Advanced Field: Ragnarok
Lin Bai said to Gu Zhou, "In three more matches, I can start a new level-jumping challenge. Have you reached the intermediate level yet?"
Gu Zhou nodded: "Here we are. I will soon challenge the advanced level."
Lin Bai didn't respond, but just waved goodbye to Gu Zhou.
She went to the lounge and spent 500 points to enter the advanced repair cabin to restore her strength.
Today's technology is indeed powerful. In just fifteen minutes, Lin Bai felt like he was fully recovered.
She quickly submitted her application for the third match and soon received a notification from the ring.
Back in the waiting room, Lin Bai quickly entered the void over there.
She heard that things would be a little different starting from the third round of the advanced field, and many players had drastically changed their personalities after coming out.
Lin Bai is looking forward to it.
"Attention contestants! Starting from the third round, the contestants will have their memories replaced and undergo a mythic revival. Are you sure you want to start?"
Lin Bai chose "Confirm" without hesitation.
Lin Bai felt dizzy and only heard a few fragmented words before he lost consciousness: "...destined...to fall..."
——
Lin Bai opened his eyes, but his eyelids felt like they were weighed down by a heavy hammer, too sticky to lift. When he finally opened them, he was greeted by an unfamiliar scene. He paused for a moment before slowly rising from the damp stone floor. His head swelled, as if his memory had been drained away, leaving him a hollow shell.
She blinked, and her mind was indeed blank. She only remembered her own name.
The sound of footsteps rang out beside his ears, one after another hitting the ground, transmitted to Lin Bai's ears through solid conduction and bone conduction. The sound came from far away and got closer, and each step became heavier.
A figure came against the light, clad in metal armor, its edges frayed and mottled, as if it had weathered countless wars and winters. Two birds crouched on his shoulders, staring motionlessly at Lin Bai. Behind him, two wolves walked forward with their heads lowered, sniffing the ground back and forth, their breath hitting the dust and stirring up wisps of dry grass.
"You are the messenger sent here to record." He looked down at her, his voice deep and powerful. "I am Odin, and I have come specially to take you to the Asgard."
Lin Bai subconsciously tried to step back, but her knees gave way and she nearly fell. She gritted her teeth and supported herself with her arms, her body still wet with dew.
She murmured, almost unable to make a sound, and said hoarsely: "Do you know where I come from?"
Odin shook his head slowly, his armor making a slight rubbing sound. "We don't know where you come from, but the gods need you, so you showed up. Follow me to your workplace."
He turned and strode forward with decisive steps. Lin Bai had no time to hesitate and caught up with him.
The wind blew through her hair, bringing with it an icy chill and the fragrance of resin. A few strands of hair stuck to her face, itching so much that she had to brush them away from time to time. The wind also seemed to push her forward, making her walk much easier.
Passing through cliffs and forests, a palace rose from the ground, towering above the clouds. Divine light poured down along the floating stone pillars, scattering between the Roman columns. Beams of light refracted through the crystal dome, instantly purifying the soul.
Odin pointed at the temple and whispered, "This is the Memory Palace. This will be where you'll work from now on."
Lin Bai nodded vigorously: "Okay, I will work hard."
Odin said nothing more. His figure slowly faded into the light. His wolf and bird vanished with him, leaving only the scent of cedar and rust in the air.
Lin Bai walked into the hall, the light hitting her face, causing her to squint. The hall was empty, the echo lingering for a long time. In the center stood a deity, leaning between the rows of bookshelves, his fingers deftly turning the pages. The pages made a rustling sound as they turned.
The god turned his head, his eyes slightly raised, and his smile was like moonlight flowing on the water, but with an elusive meaning.
"Hello, Recorder." He spoke with a light tone, as if he had just escaped from a prank, but with a sharp edge hidden in his voice. "I am Loki."
After he finished speaking, he took out a small box from behind his back, his fingertips moving so lightly that they left almost no trace.
"It's our first meeting, so this is just a small gift, not a token of respect." He smiled and handed the box to Lin Bai.
Lin Bai took the box and just opened it a little when he felt a cool sensation on his hand.
A thin snake tongue came out of the box and swam around the back of her hand. It was wet and cold, like a drop of ice water dripping onto a warm back in winter. Lin Bai shuddered.
Loki blinked, as if he didn't think there was anything wrong with it at all. Instead, he looked at Lin Bai's reaction with great anticipation.
"...Are you the master of pranks in the divine world?" Lin Bai finally spoke, his tone mixed with hesitation and helplessness.
"Me?" Loki pretended to be offended and covered his chest. "I am the god of honesty and wisdom. 'Prank' is just a misunderstanding of me by others with ulterior motives."
As he spoke, he took the snake back and let the little guy slither back into his sleeve.
Lin Bai chewed over the word "honesty" in his mind, while looking calmly at the rows of books behind him.
Lin Bai stood before the vast bookshelves and caught a whiff of the faint scent of roses. The fragrance was so light and subtle that it silently permeated the air.
She subconsciously turned around, but Loki had disappeared, leaving only the last section of the snake's tail swaying by the bookshelf, as if saying goodbye.
"He's always like this, coming and going without a trace."
A voice as gentle as the wind sounded from behind her.
Lin Bai turned around suddenly, and his eyes met a pair of eyes that seemed to embrace spring. In those eyes were hidden the river, the grassland and the glimmer of night, as if he couldn't bear to look away.
It was a woman, her long hair falling like golden wheat, her robe fluttering in the wind, her footsteps like walking on clouds. She wore no gold jewelry, yet she was more eye-catching than any jewel, like the first ray of morning light between heaven and earth.
"You are..." Lin Bai asked unconsciously in a low voice. As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he felt an inexplicable throbbing in his heart, as if something was about to come to his mind, but quickly dissipated.
"I'm Freya." The woman smiled, took two steps closer, and stretched out her fingers to gently tidy up Lin Bai's messy hair on his forehead. Her movements were like the night breeze caressing the branches.
Her fingertips were filled with the fragrance of flowers and warmth, and Lin Bai was a little dazed.
"You look tired. Come, come with me." Freya took her hand, her palm soft and warm enough to dispel the chill. "The loss of memory can make people anxious, but the soul doesn't lie. You just need to know that you are you."
There was a soothing power in her voice, which made Lin Bai breathe a sigh of relief involuntarily and his steps became lighter.
The two walked through the corridor together. The stone bricks under their feet were warm. There were relief carvings on the walls, scenes of war and feasting.
Lin Bai stopped in front of a painting, which showed a blonde woman riding a Pegasus flying in the sky.
She looked at it for a long time, feeling a little familiar, and couldn't help but ask softly: "Is that... you?"
Freya nodded, her eyes softening. “That’s me in the past.”
After saying this, Freya took her hand and slowly walked to the courtyard behind the palace.
The place was planted with blue roses, which were rare in the north. Mist hung on the petals, and the sunlight sprinkled on the edges of the leaves, giving each flower a halo of light.
"Someone very much like you once said," Freya said softly, "Those who record myths will become myths themselves."
Lin Bai was stunned, as if someone tapped his chest gently. The familiar words slowly echoed in his heart, as if they came from his own self in another time and space.
"Have I been here before?"
She murmured, her voice trembling and full of disbelief.
"You've been here many times." Freya smiled, a barely perceptible moisture in the corners of her eyes. "You've brought spring and taken away winter nights. The divine realm will never forget someone who truly belongs here."
Lin Bai was stunned. The wind blew through the corners of her clothes, disturbing her silent thoughts.
She didn't know who she was, or what she had forgotten, but she knew that at that moment she was standing in the fragrance of flowers and sunshine, and someone was holding her hand, telling her in the most gentle tone that she was not a stranger with nowhere to go.
She once belonged here, and she will return again.
The sky was fragmented by wisps of clouds, creating varying shades of blue. The wind blew in from the snow-capped mountains, carrying the scent of glaciers. As Lin Bai entered the courtyard, the blue rose at her feet trembled slightly, as if saluting her.
"Odin held a banquet in your honor."
"The banquet will be held in Valhalla." Freya stood at the front steps, her golden hair dancing in the wind, the sunlight outlining the soft contours of her profile. "Follow me."
She took Lin Bai's hand and stepped onto the floating stairs step by step. The golden and jade steps lit up one after another like a piece of music.
The moment he stepped into Valhalla, Lin Bai felt that the world had changed.
The dome hung high in the heavens, woven like the aurora borealis, rippling with interwoven hues of deep green, purple-blue, and fiery gold. A long banquet table stretched across the center of the shrine, its silver tableware interlaced with animal bone cups. The dishes ranged from venison and honey wine to the roasted marrow of an unknown mythical beast, a cascading aroma that filled the air.
She paused slightly, but was gently pushed by Freya.
"Relax, tonight is a peaceful night for the gods, and a banquet is held for you."
Before they got close enough, a loud laugh erupted from the northernmost end of the banquet hall:
"Hey! A new record-keeper? He seems much easier to get along with than that snake Loki!"
A tall, burly man with flaming red hair and a bushy beard stood up, holding a huge, empty horn cup in his hand, and laughed like thunder:
"I'm Thor." He patted his iron chest. "Welcome to the God Realm, but don't try to compete with me in strength."
"...I don't have that plan." Lin Bai couldn't help but chuckle, looking at the dented corner of the wine in his hand, and shook his head sincerely.
Thor laughed heartily, turned around and shouted, "Look, Odin, she's more interesting than your raven."
Odin, seated in the main seat, simply nodded, remaining silent. Compared to the pressure of their brief encounter, he now resembled an old man watching over fate, silently sipping a glass of wine, his expression lost between the shadows and the firelight.
Before Lin Bai's gaze moved away, a silver light flashed beside him.
A man in silver-white armor approached slowly, his footsteps extremely light. His icy blue eyes were like the depths of the North Sea, and there was a natural sense of distance and majesty between his brows.
"Balder," Freya introduced herself. "The god of light and purity."
"You have no memory." Balder looked at Lin Bai calmly, as if confirming some kind of oracle. "Very good. This will reduce your burden."
"...Okay?" Lin Bai couldn't help but twitch his lips.
Balder raised an eyebrow, a rare gesture, and walked back to his seat. "You'll understand once you see the true faces of the gods."
"He always does this, leaving his words half-sentence." Another brisk voice interrupted the brief silence.
A young man who looked no more than seventeen or eighteen years old was sitting by the fireplace, wearing a golden crown shaped like deer antlers on his head, with bright eyes, and was raising a glass to greet her.
"I am Uller, the god of hunting and bows. Today I shot down a sky deer and used its heart to make wine. Would you like a sip?"
"Uh..." Lin Bai looked at the glass of wine with a faint golden glow, "Are all the wines here so... strong?"
"Have you never tried 'Snow Wish'?" Uller blinked. "It's said to make people dream of things they've lost."
Lin Bai was stunned and looked at the glass of wine. The surface of the wine was faintly shining, vaguely reflecting a rabbit face she didn't recognize. The eyes were familiar, but she couldn't recognize them.
"Is this what you call a peaceful night?" She turned to look at Freya.
Freya chuckled. "At least they're not throwing hammers and icicles at each other. It's peaceful."
She took Lindbergh by the hand and sat him down at the banquet table. Hot food and mead were served one by one. Behind the seats, musicians played ancient Norse poems. The gods came forward one after another to greet Lindbergh.
Tyr, the god of justice and war, stood tall and straight with his one arm, his voice like a spear, but his tone was surprisingly gentle. "Dear Recorder, may you put an end to our war."
Heimdall, the gatekeeper, had cold eyes as if he was looking into the sea of stars, and he said nothing.
Braki, the god of poetry, sang a song of "Lost Memory" in his deep and magnetic voice, and then passed away.
Sitting at the end of the banquet, with a face as calm as a rock and wearing a gray-blue cloak, was Hel, the lord of the underworld.
She did not stand up or speak, but just looked at Lin Bai quietly, her eyes seemed to penetrate life and death and the lies of the gods.
Lin Bai looked back at her, and a chill crept through his bones.
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