Ray observed Hela and the bracelet on her wrist for a few seconds as they sat cross-legged facing each other.Hela gazed at her master’s beautiful face with a nervous yet confident expression.She didn’t know what her master was going to do, but she had complete faith in him, in his ability, in her master, whom she loved with all her heart.“You trust me, right?” Ray asked with a small smile.“With every cell in my body, Master,” Hela replied confidently, nodding her head.“Just be at ease,” Ray instructed. Hela obeyed, closing her eyes and waiting for whatever was about to happen.A few seconds after she closed her eyes, she felt a strong, cold sensation spreading across her skin.Oddly enough, though it was extremely cold, it neither hurt nor made her uncomfortable.In fact, it felt soothing.The cold sensation spread over her entire body before seeping deeper, into her very being, from her soul to her physical form.Even then, she did not feel the slightest discomfort.The process

Ray looked at Freya as he spoke. “I have some things to deal with in Biblical Heaven, but before I go, I wish to solve your problem in Fólkvangr.”“Yes…” Freya replied with a bright smile as a gate opened, leading to the world of Fólkvangr, the smallest of the Norse worlds, which belonged solely to the goddess Freya.At least, that’s how it was supposed to be.The control-freak god Odin didn’t like Freya having her own world, so he made sure she could never fully utilize it by sending half of the souls that were meant for Valhalla to her domain, turning half of her world into a heaven.Even though only virtuous souls ended up in her world, Freya still disliked the fact that she had to share her sanctuary with millions of souls.Ray had promised her that he would solve that problem once he killed all the Norse gods.Walking through the gate, Ray, Freya, Hela, and Frigga appeared in Fólkvangr, right in Freya’s palace.As soon as they arrived, they could hear hundreds of thousands of voi

Hela’s words lingered in the air for a moment longer than necessary.Ray watched her expression carefully. Despite the casual snort and dismissive tone, there was something genuine there. A quiet relief. Odin was alive, irritating as ever, and still part of the world.“That’s good,” Ray said simply.He turned his gaze away from the group and looked out across the open hall. The structure floated high above Helheim’s endless gray expanse, anchored by massive black chains that disappeared into the void below. Pale green flames burned along the edges of the platform, giving the space an eerie glow.Helheim had changed.Or perhaps it was more accurate to say it was finally waking up.Since Ray had claimed dominion over the Norse Pantheon, the realm of the dead had begun to respond to Hela in subtle ways. The air felt heavier, more stable. The souls drifting through the distant mist no longer wandered aimlessly. There was order now, guided by a will that had grown far stronger than before.

The white expanse did not feel empty.That was Ray’s first realization.There was no ground beneath his feet, yet he stood without falling. No sky overhead, yet the light came from everywhere at once. It was a place stripped of context, designed to remove all reference points.A controlled environment.Ray exhaled slowly and flexed his fingers. His body responded normally. His divine senses, however, felt muted. Not sealed, but dampened, like sound passing through thick walls.“So this is verification,” he said aloud.His voice echoed faintly, though there was nothing for it to bounce off.No response came immediately.Instead, the white began to shift.Lines appeared beneath his feet, spreading outward in geometric patterns. They formed a vast circular platform, etched with symbols Ray recognized instantly.System script.Older than any interface he had seen before.“Testing me with your own language,” Ray murmured. “Bold.”The air rippled, and figures began to take shape around the

The Empire of Ouroboros did not descend into panic.That, more than anything, was a testament to Ray’s rule.Ray stood at the highest observation platform of Ouroboros, gazing into the void beyond the Empire’s borders. The space there looked unchanged, but he could feel the pressure building beneath it, like a tide gathering strength before a wave.“They’re reinforcing the perimeter,” Frigga said, joining him. “Not against invasion. Against interference.”Ray nodded. “They’re isolating us.”Freya arrived moments later, her expression composed but tight. “I’ve confirmed it across multiple worlds. System permissions are being quietly rewritten. Long-range authority projection is being restricted.”“They’re boxing us in,” Hela said, stepping out of a shadow that bent unnaturally around her. Helheim’s influence followed her now, subtle but ever-present. “Trying to limit the damage radius.”Ray exhaled slowly.“They’re afraid,” he said. “That’s good. But fear makes them cautious, not reckl