Rune Symbols, in Norse mythology, were the mysterious characters that Divine King Odin obtained by sacrificing himself to himself while hanged upon a tree.
Self-sacrifice might sound illogical,, yet as a deity, Laine had come to a deeper understanding of it.
The one offering the sacrifice was 'Odin', yet the recipient was also 'Divine King'. The present self was sacrificing to the future self, with Odin as a deity making a sacrificial offering to the world; and what he ultimately gained were the Rune characters, which contained the secrets of the World Tree's origins.
Although as text describing another world's Law, Rune Symbols might not be as effective in Chaos World, Laine was more interested in their principle of existence.
If he could obtain and decipher them, then Laine could reconstruct the original Spirit Script, creating his own 'Rune Symbols', and use them to describe the rules of the Spirit Realm with greater clarity and detail. Any achievements based on these symbols would be like adding bricks and mortar to the Spirit Realm itself.
Besides the symbols, the importance of the World Tree Yggdrasil hardly needs mentioning. Serving as the singular force sustaining the nine realms of a mythic world, its withering heralded the arrival of the Twilight of the Gods, proving it to be a plant far more formidable than the Golden Apple Tree.
Although what stood here was not its main trunk but only one of its three major roots, and although Laine was unsure whether the World Tree still held any life, this did not diminish its significance.
Whether used to forge Divine Artifacts or as a template to cultivate a new Divine Tree, its value was unquestionable.
As for the Fountain of Urd, records of it in later generations were few and far between, but what could be certain was that it was a spring imbued with the powers of purification and vitality.
It had healed Odin's wounds and had been used year-round to water the World Tree. The three Norns, symbols of destiny in Asgard, were always near it. However, Laine was rather indifferent about it.
After all, he now had the Well of Reincarnation; even if he acquired this spring, it would just be something extra for nourishing plants and brewing drinks—it was hard to say if it would be of any significant use.
And as for 'Odin's Legacy', Laine was not quite certain of its existence.
After all, the Twilight of the Gods as recorded in later myths was not like the current situation, which encompassed all living creatures including the Deity Race, not just the world itself. Even after that so-called twilight, the Light God Balder and the God of Blindness, who had killed him, returned from the Land of the Dead and together with the surviving deities rebuilt Asgard.
But now, no matter how one looked at it, this world seemed deader than dead.
"Still, one must be cautious... who knows how this world was destroyed."
"Besides, in the Mythic World, 'phenomena' often also possess power and can even birth unique life forms. The 'death' of a world... what might it bring about..."
Here, Laine's connection with the Spirit Realm had grown exceedingly faint, and even this broken realm was instinctively suppressing outsiders, but he still spotted his goal at first glance.
In the center of that realm, a vast network of withered roots, visible yet hidden, even from an unknowable distance.
"Hope there will be some gains..."
With a move, Laine flew towards the immense silhouette that reached from earth to sky.
In a world starkly different from Chaos, where deities could be slain and even age, as it seemed for the later myths involving Heracles.
The principle behind all this was certainly worth exploring.
Chaos World, atop Mount Olympus.
Although Laine had left the present world due to an unexpected premonition, the world itself did not cease to move.
When humanity plunged into Chaos due to the sudden loss of divine gifts, the nearby beasts, which had been wary of a particular aura, noticed its disappearance and started encroaching in the direction of human settlements. Panic and Fear spread among the people, and unrest was about to erupt.
Meanwhile, in the Divine Palace of the God of Sun, Prometheus held a fennel branch in his hand and stretched it towards the ornate Sun Chariot.
He knew that his seemingly 'covert' actions were actually anticipated by more than one deity, such as Helios, who had already made an agreement with him, and like the ruler of Mount Olympus, the Divine King.
They had not truly 'seen' his actions, but they knew what the Forethinker was doing. However, even though Prometheus was aware of this, that they were all waiting for him to commit his crime so they could achieve their goals by stepping on his 'corpse', he still resolutely ignited the Fire.
When the fennel branch caught fire, a type of 'right' was transferred.
From that moment on, this branch gained immortality, for it bore the right granted by the Lord of the Spirit Realm to wield Fire.
The branch was merely a vessel, for as long as the concept of [Fire] existed in the Spirit Realm, it would be undying and indefeasible by any deity unless Prometheus himself wished otherwise.
Laine had granted this 'right' to the Sun Chariot, whose master had voluntarily relinquished it, so now, it was transferred to a new god. Of course, this would also become the new god's source of suffering.
Zeus would certainly demand that he reclaims this right, and Prometheus would naturally refuse.
"This is the 'Fire' of mankind..."