Shadow of the Beautiful World

On the sea surface of the British Isles, Merlin displayed the images recorded by Icarus in front of General Sif in the form of physical projection.

In the light scattered by Icarus' frame, the entire sea around the three of them seems to have returned to the crazy battle a month ago, the roar of Black Bolt King destroying the world, Clark's power to fly into the sky, the demigod The charge with a sword and shield in hand, the absolute defense of Medusa's flying hair, and the magical energy manipulation of the Scarlet Witch.

Of course, there is also Merlin's deadly assassination in the battle without a shadow, and his powerful spellcasting methods.

Those images were dancing around the three of them, as if they had returned to the battlefield that day and witnessed the amazing battle from a third-party perspective.

Seeing the scene where Black Bolt King used the destructive sound wave to set off a sea tide as high as ten meters, smashing the entire sea with one roar, even General Sif couldn't help but clenched his fists.

She suddenly discovered that the world of Midgard was not as boring and wild as the troubadours described. There were also dangerous things and enemies worth challenging.

In the world of Midgard, there are warriors who can rival the gods of Asgard.

Skorchi didn't have as many thoughts as General Sif. He was just a soldier, and he felt passionate about the war in the projection. He held the hilt of the sword at his waist and said loudly with admiration:

That Black Bolt King, even in the Asgardian God Realm, is a real upper-level power. If he was born as an Asgardian, maybe he can gain the power of the godhead and become a real god.

Yeah, that's just a monster.

Merlin also remembered their helplessness when fighting against Black Bolt King, he said softly:

Unfortunately, in that battle, he was not on the side of justice... Pay attention, maybe this next scene is what you want to see.

Merlin gave a warning, and when the screen turned, the moment Black Bolt King opened the black stone passage, a purple light curtain of lightning flowed in the sky, General Sif's eyes widened immediately, she looked at the projection in front of her, Looking at the purple thunder that fell from the sky, it almost burned the entire sea.

That is the supernatural power of Kur, who is afraid of the big snake.

Before she left Asgard, God King Odin specifically described to her the nature of the power of the God of Fear, the hazy and distorted purple lightning, full of creepy evil.

crash

In the holographic projection screen, Merlin seemed to raise his head, and a purple thunder light fell from the sky. The next moment, the holographic projection collapsed in the beating of the green data stream, as if some kind of data error had occurred.

swish

All the projections disappeared at this moment. Ms. Sif was a little surprised by this scene. She looked back at Merlin and said:

How is this going?

Merlin shrugged helplessly, pointed to his glasses, and said:

We were surrounded by the purple lightning and had a strong energy response. My smart assistant couldn't withstand the high-concentration energy impact, so she shut down.

Merlin waved his hand, and the holographic projection reappeared, just like fast-forwarding a movie performed on the sea. The scenes of the battle moved forward at 3 times speed, and finally stopped at the scene of the purple lightning falling from the sky.

Merlin pointed to the suspended projections around him, and said:

This is the last picture Icarus saved before shutting down... Those purple lightnings that suddenly appeared were attacking us all indiscriminately, even the Black Bolt King couldn't resist, he and his evil gods passed through the black stone I fled to another world, and in pursuit of Purple Lightning, I was also drawn into that world.

Merlin said to General Sif:

As for what happened later... I don't think you will believe me even if I tell you.

Um?

Sif raised her eyebrows, and she said to Merlin seriously:

No, my friend Merlin, you have to tell me. I want to know everything. I know this request is a bit rude, but it concerns Asgard's important internal affairs, so I must know the whole story completely. .”

I don't intend to hide it, er, forget it, you come with me.

Merlin's expression changed, he seemed hesitant, but under Sif's gaze, Merlin finally nodded.

He took out an ice cube-like thing from his pocket, and it was like a special key, shining with a white cold light. Merlin injected magic power into this thing, and soon, an unstable white dimensional rift that could only accommodate one person was opened.

follow me!

Merlin turned to Sif and Scorch and said:

You better put on some clothes...it's a bit cold over there.

This is undoubtedly a joke, the physical fitness of Asgardians is several times stronger than that of Earth people, not to mention that Sif and Scorch are well-trained elite fighters, unless it is the end of the world environment, otherwise ordinary temperature changes will hardly affect them.

The two followed Merlin and entered the white dimensional rift. After the white light slowed down, a world covered in silver appeared in front of the eyes of the two Asgardians.

The previous hive world was just frozen, but now, its broken surface has been covered with a thick layer of snow, and the whole world is covered with goose feather snow, as if to completely submerge the world Same.

Odin is here...

The young warrior Skolchi stared dumbfounded at the frozen and broken world in front of him. He raised his head and looked at the fragments of the earth suspended in the sky and frozen by glaciers, and the huge ice spikes lying on the cliff. , and the frost rose blooming on the ground.

In this silent world, Skorchi couldn't help but think of the country of the frost giants he had been to. He looked back at his general and said:

Master Sif, have we come to that ghostly place in Jotunheim?

No, this is not Jotunheim...it's more dangerous than Jotunheim.

Sif also had surprise in her eyes, but she commanded Asgard's legion to fight everywhere. After all, she was well-informed. She stretched out her hand with the silver gauntlet and looked at the snowflakes falling in the gauntlet. She said to Scorch :

This is Hoarfrost...

My God, Odin, that ancient legend is true...

Um?

Merlin brought two Asgardians to the hive world, originally intending to attribute the disappearance of fearful divine power to the war in this dead world, but he did not expect that he could still learn about Hoarfrost from General Sif things.

From Sif's tone, Merlin could guess that there were also stories of Hoarfrost circulating in Asgard.

You also have legends about Hoarfrost?

Merlin pushed his glasses. He looked at the low temperature of minus 47° displayed on the glasses. He asked:

Can you describe it to me?

Does Midgard also have legends about Rime?

Sif was also a little surprised. She looked at the dead world in the icy hell before her. Merlin beside her nodded. He said softly in a tone that a wizard should have:

You know, I am a wizard, General Sif, and I am interested in all kinds of mysterious knowledge. After the horror war that day was over, I returned to the present world and searched for the scenes I saw from the ancient books. Finally, I Only two words were found... Bai Shuang.

Old legends can be told later.

Sif took out the rune stone from her waist again, and activated the blue light curtain. Holding the rune stone that could detect the power of fear, she walked on the snow-covered land. Wherever the blue halo went, purple Lines are everywhere, like a smear of oil painting.

There are here, and there are also over there.

Sif frowned watching this scene, she said:

Obviously, the power has ushered in a burst of peak here... But this world is obviously a blocked dimension, it is outside the Nine Kingdoms, it is far away from the World Tree, no wonder His Excellency Heimdall Can't see it here.

Sif put away the rune stone, she looked back at Merlin, she said:

After you fell into this world, what did you see?

war.

Merlin replied in a slightly exaggerated tone:

Crazy battles. Black Bolt King, who is controlled by the evil god, fought an unknown guy in the thunder and lightning that filled the sky. Their fierce battle destroyed the world, and the evil god who forced him had to come forward to fight.

I am such a weak person, but I can only hide in the cracks in the world and watch...

There was a self-deprecating look on Merlin's face. He pointed to the direction where the Frost Rose grew, and said to Sif and Scorch:

It's right there, there's an underground cave, and I'm hiding there, and I can't get involved in a war of that magnitude. I thought I'd die with this broken world, but at the end of the chaotic war, Bai Shuang suddenly appeared.

Merlin pushed away the snow under his feet, pointed at the parasites frozen in the ice, and said to Sif:

The whole world was quickly frozen, the evil god died, and the purple lightning disappeared. I thought I was dead. But my companions who stayed outside desperately opened the black stone, so at the moment before the world was frozen, I brought The comatose Black Bolt King and his wife and sister left here... A few days later, I came back here again, and this place has become what it is now.

Merlin paused, and he said to Sif seriously:

With all due respect, General Sif, no matter what the purple lightning you are looking for represents, I don't think it can survive in such a frozen world, maybe... maybe it has died, just like this The world is the same.

Sif looked at the frozen world, she shook her head, and said ambiguously:

Maybe.

Well, I know, one person's words are not trustworthy.

Merlin took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Sif. There were lines of addresses on it. He said to Sif:

This is the information of all the heroes who participated in that battle. You and Your Excellency Skolchi can visit them and find out the truth of that day.

Um.

Sif did not refuse, she took the paper and said to Merlin:

I believe what you said, Merlin, but please understand that I cannot disobey the order of the God King. I must investigate this matter clearly.

It's okay, I understand.

Merlin said with a gentle face:

I'm an agent, and I can understand your difficulties. Also, the story about Hoarfrost in Asgard...

Oh, that's an old legend.

In the world of ice and snow, Sif found a stone and sat there, and Merlin also took out the wine and cups that he had prepared earlier with a wink. The three of them sat in the snow, drinking wine while listening to Sif story of the past.

Well, this wine has no taste.

Sif, a beautiful woman, drank as boldly as the dwarf Vostagg back then. She gulped down the vodka in the glass, and then said to Merlin:

The legend about Hoarfrost first originated in the kingdom of the frost giants, Jotunheim. There, like here, is a world completely covered by frost, but there is life there, and many savage lives live there. The frost giants is the most dangerous of them all, and they have established their kingdom there.

They are also the main enemies of the Asgardian Legion.

Scorch interjected:

Every ten years, the Frost Giants will be driven by the manic desire for destruction in their hearts to try to conquer other kingdoms. Of course, our legion will also be moved by the wind.

Well, I've heard these stories from your father.

Merlin says:

The Frost Giants also attacked Earth.

Yes, that was more than a thousand years ago.

Sif said:

I was a child at that time. In short, the frost giants are savage, but they also have their own beliefs. They believe that the world will be destroyed by the angry winter goddess Skadi one day. Only the frost giants born in the world of ice and snow Only one survives, and owns the entire frozen star.

They have a treasure that has been passed down from generation to generation, called the Box of Winter.

Sif gestured to something that looked like a box, and she said:

That thing is a symbol of the frost giant's succession to the throne, but it has now been collected in the treasure house of the god king. In short, the frost giants believe that the power given to them by the goddess of winter is sealed in the box of winter, and that is like an ever-moving There is indeed a terrifying ice energy sealed in the ice cube-like box, once activated, it can even freeze the entire world.

Sif pointed to the frozen world in front of the eyes of the three, and she said:

The legendary doomsday winter is exactly the same as this world... But the frost giants believe that the winter goddess Skadi does not exist. The wizards of the Warner Protoss who are proficient in mysterious knowledge insist that the frost giants believe in Skadi, the goddess of winter, is actually the mysterious power that exists in the stars of the universe, that is, Hoarfrost. In order to maintain their beliefs, the Frost Giants have fought many battles with the Vanir Protoss.

According to the historical records of the Asgardians, the mysterious hoarfrost once invaded the stars of the World Tree tens of thousands of years ago, but it left inexplicably when the winter of all things was coming.

And after Odin took back the Winter Box with a great victory, the rune wizards of the Vanir Protoss conducted a long-term study on the fetish, and finally they came to a conclusion.

Sif took another sip of wine, and she said to Merlin mysteriously:

Those wizards said that the Winter Box is the energy crystallization left by Hoarfrost after infecting the World Tree tens of thousands of years ago. Its existence shaped Jotunheim, and it was the power of winter that gave birth to the Frost Giants , So from this point of view, there is nothing wrong with the belief of the Frost Giants, except that they created a Winter Goddess out of thin air.

It is a symbol, a symbol of the death of all things, and those wizards believe that the existence of the hoarfrost, and the phoenix, which represents the life and creation fire of the stars, are just the respective symbols of life and death in the plane of the supreme power.

Merlin narrowed her eyes, and Sif shrugged. She said to Merlin:

But these are all legends that no one knows the truth of, and now even the Asgardians don't really believe in it.

But this world... well, look at it, its existence is the best proof of the existence of the power of Rime. I really can't imagine what kind of power among the stars can create This is the scene in front of you.”

Sif poured herself a glass of wine, and with a look of concern in her eyes, she said:

I have to report this matter to His Majesty the God King. Although this place is far away from the stars of the World Tree, maybe we have to make preparations earlier.