Hogwarts: From Selling White Peppers to Becoming a God

Chapter 449 Omens

Murphy recognized the Lord of the Abyss.

"Stranger, my nephew is a fool. You exploited his ambition, but I'm curious, what exactly do you want to do?"

Murphy frowned. "I thought Apollo had taken precautions against eavesdropping."

"That's why he's a fool," Hades sneered. "Wherever the sunlight can reach, it's under his divine influence, but the underworld is shrouded in darkness. And the place where you're talking happens to be a tomb, my territory."

"Since you've overheard our conversation, why did you come alone?" Murphy asked. "Didn't you inform Mount Olympus about Apollo's betrayal?"

He looked at Hades and said gently, "Your Majesty, to cover up a crime is the same as to betray it."

Hades was silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled in a low, hoarse voice. After a while, he said again in a somber voice, "When I leave an enemy behind, it's usually because I have a more important enemy to deal with."

"You mean your youngest brother?" Murphy said.

"My foolish nephew was right about at least one thing," Hades said. "He's been in that position for far too long."

"You no longer doubt my motives?" Murphy asked.

"Apollo can't see it, but I can smell the death on you. You've killed several gods; you're our sworn enemy, aren't you?"

"But you don't seem to mind?"

"In hell, I've long since learned how to deal with my enemies," Hades said. "It doesn't matter. There are plenty of people who hate me, enough to fill the entire Tartarus. And I don't seem to be that important on your list of enemies."

"As you said." Murphy smiled, feeling surprisingly compatible with this Hades. "So, you're here also seeking cooperation?"

"Perhaps," Hades said. "Although Apollo thinks he can kill his father, my brother has always been the most cunning and shrewd. I don't think he can succeed."

"But even the strongest warrior would be exhausted after being betrayed by his son."

Murphy nodded. "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind—that's a good idea. But I don't see what use your visit is to me. You could have stayed hidden until the very end."

"An interesting metaphor," Hades said stiffly, clearly unaccustomed to humor. "Your power is special, and I hope you can lend me a hand."

"Your nephew gave me a third of his divine power as payment, what can you give me in return?" Murphy asked.

"It's just divine power," Hades said indifferently. "All the divine power we gain after this is done is yours. I only want Zeus's head."

"You're much more generous than Apollo," Murphy laughed. "Our collaboration will certainly be very pleasant."

……

More than a hundred years later, Asgard.

Hidden atop the mountains, in this city of the gods, stands a magnificent palace, Valhalla, the abode of giants commissioned by the gods.

At this moment, the palace was filled with noise.

Heimdall, the watcher and guardian god, placed a head on a tray in the center of the hall. The head, with its eyes closed, was now singing under the magic of the goddess Freya. What it was chanting was the Nibelungen Song.

When they heard that "the splendor of Valhalla will be reduced to ruins," all the gods looked on in alarm and gazed at Odin on his throne.

The God-King's face showed neither joy nor anger. "How many people in Midgard know such poetry?"

“Countless,” Heimdall said. “This long poem has been passed down in secret for a long time, and countless mortals have heard the story.”

"Why didn't you notice?" Odin asked.

Heimdall looked troubled. Although he was known for his ability to see through the nine realms, such farsightedness consumed a huge amount of divine power, and he usually did not use it lightly.

Besides, didn't the two crows next to you notice it either?

“Someone is deliberately covering it up,” Heimdall said. “Perhaps it’s those Vanir guys.”

The gods of the Norse lands are not limited to the Aesir, the gods of Asgard. In this cold region, there exists a pantheon even older than the Aesir. Although their original worshippers have been driven out by humans, their legends have survived and, though weakening, have not yet become extinct.

"I knew it was them!" The hot-tempered Thor roared in fury. "The signs of Ragnarok are becoming increasingly clear. Before the great battle, we must first eliminate those bastards."

"Speaking of the omens of Ragnarok... I must remind you," said Frigga, the queen of the gods sitting next to Odin, "that it has been altered, and that legend has begun to influence the future."

Unlike other pantheons, the Norse pantheon, perhaps due to its harsh climate or some other reason, was destined to perish in an ultimate war during the very process of its creation.

Odin had also foreseen Ragnarok many times, describing to the gods the scenes he had seen: the broken World Tree, the collapsed Valhalla, enormous and terrifying monsters, and the gods who had died in war.

However, now, the omens of Ragnarok have changed once again under the influence of the legend. Valhalla is no longer simply collapsing, but destroyed by a great fire; the World Tree is no longer merely broken and knocked down, but charred into a stake. At the same time, he also vaguely saw the figure of an evil god.

He was certain that some gods were working against him, and that some gods were involved in Ragnarok.

"I had a dream, a dream about death." Baldr, the god of light, smiled, but the smile was extremely weary and sorrowful. "I dreamed that darkness enveloped the nine realms, and everything would return to nothingness."

This is also one of the omens mentioned by the goddess Frigg.

"If we are all going to die in a war, it's no big deal!" Thor shouted. "It is our honor to die on the battlefield!"

"We should go and kill all those singers who spread the epic poem," said Tyr, the God of War, arrogantly, sword in hand. "A bunch of mortals who know no respect for the gods; we should teach them to fear!"

"Or, we can be smarter. The most crucial element of this legend is a demigod and a Valkyrie. We should avoid their appearance," said the goddess Freya.

The gods began to discuss amongst themselves, creating a commotion in the palace. Odin, the king of the gods, whispered a few words to the head of the wise giant Mimir, which was placed on a tray beside his throne. Finally, he spoke, silencing the gods, "War. This war is unavoidable and cannot be stopped. We must prepare."

All the gods looked toward the throne. "Odin, what have you decided to do?"

The God-King was silent for a while, just about to say something, when suddenly his expression changed and he looked towards the entrance of the hall.

A jet-black mist flew in from the gate, landing and transforming into a slender, tall man. His face was covered with strange skull patterns painted in chalk, obscuring his original features. His long, unruly red hair danced like flames, and the billowing black smoke emanating from his body gave him an aura of evil.

At this moment, he strode into the hall, carrying a long spear in one hand and a huge cloth bag in the other.

Odin, seeing the other, seemed somewhat pleased. "My brother, what have you brought me this time?"

The deity laughed heartily, walked to the center of the hall, brandished his spear and knocked the poet's head, which was floating in the center, aside. Then he threw the cloth bag in his hand heavily to the ground.

"My dearest brother, I have brought you everything!"

(End of this chapter)