Survival in the game world begins with Biochemical 2

Chapter 864 Next Stop, Vanaheim
Asgard, Odin's study.

Atreus and Slud stood before Odin with their heads bowed, too nervous to utter a word.

Meanwhile, Odin sat behind his desk, his face grim, colder than the winds of Helheim.

"...So, you two haven't seen him since you arrived in Helheim and parted ways with Heimdall?"

After a long silence in the study, Odin's deep voice rang out again.

Atreus and Slud were both startled and quickly replied, "That's right!"

After returning to Asgard via Fokin's teleportation, the two were immediately summoned to Odin's study for questioning.

Atreus had expected Odin to inquire about Heimdall first, but despite his displeasure, Odin's first question was still about the mask fragments.

His face darkened completely after he learned that the two had not found the mask.

Then, he paused for a moment before telling the two of them the news of Heimdall's death.

Naturally, Atreus and Slud were both taken aback.

Is Heimdall dead?

Odin observed their reactions, especially glancing at Atreus, but Atreus was prepared and displayed appropriate emotions.

He didn't like Heimdall to begin with, but he knew how capable the man was, so his reaction was mainly one of surprise and astonishment, but also carried a hint of schadenfreude.

Although Odin had some suspicions about him, he couldn't figure anything out and had to give up.

After that, Odin inquired about the two men's experiences in Helheim. After listening to their story, he looked at Atreus and finally let out a long sigh, telling the two men to go and rest.

Slud knew she couldn't hold her head up high because she hadn't completed the mission. She was already grateful that Odin wasn't pursuing the matter because Heimdall's affairs were a priority. She didn't dare say anything and left with her head down.

After a moment's hesitation, Atreus finally spoke, "Regarding the inscription on the mask, I've thought about it, and perhaps I've misunderstood it. Maybe it doesn't refer to Helheim, but rather..."

“Alright, no rush.” Odin interrupted him. “You’re all tired, go and rest. Heimdall’s situation isn’t your fault, don’t worry about it.”

At this moment, Odin returned to his normal expression, as if Heimdall, his son, was not dead at all, but had just taken a fall.

But seeing his amiable demeanor, Atreus was filled with fear.

Heimdall was his biological son, and a very outstanding one at that, one whom he valued highly.

Yet, after this very person died, Odin showed almost no concern.

This clearly reveals the cold-blooded nature of the father of the gods.

Therefore, the more amiable Atreus was to Atreus, the more fearful he became.

Why would someone who is indifferent to their own son treat me so well?
Clearly, this is because the benefits he can bring to Heimdall are greater than those from his own son.

Of course, Atreus only entertained these thoughts in his mind; outwardly, he remained expressionless, lowered his head, and left the study.

After stepping outside, Atreus breathed a sigh of relief, without trying to hide it from others.

However, at this moment, he secretly touched a bead that he always kept at his waist, and his nervousness subsided considerably.

The bead was given to him by Li You before his return. Simply put, it's like the item Sindri prepared for Atreus in the game; it can temporarily activate a mysterious door to teleport him back to the wooden house in the rift of the World Tree.

On top of that, Li You also added an automatically activated defensive spell to the bead, ensuring that Atreus would not be interrupted while using it.

Having this is like having a trump card to save your life. Kratos's confidence in letting Ates return on his own is partly due to Li You's thorough preparation.

Not only this teleportation bead, Li You even separated a portion of the bionic teardrop and attached it to Atreus.

This part of the bionic teardrop can both allow Atreus to contact him and also serve as a defensive tool to protect Atreus in critical moments.

Finally, Atreus could also learn about the information obtained by the bio-tear-like object in the basement of the study through it.

So at this moment, Atreus returned to his room, lay on the bed, and pretended to rest, but in fact he had activated the bionic teardrop on his body, and thus saw the scene in the study.

Odin sat at his desk, still silent, but a small purple ball had appeared on the table in front of him.

The small ball shimmered with an ever-changing light, emanating a peculiar aura. But upon closer inspection, it was revealed that it was not a small ball at all, but an eyeball.

It was the last eye Heimdall returned.

Odin looked at the eyeball, his expression changing several times before finally returning to calm.

He reached out and collected the eyeball Heimdall had left behind, then got up and walked towards the basement.

Atreus thought there would be no more gains, but before Odin left the room, he heard the Allfather mutter to himself:
"...It seems we might have to use that method. Heimdall, your eyes will come in handy."

Atreus was taken aback, not understanding what he meant, but Odin immediately slammed the basement door shut, blocking Atreus's view.

Since that was the case, Atreus didn't bother with it anymore and this time he really lay down.

As long as Odin doesn't suspect him, there's no problem. The next thing to think about is the next mission.

Meanwhile, at Sindri's cabin.

Li You sat in his room and had just waved his hand to dispel the mist that resembled his own teardrops.

He had seen everything Odin had just done.

Logically speaking, having the enemy leader's every move under his surveillance should be a great advantage for Li You, but unfortunately, Odin is an extremely cautious person.

Not to mention that he actually spends most of his time in the basement rather than in the study, the more important thing is that he never consults with anyone before making any decisions. He always locks himself in his room to study the issues before issuing tasks.

Odin never reveals his true purpose when issuing tasks; aside from confidants like Heimdall, he simply orders people to carry them out.

Therefore, even though Li You could monitor Odin's study at any time, he couldn't obtain much useful information.

Fortunately, this method is ultimately just a channel for obtaining information, and his requirements aren't high. Putting everything else aside, at least for now, it makes Atreus's actions more certain.

After the clouds and mist dispersed, Li You pondered for a moment, then stood up and left the room.

At this moment, everyone in Sindri's Hut was doing their own thing.

The Brock and Sindri brothers were whispering to each other about the materials Li You had recently brought back, seemingly discussing how to handle them.

The ore that Li You brought back even exceeded the two brothers' expectations. They were both surprised and delighted, and then they held meetings to discuss how to make the most perfect use of this material. They are still arguing about it to this day.

Outside the hut, the echoes of battle could be heard from the open space. V, unable to stay idle, had sought out Tyr to learn from him.

Tyr, the God of War, was quite experienced in teaching and guiding others, much like a highly respected teacher. He readily offered his guidance to V in response to her request.

Not only her, but also Yuzu and Aiji, who were not currently on missions, would observe and learn from the sidelines.

Li You knew that even though he was no weaker than Tyr in terms of combat strength, he was still inferior to this God of War in many aspects. Being able to receive his guidance would be a good thing for his companions.

In the main hall of the cabin sat a burly figure, none other than Kratos, who was waiting there with his eyes closed in rest.

Although there were no superfluous movements or a constant emanation of killing intent, Kratos sat upright, with the Blade of Chaos and the Leviathan Axe within easy reach. Before him, a cloud of mist formed from a teardrop floated, showing him the situation on Atreus's side.

Unfortunately, even though Kratos agreed to let Atreus return to Asgard, he couldn't help but worry about his beloved son.

To put his mind at ease, Li You also gave some of the Imitation Tear to Kratos so that he could keep an eye on Atreus's situation.

Li You had also spoken with Kratos, because he knew that Kratos in the fifth installment held a very negative attitude towards going to war with Odin.

If, in the game's storyline, Brock's death at the hands of Odin, who was impersonating Tyr, hadn't given Kratos a reason for revenge, Kratos might not have agreed to join the war, even though many of Odin's actions were tantamount to provocation.

Therefore, Li You naturally needed to understand what Kratos was thinking at the moment.

Kratos didn't hide it from him; he had long regarded Li You as a trustworthy friend.

“...I do not want war. Odin is cruel and tyrannical, and his rule is absurd, but that is none of our business.”

This is how Kratos answered Li You's question.

“You seem to know about my past, but I no longer want to have anything to do with it. I only hope that Atreus can grow up well and protect my son.”

Mimir, who was placed on a side table, said, "It's alright, brother, we understand."

Li You glanced at Mimir again; he had almost overlooked him once more.

However, Mimir is right. Kratos has had enough of the war in Greece and is finally enjoying a peaceful life in Northern Europe. If he doesn't want to participate in the war, Li You really won't force Kratos.

Li You knew that Kratos was the God of War who was prophesied to lead the Nine Realms to defeat Odin, but since Kratos considered him a friend, Li You would naturally respect his wishes.

Li You had already asked him about his views on Atreus's goals.

Kratos meant that he didn't want war, but he would support Atreus in fighting for his goals. As for what would happen if Atreus wanted to join the war... Kratos hadn't decided yet.

That's understandable.

In short, Kratos is now just an old father worried about his child, and Li You doesn't plan to bother him any further.

After visiting the Brock brothers and Tyr outside, Li You returned to the house and this time knocked on the door of the innermost room.

"Please come in."

Freya's voice came from inside, and Li You pushed the door open and entered without ceremony.

As soon as he entered, he saw Freya preparing various magical materials for the upcoming trip.

"You came."

Freya was quite busy at the moment and didn't even have time to turn around. "Perfect timing, I'm almost ready too. Once I finish refining this last magic stone, we can set off."

Li You nodded: "Okay."

As for where they were going, needless to say, it was to return to Vanaheim and lift Freya's curse.

Cursed by Odin, Freya not only lost her Valkyrie wings and the ability to fight, but she was also forever unable to leave Midgard.

However, before that, driven by hatred, Freya, with the help of Sigriun, lifted part of the curse and regained her Valkyrie wings and the ability to fight.

But the curse that confines her to Midgard remains; it is one of the most crucial restrictions placed by Odin, and it is not so easily broken.

Of course, as the Valkyrie Queen, Freya also has her own means of combating Odin's curse. Through the layering and countering of various spells, she is able to temporarily leave Midgard.

In the game, she used this method when she took Kratos to Vanaheim to break the curse, and she used a similar method to get to the island where Valhalla is located.

However, that island was special; it was both outside and within the Nine Realms, so Odin's curse had a much weaker suppressive effect on Freya, allowing her to unleash her full power.

Once they arrive in Vanaheim, there will be no room for trickery. No matter how well Freya is prepared, she can only maintain her human form for a short time.

At that point, she would have no choice but to transform into an animal to maintain her existence in other countries.

In other words, she couldn't provide support during the battles.

But none of that matters; the combat aspect can be left to Li You.

In Li You's view, Freya's most crucial role was to communicate with the resistance forces in Vanaheim during this trip.

Yes, it was Frey, Freya's brother, who led the Vanaheim Resistance.

Although they were called a resistance fighter, in reality, including the blacksmith, the logistics personnel, and even their hunting dogs, there were only seven people in total.

Although each of these seven individuals possessed unique skills, it was clear that it was impossible for them to fight against Odin's army of heroes.

The Vanir gods couldn't possibly have been reduced to such a small number, but most of the Vanir gods weren't warriors, so apart from Frey's group, the others hid in the forests of Vanaheim to avoid Odin's threat.

According to the game's storyline, Li You knew that these Vanir gods had almost no combat power, and they didn't even appear in the final Ragnarok, so there was no point in relying on them.

But Vanaheim is also a must-visit place. Besides helping Freya break the curse, the most valuable people here are the blacksmith who serves the resistance and Freya herself.

Frey, the god of sunlight and fertility, Freya's younger brother, is a prominent figure of the Vanir gods and a deity revered by both the light elves and dark elves of Alfheim.

Historically, he used his abilities to bring the long-standing war between the Light Elves and the Dark Elves to peace, to abandon their war, and even to work together for a common goal.

Unfortunately, the peace between the Light Elves and the Dark Elves was maintained solely by him. So when Odin waged war against Vanaheim and he had to leave Alfheim, the two races returned to war.

At this point, Frey's value is self-evident.

Only this person can unite the Light Elves and Dark Elves and get both races involved in the battle of Ragnarok.

Although Li You planned that the Night Demon Army would be the main force against Odin's heroic warriors, the Nine Realms Alliance was also a necessary pawn.

Moreover, the Dark Elf army is definitely a major aerial combat force, so it must be brought along.

Now, a large part of Li You's actions are in preparation for Ragnarok. In order to fight against Odin, he must achieve multiple goals at once and make full use of everything he can.

—As Li You was contemplating the next steps after bringing the Light Elves and Dark Elves into the allied forces, Freya suddenly spoke up: "I've finished."

Li You snapped out of his thoughts and turned to look. He saw Freya putting the newly crafted rune magic stone into her magic pouch, tying it around her waist, and then looking at him.

"When do we leave?"

Li You smiled and said, "Now."

Without saying much, he pushed open the door and walked out, informing Kratos and the Brock brothers. Then, he left the cabin, called his companions who were still sparring with Tyr, and prepared to head to Vanaheim.

Tyr watched the group get ready to depart and offered his blessings: "I hope your journey is successful. Freya, you have been tormented by Odin's curse for too long, it's time for you to be free."

Freya nodded gratefully to him and followed Li You. Li You smiled at Tyr, then took out the Key to the World Tree and opened the mysterious door.

"set off!"

(End of this chapter)