"Whoo..."
Under the cover of night, all was still, with only occasional small waves rolling on the tranquil sea, reflecting glimmers of light under the gentle moonbeams.
But on this vast and quiet ocean, an ethereal and melodious sound of a horn arose, the tune plaintive and enchanting, captivating the soul.
The maiden stood at the dragon-headed prow, clothed in a thin dress, standing against the wind, holding a ram's horn in her hands, her delicate fingers pressing the holes on the horn as she played softly.
The low, mournful sound tinged with sorrow made it seem as if one could hear the sighs and helplessness in the maiden's heart.
And on the seven surrounding dragon-headed warships, there were still warriors who had not yet retired, quietly listening with rapt attention.
In the dozen or so days since the dragon-headed warships set sail, only this nightly music could bring these warriors some solace.
As the music gradually lowered and ceased, a deep voice sounded behind her.
"Lina."
Turning around, Lina bowed her head slightly to the sturdy man before her.
"Atler, my brother, what is the matter?"
In this voyage of revenge, all nine of Lina's brothers had come to assist her. And due to Lina's special status, to avoid impropriety, only Lina and her nine brothers were on this dragon-headed warship.
In Viking culture, women were revered for their wisdom passed down through generations and their mastery of magic and prophecy. There was no distinction of superiority between men and women.
However, Vikings also valued family. In the family, the father and mother held the highest positions, followed by one's older brothers and sisters. And in front of her older brother, Lina indeed showed her due respect.
Looking at his sister, Atler sighed and said,
"Lina, you didn't have to come. War is a matter between men and should have nothing to do with you. Karl's vengeance is our family's vengeance. We nine brothers will naturally help you avenge him. Why must you..."
"My brother."
But Lina directly interrupted his words. She looked straight at her brother.
"Norse women are not known for being weak."
She spoke word by word, her brow exuding a heroic spirit, making it impossible to see that she was just a simple girl half a year ago.
Indeed, in Norse culture, even women had the right to fight. In a typical Norse family, it was rare to have a woman like Lina who was unfamiliar with weapons.
Perhaps in the past, Lina did not like weapons and fighting, and old Edgar who doted on her could accept that she only liked music and not fighting. But now, filled with the flames of anger in her heart, she clearly no longer thought that way.
Looking at his familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar sister with complex emotions, Atler could only say,
"Then go to sleep early."
Atler was still carrying out his night watch duty. Lina turned around, gazing at the deep night before her and the silver light flickering on the sea under the moonlight.
The moonlight like water shone on her, as if draping her in a layer of gauze, making her even more enchanting.
Raising her head, Lina's bright eyes stared at the clear moon overhead.
In her hand, she tightly grasped the crude pendant made of stone around her neck, silently moving her lips as if saying something.
The moonlight was like water, the sea silent.
...
The next day, noon.
The sun goddess driving her sun chariot passed the dome of the sky overhead, casting light and warmth upon the world.
Life at sea was always dull. In their boredom, the Norse warriors could only find their own ways to amuse themselves.
But at this moment, an excited voice rang out.
"Look!"
Under everyone's gaze, the outline of a small island gradually emerged before them.
The island was not large, with a diameter of just a few dozen meters. On the black rocks, there were only a few traces of green, with no trees in sight.
"An island?"
Atler looked at the island, a hint of joy appearing on his face.
For these people who had not set foot on land for a long time, an island where they could rest their feet and stretch their limbs was enough to make them happy.
"Haha, Atler, it seems we are really lucky. Why don't we land and rest for a bit?" Atler's brother, Harriet, said with a joyful expression beside him.
After a brief contemplation, Atler nodded.
"Alright, let everyone rest for a while."
The respite proceeded quickly. The first Viking longship to approach directly charged towards the island. Then, the forty-some warriors on the ship immediately disembarked onto this small mountain-like island, cheering and jumping, with some even dancing on the island.
Indeed, for these strong Norse men, staying on a twenty to thirty meter long, narrow-bodied longship was like stuffing a tall and mighty warrior into a small box, making one feel extremely stifled, unable to even stretch out their limbs. Extending a hand would directly hit someone's face.
And now, setting foot on land again, they were naturally overjoyed.
Their cheers were so loud that even Atler, a hundred meters away, could vaguely hear them.
He couldn't help but shake his head and laugh at his brothers.
"Look at them, like birds released from a cage."
On the small island, a Norse warrior felt a bit stuffy and directly took off his armor without ceremony, sitting on the island bare-chested, feeling the coolness of the sea breeze.
"D*mn, this feels good."
He sighed while casually sticking his axe into the ground.
"Clang!"
Sparks flew, but the sharp axe couldn't penetrate the black rock at all, instead bouncing to the side.
Looking at the rock before him with some surprise, someone beside him already laughed mockingly.
"Hanna, I bet you haven't eaten anything today?"
Following that were unrestrained guffaws.
"Come, watch me."
A burly man walked out of the crowd, raised the axe in his hand, let out a shout, and fiercely chopped at the rock before him.
"Crash!"
A huge force rebounded, catching the burly man off guard. He directly fell to the ground, while the black rock only had a few scratches.
"Let me try too."
"Watch me!"
"Humph, only I can do it."
"..."
Then, the surprised Norse warriors became interested and started competing to see who could leave a mark on this rock, showing off their strength.
But at this moment, they were completely unaware that the ground beneath their feet had begun to shake.
"What's going on?"
Then, until someone felt the ground shaking and exclaimed in surprise.
However, they no longer had a chance to be puzzled.
"Splash!!!"
Suddenly, a deafening boom resounded as countless towering waves were whipped up, and the ground beneath their feet abruptly cracked open.
Without any preparation, the Norse warriors fell into the huge whirlpool stirred up by the sea. And the original "island" stretched out its body with it...
The sea trembled. On the other longships not far away, the dumbfounded people watched with their own eyes as the island transformed into a terrifyingly large head, lifting up, revealing the mountain-like magnificent body beneath the sea.
That "island" was not an island at all, but the head of that colossal creature when it surfaced!
That seemingly endless, vast body was like black mountain ranges appearing in the middle of the ocean.
"Rumble!!!"
In the sky above, the originally clear sky suddenly crackled with lightning, and dark clouds gathered.
With its casual movements, hurricanes instantly formed, the sea roared as if doomsday had arrived.
Its enormous body, with any trivial motion, was enough to create ship-swallowing whirlpools in the ocean. Its every action was as terrifying as a natural disaster.
And in those indifferent pupils, a cold, all-devouring bestial nature filled them.
At this moment, this giant beast raised its head, silently looking down at the humans struggling like ants in the huge whirlpools stirred up by the sea...
The giant serpent, Jormungandr, the Midgard Serpent that encircled the world, had awakened.