System: Daily login!!, jackpot on the first day!!!-Chapter 501 - Odin’s Anxiety

After the discussion with the Known Gods, and after receiving the list of beings classified under the Null Pantheon, Taufik already understood what they truly sought.

Just like the gods seated within the Sanctum Aeterna, those beings were drawn to the same thing.

The New Earth Core.

The purest concentration of energy in the universe.

There was no doubt in his mind that, during his absence, more than a few of them had attempted to locate it, perhaps even seize control of it. But such a thing was never going to be easy.

Taufik had known from the moment he created the New Earth Core that its existence would not only transform Earth and every being upon it, but also draw the attention of entities far beyond this world. And so, long before any of them could act, he had already taken measures.

The Core was not destroyed.

Nor was it truly sealed.

To call it "sealed" was... incomplete.

The New Earth Core continued to function perfectly as a planetary core, sustaining the world as it should. Yet at the same time, it had become something else, something untraceable, unlocatable, conceptually unreachable.

Even the word impossible failed to fully describe what it had become.

Such a thing should not have been feasible.

A planet’s core was more than a source of power, it was the foundation of the planet’s existence itself, tied directly to its Aboriginal Being. To seal it was to seal the planet’s authority, its very right to exist.

But Taufik was already Taufik before he became Earth’s Aboriginal Being.

He did not rely on the Earth Core for his power.

That difference changed everything.

That was why the Known members of the Null Pantheon had not acted.

Not because they lacked desire.

But because they lacked means.

They could feel it, Taufik had allowed that much. A presence. A resonance. A reminder that something vast existed.

But he had made it so that it could never be traced, never reached, never claimed.

And he had done so for a reason.

For humanity.

The New Earth Core was the foundation that allowed humans to access Mana. To strip it away entirely, or lock it behind an absolute seal, would have defeated its purpose. Instead, Taufik chose a balance: the Core would remain active, generous even, but unreachable to those who sought to dominate it.

That was why, during his absence, he did not concern himself overmuch with the gods’ ambitions.

He knew their desires.

Every being, even those seated within the Sanctum Aeterna, wished to claim even a fragment of that power.

And so, on the very first day the Known Gods joined the Sanctum, Taufik established a contract.

The pure energy of the Earth’s core could only be directly utilized by humans, or by those who possessed, or would one day possess a replica of the System.

Through that contract, the gods were not excluded.

They could feel the energy.

They could benefit from it.

But they could never control it.

This was no coincidence.

Taufik had designed it that way.

Anyone without access to the System could never manipulate the Core’s true power. And while Taufik was well aware that certain groups exploited this privilege, there was nothing he could do until the System itself awakened once more.

Until then... he would wait.

In the end, it was a win-win arrangement.

Humanity gained Mana.

The gods retained relevance.

And the Earth remained free.

---

After all the explanations were laid bare, Taufik reached a conclusion.

No one within the Sanctum Aeterna was truly guilty.

There was no malice in their inaction, no conspiracy woven behind his back.

The Known Gods had been constrained by structure, by limitation, by the very balance they were sworn to uphold.

So there was no reason for anger.

But understanding did not equal absolution.

Responsibility still remained.

The Known Null Pantheon was one thing, entities beyond structure, beyond agreement. But the unknown members of the Null Pantheon? Those who acted freely, recklessly, without allegiance or restraint?

There was no justification for allowing them to roam unchecked.

Sanctum Aeterna existed for one purpose above all others.

Balance.

And balance required action.

After making their responsibilities clear, clearly enough that no god present could pretend ignorance...

Taufik’s gaze shifted.

It settled on Odin.

The Allfather felt it immediately.

"I’m done here," Taufik said calmly, still holding Odin’s gaze. "And now... Odin, let’s talk in private"

At the sound of his name, Odin rose from his throne.

He stepped away from the others, leaving behind several gods who clearly had more to say, questions left unspoken, concerns left unresolved.

None of them stopped him.

They knew better.

As Odin came to stand beside him, Taufik studied him closely.

"...You look older," Taufik said quietly, comparing the Odin who once stood beneath Yggdrasil’s eternal branches to the one now before him. "Is the situation really that dire?"

"It has been for thousands of years, Dafient," Odin replied, his voice heavy. "And yes... it is that dire"

He paused, then shook his head slightly.

"But the details can wait"

Taufik hummed softly. "I see. Then where should we go?"

Odin turned, his cloak stirring as ancient runes briefly glimmered along its edge.

"My temple"

"...Lead the way"

---

The Norse Pantheon Temple

The Norse Pantheon Temple stood in a land once known as Skandinavia, a geographical and cultural region of Northern Europe that had historically consisted of three primary nations: Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

That was before the First Calamity.

After it, the land was shattered.

What had once been a continuous continent was broken into dozens of islands, large and small, scattered like fragments of a forgotten age across cold northern seas.

In the beginning, there was only chaos. Borders dissolved. Governments collapsed. Civilization teetered on the brink.

Then came the Nordic Council.

Formed in 1952, it appeared to the world as nothing more than an inter-parliamentary cooperation body, representing Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and their autonomous territories: Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and the Åland Islands.

That was the lie.

The truth was far older. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

The Nordic Council existed to preserve what remained after the Era of Gods ended millions of years ago. To contain relics, seal sites, and quietly stabilize a land that still echoed with divine residue.

Because of it, the chaos lessened.

But peace did not last.

Then came the Second Calamity.

Cracks tore open across reality itself, spewing forth beasts from forgotten realms, entities that should never have remembered Earth’s existence.

That was when humanity truly faced despair.

Riots erupted across the world. Cities burned. Death became constant, indiscriminate. Even with Magic, resistance proved futile.

Old or young. Healthy or sick. Man or woman.

Millions died.

It was only with the Third Calamity, and the emergence of the Contract with the Gods, that the tide finally began to turn.

And now... Nearly twenty years after that turning point, Skandinavia had become something else entirely.

It was no longer merely land.

It was sacred ground.

The primary temple of the Norse Pantheon.

A place where the gods could descend without resistance.

A place where they could hear and be heard by their followers once more.

And as Taufik and Odin crossed into its domain, the air itself seemed to thicken, heavy with ancient authority, old oaths, and a land that was still standing... Even if it was no longer whole.

---

Taufik and Odin faced each other, a single table separating them.

No guards.

No wards made visible.

Only two beings who understood exactly how much weight the conversation carried.

"...How many of you left Yggdrasil and descended to Earth?" Taufik asked, breaking the silence.

Odin did not hesitate.

"Almost all of the Æsir," he answered plainly. "The longer we remain within Yggdrasil, the faster the next stage of Ragnarök accelerates"

Taufik’s fingers tapped lightly against the table.

"...So you chose exile to slow an inevitability"

"Yes," Odin said. Then his expression darkened. "But that is not the only reason"

Taufik lifted his gaze.

"...The Shadow Realm," Odin continued. "You remember it, don’t you?"

"The Shadow Realm within Yggdrasil,"

Taufik replied slowly. He had felt it before, an uncontrolled realm, formless, rulerless. Very different from his own Shadow Realm.

"...Let me guess," he added quietly. "The shadows are no longer just reflections. They’ve developed will"

Odin’s jaw tightened.

"Yes. And it’s getting worse," He leaned forward slightly. "The seal Baldur and I placed is weakening. The veil between realms is thinning. Almost every night now, the Shadow Realm begins to overlap with the real world"

"...Midgard?" Taufik asked.

"For now" Odin said grimly. "Only Midgard"

He exhaled, heavy.

"Thankfully, because of the gift you bestowed upon humanity, the Harbingers, they were able to repel the incursions"

Taufik’s eyes narrowed.

"But," Odin continued, "the shadows are learning"

A pause.

"They now understand that Harbingers are a threat"

Taufik already knew where this was going.

"They’ve begun hunting them," Odin said quietly. "Especially the Harbinger of Light"

Silence fell.

"There has not been a new Harbinger of Light born for some time now," Odin went on. "Every time one is chosen, the Shadow Realm somehow becomes aware of it. Before the Harbinger can fully manifest their power..."

His voice lowered.

"...they are killed"

The words settled like ash.

Taufik leaned back slowly, his expression unreadable.

"So Ragnarök is no longer the only problem," he said at last.

"No," Odin agreed. "Ragnarök is inevitable. It is a destiny written into Yggdrasil itself"

He clenched his hand into a fist.

"But the Shadow Realm is different. It is unknown. Unmeasured. It was never meant to grow like this"

He looked directly at Taufik then, not as a god to another god, but as someone asking for guidance.

"The threat is immeasurable, Dafient," Odin’s voice dropped, stripped of pride. "I once ignored your words," he admitted. "I believed we could handle it ourselves"

He bowed his head slightly.

"But this time... I ask for your counsel." He looked up. "Tell me, Dafient... what would you do, if this were your world?... Your own Universe"

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