Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

It was merely showing its worth, so that Laine wouldn’t leave it behind, but Laine had no intention of abandoning it in the first place.

On one hand, Mimir was the only living being Laine had encountered; on the other hand, the knowledge contained within this brain was of extraordinary value.

The runic technology and magic of another world, so highly valued by the Aesir Tribe, proved it was also a power that could threaten the Deity. As for so-called unlocking the treasure vault, Laine didn’t actually need its help.

The self-destruction of the vault, plummeting into the void, was naturally a difficult problem to solve in Asgard, but Laine had no plans to ‘open the treasure chest’ within the Aesir Divine Realm.

As long as he could bring this ‘vault’ back to the Spirit Realm, let it self-destruct as it pleases. It would be a huge joke if a vault without its master could penetrate the seven-layer spatial barrier of the Spirit Realm, allowing the treasures to fall out.

However, looking at the ‘vault’ in front of him, Laine still had some ‘admiration’ for the Divine King’s ‘security measures’.

“So, which Deity is this statue sculpted to represent?”

Under Mimir’s guidance, Laine could finally make out that Odin’s so-called secret ‘vault’ was actually in the belly of a goddess statue.

Laine wondered what was on the mind of the Divine King of Asgard to stash his treasures in such a place.

But the effect was indeed successful; without Mimir as an ‘insider’, Laine really wouldn’t have thought there was a hiding place for treasures here.

“She is Gullveig, a goddess of the Vanir, and I have mentioned her to you before. As for her powerful magic that could easily reverse life and death, Odin was deeply impressed.”

“He left images and sculptures of this goddess in many places because he hoped to change the outcome of the Twilight of the Gods, just like Gullveig reversed her own fate. But now, it seems he not only failed, but also made the catastrophe even more terrifying.”

Mimir was candid with his words, holding nothing back.

“That sounds interesting.”

Nodding, Laine made a mental note of the magic-savvy goddess. He wondered if he would be able to find any traces of her in the future, and whether she was truly already dead.

“But now it’s time for us to leave.”

With a sweep of his sleeve, Laine collected the statue; a fair amount of time had passed, and the gains here were already sufficient. Some odds and ends might be of interest to ordinary deities, but they were not enough to keep Laine lingering.

Ripping through the space, he stepped out of the Golden Palace, Laine surveyed the direction.

He hadn’t done this when he came in because the residual power of this ancient hall interfered with his senses, preventing him from accurately locating the coordinates within the realm under the realm’s pressure; but leaving was much simpler.

“Are you heading to the Urd’s Well?”

Seeing Laine’s actions, Mimir could not help but ask.

“Yes, in this shattered world, only there I am sure still holds something of existence, or do you have any suggestions?”

“Not really, but if you can travel to other realms, I suggest you visit Jotunheim. That is the homeland of the Frost Titans, and there still lies the Spring of Wisdom and another section of Yggdrasil’s roots.”

“If the chance arises, I will.”

Laine said casually, then flashed away towards the distance.

As the Titan who once watched over the Spring of Wisdom, Mimir certainly knew that place better. In fact, it was one of the three options Laine had initially planned.

The last option was Niflheim, the Land of Mist, one of the first two of the Nine Realms, in opposition to the Land of Fire.

There, the third section of the World Tree’s roots grew, and Nidhogg the Poison Dragon also gnawed at the roots of Yggdrasil day and night, ultimately leading to the coming of the Twilight of the Gods.

Thus, the beings that resided in Niflheim were known by another name in later times. However, their name was often misunderstood in many contexts and even in later records, where it was used to describe space rather than life.

Their name is—’Nibelungen’.

…

“Each world has its own miracles, truly a splendid civilization.”

As he drew closer to the roots of Yggdrasil, Laine began to sense the power of this Divine Tree that supported the Nine Realms.

Even though it had withered and fallen into ruin, and its once vibrant life force had subsided into silence, its grandeur as a Divine Tree remained undiminished.

When it was still ‘alive’, Yggdrasil certainly reached a great domain in terms of power. Yet it was like Mount Zhou from the eastern myths of later times, possessing the strength but not a unifying consciousness.

Thus, the latter was toppled by the Witch God, the former consumed by the dragon’s gnawing. Their value in myths seems to illustrate the enormity of catastrophe—one brought floods and patched the sky, the other brought the doom of the gods.

“Every world… hah, this esteemed stranger, come to mention it, I do not yet know your name?”

Hovering beside Laine, Mimir said with a smile.

“You can call me Laine. As for where I come from, you’ll find out later.”

Continuing the conversation without stopping, the roots of the World Tree stretching from the void now filled all in front of him.