Nordic: I Created a Forbidden Land for the Gods

"It's been a while since we last met."

"How's Neil doing lately? Has he missed me?"

Slud took a light breath, held the communication stone, and rubbed it with her ivory-like fingers. A hint of tension showed on her fair and delicate face.

She sat in a grand hall with railings carved with gold and white jade, which was very luxurious, but she was the only one sitting around her, so she did not feel too burdened by displaying such a private posture.

After all, the giants lying dead all around, dressed in magnificent robes but covered in blood, could not possibly have seen her like this.

Appearance, appearance...

Seemingly remembering something, Slud paused as she was about to strike the stone. She looked around for a mirror to tidy her clothes and wiped away any bloodstains that might be on her body.

She wore a clean white dress and had her blonde hair hanging down. She turned around in front of the mirror to make sure there were no problems, then raised her hand and flipped out two items to examine them closely.

"Sigh, as expected, a naval war is imminent, and everything is very busy. Father God has reassigned many tasks... I can't go back for now."

"Neil will probably be quite disappointed when he finds out."

"But with these two things, he should be relatively happier."

Slud examined the object in her hand, her red lips slightly parted, and she murmured to herself.

The first document was a pattern made of animal hide.

It is yellowish all over, and when opened, it is one meter long and two feet wide. The edges are studded with copper rivets, and it feels rough but also has a slightly warm touch.

The paper has many interwoven and overlapping patterns, but they are not all runes. Instead, they are rather complex cross-sections, which the Valkyrie Slud cannot understand.

But in the bottom right corner is a finished view, which is a colossal catapult tower that looks like a ferocious beast.

In the Nordic world, only the dwarf race could create such a design.

Slud traveled to various countries in the Ice Sea and saw the finished products.

That day, she carried out her mission as usual, suspended in mid-air, her battle skirt swaying in the wind, lightning crackling around her, ready to punish the heretical giant.

But immediately several boulders were thrown, containing low levels of runic energy, at most only level two, but with special amplification, shattering her condensed lightning shield.

As the rubble exploded, blood trickled down her cheek and flowed to the corner of her mouth. When she tasted the faint metallic flavor again, a look of surprise flashed across her stunningly beautiful face.

Although the subsequent strong suppression resulted in the killing of all the heretical giants, that was the only time among the seven or eight giant kingdoms that she was harmed.

"Even if the dwarves' ingenuity can't compare to runes, it has a similar effect, and when combined, it has a very strange effect."

"Although the construction of these catapult towers is so complex that even the giant kingdom only built a few, making it difficult to mass-produce them, otherwise I would also find it troublesome to deal with them."

"But with Neil's special abilities, as long as one is successful, there will basically be no problem."

Recalling her previous experiences, Slud's lips curled into a smile.

After all, given her abilities and status, opportunities to share hardships together are few and far between. It's like walking a wooden bridge for ordinary people—dangerous yet quite exciting.

So after only a few days, I already feel a bit nostalgic.

Of course, she didn't really think Neil could build the catapult tower on his own.

After all, even the Kingdom of Giants found it difficult, and he was all alone on Winterfell.

But you could also let him worry and think things through first, find something to do, and then go back to help with the setup when you have free time.

She was in charge of building the sacrificial monument last time, and both sides were in a mess. Although it was eventually completed, it was still a very chaotic situation.

This time, it's best to have one side make some preparations in advance...

The other thing is news related to Nika.

Thinking back to her previous meeting with the incarnation of the Father God, Slud's smile faded somewhat, and she was now unsure whether to tell Neil.

After all, the Father God's attitude towards mortals was similar to that towards ants, but Nika was very special, and had even been of great help to the two of them before.

The situation here is rather complicated, and in general, it's best not to get involved recklessly.

But with a naval war imminent, and being in the icy sea, Neil was unlikely to escape unscathed.

If you don't seize the opportunity, you'll only suffer the consequences.

Shaking her head, Slud calmed herself down and stopped thinking about these things. She activated the communication stone and prepared to have a long-awaited meeting through projection.

In this world filled with slaughter and struggle, and rivalry with various heretics, even the nominal Father Gods have very cold relationships with each other.

Only that mortal who had no contact with any of the three parties could offer her some solace.

If other heresies appear and defile it.

So...

On the other side, Winterfell Island, guest rooms.

"I've been here for a while now, shouldn't I finish the third trial?"

On the vine-woven rocking chair, Ella's long, slender hair and other soft features swayed gently, and a charming smile played on her lips beneath the green gauze as she murmured softly to herself.

With each sway, those alluring eyes would glance to the left and right, one side towards the harbor, the other towards the heart of the forest.

Although the environment always has an effect, it is limited to the level of Heroic Spirits and is very limited for her.

She could subtly sense and confirm the location of the Lord of Winter's true form.

The reason that the veil has not been lifted is simply out of interest and out of respect for those who are special.

It's like playing a game blindfolded; there's a strange kind of thrill...

These feelings did not fade over time; on the contrary, they intensified after Neil established the port.

When faced with the three giant kingdoms demanding an explanation for their actions for the first time, he was able to navigate the situation and even gain some benefits.

The second encounter with the nobles among the dark elves did not result in any conflict; on the contrary, it was used effectively to provide various enhancements to the improvement of the terrain.

If it were only twice, that would be one thing, but even if this port is just a decoration, it doesn't really serve its intended purpose except for the owner's maneuvering.

But as the moment of war drew ever closer, the once calm seas began to stir with various disturbances.

Every now and then, various races would wander around, and even this originally remote island, where no one would ever pass by, gradually began to have more visitors.

Among them are hybrids, elves, and even direct descendants of the gods.

If they were to meet, a fierce battle would be inevitable, and if it happened too often, the island would not be able to remain intact.

But through the port strategy, these races actually managed to keep each other in check.

They might just use "avatars" to fool people at first, and then those races would follow the rules on their own.

Even knowing that the other party might be an enemy, they would still make a deal as if they knew nothing, considering that they could benefit themselves.

Besides avoiding being affected, Winterfell Island, as the platform provider, can also gain certain benefits.

Although these visitors were of such a limited caliber that they didn't catch Ella's eye.

But the methods alone were enough to draw her attention and make her want to actually recruit them.

"We've had enough fun. After all, time is limited. Regardless of whether they're from the same race or not, the trial should begin."

Ella murmured, then jumped off the rocking chair and strode toward the forest dwelling.

At that moment, Slud's projection appeared in the area where Neil was located.