Simulate the universe, starting with speedrunning Greek.

But the meaning of life lies entirely in its inheritance!

Chapter 44 Who among the respectable people will pass on the torch? A god has infiltrated the second generation of humans?

This flame will be passed down through their blood and genes, giving birth to new life. The flame is the bond; as long as humanity continues to reproduce and spread, with daily efforts, one day they will develop a powerful civilization that can overcome all hardships and make even the Creator proud!

Even the trials of the end times, which even the gods fear, and which come with humanity. If one fears that the end of the road leads to endless despair and the world's denial that leaves one bewildered.

Do not be sad, children! Remember—you were born with beautiful blessings and visions. As the creator, the maker, and the protector of humankind, He guarantees humanity's first and last glory!

Your birth has value.

Thus the Lord spoke to them…

What determines the fate of humanity will never be the immense darkness of the future, but humanity itself.

The humans born from the heavenly fire, cleverly constructed by Night, are not merely background figures; they also directly link humanity's fate to its bloodline. This is a private server system he created after successfully mastering the World Tree and conducting in-depth research—a system unique to humanity.

From that time onward, apart from the world itself and the bloodlines among humankind, no one else could use any other means to cut or measure the threads of human destiny. Of course—this destiny does not refer to the divine mandate inscribed from the very roots of the Norse world.

That thing is low-level code, which even Night, now the master of the world, cannot easily modify.

But for humanity, the real disaster is not the so-called end-of-the-world trial, but the gods!

Or rather—it is precisely because the trials of the gods are so vast and have affected humanity that there is a possibility of human extinction. Given humanity's current size, it's difficult to create a catastrophe that could affect the very survival of the world, like the frequent burning of humanity in the neighboring Moon world or the crisis of alien invasion. In this normal Norse mythology timeline—humanity should probably just survive Fimbulwinter first.

Even if they didn't say it, the fact that Ye used the flames of the Land of Fire as raw materials might be a way for humanity to better cope with the possible Fimbulwinter.

Once fate comes to pass, the Ragnarok will inevitably begin with Fimbulwinter, and it can only begin from there.

For the gods, this first calamity was relatively minor, but for humanity, it was akin to the arrival of a mini ice age, a natural disaster threatening the very survival of the species. Throughout history, many powerful dynasties, both in the East and West, began their decline from this point.

Of course—the current human potential in Northern Europe is much higher than it used to be. Who knows, in the future, humans might have developed environmental adaptability even stronger than gods. But after all this, Ye suddenly had a strong sense of déjà vu. It's the linking of the fire again—! It's the abyss of world curse again—! It's Fimbulb Winter again (corresponding to the arrival of the Deep Sea Age)!

Good heavens! A Norse version of Dark Souls has been born, hasn't it? So he's now Gwyn, the Sun King? But Night wouldn't pull some crazy stunt like burning himself to become the flame to light the world. Who would link the fire, who would become the Lord of Cinder? Aren't they all destined to either usurp the fire or extinguish it?

This kind of alternative sacrifice style that only addresses the symptoms and not the root cause, and the cannibalistic world that maintains the light, is better off without... Looking at it this way, the worldview of the Souls series is actually quite similar to that of Norse mythology.

Meanwhile, perhaps due to the influence of the Creator's stable emotions, or perhaps because of the fearlessness of newborn calves, humanity did not feel fear or despair after learning that although the world had just been born, it was destined to be toyed with and destroyed by the gods.

Even the primordial giant Mimir has begun to give up, but there seems to be a vibrant flame flickering among humanity.

Because their God spoke—! The Creator, as God and Father, affirmed the meaning of their existence. Thus, even if they were to perish in the distant future—no, for people today, it is impossible to comprehend the complex emotions involved, nor is it something that people of their time should consider—people recorded the words of the night and unconditionally trusted their God.

Night then planned to stay here with Ash for a while, first teaching humanity to completely leave the barbaric era. Ash could teach what he already knew, without needing to teach too much... Night didn't want to force things and directly raise humanity's technological capabilities to a future level.

His intuition told him that if he prematurely increased productivity, leading human civilization to urban or even interstellar levels, a corresponding, enormous crisis would arrive sooner rather than later. That feeling was crystal clear…

This reminded Ye of the concept of humanity's ultimate trial, which often depends not on others but on humanity itself—humanity's self-destructive factors, the very elements that lead to its demise. Similarly, the final trial of the gods in Ragnarok was much the same; they all brought about their own destruction. Taking too big a step will backfire, and he had no intention of being a babysitter. It's better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. Letting humanity learn to grow on its own, develop its own civilization, and demonstrate its inherent nature, creativity, and ambition—this is the kind of resilient humanity Ye hopes to see.

Meanwhile, under the tutelage of Ye and Chen, humans had begun to master hunting, farming, and fishing, learning how to be self-sufficient in this world. They then paired up with their loved ones, becoming the first humans to reproduce and striving to become truly human beings born from conception.

And they all learned to name themselves. They began to use names to distinguish themselves from one another. In this process, many outstanding figures emerged among humankind.

As humans born from the First Flame, the second generation of humans, although unable to match Ash's various physical functions and potential, does not mean they are inferior. On the contrary, they far surpass any race created by the gods on earth, and possess a curiosity and passion as strong and vigorous as fire. They are all very intelligent, with brain circuits as agile and leaping as flames, and can often quickly grasp various kinds of knowledge and make good use of it.

The stories told by the Night, and occasionally passed on to the second generation of humans by Ash, spontaneously gave rise to the idea of ​​building a kingdom—though, of course, their numbers were small, and they could only be called a tribe at best. And with a tribe, a tribal leader was naturally needed. They elected the one whom everyone considered the most capable, but still wanted to consult the Great Lord; only those approved by the Lord were qualified to become their king.

When a handsome young man came before Night and Ash... he was a man with a carefree smile on his face, as dazzling as a little sun. His eyes were full of curiosity and exploration, but he did not have the awe and heartfelt respect that other humans had for Night, the creator.

The moment Ye saw this young man, it was as if he saw a flame. Though both were flames, if other humans were merely tiny sparks, this man was a blazing, enormous bonfire. In an instant, Ye realized that this inhuman being was definitely not his creation… and in this era of Northern Europe, only…

god--!

"Great Creator! I pay my respects to you. I am Loki, the leader of mankind, elected by my fellow human beings! I hope to gain your supreme approval!"

Chapter 45 I bet he can't see through my disguise, the next moment... God, spare me!

...After saying that, the young man's face beamed with a genuine smile, which grew even brighter.

There was a god, the symbol of fire. He was not conceived by a divine body, but rather born from the flames that arose when the lightning giant Fabti struck a tree. That tree was none other than the tree giant Laufey…

In ancient times, humans were filled with awe for all kinds of natural phenomena. The first and most intimate, yet also the most fearful, intriguing, and desirable thing for humankind was the lightning in the sky! And the flickering yet vibrant fire that followed the lightning strike.

Fire holds a special place in the human world. As an indispensable productive force for the development of civilization after the era of eating raw meat and drinking blood, it also laid the foundation for the possibility that this god, who was of giant blood and was the mortal enemy of the Aesir, would eventually become a member of the Aesir. He was also the only giant who broke away from the giants and became a member of the gods.

Giants symbolize barbarity and backwardness; the giants of fire and ice are the embodiment of the raging glaciers and flames, devoid of reason and uncontrollable. Yet this flame is controlled, becoming a symbol of well-being, which humanity both fears and worships.

However—just as flames are inherently restless and fiery, this very nature and divine nature created a clever and wise god, but also endowed him with an endless passion for the world. This excessive 'passion' even led to the creation of other divine attributes, while simultaneously causing him considerable annoyance and rejection by those around him. Furthermore, his fiery divine nature itself was incompatible with the Frost Giants.

Not long ago, having been ostracized, he distanced himself from the giants and received an invitation from the Aesir gods. Odin, the king of the gods, recognized his talent and invited him to swear a blood oath, making them brothers in this flame. Even after becoming a god, his nature remained incredibly restless and unable to settle down. He craved excitement in his monotonous life; the unchanging mundane routine was simply not suited to this god—in modern terms, he would be known as a 'fun-loving person'!

And so—at the very beginning of the Aesir's creation, when the race was still in its infancy and employing humans, this god, having just joined, immediately ran away. It was because, as a being of fire, he sensed a group of familiar presences… He followed these presences and arrived just as the night was using celestial fire to continuously create humans.

Looking at the human figures formed by the flames, the enormous flame did not despise them for their smallness. Instead, it felt joy and was filled with an endless desire to explore these newly born and weak flames.

He blended in and became one of the first 'humans' to be born. Due to the nature of his flames, coupled with his acquired divine status, he was naturally good at disguise and deception, and even the gods could not see through his transformation.

At this moment, the god of fire was looking at the unfamiliar human god in front of him with great pride... He bet a bag of Odin's gems that even if he were face to face with this god, he would never see through his disguise.

The God of Fire was so confident. However, he had never seen this unfamiliar human deity among the Aesir gods; that captivating, demonic face was unforgettable if he had ever seen it.

That's right—at this moment, the flames didn't even realize that the powerful being before them was not a god... After all, only gods can create all things, which is common knowledge in the Norse world.

A god who wasn't of the Aesir created a race resembling the gods—weak yet fascinating, resilient, and vibrant like a raging fire—humans. He developed a strong curiosity about this race and their guardian deity, and after hearing even more intriguing tales of heroism, he decided to try his hand at being the 'king' of those stories, to experience this completely different kind of fun.

At this moment, he was still unaware of how ridiculous his disguise was in front of the world host. He had already exposed his true nature as a flame. He cleverly imitated the way other humans blindly worshipped and respected Ye, showering him with compliments. However, what he received in return was not the approval of this human's god.

But -

"Fan—! I'm handing this over to you for practice!" Ye suddenly spoke. Ye had already secretly transmitted his voice to the young man before him, knowing that he was indeed a genuine god. He thought of the myths Ye had told him, about gods who liked to play the roles of old people, children, or even male gods who dressed up as women or even beasts to mate with wild animals.

When Ash heard about just how perverse and boring these gods' games were, she was deeply shocked. The words Night had spoken—that gods are all perverts and you should never show mercy when you encounter them—were etched into her mind. This was especially true when she saw that some gods actually impersonated races far weaker than themselves and infiltrated their human community. Indeed—the stories were true.

Thinking of the tragic fate of those humans who became entangled with the gods, and with a burning desire to protect his fellow human beings, Fan Xia, filled with endless vigilance and hostility towards this unfamiliar god, swiftly and unexpectedly completed the God Degradation Spell, which normally requires forty-eight spell incantations, in an instant. Divine Word: [High-Speed ​​Incantation] - Activate!

Divine Incarnation Technique Activated!

So the young man who was all smiles and called himself Rocky suddenly had a huge crater under his feet and his head smashed into the ground. He didn't even know what had happened before he let out a scream and was pressed to the ground as if he had been crushed by super gravity.

Stunned! The young man was completely taken aback by this sudden and fierce attack.

"What?! What happened?! Wait, my godhood!" The young man's expression suddenly changed. He finally realized that after the immense pressure just now, his godhood had been sealed. At this moment, apart from having a powerful divine body, he had completely lost the power to exert his authority, and he couldn't even use the illusions he was most familiar with.

Just then, a cold voice rang out above him. Although the owner of the voice was charming and lovely, the information contained in the words was devoid of any warmth. In this early spring season, the young man was so frightened that he felt as if he were trapped in the Fimbulb winter.

"His form hasn't changed. He didn't use illusion, but instead used his original appearance to deceive people. No, it's also possible that the seal on his godhood isn't complete enough. Just in case, it's best to grind him to ashes while he's still powerless to resist." Deeply remembering Ye's teaching that when facing a god, one must never let one's guard down until it's confirmed that the other party's godhood has been destroyed, Qin spoke with utmost caution and seriousness.

The youth below, whose divine essence had been sealed away, exclaimed: "?! ...

Shocking the gods for a hundred years—what a monstrous cruelty! Wait, no, I haven't done anything yet. All this talk about sealing away divine essence, reducing bones to ashes, wait—divine essence can actually be sealed? How come he's never heard of this before?

Chapter 46 Loki, who got a perfect score on the reading comprehension: You think you can just stick your neck out even if you answered wrong?! Ouch!

"real name."

"Loki..."

"Good lad, it really is you." When Ye heard the name Loki, he immediately realized. Loki was another translation of the name of the god of fire, Loki. Coupled with that incomparably blazing nature of fire, there was no one else but Loki, who would bring twilight to the gods in the future.

After Loki discovered that his divine status had been suppressed, he showed no dignity or pride as a god and surrendered without hesitation, even kneeling down. If conditions allowed, he might even lick the soles of the feet of the unfamiliar god Night.

After all, it's Loki. After offending the goddess, he came up with the idea of ​​pulling his own brother with a rope to make her happy, showing no regard for his own dignity. He's quicker than anyone else when he's in a mood to do something, and equally audacious when he's up to cause trouble.

No wonder I thought he resembled Hermes when I saw him before. Both were equally clever, wise, and cunning gods who loved to play tricks and deceive.

"I swear to the World Tree in Norse mythology that I have no ill intentions. Please do not kill me! Great protector of mankind." In Norse mythology, oaths made in the name of the world are inviolable, or rather, the consequences of disobeying them are extremely severe. This is why Odin, the later king of the gods, imprisoned Loki, constantly poisoned and tortured him, and killed all of Loki's children or used them as mounts, but dared not lay a hand on Loki.

When the two became brothers, they swore an oath never to harm each other. While the future Loki was a bit of a scoundrel, he never broke his oath. On the contrary, Odin was ruthless towards Loki, wanting nothing more than to skin him alive. No wonder Loki's first act after escaping was revenge. Of course, this was also related to Loki's role in the death of Odin's son.

Night: "I know you... the god of fire born from lightning and trees. How about it, have you taken an interest in the human race I created? It's hard not to question your motives for a god to come and become the king of weak humans."

Loki: "No problem!! I can prove it myself—! I am willing to continue to swear in the name of the world that I will accept any form of proof. Let me stay, great god of mankind. I am willing to become your helper, to build fuel for the development of human civilization."

At this moment, Loki was more worried about the Night Society driving him away than about the threat to his life. Humans were so interesting, and the scenes described in those heroic tales were so fascinating—excitement that the Aesir gods in the heavens could never experience in their entire lives. He wanted to become a 'human,' to walk this earth as a human, in what is commonly known as—the oldest form of cosplay. This was Loki's true change of heart at this moment.

Before the 'world,' his thoughts were laid bare before Night. Night's expression turned strange after glimpsing Loki's thoughts.

That's something you'd actually do, Loki.

Loki, the god of trickery and lies, the god of fire and mischief, has many names in legends, but later generations often only remember Loki for his mischief and the chaos he caused among the Aesir, regarding him as an evil god, but forgetting that his true nature is not evil but fire.

At this moment, Night began to consider how to deal with Loki. Loki, eagerly awaiting the final decision of this god of men, knelt on the ground.

Frankly, if a normal person knew that Loki was the catalyst for Ragnarok, their first thought would be to nip it in the bud; only a dead Loki is a good Loki. But after some thought, Ye suddenly realized that while Loki posed a great threat to the gods, he seemed completely harmless to humans?

Norse mythology, like Greek mythology, was originally supposed to develop a second and third generation of gods after Ragnarok, thus creating a cycle. Even if the gods were destroyed, as long as humanity survived and civilization continued, the emergence of a new pantheon would be inevitable in human records. Unfortunately, the invasion of Christianity completely halted the subsequent development of Norse mythology.

The end of the world is not the end of humanity, if we disregard ancient myths and the evolution of Odin and Thor. Looking solely at the evolution of fire, represented by Loki, within human civilization, his departure from the giants to join the Aesir symbolizes how fire, while effectively controlled by humanity, can sometimes be uncontrollable. Even in the future, fires may occur from time to time.

In this process, he brought prosperity and power to the Aesir. He worked diligently and wholeheartedly for the Aesir, deceiving his giant brethren into working for the Aesir for free to build magnificent and towering sacred walls for their divine realm. In the end, he did not pay them and deliberately delayed their construction, even causing the giants to die as a result of violating the contract.

He sacrificed the trust and lives of his former kin, desperately trying to integrate into the new Aesir race, yet he remained unwelcome. Like a child constantly playing pranks to attract an adult's attention, no matter how much benefit he brought to the Aesir with his wisdom, he was still rejected by the gods. His treatment was no different from that of the giants.

People admire the radiance and majesty, the handsomeness and warmth of the god of light, but no one likes the warmth of fire.

This is a god who is always searching for his kind... but people often only want to use his power and wisdom, but never accept him. Even the children who hate him.

His three children's appearances are also traceable. The giant serpent Jormungandr can be understood as the thick smoke that envelops everything after the flames.

Fenrir the wolf represents the process of humans taming fire (which led to Tyr, the god of war, losing an arm).

Hela, the goddess of death—her face, described in mythology as having one side as gentle and beautiful as a goddess and the other side as rotten and hideous as a demon, doesn't seem much like someone disfigured by flames?

Loki once played a prank on Thor's wife, the goddess Sif, by cutting off her hair, which is like burning it while cooking.

However, after their pranks, they often pay a far greater price than the joke itself, almost losing half their lives, and no one takes it seriously.

He acquired many treasures for the Norse pantheon, such as Gungnir and the hammer of Mjolnir. The remedies for the pranks of the god of mischief are often related to forging, even though he is not the Norse god of forging... Yet fire is an indispensable element of forging, which reveals the love-hate relationship humans have with him—disliking him yet unable to live without him.

Only one thing he went too far: his prank led to the death of Baldr, the god of light, even though fire itself can bring light. He longed to replace the god who was surrounded by the gods, who was always watching over and loved by them—perhaps it was jealousy. Even Loki, who usually only played pranks lightly, for the first time entertained the idea of ​​taking another's life.

Ye suddenly remembered a baseless fantasy about Loki, the Norse god, that she had once seen.

Myths are inherently based on bold assumptions, so let's imagine this scenario: Long, long ago, in the ancient Nordic world, where even countries like Denmark have no historical records, there was a tribe that held a bonfire party. However, due to a mistake or the effects of alcohol, the flames went out of control, causing a fire that burned down the entire tribe.

In the end, only a few people escaped this horrific catastrophe (Ragnarok) and rebuilt their homes.

Fire itself is neither good nor evil; used well, it can illuminate the path of civilization; used poorly, it can set itself on fire. But humanity has never lacked tolerance and acceptance, and has always been willing to try and challenge any unknown territory.

Having thought this through, Ye had already made up her mind.

Loki is a wise god. Since his wisdom helped the Aesir become more powerful than ever before, it can naturally help human civilization develop significantly as well.

Night: "Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods, is not necessarily the twilight of mankind..."

Ye's seemingly random remark left both the girl beside him and Loki, who was waiting, looking bewildered.

What do you mean?