//Leave your comments and the chapter came out later today due to many cases.//
In the realm of Helheim, Hela sat by the Gjell River, gazing at its seemingly empty waters that should be carrying countless mortal souls. Despite spending considerable time here, she had yet to witness a single soul drifting along its currents. As she sat by the river, she devoted herself to honing her abilities to grant powers to mortals and conjure artifacts that they could utilize.
Suddenly, a subtle sensation caught her attention, causing a slight smile to grace her lips. "Finally, those individuals managed to reach the ancient Necrosword Puzzle. Perhaps soon I can set my plans in motion to escape this place. However, the longer I remain here, the more peculiar and enigmatic this realm becomes."
Recalling her encounter with the corpse and pondering the oddity of the river devoid of souls, as well as the desolation of this realm despite its sustenance of her divine strength, Hela found herself questioning the implications. She refused to believe that after spending such a significant period in this realm, constantly expanding her divine energy, she had not weakened in any way. These perplexing thoughts and theories only added to her growing sense of intrigue.
"Damn it, I am a formidable warrior, a general, and the very Goddess of Death. It is not my purpose to sit idly by and indulge in futile theories that I cannot even test. Has my will become so feeble in such a short time that I have transformed into the Goddess of tedium and scholarly pursuits? Let the scientists and the Gods of Wisdom concern themselves with such matters. My role is to conquer and bestow death upon all living beings."
With renewed determination, her desire to break free from this realm intensified. "Just a little longer, yes. If the mortals who possess my sword cannot summon me, I still have contingency plans."
Continuing her training on the riverbank, she remained oblivious to the passage of time, her focus undeterred.
In one of the temples of Kamar Taj in Midgard, an elderly man sat reading an ancient folio that contained descriptions of various methods for summoning gods and demons. The folio also detailed theories on constructing stable passages in space-time to facilitate their descent.
"Such knowledge, yet it will be of no use to me. The temple's protections would never allow the gods to descend unnoticed, let alone the fact that they cannot manifest fully in this world through such passages. However, the ritual could be adapted for invoking a projection. I will need to make a few modifications," the old man mused to himself.
Once he confirmed that he had found what he sought, he carefully concealed the book beneath his robe and swiftly left the library. Passing by his fellow monks who were engrossed in their studies of forbidden knowledge, he couldn't help but reflect upon their pitiful existence. They acquired knowledge inaccessible to common folk and performed feats unimaginable to kings, yet their lives remained as brief, if not shorter, than those of ordinary people.
Most frustrating of all was the knowledge that no matter how much they learned, their mortality could not be overcome. Amon gazed at his withered hands, and an ever-growing hatred for his own mortality consumed him.
"Soon, very soon, I shall not only regain my youth but also embark upon the path of immortality," he vowed silently.
Lost in such thoughts, he made his way to his office, oblivious to the young man who accidentally collided with him. Amon stumbled and dropped his book, while the young man quickly rose to his feet, retrieving the fallen tome and offering assistance to the elder.
"I apologize, senior. I was in a hurry to train. If I'm late, Master Yoke will surely scold me," the young monk hurriedly explained, his voice filled with remorse.
While the young man earnestly sought forgiveness and explained his haste, curiosity compelled him to steal a glance at the book Amon had dropped. As he read the title, his eyes widened in astonishment. Amon swiftly snatched the book from the young monk's hands and curtly said, "Hurry along to your practice while you still have the chance to avoid being late."
The young monk quickly excused himself and scurried away, leaving Amon alone with his thoughts. Oblivious to the brief encounter, Amon delved back into the possibilities of utilizing and modernizing the ritual, his mind consumed by newfound inspiration.
A young monk named Augustus couldn't shake off his encounter with the old man. The book he had glimpsed contained dangerous knowledge about dimensions, tempting him with the possibility of becoming a legendary hero under the tutelage of a god. Augustus yearned for strength, fame, and a place in history, and he saw this opportunity as his ticket to achieving all of it.
"It's decided. I must follow that old man discreetly and seize his book. I can't let this once-in-a-lifetime chance slip away," Augustus resolved firmly.
With newfound determination, he hurried even faster to his training session, though he was already late.
"Augustus, I've told you time and again not to be tardy. Despite your incredible talent, you must not neglect your training. If you grow weak due to laziness and carelessness, you'll meet your end at the hands of some demon. Remember, we have a crucial mission to protect the world from otherworldly threats. We are the world's last line of defense against dimensional lords, demons, and devils, not to mention the gods who seek to wage eternal wars on our land," his master admonished.
"I apologize, Master. I wasn't intentionally being late. I merely assisted the elder with his concerns along the way," Augustus replied, trying to justify himself.
"And you dare to lie to me? Furthermore, we don't have any old individuals in the temple. What could an inexperienced and weak young sorcerer like you have to offer to an elder?" his master retorted sternly.
"But, Master, there truly is an old man wandering in our temple. He's pale with gray hair, and he has purple spots on his body," Augustus insisted.
The master fell silent for a moment and sighed. "Never mind. Just take your place, and let's begin with warm-up exercises and practice opening portals again."
The training proceeded as usual, starting with warm-up exercises, followed by running and sparring practice. Eventually, they all gathered to train together in opening portals. When it was over, the master declared, "That's enough for today. You may use the remaining time to train individually or seek knowledge in the library. Just remember not to practice new spells without the supervision of me or another master."
The students bowed respectfully, forming groups and dispersing. However, Augustus chased after his master, determined to inquire about Senior Amon.
"Master, Master, please tell me about Senior Amon. What happened to him, and what is his role in witchcraft?" Augustus asked eagerly.
The master turned towards him, pondering for a moment before replying, "He is skilled, but he ended up in his current state because, as he himself explained, he and his partner encountered dark sorcerers attempting to summon a demon using a dark artifact infused with death. Although they managed to interrupt the ritual, his partner perished, and Amon himself suffers from the consequences of that encounter."
Hmm, they probably stumbled upon an ancient artifact or relic associated with death and wanted to summon either a god or a demon themselves. Well, it doesn't matter, I just want to get that book. Young August thought and said.
"I thank the master for resolving my doubts, I hope that he will be able to heal and come to good health by the master."
"Forget it, dark wizards and problems with death energy should not concern such young and inexperienced sorcerers like you. The main thing is to know that dark witchcraft is dangerous and when dealing with dark wizards, you must be absolutely serious and be as ready as possible to survive."
"I will remember these words, master."
Once I become a hero of the gods, no dark wizards will provide danger for me. Maybe I'll even become famous by killing a huge number of them. August thought to himself.
The master only nodded and left the young man in his fantasies.