Nordic: I Created a Forbidden Land for the Gods

It wasn't that she lacked confidence in Neil; quite the opposite, she thought Neil was incredibly capable.

Given the circumstances, if it was a choice between two options, the other side going up was the best choice.

But she also knew what kind of place the Asgardian market was.

Although Neil was decisive and intelligent, the state of his mortal soul could not be concealed.

It's like two sides facing off. If one side isn't good-looking or doesn't seem strong enough, it will inevitably be looked down upon. This is the norm in the world.

Even if someone is "outstanding," their injuries can lead to them being labeled as desperately seeking treatment, making them vulnerable to being targeted.

But there was no other way, so her initial plan was for Neil to go up first to scout out the situation, and only after he had obtained enough intelligence and gathered enough benefits would she go up again.

At that time, although she will still be targeted, it will be for the promise of Valkyrie status.

Although it will still come at a huge cost, the debt can be repaid in the future, which can at least alleviate the current crisis.

She sighed inwardly, but there was no better way.

Seeing that the pirate crew had retreated a certain distance and would probably not charge again for some time, she turned around and went back into the house to check on Neil's condition.

……

……

The feeling of soul travel is wonderful. Although it's not the first time he's experienced it, it makes Neil's feelings even more real now.

He plummeted from the bustling market of the gods into the deep sky, instantly falling from the boundless darkness to the profound blue. Clouds constantly swept around him and his body, while strong winds rushed towards and passed through his spirit form.

On the way, he looked down at the back of his hand and confirmed that the "reward" mark had completely faded and disappeared. He felt a little disappointed, but mostly relieved.

"After all, it's something from abroad, and I don't know the process. If I keep relying on it, there will always be some resentment."

"It must have been branded during the time I was in the room. Slud should know what happened. Ask her about it later."

"Yes, I'll also have her check my health while I'm at it. It's never wrong to be cautious."

Neil had to admit that he had been poisoned by the novels he read in his previous life; there were just too many of those seemingly generous but actually problematic gifts.

As I pondered, my spirit descended further, moving from the "high" universe to above the icy sea, where I could even faintly see the black dot representing Winterfell.

A thought struck him, and he took the opportunity to look around.

Although he had some understanding of the surrounding area when he went out to sea from the inland, that was based on theoretical knowledge from nautical charts. This kind of bird's-eye view was a first for him.

Given that the Arctic region will inevitably become a battlefield sooner or later, it's always good to be clear about the current situation.

From Neil's perspective, the surrounding seas centered on Winterfell are clearly visible, containing a total of seven or eight islands, the smallest of which is several times the size of Winterfell.

The largest ones are incredibly vast, covering millions of square kilometers, comparable to the size of a continent in my previous life, and even from high above, they stretch as far as the eye can see.

Unlike Winterfell, the deserted island chosen by Neil, those islands are very colorful, with forests, lakes and even cities.

There were native giants and behemoths moving about above, their size far beyond what hybrids could compare to. The fact that I could barely make out their outlines from that height was proof of this.

"According to the data from the cheat program, if we take 10 levels as a benchmark, then those who have not entered the country are at levels 0 to 10 or below, while the levels of Servants who have entered the country are at levels 11 to 20."

"Then those beings on those prosperous islands are at least level 30 or higher, which is very dangerous and requires careful attention."

Neil murmured.

In fact, he had already inquired about these islands before setting sail from the inland, and knew that the fighting on them was just as fierce, so he deliberately avoided them when he went to Winterfell.

Even so, those beings with profound bloodline power are still far too large.

When he was rowing at sea, he could see amazing outlines on the other side of the sea through the sea fog.

He saw that many of the giant beasts he had previously struggled against were no different from kittens and puppies in front of these powerful beings, easily lifted up and swallowed like snacks in the silhouette of the sea fog.

He paid close attention to those things at that time.

Now we see this even more clearly.

After all, in the past, he would have stayed on a deserted island and slowly died, keeping to himself and not interfering with each other. Those powerful beings wouldn't have gone to great lengths to cross oceans just to crush one of his minions.

But the icy sea is about to become a battlefield.

Whether driven by greed for primordial relics or by a desire to defend against external enemies, the indigenous people are bound to take action across the entire icy sea region.

Winterfell Island cannot possibly avoid this process.

He wanted to take a few more glances, but he couldn't control the falling process; his field of vision would shrink with each passing second.

He could only memorize everything he could see.

But at that moment, he saw a city on the most prosperous island suddenly emitting a light, blue with a hint of green, which caught Neil's attention the instant it rose.

Neil was taken aback. He focused his gaze and discovered that the light seemed to be weaving like threads, slowly condensing and transforming into the shape of a woman.

Because it is still condensing, incomplete and blurry, but from various details, Neil can tell that it has a beauty that is in no way inferior to that of Slud.

Moreover, she possesses a different kind of heroic spirit than the Valkyries, radiating a strong yet gentle and natural feeling that makes Neil want to get closer to her.

That feeling could even affect the soul, causing Neil's spirit to surge, his expression to twitch slightly, and he was gradually becoming obsessed.

Neil suppressed his emotions, forcibly turning his head away to avoid the feeling.

But in the last second before he turned his head, he saw many enormous giants and behemoths gathering around the city.

Although their expressions were not visible, the fact that these extremely powerful beings were prostrating themselves and kneeling before the woman of green light spoke volumes.

This caused Neil's pupils to contract again.

At that moment, his soul completely fell into the sky above Winterfell, returning, overlapping, and merging with his original body.

……

……

"I'm back."

"Things up there must be tough, but I'm relieved to see you're alright."

Seeing the runes on Neil's chest dissipate and the light on his body fade back to normal, Slud smiled gently and spoke in this way.

Neil opened and closed his eyes, a momentary daze appearing in them. Seeing the stunningly beautiful Slud so close, he couldn't help but want to get closer.

But his gaze quickly returned to clarity, and he paused, managing to overcome the impact of the fleeting glance from a distance.

After taking a deep breath and calming himself down, he smiled and nodded at him.

The man and the god exchanged pleasantries, but neither of them were the type to procrastinate, and the topic quickly returned to the present situation.

"The Evil Dragon gang has launched an attack?"

"They moved much faster than we expected."

Neil asked again, as if to confirm, after he had descended to a certain point and had a full view of the island's current state.

"Well, they should have two people in charge of the operation. The more impulsive and reckless one has a higher position, but he's not completely brainless."

"After several failures and the baptism of thunderstorms, command was temporarily handed over to someone else."

Slud began to explain. As a Valkyrie, she possessed a unique and sharp insight, capable of analyzing many things through combat.

Therefore, she believed that the situation was not optimistic, and that the current position was not enough to deal with the pirates.

After Neil finished listening, he took out a runestone from the cloth bag at his waist.