"So many defenses?"
Kaiser approached the castle's walls.
The castle resembled Asgard's divine palace.
But its walls were heavily fortified.
Crossbows, catapults, and numerous soldiers wielding spears and shields.
Everyone's expressions were grim, as if preparing for war.
"What's going on?"
Kaiser was surprised.
Midgard's humans weren't much different from Earth's in quality.
Without special training to awaken Cosmo, most were ordinary.
"Midgard's environment differs from Earth's."
"Because of the World Tree, the Nine Realms birthed many mythical creatures."
"Some are so powerful even gods fear them."
"Like Nidhogg, deep in Niflheim."
"Midgard is primarily a human realm."
"But its humans face threats from mythical creatures."
"Like dragons or giants."
"On Earth, beyond the Nine Realms."
"Holy Wars have nearly wiped out mythical creatures."
"Sanctuary's Saints, Sea Warriors of the Sea Realm, Underworld's Specters, our Norse God Warriors, Ares's Berserkers, and so on."
"There's no room for mythical creatures to survive there."
Brunhilde explained, noting Kaiser's surprise.
That made it clear.
Earth was the home of gods.
In the Mythological Era, it had many mythical creatures.
Like Pegasus or unicorns.
But after the Holy Wars began, gods waged war, and those creatures went extinct.
The Nine Realms, relatively peaceful,
Sat at the periphery of the gods' domain.
Some mythical creatures, fleeing Holy Wars, survived in places like the Nine Realms or the Underworld.
"So they're guarding against mythical creatures?"
"Seems the Nine Realms aren't peaceful lately."
Kaiser scanned the walls.
There were claw marks, likely from beast attacks.
Runes adorned the walls.
Indicating a Cosmo-awakened warrior's presence.
But likely not a strong one.
"Let's go take a look."
Kaiser had no intention of lingering outside, leading Brunhilde toward the walls.
"Halt."
"Who are you?"
The commander on the wall eyed Kaiser and Brunhilde warily.
"Travelers from afar, here to resupply."
"With you on high alert, is a mythical creature about to attack?"
"We might be able to help."
As he spoke, Kaiser released a trace of his Cosmo.
"Oh?"
Sensing Kaiser's Cosmo, the commander signaled his men.
Creak…
The massive gate opened.
"Welcome, both of you."
A Cosmo-awakened warrior arriving before a looming battle was a godsend.
"The kingdom's quite populous."
Entering the castle, Kaiser realized it housed far more people than he'd expected.
It was practically identical to Asgard's divine palace on Earth.
The castle was a self-sufficient city.
Kaiser estimated it held about a hundred thousand people.
But the atmosphere was heavy.
"Please, follow me."
"The king wishes to meet you."
The commander said respectfully.
Two people traveling the world, clean and unscathed,
With striking appearances... such people were at risk in the wild.
Yet they bore no marks of hardship.
Clearly, they were no ordinary travelers.
Coupled with the Cosmo Kaiser had revealed,
The commander silently marveled: "At least mid-to-late sixth sense."
Following the commander, Kaiser and Brunhilde entered the castle's inner palace.
A city within a city, the king's residence.
"Welcome to our kingdom."
The king warmly greeted Kaiser and Brunhilde.
Kaiser observed him.
A middle-aged man with faint Cosmo, barely at the sixth sense.
Quite weak.
Beside him stood three young men, all Cosmo-awakened.
The strongest was mid-sixth sense.
Likely the kingdom's top forces.
"Pardon the intrusion, Your Majesty."
"We're from the far north. What's happening here?"
Kaiser probed.
"No need to hide it."
"For some reason."
"Three months ago, beasts and giants began attacking cities across the land."
"They seem to be searching for something."
"I've heard four or five kingdoms have been attacked."
"One was completely destroyed."
"Lives were lost."
"Because of this, every kingdom is on edge."
"Hunting has nearly stopped; we're relying on internal resources."
"But this can't last."
"We're devising a strategy."
Hearing the king, Kaiser and Brunhilde exchanged a glance.
They understood... the beasts and giants were likely searching for the World Tree's seed.
No one knew where it had emerged.
The only certainty was that it had been born.
Just not where.
The Nine Realms were vast... immense.
Midgard alone was nearly the size of Earth.
The other eight realms were exponentially larger.
Finding the World Tree's seed was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
"Will I have to spend centuries in the Nine Realms?"
Kaiser frowned.
If Loki took nearly five hundred years to find the seed,
Kaiser might have to give up.
The time was too long; the cost outweighed the gain.
He set a mental deadline.
If there was no lead on the seed within three years, he'd abandon the quest.
"Your Majesty, my companion and I are fairly strong."
"We've both awakened Cosmo."
"If you don't mind, we'd like to stay in the castle for a while."
The king was overjoyed at Kaiser's words.
He'd been at a loss, and now help had arrived.
Though Kaiser and Brunhilde's origins were unknown,
Their appearance and demeanor convinced the king they weren't deceivers.
No con artist could carry such presence.
They clearly held high status.
"Of course, I'll arrange your quarters immediately."
The king waved, instructing a guard nearby.
After Kaiser and Brunhilde left,
The three young men, silent until now, approached.
"Father, isn't this too risky?"
"Those two are strangers."
"Letting them stay in the castle…"
The prince trailed off, but the king understood.
"As long as they're human, that's enough."
"Humans and mythical creatures are natural enemies."
"If they can help us fight them."
"I don't care about their origins."
"The land is in turmoil."
"The other realms are restless too."
"Rumor says it involves the gods."
"All I want is to protect this kingdom."
The king sighed helplessly.
Their strength was too weak.
Their strongest was only mid-sixth sense.
Among nearby kingdoms, that was decent.
But across the entire land, it was feeble.
Rumor had it the human empire's heart housed seventh-sense warriors.
Only there could one live without worry.
The king gazed into the distance, heavy with concern.
"So, any thoughts?"
Kaiser looked at Brunhilde.
"No thoughts, no goals."
"How the World Tree's seed forms, where, or when... it's all unknown."
"All we know is about three months ago."
"When the seed was born, every being above the seventh sense received a message."
"The World Tree's seed had emerged."
"Whoever claims it will become the Creator of a new world."
Brunhilde shared a not-so-secret secret.
"Creator of a new world?"
"Interesting."
Kaiser smiled.
Calling it the Creator of the Nine Realms wasn't wrong.
It wasn't the primordial World Tree.
Just a sapling.
"That's troublesome."
"Like a headless fly."
"Let's stay here for two months."
"Hopefully, we'll get some leads."
Kaiser thought for a moment.
He decided to stay put.
With the seed's whereabouts unclear,
Moving recklessly could expose him.
"I've no objections."
Brunhilde had no goals.
Exiled to Earth by Odin, she'd been wandering aimlessly.
Following Kaiser's lead let her slack off.
At the rooms the king assigned, Kaiser washed up and settled in.
Night fell…
"I didn't expect to see the cosmos's starry sky in the Nine Realms."
Looking up, countless constellations filled the sky.
Three days had passed in a flash.
The kingdom's atmosphere remained heavy.
Yesterday, news arrived that a nearby kingdom had been destroyed.
The culprit: a Cyclops.
It was brutal, devouring many.
The kingdom's strongest, a mid-sixth-sense warrior, died in battle.
Torn in half by the Cyclops.
This left them deeply anxious.
In strength, they were on par with the fallen kingdom.
If that kingdom fell, their fate seemed sealed.
The castle's residents were gripped by fear.
"Any news?"
In just three days, the king visibly aged.
He asked, his voice strained.
"Based on our scouts' reports."
"The Cyclops is heading our way."
"It's less than a hundred kilometers from the kingdom."
The kingdom's strongest warrior, the king's younger brother, looked grim.
"Sigh, prepare for battle."
"Even if we wanted to flee, we don't know where to go."
The king sighed helplessly.
In their room, Kaiser was exchanging intel with Brunhilde.
He was intrigued by Asgard's affairs.
"So, the God of Light, Balder, is already dead."
After hearing Brunhilde, Kaiser understood why Odin was so tense.
In the Norse pantheon, three conditions triggered Ragnarok.
First, the God of Light Balder's death, ushering in a winter epoch.
Second, the sun and moon devoured by the giant wolf Fenrir.
Third, the dragon Nidhogg gnawing through the World Tree's roots.
The first condition was already met.
Balder was dead.
"Exactly. Odin's stepped up gathering heroic spirits from Midgard."
"He's stockpiling forces for Ragnarok."
"But we all know it's futile."
Brunhilde's lips curled into a bitter smile.
"Until I saw you."
"I realized Ragnarok's prophecy might actually be stopped."
"You're pure human, yet you've reached this point."
"Your strength surpasses mine."
She looked at Kaiser.
Brunhilde knew his origins well.
Odin had told her much.
"I can only do my best."
"The end even gods can't stop."
"What use could I be?"
Kaiser brushed it off with a faint smile.
"Guests are coming."
The teacup on the table rattled.
It was Kaiser's set, brought from Earth.
A massive creature was approaching.
"Let's go. Staying here, we should do something."
Kaiser led Brunhilde toward the castle's outer walls.
They reached the ramparts.
Kaiser spotted the Cyclops in the distance.
"So that's a giant from mythical creatures?"
"Looks quite unique."
"And pretty weak."
Kaiser hadn't expected a mythical creature to fall short of the seventh sense.
At most, late sixth sense.
"To you, it's weak."
"But to ordinary people, it's the embodiment of doom."
Brunhilde replied.
Her eyes fixed on the Cyclops.
"Roar!"
A deafening bellow echoed.
The Cyclops, dozens of meters tall, charged.
"Damn it! That speed!"
"It'll breach the walls!"
The kingdom's guards paled.
"Activate the defense array now!"
The commander barked orders.
Runes flickered across the walls.
"These are Runes?"
Kaiser eyed the glowing symbols, curious.
"Not complete Runes."
"True Runes are a power only gods can wield."
"These are just fragmented, weakened versions."
"A big gap."
As she spoke, Brunhilde raised her right hand.
Obscure Runes flew from her palm.
They reinforced the walls.
Boom!!
A massive crash resounded.
The Cyclops was flung back.
The impact twisted its bones and body.
"Urgh~"
A wail rang out.
The recoil had injured the Cyclops severely.
"Huh?"
The kingdom's guards were stunned.
Were their wall's Runes that strong?
They could repel a Cyclops?
"Don't stand there... attack!"
The commander, not dazed, shouted.
The king and prince saw Brunhilde's move.
"Truly a powerhouse!"
"Strengthening Runes so effortlessly."
"Repelling a Cyclops."
"Could she be a seventh-sense warrior?"
The king felt a pang of awe.
Reaching the seventh sense meant standing at humanity's peak.
Fear was natural before such strength.
"Impressive recovery."
"Worthy of a mythical creature."
Kaiser watched the Cyclops, downed moments ago, heal rapidly.
"Damn it!"
The commander was blasted back by a Cyclops punch.
His armor shattered.
He spat blood.
The kingdom's strongest fell instantly.
"Your turn."
Kaiser glanced at Brunhilde.
If he could avoid fighting, he would.
Brunhilde didn't hesitate, hurling a spear.
The Cyclops was pinned to the ground.
It went limp, lifeless.
***
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