Otherwise, you can find another savior.

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These spirit soldiers do not seem to have the ability to revive after being killed, which in a sense relieves Shiomi of any worries.

At first, Skadi tried to use magic to help, but she quickly gave up.

Shiomi weaved through the dozens of spirit soldiers, charging left and right. Skadi's rash use of magic might accidentally injure him.

No... even accidental injury might be within his reaction range.

As Skadi watched Shiomi's figure move so fast she could hardly recognize it, she felt a little dazed, as if she were seeing the Norse gods who had already passed away.

Tyr, Thor, Frey, Heimdall...

Those gods who were also warriors.

However, he is different from the Norse gods, possessing a certain personal quality that they lack, which Skadi cannot yet discern.

But in any case, she understood why she had to follow Shiomi into Valhalla.

"As the world nears its end, a man entrusted with the 'Declaration of the Great God' will come, and you, as his bride, will be needed to guide him."

This is not an absolute command, but rather a decision made by Skadi.

Therefore, Skadi will go through this trial to personally witness whether the man before her is qualified.

Chapter Twenty-Six: The First Trial

After dealing with the spirit soldiers blocking the way, we passed through the dilapidated temple.

Shiomi and Skadi arrived in the valley and proceeded along the rugged mountain path.

"Based on my understanding of mythology, Skadi, the goddess of winter, is known as the bride of the gods, so... are you perhaps the widow of some Norse god?"

While climbing a relatively steep mountain path, Shiomi first jumped onto a rocky fault and then turned around to reach out her hand to Skadi.

“That’s just what you call pan-human history.” Skadi wanted to reach out and grasp it, but remembering the warmth and firmness of the touch, she withdrew her hand and chose to float up to the fault line on her own.

"Really? So what's going on here?" tide Jian didn't mind her reaction and naturally withdrew her hand.

“Pretty much. I was indeed loved by many gods and constantly proposed to by them…” Skadi hesitated slightly before continuing, “But when I came to my senses, before I could make a decision, all the gods had disappeared after Ragnarok… I became the last god left in the Norse world.”

tide Jian looked surprised, then her expression turned to helplessness: "Doesn't that mean you actually never got married in the end—"

Before he could finish speaking, a gust of cold wind swept past Xijian, freezing half of his body in the ice.

"You are not allowed to say things like 'missed the deadline' or 'missed the wedding date,' understand?"

Skadi's expression turned quite resentful, not at all like a queen, which left Shiojian stunned.

"Why didn't you just say so directly? Was it necessary to make such a big fuss?" tide Jian pursed her lips and broke free from the ice.

It was clearly a powerful ice-sealing magic spell. Without Skadi's personal dispelling, trying to break free would only tear one's body apart. However, Shiomi casually escaped from it, brushing off the ice shards from his clothes as if Skadi was just playing with him.

“He really is a strange man…” Skadi’s eyes were subtle.

Based on this alone, she could tell that either Shiomi's rune magic skills were no less than hers, or that although he was human, his own "personality" was already comparable to that of the goddess Skadi.

Skadi suddenly felt her heart beat a few beats faster for no apparent reason.

In her eyes, everything in this remaining Nordic world was something she had to look down upon; she never imagined that there would be humans who could look at her on equal terms.

Odin's prophecies are just prophecies. Skadi thought so in the past.

"Anyway, I didn't mean to be sarcastic. If you felt offended, it's my fault," Shiomi apologized sincerely.

Then he continued climbing upwards.

After all, the interior of Valhalla is not simply built within a mountain range, but rather a special existence resembling an alternate dimension... or rather, a bounded realm.

The inner world can be described as another world altogether.

There were no guides or landmarks, and Shiomi didn't even know if the internal and external time were synchronized.

In any case, he didn't want to waste too much time here.

"Maybe I overreacted."

Skadi reached out her hand to him.

Standing on the rocky fault line of the mountain road, Shiomi paused for a moment before reaching out and pulling Skadi up.

He was curious about the reason for this sudden change in his mindset, but guessing that Skadi wouldn't tell him, he didn't press the matter further.

After all, messing around on such a steep mountain road is quite troublesome, even if you don't die.

“You’ve been asking me all this time, it’s about time I answered your question… Shiomi Tenkei, right?” Skadi thought back to his name.

"You can call me Xijian or Tianxi, it's fine." Xijian smiled amiably. "Or you can call me human, like a goddess would."

“Then, Tianxi,” Skadi addressed him.

"...So you chose this one..." tide Jian chuckled to herself.

“Ophelia told me you’ve been married?” she asked.

“That’s right. As you can see, my wife is Morgan le Fay.” Shiomi nodded.

Skadi's tone gradually became strange: "Then, what's the deal with Scáthach over there?"

"He is my master."

"And what about the King of Knights?"

"Uh... a lover is also the closest comrade-in-arms." tide Jian began to scratch her head.

Skadi pointed her wand at Shiomi one last time: "Where is the woman named Aozaki Touko whom I imprisoned earlier?"

"Ex-ex-girlfriend..." tide Jian started sweating.

After all, practically no one would ask each of the women around him what their relationship was with him.

Everyone tacitly agreed not to interfere in this matter to some extent, since it was Shio's private life and he did not let his private life affect his business.

Caught off guard by Skadi's detailed questioning, Shiomi was on the verge of losing her composure.

"I see, so that's how it is." Skadi thoughtfully withdrew her wand that was pointing at Shiomi, muttering to herself.

The man was honest; she didn't dislike him.

tide Jian simply shrugged: "If you have any complaints or criticisms, you can say so. I don't regret my choice, and they have all accepted it. I will not let any of them down."

“It’s not that kind of problem,” Skadi denied calmly. “It’s just that some expectations have been dashed… no, it’s more like a sense of dissonance that doesn’t match my expectations. The person prophesied by the great god Odin has actually acted this way.”

"You really know how to talk. Listening to you makes me feel like my character has let down Odin, the great god who has looked after me so many times." tide Jian pinched the bridge of her nose.

Skadi suddenly raised her voice, which was full of authority: "These are all trivial matters. The trials Odin set up in Valhalla, even if they are aimed at your character, are not your private affairs."

“I’ve pretty much guessed it,” tide Jian suddenly said.

They climbed all the way to the top of the mountain. Standing on the summit, they could see the land shrouded in dark clouds and snow. In the thick fog amidst the wind and snow, some huge, shadowy figure seemed to be watching them.

“It seems that the first trial left by Odin was in Niflheim.” Skadi stood against the wind, her beautiful long purple hair fluttering in the breeze. “And what lies within that thick fog and snow is—”

“Fenrir.” Shiomi immediately thought of the giant wolf from mythology and gripped the holy sword tightly.

Although the wind and snow obscured its full form, Shiomi understood that its size was no less than that of Tiamat when she appeared in Uruk.

“That’s right, that’s one of the culprits that brought about Ragnarok, the giant wolf that devoured the conceptual sun.” Skadi stood in the wind. “This is the first trial I’m giving you. Show me your true power and let me see it for myself.”

She looked at Xijian with a complicated expression.

Then, become as infatuated with you as they are.

Skadi said silently to herself.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Fenrir

Shiomi is very familiar with the legend of Fenrir the giant wolf.

Ragnarok, a major event in Norse mythology, is an important part of the decline of the Age of Gods from the earth and a symbol of the decline of the Norse Age of Gods.

However, unlike the myths that circulate among ordinary people, in the world of magicians, it is generally believed that Odin and most of the Norse gods did not die in Ragnarok, but were powerless to prevent the inevitable decline of the Age of Gods.

According to the world of magicians, after Ragnarok, the Norse gods, like the gods of other mythologies, retreated to the outer edge of the world, handing over the "fabric" on the planet called the world to humankind.

But that's only the situation in pan-human history. In this Lostbelt, Shiomi doesn't know what Ragnarok happened, which is what he wants to ask Skadi.

“Don’t worry, that’s not the real thing,” Skadi said. “The real Fenrir was devoured in Ragnarok. What’s here now is a replica that exists only in the Valhalla Trials and is infinitely close to the original.”

"I know even if you don't tell me."

As they reached the summit, the mountain mists grew stronger, and a relentless gale swept in from the other side of the mountain range. Fenrir, amidst the heavy snow and wind, gradually revealed its eerie form.

While it does resemble a wolf in appearance, it is not simply a giant beast; rather, it possesses a massive body constructed from the concept of 'frost'.

It radiated a pale blue light, and its interior contained a vast amount of magic that even tide Jian dared not underestimate.

After all, this was one of the children born to Loki, the god of deceit, and the giant Anglebodah.

"It's coming," tide Jian said in a deep voice.

The trial had begun. Fenrir's enormous eyes were fixed on Shiomi and Skadi on the mountaintop. The icy, biting blizzard, carried by the gale, quickly swept across the barren mountain range.

He instantly used rune magic to protect himself, but it still couldn't stop the chill from invading his body.

This is the wind from Niflheim, the land of mist, a blizzard of absolute zero poured from the world of frost and ice that Fenrir once devoured.

Body temperature was further compressed, the surface of the body became icy cold, and the fingers holding the sword became stiff.

As the destroyer of Ragnarok, Fenrir will freeze the entire world with ice and snow, just as the fire giant Surtur will burn the entire world with flames.

Therefore, as children of God, this inherent ability is established as a miracle, transcending the realm of humanity.

"Don't be reckless. Focus on protecting yourself. Only by surviving this blizzard can you consider launching a counterattack!"

Skadi sternly reminded Shio.

Having witnessed Ragnarok, Skadi exerted her utmost effort from the start, focusing on protecting herself with runes. Magic formed a barrier around her, allowing the goddess to stand alone amidst the wind and snow.

However, due to a miscalculation, Shiomi's defenses were swallowed up by the absolute zero ice and snow. He was frozen into an ice sculpture in front of Skadi, leaning on his sword.

Only the fluctuations of life indicated that Shiomi was still alive. Skadi gritted her teeth and moved closer to Shiomi, intending to revive him and temporarily leave the place.

The trials of Valhalla are not insurmountable obstacles; they are absolute barriers. You either break through them, remain forever hindered, or become part of the world's ice and snow.

Just as her hand was about to touch Xijian, the solid ice covering her body began to crack, and the hand holding the sword slowly rose and slashed down at the vast snowstorm ahead.

The winds of Niflheim were instantly cleaved apart, and even Skadi, protected by runes, sensed that the blizzard's onslaught had been temporarily cut off.

He raised his hand and brandished his longsword, causing the ice on his body to peel away like plaster, revealing resolute eyes.

“I see, it’s an ability.” tide Jian analyzed knowingly. “No wonder, after all, he is Loki’s child, it’s not surprising that he has this ability.”

"You...you're actually alright?" Skadi was shocked.

Even she dared not say that she could withstand Fenrir's power without protection, but Shio looked completely unharmed.

“Overall, it’s nothing. I only noticed Fenrir’s magic, but I overlooked its essence.” Shiomi held the holy sword horizontally in front of her with both hands. “I’ll draw its attention. It doesn’t matter whether you continue to observe or lend me a hand. I will decide what to do next based on your actions.”

The earth and mountains began to shake, and Fenrir spread its limbs and headed toward their location, its speed increasing until it turned from walking to running.

In an instant, Fenrir arrived close, raising its right foreleg amidst the blizzard, its vicious claws slashing down at Shiomi.

Like a mountain pressing down, Shiomi lowered her body to sense the aura of the holy sword.

"Roar, Holy Sword of the Stars!"

He took a half step forward, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. The blade of the holy sword rapidly expanded and extended, gathering magical power, before striking Fenrir's outstretched forepaw.

The giant wolf's body was extremely tough. tide Jian's attack failed to pierce its foreleg, but it did cause the wolf to temporarily lose its balance and sway to one side, trying its best to maintain its posture.

Although it is an illusion created by Valhalla, it is, as Scáthach said, infinitely close to the real Valhalla.

Therefore, it is inevitable to underestimate a small enemy.

Without using his full strength, Fenrir's attack was deflected by the Holy Sword. By the time he regained his footing, Shiomi and Skadi had already vanished from their original positions.

Fenrir immediately searched for Shiomi's whereabouts, but suddenly sensed an expanding magical energy fluctuation from directly below.

"One more blow!"

The light of the holy sword struck Fenrir's body from directly below.

Still unable to penetrate, but this time Shiomi attacked on a larger scale. The holy sword finally pierced Fenrir's abdomen, causing the giant wolf to roar angrily. Its enormous mouth, capable of devouring the concept sun, opened to its maximum extent in that instant.

Extremely cold magical energy surged forth from it, crashing directly to the ground like a torrent that devoured the earth, spreading outwards from Fenrir's center.

Rather than targeting small targets, Fenrir opted for a more widespread counterattack.

The earth continued to tremble with Fenrir's movements, but Fenrir felt a shaking that did not originate from itself.