CHAPTER 523: THE ALLFATHER

With the threat defeated, Sera stretched her arms, then glanced up at the beautiful crown atop her head.

"Hey, stop freeloading and get to work!"

The crown tumbled off Sera’s head and turned into a magnificent woman wearing a blood-red petal dress. Her long brown hair danced in a phantom wind, while her bright greenish-gold eyes stared at Sera’s perfect face.

A wide grin split Bea’s mouth as her feet turned into roots. They ran along the ground and connected with all their friends, healing them instantly.

"There, happy now?" said Bea, as everyone started regaining consciousness.

"Do we have any casualties?" asked Sera, worry appearing in her voice. However, she breathed a sigh of relief when Bea shook her head.

"No, everybody’s fine, albeit a bit banged up. These toy soldiers and Valkyries also survived the fight, which’s quite impressive... I won’t heal them though!"

Both women chuckled and glanced around at their confused friends. Sera blinked once, and that’s when a whitish-blonde rocket hit her chest, while a pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders.

She didn’t look alarmed at all, since she recognized the rocket instantly... Melinda, her best friend, hugged her body, while tears ran down her face...

"Sorry it took us so long. We needed to get the Professor to help with decoding the Runes. Luckily, your girlfriend can hold her ground even against a Stellar!"

Both Melinda and Sera glanced at Joan’s unconscious form with bright smiles. She didn’t have any injuries, both James and Bea made sure, but the exhaustion was too overwhelming, so she stayed asleep.

"Yeah, we’re lucky to have her, but even luckier to have you! By the way, how did you form your body from those poles. I’ve never seen your body liquefy or evaporate."

"It’s a new trick she’s been working on while you were away," said Bea, with her arms crossed while leaning against Sera’s firm shoulder.

Sera didn’t even react to her odd behavior. She just smiled and held out her gauntleted arm.

The intricately carved golden armor liquefied with Sera’s hand, then the liquid turned to a misty substance. It floated around for a few seconds before resettling into her gauntleted hand.

"Whenever I turn into a quasi-Stellar, I gain the ability to change my body’s structure into Angelic Metal. I can turn my body into liquid or vapour, but only for that one hour after death."

Melinda nodded in understanding, then walked off towards Joan’s unconscious body. Everyone else already stood up and walked towards the Angel. They all greeted and thanked Sera for the help, but eventually, she was left alone with Bea.

"We should call Vicky to take everyone away. They should all take time off while we discuss the boring proposal with Odin."

Bea nodded at Sera’s words and began typing on her watch.

"She’ll hate us for bothering her again!" said Bea, causing both women to chuckle.

When Kathy wrote to Vicky, she was hanging out with Lydia, Thea, Lin and Henry. After Sera’s talk with the two girls, they contacted Vicky and, after a tearful apology on both parts; they began hanging out regularly.

Sometimes, they took Nick and Jo with them too. Other times, Xinya would come to spend time with her son, albeit the atmosphere usually turned awkward quickly, because of Vicky’s presence.

Xinya apologized and begged for forgiveness for the attempted kidnapping. Vicky accepted the apology, yet it didn’t solve the awkwardness between the two.

Luckily, after a few meetings, Xinya decided to message Lin before coming over. This way she could avoid meeting Vicky. It also gave her chances to further develop Xinya and her son’s relationship, since they could talk without meeting face-to-face.

As Bea finished typing, a portal opened beside her, leading to New Athens. Everyone gathered and left with little reluctance. They spent the past two weeks in the wilderness, so they were fine to leave the boring part to Sera.

When only Bea and Sera were left standing in the giant golden hall, the portal closed, leaving them stranded. Both women glanced at each other and nodded with knowing smiles.

"Okay, everyone’s gone! You can come out now!" shouted Sera, her voice echoing inside the grand hall.

The silence returned, and for a few seconds nothing happened. However, soon a small chuckle and an exhausted sigh reached both women’s ears.

They turned around and gazed upon the tall, ancient man standing behind them.

He stared down at Sera and Bea with his single eye, while a comfortable yet curious smile lit up his long-bearded lips. His body was draped in a blue cloak, and his long white hair gently fell on his shoulders.

The man carried himself not like a king or god, but closer to a simple yet wise traveler.

"That’s very interesting! I didn’t think anybody noticed my presence, but it seems I’ve underestimated you... Last Angel..."

Even the man’s voice sounded elderly and full of wisdom. It annoyed Bea already, but she tried her best to keep an emotionless expression.

"I’m deeply curious about how you noticed me. Could you perhaps enlighten this harmless old man?"

Bea snorted at the man’s shamelessness, while Sera just smiled kindly and answered, "When translating the Runes, we’ve noticed that the most common meant ’to see’. It was written on every surface we’ve checked, and since you wrote all the Runes... We assumed they’re connected to you!"

"Better question is, why didn’t you interfere with Thor’s rampage? You could’ve saved everyone the trouble, and your son wouldn’t be lying unconscious in the nearby mountain range!" Said Bea with a cheeky grin.

However, Odin didn’t get annoyed. He just chuckled lightheartedly, while his eye glanced Bea up and down with interest.

"Don’t worry. I’ve already sent Freyja to get him. Also, he definitely deserved that beating, since he started the altercation because of a stupid boar... I didn’t stop him because I wanted to discuss this proposal with you and not with your friends!

"Call me selfish, but since you want to decide the future of both our nations, the least you could do is attend the meeting!"

Bea didn’t like the tone with which the Allfather spoke, but Sera found his claim somewhat reasonable.

She planned on attending, but it was Melinda’s job to deliver the request and the proposal. In reality, it was risky for Sera to come in person, since many factions wanted her head. It was both safer and easier to send her friends, which now she kind of regretted.

"Very well. Then, I assume you know what I’m about to propose." Said Sera after a moment of silence.

Odin nodded with a clearly faked smile.

"I’m called the God of Wisdom for a reason—" Before he could’ve continued, Bea whispered into Sera’s ear, loud enough for Odin to hear.

"I’m sure he told people to call him God of Wisdom!"

They both giggled as the Allfather continued his explanation, way less enthusiastically.

"...I’ve acquired lots of knowledge and have eyes all across Earth. I’m certain this proposal has something to do with the conversation between you and Purity. But let’s leave this destroyed hall behind. We should continue this discussion in a cozier room, where nobody will disturb... or eavesdrop on us!"

He glanced at a specific place while speaking, but neither Sera nor Bea felt any unusual presence around them. However, they had no reason to deny Odin’s request, so they both nodded.

"Excellent, then stay still until I activate the teleportation Runes."

With that, the Allfather summoned his golden spear covered in thousands of Runes. He pressed the blade against the ground, touching a few specific Runes. After he touched one, a few similar Runes would light up in a circle around both women’s feet.

The ground began vibrating inside the circle, and a low humming echoed around them. They saw the colors of their surroundings melt together as everything became blurry.

After a few seconds, the lights glowed more powerfully, making their surroundings fall into pure darkness. Sera and Bea both blinked once as the ground disappeared below their feet.

They fell through emptiness for a single moment, then just as their eyes opened, the darkness disappeared. They felt a fluffy rug tickling their toes, while a gentle breeze brushed against their faces.

The room they found themselves in was quite large, with an open balcony staring out over Asgard. There was a long dining table, full of dozens of different tasty-looking dishes. On the other side, a massive fireplace crackled powerfully, with a few comfortable couches spread out before it.

Sera and Bea’s eyes went wide upon seeing the couches, or more like, the people seated on them. About ten naked, beautiful women and men chuckled and conversed, while drinking the same mead they served at Valhalla.

They all had elongated ears, and their faces were flushed red from the excess alcohol. Their giggling and playful, seductive banter echoed inside the room. However, once a woman spotted Sera’s wings, she screeched loudly, her eyes full of horror.

All the other drunks glanced towards the screamer, and when they spotted Sera, they made similar terrified noises. They sprinted through the room’s only door, as if their life depended on it... They didn’t even take their clothes...

Both women left standing there dumbfounded while a loud, tired sigh echoed from behind them.

"Don’t mind them," said Odin, while shaking his head and holding the bridge of his nose. "It’s just one of Loki’s stupid pranks. He probably partied with those Elves, got them drunk, then locked them inside here..."

It seemed Odin was speaking from experience, which meant this wasn’t the first time he had found a bunch of drunk, naked people inside his room. Not like this concerned Sera or Bea, they’d much more important matters to discuss.