Otherwise, you can find another savior.

Page 346

"Hmm, and then—" Shiomi realized this was a good opportunity to inquire about the other Lostbelts.

After all, Skadi seemed distracted and was just chatting casually with him.

"In the remaining Lostbelts, Ophelia strongly advocated for me to cooperate with those enormous beings from Greece..."

"That suits Ophelia's personality quite well, after all, she is the Master who trusts Kilshtalia the most in the entire Group A," Shiomi also gave her evaluation.

"Group A, speaking of which, you are also a Master of Group A, so why aren't you with them—" At this point, she suddenly realized the problem, "Is it you? An anomaly who has lived for over 6000 years as a human, you also come from that Lostbelt?"

She could sense the profound depth of time in Morgan, a quality she shared with Shiomi.

"That's a long story," Shio smiled. "Let's get back to the initial topic. This world is still in a Lostbelt. If we use the magic of the Imaginary Tree to transform Norse mythology into a Lostbelt world, we can indeed guarantee that everything here can survive outside of the Lostbelt..."

But that requires a long period of management.

Throughout 2000, Morgan and his team maintained a dynamic balance in post-transformation Britain, stabilizing the very nature of the world.

Although it turned out to be an unintended consequence, it relieved Shiomi of a key concern as she watched Britain perish, allowing her to confidently conclude her pilgrimage to Britain.

"Why do this?" Skadi didn't want to ask what the cost would be.

Such a great undertaking could not have been without a price.

It will most likely require exhausting all the magic of the Imaginary Tree.

“Of course, it’s to take you away,” Shiomi said. “I originally came here just to investigate the possible traces of the Age of Gods in the Norse Lostbelt and to gather information related to the great god Odin.”

But the result was an unexpected situation.

Compared to the trials left by the great god Odin, the part about Skadi is actually more important.

"Hmm..." Skadi didn't expect Shiomi's answer to be so straightforward, so she could only press further, "I mean, why... did you do this to me?"

"For you, Odin's prophecy is a baseless arranged marriage; it's up to you to choose." Shio sighed. "To be honest, after learning the full extent of the prophecy, it felt more like it was telling me this than an arranged marriage—"

He looked into Skadi's eyes and slightly changed his tone.

“‘I’m entrusting Skadi to you.’... Since the great god has entrusted you with this matter, I naturally need to consider it for you as much as possible.”

"Entrust? You mean entrust? Entrust me, a goddess, to a human I've never even met?"

Skadi glanced away, her eyes filled with dejection.

Chapter Thirty-Four Tears

The sacrificial cave fell silent for a moment. Skadi crossed her arms, lowered her eyes, and frowned slightly. Her expression seemed to be a mixture of emotions, which appeared even more unreal in the dim shadows.

“Perhaps I’m mistaken, but in my opinion, this somewhat ‘overbearing’ arranged marriage must contain a similar meaning.” Shiomi reached out, trying to reassure Skadi. “It’s not about disrespect or distrust, but rather—”

“I don’t need you to teach me.” Skadi took a step back.

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Like water droplets falling in the dead of winter,

"Since you can see so far, and leave entrustments that only the other person can understand to someone you've never met... the great god who lost an eye but gained the Eye of Wisdom, the great god who wove runes... why did you abandon me, leave the Norse world to me, and make me wait for someone whose identity is uncertain for so long?"

She doesn't seem like a deity, but more like an ordinary girl.

After Ragnarok, as the only surviving god, she was entrusted with the duties of the gods of the Norse world and could only try her best to fulfill her roles as god and queen.

Despite being a goddess, she is unmarried and has never had children, yet she is expected to assume the role of the mother of all things, loving all life in the Nordic world like a mother.

Humans, giants, Valkyries, and even monsters.

This weight is something no one can understand, and no one could ever understand.

Skadi was convinced of this.

Even the humans entrusted with Gungnir, as Odin spoke of, would never understand in the end.

This is how it should be—

"As for the answer, you already know it." tide Jian forced a smile, but it was a bitter and helpless one.

"Answer?"

“You said that when you came to your senses, all the Norse gods had disappeared, and only you remained.” Xi Jian pursed her lips. “That’s the answer. Because you didn’t die, because you are the only god who survived Ragnarok, Odin had no choice but to entrust everything of the Norse world to you.”

"That's all?" Skadi's eyes widened.

“If you want a better reason, I can lie to you too.” tide Jian shook her head. “But the great god Odin knew how heavy this burden was, which is why he said that extra sentence in addition to the prophecy.”

“...Because you understand me…” Skadi whispered.

“I can’t say I understand everything about you, but I know how hard it must have been for you to come all this way alone,” Shiomi told Skadi. “Even with mutual support and trustworthy companions, Morgan and I still experienced hardship and disappointment in Britain… You, who have to maintain everything on your own, must have had it no easier than we did.”

Only those who have experienced the same weight can truly understand the long and arduous journey of bearing heavy burdens.

That's why it was this man, and that's why this is the outcome.

"In that case, wouldn't it have been better to tell me from the beginning?" Skadi cried, tears streaming down her face.

“The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. Besides… even a great god who hasn’t lived through Ragnarok probably doesn’t have that much time to explain these things.” Shiomi put her hand on Skadi’s shoulder. “But I can tell you that the great god’s entrustment was not wrong.”

"I……"

Skadi was about to say something when Shiomi hugged her.

Unfamiliar with Er and not accustomed to Jiu's warmth, yet possessing the power to embrace everything.

She tilted her head back, resting her chin on tide Jian's shoulder, tears streaming down her face like silent rain, soaking his clothes.

"You don't need to say anything now, just have tears." Xi Jian stroked her hair and said gently, "Even gods need to vent their inner turmoil. There's no one else here, and I assure you, everything that happens today will remain a secret forever, known only to you and me. So, just cry it out."

Every word he said touched the softest part of Skadi's heart, and the sadness that followed his voice became uncontrollable, and tears gradually streamed down her face.

Skadi had never imagined she would cry in someone's arms, but now she was like a drowning person grasping at a straw, her hands involuntarily climbing up Shiomi's back, clutching his clothes, crying and weeping uncontrollably.

She didn't know how long she cried, or what she said in her outburst. Xi Jian just remained silent, gently patting her back and stroking the hair behind her head.

When she came to her senses, she realized that she was sitting on the cold ground, leaning against Xijian's chest, lost in thought.

The tears had stopped, leaving only dried tear tracks on her face.

tide Jian was like a warm statue, gently putting his arm around her shoulder, saying nothing, waiting for her to calm down.

"...It seems that I've taken up a lot of your time. I was supposed to be your guide, leading you through the trials left by Odin..."

Skadi pulled away from Shiomi's embrace, looking somewhat troubled, and expressed her apologies.

"Don't worry about it, because there was never a third trial." tide Jian shook her head. "This is just the end of the trial. I found that after I checked the situation here just now."

"There is no third trial?" Skadi was slightly surprised.

That makes sense. They weren't given much time before the first two trials started, and the second trial started almost instantly.

“It’s just a difference of perspective. Perhaps in a sense, you are the third trial.” tide Jian pointed to the altar in front of her. “If I can’t reach your heart, I’ll probably have to return home empty-handed.”

Unbeknownst to them, the magic stone used for lighting inside the cave became brighter and brighter.

"I?"

"However, during the time you've been adjusting, I've come to understand the meaning of this trial. Whether it's 'becoming your own master' or 'taking control of yourself,' these are merely riddles. The real answer is..."

As he spoke, he stood up from the ground and reached out to Skadi more than once.

"What is it?" Skadi quietly bit her lip and pulled him up to stand up.

“‘Understanding yourself,’” Shiomi said. “This is the expectation and gift that the great god Odin placed on me during these trials—”

Instantly, a dazzling light shone in front of the altar, and a white gate of light appeared before the two of them.

"It seems it's time to go out, let's go." tide Jian pulled her and was about to go through the door.

Skadi, who was being led away, hurriedly asked, "What exactly do you understand?"

"Simply put, the power I am dealing with is not just the power of life... or rather, the power of life is just one of its manifestations."

They passed through the gate and returned to the gates of Valhalla, but they did not see Morgan and the others, nor did they see the three Valkyries.

tide Jian became secretly alert, and before he could confirm the situation, the earth shook.

He saw flames soaring into the sky amidst the snow-covered mountains of Northern Europe.

"How could this be..."

Skadi, who also hadn't anticipated this situation, clearly knew the answer.

Chapter Thirty-Five: A Sudden Turn of Events

A little earlier.

"My mind is made up, my shadow draws its sword!"

Sakura's fingers traced a line in the air, leaving a fleeting flash of light.

The shadowy figures emerging from the imaginary space transformed into weapon-wielding monsters, retaliating and forcing back the twin Servants who had come close.

Seizing the opportunity, Bavan Shi caught the grimoire that had been flung open with one hand, the pages flipping rapidly before settling on a particular page.

"The true meaning of this surge is to summon the dew of misfortune! 'The tide is surging!'"

Driven by magical power, the readily available magic manifested as a tangible tide, appearing from nothingness and sweeping across the snow-covered land, engulfing the two twin Servants and forcing them to use their weapons to fight against the abruptly appearing waves.

"Not enough!"

Sakura drew her wand from the imaginary space. She and Bavan Sheehan exchanged a glance and together cast a freezing spell, freezing the surging tides in an instant. The water, still churning, transformed into an endless expanse of solid ice, sealing the twin Servants' footsteps within.

However, they knew very well that the lethality of magic would be greatly reduced when facing Servants with excellent magical abilities.

So for now, they've only temporarily held off Saber, who is fighting two people and riding a horse.

"Kallen! How's the situation in Valhalla? Any news about Dad?" She took advantage of the break to ask Kallen, who was staying on the bridge to provide intelligence support.

“No,” Karen said. “The doctor has been watching the radar in that area, but the door to Valhalla has never been opened.”

"I understand." Sakura could only believe that it was the trials inside Valhalla that had held her father back.

Right now, there are more important things to deal with.

Half a month has passed since Shiomi entered Valhalla.

Valhalla was originally established by Odin to welcome the souls of fallen warriors, where he would train and feast them in preparation for Ragnarok.

Therefore, internal time is different from external time; internal time passes more slowly than external time.

Accompanied by Skadi, Shiomi entered Valhalla to undergo the trials left by Odin, which he perceived to take no more than a day.

However, the outside world does not see it that way.

After waiting in Valhalla for a day and a night, when Storm Border arrived near the capital city and deduced that the time difference between the inside and outside was not clear, Morgan and her companions temporarily returned to the warship to wait.

However, just half a day earlier, the Hidden Ones and the Alien Apostles launched an attack on Storm Border.

The area outside Skadi's royal city has now been transformed into a battlefield.

Sakura gazed at the flames burning on the icy land, and at the fire giant that Morgan and the others were besieging but unable to control.

Surut.

Another soul, hidden within Ophelia's Saber-Sigurd-Spirit Origin, intruded into Ophelia's Servant-summoning program, possessing the dragon-slaying hero and the fire giant bound by this Spirit Origin.

As the first Servant to attack, Surtr deceived her Master and took advantage of the fact that she was no match for Morgan and the others, allowing Scáthach's magic spear to pierce Sigurd's spirit core, freeing her from her restraints and allowing her to descend into the Norse Lostbelt in her original form.

Unlike Ivan the Terrible in the Russian Lostbelt.

Surtur not only possesses a colossal size of over a thousand meters, but also the power to control flames, and wields a World-Extending Noble Phantasm called Leivatin.

Even with Morgan and the other two working together, they could only hold off Surut's movements, but could not kill him quickly.

Moreover, there are other Servants here.

While Katniss was engaged in battle with Bagst, the twin Sabers rushed straight towards the warship, intending to destroy their base.

Mash and Gray, led by Melusin, held off Rasputin and Nameless, engaging in battle close to the warship.

"The Twin Sabers are coming out. Prepare to fight them," Sakura reminded Bawan Shi.

However, a chill suddenly ran up the back of Bavan Shi's neck.

Always pay attention to everything around you.

Remembering her father's teachings, Bavan Shi reflexively pushed Sakura away and placed her body in front of her.

boom--!

The sound of a sniper bullet hitting the armor rang out.