The dust of war had not yet settled, and the smoke of gunpowder still lingered on the wounds of the Nine Realms.
But the negotiations, symbolizing peace and transaction, had already begun.
The venue was not the magnificent Golden Palace, nor the vibrant Vanaheimr.
Both sides chose a neutral place—beneath the root system of the World Tree, a huge stone hall built from the fossilized skulls of ancient giants.
Here, silence reigned, only the sound of venomous dragons gnawing at the tree roots echoing from deep within the earth.
In the center of the stone hall stood a huge stone round table.
Dim light reflected on the table, like frozen blood and undried tears.
Odin, the lord of Ásgarðr and the one-eyed God-King, was the first to enter the stone hall.
He still wore his battle-hardened mail, and on his shoulders were two silent ravens—Huginn and Muninn—whose piercing eyes recorded everything.
The wisdom contained in his one eye and the weight of his sacrifice were extremely oppressive.
He sat down at one end of the stone table, calmly gazing at the entrance with his deep one eye, giving the opponent the opportunity to speak first.
This was the reserve of a king, and also a temptation.
A moment later, the figure of 'Narcissus' silently appeared at the other end of the stone table.
He still maintained his beautiful form, blurring his gender, and his dark green hair was like a quiet lake.
His surroundings radiated an aura of peace that resonated with the World Tree, contrasting with Odin's weathered majesty.
'Narcissus (Hades)' exchanged no pleasantries and was ready to speak directly.
"Darling ♡... Well, I seem a little strange~♡" A message came from Metis's consciousness, causing his movements to pause slightly.
This was not Metis's usual tone at all.
Was it an illusion? Or still...
Before Hades could delve deeper, 'Narcissus (Metis)' had already begun to present the terms, her voice remaining firm, but the content of the proposal was like thunder:
"The price of war must be paid with blood and treasure." Her gaze calmly met Odin's.
"Ásgarðr must pay: the complete knowledge of the twenty-four Elder Futhark runes; all the Valkyries, including their leader, Týr, the god of justice and war, must go to Vanaheimr as a gesture of goodwill. In addition, half the resources and treasures in Ásgarðr's treasury shall be used to compensate for the losses of the Vanir."
This was simply a lion's mouth!
The Elder Futhark, the root of wisdom that Odin had exchanged from the World Tree itself and Mímisbrunnr at the cost of one eye and nine days and nights of near-fatal pain—these were fragments of law, the key to power!
The Valkyries were not only warrior maidens guiding heroic spirits but also key executors of Odin's reserve—the heroic army for 'Ragnarök'!
Týr was a powerful war god among the Æsir, symbolizing courage, oath, and justice. His very existence was a pillar of the Ásgarðr spirit!
Plus the enormous resources... This would almost empty the foundations of Ásgarðr!
Inside 'Narcissus', Hades's will coldly examined this list.
He knew that these twenty-four Elder Futhark runes were worthless to him.
The power of the World Tree would disappear after Ragnarök, along with the fire that burned the World Tree.
The Elder Futhark, destined to vanish, was very tasteless; its power, meant to disappear, was being exchanged here in Hades.
At this moment, it was merely a smokescreen to divert Odin's attention, a bait deliberately thrown in by Metis's negotiation strategy.
What he really cared about were these Valkyries—they were excellent 'soul managers' and 'warriors'.
And Týr, a deity with the divinity of 'sacrifice' and 'justice'.
Whether for perfecting the laws of the world of Chaos or for augmenting his own divine products—both publicly and privately—Hades wanted to get him.
It could be said that Hades wanted those 'talents' among the Æsir who possessed unique value and could be useful in the future.
"Oh my dear Hades, do you see Odin's furrowed brow like a carpet in the Golden Palace trampled by a frost giant? He must be cursing us as greedy ravens in his heart But it doesn't matter; the more he thinks we want the Runes, the more he will perceive Týr and the Valkyries as a supplement... ♡" The strange thought erupted uncontrollably again, making Hades almost wonder if Eros's mischievous spirit was doing something across the world barrier.
And indeed, as Metis had anticipated, after a brief moment of shock and anger, Odin's one eye flashed with weighing and calculation.
He did not immediately fly into a rage but sank into deep thought.
"The Elder Futhark... He truly wants this the most." Odin was not surprised.
"He coexists with the World Tree in this strange way; perhaps this is the wisdom he acquired to avoid my great sacrifice! He craves the power of the Runes and wants to complete his own path! As for the Valkyries and Týr... Hmph, these are just bargaining chips to conceal his true purpose."
"Although Týr is strong, his sacrifice is a guarantee in the destined twilight (Týr will die together with the demon wolf in the fate Odin sees), far less important than the Valkyries, who can continuously gather heroic spirits for me. If Týr weren't the de facto military leader of the Valkyries, I'm afraid he wouldn't have mentioned it deliberately."
Odin consciously saw through 'Narcissus's' trick.
In his opinion, the other party deliberately mixed what he really wanted (the Runes) with secondary goals (Valkyries, Týr) and raised the asking price, so that during bargaining, it would seem like he was 'giving up' a secondary goal, but actually ensuring the achievement of the main goal (the Runes).
Odin had seen many such negotiation tactics.
"Hehe, darling ♡, he's taken the bait Look at his eyes, thinking he sees through everything, like a squirrel guarding an empty nut jar, thinking it's full of gold♡" Metis's consciousness commented again in a 'cheerful' tone.
"Absurd!" Odin finally spoke, his voice low and full of coercion.
"The Elder Futhark is the wisdom I exchanged with my blood and soul, and it is the cornerstone maintaining the order of Ásgarðr. The Valkyries bear the heavy responsibility of guiding heroic spirits, which concerns the balance of the Nine Realms and is not a matter for negotiation! As for Týr, he is the glory of the Æsir gods; absolutely impossible!"
He categorically refused, his tone resolute, but he deliberately focused his response on the Runes and the Valkyries, mentioning only a word about Týr's 'glory', showing no particular concern.
This subtle attitude further confirmed Metis's judgment—in Odin's heart, Týr's priority was indeed relatively low.
"Well, then the war will continue."
'Narcissus's (Metis's)' voice showed no wavering, as if stating a simple fact.
"Until Ásgarðr spills its last drop of divine blood, or... you change your mind."
Her gaze swept over Odin with an indifference that understood fate.
"Darlingloveof~" ♡ Metis's message grew more nonsensical.
The negotiations deadlocked.
In the stone hall, only the low hum of the ley lines and the silent wills of the two God-Kings remained.
Odin was pushed towards a quick compromise: if he refused to the end, the war would continue, and the Æsir would shed even more blood, possibly even shaking their foundations, affecting their preparedness to fight Ragnarök.
Accept the terms? Absolutely impossible!
But perhaps... 'limited' concessions could be made...
On 'Narcissus's' side, Hades was not worried about Metis's state; he endured the flickering, constantly appearing in his consciousness, and began to take over the negotiations.
He knew that Metis's strategy was working and that Odin had fallen into the mental trap.
The next step was to guide Odin step by step and let him 'voluntarily' offer those 'talents' he truly wanted.