Sorry, I'm Not Free Tonight

"This necromancer is your friend?"

Sejuani looked at the long-haired woman with explosive fighting power in front of her, and couldn't help but feel a little suspicious.

Kevin nodded earnestly, vouching for the identity of this Goddess of Death, and murmured softly.

"Hela recently came to live in seclusion in the Demon Swamp because she didn't want to be disturbed while conducting a research project..."

"I can assure you, she harbors no ill will towards Winter Fortress..."

Seeing the wariness in Sejuani's eyes gradually diminish, the man breathed a slight sigh of relief and turned to Hela with a faint smile.

These were, of course, just excuses used to appease the humans of Freyja. The three True God had already exchanged information through mental communication.

Months ago, during the Infinity War, Hela was subdued by the awakened Odin, and her consciousness was awakened.

Subsequently, Princess Assa, who had committed a grave error, was exiled to the land of Freyja.

Furthermore, her divine power was sealed by Odin, and she was also suppressed to the level of True God.

However, as the mighty Goddess of Death, Hela is more than capable of ruling this wild land, and establishing a human empire would be a piece of cake for her.

Having experienced the highs and lows of gain, loss, life and death, this Goddess of Death has become somewhat indifferent to life.

Hela, too lazy to have much contact with humans, chose to live a secluded life as a recluse in the Demon Swamp.

Kevin learned about Hela's recent situation and felt touched, but also joyful at the reunion with his old friend.

In fact, as early as when the Infinity War broke out, he, who was in control of the whole situation, vaguely sensed that Hela was not dead.

However, at the time, he was busy dealing with Thanos and couldn't get away from it, so he was unable to interfere in the affairs of the Asgardian God Clan.

Now, seeing his old friend safe and sound, Kevin felt not only happy but also a little guilty.

Therefore, even though Hela disdained to explain her origins and purpose to Sejuani, Kevin took the initiative to arrange a plausible identity for his old friend.

"If I were to take action, none of those people who have been lurking and spying outside lately would survive!"

Hela leaned against the door, toying with her wine glass. Her voice was cold and sharp, yet it left Sejuani, who revered strength above all else, speechless.

Although the words were a bit harsh, the fact that they were willing to explain proved that their efforts had not been in vain.

Kevin smiled, narrowing his eyes, and took a small sip of his tea.

"If this Red Dragon and the beast tide attacking Winter Fortress weren't the cause, then what exactly happened?"

Sejuani's brow furrowed, her expression shifting between light and shadow.

Hela abandoned her aloof demeanor and casually tossed her wine glass back onto the table.

"Oh? You mean those things? I saw them passing by the swamp..."

"But since they haven't bothered me, I can't be bothered with them..."

"As for the abyss ahead, I only remember that a very strong surge of magical energy appeared there recently."

"I'm starting to get curious about what's inside..."

Kevin's lips curled slightly, he clapped his hands, chuckled, and stood up.

Curious? That's easy...

Several hours later, the elite squad, having set off again, finally arrived at a high ridge, gazing out at the Howling Abyss in the distance.

Under the biting north wind, everyone's faces were ashen, and from the misty abyss ahead came a mournful wail like that of ghosts.

Transparent, distorted phantoms were constantly being blown up and torn down in the misty frost of the abyss. The invisible screams of the souls made people's minds tremble and almost drive them mad.

Hmm, the peculiar sound of the wind, the surge of magical energy, and the Mental Shock of the wailing of the undead—so that's where the name [Howling Abyss] comes from.

Kevin stroked his chin thoughtfully, then subconsciously reached for a few candies from the Spatial Rift to satisfy his sweet tooth while he was thinking.

Unexpectedly, the man was left empty-handed, realizing with dismay that both his candy house and his true form were guarding the gates on Earth.

At this moment, Hexi, on horseback, pulled on the reins and quietly approached. She glanced at Hela, at the back of the group and, through their mental link, subtly warned Kevin.

"Hey, you're really that comfortable letting her come along?"

"Our journey from Earth to Freyja was top secret. Isn't it too much of a coincidence that we ran into each other like this?"

Kevin looked around, his calm voice echoing in Hexi's mind.

"It's not just a coincidence; this was all part of the planned plot..."

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Hexi was somewhat taken aback.

"Odin, the father of the Aesir gods, who else could it be?"

Kevin's eyes clearly understood, and he casually uttered his guess in his mind.

According to the Asgard proverb, "In a blind world, the one-eyed king reigns," this means that among the ignorant masses, the one-eyed king is the only wise one who can see the future.

Therefore, the one with the most powerful precognitive abilities in all of Asgard is not the Queen Frigga, but the Odin, who can foresee the future.

Kevin, having inherited the [Omnipotent State], was even more convinced of this conclusion.

Therefore, Hela's exile to Freyja and her chance encounter with them cannot be explained by mere coincidence.

All of this was absolutely Odin's deliberate arrangement.

I said, it's one thing for me to raise a little girl, but your daughter is already so big, and you're still dumping her here? Do you really think I'm a babysitter turned nanny?

Kevin, having guessed the general reason, secretly rolled his eyes and complained.

As for Hela's strength, and why it had decreased so much, a man who was very good at figuring out hidden thoughts could easily guess the intricacies behind it.

The goal is simple: to prevent Hela, whose power has increased dramatically, from causing trouble and harming the remaining bloodline of Asgard.

Even if we take a step back and assume Hela doesn't cause trouble for Thor and his group because her father sacrificed himself for her...

But if she builds up her power and continues to dream of conquering the Nine Worlds, she may very well end up ruining herself as well.

In short, Kevin is now basically a babysitter who has been reassigned to cleaning up Hela's messes.

Well, whether or not he owes Odin a favor, he'd still like to help his old friend Hela if he could.

"Hey, what are you two whispering about behind my back?"

Hela, noticing their subtle movements, spurred her horse forward, a faint smile on her lips and her eyes slightly narrowed.

"Thinking about the best way to get in..."

Kevin, who had prepared his excuse in advance, lied with a calm and solemn expression.

Hexi, who still had some self-respect, turned her head away, rubbing her forehead, unable to bear watching.

She finally understood; this guy's focused attitude towards work was extremely deceptive.

Previously, I was tricked into taking a bath in the Dragon Blood Pool because Kevin's serious advice subconsciously diverted my attention.

However, Kevin didn't seem to care, and pointed to the vicinity of Howling Abyss, where a cave castle was vaguely outlined in the mist.

"Looks like we need to buy tickets in bulk first?"

P. S.: Updated at 3 PM. Daily request for recommendations, monthly tickets, and even a few harsh words.

Chapter 977, Section 1021: Sorry, no dates tonight.

Howling Abyss, the Frostguard City.

The city appears to be a mix of old and new, with black stone buildings that have clearly stood for centuries, piled up against the glacial walls.

Strangely, the interior was eerily quiet. Even the scouts who threw out grappling hooks to leap over the city walls Door Opening didn't see any Frost Guard appear; they seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Sejuani led the group inside, and Kevin and his two companions followed, carefully looking around.

However, most of the houses in the Blackstone buildings were unlocked, and there were no obvious signs of tampering with the household items inside; they were all covered in a layer of dust.

The Frost Guard have all disappeared? What happened?

Sejuani dispatched scouts and waited in the square for a while. The results of the scouts' investigation, reported by the soldiers, left the Grand Duke of the North with a solemn and somewhat incredulous expression.

"The Frost Guard are one of the Three Northern Tribes responsible for directly monitoring the movements of the Howling Abyss, right?"

"When was the last time you two were in contact?"

Kevin dismounted and went inside. He touched the table, rubbed his fingers together, and asked in a deep voice.

"Three months ago, during the autumn hunt!"

Sejuani's eyes flickered with a hint of reminiscence before she answered with certainty.

"At that time, my guards and I were treated with hospitality by the Frost Guard."

"Hospitality? Oh, when and where?"

Kevin pressed on with interest, a hint of amusement in his expression.

"At night, in the square..."

"I remember back then, the Frost Guard were always with us, and many places were off-limits to people from Winter Fortress."

Sejuani recalled more details and realized something was wrong; her brow furrowed slightly.

Although the Three Northern Tribes rarely interact unless necessary due to changes in their lifestyles and conflicts over the division of hunting grounds.

However, according to the etiquette between the two parties, even if he had only come to visit the Frost Guard on a whim, he should not have been treated so formally.

Unless, they are intentionally hiding something.

However, her judgments are mostly based on intuition, and logical reasoning is not her forte.

Judging from the current situation, the three people in front of us seem to have made another discovery.

At this moment, Hexi, who had just entered the room, glanced at the remaining black powder in the plate on the table and narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Three months? You're not allowed to check? That makes sense..."

"Based on the thickness of the accumulated dust and the residue of rotten food, the city has been unused for at least six months..."

The Heavenly Foundation King clapped his hands, raised his head slightly, and spoke in a low, melancholic tone.

"Furthermore, this six-month calculation is based on data from the summer and autumn seasons under normal temperatures. If we consider the possibility of colder weather..."

"This place has been abandoned for at least half a year..."

After being neglected for more than half a year, how could we still be treated with hospitality? What exactly did we see that night?

Several of Sejuani's personal guards who had accompanied her to the Frostguard City turned pale and their hearts clenched as they recalled the incident, a chill running down their spines at the prospect of the unknown.

As for the more meticulous soldier, he thought of another problem, and his stomach churned instantly.

If the food has been rotten for more than six months, what were they eating?

"I had physical contact with them, and they had normal human temperature and sensation..."

Sejuani still had doubts and found it hard to believe that their encounter three months ago was with a group of Ghost drinking and laughing together.

"Perhaps what you see is merely a group of manipulated shells. To gods, manipulating souls and controlling bodies is simpler than breathing..."

Hela, exuding an aura of coldness and unapproachability, glanced at the layout of the nearby houses and casually flicked her nails as she answered.

At that moment, Kevin, who was inside the room, opened a drawer and picked up a few silver coins from the dust, playing with them with great interest.

"That's right, the interior remains as it was originally furnished, and some valuables were not taken away..."

"This group of Frost Guard doesn't seem to have been attacked; it's more like they've collectively evacuated for some reason..."

Hexi arrived at the cliff behind the city. Below, a chilling air current surged upwards, and inside, a dense white mist swirled, making it impossible to see the specific situation clearly.

The mournful howling wind in the valley, if listened to for too long, can cause dizziness and earache.

"Your Grace, perhaps the answer lies in the Howling Abyss. Shall we send someone down to investigate?"

Sejuani shook her head slightly at Hexi's suggestion, took a spear from the guard, and threw it into the abyss.

This blow, capable of shattering gold and piercing stone, descended a hundred meters before disappearing into the mist, but there was never an echo of it striking the rocks.

However, a moment later, a series of cracking sounds echoed in the air below, and a strong valley wind surged upwards, blowing wood chips all over the sides of the abyss cliff.

Was that the same spear we used before? This abyss is really hard to get into...

Hexi rubbed the wood shavings that had drifted into her palm, her gaze towards the abyss now tinged with a newfound caution.