'Three years...' Arkhan pondered for a moment while stroking his chin and then asked, "So, where is your true body right now?"
Since there was a time limit, he needed to assess the difficulty beforehand; otherwise, he might end up diving headfirst into it and not even know how he would die.
If there were no time limitations, he could have waited until he collected all the Divine Keys and then gone. By that time, he could have used Shamash to clear a path, unstoppable even by gods.
Even if he couldn't win, he could escape using Cosmic Juggernaut, and he could always come back to fight another day.
But with a time limit, the difficulty of the task increased several times over.
Nidhogg remained silent for a long time before sighing lightly.
"My true body is currently at Yggdrasil."
"You mean... in the Norse Realms?"
"Yes..." Nidhogg replied calmly, "I am the Dragon of Despair, the harbinger of apocalypse. According to the world rules, I should have disappeared after Ragnarok. However, thanks to the power of Yggdrasil I devoured, I have managed to survive temporarily. But due to the constraints of the rules, I cannot step foot outside the realm of the gods."
Nidhogg sighed softly, "Until now, I don't even remember how long I've endured. The power of Yggdrasil within me is about to be depleted, and at that time, I will be wiped out by the rules. This is my last chance."
Arkhan was getting a headache.
The Norse Realms, even in its weakened state due to Ragnarok, was not an easy place to infiltrate. The ancient magic and bounded field left behind were challenging enough to deal with, not to mention the possible presence of some ancient divine beings or even a real dragon.
"Don't worry, with my help, I guarantee that you'll have a smooth path inside." Nidhogg said confidently.
After careful consideration, Arkhan finally nodded. Despite the dangers, having the Dragon of Despair's assistance should significantly lower the risk.
"Then we shouldn't waste any time. Let's begin immediately!" Nidhogg said eagerly.
After being trapped under Yggdrasil for so many years, Nidhogg was now excited to have a chance at freedom.
"Hold on a moment..." Arkhan said calmly. "First, open your mental world."
"What do you want to do?" Nidhogg asked cautiously.
Opening the mental world meant that everything would be exposed to Arkhan, leaving no secrets.
"I want to leave a psychological suggestion in your mind to ensure you won't betray me later."
"I can make a contract with you." Nidhogg protested. It might not have understood the word 'betray', but it grasped the concept.
"Contracts don't always apply at all times. At least, as far as I know, there are at least five ways to bypass contract restrictions." Arkhan responded without conceding. "And I can't be sure whether you've been completely honest with me. If you've tricked me and used your remaining soul to save yourself at the expense of my life, I'd be at a loss."
"You—!" Nidhogg fumed. It was about to give Arkhan a piece of its mind but then remembered that this was its last chance and decided to swallow its anger.
"How can you guarantee that you will rescue my true body?" Nidhogg asked.
"Other than trusting me, you have no other choice right now, right?" Arkhan said flatly.
After a long silence, Nidhogg's voice finally echoed in his mind, filled with frustration, "If you dare to peek, I won't spare you!"
"Hmph, what's there to see in a dragon? You're not a beauty." Arkhan scoffed.
Nidhogg nearly fainted from anger. 'I'll endure it! I'll endure it! Once I'm free, the first thing I'll do is teach this uncivilized and uncultured monkey a lesson!'
Then, Arkhan used the power of Fenghuang Down to enter Nidhogg's mental world and left a psychological suggestion.
He hadn't intended to probe Nidhogg's memories, as there was no benefit to agitating the dragon. However, the mental world was highly susceptible to the influence of its owner's emotions.
Due to Nidhogg's excessive excitement, some information accidentally leaked during this process.
Arkhan, who had caught these leaked fragments of information, suddenly wore a strange expression, tinged with a barely noticeable hint of embarrassment.
"Ahem... So, you're a mother dragon..."
Nidhogg felt a mix of embarrassment and indignation, almost wishing to end it all right there with him!
Sensing the intense murderous intent, Arkhan immediately closed his mouth, remaining silent.
However, that strange and awkward feeling lingered in his heart, refusing to dissipate.
Who could have imagined that the dragon responsible for bringing about the Ragnarok would turn out to be a female dragon?
Thinking about his relationship with 'her', a peculiar thought suddenly crossed Arkhan's mind. Since he could be said to have been born from Uther and Nidhogg, didn't that mean...
'Should I perhaps call her... Mom?'
Arkhan shivered all over, quickly snapping himself out of that line of thought. He had a strange feeling that if he continued to dwell on it, things might take an irreversible turn.
Fortunately, Nidhogg was unaware of Arkhan's thoughts. After a moment, she began to calm down and spoke in a cold and distant tone, "Alright, release the seal. I'll help you channel the power."
Arkhan nodded and squeezed blood from his fingertips, then started writing a Primordial Rune, which gradually overlapped with the deep green Primordial Rune before him.
Both Runes trembled slightly and then dissipated into thin air simultaneously.
*BOOM—!*
As soon as the seal was released, a powerful aura burst forth from Arkhan. Black patterns snaked their way from his heart to various parts of his body, like eerie tattoos drawn by an ancient wizard.
*Snap!*
Arkhan crushed a wooden block at the edge of the bed, large drops of sweat forming on his forehead, his face contorted with pain that he couldn't hide.
It was too massive. Despite his mental preparation, Arkhan found this surge of power almost unbearable. The power that had been suppressed for sixteen years erupted all at once, like a raging river, beyond his control.
The black patterns continued to climb, spreading the power of death in all directions, leaving decay and desolation in their wake.
This was a sign of losing control.
At this rate, it wouldn't be long before the death energy within him would erupt completely, repeating the horrifying scene from the past.
Arkhan clenched his fists tightly and growled.
"Nidhogg! What are you waiting for?!"
"Hmph!" Nidhogg snorted lightly. While watching Arkhan in pain was quite satisfying, she, under the influence of psychological suggestion, obediently stepped in.
The death energy that had been rampaging inside Arkhan's body, like a wild beast, suddenly calmed down as if a pair of large hands had passed over it. The rapid growth of the black patterns on his body slowed down significantly.
Arkhan, with the reduced pressure, took a few deep breaths and quickly began to rein in this newfound power.
All the scattered death energy came back under control, and the black patterns on his body gradually faded away.
Yet, his aura stayed strong and imposing, even deeper than before.