Chapter 602 - Odin
In the icy expanse of the Antarctic continent, the fire giant Surtur was pierced by the legendary Eternal Spear. However, for a giant capable of initiating the Twilight of the Gods, a mere spear was not enough to claim his life. The fire giant, now impaled, let out a furious roar, causing the earth to tremble. White smoke billowed from volcanoes around the world, as if they were on the brink of erupting at any moment.
The giant’s blood turned into sun-like flames, a catastrophe that could have melted the entire Antarctic continent, potentially leading to the extinction of human civilization. Yet, an array of mysterious runes, revealed on the Eternal Spear, intercepted Surtur’s flames and the volcanic disturbances, confining this fiery turmoil to a radius of several hundred miles.
At this moment, Cthulhu had once again surrounded itself with an eerie mist. Although its form remained elusive within the fog, anyone with discerning eyes could see that Cthulhu, whether facing Odin or Surtur, harbored a sense of fear.
For the eldritch gods who bring madness and destruction to humanity, their reign of terror had ended in defeat at this moment.
This was as it should be. Many of the Great Old Ones in Cthulhu Mythos may seem formidable, but within the mythos, these outer gods were ultimately sealed by the ancient gods. This indicated that the ancient gods, the beings in Earth’s mythologies, possessed even greater power than these outer gods.
Indeed, Surtur and Odin are the highest beings in Norse mythology, one being the Allfather of the gods and the other the harbinger of world destruction, a prime instigator of Ragnarok. Facing these two entities, even a being like Cthulhu, who has brought madness and chaos to the world, appeared somewhat inadequate.
“Could these runes be the legendary runic symbols?”
At the United Nations summit, experts in Norse mythology exclaimed in astonishment as they beheld the mysterious symbols that appeared on the Antarctic continent.
Not only did these symbols confine Surtur’s world-destroying flames within a mere hundred-mile radius, but they also completely sealed off the power that had caused volcanoes around the world to erupt. The experts’ first thought was of runic symbols.
“Surtur and Typhon are quite similar in that they both possess the ability to trigger volcanic eruptions.”
“In Greek mythology, Typhon once instilled terror into the Olympian gods, and in Norse mythology, Surtur played a significant role in the destruction of the world and the fall of the Aesir. From this perspective, volcanoes were symbolic of chaos and malevolence, and both Surtur and Typhon were abominable beings.”
“But judging from their demonstrated abilities, Typhon is no match for Surtur.”
“Typhon was born from extraterrestrial meteorites and seems more like a shadow. Even when he died, there was no corpse or blood to be found. But as you can see, Surtur bleeds when injured. And do you recall what the Antarctic underground research team reported? They mentioned that when they first encountered Surtur, he was sealed within an ice column, and his height was about a hundred meters. But now, this giant appears to be a thousand meters tall!”
“Therefore, I suspect that Surtur is very likely the true body that was sealed, not a shadow like Typhon!”
“Odin, the Allfather, is capable of shattering the Earth with a single strike. In mythology, Surtur, who might be even mightier than Odin, has no reason not to be able to destroy the Earth. I think Surtur may have just released his seal, which is why his power is still insufficient. If he regains his full strength, one stomp might be enough to obliterate the Earth!”
Numerous experts and scholars engaged in heated debates, while others delved into ancient texts, trying to find the correct answers within these ancient records.
“Let’s make sure to record all those mysterious runes. They are likely runic symbols; let’s not lose sight of their importance!”
Some swiftly snapped photographs, while others used pens to sketch all the enigmatic symbols that had appeared on the Antarctic continent.
These runes appeared to have simple structures, but they were incredibly intricate geometric shapes that left people baffled. Those who attempted to draw them with pen and paper were surprised to find that they couldn’t reproduce the complete symbols no matter how hard they tried.
It feels like trying to draw a three-dimensional object with two-dimensional paper and lines, but absolutely incapable of rendering four-dimensional or five-dimensional ones!
“As quoted by Odin, ‘I have eighteen runes, and I’m absolutely unwilling to divulge even a bit’… These runic symbols, recorded in the ‘Words of the Wise’ in the ‘Edda,’ are the highest secrets of Norse mythology, known only to the great god Odin. I never thought these symbols would be so profound that we couldn’t even reproduce them. As you’ve seen before, the terrifying power of the Eternal Spear, which should have been able to destroy the Earth, has been imprisoned within a few meters, even causing distortions in space. This is the first time I’ve witnessed such a phenomenon.”
An elderly man adjusted his glasses and spoke with a hint of regret.
“However, I’ve found that we can capture these symbols directly through video screenshots. We can take screenshots and study them later.”
Another expert beside the elderly man suggested.
The elderly man’s body trembled, and he immediately showed great joy. Perhaps these symbols possessed mysterious powers that made it impossible for humans to depict them, but maybe the great god Odin didn’t consider technological methods. These symbols could indeed be captured and screen-captured. Seeing this, technology might not be entirely useless!
“Quick, take a look, there’s been another change!”
At this moment, someone in the assembly shouted, and the crowd turned their attention back to the large screen.
“Don’t look at the screen showing the Antarctic continent; those videos are still unclear. Come to the window, and you’ll understand what’s happening!”
With this call, the entire conference venue immediately became chaotic. Heads of state from various countries, whether present at the venue or participating in the meeting via video, all crowded to look outside their windows. What they witnessed left them stunned.
The tail end of the Eternal Spear had created a rainbow that extended straight into the universe. This rainbow even pierced the entire planet, making people all over the world witness this transcendent rainbow.
At the end of the rainbow, a portal appeared. It slowly opened, revealing a scene beyond the doorway.
Behind the portal was an immense golden palace that was beyond human imagination. It floated above eternal white clouds, and in the distance, you could barely make out a world tree. As the white clouds dispersed, the golden palace expanded, and people finally glimpsed what was inside.
A rugged-faced middle-aged man sat upon a majestic throne. He wore an eagle helmet, a golden suit of armor, had long white hair cascading like a waterfall, and one of his eyes was covered with an eyepatch. A golden ring adorned his wrist, and at his feet, two giant wolves lay peacefully. On his shoulders perched two ravens, their eyes containing hints of death as they gazed upon the world.
When people saw the image of this supreme god, countless voices cried out his name —
“Great God Odin!!”