Luo Wei finally stood over the corpse of the ice bear, his breath heavy, eyes scanning the frigid landscape for more threats. After confirming the area was safe, he exhaled deeply, stepping forward to drag both the bear and the nearby elk carcass into a crevice hidden from sight. With his dagger drawn, he began to cut.
Jotunheim's icy wastelands were unforgiving. Though the cold couldn't kill a god, it gnawed at the spirit. Luo Wei had been enduring its bite for half a month now. Comfort had become a distant memory.
He worked methodically. First, he skinned the ice bear. The pelt was dense, its fur long and thick—perfect insulation against the chill. A prize worth the effort. He also removed the bear's formidable teeth—valuable trophies. The elk's antlers, too, were collected; they'd fetch something useful in trade, should he ever make it out.
All that remained were the heaps of meat.
With no dry wood to burn, Luo Wei resorted to using the sacred flame from Verrigan's Fist. He channeled a surge of Holy Light into the head of the warhammer. A few golden sparks flared, casting soft illumination in the gloom. He skewered pieces of meat and laid them across the flat side of the heated hammerhead to cook.
"Zi...Zi…"
Grease sizzled, fat rendering down. The scent of roasted meat wafted upward, tantalizing in the frozen wasteland. It wasn't a feast by Asgardian standards, but after weeks of stale rations, it was a welcome indulgence. He devoured the food hungrily, the warmth of the meal revitalizing him.
---
Asgard – Bifröst Teleport Hall
Hela stood beside the Rainbow Bridge's control panel, her arms folded, brow furrowed. The injuries she'd suffered had since mended, but unease lingered behind her stoic expression.
She addressed Uller, the gatekeeper stationed during Heimdall's absence. "The place I lost consciousness… Are you absolutely sure there was nothing left behind?"
Uller shook his head solemnly. "Nothing. I scanned the area—ten miles out from the cliff in every direction. No bodies. No signs."
"No corpse?" Her voice was strained.
"None," Uller confirmed. "But maybe that's good news. If there's no body… perhaps the child is still alive."
Hela's gaze dropped, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.
"I'll continue to monitor," Uller added. "If I find him—I'll return him to Asgard myself."
She gave him a nod. "Thank you… Gatekeeper."
He hesitated before turning. "Give my regards to your mother."
---
Jotunheim – Ten Months Later
Snow fell in steady silence. Luo Wei moved steadily through the drifts, his figure wrapped in a snow-white bearskin coat, the fur matted from months of wear. His once youthful features were now partially obscured by a rugged beard, and his long hair hung loose under his fur-lined hood. Time had weathered him.
He stared up at the cliff towering into the gray skies. Since the moment he'd leapt off it nearly a year ago, he'd been trekking along its base—endlessly. Every step brought him closer to maturity, both in body and mind.
Jotunheim's cliffs were colossal. No end had yet revealed itself, but Luo Wei refused to give in to despair. The Aesir were long-lived, and he had time. Sooner or later, the path forward would show itself.
Suddenly, a faint hiss whispered through the cold air.
Instinct kicked in. Luo Wei jumped backward.
BOOM!
The ground erupted, sending snow and ice flying. From the crater emerged a massive, blue-and-white worm, its segmented body the height of a man. An Ice Worm—one of Jotunheim's more dangerous indigenous beasts.
The creature screeched, annoyed by its premature exposure. It coiled in the air, preparing to strike.
Without hesitation, Luo Wei raised his staff. A flash of golden radiance surged forward—Judgment! The holy arrow speared the Ice Worm's head, the force piercing through with divine precision.
The worm screeched once more before convulsing violently. Luo Wei immediately sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the acidic splash of translucent body fluid.
He grimaced. The Ice Worm's fluids were mildly venomous. Not fatal, but excruciating over time—an itch like ants burrowing into the skin. A year ago, he'd gotten splashed and nearly used one of his precious Cleansing Spell shards. He'd resisted then, knowing worse toxins might await.
The worm finally went still. Luo Wei knelt and carved several areas of the worm's body with his dagger, collecting a fine white powder that glittered in the sunlight. Ice Worm Powder—an alchemical rarity. Luo Wei had gathered over a dozen vials in his time here. In Asgard, each one could trade for at least fifteen runes.
He sliced a few cuts of worm meat—edible once roasted. It tasted surprisingly like chicken with a pleasant crispness, leagues better than the stringy meat of ice bears. After replenishing his supply, he moved forward once again.
---
Days passed.
Then—finally—progress.
The cliffs, which had for so long seemed endless, began to curve inward. Their jagged peaks narrowed. For the first time, Luo Wei could faintly make out their summit.
He pressed on, snow crunching beneath his boots. A few hours later, the top was fully visible—finally within reach.
But just as hope surged in his chest, he saw something that made him freeze mid-step.
Structures.
Stone towers and thick walls stood in the distance, their blue-tinged silhouettes rising from the frost. A settlement.
He ducked instinctively behind a snow-covered outcrop and peered again. Frost Giants. This had to be one of their tribal strongholds.
"Damn," Luo Wei muttered under his breath.
Unfortunately, the Frost Giant encampment blocked the shortest and only clear path over the cliffs. If he wanted to avoid it, he'd need to continue his endless detour through the icy wilds—possibly for weeks more.
He weighed his options: risk infiltration with disguise magic, or gamble time against survival?
Before he could decide, voices echoed—guttural, alien. Frost Giant sentinels were approaching. Four, maybe five.
Sweat beaded under his fur collar. There was no time.
He opened his palm and summoned his divine contract. The pages of his holy deed shimmered as he invoked his disguise.
Disguise: Ice Demon Hunter.
Holy Light surged. His form shimmered, transforming rapidly. His golden hair faded to icy blue. His skin adopted the chill hue of frost. Two tusk-like fangs curved subtly from his lower jaw. He now resembled a rare breed—distinct from the Frost Giants, but close enough to pass as kin.
The voices grew louder.
"Who's there?!" a Frost Giant growled as they rounded a stone slab, weapons ready.
They stopped short at the sight of Luo Wei's disguised form. Confusion rippled across their faces.
"What… what is he?" one muttered.
"I don't recognize that type."
One stepped forward cautiously. "Who are you?"
Luo Wei gripped his staff, his posture calm but assertive. He responded in the guttural tongue of Jotunheim:
"My name is Vol'jin."