A New Era Begins

The World Tree murmurs in the wind.

Its branches and leaves droop slowly, like a life spanning countless eras, watching a new variable be born.

An eerie silence fell over Asgard.

There was no cheering.

There was no anger.

Only the sound of extremely suppressed breathing could be heard.

The gods stood amidst the shattered palaces, their golden armor stained with blood, their divine bodies riddled with cracks, yet none dared to take a step forward.

Thor's defeat, like an invisible knife, ripped away their last shred of dignity.

That was not defeat.

Rather, it was a case of "the system being crushed."

Odin stood atop the ruins of the temple, Lin Ye's figure reflected in his single eye.

The figure was not tall.

It's not authoritative either.

Yet it seemed to be connected to the roots of the World Tree and overlap with the starry sky of the Nine Realms.

For the first time, he felt a crisis in this "person" that was even deeper than Ragnarok.

--Change of order.

"New God..."

Odin repeated in a low voice.

The word carried a heavy historical echo in his mouth.

He had seen far too many "new gods".

He has also personally destroyed far too many "new gods".

But never before has anyone challenged the divine position like Lin Ye, but rather questioned the very definition of "god" itself.

Odin slowly raised the Gungnir.

It's not an attack.

It is a declaration.

"Night."

His voice echoed through the ruins, like a sound from an ancient world:

"You've won against Thor."

"This means you are qualified to stand here."

"But if you want to reshape the concept of God—"

His gaze was sharp:

"Then you're not just facing Asgard."

"It is the history of the Nine Realms."

"It is the dependence of all civilizations on 'God'."

"It is a shackle woven from fear, worship, faith, and domination."

Are you sure you want to move it?

Lin Ye turned his head.

His gaze met Odin's.

There was no hostility.

There was no intent to kill.

There wasn't even any mockery.

There is only one kind of rationality, so calm it borders on cruel.

"I'm already moving."

He said calmly.

Odin remained silent.

The branches of the World Tree swayed gently, and a leaf fell from the sky, turning into light dust in mid-air.

That's part of fate.

The symbol has been rewritten.

Thor struggled to his feet.

He did not pick up the thunder hammer.

He simply walked step by step to Lin Ye using only his own two legs.

He was covered in blood, his lightning patterns were dim, and his divine essence was fluctuating, as if he might fall back to the level of a mortal at any moment.

But his eyes were clearer than ever before.

"You're right."

His voice was hoarse.

"I've never... swung a hammer at myself before."

"I'm just a madman trapped by the word 'protect'."

Thor grinned:

"But things are different now."

"I lost."

"But I don't hate you."

"Because you let me know who I am."

He took a deep breath and looked at Odin:

"Father."

"If one day he really does overthrow the Kingdom of God—"

Thor paused:

I won't take your side.

These words struck the temple like a thunderbolt.

The gods were in uproar.

Odin's fingers trembled almost imperceptibly.

He stared at Thor.

Long time.

In the end, he remained silent.

Because he understands.

Some things, once torn apart, can never be mended.

Lin Ye glanced at Thor.

He nodded slightly.

This was the first time he had shown genuine respect for Thor.

Not as a god.

Rather, it refers to being a "human being".

"Night--!"

A loud shout suddenly rang out.

Tyr, the God of War, stepped forward, his severed arm still bleeding, his eyes burning with rage and resentment.

"You can defeat Thor!"

"Divinity can be denied!"

"But don't even think about denying the significance of our existence!"

"The mortal realm needs gods!"

"Order needs a god!"

"Fear needs God!"

"There is no God--"

He roared:

The world is going crazy!

Lin Ye turned around and looked at him.

In that instant, Tyr felt as if he were being watched by the universe itself.

You're wrong.

Lin Ye said softly:

"Mortals do not need gods."

"It's an explanation."

"That's the answer."

"It is a narrative structure for the unknown."

"You've just packaged these things as yourselves."

He raised his hand.

Starlight swirls at my fingertips.

A phantom star map appeared in the sky.

The screen expanded rapidly.

--Primitive people kneeling under a thunderstorm.

--The city-state sacrificed children to the temple.

--The empire waged war through divine pronouncements.

--Believers burn heretics.

--Civilization stagnated for a thousand years due to theocracy.

The images are like a court judgment, turning page by page.

The gods' faces gradually turned pale.

"God is not the source of order."

"They are merely monopolists of order."

Lin Ye closed his fingers.

The star map collapsed.

"What I want to do is not destroy faith."

"Instead, we return the 'right of interpretation' to the world."

"Let civilization grow on its own."

"Let power return to the rules."

"To reduce God to an option."

Tyr, the God of War, staggered back a step.

He found that he could not refute it.

Because all those images are real.

Odin closed his eyes.

He suddenly realized.

This battle was never a "battle between gods" from the very beginning.

Instead:

Administrators of the old civilization

Up

The designers of a new civilization.

"You will destroy many worlds."

Odin said in a low voice.

Lin Ye responded calmly:

"It will also save more."

"Destruction is a side effect of renewal."

"It's not a crime."

"It's about cost."

The World Tree suddenly emitted a deep, resonant sound.

The entire divine kingdom trembled slightly.

Countless roots emerged from the void, traversing dimensions and extending to all parts of the Nine Realms.

Lin Ye looked up.

My gaze pierced through the tree canopy.

He saw the timeline.

I saw countless possibilities.

The fall of the gods.

The establishment of a new system.

The ebb of faith.

Technology and laws go hand in hand.

Mortals hold "divine power".

The old gods have become legends.

He said softly:

"Here we go."

Odin suddenly opened his eyes.

"What are you up to?!"

Lin Ye extended his right hand.

The star rings unfold.

The underlying rules of the world are emerging, like countless transparent gears, formulas, and light bands, forming the "source code" of the universe.

The gods saw it for the first time--

The core of the world.

"I will issue the first new Divine Law."

Lin Ye said calmly:

"From today onwards--"

"God no longer has the right to interpret automatically."

"Divine power will be confined within the framework of rules."

"Divinity is no longer equivalent to absolute authority."

"Faith will no longer automatically translate into power."

"Mortals have the right to question gods."

Every word is like a knife carving into the very essence of the world.

The sky changed color.

The stars rearranged.

The statues in some temples in the Nine Realms suddenly cracked open.

The power of faith began to become unbalanced.

Odin grunted and knelt on one knee.

He felt his divine status was "shrinking".

It's not being deprived.

Instead, it was "demoted".

Thor opened his eyes wide:

"You... are you really changing the world?"

Lin Ye nodded.

"It's just a patch."

"The old system is too outdated."

Tyr, the God of War, knelt on the ground, his face pale.

"Madman..."

"You're crazy..."

Lin Ye looked at him:

"All reformers were seen as madmen by the old era."

The light emanating from the World Tree gradually stabilized.

The new rules are in effect.

The gods could clearly sense:

Faith no longer flows into them automatically.

--The speed at which divine power recovers drops sharply.

--Some clerical roles have become blurred.

They remain strong.

But they are no longer "born supreme".

Rather, it is a "high-energy individual".

Odin slowly stood up.

His silhouette seemed to have aged a thousand years at that moment.

"You win."

He said.

It's not a battle.

It's the times.

Lin Ye shook his head:

There are no winners or losers.

"It's just a handover."

He turned around, and starlight formed steps beneath his feet, leading to the void.

"Asgard will be preserved."

"You are still the strong."

"But... no longer the master of the world."

He stopped.

He didn't look back.

"Odin."

"If one day, you adapt to this era."

"Perhaps we will find out."

"To be a 'human being' is more liberating than to be a 'god'."

The words had barely left his mouth.

Lin Ye stepped into the starry sky.

His figure merged into the depths of the universe.

The World Tree returned to peace.

The gods stood amidst the ruins, speechless for a long time.

Thor picked up the thunder hammer.

This time, it no longer roared.

But it is more composed.

More realistic.

He gazed at the starry sky and whispered:

"Night..."

"Hope to see you again next time."

"I can still lift the hammer and challenge you fair and square."

Odin closed his eyes.

He said softly:

"The new era..."

"Here we go."

But beyond the Nine Realms.

In the depths of the endless sea of stars.

Lin Ye slowly opened his eyes.

A ring of stars spun behind him.

The new cosmological parameters are stabilizing.

He murmured to himself:

"Step one complete."

"Next..."

"It's time to deal with those, the more ancient gods."

A flash of starlight.

He vanished into the darkness of a higher dimension.

Only a world that is being rewritten remains.