Prep

Behind one of the rocky mountains of the golden palace, Ysmir sat on a cliff, laying down to be more precise.

His legs crossed as his head hung outside the edge of the cliff looking up at the book he has been reading for the past few days.

The book was about 6 to 7 inches thick with a few thousand pages.

And Ysmir had read just about half the pages, he could have read the whole book in just one or two days but he had to constantly read some pages again or turn back pages.

There was more than a few things he couldn't understand, like the difference in ingredients compared to what he consumed in the past.

Unlike the minor by strengthening ingredients he used from the methods of the academic and royal libraries, the ingredients in Solidification gave out completely different types of ingredients for consumption.

Unlike the usual herbs and fruits, the Solidification method mentioned certain beast organs, blo, parts of the beast's body and various types of tree roots.

And what made him more frustrated was that the book didn't explain WHY and HOW these components would strengthen the body significantly.

Did Mimir, THE God of Wisdom, forget to label the causes and effects? Was The God of Wisdom a victim of simple mistakes and short term memory loss?

Ysmir stopped his thoughts, who knows if Mimir could read minds and if he did he wouldn't wanna know what the god would do to him for thinking so low of him.

Plus, there must be some explanation on why the book didn't have many explanations in some parts.

As he read through most of the book, he noticed that the contents of the book weren't clearly organized by stages or step-by-steps for the meths.

It simply stated the needed components for the subject of Physical Durability and how to put them together before consuming it.

That was the first part of the Solidification method, consumption.

The second part was the real struggle for Ysmir, which is basically to bruise. To slowly break down his body from bones, to muscles to his skin.

To constantly damage himself for the sole purpose of healing, his natural healing abilities would restore his body while the ingredients he consumed would take its effect and strengthen that body.

This was merely the beginning of it all.

Ysmir made it simple in his mind using stages;

Consumption.

Damage.

Healing.

And then a repeat of the same order but with more effective ingredients and more pain for him.

While on the Inner Energy shields, he would start along the way after a few repetitions of the Physical Durability method.

The basic way for the Energy Shield was to gather energy into the body of the practitioner and direct that energy towards certain parts of the body before hardening it in place.

The first part of the body would be;

The Skeletal System.

The Muscular System.

And then the surface of the body.

Though it's all simplified, it sounded more complicated than it's stated.

The Energy Shield is supposed to align with the Physical Durability in certain ways for it to actually combine in the end.

Ysmir wasn't sure this would work completely, but he was thinking it through human logic.

His body is not human anymore and it's entirely different.

*thud*

*thud*

*Thud*

*THud*

Ysmir heard a series of muffled thuds as he looked towards the mountain ranges.

And through the forest, he saw a man running and jumping towards him.

The man's run and jumps seemed forced, as if he was being weighed down by gravity or something.

"Teach?" Ysmir called out to his teacher Roknos.

*THOOM*

Roknos finally landed a few feet away from Ysmir with a loud booming noise, more louder than usual.

"What's going on?"

Roknos formed a small smile and spoke. "Training."

Roknos handed something to Ysmir, while the boy looked towards his hands to see not what's on his hands but the things around his wrists and then towards his ankles.

There were these metallic ring-like cuffs on Roknos' wrists and ankles, this was Ysmir's first time seeing these on his teacher so he was naturally curious.

Ysmir then looked towards his teacher's hands to see what he was giving him.

They were the same type of cuffs, albeit smaller.

"What are these?" Ysmir asked.

"You will try them." Roknos didn't explain but rather threw the four cuffs towards Ysmir.

Ysmir put out his hands to catch them only for his hands to fall, his eyes widened as he noticed the weight of the cuffs.

They were heavy!

Due to not expecting their weight, three of the cuffs fell as he held onto one them with a bit of struggle.

"What in Buri's beard?!" Ysmir shouted.

"WHAT THE HEL ARE THESE THINGS?!"

"Heavy weights, forged by the blacksmiths and enchanted by Eidis herself." Roknos said calmly.

The idea came from Ysmir himself, though this was totally different from the "weight training" Ysmir was talking about.

"I am meant to wear these?" Ysmir questioned concernedly, very concerned.

Just one of these cuffs felt like a 45-pound plate in terms of human measurements.

"How heavy are these things?!"

"Five Vætts." Roknos informed him.

Ysmir's thoughts were right, the term "Vætt" was pretty much 10 pounds. It was used to measure the double digits in weight measurements while "Mark" measured the single digits.

So Five Vætts was basically 50 pounds in Æsirian terms.

(Reference to viking measurements but I mixed it up, FanFICTION.)

After a few tantrums and complaints, Roknos helped out his student to wear the weighted cuffs.

Ysmir was hesitant at first but after remembering the super bodies of Æsirs, he knew it wouldn't be a big deal down the road, this would be a great way to become stronger considering how quickly æsirs adapt to physical challenges.

"Dear Norns, this is going to take me a while to get used to." Ysmir muttered as he moved around with great effort.

"What now?" Ysmir looked towards his teacher.

"Now you hunt."

Ysmir's face showed annoyance, wishing he hadn't asked.

•••••••••••••

Hours later, one can see Ysmir making his way through the halls of the golden palace with bruises, ripped and tattered clothes.

Training and hunting with the weighted cuffs were a death sentence, he would've died tens of times if it weren't for his clueless teacher Roknos.

He was twice slower than before with the weights, and he felt the strain in his muscles and bones, the irritation and ripped skin on his wrists and ankles due to the weighted cuffs constantly causing frictions.

But this was good and bad, pros and cons.

By the time he consumes the components for the methods of Solidification, his skin, muscles and bones will become stronger and once he gets used to the weights his strength will also rise.

Another good thing about this was that he found a way to use the weighted cuffs, as a weapon and not just a limiter for him.

Due to it being heavy and hard, Ysmir could see himself maneuvering in ways before swinging his arms and legs to hit opponents with the cuffs.

How effective would that be.

He will have to work on that.

On his way to Mimir's observatory, Ysmir could see two young æsirs coming from the other side of the hallway.

Angrboda and Vartas.

Prince Cul's most loyal and dark followers.

While Angrboda specialized in witchcraft, Vartas was more of a blood sorcerer. Both types of magic are very efficient in wars and battles.

As they grew closer, Angrboda smiled and nodded towards Ysmir while Vartas seemed a little provocative with a mocking grin aimed at Ysmir.

"Leach." Vartas' smile widened.

Ysmir kept on his hard and struggling steps, not bothering to be provoked but he did feel the need to hit back.

"Says the creepy blood sucker." He casually muttered.

Æsirs are easily provoked, which would explain why Vartas would easily react to this.

"What did you say? You dare say that again?!" Vartas questioned aggressively as his eyes turned red with a darker hue of crimson energy shrouded him.

"No, not really." Ysmir responded simply as he continued his walk with effort.

Vartas took a step forward towards Ysmir's back as crimson liquid formed in his right palm intending to attack Ysmir.

"That's enough."

Vartas heard the voice of his companion behind him, he turned to see Angrboda with a cold glare aimed at him.

Vartas powered down as he watched Ysmir's back disappear.

Angrboda didn't waste anymore time and continued her walk, prompting Vartas to follow unwillingly.

•••••••••••••

"Oh, young Ysmir, what have you come to my place for?" Mimir split his concentration from his papers to focus on Ysmir, who stood there stiffly.

"I've come with questions looking for answers."

"Ah, and who better to answer your questions than the æsir of wisdom himself." Mimir appeared confident.

"…"

"Now go on, do ask your questions."

As Mimir spoke with Ysmir, he bounced around his observatory doing a few things at once, looking extremely busy.

"You seem busy, my lord. I could come another time if it—"

"Nonsense, I could never be too busy. Go on."

"Well my concerns come from the various ingredients I must collect for consumption, not only do I not know where I could find these species but I want to know their causes and effects."

"Perhaps you're speaking of the species of Larkin and Odgrain?"

"Yes, the species are said to be native to a different realm, and that is something I don't have access to." Ysmir said, hoping there was something he could do about it.

If he was allowed to go to a different realm just to gather such species then he would be satisfied.

Many young æsirs wish to travel outside Asgard to see the realms and Ysmir is no different to them in this case.

But he wouldn't be surprised if there were some beasts or parts of the beast's body stocked somewhere in the palace due to Mimir's studies.

"You're correct for these species originating not of Asgard but different realms, but there are Larkins and Odgrains in Asgard." Mimir stated.

"Is that so?" Ysmir felt disappointed inside, but he expected this.

"Of course, many species around the realms roam our very mountains behind the royal palace of Valaskjalf.

During my early days I traveled around the cosmos with the intent to widen my knowledge of our vast universe, and in one of my centuries I studied deep into the beastial species in our surrounding realms.

At some point I grew tired of moving from realm to realm and so I commanded some of our best warriors to capture two gender types of species from each different beast in our known galaxies and bring them back to the mountains for research.

Ah good times."

Mimir reeled back as he reminisced.

Thoughts of all the research he did appeared in his mind once more, from cross-breeding, forced evolution to observing damage being healed.

Ysmir wasn't surprised, it was commonly known to the æsirs that many of the animals and beasts in the mountains were due to The God of Wisdom's curiosity.

"So they are in the mountains?"

"They should be, though I believe you've never went past the mountain of Crusgal as it it quite dangerous."

"Past the mountain?"

"Oh yes, in fact the beasts in Mount Crusgal are quite the weaklings of the bunch, the more you travel past the more dangerous the beasts.

But travel more and it won't be just the beasts that will trouble you."

"What kind of troubles?"

"Giants, boy, giants." Mimir said with a grim expression.

"Giants?! Frost giants?!" Ysmir asked warily.

"…" As Mimir still donned the serious expression he spoke. "Nay."

Ysmir raised an eyebrow in confusion as Mimir chuckled.

"They're simply giants, maybe not as mighty as the Frost Giants but they are still mighty in their own ways.

They live in tribes inhabiting certain mountains as their homes, and the creatures I have been studying also reside in the mountains which they've longed to evolve and become stronger.

The mountain Giants and the beasts battle everyday, for territory and for food meaning both species have grown past their puny might and have grown mightier as the time passes."

Mimir then stopped bouncing around and turned towards Ysmir.

"So if you must follow this path to power then the lands past Mount. Crusgal is your only way."

Ysmir sigh helplessly, he should have known it wasn't going to be easy, it never is.

A person's story needs obstacles before they can become strong and step into the spotlights.

"I see, then it is inevitable. But is there no other way?"

"Of course there is, there are always other ways. But this is the best and closest path you can take as of this moment.

Unless of course, you want to look into another path?" Mimir questioned Ysmir with a smirk.

"No. I guess I'll have to do it." Ysmir said helplessly as he plopped onto one of the chairs in the observatory.

Mimir chuckled. "Well then when the time comes, I suggest you bring a companion. Preferably someone like your teacher."

"Yeah yeah." Ysmir suddenly jerked up. "What about the ingredients? How does this help me at all? I would not dare doubt you but I have not seen records of the libraries stating any positive effects of consuming beast organs or such."

"Of course not, everything in these mediocre libraries are common dungs, do you not know how to read boy?! All the knowledge and wisdom on the tomes are my own and I can attest their outcomes and effects myself." Mimir said annoyed.

Ysmir wouldn't realize it now, but the book he has, contains knowledge that the majority does not know of, meaning the methods of power he is currently cultivating is privy only to himself and the creator.

"Forgive me, Lord Mimir. I do not mean to insult your wisdom." Out of the whole race of Æsirs and Vanirs, Mimir is one of the few people Ysmir truly respected.

Because unlike the great warriors and legends in Asgards history, The God of Wisdom, Mimir single handedly revolutionized both Asgard and Vanaheim into what it is today.

The bifrost? Teleportation? Flying boats? The Golden Palace?

In all of these creations, Mimir either had a significant hand in building it or mapping it down.

And that was only a small number of it, everything big and small was something Mimir had a hand in.

Ysmir has not been to Vanaheim but he was willing to bet that Mimir has the same kind of influence as he does in Asgard.

"But…" Ysmir hesitated.

He may have been an old man before his current life but in front of this God who had been through mellenians he was only but a boy.

"Speak."

"Well…some information like the effects of the ingredients are not noted down…"

"What?! What nonsense, how could I not write that down… give me the tome."

Mimir put his hand out as Ysmir took out the thick tome from his attire, handing it to him.

In mere seconds, Mimir had already gone through certain pages of the tome and he seemed to have gone stiff.

"I see." Was all Ysmir heard from the wise man. "It seems I must have neglected to write some important information down."

Mimir cleared his throat in slight embarrassment.

"I will not speak of it." Ysmir declared to Mimir.

The boy almost comforted Mimir by the common saying of 'You're only human, and humans make mistakes.' But he luckily stopped.

This God was not human nor expected to make mistakes, in fact there are no humans in this realm except for maybe him, at least in his soul and memories.

"Do as you wish." Mimir huffed.

"As for the effects, how does eating a Larkins liver and the Cerebri of a Odgrain help me improve my durability?"

"It doesn't! Don't you see that it only—" Mimir paused, of course the boy doesn't know considering he didn't put this information down as well.

Mimir cleared his throat and spoke once more calmly. "It doesn't, the liver of the Larkin will only help you strengthen and help your own liver break down food more efficiently.

While the blood of certain beasts and some oaken roots are to help the Larkin liver and yours mutate into similar effects, the minor ingredients will either subtract negative effects or strengthen positive traits of the Larkin liver.

The Larkins have extensive and strong Livers which prompts them to eat almost anything that could fit their mouths, and if you're able to morph your liver into something similar to the Larkins then you can truly begin your consumption to strengthen your physical durability.

But if you didn't start with turning your stomach into something similar to that of a Larkin's, then the more you proceed with the path, the more you will damage your body no matter how much it heals.

So to simplify it, the Larkin's liver is one of your only ways to start your consumption."

Mimir finished.

'Hmm, that makes sense.'

Ysmir proceeded with his other questions as the artificial sun starts to set.