The frigid serpentine eyes stared at the diminutive figure before them, while the other returned the gaze with equally inhuman, frostily cold eyes, looking down upon this colossal being.
Even those oblivious to the relationship between the two would gasp in amazement upon seeing them:
"They're so alike."
Though they appeared vastly different in size and form, the look in their eyes was unexpectedly strikingly similar, both looking down upon all beneath them, equally arrogant and haughty, unrivaled in the world, and equally… devoid of any trace of humanity.
Loki's three offspring, a monstrous wolf, a giant serpent, and a half-dead being, though vastly different in appearance, all shared the same trait…
They were monsters.
The monstrous wolf had a penchant for devouring all things, not even holding the gods in regard; the great serpent was so immense in size that it could encircle the entire human world in its embrace; and the half-living, half-dead Hel was born with lofty arrogance and immense self-conceit. Odin, along with the frost giants, fire giants, and other beings, jointly governed all the living, while she alone reigned over all the dead.
Three arrogant and haughty monsters, all treating the mediocre masses with disdain, to the point where they felt it beneath them to even deign to converse, with only a select few being acknowledged by them.
In this universe, the thunder god Thor counted as one, the king of the gods Odin counted as another, and perhaps the inscrutable primordial fire giant also counted as one. And besides them, even their father - Loki - might not necessarily be held in regard by them.
And naturally, among these three arrogant and haughty monsters, there was no recognition whatsoever for the humanity established by those insignificant specks.
Brotherly affection, sisterly affection, in the eyes of these three monsters, were utter nonsense. Only might was right.
Hel could clearly sense that even now, in the gaze with which the great serpent regarded her, there was still a predatory gleam, brimming with greed and mad hunger. If given the slightest opportunity, if she were to let her guard down even a little, this giant serpent would seize the chance to unhesitatingly devour her whole.
In the depths of her frostily cold eyes, there was a hint of deep wariness. She spoke.
"My brother, I have come this time to convey something to you."
Beside her, a seemingly ordinary, adorable puppy suddenly poked its head out from her feet, vigilantly looking down at the colossal being from atop the carriage.
The puppy appeared unremarkable, but the vaguely discernible skeletal frame on its body proved its extraordinary nature, such that it showed no fear even when facing such a titanic being.
The giant serpent, countless chains deeply embedded in its flesh and even bones, merely gazed at her coldly, its vertical pupils slowly dilating, displaying a soul-stirring, intangible magical power. Ordinary people, if they merely locked eyes with these pupils, would sink into deep terror, even becoming thralls of the giant serpent, turning into serpent-men who would henceforth only fanatically praise and worship the giant serpent.
Then, a low chuckle sounded.
"I don't think we have anything to discuss."
The inhuman vertical pupils suddenly filled with savagery, its body beginning to stir, the thick chains binding the giant serpent's form emitting a thunderous clamor as they were pulled taut. With the giant serpent's struggles, fierce whirlpools began to churn from the seafloor.
It was simply too ravenous, to the point where it no longer intended to exchange any more pleasantries with this nominal and biological sister, preferring to directly gulp her down and be done with it.
And with the giant serpent's actions, Hel's body immediately felt a deep, instinctive chill brought about by an intense sense of peril.
Compared to her two incredibly formidable brothers, she was more adept at employing cunning rather than combat prowess. In a direct confrontation, the outcome would likely be her being directly consumed, her soul falling into Helheim, waiting for resurrection after a long slumber.
And just at this moment…
"Grrrr!!!"
The puppy at her feet suddenly leaped out from within the carriage, its form blurring, its originally small body abruptly swelling a thousand times over, its terrifying form seeming like it had been flayed, leaving only crimson flesh, daunting to behold, its size even surpassing an elephant, savage and terrifying aura surging from this bloody giant hound.
Garmr, this beloved hound of Hel's, guarded the entrance to Helheim, utterly loyal to Hel. Any undead who refused to obey Hel would be devoured by this vicious hound.
Though it appeared incomparably small before the giant serpent, that snarling, grim and ferocious bearing was like a tenacious bulldog, extremely vicious, completely disregarding the vast disparity in might, intending to battle this giant serpent before it for the sake of protecting its master.
Seeing that the battle between the two was about to break out at any moment, Hel, not wishing to see the two fight, frowned and spoke.
"Father asked me to tell you… he will find a way to free you."
Upon hearing this, the giant serpent's movements paused. It stopped, then a low voice sounded.
"Loki? What's with that guy? He actually wants to free me, is he planning to openly defy Odin?"
The voice carried a thick mockery.
Very evidently, the giant serpent had no respect whatsoever for Loki.
Hel's expression darkened. She was clearly displeased with the giant serpent's tone. Among the three siblings, not all had no regard for Loki, this nominal father. Hel, who thought the most like a human, unexpectedly held Loki in esteem.
"No matter what, Loki is ultimately our father. Insulting him is also disparaging us."
Her voice became somewhat discontented.
The giant serpent's indifferent snort sounded.
"Perhaps."
The displeasure between Hel's brows deepened. That malevolent aura originating from her nature nearly could not be suppressed, nearly driving her to simply have a good brawl with this giant serpent, letting him know that she, this "sister", was ultimately also a monster, and not someone to be trifled with, not one of those "ants" it could casually deal with.
However, the reason Hel could become the queen of Helheim was precisely because she was more level-headed than her two brothers, more able to rein in that restless impulse and malevolent aura in her heart, thus making rational judgments.
Therefore, despite her displeasure, she did not make any rash moves.
"Father has not yet planned to defy Odin. He told me he will try to find a way to free you and Fenrir together, but the premise is… you have to endure for now."
Hel's indifferent voice reached the giant serpent's ears. Its pupils gazed at the diminutive figure before it, as if contemplating something, not responding for a long time.
A long while later, its head, majestic as a mountain range, rose, slowly approaching Hel.
The immense whirlpools formed by its breath made the giant hound Garmr feel deep unease. Its long fangs were bared, emitting a low growl, intending to intimidate the giant serpent before it.
However, the giant serpent paid no heed to this vicious hound, an insect in its eyes, no matter how terrifying it appeared to ordinary people.
The giant pupils, smooth as a lake, looked down at Hel before it. Hel's slender figure was clearly reflected in its dark green eyes. In the dark green eyes, deep as an abyss, intangible murmurs and whispers sounded, at once illusory and real, as if wanting to swallow Hel entirely into the depths of these immense pupils.
Hel did not avoid or yield, just fearlessly raising her head to gaze at this elder brother of hers.
Then, a low and resounding cold voice sounded by Hel's ear.
"I can endure… but if Loki fails to free me, the day I break loose from these chains, the entire universe will be destroyed under Jormungandr's wrath."
…
Hel left, and although somewhat displeased, this first contact still let Hel obtain what she considered a valuable gain.
The giant serpent, on the other hand, settled back down to the bottom of the deep sea.
The seawater was silent. In the deep sea bottom, quiet and lightless, there was only deathly stillness, with only a pair of dark green vertical pupils flickering with an inexplicable light.
If one were to say that the starvation of over a century had taught the giant serpent anything, it would probably be maintaining calm and clarity amidst endless hunger and madness.
Those chains deeply embedded in its flesh and bones, that body gnawed by the carnivores in the deep sea until not an inch was intact, were all forcing it to calm down.
Every time it went mad with hunger, so ravenous that it lost reason and struggled frantically, making those chains sink deep into its flesh, sinking deeper and deeper, it would be forced to feel that endless agony of having its scales shattered, its exposed flesh gnawed by those carnivores.
For this, it had no choice but to learn how to painstakingly restrain its hunger, restrain its actions, thus avoiding this agony. It was the long torment and adversity that allowed it to barely keep itself from going mad.
But it absolutely would not thank those gods who had trapped it in this endless deep sea. On the contrary, the arrogance and haughtiness on its body were gradually being eroded, while that savagery and viciousness originating from its nature were intensifying with each passing day.
Every day, the fury in the giant serpent's heart was mounting day by day, and this fury was ultimately twisted into a deep and pure murderous intent.
"The day I return shall be the day you all perish!!!"
But the giant serpent understood that relying on its strength alone was not enough to overcome this predicament. This, it had long personally experienced and understood.
No matter how powerful it was, it was still difficult for it to contend against all the gods. Only by borrowing the strength of others could it have a chance to realize what it desired.
It had originally thought that the only one who could aid it was probably the monstrous wolf Fenrir who had suffered the same fate, but this time, Hel's arrival made it keenly aware of one thing.
"'Father has not yet planned to defy Odin'… has not yet planned… these words are very intriguing indeed…"
The giant serpent's pupils flickered, seeming to hold a hint of relish and intrigue.
"Hel, your deference and obedience to Odin, turns out to be merely a façade? Or is it because you think I can't possibly divulge it, that you so unguardedly show your dissatisfaction with Odin…"
"Intriguing… truly intriguing…"
Thinking this in its heart, it then raised its head. Through the deep and dark bottom of the sea, it could see the sun chariot galloping in the sky above the sea.
Over this century, the old sea god, the sun god, the moon god, and the many gods had not forgotten this ferocious giant serpent, always keeping watch over it, but in the end, as it did not make any unusual or bizarre moves, they gradually neglected their surveillance of it, to the point of allowing Hel to secretly meet it, something utterly unimaginable a hundred years ago.
And Hel's arrival finally made this giant serpent realize…
"These guys have neglected my existence?… Good, it seems I can finally take some action."
Its pupils flickered uncertainly. The giant serpent's inconceivably vast spiritual power then extended along a prayer that had been murmuring by its ear for over a hundred years…
The giant serpent would not wait in vain for others to rescue it. This absolutely self-centered giant serpent only ever believed in itself.