Devouring World Dragon

Chapter 51 Daughters of Jormungandr

“My…my master…”

The girl's lips trembled, as if she wanted to say something, but she couldn't utter a word for a moment. Her body, limp on the ground, could only kneel down, weeping with joy, bowing her head to the enormous thing that covered the entire sky.

Hundreds of years.

Countless prayers over the past century have finally been answered at this moment.

The fervor stemming from her bloodline and the passion accumulated over the past century made it impossible for her to suppress the trembling, fear, shuddering, and joy within her.

For her, whose body was imbued with the power of Orochi, there was no need for any reason to worship Orochi, because it was simply innate, as natural as sleeping when tired or eating when hungry.

As she gazed indifferently at the tiny speck of dust beneath her, the serpent's deep voice echoed in her ears.

"For over a hundred years, I have been trapped in the depths of the sea. People have long forgotten my name and the fear they have of me."

These sounds were not made by the serpent itself, nor was its physical structure sufficient to support human voices. However, because its spiritual power was so immense, even a slight leakage was enough to cause an external reaction, resulting in its voices echoing in the air.

Rather than speaking, it would be more accurate to say that his spiritual power was directly injected into the mind of the recipient.

"The gods cannot hold you captive forever, my master. One day, you will break free of the chains they have placed upon you and unleash your fury upon them. At that time, the entire universe will tremble before your power."

The girl prostrated herself on the ground, her body bent over the ground, and spoke devoutly to the giant beast above her head.

Her trembling, clear voice and her incredibly fervent gaze revealed her fanaticism for the serpent.

Ordinary people's worship and faith in gods are usually driven by some kind of need, but the girl did not. Or rather, her need was worship and faith itself. She simply longed to worship and believe in this giant beast; it was her instinct.

She was born from the power of the serpent and gave her all to it.

"But I can't stand it!!!"

As if certain words in the girl's words, such as shackles, had enraged the giant serpent, its eyes turned bloodshot, and it roared furiously, causing the sky to darken.

In this dreamlike world that blurs the lines between reality and illusion, eerie purple lightning bolts roam the sky.

His divine might is as majestic as a mountain, and his divine grace is as vast as the sea.

This statement is not an exaggeration when applied to the giant serpent. Faced with the serpent's rage, the girl could only lower herself further and more deeply to show her as much obedience as possible to her creator.

After the serpent's rage gradually subsided, the girl spoke respectfully and softly.

"My master, is there anything you need from me that you have summoned me for? Is there anything I can do?"

Her centuries of experience were truly remarkable; she keenly sensed that her master seemed to need her to do something.

“Let’s form a sect, grow it, expand it, and let those kings and heroes be manipulated by us. Perhaps they can be my help in fighting against those gods after I escape.”

Above their heads, a colossal serpent, stretching as far as the eye could see, enveloped the entire sky. Its deep voice boomed like thunder, while the girl obediently lay prostrate on the ground, following the serpent's commands.

Immediately, a drop of black liquid fell in front of the girl.

"Drink my blood, and you will gain my power."

"Go to the East, with my will and power, and in the swamps there, command the venomous snakes and beasts born from my flesh and blood. They will obey your commands. In the entire eastern part of the continent, in those swamps corroded by my venom, you will be able to rule that region as the Lord of the East and expand your power."

Orochi valued this piece highly, even sacrificing a drop of his own blood as a price.

This single drop of heart's blood is enough to transform a mortal into a demigod.

As the giant snake's voice echoed, the girl stared in astonishment at the black blood before her, her face showing a mixture of surprise and fear.

“My master, how can your blood be used to give to your servants?”

Faced with this incredibly precious drop of blood from the giant snake, the girl's first thought was fear and unease about the snake taking her blood.

Without a doubt, in her heart the great serpent was the most noble, and not even a drop of its blood should be shed.

This kind of selfless and wholehearted dedication can probably only be found in non-human beings imbued with the power of the great serpent.

"Then what do you need?"

The deep, guttural voice of the great serpent descended from the heavens.

The girl's expression shifted several times before she finally gritted her teeth, bowed deeply to the giant snake above her head, and mustered her courage to answer.

"Please...give me a name."

She lay on the ground, unable to see the large snake moving above her head, but she could feel that the area above her head seemed to have become quiet.

After a long while, she heard a laugh.

"Hehe...hahahahaha...hahahahahaha..."

The giant serpent's maniacal laughter stirred up storms in the sky, a mixture of rage and approval. "A bold idea, but I grant it. You will have a name that I will bestow upon you."

"Mona, loneliness, desire, you are destined to be lonely forever, fulfilling the wishes of others, yet your own wishes will never be fulfilled. You possess my power and will be regarded as my daughter. In the name of Jormungandr, I promise you to be the Lord of the East. However, those venomous snakes and ferocious beasts may not obediently submit."

"Go, bring those serpent descendants under your rule, and prove your courage and ability to your father."

As soon as she finished speaking, a white mist suddenly rose, obscuring the girl's vision.

……

"what!"

Suddenly waking from a nightmare, the girl's forehead was covered in sweat, and her eyes were filled with fear.

How long has it been since I felt fear...?

Since becoming an immortal non-human, she hasn't had a dream or felt fear for a long time.

"Is it...a dream?"

She touched her burning forehead, her words hesitant.

If it's a dream, then this dream is perhaps too real; the white mist, and... the figure of the giant snake, are all so vivid.

Her vertical snake-like eyes darted around, then paused...

On the small altar beside her, the flesh and blood offered had vanished, leaving only a pure gold snake statue, coldly gazing down at her.

……

The girl left, or rather, as her new name Mona suggests, she went to the East, to a place that had prospered hundreds of years ago but ultimately turned into a vast swampy waterland during the "Dark Year".

There, she would find the instructions and mission her father had entrusted to her.

She could either die there, becoming a skeleton in the swamp, or she could bring that place under her rule and become the Queen of the East.

This was the price she paid for choosing to refuse the blood of the serpent Jormungandr in exchange for a name given to her by the serpent. The serpent would not bestow too much favor or mercy upon mortals. No matter how difficult it was, it was her own choice. Even if she turned into withered bones, it would only prove that she was not capable enough.

When she left, she took only the pure gold snake statue with her, leaving behind a thatched hut that gradually became desolate.

Long afterward, the legend of the witch was gradually forgotten. Only some old people remembered the story of the witch and talked about how they had sought revelation from her. However, the young people had long since scoffed at the non-existent witch.

At that moment, a man dressed in armor, looking dejected, quietly arrived.

Looking at this place where the thatched hut had long since disappeared, this place he had visited in his childhood, he felt a deep sense of loss.

In the end, he couldn't escape that future.

Having slain dragons, fought lions, and accomplished countless feats, he was regarded as a warrior by the world. He had everything: wealth, fame, glory, and family. Gradually, he forgot the prophecy from his childhood. During a hunt, he drew his bow and shot a pregnant doe.

However, to his utter surprise, the injured fairy, who was actually a forest fairy in disguise, fled in a disheveled state and angrily cast a curse on him.

"Whatever brings you joy, you will lose; whatever brings you pain, it will come!"

In an instant, everything vanished. His family was torn apart, his wealth stolen, his glory smeared, his sworn brother turned against him with a sword of betrayal, his wife, with whom he had sworn eternal love, left him, and his children died tragically…

The sudden misfortunes nearly drove him to the brink of collapse. It was only then that he suddenly remembered the witch who had made prophecies for him during his childhood.

They came with a last glimmer of hope, only to be shocked to find that the place had long since turned into a wasteland.

"Am I really destined to never escape this misfortune?"

The man looked lost and bewildered.

Just then, he suddenly noticed something glowing in a desolate ruin. Approaching it, he found a reflective copper plate hidden in the grass. He tried to dig it out, but the more he dug, the larger it became…

They unearthed a small wooden box that seemed to have been sealed away for a long time.

That copper piece was the lock on the wooden box. Although the lock was rotten, it was still sturdy and could not be opened. However, this could not stop the brave warrior who was renowned far and wide. He swung his sword and the copper lock broke in one fell swoop.

Inside the wooden box was only a worn parchment with a sentence written on it that had long since dried out...

"East."

The sentences are extremely short.

"East?"

The man then gazed into the distant east, muttering to himself, a thoughtful look in his eyes…

(R'lyeh is really just used to create atmosphere; it doesn't mean Cthulhu appeared in the Norse world. Don't overthink it.)
(End of this chapter)