CHAPTER 9

"Don't think about it; can you seduce such an excellent man?"

Before Rhodes knew it, his status had risen to the point where everyone respected him. After all, being the personal guard of someone as significant as Hela inevitably elevated Rhodes' status accordingly.

Hela took the giant sword from Heimdall's hand and inserted it into the groove. The Rainbow Bridge suddenly connected to a distant point, and the shimmering rainbow light illuminated everyone's faces.

Without much training or preparation, Hela sternly addressed the army: "Let's go! Our target is Jotunheim!"

The mighty army marched towards the Rainbow Bridge, with Rhodes leading the way like a general, walking ahead of everyone.

Entering the Rainbow Bridge, everything around them started to blur, turning into streams of light. As the stream of light gradually shortened, clarity returned.

In Jotunheim, a biting cold wind greeted them, with ice and snow covering the surroundings. The ground was composed of light blue ice crystals.

Rhodes shivered and lost consciousness as if his entire body had frozen.

"Ding! The host [Rhodes] has unlocked [Super Cold Resistance]!"

After the voice in his ear ceased, Rhodes felt his body gradually warming up, and his consciousness returned.

The army behind him had assembled. The soldiers quickly deployed a device that created a massive ball of warm light, which floated alongside them as if tethered by an invisible rope. This light emitted heat and helped everyone withstand the extreme cold.

Hela also provided Rhodes with one of these devices, even though he no longer needed it due to his super cold resistance. To maintain his cover, Rhodes nodded in thanks.

"Be cautious. The Protoss soldiers might struggle in this extreme environment. Without the sun mirror, their movements may become stiff, making them vulnerable if they encounter enemies," Hela cautioned.

Rhodes, having already experienced the numbing cold, felt greater concern for the ordinary soldiers. Even though his body was much more resilient than theirs, he had begun to experience its effects within half a minute.

As all the sun mirrors were deployed, the army regained its mobility and continued its march.

Rhodes noticed a giant black wolf by Hela's side. He recalled the information he had read about it in the books.

This wolf was Fenrir, a mighty beast of Asgard.

"Fenrir, investigate," Hela ordered.

The giant wolf instantly transformed into black mist and drifted away like a ghost.

Rhodes couldn't help but admire this ability. As the wolf at the feet of Odin, the King of the Gods, it could use divine power to transform into ghostly fog and scout.

After a while, Fenrir returned, growling by Hela's side.

Hela frowned. "The entire army, prepare to attack! There's a large number of Frost Giants ahead."

Rhodes, ready for combat, positioned his spear in front of him, prepared for ranged combat at any moment.

As Hela's personal guard, he wouldn't charge into the enemy formation but would ensure Hela's safety from a distance.

In the distance, a group of blue-skinned humanoid creatures wielding axes, maces made of icicles, and other slashing weapons stood scattered, lacking any formation. They looked more like a group of barbaric raiders than an organized army.

On the hill behind them, an archer held an ice bow with ice crystal arrows ready to be loosed.

Their attention wasn't on the Asgardian soldiers but on the mirrored sun hovering above their heads.

"Archers," Hela noted with a frown, observing this unfamiliar unit in Jotunheim.

"These individuals seem to be getting smarter."

Upon Hela's signal, the army halted, staying out of the archers' effective range. Fenrir returned to Hela and growled.

"Go, pin down their long-range shooters from behind," Hela commanded Fenrir.

Then she turned her gaze to Rhodes. "Go and assess how far the enemy's ranged attack can reach."

Rhodes felt quite frustrated about taking on this risky task.

In desperation, he rushed toward the enemy forces.

"Idiot!" Hela exclaimed.

The soldiers shared her embarrassment. If Rhodes continued this reckless charge, he would undoubtedly run into a dense hail of arrows from the enemy and likely face certain death.

A more prudent approach would involve slowly approaching to avoid entering the effective range of their firepower and improving his chances of survival.

Rhodes, however, ignored his inner doubts and sprinted straight towards the enemy. He was aware that this wasn't the right approach, but he couldn't control his impulse.

As he charged forward, the Frost Giants directed their archers to unleash a volley of arrows toward Rhodes.

In the dim surroundings, it was challenging to track the trajectory of the blue ice crystal arrows. Rhodes didn't attempt to predict where they would land and simply kept running.

The arrows grazed his back and hit the ground behind him, leaving a trail that mapped his movement.

"What?" The frontmost Frost Giant, wielding an ice axe, stared at Rhodes in disbelief. They hadn't expected someone to rush toward them so recklessly, practically walking into their deaths.

"Roar~" A massive Frost Giant wielding an ice hammer roared angrily, viewing Rhodes' actions as a provocation before battle. He pushed through the crowd, brandishing his ice hammer to turn Rhodes into pulp.

Rhodes halted abruptly, raised his spear, and fired an iridescent laser at the approaching Frost Giant's belly, sending him flying and crashing into the crowd.

Rhodes then swiftly retreated.

The archers shot arrows furiously, but their speed was slightly insufficient to catch up with Rhodes, consistently missing their mark.

Returning to Hela, Rhodes pointed to an arrow stuck in the ground. "This is their attack range."

A visual indicator of their attack range, marked by light blue ice crystal arrows, was displayed for everyone to see.

Secret admiration coursed through the assembled forces.

"He's truly bold and resourceful!"

"As expected of Lord Hela's personal guard."

"His speed and physical prowess are several times superior to ours!"

Hela also regarded Rhodes with admiration but remained silent. "Continue advancing and maintain the maximum distance within the attack range," she ordered.

The army moved accordingly, advancing confidently toward the Frost Giants while being shielded by the markers Rhodes had risked his life to create.

The Frost Giants ground their teeth in frustration, wishing they could tear Rhodes apart. They glared with widened eyes, furious, yet powerless against the Asgardian forces.

The numerical disparity was too great, and their weapons couldn't match those of the Asgardians. To ensure their own safety, they had to retreat temporarily, seeking a defensible position.

During their retreat, Fenrir suddenly emerged from concealment and charged at the unsuspecting archers, while Hela exploited the diversion caused by the enemy's long-range attacks to command her troops.

Asgardian soldiers, equipped with powerful long-range artillery, could easily suppress the Frost Giants within their attack range. The Frost Giants were frequently knocked down by laser fire before they could close the gap.

Relying on their overwhelming firepower, the outcome of the battle became one-sided, a brutal massacre.

The soldiers of Asgard quickly cleared the battlefield, eliminating the Frost Giant border defense forces entirely in their first battle.

This victory was made considerably easier thanks to Rhodes' efforts.

Jotunheim was dark, covered in a grey mist that blanketed the land.

Visibility was extremely limited within a few dozen meters, and it was easy to fall into enemy ambushes or encirclements.

Hela frowned with a hint of anxiety. Fenrir alone was insufficient to provide comprehensive information about their surroundings.

Rhodes recognized Hela's concerns and strained his eyes to peer into the distance. However, despite his superhuman vision, the multiple layers of mist obstructed his sight.

"Ding! The host [Rhodes] has unlocked [Super Hyperopia]!"

Suddenly, everything around him became extraordinarily clear. It was as though he was looking at a sunlit grassy field under a bright sky—everything was vivid and bright.

Rhodes tried to focus on distant objects, but they seemed to zoom in, magnifying hundreds of times, making distant items appear clear.

Within his field of vision, he spotted a palace constructed from blue ice blocks. Several tall Frost Giant guards stood at the entrance, clad in spiked blade armor and wielding ice giant axes.

Rhodes even attempted to look inside the palace. Under the influence of his hyperopic vision, the walls suddenly seemed thin and transparent, and he could peer inside as if the walls weren't there. He observed an ice chandelier illuminating the ancient Frost Giant-themed engravings on the hall's walls, supported by icicle pillars.

On a raised platform within the hall, a bald Frost Giant sat on a throne. His distinctive features included elf-like sharp ears, blood-red eyes with black pupils locked forward, and his simple attire: shoulder and arm pads. His muscular physique was exposed, showcasing his formidable strength.

Even without armor, his robust muscles appeared capable of protecting his vital organs. A string of skulls hung from his waist, and an iron apron-like piece covered his lower body.

Rhodes recalled reading in books that this Frost Giant's appearance matched that of their king, Laufey.

"Mimir," Laufey, the Frost Giant King, addressed a smaller Frost Giant with cunning eyes beside him.

"I'm here, my king," Mimir responded with a lowered head.

"The Protoss soldiers have attacked the front line. What strategy do you propose?" Laufey inquired.

Mimir rolled his eyes and a sly smile formed on his lips. "My king, why worry about a mere advance party? Even if they are defeated, reinforcements will follow. Why not seize this opportunity to go directly for Midgard with the Ice Casket? Their attention is already drawn to Jotunheim, so they'll neglect Midgard's defense. You can claim it as our domain and occupy it completely. When the time comes, we can confront them directly."

"Hahahaha!" Laufey laughed heartily. "Indeed, the High Priest of the Frost Giants, our Senior Counselor, is as cunning as ever!"

With those words, Laufey stood up, retrieved a box emitting faint light blue radiance from the shadows behind the throne, and strode toward the hall, heading into the seemingly endless darkness.

Rhodes was deeply alarmed and ended his hyperopic vision. Using his super acute hearing, he overheard the entire conversation.

If Laufey wasn't stopped now and succeeded in reaching the Midgard, their mission in Jotunheim would be in vain. The Midgard would likely be transformed into an icy realm, and there would be no stopping it.

Internal hesitation led to no solution. He couldn't reveal what he had seen, as it was his first time in Jotunheim, and Hela was unaware of the space crack. If he revealed this information, he'd surely face investigation.

Suddenly, an idea struck Rhodes. Heimdall possessed clairvoyant abilities, which he could use to locate Laufey without implicating Rhodes.

"What if we ask Guardian Heimdall to find out Laufey's location? If Laufey intends to reach the Midgard, he'll have to pass through a specific space crack."

Hela nodded, immediately dispatching a messenger to inform Heimdall of their predicament.

In a short while, Heimdall scanned Jotunheim. After some time, he spotted Hela's forces and, not far ahead of them, Laufey approaching the space crack.

"Report! Lord Heimdall has located Laufey just a few kilometers to the west of our army, advancing through a valley," a messenger conveyed.