Devouring World Dragon

The final dialogue in Chapter 78
Just as the gods were preparing for an unprecedented final battle, Odin, the king of the gods, rode his eight-legged steed to the roots of the World Tree—the Well of Uda, where the three Fates resided.

With the Rainbow Bridge broken, he could only travel there by traversing the human world. However, the human world had now become a vast ocean, ravaged by countless fire giants and frost giants. The flames on the fire giants were almost boiling the entire ocean, making crossing it extremely risky.

However, as the creator of runes, Odin naturally had his own methods. With just a small spell, he successfully became invisible in front of these giants and monsters. No monsters were aware of his presence, and he quietly avoided these many eyes and ears.

However, he failed to notice that within this unprecedentedly large army, the emaciated Loki was intentionally or unintentionally looking in his direction. Those cold and indifferent eyes seemed to see through his disguise, but he said nothing, only suddenly letting out a strange, mocking laugh, mocking the still unwilling god-king.

……

"tap……"

Riding atop the galloping eight-legged steed, with the wind rushing past his ears like sharp knives, before Odin, Lake Uda beneath him had lost its former beauty. After being tainted by the flames and poisonous gas of the serpent and the demon wolf, the once tranquil and pleasant lake had become filthy.

The divine steed landed lightly on the grass, while the three goddesses of fate sat there sighing. In their hands, the net symbolizing the fate of humans and gods had been corroded and broken by flames and poisonous gas.

Looking at the net, Odin paused for a moment, then spoke.

"Where is Mimir?"

The three Fates did not answer, but simply pointed to a path beside them. Odin looked at the path and then walked into the jungle trail.

Before long, he saw the wise giant Mimir leaning against the Fountain of Wisdom. Mimir, with his white hair and beard, seemed to have anticipated Odin's arrival. He looked at Odin walking towards him and calmly leaned against the Fountain of Wisdom, saying something.

"King of Gods, on the eve of Ragnarok, the end of the universe, what brings you here?"

Odin looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke slowly.

"Mimi, tell me...did I do something wrong? What would have happened if Loki and I hadn't broken up?"

Mimir glanced at him, then chuckled softly and spoke slowly.

"Odin, you are truly strange... You imprisoned his two children for tens of thousands of years; banished his youngest daughter to the world of the dead; forced his three wives to flee because of your decision; cursed his two own brothers, causing them to kill each other; silenced his two daughters; and even bound himself in an underground cave for thousands of years, suffering the pain and torment of venom burning his face..."

“All his loved ones have suffered because of you, and now you want to ask me what would have happened if you hadn’t broken ties with him? Odin, how should I judge you?”

"I just want to save the world."

As Odin spoke, the old giant opposite him remained noncommittal.

"Yes, you were indeed trying to save the world. If you hadn't imprisoned and exiled Loki's three children, Ragnarok would have happened more than 10,000 years ago; if you hadn't tried your best to drive the black dragon Nidhogg down to the underworld, Ragnarok would have happened 30,000 years ago; and if the Aesir hadn't won the war between the Aesir and the Vanir, this universe would have been destroyed in that war... and even earlier, if the Aesir hadn't established a stable order, this universe would have collapsed the moment it was born."

“Odin, you have indeed tried your best.”

Finally, the old giant said with some approval.

"But I didn't do enough... I still couldn't stop Ragnarok from coming."

Odin sighed. "What good is it even if I do my best?"

Mimir shook his head, saying that this old giant, who could see all sorts of possible futures and possible pasts, did not agree with Odin's words.

“Odin, you can see what has happened in the past and what will happen in the future, but I can see what has not happened in the past and will not happen in the future.”

"Even though you and Loki have never broken ties, even though that black dragon willingly obeys your will; even though those three children acknowledge your status and position as the King of Gods; even though the Frost Giants no longer hate the gods but submit to their rule; even though the gods are united and have never been corrupted or fallen; even though the Vanir and Aesir have completely merged... even though all the hidden dangers have been eliminated, and you have done everything to the best of your ability, Odin, sighing King of Gods, I still have to tell you bluntly that Ragnarok will eventually come."

"Odin, in that future that never happened, the gods, at the height of their prosperity, seemed poised to reign for millennia. But after only a hundred thousand years, the Tree of Youth withered, and the gods, stripped of its apples, began to age. Having the blood of giants mixed within them, they could not remain immortal. In their struggle and despair, the gods gradually perished. Without the gods to maintain order, the world was gripped by howling winds and winter's dominance. All life perished, and the last human was frozen to death on the ice plains. The entire world was plunged into death and collapse."

Another possible future was calmly spoken of by the wise giant, and Odin remained silent as he listened to it.

"So, in other words, I just chose a fate that's neither very good nor very bad?"

After a while, Odin's face showed a complicated expression, and then he said self-deprecatingly.

Before him, the aged, wise giant watched him silently, without saying a word.

After a long while, Odin looked at the wise giant in front of him and said.

"I'd like to ask you one last question."

"Questions? Don't you already know the answers to those questions? Are you still trying to overturn this fate?"

The aged, wise giant looked at Odin before him and then chuckled softly.

Odin did not answer, but continued to ask.

“Mimi, you can see all possible futures and possible pasts. I want to know if what I’m thinking about right now… can succeed?”

As he spoke, his single eye was fixed on the wise giant before him.

The wise giant before them unexpectedly fell silent for a moment, not answering directly, but rather as if he had thought about it before speaking.

“Odin, the one thing you are thinking about… I cannot tell you the answer.”

Under Odin's watchful gaze, Mimir shook his head, and the last sentence of his words hinted at something.

Can't you tell me the answer...?

Odin seemed to understand something, then glanced at Mimir and turned to leave.

When the king of gods disappeared, the wise giant silently gazed in the direction Odin had vanished, and then said something as if talking to himself.

(End of this chapter)