Skadi: No Going Back

The next day, amidst the still icy and snowy wilderness, a graceful purple figure swept across the endless, pale boundary.

Skadi stands on the sled.

Her long purple dress billowed wildly in the oncoming gale, making the curves of her full figure even more intense and obvious.

The goddess kept twisting her pert buttocks and arching them from side to side.

It controls the direction of the sled.

Skadi is both the goddess of the snow mountain and the Snow Boot Goddess. She loves the sport of skating on the snow, so Odin bestowed this divine position, which should not exist independently, upon her.

Therefore, Skadi has always been very confident in her skiing skills.

After a night of hurried travel, Skadi, nearing her destination, naturally suggested completing the final leg of her journey in this way.

She wanted to show off a little.

They also wanted to regain face after their previous defeat.

"Oh dear, too slow, Mr. Deceased?" A clear, melodious voice rang out. Skadi looked back. "At this speed, you can't catch up with me, much less reach the entrance to Jotunheim..."

"Yeah?"

Skadi's eyes widened slightly as she looked at Rowe, whose feet were on the sled, his hands hanging down, his whole body covered by his robe, seemingly motionless, yet still maintaining Rovi same speed as her.

The Snow Boot Goddess, standing on a sled, looked rather dumbfounded.

She really wanted to say that Rovi cheated.

But obviously, Rovi did not cheat. He simply moved with very small amplitude, using extremely precise calculations to maximize the effect of every bit of force, so much so that it looked as if he were floating in the air on the snow.

"It's truly astonishing..." Skadi snapped out of her daze, pursed her lips, and felt a strange sense of defeat.

It's one thing to be defeated by the opponent in martial arts.

Even in their own area of expertise, they were defeated by the opponent...

'What's wrong with you now?'

Skadi recalled a voice that was similar to hers, yet distinctly different, carrying a touch of heroic spirit.

That was another version of her.

Scathach, the Queen of the Shadow Country, is connected through the ' Gate of the Magic Mirror ' that exists deep within her consciousness.

"It's nothing," Skadi denied in her mind.

'Hmm? Are you going to lie to me again? I can definitely sense that you're in a bad mood, you other me.'

"I told you, it's nothing." Skadi still wouldn't admit it.

How can you talk about such a shameful thing?

Even if it's another version of yourself...

With his hands behind his back, Rovi felt as if he were flying through the air, floating like an immortal, but then he glanced sideways at Skadi.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's nothing, don't ask anymore... huh?" Skadi responded before realizing something was wrong.

"I only gave a perfunctory reply," Rovi laughed, his words carrying a hidden meaning.

"So you really want to uncover my secrets?" Skadi remained unfazed.

She thought Rovi would deny it outright, after all, prying into other people's secrets is an extremely impolite thing to do.

Unexpectedly, Rovi answered very seriously, "Yes, I really want to."

"Thinking is thinking, not thinking is not thinking. There's no point in hiding it, and besides—you're just my spoils of war."

"Don't overthink it, Miss."

Skadi felt a slight stiffness in her heart as her thoughts were seen through.

So Rovi continued to ask, "Are you communicating with the other 'you' you mentioned before?"

He could calculate these things just by observing Skadi's facial expressions.

And I was indeed a little curious.

I'm curious why the Queen of the Celtic Queen of the Shadow Country would appear in Northern Europe.

"Yes?" Skadi tilted her head, her body still twisting and controlling the direction of the sled, yet she was still able to answer Rovi's question very calmly, "She's a very powerful one—although I can only hear her voice, I haven't seen her yet."

"But I know that my marksmanship and martial arts skills are not even one-tenth as good as hers."

"Really? I don't believe it unless you call her over."

If I were able to get what I wanted, would you still bully me?

Skadi turned her head away, not looking at Rovi.

His cheeks puffed out slightly, looking a little angry.

'Who made you angry? Won't you tell me? Oh dear... what a troublesome child!'

'There seems to be an interesting guy next to you? We're too far away, my senses are a bit blurry...'

The incessant chatter of Scathach's voice in her mind inexplicably irritated the goddess of snow boots.

"Speaking of which, I really want to meet your counterpart..." Rovi looked up and leaned forward. "She must be very good to you, right? You probably want to meet her too, right?"

"Look, you want to see her, and I want to see her too. Aren't we standing together?"

"What the hell is this?" Skadi was a little confused.

"I'm a dead man, so what I'm talking about is naturally Gui Yuli," Rovi Wei said slowly.

Skadi paused for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

"You're actually quite interesting," she said, then fell silent and became serious.

The world, now desolate and pale, was no longer covered in snow. Seeing that Skadi was no longer responding to him, Rovi didn't care, because he could already see the trunk of the World Tree ahead. That pale, even desolate, giant tree connected the sky and the earth, and also connected the nine 'realms' above and below the Nordic world.

Of course, this doesn't mean you can just climb up or down directly.

The World Tree is enormous, but the 'tree hole' connecting the Nine Realms is relatively small. As a creation of the gods nurtured from the remains of the Harvest Star Vanguard, its body is also a living thing and can 'move'.

Without knowing its exact location, it is difficult to determine its exact location.

Otherwise, Rovi would have come on his own, and Skadi wouldn't have needed to lead the way.

"Follow me!"

Skadi twisted her waist and used that to steer the sled in a different direction.

Rovi followed.

Amidst the icy snow, the scratches on the ground continued to extend beneath their feet.

But actually, once they got here, Rovi no longer needed Skadi to lead the way.

He felt a slight tremor in the ground and sensed a 'riot' coming from beneath the World Tree.

"Those guys... why are they starting again?" Skadi turned and stopped walking forward. She looked up and gazed at a huge tree hole in the distance, her dark purple eyes filled with a heavy expression.

That tree hollow is the gateway to Jotunheim, one of the three realms at the bottom of the World Tree, where its roots reside.

After the giants mentioned in the prophecy of the great god Odin appeared, they frequently attempted to rush through the World Tree to the Midgard, the territory where humans lived.

And the distance got closer each time.

Skadi had seen it from afar.

So she instinctively stopped in her tracks, only to hear a series of roars in her ears.

And it's getting bigger and bigger, more and more intense.

Skadi instinctively flinched.

Those lunatics...

The Snow Boot Goddess was somewhat intimidated.

But Rovi smiled.

He sensed that those guys... had arrived.

Roar! Roar! Roar!

Like thunder or drumbeats, looking down from the hole in the World Tree, it appears as if it were a deep abyss or a precipice, but at its edge, long, tendril-like things hang down, like a ladder to heaven.

The enormous giant gripped the vines tightly with both hands, stretching his body upwards little by little.

They roared, their massive bodies bulging with muscles, their entire bodies radiating furnace-like heat, and a misty vapor enveloped the entire tree hollow space.

Although the Giants were extremely strong, an invisible force emanating from the World Tree pressed down on them, making their climb extremely difficult.

That power was not intentionally created by the gods who planted the World Tree, but rather it was the World Tree's own rules that caused it to repel them.

Velber Akamichi was an Akamichi who advocated 'progress'.

As a race that survived under a primitive and disordered system, the chaotic and bewildered giants should stay at the bottom of the hierarchy under such rules.

They are the shadows of the past, and also the existence of 'death'.

Their repeated attempts to attack the very center and core of the World Tree, the realm where humans live, the Midgard region, were all thwarted by the suppression of this force.

There is no need for divine intervention, nor for any organization to counter it.

After so many defeats, the other native Titans had long since given up, but this group of suddenly appearing Titans stubbornly persisted.

Skadi was terrified of this spirit, this madness.

She couldn't understand it either.

"How about we do it next time..." She opened her mouth, wanting to say that it would be fine to wait until the Giants were less impulsive before attacking again. There were so many giants, including some terrifying beings at the Divine Being level, and the Snow Mountain Goddess seemed to lack confidence.

"Next time? No, next time." Rovi smiled. "Think about it, when those giants are defeated in their next attack and fall back to Jotunheim exhausted, wouldn't that be the best time for us to enter?"

Their strength is exhausted while ours is abundant.

Although Skadi was unaware that this land did not have any legends associated with it, she still knew about it.

The Giants' impact this time was more intense than ever before, and even the ground felt a strong tremor. But it seemed that precisely because of this intensity, it came and went very quickly.

"Listen, it's quiet now." Rovi pointed to the tree hole. Now that he was here, there was no way he could go back, nor would he let Skadi, such a perfect 'tool,' leave.

It has already been 'taken'.

Then we need to be thorough.

Skadi nodded, took a deep breath, and composed herself.

She wasn't a warrior, and her mental fortitude was clearly inferior to that of her counterpart, Scathach, but she was, after all, a goddess listed in the highest realm of the World Tree, Asgard.

She quickly calmed down, and parted her lips slightly. "Then let's fight!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a dark purple spear appeared in the air and was gripped tightly in his hand, while a jet-black magic wand also fell into his palm at the same time.

She was on high alert, but Rovi remained leisurely and carefree.

"I am dead, so those giants shouldn't react that strongly to me." Rovi glanced at the goddess and smiled, "Just follow me."

"I hope you haven't lied to me, my dear brother." Skadi glanced at Rovi, a thoughtful look on her face, but finally nodded.

However, before entering the tree hollow, Skadi raised her hand and waved her wand, marking a mark around herself—a primordial 'rune'.

In case of any unforeseen circumstances, she can use this 'rune' to return to the central courtyard.

This was to guard against those giants.

It was also to guard against Rovi.

Even if they had gotten along well before, the goddess would not forget that she had only known this 'dead man' for less than half a day, and that they were just 'cooperating' with each other. She didn't even know his name yet.

As Rovi Wei walked ahead, snow fell again. Before him, a huge, pale tree trunk swayed, with dark blue Rubik's 'Rubik's Cube' scattered across it like stars, their light dappled.

The enormous tree hollow was pitch black, like an abyss. Rovi was the first to step into it, letting the darkness engulf him.

Skadi gripped her spear and wand tightly and followed closely behind.

Their bodies were falling—

How far is it from the courtyard to Jotunheim?

It is farther than the distance between the two.

Because Jotunheim is located below Helheim, the Norse underworld ruled by Hela, Goddess of Death, it is a place closer to death than death itself.

However, since Rovi was already dead, Skadi was essentially without a boundary between life and death, this distance was practically nonexistent for them.

With his feet on the ground, Rovi patted his robe and looked up. Before him lay jumbled rocks, sheer cliffs, and desolate forests. The dome was dark and withered, like an eternal twilight. It seemed as if a river had once flowed across the land, but now only a dried-up riverbed remained.

The surrounding area was silent and deep, with a cold wind whistling. Skadi, who had also landed, shivered inexplicably, feeling a bit cold.

This coldness is not physical, but rather a psychological discomfort.

It is the discomfort of the present-day god stepping onto the land of the old era.

But it seems... still quite safe!?

The girl, who had been worried about being surrounded as soon as she landed, breathed a sigh of relief. She was about to ask Rovi about his next move when she found him standing still, facing the cold, dry wind, without moving.

The figure was immersed in shadow, and the already palpable sense of death and stillness suddenly became even more intense.

Skadi felt a strange unease rising in her heart.

At that very moment, the ground beneath their feet suddenly shook, as if something had risen...

The piled-up rocks in the fields 'expanded' and rose.

A figure appeared, and Jotunheim appeared.

Where are those scattered rocks?

Those figures are like giants hiding in the earth, their heads emerging!

Skadi was stunned.

These lunatics, they'll ambush them too?

But Rovi said, "I'm here."

I am coming.

They've arrived.

The three words echoed, and even the distant, dimly lit dome seemed to ripple.

He's here.

The king has arrived.

"Roar!" The Giants from Tartarus in Greece roared, and Skadi, in astonishment, knelt down.

As if seeing the Venerable King.

As if worshipping a sacred deity.

"You..." Skadi looked at Rovi.

"Huh?" Rovi raised an eyebrow. "I am the one you're looking for... the Giant King."

Skadi was surprised, even horrified. She never expected that the "dead man" beside her was actually the "king" of these strange giants.

He is a true local.

But the scene before her eyes forced her to believe it...

The goddess had already prepared a way out.

Skadi instinctively wanted to escape, using the "rune" left on the tree hole.

And...

Rovi raised his hand and pointed upwards, saying, "Thanks for attracting those guys."

"—I am a partner."

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Lightning and thunder exploded above Jotunheim, and a figure appeared there.

They held long spears and were covered in armor.

They have jet-black wings on their backs, and feathers fall as they flap them.

They are messengers of the gods, demigods known as "Gods of War".

They had been following Skadi closely, both to protect her and to keep watch, so they also witnessed Skadi's contact with the ' King of Giants ' Rovi's, which led to their ambush by the Giants.

The gods abhor betrayal.

Even the most beloved goddess, if a seed of doubt is planted in her heart...

Even a mere suspicion can cause his status to plummet.

Not to mention, at this moment, she has practically "confirmed" it!

Skadi was completely stunned, even forgetting that she was supposed to leave the monastery.

Rovi burst into laughter. He knew that he had been deliberately letting the group of martial gods who had been following behind him go.

As I've said... he won't give up on getting a 'tool' for free!

Skadi never truly believed in herself, but Rovi didn't need her to. He just needed her to... be forced to stand on his side and offer advice in this unfamiliar territory.

That's enough!

In that instant, the Giants roared to the sky, flapping their wings, while the war gods were both shocked and furious.

In that instant, Rovi touched his hand, and a dazzling ripple of light appeared around him, from which a sharp edge emerged.

Rovi reached out and gripped the sword.

Pull upwards.

So far, there have been 20 new bounty chapters, bringing the total to 30 including the previous ones. It's not a problem to finish them all, so don't worry.