Nordic: I Created a Forbidden Land for the Gods

Upon hearing the sound, the three heroic pirates hesitated, but still went to the rescue.

They could act arrogantly on the ship because of their strength, but because they had no blood ties, their treatment was not much different from that of ordinary confidants.

They were genuinely disgusted that these bloodthirsty guys could so easily obtain the treatment they had earned through their own hard work, but since they weren't the strongest pirates on the ship, they still had to lend a hand out of consideration.

After trying for a while, their expressions changed drastically. They disregarded the intimidating image of the captain in their minds, decisively withdrew their hands, and dared not touch the black flames at all.

"Dragon Fire! That goddess of the forest actually knows this move!"

They all clearly knew about the rune, and their expressions invariably revealed fear and displeasure.

Because the story of burning the frost giants to death was so widely circulated.

Even within the giant race, there are many branches.

Mountain Giant, Fire Giant, Armored Giant, Beast Giant...

The Frost Giants are the most famous and the most powerful of them all.

Because Ymir, as the progenitor, was born from the fusion of the ice and snow of Niflheim and the flames of Muspelheim, the primordial giants belonged to the frost race.

Therefore, in later generations, the Frost branch inherited more of the original bloodline.

Especially since Ymir is a symbiotic being of the same origin as the celestial beetle Odumbula, and Odin's grandfather Buri was born from the celestial beetle, the Frost faction also inherited some of the powerful power of the Aesir gods.

The primordial offspring's powerful suppression of all living beings, and the frost giants' formidable achievements in the numerous battles against the giant gods, all testify to these facts.

However, the mutated "Dragonfire" rune can destroy the Frost Giant's most prized skin and even, to some extent, counteract its conflict with its original power.

Its power is self-evident, not to mention how it would damage other matter and energy.

Even though these heroic bandits could see that the black flames weren't very powerful, originating only from level one runes, they could still resist them if they were to become stronger.

But just as they didn't want to face the "explosion," the cost was too high, and even with the captain's orders, they didn't want to take that risk.

call out!call out!call out!

The Heroic Pirates intended to retreat, but by the time they got close to the fireballs, they were already within range.

Or rather, Neil used only one type of runic arrow to avoid quickly killing the first batch of pirates, instead using it as bait to lure the prey.

Just as he expected, the other side entered the game.

The Warner tree species needs time to develop, and Neil doesn't want the information to leak out before the western side of the forest is fully restored.

Moreover, he also wanted to know what he could get in return after hunting down Heroic Spirits.

In an instant, multiple lights flashed in the night, approaching with a sharp, whistling force.

The three pirates were on high alert, their expressions wary.

However, the attacks were mostly directed at "Dragonfire" and Slud herself, but other arrows were not given much attention.

After all, they had already figured it out beforehand. Even killing minions who hadn't entered the country would take time, so how could they possibly deal with heroes of the same level?

Heavy arrows, some silvery-white, some azure, and some ochre-yellow, approached them, but as powerful figures, the three pirates did not raise their shields like their underlings.

They didn't even defend themselves, letting the attacks fall on them, and instead focused their energy on guarding against potential threats.

call out!call out!call out!

Bake! Bake! Bake!

boom! boom! boom!

In the darkness, they would occasionally see faint, dark lights approaching. They would pay close attention to these lights and chop them down with their axes in advance to avoid getting their hands on the black flames.

The trick worked; seven or eight minutes passed and they didn't get a single spark on the flame.

But their faces were grim, because their injuries were only getting worse.

"What's going on? The arrows are being coordinated more flexibly, resulting in significantly higher damage!"

"Although we cooperated before, it was very stiff. Now it doesn't feel the same at all."

"These trusted confidants were bait to lure us in, and now they're using 'Dragon Fire' as bait. We've fallen for it again!"

The three pirates looked at each other, their expressions grim.

Although low-level rune arrows deal very little damage, they do have some effect. Moreover, when combined and continuously accumulated, they become a force to be reckoned with.

Even though they realized something was wrong halfway through and tried to dodge more, the arrows were more agile than before, so this was not very effective.

The opposing team might even adjust their tactics immediately, causing them to suffer even more injuries.

After a moment of silence, their eyes flashed with determination, and their momentum surged as they prepared to force their way through the forest and leave.

But how could Neil, with the Magic Mirror, possibly let them have their way?

Having more arrows to choose from is just the first level of variation.

With improved vision, Neil can be more flexible in placing arrow towers, allowing for formation effects instead of concentrating them in one place, which restricts their movement and makes it difficult to maximize their power.

In this formation, "Dragonfire" arrows not only serve as bait but also guide the enemy's path, allowing them to unknowingly penetrate into the designated area.

By the time they realized it, they were already in the center of the formation, where arrows could be fired from all directions, making escape extremely difficult.

Although Neil was basically a novice when it came to tactics, fortunately, Slud was always there whispering in his ear.

He listened to the teachings and was very talented in this area, making it difficult for the three pirates to escape, as if they were in a maze, getting deeper and deeper into it.

Until, he stepped into a real trap.

Faced with the relentless attacks, one of the pirates was unable to resist and took a half step back, but missed and fell into the pit.

The surface there was covered with a "mask," and it looked just like any other flat ground, with nothing unusual about it.

In the second level of the pit, black flames constantly burned.

This vicious pirate eventually fell into the black fire hell he least wanted to visit.

It's not attached to arrows, but activated directly by runes—the most powerful kind!

"ah!!!"

A piercing scream echoed from below, causing the expressions of the other two companions to change drastically, their muscles twitching in an extremely unsightly manner.

The two pirates made different choices. One of them decisively charged forward, even at the risk of getting his hands dirty with black fire, rather than stay in this godforsaken place.

The other person remained hesitant and continued to hold their ground.

The latter may seem to be waiting for an opportunity, but in reality, it's no different from waiting to die; sooner or later, he will suffer the same fate as the first pirate.

The former, however, seems to have made the right choice.

But the moment he broke out of formation, he encountered Slud.

Unlike before, when they couldn't win, they could choose to retreat. But now, the formation behind them was the one they had just escaped from, and retreating meant returning to a dead end.

Furthermore, it was previously a three-on-one fight, with interference from his despised underlings, and various other factors that made it possible for him to achieve this, but now it's a one-on-one duel.

Neil never gives the guys who come to kill him a choice.

The heroic pirates, realizing this, gradually grew to despair.

……

On the western coast of Winterfell, a colossal ship carrying an evil dragon.

Inside the ship's cabin, Killian was holding a mobilization meeting.

"The special operations team's operation went smoothly. According to the observations during the day, the strength of the gods in the forest is being reduced in an orderly manner."

"By tonight, her injuries should have worsened considerably. Then, we can launch a full-scale attack and sacrifice her!"