It was not until I walked out of the range covered by Runes that the Nordic summer sea breeze blew again, just like walking out of the air-conditioned room and standing in the scorching afternoon. The originally cool sea breeze also brought a little warmth at this moment.

Casilios was surprised to find that the sun had sunk into the sea at this moment, and he had only been perceived in the wooden house for only a dozen minutes. If it weren't for the smell of smoke and blood on Salomon, who was walking beside him, he could not believe what had just happened - however, no matter how Casilios asked what happened in the wooden house, Salomon kept his expression of wanting to speak, as if he didn't know how to tell the story.

In fact, when he first stepped into the threshold, he knew what he was facing. Even so, his pride still supported him to walk in and face the old overlord. There was endless snow in the house, and the ice and snow even exceeded his knees. Every step he took would compress the ice and snow into crystals that made small screams.

This is an indescribable calm, this is the sound of death. The quiet calm and death under the gray sky have passed through everything in the real world. He took a deep breath, and the cold air filled his lungs, and his wet eyes instantly condensed and melted - he could hear his heartbeat, and could hear his footsteps, looking from here in every direction, covered by heavy snow until the junction of the gray horizon and the deep purple sky. The fierce cold tear his skin and hair, and the extremely low temperature scratched his lungs and heart like the sharp claws that penetrated into his body. Ordinary people would freeze to death in this heavy snow in just a few seconds, unless they had such a special physique as him, they could only survive here in single clothes.

Salomon knew that this was not true, it was just an illusion, it was the impact of Odin's power overflowing from the outer dimension into the real plane. But when he lowered his head, he found that his neat and clean clothing turned into a badly tailored wolf-skin coat with animal smell, and the exquisite handmade leather shoes also turned into short boots supported by animal skin. When he looked up, he found that the constellations he knew in the sky randomly outlined the fate of the dead that should not have appeared.

A wild wolf, a wild wolf near the horizon, was waiting for him on a high-altitude rock covered with heavy snow. The gray-black fur almost merged with the night sky, and the hot breath condensed into white mist in the cold air. Salomon walked over, and the wild wolf turned and left, jumping towards the desolate wilderness spreading to the horizon. Seeing this, Salomon immediately followed. It seemed that he had lost all his strength, and only his long-term strengthening body was still supporting him in this extreme.

He pulled his legs out of the snow in a low temperature environment and ran forward with great strides. The ice and snow frozen his toes, the cold air tore his throat, and the smell of blood continued to surge upwards. He chased the extremely fast wild wolf for hours without stopping, the temperature was still falling, and he could not see any sun. Until the frostbite continued to spread under his skin, the fatigue that had not been felt for a long time again plagued his muscles, and the wild wolf gradually slowed down.

It was a long house that looked like a giant long boat, with heavy snow covering the tiles of the sloping roof, and the angular pillars were decorated with carvings of wolf heads. Smoke came out of the chimney in the middle of the roof, and the fire from the open door drew a shaking silhouette on the dark snow. The wild wolf sat under the fire and waited for him, Salomon moved his frozen limbs and pushed open the door.

Walking in with this wild wolf - the vast hall is full of life, the open space between two rows of vines and long columns is filled with amazing long tables, and a bonfire made of burning coal stands in the middle of the house, and the bonfire is scorching a slaughtered beast on it, which only illuminates the hall without taking into account the corridors on both sides. However, this is not a simple hall, and the shadows of ghosts live in the shadows that cannot be illuminated by the fire.

A group of barbaric soldiers emitting bloody smells and greasy sweat smells gathered by the long table. They grabbed the meat from the huge plate and nibbled in the horn cup, making harsh noises and buzzing conversations. Some soldiers in armor sat at the end of the long table, with a large number of blood-stained weapons piled up together, emitting an astonishing stench and fierceness. The gnawed bones were thrown everywhere, and even one could be stepped on on the mud covered with reeds from time to time. The sour honey wine was soaked in every fiber of the wooden long table, and the violently burning fire emitted heat, further highlighting the stench in the hall.

On the high platform at the top of the hall is a long table and a wooden throne engraved with hero reliefs. A white-haired king sits on the throne covered with fur, holding a golden spear. His height is far beyond ordinary people. The most fierce and strongest warriors on the other long tables can only get his chest. Although the king looks very old, his every move is still extremely majestic. A sleeping giant wolf lying beside his feet, and the color of the fur is exactly the same as the wild wolf who led Salomon here before.

The king seemed not to notice the arrival of Salomon until he pushed away the fighter and walked under the platform, standing in the blood flowing out of the loser. It was not until this time that the soldiers noticed his existence. A thousand pairs of fierce and yellow eyes were aimed at him in unison. The ghost living in the dark fled from the hall in fear, and a gust of cold wind blew, causing many soldiers to complain.

"I am the god of war, the god of storm, the master of spear, the god of the dead, the king of the undead, the god of knowledge, the king of the scaffolding platform, the father of spells, the father of the gods." When the old king spoke in ancient Nostalgia, the burning pile of coal burst into pieces of Mars, as if the air was vibrated by his voice. He bent down and looked at Salomon under the high platform, and his sharp eyes looked directly at the young man's face, "Who came to my hall to challenge me?"

"I am Salomon of the earth, the Lord of Kamataj, the holder of the Holy Sword, the King of the Immortal City, the Emperor of Latovigna and the Lord of the Future of Humanity." Salomon said without being humble and arrogant, "I don't know why I came here, but I know I have to come here."

"Are you a king too?"

"That's right."

"But you don't look like you at all. You don't have armor or weapons, you look like a poor country hunter." The king pointed to the tattered fur coat on Salomon and said sly, "No matter how many titles you have, I have more names you have never heard of. Those names are heavier than the most magnificent mountains in the world, and you look weak. This is my hall, and you actually want to challenge me here!"

"I have not challenged you, the father of the gods. I just want you to show your hospitality and give a foreigner the warmth of the fire. This is an ancient ritual. What's more, I am also a king, and we are equal, and you have no reason to refuse me." Although I don't know what happened, Salomon still answered according to the traditions I learned in Asgard in the past. "And we are not enemies, I am unarmed and open. If you refuse to give me warmth, your destiny will be covered by the shadow of the ancient curse."

The priest with deer antlers and amulets whispered in the king's ear. After a while, the king nodded with a reluctant expression.

"Today we welcome a new guest!" The white-haired king voiced like thunder. He whispered to everyone in the hall, "Although the priest proved his achievements, the living cannot set foot in my palace Valhalla. He must prove that he is worthy of the warm fire I have given. If he cannot complete the trial of proving himself, then anyone who defeats him will receive the gift I have given." The soldiers knocked on the long table with their fists, and made a huge roar in their mouths. Some anxious soldiers had put down their meat and stretched out their greasy hands to pick up the weapons and shields placed beside them, and some waved their fists to their companions in order to compete for the quota. The king holding the spear laughed and made a gesture to calm the restless soldiers.

"But before this, you must give the guests enough etiquette." The king called the servant to bring a huge plate to Salomon, and placed it in front of him and the soldiers. It was not until then that Salomon realized that the things on the wooden plate were not simple barbecue, but a human leg that was roasted to the dark. "This is the flesh and blood of the coward." The priest said on the side, "This is the best food to nourish the warrior's body."
Chapter completed!