Chapter 70: The Enigma of Fafnir and the World Tree’s Secrets

Of all the exhibits in the paleontology museum, nothing captivated Qing Yu quite like the colossal skeleton that greeted him immediately upon entering.Its towering frame stood tall and unyielding, with the bones supporting its limbs all jutting out prominently.Blade-like skeletal structures pierced forth from its knees.A slender neck joined rhomboid ribs to a massive skull, while six pairs of immense bones unfurled from its spine, piercing directly into the ceiling.Dark green energy, like fine threads, coursed languidly along these bones, exuding an ancient, formidable pressure.

This was the juvenile form of an ancient dragon species, which scholars had dubbed the “Fafnir clan.” In Midgard, “Fafnir” translated to “the sin that poisons life.” According to scholarly research, these dragons were inherently violent, prone to conflict, and riddled with potent venom throughout their bodies.No other species coexisting with them had ever managed to pose a threat to the Fafnir clan.

During their era, the entirety of Midgard was dominated by the Fafnir clan.Their presence invariably heralded a maelstrom of blood and carnage.

The toxins held within the Fafnir clan were potent enough to obliterate any living creature.A single drop of their venom could contaminate an entire lake, eradicating all life within it.The lingering energy on the skeleton served as the fountainhead of Fafnir’s toxins; even after the passage of hundreds of millions of years, the poison could still sicken anyone who touched it.

Qing Yu circumnavigated the skeleton with a curious gaze.Having already absorbed all the text on the informational plaque, what now truly intrigued him was the ultimate demise of such a formidable species.

Even when he posed this question to Aldoran, her response was a simple shake of her head.

‘Hmm, it seems to be an enduring enigma.’

This suggested that Midgard’s history was truly ancient, considering this creature existed merely hundreds of millions of years ago.Among the subsequent exhibits, there were even more primordial species, dating back further in time.

Indeed, Qing Yu’s journey through the paleontology museum held even more astonishing sights in store.

The eastern wing of the museum housed the Hall of Ancient Records.Despite its grand name, the so-called ancient records consisted of only a handful of stone tablets; all else comprised paleontological remains.

It was evident, however, that these few stone tablets held a value far surpassing that of the paleontological remains.The protective barrier encasing them alone was robust enough to withstand an explosion powerful enough to obliterate a small town.

The tablets’ contents were remarkably simple, merely a few rudimentary drawings: small figures wielding spears, towering trees, and a swirling mass of flames.Beyond these, there was nothing more.

Further along, a replica tablet stood on display.The authentic piece, it was said, resided in the frigid expanse of the Northern Duchy, etched into a colossal wall of ice.It was there that archaeologists unearthed an ancient poem, its verses echoing through the ages, though the names of its subjects had been deliberately effaced.

Depicted on the tablet was a tree.Aldoran had once explained to Qing Yu that this was the World Tree, Yggdrasil, the divine tree that supported Midgard.At its roots, a line was depicted, and beneath this line, a withered skeleton lay.Its main trunk and crown were also segmented by lines; in the central section, a newly sprouted seedling was depicted, while at the crown, a sword was starkly rendered, creating a deeply incongruous image.

What made it even stranger was how the veins of the leaves on its branches were all meticulously rendered, then extended outwards.All these lines converged into a single point.At this nexus, another seedling was depicted, and beside this seedling, an arrow was drawn, pointing back towards the grand tree.

“Aldoran, can you make sense of what this drawing means?”

Gazing at the peculiar artwork, Qing Yu scratched his neck thoughtfully.Likewise, Aldoran gently scratched her wrist.

“I’m not sure.However, this painting dates back billions of years, making it the only artwork of such immense antiquity.Scholars have debated its meaning for centuries.”

“Some claim it represents a religious belief, others that it was an ancient object of worship, and still others that it was merely an ancient’s whimsical doodle.In short, no unified conclusion has ever been reached.”

Aldoran gently clasped her bracelet.Upon seeing the painting, she always felt as though something was beckoning to her—an irresistible urge to embrace the artwork itself.The sensation was profoundly ancient and nostalgic, yet Aldoran scoured her memories, finding no trace of any past connection to the painting.

Qing Yu experienced a similar sensation; the moment his eyes fell upon the painting, his heart felt imbued with a profound sense of fullness, both tranquil and comforting.

It was said that everyone who beheld this painting experienced this feeling.Its origin and the reason behind it remained an unanswered question that scholars continually debated.

Adjacent to the painting, the verses etched in a distant land had also been transcribed.They appeared to be divided into thirteen distinct poems, and among the effaced names, only Lord Odin and Frigga were still discernible.Qing Yu could not decipher a single line of their content, yet one particular poem he recalled with remarkable clarity.

“Oh, traveler with eyes of the eagle,”

…

“Born of frost, returned to flame.”

This poem was dedicated to Lord Odin.For some inexplicable reason, reading that particular line always left Qing Yu with a prickle of unease.It wasn’t merely that, given Aldoran’s identity as Lord Odin, the verse sounded as if she were destined for cremation tomorrow.

Even the poem attributed to Frigga ended with a curse-like pronouncement, making Qing Yu feel as though some ancient seer was cursing him personally.

Examining the remaining eleven poems, ten of them concluded with similar curse-like verses, with the sole exception of the very last poem.

It wasn’t that its ending was particularly pleasant; rather, it consisted of only a brief opening line, and no further text followed its initial verse.

Beneath that opening line, only a snake biting its own tail was depicted.

“Hmm, how utterly peculiar.Twelve poems were clearly penned, yet this one was left unfinished, with a drawing beneath it.Could the author have suffered from writer’s block and simply sketched something to feign profundity?”

Confronting the enigmatic tablet, Qing Yu boldly offered his conjecture.No one here knew him anyway, so there was no shame in being incorrect.

“I’m not sure.Perhaps the author intended to convey something through the drawing?”

Aldoran merely shrugged.

“What if the author simply grew weary and stopped writing?”

Qing Yu immediately retorted.

“My impromptu essays were once heavily scrutinized by my teachers, who ultimately drew conclusions I had never even conceived of!”

Qing Yu spread his hands wide, forming an exaggerated circle in the air.

Aldoran was well aware of this, for even before Qing Yu’s arrival in Midgard, she had enjoyed observing his daily life.That day, while analyzing Qing Yu’s essay, the teacher had indeed extrapolated some additional interpretations, though far less dramatic than Qing Yu’s retelling.

Aldoran had no desire to argue with Qing Yu.Had it been a debate of right and wrong, Aldoran would undoubtedly have emerged victorious, but she believed that as long as Qing Yu found joy and amusement in it, nothing else truly mattered.After all, this was hardly a matter of fundamental importance.

Moreover, Qing Yu had always been an endearing fellow.

Thus, Aldoran did not refute Qing Yu, offering only a faint smile.

“Yes, quite possible.People do sometimes overthink things.”

“See? See? Aldoran, you do agree with my point, don’t you!”

Qing Yu grinned widely, revealing his pearly white teeth, enveloped Aldoran in a hearty embrace, then rubbed his chin repeatedly against the top of her head.

Since arriving in Midgard, Qing Yu had grown increasingly sensitive to emotional shifts.By now, he could almost accurately intuit the thoughts of others.

Being bear-hugged by Qing Yu was quite pleasant.His body was soft, his arms remarkably smooth, a delight to touch.Qing Yu’s long hair, however, invariably tickled Aldoran’s nose.

It wasn’t until a minute later that Qing Yu finally released his embrace.

“Aldoran, where shall we go next?”

“Let’s go see the ancient animals.”

****

By evening, when Aldoran and Qing Yu emerged from the paleontology museum, they hadn’t even managed to see a thousandth of the exhibits.

Qing Yu felt no regret, however.After all, the zoo’s entrance fee was only five copper coins, implying he could return at any time.More importantly, simply being with Aldoran was enough to fill Qing Yu with immense satisfaction.

“Ooh—”

Standing by the roadside, waiting for a carriage, Qing Yu ate the late-night snack Aldoran had bought him, stretching luxuriously.

“Today was so much fun! How about you, Aldoran?”

“Me? I feel quite good.”

Aldoran leaned against the wall by the road, her silver-white hair spilling casually over one side, obscuring half her eye.Her hands were tucked into her pockets, one foot propped against the wall.The glowstone above her head flickered intermittently, and her pale blue eyes, shadowed by her hair, seemed to hold a newfound depth.For some reason, Qing Yu’s heart began to throb in sync with the glowstone’s pulse.

Aldoran, leaning against the railing like that, looked rather—

‘Handsome?’

Qing Yu felt his heart flutter involuntarily, and a blush crept across his face.

“You handsome—”

“What?”

Aldoran lifted her head, and Qing Yu felt his breath catch in his throat.

‘Aldoran, this person, besides being serious and cute, actually has such a handsome side?’

Qing Yu felt as though he had stumbled upon a treasure, an immense treasure.

‘No, no, I must make Aldoran do that pose again tomorrow.This Aldoran is absolutely fantastic!’

Qing Yu felt his heart completely captivated by Aldoran’s appearance just now.He truly wished he could see the handsome Aldoran every day—

“You’re bleeding from your nose.Are you alright?”

Aldoran stepped forward, wiping a hand gently at the corner of Qing Yu’s mouth with a worried expression.

“Are you sick?”

“No, no, Aldoran, I’m not sick!”

Qing Yu pressed his hands firmly onto Aldoran’s shoulders, his eyes fixed earnestly on her.

“Aldoran.”

“What is it?”

…

…

…

“Step on me.”