Chapter 188: Mimir's Skull
I don't know how much time has passed or what kind of disaster it has experienced, but in short, Asgard is now full of ruins and debris.
But in front of Ryan, this towering temple still stood.
From the overall perspective, the main body of the Golden Palace is somewhat like a steeper pyramid, with various structures of different styles extending from the tower.
With suspended corridors, protruding "spike"-like observation decks, numerous skylights and floating bridges, this famous palace in the nine kingdoms of Scandinavian mythology is far from being as primitive as the gods of Chaos, but instead embodies exquisite structures everywhere.
Ryan could even see the traces of runes engraved on the walls of the Golden Palace, in the cracks, and even in the bricks and stones. It can be imagined that this is not just a simple building. In the past, this palace of the God King may have possessed extraordinary power. It is a joint creation of divine power and magic that can block the approach of all intruders.
But now, it has lost most of its divine power and is just a building made of extraordinary materials.
"Squeak—"
With a thought, the towering gate of the Golden Palace slowly opened, revealing the dim corridor inside, and Ryan looked inside.
On both sides of the rune-paved corridor, there were trays suspended in the air. From the traces left, it seemed that there should have been a constant burning of fairy fire, but now it had long disappeared.
Because this world is already 'dead', these extraordinary creations of low essence have naturally lost their power.
After a careful observation and making sure there was no danger here, Ryan stepped into the gate of the Golden Palace.
He could see that there were murals on the left and right of the corridor. Just like the Delphi Oracle and the Temple of Severaz where Ryan placed the civilization stone tablet, they depicted the past of the Golden Palace, the most well-known deeds of the gods, and the origin of Asgard.
Of course, there are also some beautiful parts, such as the tall walls that surround the entire Asgard. This is how it was built.
In later myths, it was a miracle built by a mountain giant and his horse Svadirfari. After a war, the gods decided to rebuild the walls to protect the divine domain, and an alien mountain giant was willing to take on this complicated task. However, as a reward, the giant asked the Aesir gods for Freya, the goddess of beauty, to be his wife, as well as the ownership of the sun and the moon.
The gods agreed to his conditions, but the price was that the construction of the wall must be completed within one season, otherwise the giant would not receive any reward.
The gods had no intention of paying for the task, because they did not think that anyone could build the rune wall surrounding the entire Asgard in just one season. However, what they did not expect was that the mountain giant was not only good at construction, but his horse Svadirfari was even more capable than him.
In desperation, the gods who swore not to harm the giant during the construction of the wall had to send Loki, who was good at using tricks, to prevent him from completing the construction deadline. And Loki did not disappoint them. He turned into a mare, attracted the attention of Svadirfari, and successfully prevented the completion of the high wall.
Even the price is interesting. When this famous cunning god returned, he was followed by another pony. It became famous in later generations because it was Odin's mount, the eight-legged horse Sleipnir.
However, the murals tell a different story. The evil giant tried to deceive the gods, and his horse coerced the god of trickery. Eventually, the giant's plot was exposed, and he still wanted to ask for a reward that did not belong to him, so the gods gave him another reward, Thor's hammer Mjolnir - he was killed by Thor, who came and hammered him, ending his sinful life.
"Sure enough, history is like a little girl who can be dressed up by anyone. Only the winners can write it."
As he read along, he found that some of the contents recorded in the murals were known to Ryan, and some were unknown to him, but the similarity was that they all described the greatness of the Aesir, without a single bad thing.
But this is normal. The real history is for you to know. What is shown to outsiders is naturally the good side.
"Yes, outsider, as you said, the true history can only be known by those who have experienced it, like me."
"Um?"
Since entering this palace, the barrier of space has been surrounding Ryan. His expression remained unchanged, listening to the sudden sound, trying to find the source of the sound.
However, the broken main body of Asgard did not welcome him as a foreign god. Even though the source was dead, it still had a strong power, and the Golden Palace still had a little residual power. Therefore, under the double suppression, Ryan did not gain anything.
"Don't be nervous, strange god. I am already a dead being. The reason I can still talk to you is just because I am lucky."
As if it had noticed that Ryan was looking for it, the voice came again. The voice was old and hoarse, but the language was understandable at first glance. The speaker probably mastered the power related to language, wisdom, and knowledge.
This time, Ryan did make some discoveries. The source of the voice seemed to be the Golden Palace itself, and the being that spoke probably controlled some of the original authority of the temple.
However, after listening to the voice saying "dead existence", Ryan had a guess.
"You are here, in the center of this temple?"
He asked calmly in the other party's language. Ryan, who also held relevant authority, instantly learned the pronunciation of this language. However, the first "local" he was about to meet and could communicate with was likely to be a "decoration", which made Ryan feel a little funny.
It is ironic that the Aesir seem to have become extinct, but the pawns they once abandoned still exist.
"Of course, strange god, I am deep inside the Golden Palace, which is also the name of this palace. You can see me as long as you come in."
Not knowing that most of the details had been revealed before they even met, the old voice continued.
"Come on, I will tell you everything about the past of this place."
······
The core of the Golden Palace.
The spacious hall and the tall throne were where the gods of the Aesir once gathered every day. This was also the core of the temple.
However, in the Golden Palace now, the gods are no longer there, and the throne is unattended. Only on the floating platform to its left, there is a being, whether it can be considered "alive" or not.
It was a head, a huge, wrinkled head. It was Mimir, the keeper of the Fountain of Wisdom, and hence his name.
But now, he was left with only a lonely head. Although he could still think and speak, he could no longer do anything extra.
"Outsider."
The deep voice echoed in the hall. The old head was now filled with a distorted expression of joy, which looked somewhat funny.
He thought that he would be destroyed along with this broken world, but he did not expect to encounter an outsider. Although he was not sure how "foreign" this outsider was.
"How many years have passed? Probably tens of thousands of years. I can't remember exactly. Since Odin left here in a hurry, no one has come here since then."
Mimir was a little excited as he felt the strange god outside the Golden Palace quickly going deeper into the place. He had never seen that aura before, and it was even a little out of tune with Asgard, but it didn't matter. No matter where he came from, he had his own purpose in coming here.
"Maybe they came here for Odin's treasure house. Fortunately, I know how to open it."
Mimir had no loyalty to Odin, his lord, the king of the Aesir who wielded the 'sure-hit' spear Gungnir.
He was once the guardian of the Fountain of Wisdom and a member of the ancient giant race. In the past, he witnessed Odin's self-sacrifice and the enlightenment he gained after drinking the water of the Fountain of Wisdom.
However, later, a war broke out between Asgard, ruled by the Aesir, two of the nine kingdoms on the World Tree, and Vanaheim, ruled by the Vanir. It was after this war that Asgard decided to rebuild the wall surrounding the kingdom to protect its safety.
Finally, when both sides became tired of the protracted dispute, the two great races of gods decided to reconcile and exchange hostages as a symbol of peace.
The envoys sent by the Vanir were Frey, the god of sunlight and fertility, and his sister, Freya, the goddess of beauty, both of whom were among the best gods of the Vanir. However, the shrewd Odin played a trick and sent Heinir, the stupid but tall and handsome, and Mimir, the knowledgeable but old and ugly, as hostages.
When the gods of the Vanir communicated with him, Mimir pretended to be Heinir's follower and answered fluently with his experience and knowledge. This success made them believe that the hostages sent by Odin were very important in Asgard, enough to be equal to the status of the two gods they sent, so the war between the two major gods was stopped.
However, as time went by, Odin's trick was finally exposed, and the Vanir discovered Heinir's foolishness. They were angry about being deceived. But Odin's goal was achieved. After enjoying a long period of peace, the Vanir gods were unwilling to start a war again.
Mimir was made the scapegoat, and his head was cut off as proof of Vanaheim's anger, and then sent all the way back to the Golden Palace in Asgard.
In response to this, Odin, apart from a few accusations, naturally had no intention of fighting back. He simply used herbs and rituals to process the Skull of Mimir, allowing this ancient giant who once guarded the Fountain of Wisdom to think and speak.
From then on, the Skull of Mimir served as the God-King's advisor beside the throne of the Golden Palace, discussing matters that were difficult to decide.
"Hehehe, so how can the good and bad of everything be so absolute?"
"Just like now, you are dead, but I am still alive and well."
Mimir certainly did not volunteer to go to the Vanir as a hostage, a hostage destined to be exposed, but he had no chance to choose. But now it is different.
After uttering a somewhat creepy laugh once again, Mimir looked towards the passage leading to the meeting hall not far away.
In his perception, the strange god was approaching here. He had to think carefully about how to convince the other party to take him away.
After leaving, he may still have a chance to start a new life.
"."
".tread"
"Tap tap—"
Soon, the sound of footsteps grew louder and louder, coming from the passage, and Ryan's figure soon appeared here.
When entering the hall, Mimir looked at the strange god first, but Ryan did not look at him.
What immediately attracted Ryan's attention was not the huge head, but a flame that provided light to the entire hall.
It floated in the air, using the void as fuel, burning forever. Ryan could feel that this flame was extraordinary.
"This is an eternal flame born in the Fire Country Muspelheim. As one of the two earliest of the nine kingdoms, the flames in that region often possess some extraordinary powers."
"Even if the entire source of Asgard 'died', it was still not affected too much and could continue to burn. In contrast, those outside had already been extinguished."
A deep and old voice sounded, explaining to Ryan the origin of the flames before his eyes. As he expected, the black-clothed god indeed shifted his gaze and looked in his direction.
"A head, but the vitality is locked. I have to say, the way you exist is very interesting."
With a calm expression, Ryan sensed some traces similar to witchcraft from the Skull of Mimir.
Compared to the still primitive Chaos, the nine kingdoms that have fully experienced prosperity to destruction obviously have a glorious civilization, and magic is one of the brightest pearls among them.
The war between Asgard and Vanaheim even originated from this - a goddess of the Vanir, Gulveig, came to visit Odin.
She did not show respect to the God King in her words. In later legends, some said she came to show off her magic power, while others said she came to debate which of the two major gods was more qualified to be worshipped by humans. In short, when Odin felt offended, he was the first to throw his spear at her, and the gods also attacked her one after another, but the result was in vain.
They killed the goddess three times, but she resurrected three times with the power of magic. Finally, Gullveig returned to Vanaheim with a swagger, and thus set off a war between the two countries.
"Haha, it's just some old things. If possible, I don't want to continue in this state."
He tried to put on a friendly smile, but what appeared on Mimir's face was only hideous and terrifying.
"Strange god, I wonder where you are from and why you came to the Golden Palace of Asgard? Perhaps I can provide you with some help."
He didn't comment on the giant's words, but the other party was indeed more familiar with this place, so Ryan asked:
"I'm here to find the remains of the owner of this place and the origin of the runes engraved on the palace."
"Also, what happened here, and where did the original owners go?"
With a slight movement in his heart, Mimir soon heard the key information from Lion. He seemed to have never heard of the existence of God King Odin, let alone the name of the Rune.
The gods of the nine kingdoms could not be so ignorant. Perhaps.
"Of course, what you are looking for is in the treasure house left by the God King. I know where it is and can show you the way there."
The smile on Mimir's head grew brighter, and he felt that he finally had hope of leaving.
"But the treasure house is sealed. If there is no correct way to open it, the things inside will be scattered into the void and will be difficult to find. I can try to help you think of a way to open it. I know the owner of this place, but it will take some time."
"As for why this place has become like this, I'm sorry, I don't know exactly."
"Not sure?"
With an eyebrow raised, Ryan said:
"As a member of this place, you don't know what is happening where you are?"
"Yes, I can explain the specific situation to you one by one."
"Then let's talk on the way. You show me the way, and you can tell me as much about your past as you can before we find the treasure house."
Spreading his long sleeves, Ryan put the eternal flame into his sleeves, and then let the tray carrying Mimir's head come to his side.
As a giant, Mimir's head is still several times the size of an ordinary person's even after being treated with rituals and herbs, and looks strange and abnormal.
"As you wish, I will tell you about the past."
After agreeing, Mimir pointed in a direction and told Ryan about his experience.
Walking on the road leading to the treasure house and listening to the stories told by the skulls beside him, Ryan gradually understood the past of this place.
Most of Asgard's history is similar to later myths, with only minor differences, except for some places that Mimir intentionally blurred or distorted, and the existence of some gods was discredited. However, Ryan easily distinguished the truth from the falsehood by comparing it with the records in Scandinavian mythology.
However, he remained calm and did not point out the problem, but continued to play the role of an alien god who knew nothing about this place.
The first life in the world, the giant Yunior was born at the intersection of ice and fire, the world tree was born, the nine kingdoms appeared, and even the elves, dwarves, and giants... everything was no different from the myth until the arrival of Ragnarok.
Unlike the records of later generations, this time, facing the doomed disaster, the gods did not accept it calmly, but tried every possible way to resist. Finally, before dusk was about to fall, the king of gods Odin seemed to have really come up with a solution, or perhaps he discovered something unexpected.
In short, he secretly summoned all the gods, but this time, the meeting did not take place inside the Golden Palace, so Mimir did not know what they said.
After the meeting, Odin returned to the palace briefly, then left the Golden Palace alone, and the other gods followed suit.
Later, the roots collapsed, the world tree fell, the nine kingdoms fell apart, and everything fell into extinction.
According to Mimir, all this happened about 70,000 to 80,000 years ago.
"Seventy or eighty thousand years ago?!"
He memorized the number firmly in his mind, and vaguely, Ryan had a ridiculous guess, but then he threw it out of his mind. Not only because Mimir's story had ended, but also because he had already arrived at the place.
"Is this the Golden Palace's treasure house, the place where the God King hides his treasures?"
Looking at everything in front of him, Ryan was a little skeptical.
"Of course, there are actually many treasure houses in the Golden Palace, but this is the most crucial one, and the only one that still exists today. As for the rest, even if the treasure house itself is still intact, the treasures inside are probably like the fairy fire that is usually extinguished in the Golden Palace, and have lost all their power."
"However, if you want to open it, you need the right method. Otherwise, once the treasure house collapses, you will get nothing."
Since many people don't seem to know much about Norse mythology, I'll write about the content involved in a bit more detail.
Chapter 189 The Broken Divine Spear and the Magic Box
Ryan glanced at the Skull of Mimir beside him and knew what it meant.
He just wanted to show his value so that Ryan wouldn't abandon him, but Ryan had no intention of giving up on him.
Not only was Mimir the only living thing Lion had ever encountered, but the knowledge contained in this brain was invaluable in itself.
The fact that the rune technology and magic from another world were so highly valued by the Aesir proved that this was also enough to threaten the gods. As for the so-called opening of the treasure house, Ryan did not need his help.
The treasury destroyed itself and fell into the void. This was naturally a very difficult problem to solve in Asgard, but Ryan had no intention of "opening the treasure chest" in the Aesir.
As long as this "treasure house" is brought back to the spirit world, it can self-destruct in any way it wants. If a treasure house without its owner can break through the space-time barrier of the seven-layer spirit world and let the treasures flow out, that would be a huge joke.
However, looking at the 'treasure house' in front of him, Ryan still felt somewhat 'admired' for the 'confidentiality measures' of His Majesty the God King.
"So, which deity is this statue of?"
Under Mimir's guidance, Ryan figured out that Odin's so-called secret "treasure house" was actually in the belly of a goddess statue.
I don't know what the God King of Asgard was thinking when he placed his treasure in such a place.
But the effect was indeed successful. If it weren't for Mimir, his "own man", Ryan would never have thought that there would be a treasure trove here.
"She is Gulveig, the goddess of the Vanir. I have told you about her existence before. Odin was deeply impressed by her powerful magic that could easily reverse life and death."
"He left portraits and sculptures of the goddess in many places because he hoped that he could change the outcome of Ragnarok just as Gullveig reversed her own life and death. But now it seems that not only did he fail, he also made the disaster even more terrible."
Mimir did not hide anything and spoke all about it.
"That sounds interesting."
Nodding, Ryan paid a little attention to the goddess who was proficient in magic. He didn't know if he could find any trace of her in the future, and whether she was really dead.
"But we should leave now."
With a swipe of his long sleeves, Ryan put away the statue. It had been quite a while, and he had gained enough here. Some corners might be of interest to ordinary gods, but they were not enough to make Ryan stay for longer.
Tearing open the space and taking a step out of the Golden Palace, Ryan looked in the direction.
He didn't do this when he came in because the residual power of this ancient hall interfered with his perception, making it impossible for him to accurately locate the coordinates of the inner space under the suppression of the interface. But when he came out, there would be no need for such trouble.
"You are heading to Urd's Fountain?"
Looking at Ryan's actions, Mimir couldn't help but ask.
"Yes, in this broken world, there must be something left there. Do you have any suggestions?"
"No, but if you can still go to other countries, I suggest you go to Jotunheim. It is the home of the frost giants, and there is also the Fountain of Wisdom and another root of Yggdrasil."
"If I get the chance, I will."
Ryan said casually, and then he flashed and flew away into the distance.
As a giant who once guarded the Fountain of Wisdom, Mimir must know more about it. In fact, that was one of the three options that Lion had prepared at the beginning.
As for the last option, it is Niflheim, the Kingdom of Mist, one of the two original kingdoms of the Nine Kingdoms, and is in opposition to the Kingdom of Fire.
There, the third root of the World Tree grows, and it is there that the poisonous dragon Nidhogg gnaws at the roots of Yggdrasil day and night, eventually leading to the arrival of Ragnarok.
Therefore, the beings living in Niflheim have another name in later generations. However, their names are often misunderstood, and even in some records of later generations, they have changed from describing life to describing space.
Their name is - 'Nibelungen'.
······
"Each world has its own wonders. What a brilliant civilization."
As he got closer to the roots of Yggdrasil, Ryan gradually realized the power of this sacred tree that supported the Nine Realms.
Even though it has withered and dilapidated, its original strong vitality has disappeared, and its sacred aura has completely transformed into dead silence, it still does not diminish the power of this sacred tree.
When it was still alive, Yggdrasil had definitely reached a great realm in terms of power. It was just like the Zhou Mountain that supported the sky in later Eastern mythology. Although it had enough power, it had no unified consciousness.
So the latter was knocked down by the witch god, and the former was eaten by a poisonous dragon. Their value in mythology seems to be just to describe the magnitude of the disaster - one brought floods and repaired the sky, and the other brought the end of the gods.
"Every world. Haha, my strange lord, come to think of it, I don't even know your name."
Floating beside Ryan, Mimir said with a smile.
"You can call me Ryan. As for my origins, you will know later."
While talking, he did not stop. The roots of the World Tree extending from the void had already occupied everything in front of him.
Rather than a tree root, it is more like a "wooden wall". Looking upwards, the part that should be connected to the main body has been disconnected.
Ryan felt somewhat regretful about this. The heart of the tree that supported the Nine Realms Tree was such a precious treasure, and he didn't know which level the main body of Yggdrasil had fallen to, or whether it had directly fallen into the real void with the collapse of the Nine Realms, returning from "existence" to "nothingness".
"What about the Fountain of Urd? Where is it?"
His eyes swept across the ground, but unfortunately, Ryan could not see anything related to the word "spring water" here, let alone the sacred spring water containing "vitality" and "purification".
Fortunately, there was a 'local' with him. Mimir must have been here before he turned into a head.
"In the northern part, in fact, although the three main roots of Yggdrasil are 'watered' by the three springs, they do not directly draw water from the springs themselves. They coexist to a certain extent."
Looking at Ryan, Mimir does have some expertise in this area:
"The only exception is the oldest spring in the Land of Mist. It was born at the beginning of the creation, so it is unique."
"As for the remaining two springs, as the trees wither, the power of the springs will also fade. I don't know if the spring of Urd is still as sacred as before. I can only take you to its former location."
"That's enough."
Nodding, Ryan flew towards the north under the guidance of Mimir's Skull.
The main root of Yggdrasil is huge, and the 'small' roots extending from it are dense and numerous. Some of them are only as thick as the trunks of ordinary trees, while some are as big as several houses.
Ryan quickly found his destination by walking through the dense roots.
But as Mimir had said before, this place is no longer holy.
The Well of Urd was once a sacred place for the gathering of the gods. In Scandinavian mythology, its guardians are the three goddesses who control fate, Urd, Beldandi and Skorti, who symbolize the past, present and future respectively.
They also hold the divine authority over some laws. From this point of view, it must be said that although the civilizations are different, in some places, the two worlds are surprisingly similar.
It seems that law and destiny are always interdependent.
But that was all in the past. Today, the once clear spring water has dried up, and on the dilapidated surface, there are only bare stones and withered bushes.
The Frosa Gardens by the spring were once full of vibrant tree-lined paths and delicate and gorgeous flowers, but now they have been tortured by time and desolation and have been completely changed. The Urd Spring is no longer the place of brilliant light, and the three goddesses who accepted the prayers of living beings have also disappeared.
"It seems that you are right. There is no spring water here anymore."
He sighed, but because of the existence of [Reincarnation], Ryan discovered an existence between reality and illusion in the dried-up spring.
With a wave of his hand, an invisible 'seed' fell into his hand. This was the only remaining trace of this sacred spring. If another 10,000 or 20,000 years passed, perhaps it would completely lose its basis for existence, and this sacred place would become history. But now, it is still possible to save it.
Find another object for it to coexist with, and nurture it with the power of the spiritual world. Perhaps it can give birth to a spring again.
"Next, it's the roots."
Turning around and looking up at the tall and withered roots, the black sword appeared in Ryan's right hand. The breath of death frightened Mimir, who was standing by, and reminded him of the goddess Hela who was driven to the land of the dead by Odin.
The half-human, half-skeleton goddess not only has a terrifying appearance, but also a far from kind character. Now that Ryan has also displayed such power, the giant can't help but feel a little worried.
After all, this didn't seem to match Ryan's previous easy-going appearance.
"You want to cut it open?"
"Of course, if it still has some life left, it can only be in the core, and I have to cut it open to find it. If not, it's fine to just cut it up and take it away."
The World Tree was not an ordinary thing, it could not be destroyed at will. The poisonous dragon Nidhogg took an epoch to gnaw down its roots, and even if the one in front of him was already withered, it was by no means easy to cut open.
But the power of death is really useful in this kind of place. Holding the black sword in both hands, Ryan slashed it fiercely, and with a flash of arc light, the huge "wooden wall" was split in the middle, revealing the fibers inside.
Unfortunately, compared to the huge root system, this little damage is nothing, and the wood here still has no vitality at all.
With his eyes narrowed, he grasped the black sword again and chopped at the tree again and again. The roots gradually revealed their inner parts, but in the end, even when he chopped down to the core, Ryan still couldn't find the part he wanted.
He thought there would be something in the core part, such as juice containing the origin, or something else, but the result was that when Ryan cut the roots as big as mountains into eight pieces, they were no different.
"Why is it so? Could it be that the roots of Yggdrasil are not as good as the Spring of Urd and the unknown flame?"
The huge tree that Ryan chopped down fell to the ground with a loud noise, stirring up countless dust, but he just felt puzzled.
One of the three main roots of the World Tree, the place where it was originally rooted was a holy spring famous for its vitality. Why was it that until it was completely cut down, I couldn't feel any trace of the original vitality of the sacred tree?
Could it be that the connection between the World Tree and the laws of the Nine Realms is so close that it has lost all its power as the world collapses?
"Sir Ryan, look over there."
"Um?"
Suddenly, Mimir's voice sounded. Ryan looked in the direction of the voice. At the place he pointed, a "wooden stick" that did not look like it was naturally formed was stuck on a broken root.
It looked ordinary, like an ordinary thing. But when Ryan looked at it, he immediately became serious.
A piece of obvious man-made object appeared among the original roots of the World Tree. Even when it was placed in front of us, there was no detectable abnormality. This was enough to prove its extraordinaryness.
"What is that?"
Although he had some guesses in mind, Ryan still asked the 'locals' who knew the situation first.
"That is Gungnir, also known as Gungnir, the weapon of the God King Odin, a divine spear made of branches of the World Tree. When it is complete, it has the power of 'sure to hit' and 'penetrate'. As long as it is thrown out, it will definitely pierce the enemy's body. And whoever swears to it, the oath will be fulfilled."
With a look of nostalgia and disbelief, Mimir slowly explained the origin of this artifact.
He nodded, as if he was listening carefully, but in fact Ryan knew even more than what he said.
Because of the existence of this magic spear in Scandinavian mythology, later Nordic people had the tradition of throwing spears at the other side before the two armies fought. And because the legend says that when Odin threw the spear, it was like a meteor passing through the sky, so people have the legend of making wishes to shooting stars.
This legend has even spread to every corner of the world. Even in the East, where the culture is very different, there are many people who look forward to the appearance of meteors.
But at this moment, in front of Llane and Mimir, the artifact that made the God King Odin always victorious had already been broken.
It had lost its spear head, leaving only the spear shaft. It still looked alive, because it was the one that had sucked away the vitality left in this section of the roots by the World Tree Yggdrasil.
Perhaps its owner had thrown the broken divine spear far away, and it had penetrated deep into the roots, hoping to use the divine tree to repair the weapon that nurtured him, and retrieve it in the future. But now, judging from the results, he never came back.
".Let's go to the next country."
After a moment of silence, Ryan picked up the broken artifact and looked at it for a while, then put away everything in front of him and said to Mimir beside him.
Looking at this broken spear, although it had been purified after absorbing the vitality of the World Tree, Ryan was still keenly aware of the power that once remained in it.
Or more precisely, it was the remaining emotions. Ryan felt that his guess should have come true.
"Hatred of all things? It seems to be much more terrifying than the evil creatures I created with my own hands."
Although the ancient evil creature [Sun Devourer] created by Ryan was also irrational, it only hated one object, that is, the celestial body that releases light and heat. But this cutoff gun is different, because it hates everything.
Perhaps, this was left behind by a being similar to Eclipse, but much more powerful and evil. The disappearance of Gungnir's spearhead was probably related to this as well.
"The destruction of a world, haha."
God knows what was born under this symbol.
It was hard to say whether he was afraid or looking forward to it. Ryan summoned the Skull of Mimir and prepared to leave directly.
...
At the same time, when Ryan completed his general exploration of Asgard, in the abyss of the Chaos world, the giant snake surrounding the atrium also opened its eyes.
Ryan's main consciousness is gone, but he has always kept a part of his mind on this special incarnation, so all matters concerning the spiritual world and the world have recently been fed back to him.
Ryan's incarnation didn't care much about things that weren't too urgent. Strictly speaking, he and Ryan's main consciousness were actually one, but he was more inclined to the "evil" side of his personality, so in many things, he hoped that they would develop in some interesting directions.
He shouldn't have woken up now, but at this moment, the impatient actions of a certain God King in the world still woke him up.
The power he once gave told him that the first woman in Chaos' world was about to be born.
"You are so impatient! You haven't even had time to judge the 'sinners', but you are already paving the way for the next era. Perhaps you have sensed something?"
The snake's body lifted up slightly, causing the entire interface to begin shaking.
The small fragments outside the boundary have been pulled into Chaos. They are small enough and should be transformed the fastest. Perhaps within a few hundred years, no matter what the fate of these fragments is, there should be a conclusion.
And it was natural for Zeus, as the king of gods, to be aware of this.
"A node."
The deep and loud voice echoed in the atrium. Ryan's mind moved, and Lyanna in the spiritual world received the message.
She will be ordered to go to Olympus and bring a gift to the newborn woman. After all, she was born from the water of the Well of Origin, the predecessor of the Well of Samsara.
"Go, place its reflection inside, as my gift to mankind, if they can actually receive it."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Although she didn't see any figure, Lyanna was used to it. She took the things that Ryan asked her to do and then left the spirit world.
Being in the Nine Hells, Ryan looked through the world and watched what happened on earth. After experiencing it personally, he also had a deeper understanding of this period of history.
Pandora's Box, a symbol of disaster in legend, contains good or bad things. But before the birth of this box, were all things in the world peaceful and harmonious, without any disputes or disasters?
Of course not, the magic box is just a symbol. It symbolizes that the gods finally understood some of the mysteries of faith, so each of them put something into the magic box, curse or bless, to represent the greatness of God and "good and evil, good and bad, all come from God".
As for the "hope" that was locked in the box at the end, it was actually destined to never fly out. After all, how could a fake thing become true?
"In a world controlled by fate, isn't the real hope to escape fate?"
The snake body returned to its original position, and the Ring World Serpent no longer paid attention to these "little things". If the integration of the Nine Realms once again distorted Chaos' destined fate, then let him add fuel to the fire.
Some people say that "fairy fire" is a term used in fantasy and fairy tales, but it is not. Just like the previous Zhuxie Sword, this translation actually existed originally. Just like Asgard is also translated as the Fairy Palace, nymphs are called fairies, and even in Harry Potter there is the term "Gulblay Fairy Fire". The so-called "fairy fire" here is actually taken from here, meaning the ever-burning flame created by magic. There will be no problem with the author in this place. In addition, although Norse mythology is less well-known than Greek mythology, thanks to Marvel and Dragon Clan, although those are magically modified versions of mythology, everyone should have some impression of the main characters such as Odin, Nidhogg, Loki, and Thor.
Chapter 190 Sea Eye
"You haven't left yet?"
Prometheus hurried back to Aurora with the burning fennel branches. What appeared before his eyes was the panicked crowd in the dark and the unmanaged order.
When the judgment of the King of Gods falls into the ears of God, it tells the reason why he punishes mankind, but it is not the same when it falls into the ears of mortals.
Perhaps he was too disdainful to prove anything to mortals, or more likely the King of Gods had no intention of letting them go, so all humans knew was that simple sentence.
From today on, take away the fire given to mankind.
They heard these words, and just as they said, the fires in the entire human settlement went out, and they fell into darkness and cold.
"Creator, I have been waiting for you to come back, because I believe that you will solve all this."
In front of Prometheus's residence, facing the Creator's implicitly questioning words, Momon bent down slightly and spoke with as much joy as possible.
Around him, there were hundreds of people, all of whom had come to the Creator's residence in a panic to seek enlightenment. As the former high priest, they subconsciously regarded Momon as their leader.
"Believe me. Maybe."
"Momon, no matter what you want to do, my time is running out, and you should have witnessed with your own eyes what happened to Orson."
Holding the Holy Fire, Prometheus felt that his mind had never been so clear as it was now. He could tell at a glance that his student in front of him was abnormal. He was stained with strange blood, just like those giant beasts stained with divine blood. However, the aura contained in this blood was not like that of a god at all, but reminded him of those silver humans.
If it were in the past, Prometheus might have tried to find out the reason, but now, he no longer had time. The sun god should be on his way, and when the sun rose the next day, he would be taken back to Olympus.
Humans, in the end, have to move forward on their own.
"This is the new fire, and no god will ever take it back. I will leave it here, and when I am gone, no man or god will be able to move it, and it will protect this city forever."
Inserting the burning fennel branches into the sacred fire originally used for offering sacrifices to the gods, Prometheus looked at everyone present.
"If you want to open up new settlements in the future, or protect the ones we have already opened up, you can draw some of the holy fire away from this place. It can also help you dispel darkness and disasters. But you must remember that the only truly inextinguishable fire is the first one. Once the fire that has been drawn away is extinguished, the town where it is located will also lose its protection."
"I will."
Nodding respectfully, Momon was also a little sad at this moment. It must be said that for a being with faith, no matter you are a good person or a bad person, whether you are mocking him or praising him, it is difficult not to respect him.
This is not about power, it's just a tribute to 'knowing it's impossible but doing it anyway'.
"I hope so. If, I mean if, after I leave, the God King is still unwilling to let humans go, you can try to lead some people and go all the way west. If you can find Delphi, maybe for the sake of that temple, the God King will let you go."
With a complicated expression, Prometheus gave a final reminder, but he didn't think it made any sense. After all, in this era, how could mortals rely on their own strength to cross the wilderness and go to the distant ancestral land of mankind?
Just think of it as a hope. In a disaster, it is always better to have hope than nothing.
"No need to follow me, I'll just walk by myself."
Prometheus waved his hand to stop everyone who wanted to say something, and then left the center of Aurora.
There is still some time before dawn, and he wants to see the human being he created with his own eyes again. After all, the next time may be many years later.
······
The sky was glowing, but the sun did not rise as expected today. Outside Aurora City, two figures were approaching.
"Cohen, you also heard that voice just now."
Evans' tone was a little frightened because of the sudden sound and the extinguished torch in his hand.
But he was not that afraid, because the voice claimed to take back the fire given to mankind, but in fact it was not the case.
The torch in his hand was extinguished, but the torch in Cohen's hand was not. The two men traveled by the light of this torch in the second half of the night.
This made Evans doubt whether everything before was an illusion. Perhaps his torch was actually blown out by the wind, not because of the sudden sound.
"I heard it. 'Take back the fire given to mankind'. That should be the voice of the God King."
Unlike Evans, who knew nothing, Cohen recognized the owner of the voice because a hundred years ago, he had looked up at that god at the foot of Mount Odisha and watched him challenge the previous god king with righteous words, and therefore remembered his voice.
According to other humans, that god's name is Zeus, and he is now the third generation of gods in the world.
"The voice of God. Then why is your fire fine?"
Not quite believing it, Evans now felt that perhaps everything that had just happened was just a prank by this guy who didn't seem to like smiling much.
"Because gods are different from each other. The god who gave me fire probably wouldn't pay attention to such a small matter, let alone take the fire back."
After praying silently in his heart, Cohen stretched out his hand and held the torch towards Evans.
"What?"
"Your torch should be ready to light now."
As a human legend who was only one step away from self-generated divinity, Cohen clearly felt the laws of the two changes.
The bronze humans' 'rights' to fire were first taken away, then quickly returned.
However, in Cohen's perception, the one who came back seemed almost exactly the same as his own.
Reaching out to the flame, Evans' torch was soon lit again. Looking at the burning torch, he felt that this was a joke played by Cohen on him.
He was about to say something, but then a scene on a mound behind Cohen made Evans suddenly excited.
"Look, Cohen, isn't that the Creator—wait, who is that?"
"Um?"
Among all the gods, Prometheus was one of the few that left Coen with good memories. He once respected and believed in this Titan god who traveled among the golden humans.
Although he can no longer find that feeling now, Cohen still has a good impression of him.
Looking in the direction of the sound, Cohen saw Prometheus and a tall man in golden clothes beside him under the dim morning light.
Those were two gods. This was Cohen's intuition given by the special substance that had merged into his body. If it were in the past, he would have bowed respectfully to the gods, but now, he just watched from afar, even a little wary.
Because at the same time, the other party also looked at them. And the moment the strange god saw them, obvious disgust appeared in his eyes.
Swoosh——
The next moment, a golden light cut through the air and flew towards the two at a speed that was difficult for mortals to catch. Prometheus seemed to want to stop it, but he was not good at fighting and could not react.
However, watching all this, Cohen just took a step forward. The blood and energy flowing in his body gathered in his right hand, and then he grabbed the golden light.
boom--
His right foot sank into the ground, and the area around him sank slightly, accompanied by a loud noise, stirring up a cloud of dust. In the dust, Cohen did not retreat a single step, and just held the bronze spear wrapped in golden light.
The powerful attack that was enough to destroy a city wall was easily taken, and Evans on the side was almost speechless with fear. And looking at the existence in front of him who was obviously not an ordinary being, Cohen spoke to a god as an equal for the first time:
"Who are you, and why are you attacking me?"
"Do you need a reason to kill an ant?"
His face looked a little unhappy. Helios did not expect that a demigod who appeared out of nowhere would disguise himself as a human. He had not recognized him before.
As for Cohen, he was originally a human being. What a joke, he didn't know when humans would be able to fight against gods on earth.
"Humph, go away, this is not the place for you to come."
He snorted coldly. He admitted his fault, but Helios would not apologize for it. He ignored Cohen and the others and continued to look at the sinful god who was about to be "captured" by him.
Just because the Sun God would casually attack a mortal who carried the aura of his father, did not mean that he would kill a powerful demigod without a reason. After all, who knew which god the other person was descended from, and whether he would cause trouble for himself.
"Why, are you scared, Prometheus? It's too late to regret now."
Noticing that the foresighted man was still looking at the demigod beside him, the Sun God couldn't help feeling unhappy.
"Or do you recognize him?"
".If he is human, then I will recognize him."
Retracting his gaze, Prometheus immediately urged,
"Let's go. I'm ready for the trial."
"Then let's go."
Grabbing Prometheus, Helios quickly returned to his sun chariot, which is why the sun did not rise today.
Without the golden chariot pulling the sun, it was just a frame. Pulled by four Pegasus horses with divine blood flowing in their veins, the sun chariot carried the two gods and quickly headed towards Mount Olympus.
On earth, only two ignored humans were watching all this. They didn't know that the scene just now was actually Prometheus' last morning in the Bronze Age.
Evans, who was frightened by the golden light before, gradually recovered. A person with a cheerful and enthusiastic personality like him was very receptive to this.
When the panic subsided, he looked at Cohen, a little bit in disbelief, and somewhat excited.
"Cohen, you, you just..."
"I am a human, not a god."
Shaking his head slightly, Cohen did nothing in the end until Prometheus and the god who suddenly attacked him left.
The Forerunner recognized him, but didn't seem to want to talk to him, so Cohen didn't force him. After all, until now, he still didn't know what the two gods were here for.
Just by looking at the golden chariot, he roughly knew who the god who attacked him was. The sun god Helios, a Titan god who once served the previous god king.
The Golden Humans once revered every god equally, so they did not understand why the God King was superior to other gods, but Cohen now understands.
Humans are equal because of their virtues, so even as the king of golden humans, Cohen does not think that he is nobler than other humans. However, gods seem to have few such virtues, so there is a distinction between the superior and the inferior among the gods.
Cohen could understand that gods did not necessarily need to have human virtues. But for a god who treated him as an ant in conversation and claimed that there was no need for a reason to destroy mortals, he felt that it was even more difficult for him to regain his former respect for the gods.
After all, perhaps other gods think so too.
"Come on, if you want to learn, I can teach you, but I only know a little about some of it myself."
"Now, let's go into the city first and see what has happened recently."
As for the forerunner who left earlier, as the creator of bronze humans, he should often stay in the human tribe. Cohen felt that he would meet him again sooner or later.
At that time, he can also ask this wise man among the gods some questions that have troubled him for a long time.
······
On Mount Olympus, all the gods gathered together.
After one night, they all knew what had happened. Humans deceived the gods under the guidance of Prometheus, and after the gods punished them, the creator of mankind actually went against the gods' orders and returned the fire to the human world.
Fortunately, the sun god Helios discovered all this "in time". He went to the mortal world at dawn and brought back the fire thief.
Now, Prometheus stood in chains in the center of the hall, accepting his belated judgment.
"Why are you doing this? Aren't the gods good enough for humans?"
Before Zeus spoke, the goddess Hestia broke the silence among the gods.
Among the gods, she has always been kind to humans and admired Prometheus very much, but she never expected that this wise man who was once famous would do such a thing.
This made her unable to understand and feel very disappointed.
".I'm sorry, ma'am, my arrogance brought this upon me, and I am willing to pay the price for what I have done."
Somewhat speechless, Prometheus did not meet Hestia's eyes. If there was one god he felt deeply sorry for, the goddess of fire was undoubtedly at the top of the list.
He took advantage of the goddess' kindness and did a foolish thing. Although he later promoted Hestia's name among humans and placed her in a position second only to the God King, this still made the Forerunner feel guilty.
Therefore, when faced with the goddess's questioning, he had to avoid the question.
The goddess of fire wanted to say something, but she didn't say it. She just sighed and sat back in her seat.
No matter why the other party did this, this was already a fact. He would pay the price, and this was what his brother was happy to see.
"Son of Iapetus, wise man of foresight, although you have committed such a crime, you can be forgiven."
When Hestia sat back down, the Queen of Heaven, who was wearing a golden crown, spoke next to the God King. All the gods knew that she was speaking for the God King.
"You tried to deceive the gods, but you are also a contributor to the creation of mankind. The King of Gods may not hold you accountable, but stealing fire is different."
"If you are willing to admit your sins and bring Fire back to Olympus, you can still sit with us."
Some of the gods present already understood what Hera meant. What she was actually saying was that as long as Prometheus was willing to personally shatter his image in the hearts of humans, then everything he did would be tolerated.
They all looked at the shackled god, waiting for his answer. And this time, the foresighted one raised his head and looked directly at the God-King on the throne.
"I am willing to pay the price for what I have done, Your Majesty."
The same words, different meanings, but the gods all understood his determination. The scene fell silent, and now the King of Gods had to respond.
So Zeus stood up and looked at the sinful god in front of him who dared to look him in the eye, and suddenly a fire of anger burned in his heart.
"I'm sorry. I thought you would make a wise choice, but if you still insist, for the dignity of the Divine Court, I will have to punish you."
Although he no longer wanted to see him, Zeus gave a final warning. Then, as he had expected, Prometheus said nothing.
"In that case, Helios, although you begged me for mercy before, it is clear that Prometheus has failed you. Since you have brought him here, you will be the one to carry out his punishment."
Looking at the sun god who could no longer suppress his smile, Zeus said calmly:
"I will let the two children of Lady Oath assist you to press this sinner into the whirlpool of the East Sea. His brother holds up the sky in the west, so he will calm the tide in the east."
"No one is allowed to visit him, and he will spend his eternal life alone in the darkness and silence at the bottom of the sea."
His expression changed. If possible, the last place Helios wanted to go was the huge whirlpool. Whenever he got close to it, he felt like he was dead.
But looking at the cold gaze of the God King looking at him, Helios finally did not dare to refuse.
Prometheus was taken away, but today's matter was not over yet. The God King looked to the side, where Epimetheus, who had come late, was standing there.
This famous fool among the gods had just witnessed his brother being tried, but he showed no anger at all, which made Zeus laugh.
But such a God did make him feel at ease.
"Epimetheus, you are different from your brother. As the assistant in the creation of man, you have also made contributions to the gods."
"Therefore, in gratitude for your service, I will give you a gift."
"And what will you give me, sire?"
Looking up and asking, Epimetheus' eyes were clear and joyful.
"I will give you a wife, and you shall have whatever your elder brother and younger brother have; this is your share."
Standing in front of the throne, Zeus smiled and looked at the last obstacle before the arrival of a new era.
"And today, all the gods have gathered here. Every god who has benefited from mankind should thank you and do his or her part in this matter."
Chapter 191 Pandora and the Eye of Odin
A sculpture, a sculpture of a woman. She was exquisite, like a real living creature, and when she was placed in the center of the hall, the gods could not help but be fascinated by her.
"This is."
Keenly aware of the difference in the statue, Hera felt the touch of authority.
Zeus had not told her about this so-called gift, and she had no prior knowledge of the existence of the statue, if she was really a statue.
As the deity in charge of fertility, the Queen of Heaven felt a similar power in her. If nothing unexpected happened, it was reproduction, the source of new life.
A dead object should not have such power.
"She is the gift I prepared. I asked the Cyclops to carve her carefully, so that our new friend, the embodiment of love and beauty, could give her peerless beauty. And I gave her a beautiful heart - a desire to explore and learn everything. I don't think that's a bad thing, right?"
With a smile on his face, Zeus looked at the gods present.
"Prometheus created man, and today we will create woman. And you, Epimetheus, will be the beginning of it all."
"You will wake her up yourself, and then marry her in the presence of Hera and me."
"Thank you for your gift, Your Majesty."
Giving a creature to a god as his wife wasn't really a reward, but considering that Epimetheus and his brother had always enjoyed the company of humans, it didn't seem like an insult either.
Anyway, the Fool who came to his senses later seemed very satisfied with this. He bowed slightly and thanked the God-King.
"As long as you are satisfied, then, who will go first?"
Nodding, Zeus first looked at his sister, who was also his wife.
After looking at Zeus, although Hera was dissatisfied with his previous concealment, she still didn't say anything.
After all, the God King always does this, at least this sculpture is not prepared for him. Just feeling Aphrodite's blessing, Hera couldn't help but be wary of the goddess.
Zeus had actually discussed this with Aphrodite privately before today, and this was what Hera really cared about. Although she was very confident in her beauty, the other party was the embodiment of love and beauty.
Not to mention her own appearance, just the artifact belt that accompanies Aphrodite can make the wearer the focus of all male attention. Hera doesn't want Zeus to have another child.
"I wish her a happy and faithful marriage and hope she will never be betrayed."
With a double meaning, the Queen of Heaven took the lead in blessing the statue of the girl.
With the first one, the remaining gods also gave their own unique gifts.
Demeter gave her youth and vitality, and flowers bloomed wherever she passed; Hestia gave her shelter and warmth, and from then on there were few things in the world that could hurt her; the Poseidon, whose true form had not arrived, also used his power to bestow her different gifts, and he made it possible for her to walk on the water as if it were flat ground, and could even calm the waves.
Finally, when each god gave his blessing, the king of gods was ready to give her an additional gift - wisdom, because he found that extraordinary wisdom might not necessarily be a good thing, it would breed arrogance and conceit.
But just as he stretched out his hand, Zeus's expression suddenly changed.
"What's wrong?"
Noticing something was wrong with the people around her, Hera couldn't help but ask.
".Nothing, I just have a headache."
Zeus forced a smile and withdrew his hand as if nothing had happened. The gods present did not pay attention to this little episode, only Hera looked a little suspicious.
Just now, she felt a very strange aura from Zeus, just like when her sister was pregnant.
After Demeter gave birth to her daughter, she hid her in an unnamed valley and let her grow up there instead of coming to Olympus. Hera knew that she was on guard against her, but she knew about it long ago.
It would be ridiculous if the goddess in charge of fertility didn't even know about the children born to her two closest people. However, since she was just a weak goddess, she pretended not to know.
"Where is His Majesty the King of Hell? Do we need to wait for him?"
The gods completed the blessing, but as if they noticed something, one of them spoke up to remind them.
As had happened every time before, Hades did not come to Olympus, he remained alone in the underworld.
"That's not necessary."
Shaking his head slightly, Zeus had suppressed his previous discomfort.
"Although Hades did not come in person, he has long been grateful to the hero who created humans. He and the gods of the underworld have created a treasure together. Let it be a gift for your marriage."
After he finished speaking, an exquisite and gorgeous pottery jar appeared in Zeus's hand, covered with a copper cover and inlaid with gorgeous gems.
Yes, a jar, not a box, this is its original appearance. However, its image has gradually changed in the dissemination and translation of later generations. Holding it up with his right hand, Zeus handed it to Epimetheus.
"This is a gift from Hades to you. All the gods in the underworld have contributed to it. It can absorb all the disasters and misfortunes that come close to you. However, Hades has specifically warned you not to open this lid."
"Otherwise, he might come to collect extra payment."
With a slight smile, Zeus gestured with his hand.
"Now, it is up to you to give life to your future wife. She was born because of you and will be your other half."
".As you command, Your Majesty."
Epimetheus glanced at the pottery jar in his hand with clear eyes and responded respectfully.
Everything for today should be over, and he approached the sculpture standing on the ground.
Epimetheus cut his hand and let his blood stain the stone statue. It was visible to the naked eye that the girl gradually came to life from a dead object.
Her skin became rosy and rosy, her heartbeat began to sound, and finally, when her eyes became lively, she completely came to life.
The newborn girl blinked her bright eyes, looked at the god standing before her, and uttered her first words:
"Who are you, who am I, and who are they?"
"You are Pandora, 'woman with all gifts.' I am Epimetheus, your creator and future husband; and they are the gods, the masters of this world."
The blessing of the goddess of beauty took effect more thoroughly. Looking at the girl in front of him, Epimetheus couldn't help but be moved for a moment. Facing the girl's questions, he patiently answered them.
"Then why did you create me?"
Pandora continued to ask.
"Because my brother and I created man, now there should be woman. You are the first woman and you will be my wife."
Epimetheus stroked the pottery jar in his hand and handed it to Pandora.
"The gods have given you all their blessings, except for the Pluto's share, which has been transformed into this clay jar. Now, I give it to you as a witness to all this."
After saying this, Epimetheus turned around. With such a beautiful wife, he seemed a little impatient.
"Do you have any further instructions, Your Majesty?"
"No, enjoy your marriage."
If the wisdom given to failure is excluded, everything today makes Zeus very satisfied. He waved his hand, indicating that Epimetheus can leave.
He was not really "thanking" the fool for his "contribution", so naturally he had no intention of saying more.
"Then we shall—"
"etc--"
Just as he was about to leave, the next moment, a cold female voice came from outside Mount Olympus.
The gods were paying attention, because along with the sound came the undisguised mighty power of the comer.
The gods looked at each other, and finally they looked at the king of gods on the throne. At this time, Zeus had stood up and looked at the door of the hall seriously.
"Welcome, honorable goddess of the dark moon. I wonder why you are here today?"
The power of the God King was also released without any concealment. After all, Olympus was his home ground. Zeus easily eliminated the momentum of the newcomer, but he did not fight back, but withdrew immediately.
"In obedience to the Lord's will, I have come to give her a gift."
When Lyanna, wearing a purple dress, walked into the hall, all the gods present could not help but wait in awe.
It's not only because of her own strength, but also because after the previous conflict with Hades, Olympus has re-recognized this goddess, and she now represents an existence comparable to the Mother Earth.
The former Earth Mother's messenger, Moanda, was just a nymph fairy, but she was received by the previous God King and Queen of Heaven, let alone the Dark Moon Goddess in front of them. No matter what she thought, the gods had to welcome her arrival.
"Oh, I didn't expect that such a small matter would alarm the Lord of the Spirit World."
Zeus unconsciously grasped the armrest with his right hand, his heart tensed but a happy smile appeared on his face.
"It is Pandora's honor. She will remember this forever for the rest of her life."
Although
Pandora was the protagonist of the incident, no one really took her seriously. She was a tool, a delicate doll, but she was not treated equally by the gods. Even her future husband standing next to her thought so.
After a moment of excitement, Epimetheus quickly blocked out the influence. After all, the goddess of beauty's blessing was not her own, and if he was alert, he could still isolate himself.
In contrast, watching Lyanna walk into the hall, she was the protagonist of the hall at the moment. He had once met this person, and he had guessed the other party's identity, but he did not expect to meet her again in such an occasion.
He remembered that there was another person beside Lyanna last time, but when he recalled it now, Epimetheus was horrified to find that he had no memory of the other person at all.
He remembered the conversation between the two parties, but he could not remember any other characteristics of the other party.
"Your name is Epimetheus, right? What is she here for?"
Pandora asked quietly, noticing that Lyanna seemed to be looking at her.
But she was not afraid, because she had just been born and did not know fear yet, and the blessings given to her by the gods made her feel that there was nothing to be afraid of in this world.
".She is also a god who came to give you a gift. Just wait."
After casually dealing with the woman next to him, Epimetheus couldn't help but guess Lyanna's purpose.
The latecomers can understand that the God King wants to destroy the image of their brothers among humans, and even use him to give a reason to cleanse the world. But what is the purpose of this uninvited goddess? It is unknown.
Just as Prometheus always loved to confidently judge the future, what Epimetheus hated most was the feeling of knowing nothing about what happened in the past.
"You are Pandora."
The sentence was in the form of a question and the tone was affirmative. After explaining her purpose to Zeus, Lyanna did not say much to any other gods, but looked directly at the target of this trip.
This somewhat arrogant behavior made many gods frown, but the other party did not really do anything, so they could only remain silent.
"I am."
Pandora raised her head high, looked at the black-haired goddess in front of her, and said affirmatively.
"very good."
Nodding, Lyanna didn't know what was so special about the person in front of her that made her send a gift from far away in the outside world, but she just had to do it.
She stretched out her hand, and a flickering illusory star appeared in Lyanna's palm. She observed Pandora for a moment, and her eyes finally fell on the pottery jar in her hand.
"Lady Lyanna, this is a gift from my brother. He once told me that it is best not to open it."
Zeus's eye twitched and he warned.
"No problem."
Gently shaking her head, Lyanna could see that the thing hidden in the pottery jar was not good, but it had nothing to do with her. She just stretched out her hand and pointed lightly, and the illusory star passed through the wall of the jar and disappeared into it.
The blockade left by Pluto seemed to be non-existent and was easily passed through by the power of time and space she called upon.
"What's this?"
Pandora's eyes widened, her curiosity was aroused. But she still remembered what the God King said, that this jar could not be opened. But now, the gift given to her by the goddess in front of her has entered the pottery jar.
"It has no name, if it must be."
After carefully choosing her words, Lyanna said slowly,
"In front of it, there will no longer be 'absolute' or 'impossible' in this world."
Pandora was a little surprised. She wanted to take the pottery jar, but Epimetheus, who was standing on his side, got there before her.
Subconsciously, he grasped the pottery jar in mid-air, but then seemed to realize something. It was as if Epimetheus was just doing it for his future wife. He immediately handed the gift back to Pandora.
"Does it work for everything? No matter who holds it, can they get a different result from the established trajectory?"
Epimetheus asked as if it was a casual question.
"Of course not."
Shaking her head slightly, Lyanna noticed the instantly heated gazes of the gods around her. However, this was a gift from the Lord, so how could it be taken by others privately?
"Only humans can use it." Lyanna said lightly: "When it is still in the pottery jar, the human who possesses it will enjoy this honor, but only humans."
"This is the gift of God to His creation, and no god can appropriate it privately."
"What if one of the gods got hold of it and allowed humans to use it?"
Zeus asked, seemingly out of pure curiosity.
"'He who tries to fool fate will be fooled by it', these are the words of the Lord."
"If you don't believe it, you can try it."
Not every god knows how to hide their emotions. Lyanna can see that some gods still seem to have their own thoughts on this.
She didn't intend to stop it, because Ryan said that without the support of spiritual power, if others wanted to shake their fate, they would only suffer the consequences.
"Keep it safe. Its final destination depends only on you."
Finally, she said something to Pandora, which was also what Ryan had told her. Lyanna turned around and walked out of the hall.
"How rude."
They came and went in a hurry, until Lyanna left the hall, a god suddenly said.
"I don't really like the way she looks at us, either."
Demeter also said that she was very familiar with that look, just like the way she looked at all things when she walked on earth.
"Okay, let's stop here. This is Pandora's gift."
He stopped the gods from talking and secretly warned the god who had been tempted by the pottery jar. Although he was also tempted, he still had a mission to complete.
"Go back to where you came from, Epimetheus, with your wife, and set humanity on right track."
"I will, Your Majesty."
Epimetheus bowed and pulled the still confused Pandora over, and followed her out of the palace.
He could feel the hot eyes behind them staring at the things in Pandora's hand when they left. But before the two of them completed the plan of the king of gods, all questions would be stopped by Zeus, and after the plan was completed,
every "gift" would be released, whether it was those given to him by Hades or sent by the goddess of the moon. Epimetheus guaranteed that all the gods who were paying attention to all this would come to this conclusion.
······
"Those who are aware of the situation first or those who are late to the party, they all seem to like to do some clever tricks within the framework of the rules."
The jagged rocks, the steep cliffs, the wild forests, as far as the eye can see, are the scenery of Jotunheim in the Nine Realms.
But this is not caused by an unknown disaster, because this is how it is here.
As the home of mountain giants and frost giants, Jotunheim's environment is quite harsh, but this is nothing to the giants. These powerful beings who can fight against the gods live here, just like humans live on the plains.
"First and last, are you talking about some other gods?"
Mimir, who was floating nearby, was also looking at his former home, but he was more concerned about the two names mentioned by Ryan.
"Yes. One of them is considered by the gods to be extremely wise and a wise man who sees things first. The other is considered to be naive and ignorant and a fool who sees things later."
Nodding, Ryan didn't mind talking to Mimir about the world of Chaos.
After all, the other party couldn't run away, and Ryan had no intention of letting him go.
"It sounds a bit like what happened to Heinir and I. We were both held hostage, but only I was beheaded and sent back to Asgard. This shows that pure intelligence is not necessarily a good thing."
"Maybe, but I think neither they nor you are smart enough."
"I have always believed that cleverness and wisdom are not equal. But every so-called god of wisdom I have seen seems to have only the former, which makes me a little skeptical."
Taking his attention away from Chaos, Ryan looked at Mimir standing beside him.
"Please show me the way. Is the Fountain of Wisdom that was once named after you also under the roots of the World Tree?"
"Yes, not only that, there is something there that I don't even know if it exists."
Although Ryan didn't seem to approve of his "wisdom", Mimir wasn't angry. He just laughed creepily, with a look of reminiscence on his old face.
"Nine nights hanging from a windswept tree, wounded by a spear; I was offered as a sacrifice to Odin, to myself, on a tree no one knew. No bread to satisfy hunger, no water to quench thirst. I looked down, picked up the runes, cried out as I picked them up, and fell from the tree."
"He sacrificed his own eye, Lord Ryan, and the fallen eyeball is at the bottom of the Fountain of Wisdom, and no one has cared about it to this day."