Shadow of the Beautiful World

51. Orochi Story. Legend of the Ten Realms

I used to be the master of God's Domain, the supreme king, or emperor, although we don't use that title.

The stars as far as you can see are my territory. I rule the Nine Kingdoms. I once ambitiously wanted to expand the territory and spread the glory of Asgard to the stars farther away...ah , At that time, I was really innocent.

The old snake's old voice echoed in Merlin's mind. The old man's words were full of indescribable loneliness. He was telling Merlin the story of his past. This kind of description through the protagonist's first person gave Merlin a feeling of entering history. .

Holding a cup of hot tea in his hand, he quietly listened to the story of the big snake, and did not express his opinion casually, um, this is a kind of politeness.

More than 4,000 years ago, my younger brother, Odin, and I traveled together through the world formed by every branch of the World Tree. We traveled to the stars, witnessed countless magnificent miracles, and fought together. Toughest enemy, we have also come to Midgard, but back then the Earth was primitive.

Orochi said:

You humans have not yet given birth to a real civilization. You exist as an ignorant clan, ruled by other beings from the stars. Your ancestors called them 'gods'. I have seen them with my own eyes... Zeus and the Olympus he just built, and the jealous Hera. I also traveled with Ra in a solar ship in his land.

They are no different from us. They came from the star sea and stayed on the earth for various reasons. But they are also different from us. For this world, they are just a group of passers-by, but the world itself is in When my ancestors were born, they have already become a vassal state of Asgard.

My brother and I welcome them as masters. They are also afraid of the glory of Asgard, and they played their 'gods' on the earth in peace. At that time, everything was so beautiful, so wonderful. reality.

Orochi's memory seemed a little confused. He told his own story, but suddenly turned to describe the earth in ancient times and those gods.

But it's kind of interesting.

Merlin waved his hand, a black quill that no one was holding, and quickly recorded in the notebook in his hand, recording these real but never recorded histories.

Our father, Boer, the former king of Asgard, is old, and we love him very much. One day, he summoned Odin and me to the Golden Palace, and he told us that the next king will be one of us, But we must pass the test of the king.

The big snake coughed twice, it withdrew its thoughts, and continued to tell the story of itself and Odin.

It was a ceremony. To become a king, one had to pass the trial. Even though my younger brother was not willing to compete with me for the position of God King, he still had to participate in that ceremony.

Amidst the cheers of the subjects, my younger brother and I set foot on the Rainbow Bridge to visit the wise giant Ymir, so as to start our road to king.

I didn't stay at Ymir's Fountain of Wisdom for too long. I soon moved on, while my younger brother stayed there. But I didn't expect that journey to change me completely.

The big snake sighed:

Maybe it was fate, I saw a vision of disaster during the journey... That is a more terrifying disaster than the Ragnarok sent by Asgard, no, no! That is the real Ragnarok, in the world At the end of the tree, I saw the terrifying flames of war that will sweep across the worlds in the future.

The ten most powerful kingdoms born on the World Tree will be involved, the Asgardians, the wizards of Vanaheim, the elves of Alfheim, the dwarves of Nidaville, the Vat al The dark elves of Helm, the flame giants of Muspelheim, the frost giants of Jotunheim, the undead of Hell and Abyss, the humans of Midgard, the angels of the high heaven...

No living beings can escape. In the raging flames of annihilation, the terrifying abomination Mangogo will break out, everything will be destroyed, and everything will be reduced to ashes.

That's a warning! That's a warning from the World Tree to the king! I can't turn a blind eye to it.

Hearing this, Merlin was a little puzzled. He seemed to want to ask something, but the story of the big snake was still going on, so Merlin chose to continue listening and postpone the question.

I went back to Asgard with scars all over my body. I told my father Pol what I saw. My father told me that it was just one of countless futures. He told me not to get too far. Worried...but he's wrong, I can feel it, that's what's going to happen in the future.

Orochi's tone became indifferent.

I became king, and to the cheers of my people and my loved ones, I took my father's crown and became the new god-king... I began to prepare for the disaster I saw, and I began to prepare a truly great Legion, I forge weapons of war with my dread godhead and the divine power of the king of Asgard, but those dwarves, stupid and stubborn dwarves are afraid of the power of those dread artifacts, and they refuse to help me.

I sent the most powerful general under my command to expedition to the world of dwarves, they should obey the king's order!

I tried to make peace with the enemies of Asgard, even those nasty angels and the dark elves who stole the light, but I couldn't make peace and sent an army to conquer, because I knew that in the future I saw, all must unite .”

I ordered the lord of Hell's Abyss to recruit an undead army for me, and even you, Midgard people, I need you to contribute your own army...

However, great sacrifices are not understood by fools.

Big Snake sneered a few times:

I expected that there would be people who would resist this kind of preparation before the doomsday, but I didn't expect that the most ruthless knife that pierced my chest came from my dearest brother... Odin! The one who has been standing behind me, always Support my brother.

He called me a tyrant, he said I dragged the whole stars into war, stupid! And hypocritical... When he rushed into the palace of the golden palace with the rebels, when he faced me, I saw !

I saw it! There are lies in his eyes that cannot be concealed...What is for peace, what is for the people, it is all nonsense! It is all shit!

He did all that just for the sake of his son who will be born in the future.

Thor, god of thunder.

Hearing this, Merlin was a little confused again, and he couldn't help asking:

What does this have to do with Thor? In your time, Thor was not born yet.

You still don't understand, earthlings, even if you possess the power to rival the gods of Asgard, your vision still binds you.

The big snake sneered a few times, and said:

In your eyes, destiny is uncertain, but in our eyes, destiny is traceable. Remember I told you before, when I walked on the king's road, my 'dear' brother stayed in Where the wise giant Ymir...he concealed his experience, and he saw an illusory prophecy there.

In Ymir's Fountain of Wisdom, he saw that his future son would die at my hand. He thought it was a ridiculous joke, but in the end, after I became the king of gods, he paid his own eyes to really confirm the truth of that prophecy.

His son, Thor, will die with me in some war, and only Thor can really kill me. Not only he knows which prophecy, but I also know... I also see in visions of disasters It got to this scene, but I didn't care.

That idiot believed all this, he rebelled against me, he drove me off the throne, he killed my body, but he couldn't obliterate my will, he sealed me in the deepest trench of Midgard And made a deal with the stupid beast to guard my grave.

It's a pity, it's a pity, Odin doesn't know, I've already prepared for this...

The dread artifact is waiting among the stars for the return of the dread lord, my eight generals, they will take back the throne of Asgard for me, they will conquer the worlds for me, and I will complete the mission that I failed to complete, I will stop and crush the war of the worlds that sweeps all.

Orochi's narration is over.

Merlin didn't express his opinion immediately. Instead, he picked up the notebook and looked at the fully recorded story. After several minutes, he asked:

The first question, I have been in contact with the Asgardians, and they all told me that the territory of Asgard is the nine kingdoms... But in your story, the world tree has spawned ten kingdoms. .. High Heaven, what is that place? Where is it now? Why don't the current Asgardians know the existence of that country at all?

I can't answer this question for you.

There was also a hint of doubt in the big snake's tone, it said:

I have been sealed for more than 3,000 years, and perhaps some accidents have occurred during this time.

But in my time, even my father's time, the angels of the high heavens have been in confrontation and war with the Asgardians. Maybe those angels angered my 'good brother', so He led the army to destroy the high-level heaven. Hehe, he has always been a very emotional person, and he lacks the necessary potential to become a king.

All right.

Merlin felt that this possibility was unlikely. The tenth kingdom derived from the World Tree disappeared mysteriously. Well, this can barely be regarded as an unsolved mystery.

He looked at his notebook and asked again:

You said you forged the Artifact of Fear... Counting the Skadi Hammer, there should be seven more, right?

yes.

The big snake's voice became weird, as if it was deliberately tempting Merlin, it said:

A total of 8 fear hammers are all forged by the best dwarf blacksmith in Nidaville in the depths of the sea of flames in Muspelheim. Each hammer contains a trace of my fear godhead , every time you get one, the godhead will become more complete, and the more power you can borrow...

Think about it, Merlin, eccentric mortal.

As long as you help me open the seal, I will summon other hammers to help you. Believe me, that's the power you need! And the best thing is, it's at your fingertips!

Sounds good, but you'd better not play the trick of seduction.

Merlin says:

Your story is very exciting, but the same story feels different when told by different people, especially as the protagonist of the story, you will inevitably be a little subjective.

You said that you started the war to save everything, but you see, your younger brother Odin easily assembled a force that can overthrow your rule... This means that either you are a very good king Failure, or, you are not as righteous and great as you say.

You are not a liar, Mr. Cool, and I am not a fool.

Merlin closed his notebook, and he said to the will of the big snake hidden in Skadi's war hammer:

Our previous cooperation was quite pleasant, so let's continue to maintain it like this. The contract has also been signed. After 10 years, I will return the Skadi Warhammer to its original place as you wish.

And until then, let's stay 'friends.'

He grabbed the golden warhammer on the table, and in the beating of the purple light arc, the warhammer was put into a box.

Merlin handed the warhammer to Xuanlan beside him, and he said:

Put it back in the storage room and keep it out of the children's hands.

Um.

Xuan Lan nodded, and left the hall of the mysterious house with the Skadi Hammer.

After Xuanlan left, Merlin reached out to take the parchment from the wooden shelf by the fireplace, and he spread the parchment flat in front of his eyes, saying:

We haven't talked for a long time.

swish

A line of writing appeared on the parchment.

Yeah, we haven't talked for a long time because of your excessive vigilance and persecution delusion that has nowhere to rest.

Don't be so angry.

Merlin smiled and said:

You know, as long as you make some normal demands, we're still best friends.

Are you friends with a piece of paper?

The words on the parchment were distorted, as if mocking Merlin:

Your fetish is really getting worse, you really should see a doctor.

You see, it's because you speak so bluntly that makes our relationship so estranged.

Merlin picked up a pen and wrote a question on the parchment.