by the birth of a universe meant that even Hawk wouldn't be able to reel it back in once the process began.
So, he had one chance to get it right!
This was a war of ascension.
A dispute over resources or territory can be negotiated. You sit down, you hash out a deal.
But a dispute over the fundamental laws of reality? Over divine ascension?
That is a fight to the absolute, bitter end.
Either you die.
Or I die.
There is no middle ground, no compromise, no third option!
Hawk wasn't about to abandon his plan to manifest his own universe. Sure, giving up might temporarily avoid a direct conflict with Time, allowing him to live out his days in relative peace.
But what kind of life would that be? Living on borrowed time, constantly looking over his shoulder?
There's an old saying: Better a coward's life than a hero's death.
But there's another saying: I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul!
Are kings and generals born to their stations??
So, the only power you can truly rely on is the power you hold in your own two hands. Pinning your hopes for survival on the mercy of another is a fool's errand.
And most importantly.
Even if he surrendered, Time wouldn't let him go. Unless he willingly accepted whatever predetermined death Time had scripted for him—even if it was millions of years in the future—Time would never truly be at ease.
Look at the Ancient One.
Look at Odin.
In short: Surrendering meant losing everything. That path was closed.
He needed a new route.
Having decided to play a winner-takes-all game of cosmic chicken with Time, Hawk sat cross-legged above his shimmering River of Time. The Mind Stone flared with brilliant light as he continued to process the profound insights into 'Life' he had gleaned from Odin, initiating another intense brainstorming session.
The core mechanism for manifesting his Phoenix Universe was actually quite straightforward.
It was the same principle Odin had used to invade the primary universe eons ago.
Both he and Odin needed an anchor point—a fulcrum—that already existed within the primary universe. Only then could they project their external power into this reality.
Hawk had initially chosen the Reality Stone.
By shining the light of his Cosmo through the Reality Stone, he could manifest his power into the physical world.
Odin had chosen Midgard—Earth.
By severing Midgard from the World Tree and dropping it into the primary universe, Earth became his anchor, allowing the power system of the Yggdrasil cosmos to exist in this new reality.
Unfortunately, Odin had been outplayed by Time.
He lost the war before it even began.
But that wasn't the point.
The point was, Hawk's core method for manifesting his Cosmo was fundamentally identical to Odin's strategy of using Earth to manifest the power of the World Tree.
He still needed an anchor.
His original plan was to use the Reality Stone as that anchor.
But what if he didn't use the Reality Stone? Were there other options?
Yes.
Mephisto had mentioned one. He could use the Heaven Dimension as his fulcrum to manifest the Phoenix Universe.
Yahweh answered to the Celestials.
And the Celestials answered to Eternity, created by the abstract entity of Time itself to maintain temporal order across the primary multiverse.
Therefore, Yahweh's Heaven Dimension, while a separate realm, possessed the fundamental characteristics of the primary multiverse.
That was exactly why Mephisto, after conquering Heaven, was able to use it as a staging ground to expand his Hellish dominion across the wider multiverse.
But Mephisto could use it. Hawk couldn't.
Thinking about Yahweh's Heaven Dimension, Hawk couldn't help but feel a profound sense of relief.
He had originally tossed Heaven to Mephisto out of sheer disgust, convinced that Yahweh—having already pulled that stunt with the Blood God Dimension—was a devious, scheming old bastard.
Thankfully he had trusted his gut. If he had used Heaven as his anchor, he would have stepped right into Time's trap.
Because even if the Heaven Dimension had been flawless, untainted by any of Yahweh's hidden traps, it was still unusable.
At its core, the Heaven Dimension belonged to the temporal jurisdiction of Eternity. Using it as a fulcrum would be like willingly locking himself inside a cage and handing Time the key.
So, setting Heaven aside, were there any other viable anchors?
The answer was yes.
There were.
Just not very many.
Hawk calmed his mind, clearly outlining the two non-negotiable requirements for his ideal 'anchor.'
First, it had to exist within the primary universe.
This was mandatory.
If it didn't exist in the primary universe, manifesting the Phoenix Universe through it wouldn't project his power into this reality.
Second, it could not be bound by the temporal laws of the primary universe.
This was also self-explanatory.
What was the entire point of manifesting his own universe??
To be the boss. The absolute ruler!!
If he manifested his universe only to discover that the primary universe's Time still held jurisdiction over him, what was the point of all this effort?
He might as well just surrender, negotiate a plea deal with Time, and settle for a painless death a billion years from now.
So, the anchor he needed must physically exist within the primary universe, but operate completely outside its temporal flow.
As Hawk mentally reviewed his criteria, a single name snapped into his consciousness.
The World Tree!
Odin had used Midgard as a sacrifice to ensure the power of the Yggdrasil system could manifest in the primary universe.
Therefore, the World Tree cosmos technically existed within the framework of the primary universe.
Simultaneously, the World Tree operated on its own independent timeline, completely separate from the primary universe's temporal flow.
At least, it would remain separate until Ragnarok concluded.
Therefore!
The World Tree perfectly fit every single criteria Hawk required for an anchor to manifest the Phoenix Universe.
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"There's just one minor problem."
"What problem?"
The next morning, Gwen, busy preparing breakfast in the kitchen, listened to Hawk's explanation. She paused, turning from the stove to look at him.
Sitting on a barstool at the kitchen island, Hawk chuckled and met her gaze.
"You told me to play it slow and steady. Remember?"
"Stepping into the ring and stealing the World Tree right out from under Time's nose? That's not playing it slow and steady. That's a declaration of all-out war."
To Time, the World Tree was already a guaranteed prize.
Odin was about to take his final bow.
Once the pre-scripted events of Ragnarok played out exactly as Time had arranged, the independent cosmos of the World Tree would cease to exist, fully absorbed into the primary universe.
But if Hawk intervened and claimed it for himself, he would literally be snatching the prize from Time's grasp.
It was the cosmic equivalent of stealing meat from a tiger's mouth—
Gwen listened to Hawk's explanation. She finished slicing the bread, popped the pieces into the toaster, and turned to face him fully, her emerald eyes meeting his.
"Can you take it?"
"What?"
Hawk raised an eyebrow.
Gwen shrugged, her expression calm. "Can you guarantee you can actually take the World Tree?"
Hawk frowned, considering the question for a moment.
"Absolutely."
Before his conversation with Odin, Hawk had assumed that all the temporal traps were being set by Eternity himself.
But Odin had clarified the truth. The traps weren't the conscious work of Eternity—they were the instinctual, automated defense mechanisms of Time itself.
It wasn't Eternity. It was just Time.
So, as long as Eternity didn't personally intervene, as long as it was just the mechanical forces of Time, he was absolutely confident he could snatch the prize.
Hawk had previously stated he had no interest in getting involved in the messy business of Ragnarok.
The high-EQ explanation: Circumstances change.
The low-EQ explanation: Before, getting involved offered zero reward and massive risk. Now? The reward was the key to his ultimate ascension.
Of course, High reward always comes with high risk.
If he didn't use the World Tree as his anchor, he could manifest his inner cosmos the moment he fully comprehended the Eighth Sense.
But if he committed to using the World Tree, the Eighth Sense wouldn't be enough. To push the Phoenix Universe into reality through that specific anchor, he would have to awaken the Ninth Sense—the Amala Vijnana.
The Ninth Sense. The absolute pinnacle of power in the original lore designed by Masami Kurumada.
As for why using the World Tree necessitated awakening the Ninth Sense? The reason was simple.
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Hawk looked at Gwen's confused expression, thought for a moment, and offered an analogy. "Think of it this way. If I don't use the World Tree, the barrier keeping my universe inside me is like an eggshell. A light tap from the inside, the shell breaks, and I'm out."
"But if I use the World Tree as my anchor... well, then I'm trying to hatch a Phoenix."
Gwen blinked, still confused.
Hawk tried again. "A crocodile. A baby crocodile hatching."
Gwen's face lit up with understanding.
She didn't know much about the biology of a mythical Phoenix. But she knew crocodiles.
Crocodile eggs are incredibly tough. While a few unusually strong hatchlings might be able to break out on their own, many simply can't. They rely on their mother to gently pick the egg up in her jaws and carefully crack the shell with her teeth to help them emerge.
Gwen still looked puzzled. "Why does adding the World Tree make it so much harder to hatch?"
"The reason is clear."
"Which is?"
Hawk looked at her confused, beautiful face, and a soft, enigmatic smile touched his lips. "The Phoenix graces only the most sacred of lands, and rests upon no branch but the Parasol Tree!"
"And the World Tree..."
"It can be my Parasol Tree!"
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