"Well," Hela nodded slightly.
Seeing Luo Wei heading straight to Hela without acknowledging him, Heimdall pouted and looked as though he was about to crack a joke. However, noticing Hela's presence beside him, he restrained himself and subtly poked Luo Wei with his elbow.
Luo Wei looked around and noticed that more than a dozen individuals had gathered around Hela. Besides Heimdall, there were a few familiar faces. Some he had seen before, but only one stood out in his memory.
"Bart, you're here too," Luo Wei said, patting a young, golden-haired man on the shoulder.
"Looks like we're comrades-in-arms," Bart grinned, the mustache on his upper lip twitching slightly.
This golden youth was Bart, whom Luo Wei had met during his initial encounter with the Valkyrie. With his flamboyant mustache, Bart had left a lasting impression. Although they didn't meet often, they had known each other for over a decade.
"Whoa."
Suddenly, Bart let out a soft exclamation, his eyes lighting up as he looked into the distance.
Not far off, Skadi, daughter of Kuur, was approaching with more than a dozen warriors. Among them, the seven at the forefront stood out. These seven individuals—six men and one woman—wore different outfits, but they shared one distinct feature: each carried a hammer.
Bart's gaze fixated on the only woman among them. She was strikingly beautiful, with a voluptuous figure and somewhat revealing attire.
"It's Schön!" someone exclaimed as most of the nearby men turned to admire her.
"I heard she's a real firecracker," another added.
As Rowe observed the seven hammer-bearers trailing Skadi, his expression changed with realization.
Weren't these the Venerable Heavenly Hammers?
In the comic arc The Origin of Fear, Kuur shattered Odin's seal and returned to the world. His daughter Skadi, along with seven elite Asgardian warriors known as the "Heavenly Hammers," became his most devoted followers.
With these eight by his side, Kuur, the God of Fear, wrought havoc across Earth—slaughtering heroes from various realms and even tearing through Captain America's shield with his bare hands.
Staring at the hammer-wielders, Luo Wei's memories of The Origin of Fear from his past life surged forward.
Coincidentally, he had previously encountered three of the seven Venerable Heavenly Hammers. Apart from Schön, whom he had briefly met at the Jotunheim outpost, two others were more familiar.
One of them was Nur, who had harbored jealousy toward Rowe during a wager involving Amora. The other was Gus, whom Rowe had clashed with in Warnerheim Camp—a distinctly unpleasant encounter.
Come to think of it, Schön had also left a poor impression on him.
All three encounters had been negative.
No wonder they became villains in the future!
Rowe thought to himself, reaffirming silently: I really am on the righteous side.
With the Skadi Hunting Group's arrival, the gathered hunters in the square divided into three clear groups—Hela's camp, Skadi's team, and a neutral faction. Each of the former two had over a dozen people, while the neutrals totaled ten.
As the last of the hunters arrived, the true authorities began to appear.
The first to step forward was the Gatekeeper of Asgard, God of Winter and Hunting—Ullr, Heimdall's father.
Ullr stood imposingly before the crowd, his towering frame reminiscent of a mountain. His voice boomed calmly: "Today marks the 79th Asgardian Hunting Festival. Since the age of Bulli, seven thousand nine hundred years have passed. Throughout that time, warriors of Asgard have galloped through the Norn Forest, hunting beasts and claiming honor and rewards."
"I believe that each of you will carve your own glory into history, just as the hunters of the past have done."
He paused before continuing, "Now, I will explain the rules of this festival."
"The hunting ground is the Norn Forest, and the duration is one month. Within that time, the prey you capture will determine your ranking. The rarer and more powerful the creature, the higher your score…"
Ullr's tone hardened as he concluded, "This festival is a contest of hunting skill—not combat. Contestants are strictly forbidden from attacking one another. Violation of this rule may lead to disqualification or even execution."
If someone else had said this, it might not have carried weight. But this was Ullr—a figure whose all-seeing vision rivaled that of Heimdall, capable of perceiving events across the realms. If any rule was broken, it would not go unnoticed.
Naturally, a solemn silence fell over the hunters, including Luo Wei.
Still, Heimdall leaned in and muttered, "It's not as harsh as it sounds. As long as there's no lasting harm, some light harassment is overlooked… Rowe, this might be your time to shine."
"What?" Luo Wei blinked in confusion.
Heimdall grinned and raised a finger. "You know, your flashy backside spell."
"Really?" Rowe looked skeptical.
"Of course," Heimdall said. "My father told me he's attended ten of these festivals himself."
Once Ullr stepped back, the next figure to approach was the ruler of Nornheim—the Duchess of Norn.
Despite her mature appearance and streaks of silver in her hair, she moved with regal grace. Clad in a long purple dress, she walked with elegance, akin to a strutting peacock. Although she appeared middle-aged, she was over four thousand years old. Rumors suggested that she had once shared a romantic past with the former All-Father, King Borr, though no one could confirm the truth.
With dignified presence, she addressed the crowd: "The Norn Forest is the vastest woodland in all of Nornheim. It is home to dragons, griffins, pegasi… and also our ancient enemies—the trolls."
"This place is not just a hunting ground but a battlefield. Yet, you are not mere hunters. You are warriors. I have every confidence that you will return with glory and magnificent prey."
Neither Kuur nor Odin made an official appearance, but their watchful eyes were known to be upon the gathering.
"How are we getting to the Norn Forest?" Luo Wei asked.
"Just wait," Heimdall replied calmly.
Moments later, the sound of feline cries echoed from above.
"Meow~"
"Meow meow~"
Luo Wei looked up, and to his amazement, saw massive, winged cats soaring through the skies. Each was the size of an elephant, their fur a vibrant shade of orange.
Riding each of these great cats was a lithe, handsome figure with pointed ears—resembling the Asgardians in form but unmistakably Light Elves.
"Flying cats from Alfheim?" Rowe asked in awe.
"The Light Elves have brought them to carry us to the forest," the Duchess confirmed.
"Climb aboard, hunters," the Light Elves called out from their majestic mounts.
Without hesitation, Rowe and Heimdall mounted one of the flying cats.
"Meow~" The giant feline spread its wings wide and launched into the sky, speeding through the clouds.
Heimdall laughed heartily, "Let the Hunting Festival begin!"
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