The snow exploded into a white jet as Adam crashed down. He felt more dead than alive, yet he smiled and slowly ran his essence to unfreeze his limbs.
Hrimgar’s giant body crashed, the wide hole in his chest wafting smoke and permeating the air with the stench of burned meat.
"Defeated by the descendant of no one. Why can’t I hear your boasting anymore?"
Delighted by the abundant experience points, he summoned his interface and distributed his stat points. With each addition, his muscles twitched in a savage counter-attack against the frost, quickening the process.
Race: Elder Dragon Overlord
Affinity: chaotic, infernal energy
Job: Aberration Crafter.
Exp: 2.000.000/6.500.000
HP: 368.230/7.395.750
Vitality: 439.473->642.225 (+97.350)
Strength: 439.473->642.225 (+224.779)(+97.350)
Agility: 439.473->642.225 (+224.779)(+97.350)
Chaotic demonic essence:
Free attribute points: 608.256->0
Though satisfied by the fifty percent increase, he gasped at his remaining health. He had stood on the razor’s edge, and the scabbard proved useless against Hrimgar’s affinity. After all, the lake’s freshwater froze even before his blood did.
’Seems like the stronger the enemy, the more it struggles to heal me.’
Between the devouring blaze, Azhi Dahaka’s poison, and now Hrimgar’s ice, the mythical scabbard showed its limits. But he didn’t feel bad about it. It had served its purpose in the abyss, which was more than he could have hoped for.
As he relaxed, Mimir’s voice shattered his thoughts with an urgent question.
"Are you alright, brother? Please, tell me you are. I can’t see you from where you left me."
He groaned as he pushed himself off the ground. "I am. The ugly bastard joined his ancestor in Helheim."
"I can’t believe you defeated him! Don’t take it wrong, but Hrimgar had a slight edge on every parameter, especially in defense." Mimir’s voice trembled in disbelief and relief.
Adam limped to the crater, clenching and unclenching his fists to circulate his blood. "He was tough, but not enough." He picked up Mimir’s severed head and winked. "I can’t lose before beheading the gods. But I’m grateful for your warnings."
Mimir remained silent for a moment before he sighed.
"Many fools took arms to overthrow the gods’ tyranny. But you... I want to witness how far you’ll go."
Adam raised a brow, prompting him to continue.
"I don’t know. Perhaps I’m tired of their shenanigans." He sighed. "Before becoming... this, I used to advise Odin until he signed a truce with the Vanir gods. He sent me as a hostage with Hoenir—a questionable decision if you want my opinion—but I still went. Do you know what happened?"
"They believed Hoenir was wise but noticed I was the one telling him what to do, which disappointed them. And since he was a major god, I became the target of their rage. I’ll skip the horrible details and say they ended up beheading and sending my head back to Odin."
Adam tilted his head, a deep frown creasing his brows. "They targeted you because you were a minor god? What a bunch of bastards."
"A god?" Mimir chuckled. "Who gave you this preposterous idea? I have Jötnar’s ancestors, but that’s all."
"I thought you were one of them... I guess I can trust you a little more." Adam sighed, then pointed at the fragment of Élivágar. "Let’s keep those stories for later. Do you know how to open the spatial tear?"
"I do. I’ll show the natural runes to copy with your essence."
Adam nodded at Mimir and moved to the fragment. Once before it, he frowned, feeling as if it was calling him. No, it called his bloodline.
Intrigued, he stretched his fingers to touch the icy surface as Mimir paled.
Before the warning registered, the fragment swirled in a chaotic waltz. Its fresh surface reddened, taking a scarlet color before it slithered from Adam’s fingers to his arm.
Stunned, Mimir exclaimed. "That’s how Loki got a fragment. It’s a fake!"
Adam’s eyes widened as the blood-like liquid took refuge in his skin’s crevices. "The heck is it, then?"
"What else?" Mimir’s voice darkened. "Tiamat’s concentrated blood. And since she’s the primordial divinity of salt water and chaos, it can, of course, substitute the rivers from the world’s beginning."
Adam snickered. "That’s the last thing I expected to find. Imagine Loki is supposedly in her team but never bothered returning it. She even called him her son." His eyes narrowed into vicious slits, and his fists tightened. "I hope he’s ready to shoulder the consequences of his trickery."
"You probably won’t see him before Ragnarök. It’s best to forget about him and focus on drawing the runes." Mimir twisted his lips, remembering all the trouble Loki had caused.
Adam nodded, retrieved his God Slayer, stored Hrimgar’s corpse in his magic cube, and, under Mimir’s supervision, drew the runes using his essence. They brightened the moment he finished, and space hummed before distorting.
A dark crack wafting the scent of ozone appeared, drawing the wind in like a vacuum.
His heart drummed against his chest when it began to stretch, revealing the bottom of a liquid pool of green and frozen flames.
"My demon den!" With a yelp, he threw himself inside before it opened entirely. He would finally return home!
Landing in the pool, he rocketed upward and emerged inside the building, feeling nostalgic as he watched the closed door, their pulsing engravings, and the trap hiding the core to upgrade it.
However, he muffled the scream he wanted to let out. He couldn’t alarm the mythical figures about his return. No... It didn’t really matter. It’s just that he didn’t want to sour his excellent mood by seeing the faces of filthy traitors this early.
"We keep a low profile, Mimir." He shapeshifted into a common demon and stepped toward the door.
"I’m not sure we can." Mimir rolled his eyes. "I mean... Why do you think you’re holding me?"
Adam gazed down, his face paling as he saw another kind of sword dangling in all its splendor. "Shit. Thank you for reminding me."
He summoned his magic cube, took out a wolf’s body, shredded its fur, and wrapped it around his naked chest and thighs.
A steely glint flashing in his eyes, he pushed the towering doors open, eager to see how Harmony developed in the past ten years.