Simulate the universe, starting with speedrunning Greek.

After working increasingly hard for a while, Ash exclaimed: "No way! There's too much work! Ah! Right, let's share some with Loki!"

Chapter Fifty was originally intended to resolve a problem, but instead, it created even bigger trouble.

Of course—if Ash's workload was enough to make this initially ambitious young girl start to feel fear, but had no choice but to grit her teeth and continue working.

After all, people trusted her and Night so much that even if it was just to live up to the trust that Night placed in her, she, who had been personally appointed by Night as Queen, had to persevere to the end and do everything to the best of her ability.

Meanwhile, on the other side—the young man whose identity had not been revealed, and who was still using the pseudonym 'Loki' except for Night and Ash, turned green as he saw work orders, after being appointed by Ash, being handed to him one after another.

Especially those increasingly outrageous job requirements.

The required amount of building stones for the royal city has increased tenfold?! Although it seems like a huge quantity, it's not impossible for the gods to simply smash a mountain and move the stones over.

When Loki clearly saw the specific requirements for the stone, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. This wasn't ordinary stone picked up from the roadside; it was a special ore imbued with mystery, capable of withstanding the inscription of high-level defensive runes.

Just like the towering wall built by the Aesir with the help of the entire giant race, once inscribed with runes, that wall was strong enough to withstand any attack in the world, even the War of the Gods couldn't destroy it. If it weren't for the problem with the World Tree, this wall would have been enough to allow the gods to rest easy and overcome any difficulty. The special stone needed to support such power would be ten times more valuable—!!!

Loki: You might as well just kill me already!

Even if Ash's request wasn't to establish a divine realm as vast as that of the Aesir, but merely to obtain the materials for the city walls, it was enough to make Loki want to die. Where was he going to procure so much high-grade stone? And then there was the order to use the dwarven magic metal to build the palace.

The rings made from the leftover scraps of Rhine gold caused a great calamity in Northern Europe, leaving behind many legends… This special magic gold required the forging of an entire royal city. How could the dwarves easily hand it over, especially since Ash hadn't given him any resources in exchange, leaving him to figure it out himself.

What method could he come up with? Get something for nothing? Could he just go and steal it? Loki stared at the appointment letters, his lips trembling, his whole body shaking—it was hard to tell whether it was from fear or anger.

This is outrageous! All the wonderful feeling of staying with these interesting humans has vanished, replaced by the fear of being unwittingly thrown onto a pirate ship. Is it too late for him to get off? Good bro, Odin, save me—!!

Such a massive undertaking was absolutely impossible for him to complete alone. Loki, who had only recently become someone else's subordinate god and was appointed to assist in guiding humanity, knew perfectly well that his status was nowhere near Ash's in Night's eyes. The cunning Loki had no intention of complaining to Night, but he was incapable of completing such a terrifying project. What should he do?

People can come up with quick thinking when they are in a hurry, let alone Loki... Soon, Loki's eyes lit up and he had an idea.

He might not be able to get these materials, but some people can!

And so—Loki suddenly approached Night.

To ensure the smooth progress of all his plans, he immediately began by exaggerating and excitedly proclaiming, "Oh, great Sun King, progenitor of mankind, creator and guardian of mankind! Please forgive my sudden and presumptuous intrusion, my Lord God! I would like to ask you for a few days of leave."

"Speak normally...!" Night.

Facing Ye's oppressive gaze, Loki's tone shifted rapidly: "Ahem—no problem, Your Majesty!! I would like to request two days' leave to return to the Aesir. The gods will surely be worried if they see I haven't returned—it would be bad if they discover I'm here and cause unnecessary misunderstandings. Please allow me to go back and explain my current situation."

However—'This is a lie—!' Night, as the chief god who can easily see through the hearts of the gods, saw Loki's true thoughts at this moment.

Night soon discovered that the god of mischief was struggling with Ash's orders and had devised a grand plan to betray—or rather, betray his 'brother'—so that's how it was… Although Loki's reason for leaving wasn't what he claimed, he was returning to benefit humanity, and Night had no reason to stop him. At the same time, Night also saw many other things concerning Loki's situation among the Aesir.

Night: ...It seems Loki's situation with the Aesir isn't very good right now.

At this time, Loki should have been tirelessly working to gain acceptance from the Aesir, striving to integrate into the pantheon. With Loki's intelligence, he should have realized long ago that the Aesir's acceptance of him was only superficial.

Even Odin, the god of wisdom, acknowledged that Loki surpassed him in some aspects of intelligence. Yet, even Loki, being so close to the situation, sometimes failed to see things clearly. Perhaps he still harbored hope—the possibility of fully integrating into the Aesir world with the help of his good friend Odin.

In the grand scheme that Loki had glimpsed in the night, he didn't seem to intend to completely swindle the Aesir. It seems he still held onto the promises Odin had made.

But it's alright... Time will prove everything and tell him where he truly belongs. Given humanity's all-encompassing nature and the vastness of future desires, let alone giants, even monsters and machines... cough...

In short, humans will not hate or reject Loki because of his identity as a giant and a god hybrid.

From a very early age, Ye understood that the greatest threat to humanity in the Norse world was not the monsters roaming the land, nor humanity itself or the future apocalyptic catastrophes, but rather the Aesir gods, including Odin, who constantly stirred up trouble among humans. Ye didn't dislike gods who were close to humanity.

But in the Norse world, the god-king is leading the way in harming humanity, constantly creating wars on earth, all to fill his so-called Temple of Valhalla.

This malice from the God-King towards humanity—no, calling it malice is a bit of an exaggeration; he simply treats all things in the world equally and indiscriminately with cold indifference—if it could be used to trick that God-King, Ye would wholeheartedly agree.

So Night granted Loki's request for leave, but he also assigned Loki other tasks—tasks far more difficult than those Ash had given him.

"Find a way to get me a handful of the vibrant waters of Urd from that god-king Odin..."

The moment the new orders were given that night, Loki pricked up his disbelieving little ears in confusion: ? ? ?

what?

What did the other party just tell him to do?

Chapter 51 Once the three goddesses are met, the lie will be exposed instantly.

Urd's Well is one of the three primordial springs of the Norse world. This spring nourishes the roots of the World Tree, enabling it to grow ever stronger, and nurtures the entire Aesir with its extremely pure power. The three daughters of the time giant Norvi, the legendary Three Fates, reside there.

Although Night has now seized the position of ruler of the world, its strength is far too weak, and it is still no match for Odin. However, the Well of Urd is located within the Aesir. Night needs this well to protect the fate of humanity.

He had previously created humanity using fire, thus preventing their fate from being predetermined by others. This was precisely to protect humanity from the three Fates. However, to maintain the stability of humanity's entire shared destiny, a living source of Urd's spring water—the wellhead itself—was needed. This was the answer he saw from the World Tree—just as the Aesir gods, who built upon this spring and relied on its pure power for protection, humanity also needed its own Urd's spring—the spring of destiny.

Loki: …………!

At this point, he didn't want to talk anymore. He had originally wanted to return to the Aesir to complete his mission, but before he could finish the previous one, he was given an even more exciting task. Loki's scalp tingled.

He also knew something else: his good brother Odin had lost an eye imbued with powerful divine strength in exchange for the Well of Wisdom from the wise giant Mimir. Later, while conquering the World Tree, he was attacked upside down and weakened, his chest wound pierced by the divine spear still unhealed. Only the Well of Urd could heal his injuries. At this critical juncture, Odin wouldn't easily share the water with others. Moreover, the Aesir were newly established and needed the nourishment of the Well of Urd to develop.

The only thing is that Odin has never gone to Urdwell for treatment, although the 'reason is unknown'—but he probably wouldn't share this resource with others either.

Night no longer sought to understand Loki's thoughts; had he seen them, he would surely have laughed. How could that powerful 'eye' not be powerful? It was one half of Odin's Trinity. Cruel and ruthless, yet pathetic Odin—Night wouldn't tell him that he saw in the World Tree that if Odin wanted to become a true Trinity and ascend to a higher level of godhood, he needed to ensure the integrity of his three brothers, but Odin was no longer complete. And if nothing unexpected happened, the eyeball he sacrificed would absolutely never return.

Besides, Odin's reason for not using the Well of Urd was quite simple. His first order upon returning to Asgard from the World Tree was for the three Fates to continue guarding the Well of Urd, and for it not to move an inch without his permission. While it seemed he was extremely concerned about the Well of Fates and working hard to protect the future prosperity of the Aesir, in reality he simply didn't want to encounter the three Fates at this time.

When the three goddesses descended into this world, as daughters of the giants of time, they were granted the status of ruling over the fate of all things. Odin believed that he was certain to become the king of the world and the king of the gods, and that the power of the three goddesses of fate should naturally be in his hands as well. Therefore, he recruited the three goddesses into his ranks in advance by virtue of his status as the ruler of the world (actually, his eligibility to run for the position).

In the original mythology, after Odin obtained the runes, he would bathe in the Well of Urd to heal his injuries and be formally crowned with the blessings of the three goddesses. The first two would offer him pure blessings, while the goddess of the future would offer him advice and prophecy, such as, "Success is due to fire, failure is due to fire; in short, be careful not to play with fire and get burned."

Odin, in gratitude to the three goddesses and also to leverage their help in maintaining his rule, bestowed upon them runes to write destiny, thus expanding their power to the point where they could control the fate of gods and all things. But now, Odin has no control over runes. What can he offer the goddesses of fate to win their hearts? Furthermore, to avoid the goddesses discovering he is not the ruler of the world and fearing his lie will be exposed, he is even less likely to meet with them.

“Enough incentives will tempt Odin. The Well of Urd isn’t as hard to obtain as you might think. Loki—use your brain.” After giving Loki some instructions and advice, Night sent him away.

As Loki left, he looked thoughtful, clearly realizing the deeper meaning behind the night's conversation. Had something indeed gone wrong with Odin?

What Loki didn't know was that although the Well of Urd could heal Odin's injuries, he would never take the initiative to expose the lies boasted by the gods (that Odin had become the ruler and king of the world) in order to maintain his legitimacy as the god-king.

The Well of Urd was already quite useless to Odin; he wanted it but couldn't use it. If there were enough tempting benefits, he might as well use it to exchange for something he wanted. Before Loki left, Night granted him the right to conduct transactions in his name. Loki becoming his subordinate god couldn't be kept secret for long, which meant Night's existence couldn't be kept secret for long either. In that case, he might as well appear before the Aesir gods in the name of the human god, the Sun King Gwyn.

Although humanity's existence is still relatively rare, far from attracting the gods' attention given the vastness of the world, it's only a matter of time before they discover humanity and its uniqueness. At that time, Night, as humanity's creator, will still be discovered. Rather than concealing it, it's better to openly display oneself as the Sun King to mislead Odin. Thus—when Loki returned to Aesir, Night tentatively approached Odin and mentioned why Odin hadn't used the Well of Urd for healing. Odin's gaze immediately sharpened and became wary.

"Why are you asking this, Loki... My injuries are far from requiring healing from the Well of Urd. That spring is meant to sustain the future prosperity of the Aesir, and I will not use it for my own selfish desires unless absolutely necessary."

Loki chuckled, revealing an impeccably sunny smile: "I see, Odin—you truly are a devoted and good god-king!" Although on the surface Loki's performance seemed flawless, as if he genuinely believed Odin's words, in reality Loki didn't believe a single word of it.

He is the future god of lies, even if he is currently just the god of fire. When it comes to lying, no one is more skilled than Loki. Could he not tell if Odin was being dishonest?!

Chapter Fifty-Two: Even More Unfamiliar Than the Aura of the Vanir Gods Next Door

Loki, though unsure of Odin's thoughts, realized his old friend clearly had no intention of using the Well of Urd. What was he worried about? Oh well—that kind of thing was none of his business. Remembering what Night had said before leaving—that the Well of Urd wasn't uncommercial, and that sufficient benefits could tempt Odin—and connecting it to his original plan, Loki suddenly had an idea.

He suddenly looked at Odin: "My brother—the king of the Aesir, let's not talk about the Well of Urd for now. Don't you think the Aesir are still lacking something?"

Odin: "What is that?"

Loki: "As the abode of the gods, the Aesir should have their own heavenly palace and high walls to protect this world of the gods. In order to safeguard the majesty of the gods, we should also find dwarves to forge the power to protect this world. At the same time, we need enough living beings to affirm and praise the achievements of the gods. Only then can the Aesir truly prosper."

Loki's suggestions resonated deeply with Odin. Although Odin had not yet received the prophecy of "Beware of the flames" from Skadi, the goddess who represented the future, Odin's own world wisdom allowed him to see that the rise and fall of the Aesir was inextricably linked to Loki. Naturally, he took this special being's suggestion very seriously.

According to the original mythology, Loki began to seek the power to protect the world for the Aesir (artifacts such as Gungnir and Mjolnir) when he burned Sif's beautiful golden hair as a prank to see Thor's reaction.

Unexpectedly, his nephew was determined to kill him, genuinely intending to kill him. This might be the beginning of Loki's descent into a path of no return, when the two began to truly escalate their conflict. Although Loki's actions were excessive, given his status and contributions to the Aesir, it didn't warrant the risk of his life. Odin's one-sided favoritism towards his son Thor, coupled with the various harsh demands he imposed on Loki for atonement, further highlighted the issue.

What did Vulcan sacrifice for the golden hair that was burned away?

— Gungnir, the infallible spear; Mjolnir, the hammer that wields thunder; the golden ring that can split itself (Rhine Gold); the golden wig that can grow automatically; the warship that is only the size of a palm but can carry countless people when unfolded (Ark of Destiny); and the wild boar with golden mane that will not tire even if ridden for thousands of miles.

Aside from the wig being specifically prepared for Sif, every single one of the other items would later become incredibly famous, bringing immense power to the Aesir and leaving behind numerous myths and legends in the Norse pantheon. Such atonement was completely disproportionate to the sacrifices made.

It's no surprise that Loki and Odin's family ultimately couldn't get along. They were brothers in name only, but in reality, they were like beasts of burden. Even the closest brothers aren't as close as sons. The already restless flames, consumed by jealousy, were capable of anything. And now—not to atone for his sins—Loki had proactively offered what the Aesir lacked. Of course, Odin instinctively wanted to exploit Loki's ability to gain immense power without paying a price to secure these benefits for the Aesir.

However, when Odin, as always, earnestly asked his good friend Loki for help, a sunny smile flashed across Loki's handsome face. Just as Odin's lips curled up involuntarily, thinking the matter was settled, Loki suddenly distanced himself from Odin, giving him a look that said, "We're not close, so don't speak carelessly."

Loki chuckled teasingly, "Sorry, Odin. I really wanted to help you—but I'm actually back on a mission. Although I still belong to the Aesir, I've also become a subordinate god to someone else, and I can no longer help you so easily. You can't even see that, can you?"

At this moment, Odin's expression changed drastically. He was so preoccupied with the loss of the World King that he had no interest in anything else. Even with Loki standing right in front of him, he didn't notice the change in Loki.

Loki's change in divine aura was very obvious; any ordinary god could see that he had been imprinted with the aura of another god. However, his good friend Odin needed to be reminded to notice it, which inevitably made Loki somewhat disappointed. However, he did not show it on the surface and still maintained a sunny and cheerful demeanor.

He's such a sunny and cheerful guy! How could he possibly be unhappy about something so trivial?! However, Loki did miss his little fire 'friends' at that moment.

Odin: "?! You've become someone else's god? Who is it?" Odin's face immediately darkened. How could someone dare to take his brother, the king of gods, as their god? Where would Odin's face be then? Not to mention Loki's importance to the Aesir.

Regarding this issue, Loki had asked Night before heading to the Aesir, whether he should conceal his presence. Loki, skilled in disguise, was confident he wouldn't be detected by the Aesir for a considerable time. However, Night shook his head and told Loki not to worry, as long as he told Odin about the existence of humans and his own story as the god of men, Odin would no longer trouble him.

The trials of the world require humanity and the gods to face them together. Odin, having only glimpsed a part of the truth after obtaining the Well of Wisdom, would absolutely not launch a full-scale attack on humanity. He might engage in some minor actions, but Odin, who believes more than anyone in the inevitability of fate, would never stop its unfolding. Now that he knows Odin's identity as a god of men… how will Odin view that prophecy?

Regarding the trial that was both a trial of the gods and a trial of man, Odin would not act against him, a god of man, until the crucial relationship between them was understood. This wasn't because Odin was cowardly, but because of his caution and suspicion. Although he had never met Odin, Night, having already seen through Odin's true nature through mythology and the 'battle' across the World Tree, had a firm grasp on his thoughts.

Night's actions were undoubtedly very bold. But once again, he had accurately predicted Odin's thoughts. When he heard the word 'human,' Odin's anger vanished, and he felt somewhat uneasy.

He originally thought that humanity would eventually be created by his own hands, but no matter what he did, he was unable to create humans, and they were created by other gods? Which gods were they? Could they be the gods of the Vanir gods next door? In the Norse world, apart from the giants, the mortal enemies of the gods, only the Vanir gods are left with god-like beings.

However, after sensing Loki's aura briefly, Odin discovered that it was not the aura of any god he knew.

Chapter 53 Odin battles wits with the air; does the wandering alien god possess a complete civilization?

He knew all the powerful gods in the Vanir race, who could create 'humans' that even the gods could not create, yet the aura of these gods was completely unfamiliar to him. What was going on?

Suddenly—Odin considered a possibility. Although the Norse universe is quite independent, it's impossible for the various pantheons, located adjacent to Western Europe, to be completely unconnected. Many gods who wandered to neighboring regions acquired new names and legends. This proves that mythological worlds can indeed flow between each other.

Of course, the Norse world couldn't possibly be limited to the size of the northern kingdoms; otherwise, it would just be a myth set on a small island, which would be ridiculous. Each pantheon's mythological world exists independently, with a much larger area, but these worlds can flow between each other. Other gods might not know this, but Odin, who possessed boundless wisdom, happened to understand the truth of this world.

If it wasn't a god ordained through the orthodox tradition of their Norse world, then it could only be a wandering god from another pantheon. Although Odin knew that beyond the Norse universe, during the primordial chaos, there were other worlds and other gods, he never imagined that such a being could cross worlds to reach his 'territory'.

Even though Odin didn't become the ruler of the world, he still considered the Norse world his private property. This was the world he created; who else but him was qualified to rule it?! Even without the title of World King, Odin—would still be the undisputed supreme ruler of the Norse world!

Returning to the main point, the possibility of an alien deity made the already cautious God-King even more apprehensive. An alien, a wandering god of unknown strength, whose creation of humanity and rapid development suggest a highly prosperous and advanced civilization on their side. This implies that humanity may have already existed in their world and evolved over a very long time.

Did he create the world much later than other pantheons? This is rather bad news for the future when he completely dominates his world and may have to face an arms race with other pantheons.

Odin, by sheer chance, actually guessed the situation of some other pantheons correctly.

That's right—an arms race. With the powerful wisdom of that world, keenly sensing the possibility and reality of an alien world, and even the existence of other pantheons, Odin's first thought was a mindset akin to the 'Dark Forest Theory'.

Only when one's own power is strong enough can one avoid the fear of large-scale invasions from other pantheons. Similarly—if his world is powerful enough, Odin's first thought is to send troops to conquer other worlds. As an ambitious god-king, although he is currently overwhelmed with the Ragnarok prophecy in the Norse world itself, this does not diminish the restlessness in Odin's heart.

At this moment, Loki continued speaking to Odin: "He is the god of mankind... Mankind is a race whose life is very fragile, yet as resilient as a flame, possessing great intelligence and a powerful ability to reproduce. They are beings that fully satisfy everything the Aesir need and can also sing praises of the gods' achievements."

However, before Loki could even begin to eloquently describe how perfectly suited the Aesir race was, Odin nodded in complete agreement, stating that humans were indeed the most suitable race for the Aesir. His conviction and certainty were even greater than Loki's, the persuasive speaker. This left the eloquent Loki speechless, forcibly swallowing back his other words, utterly bewildered.

Odin spoke in a dignified and deep voice: "I understand... You're here to negotiate on behalf of that god of men, aren't you? What does he want?"

Loki: "The Well of Urd—in return, His Majesty will allow the Aesir to spread their faith in his territory." Loki's excitement grew as he said this. Although it was said that the Aesir would be allowed to spread their faith, whether humans believed in the gods was none of their business; that was the gods' own concern. He was quite pleased to see the gods' attempts at spreading their faith fail, resulting in various hilarious setbacks and frustrations. After all—influenced by the daily heroic epics and stories of that human god and witch, even he felt that, to humans, the gods were truly not good things, things that should be humanely destroyed.

In this situation, can you expect humans to believe in any other gods besides their creator?

He was overjoyed! ~~!! He, not just the god, but even 'Little Rocky' was excited to the point of climax. Just thinking about the gods rushing off to preach with high expectations and then running into all sorts of setbacks, hiss—what supreme pleasure this was.

On the other hand, unlike Luo Ji, who was incredibly enthusiastic about the matter because he could see entertainment, Ye had a completely different attitude towards spreading the faith among the gods. He believed that once the gods discovered the existence of humans, they would never give up the possibility of preaching among them. Even with him watching over them, the gods would only continue to make underhanded moves.