Stupid Odin

So many years have passed.

The remnants of the Vanir gods had long grown accustomed to Vili, the so-called King of Vanaheim.

He was exactly as King Thanes had promised back then—a figurehead in writing, a mascot in practice.

Purely to demonstrate the Aesir's dominance over the Vanir!

Vili was simple-minded and understood nothing. He did whatever the other gods told him, never going beyond instructions. At most, he would occasionally cry out "Hungry" or "Thirsty" when he felt those needs. Of course, attendants were always there to cater to his every whim.

If the epic sagas were true, and the two divine races had fought to a draw, exchanging hostages, then trading Freya and Frey for such a handsome idiot would undoubtedly infuriate the Vanir gods.

But in this life, the Aesir had utterly crushed the Vanir, holding absolute dominion.

With only twenty or thirty Vanir gods remaining, if they didn't venerate Vili, would they rather harm him and give the King an excuse to annihilate them all?

However, Nathus never expected the wine to be poisoned!

Ordinary poisons couldn't harm an Aesir god.

It had to be something exceptionally potent, perhaps even imbued with some divine power, to kill a true god.

Nathus panicked instantly: "Poison? How is that possible? Wasn't this wine a gift from Asgard?"

"Yes! That's right, we opened it just before serving!"

But Vili was severely poisoned. His lips were black, his eyes vacant, and he could only instinctively clutch his stomach and scream, "Pain! So much pain!"

The Vanir gods present were completely terrified.

If the king of a realm sent by the main clan died here, they couldn't imagine the King's fury.

"Quick! Water! Dilute the poison wine!"

"I'll summon water and force it down him!"

The Vanir gods were in frantic disarray.

By forcibly pouring water into Vili's mouth, they managed to get him to vomit some of the poisoned wine.

The poisoned wine was clearly terrifying. It not only emitted a dreadful stench but also possessed horrific corrosive properties. Even diluted, it corroded the temple floor, leaving it pockmarked.

Just then, a rainbow light descended from the sky, and someone Nathus knew well rushed in.

"Gullveig?"

"I come at His Majesty's command to save him!" Without another word, Gullveig took out a magic flask and began pouring it into Vili's mouth.

This time, Vili vomited even more of the neutralized, black-and-white mixed liquid.

Vili seemed better, but it wasn't over. He was still clutching his stomach in agony on the ground.

"What's going on?" Nathus asked, her face pale.

"Just now, in Asgard's Hall of Merriment, an assassin also attempted to poison King Thanes Paulson. Fortunately, Frey recognized the poisoned wine, preventing a disaster. But I never imagined they would be so ruthless…"

"What exactly is this poison? Why do you have the antidote?" Too many questions arose in Nathus's mind. Such a major event demanded answers.

"This is the venom of Jormungandr, the great serpent born of Loki! Years ago, His Majesty, fearing its wickedness, extracted its venom and gave it to me to research an antidote. The antidote has been developed, but it must be taken promptly, or else…"

"Or else what?" Nathus pressed.

"Otherwise, the venom's potent toxicity will corrode the internal organs. This is something the antidote cannot undo! If the venom had been spilled instead of ingested, it would have been much easier to handle!" Worry clouded Gullveig's eyes.

This poisoning was no mere accident; it was definitely an inside job!

If there wasn't a traitor within the Aesir, it would have been impossible to bypass so many checks.

Moreover, obtaining the venom of the World Serpent isn't something ordinary people can do!

Gullveig, Nathus, and the other Vanir gods, aware of the danger, were all terrified and at a loss.

The two goddesses exchanged anxious glances. They had a question they wanted to ask but dared not: "Is the Aesir about to descend into civil war?"

The sudden assassination attempt completely ruined the New Year atmosphere.

This time, all three Paulson brothers were targeted, but Thanes and Odin discovered the poisoned wine early and didn't drink it, while Vili did.

A heavy cloud of oppression hung over the entire Aesir race.

The most terrifying thing was that all the rumors from before seemed to be coming true at this moment, beginning to fester in the hearts of the pure-blooded Aesir.

Rumors like 'He's willing to kill his own brother to absorb the Vanir' were still something people were unwilling to believe. After all, with Thanes's skill, he could have used more clever methods.

But the undeniable truth was that something had happened to Vili!

The only stroke of luck was that Thanes had preemptively suppressed all the grievances of the pure-blooded Aesir with a martial arts competition.

Might makes right!

No matter how much they disagreed, the pure-blooded faction could only suppress it. If they refused to accept it, all that awaited them was an extremely bloody purge!

Everyone was watching Vili's condition.

In Vili's copper palace in Asgard, Vili was in a dying state.

Even after taking the antidote, he continued to vomit blood and pass bloody stools.

No magic could heal his internal injuries.

Thanes knew that Vili's stomach and intestines had been riddled with holes by Jormungandr's venom, causing severe damage to his internal organs.

Even Thor, a powerful warrior in the sagas, had died from this poison, let alone internal injuries of this magnitude.

Bestla wept inconsolably, while Paul remained speechless for a long time.

This honest old father clenched his fists, his facial muscles taut, beyond furious.

"Thanes! With your wisdom, you've probably guessed who did it!" Paul could barely contain his anger.

Thanes's face was frighteningly grim. He slowly shook his head.

Paul thought Thanes didn't know.

Unexpectedly, Thanes replied, "Father, you wouldn't want to know."

Paul's face instantly lost all color: "This, how is this possible?!"

"I wish it weren't!"

Just then, the Valkyrie Brunhilde arrived: "Lady Hela requests an audience."

"Show her in."

Hela entered and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, I can now claim this noble soul."

This had two meanings: first, Vili was essentially dead, having entered the realm of the dead; second, she said 'can' instead of 'must,' indicating that there was still room for maneuver.

This gave Bestla hope, and she couldn't help but look at her son with hopeful eyes.

Thanes said calmly, "What if I insist on preserving Vili's life?"

"Your Majesty, if that is your will, I will comply." Hela lowered her eyes and nodded obediently.

Comply—this had yet another meaning.

Even gods couldn't do whatever they pleased. Not claiming a soul of this level would be a complete violation of the world's laws. This act itself would be a major disruption of the laws, meaning the god would have to bear the backlash of that portion of the law.

Even someone as powerful as Hela would definitely suffer.