Devouring World Dragon

Chapter 73 Fate Approaching Step by Step

Loki's sealing didn't cause much of a stir. Neither the giant serpent of the sea, nor the god of death of the underworld, nor the locked-up demon wolf, these three fierce and violent monsters showed any expression. On the contrary, Hela, the god of death, even seemed slightly humble, as if she understood the anger of the gods towards her and did not intend to cause any more trouble.

As for the giant serpent at the bottom of the sea, no god understood what it was thinking. On the surface, it seemed to be fast asleep, and at most, its serpent subjects were becoming increasingly war-prepared. However, in the current environment where the nine worlds were full of ambitious individuals and conspirators who were eager to seize the rule of the gods, the gods turned a blind eye and had no time to pay attention to this giant serpent.

Loki's two daughters, Elsa and Emilia, also kept a low profile and did nothing outrageous. However, beneath this seemingly calm surface, even the lowest-ranking servants knew that there were too many undercurrents lurking beneath.

What happened between Thor and Sif is unknown. All that is known is that the irritable and easily angered Thor became silent and taciturn, never going to Sif's palace again, and staying on the front lines fighting against the rebellious frost giants.

As for the relationship between the King and Queen of Gods, it is said that the Queen of Gods, Frigg, clung to Odin's leg, begging her husband, the King of Gods, for forgiveness. Odin, the King of Gods, simply withdrew his leg gently and remained silent.

As the king of gods, he cannot show his anger and dissatisfaction among the gods, as that would make them uneasy. He must always remain calm and rational. However, as a husband, he can express his anger and dissatisfaction to his unfaithful wife.

Loki's words at the feast of the gods changed so much among them; suspicion, discontent, and indifference spread among them.

The sealing of Loki, the god of fire, caused the flames of the entire world to wane, and the climate of the Nine Worlds gradually became colder. Even with the efforts of the sun goddess Sur, the god of winter, and other gods, the climate of the world was barely prevented from deteriorating further, but the cooling of the Nine Worlds was inevitable.

The changes in this respect are most frequently recorded in human history books.

"Cold, heavy snow, famine, frozen corpses."

All historical materials used these words in unison.

Without Loki, the god of fire, and without Baldr, the god of light, the Nine Worlds entered a long ice age. Winters became exceptionally long, with half the year spent in cold winter.

In the fields, crops could hardly grow, and the short spring could not provide enough food for mankind. In order to compete for the limited food, killings and wars began in human kingdoms. Frozen corpses and dried blood became the main theme of that thousand-year period known as the "Winter Age".

The young warrior, who died with his eyes wide open, had his belly cut open, his intestines spilling out onto the ground. All his passionate blood could only turn into cold in vain. His soul, guided by Valkyrie, went to Valhalla. Crows hovered over the deserted battlefield littered with corpses, cawing loudly.

The once glorious human era suddenly fell into decline. Under the erosion of severe cold, many cities were abandoned and turned into wastelands again. The human civilization accumulated over tens of thousands of years retreated, and the number of human souls heading to the River Styx became so large that it was overcrowded.

Meanwhile, in the Nine Worlds, a prophecy about "Regaluk," which means "destruction of the world" in Norse, has been quietly circulating since some unknown time. This prophecy claims that the golden age of the gods has long since passed, and all the gods will die in an unprecedented crisis, at which time the entire world will be destroyed.

The gods did not object to this fate, the giants remained unmoved, and the giant serpent lying at the bottom of the sea was indifferent, allowing the prophecy to spread throughout the human world.

Fears of the world's destruction were not only spreading among humans, but also among the gods. Odin, the king of the gods, sat high on his throne, silent, his single eye seemingly harboring his own plans.

……

Above the cold sky, the sun goddess Sur, driving her chariot, passed through the clouds. Looking down, she saw white spots scattered across the cold, vast land through the clouds—places covered in snow.

Although traces of human civilization still exist, that once prosperous human civilization has fallen into a state of distress. A large number of ancient techniques have been lost. Humans, who could once freely wield magic and steel, and even build floating cities to glimpse the sky, which belonged only to the gods, are now powerless in the face of this cold climate.

The era of human cities everywhere is long gone. Desolation has buried civilization, and humanity can only recall its former glory from those magnificent ancient ruins.

Watching all this silently, the goddess sighed softly.

Although Loki's sealing away was the cause of the frigid weather, she had a vague feeling that the reason was not so simple. The entire universe seemed to be gradually declining and languishing... Human civilization, beloved by the gods, was weakening, and the gods themselves were embroiled in infighting and quarrels. Meanwhile, the giants, and other races, intimidated by the victories of the four divine wars, were beginning to stir. The entire universe seemed like a pot of boiling water, just waiting for an opportunity to explode...

All of this seemed to be orchestrated by an invisible hand, silently bringing it to fruition.

The blazing sun chariot traveled across the sky, while the silent sun goddess Sur felt inexplicably melancholy.

"If only everything were still the same as it was tens of thousands of years ago..."

In that era, the gods were united and had no ill feelings towards each other. Their sincere hearts and high spirits nurtured a golden age, which, despite having many enemies, was full of vitality.

At this moment, the gods had already reigned supreme over the entire universe, and the nine worlds were all prostrating themselves before them. As far as the eye could see, there seemed to be no rivals. The gods' power had been pushed to its peak, but it seemed as if something was missing...

What exactly is missing?

Suer was filled with regret...

Beneath the seabed, a colossal creature lying silently opened its pair of cold, sinister eyes, gazing through the azure water at the sun in the sky, and sneered.

Its laughter startled the Serpent Daughter, Mona, who knelt on the ground and prayed devoutly to the great serpent.

"Why do you laugh, my Father?"

Her expression was solemn as she bowed deeply to the giant serpent, her beautiful face radiating unwavering trust.

In response, she was met with the serpent's deep, cold laughter.

"The power of the gods has reached its zenith, and I have already foreseen the day when their rule will collapse. Those cowardly insects, one day, when you forget my illustrious name, you will once again recall the fear of being dominated by me. At that time, all the torment and humiliation I have suffered for more than ten thousand years while sealed away will be inflicted upon you one by one!"

As he finished speaking, the serpent's voice grew increasingly cold, filled with deep hatred. He would repay the gods for all the humiliation he had endured for over ten thousand years, and for the torment of hunger and suffering.

Then, the giant serpent slowly closed its cold pupils, ignoring everything else, and silently awaited the arrival of that day.

……

Year after year, day after day, as the days slipped by, one day finally...

"boom!!!!!!!"

A tremendous, earth-shattering roar resounded throughout the entire universe.

It was as if heaven and earth were wailing; the earth trembled violently, and the continuous, intense earthquakes caused all the mountains to collapse, all the trees to fall, and all the rocks to soften and crack. The entire world slowly tilted amidst this unprecedented, enormous roar.
Heaven and earth tilted, and stars swayed.

At this moment, all living beings in the nine worlds, whether gods, giants, or monsters, were awakened and startled by the immense fear that originated from their instincts.

(End of this chapter)