Just as the gods were preparing to face an unprecedented great decisive battle, the divine king Odin rode his eight-legged steed Sleipnir, making his way to the bottom of the World Tree's roots - to the Well of Urd where the three Norns resided.
The Bifrost had been destroyed, so naturally he could only reach there by passing through the human world of Midgard. However, at this moment, the human world had already been reduced to a vast expanse of ocean, with countless fire giants and frost giants wreaking havoc through these waters, the flames on the bodies of those fire giants nearly boiling the entire sea, so naturally passing through here would involve taking a great risk.
However, as the creator of the runes, Odin naturally had his methods. With just a small spell, he successfully concealed himself from these giants and monsters, none of the monsters realizing his presence as he quietly avoided their many eyes and ears.
However, he failed to notice that among this unprecedentedly vast army, the emaciated and haggard Loki's eyes were deliberately or not looking towards his direction, those cold and indifferent eyes seeming to see through his disguise, yet saying nothing, only suddenly letting out an inexplicable mocking and derisive laughter, ridiculing a certain divine king who still harbored an unwillingness to accept his fate.
…
"Clop clop…"
Riding atop the swiftly galloping Sleipnir, the wind cutting like knives, before Odin, the Well of Urd below had lost its former beauty, having been rendered utterly foul by the flames and poison gas of the Serpent and the Wolf.
Sleipnir lightly landed on the grass, and the three Norns sat on the grass sighing, in their hands, the web symbolizing the fate of humans and gods had been corroded by the flames and poison gas until it was tattered and torn.
Looking at that web, Odin fell silent for a moment, then spoke.
"Where is Mimir?"
The three sisters of fate did not answer, only pointing to a small path beside them. Glancing at that path, Odin then walked into it, following that trail through the woods.
Before long, he saw the wise giant Mimir leaning by the Well of Wisdom, Mimir's hair and beard now all white, at this moment seeming as if he had long anticipated Odin's arrival. Seeing Odin walking towards him, he calmly leaned against the Well of Wisdom and said,
"Divine king, on the eve of this Ragnarok, this destruction of the universe, what business do you have coming here?"
Odin looked at him, first falling silent, then slowly said,
"Mimir, tell me… have I done wrong? If there had been no falling out between Loki and me, what would the outcome have been?"
Mimir glanced at him, then softly chuckled and slowly said,
"Odin, you are truly strange… You imprisoned his two children for over ten thousand years; banished his youngest daughter to the realm of the dead; his three wives had to go into hiding because of your decision; you laid a curse on his two fraternal brothers, making them slay each other; even his two daughters were too afraid to make a sound; and he himself was also bound by you in an underground cave for thousands of years, suffering the pain and torment of venom scorching his face…"
"All his closest kin have suffered because of you, and now, you want to ask me what would have happened if there had been no falling out between you and him? Odin, how exactly should I judge you?"
"I only wanted to save this world."
Odin said, the old giant before him remaining noncommittal.
"Yes, you have indeed been striving to save this world. If you had not imprisoned and banished Loki's three children, Ragnarok would have happened over ten thousand years ago; if you had not gone to great lengths to drive the black dragon Nidhogg into the underworld, Ragnarok would have happened thirty thousand years ago; and if in the war between the Aesir and the Vanir, the Aesir had not been victorious, this universe would have been destroyed in that divine war… and even earlier, if the Aesir gods had not established a stable order, this universe would have fallen into chaos the moment it was born."
"Odin, you have indeed done your utmost."
Saying this, this old giant spoke with some approval.
"But I have not done well enough… In the end, I still failed to prevent the coming of Ragnarok."
Odin said dejectedly.
"Even if you had done better, what then?"
Mimir shook his head. This old giant, who could see all possible futures and possible pasts, did not agree with Odin's words.
"Odin, you can see what has happened in the past and what will happen in the future, but I can see those things that have not happened in the past and will not happen in the future."
"Even if you and Loki had never fallen out, even if that black dragon had also submissively obeyed your will; even if those three children had also recognized your identity and status as the king of the gods; even if the frost giants no longer hated the gods, but followed the rule of the gods; even if the gods were united and had never experienced decay and corruption; even if the Vanir and Aesir had completely merged…"
"Even if you had eliminated all hidden dangers and done your utmost to make everything as good as possible, Odin, sighing divine king, I still must tell you frankly, Ragnarok would still ultimately come."
"Odin, in that future that has not happened, the gods who had prospered to the extreme, their golden rule seeming able to last for millions of years, but a mere hundred thousand years later, the Tree of Youth would wither, and the gods, having lost the Apples of Youth, would fall into senescence, the gods mixed with the blood of giants unable to live forever. In struggle and utter hopelessness, the gods would gradually pass away, and the world, having lost the gods to maintain order, would be ruled by howling winter winds, all life would perish with it, and the last human would freeze to death on the icy plains. The entire world would fall into death and ruin."
Another possible future, just like that, was calmly spoken by the wise giant, and hearing this possible future, Odin's face was silent.
"In other words, I have merely chosen a fate that is not very good, but also not very bad."
After a while, Odin's face revealed some complexity, then he said self-deprecatingly.
Before him, the aged wise giant quietly looked at him, not speaking.
A long time later, Odin looked at the wise giant before him and said,
"I want to ask you one last question."
"A question? Haven't you already learned all there is to ask? Or are you still trying to overturn this fate?"
The aged wise giant looked at Odin before him, then gave a small chuckle and said.
Odin did not answer, but continued to ask,
"Mimir, you can see all possible futures and possible pasts. I want to know, that thing I am thinking of in my heart at this moment… will it succeed?"
He said, his single eye staring intently at the wise giant before him.
The wise giant before him, however, unexpectedly first fell silent for a moment, not directly answering, but seeming to ponder for a bit before saying,
"Odin, that thing you are thinking of in your heart… I cannot give you the answer."
Under Odin's intent gaze, Mimir shook his head, his words, that last sentence vaguely hinting at something.
Cannot give me the answer…
Odin's heart seemed to realize something, gaining a bit more understanding, then he glanced at Mimir and turned to depart.
As the divine king vanished, that wise giant quietly watched the direction in which Odin had disappeared, then seemed to say something as if talking to himself.