Harvey's gaze swept across the precious magical books until he saw The Origin of Yggdrasil and the Runes.
With a surge of joy, he pulled the book from the shelf.
He sat down at a desk and began reading this volume authored by Odin himself.
"Due to the cycle of Ragnarok, the true origin of Asgard lies within a primordial abyss known as Ginnungagap."
"On either side of the primordial abyss lie Muspelheim (Land of Fire) and Niflheim (Land of Ice)."
"Over time, when fire and ice met, Ymir was formed, along with a cow named Audumbla."
"One day, Audumbla gave birth to Buri, and thus the first benevolent Asgardian god appeared."
"Later, the wise and strong Buri took a Frost Giantess as his wife, and the throne was inherited by his son Bor Burison, through whom the Asgardian race gradually formed."
"Bor and his giantess wife Bestla had four sons: Cul Borson, Odin Borson, Vili Borson, and Ve Borson."
"Later, when Odin and his brothers grew up, they defeated Ymir and his Frost Giants. Shortly after Ymir was defeated, the three brothers used their bodies to sow seeds that eventually grew into the World Tree, Yggdrasil."
"After millions of years, the World Tree became an energy field supporting and connecting the Nine Realms. All connections must pass through the mortal realm, Midgard..."
Harvey didn't care much for the origin of the World Tree. After a brief look to broaden his horizons, he flipped forward quickly.
Until he saw a mysterious rune pattern emitting a faint glow.
[ᛍ]: Represents the Sun. Associated with light, warmth, and life. Symbolizes power and vitality. Can also be used to enhance life force and healing.
This rune caught Harvey's attention.
He pulled out his wand and attempted to use his mana to replicate this Rune one-to-one in the empty air.
Wisps of light seemed to come to life, gathering toward the Sun Rune he was tracing.
But the complexity of the Runes was beyond imagination.
Halfway through the replication, a mysterious resistance suddenly appeared, breaking the unity of the lines.
The glowing light source, which had gathered to the size of a fist, exploded. The invisible magical shockwave nearly sent an unprepared Harvey flying.
The first attempt to replicate a Rune was a failure.
Harvey immediately felt the pressure in his heart.
Since the first day he touched magic, his unparalleled talent had meant he rarely encountered obstacles.
Basic spells like the Levitation Charm and the Unlocking Charm were learned instantly and mastered upon use.
Intermediate magic like the Patronus Charm and Transfiguration only took him two years to master completely.
Even advanced magic like Occlumency and Apparition were learned with ease.
To him, the vast majority of spells in the Harry Potter world posed no challenge.
Even after breaking through to the Skyfather-level, he could rely on his heaven-defying talent to innovate many spells.
Spells like Lumos 2.0 and Protego 2.0 were his masterpieces.
But now, facing the Runes that Odin, the All-Father, had comprehended while hanging upside down from the World Tree for nine days and nights...
He felt stymied for the first time.
After all, the Runes were Odin's description of magical truth; it was perfectly normal that he couldn't learn them in a short time.
However, where there is difficulty, there is a challenge.
Harvey calmed his mind and began his second attempt to trace the Sun Rune.
...
Harvey immersed himself in studying the Runes, and time slipped by unnoticed.
Although Asgard was a world with its own unique ecology and celestial mechanics, the Realm of the Gods still followed certain natural laws.
When day turned to night...
The entirety of the flat continent, spanning millions of square kilometers, was surrounded by a brilliant sea of stars on all sides, except for the endless abyss behind it.
At night, misty seven-colored auroras were projected above the Asgardian continent.
The magnificent auroras complemented the ancient palace complexes made of gold or precious magical metals, forming a mysterious and dreamlike beauty.
"Heimdall, I didn't expect you to actually be studying the Runes?"
A surprised, crisp female voice rang in his ear.
Forced out of his meditative state, Harvey frowned and looked up, finding that Iden had returned.
He put on an amiable smile.
"Lately, a growing sense of crisis has been brewing in my heart, so I wanted to try and comprehend the Runes to increase my strength."
"By the way, have you finished treating that Midgardian woman?"
Iden shook her head slowly. After sitting down at the desk, she explained with a grave expression:
"There is a mysterious power inside that Midgardian woman's body that is continuously absorbing her life force."
"But she is just a mortal with a frail constitution."
"The other physicians and I had to expend a massive amount of precious life-extending herbs just to barely stabilize her condition."
"Even if the mysterious power in her body is purged, I'm afraid that Midgardian won't even last two months."
Harvey looked thoughtful. Had the plot already reached this stage?
It seemed the day of Thor's great battle with the Dark Elves was not far off.
"As for that Midgardian woman, it's best if we don't meddle. Improving our strength before Ragnarok arrives is the only true path."
Iden's eyes were full of doubt.
"You also believe in the legends of Ragnarok?"
Harvey was dead serious: "Lately, many powerful members of our race have sensed a great horror approaching."
"There is no other explanation for something that can simultaneously threaten every soul living on this continent except for Ragnarok!"
This definitive statement truly terrified Iden.
"Then... then what should we do? According to the prophecy, Asgard will eventually be ended by the Fire Giant Surtur. We must find a way to stop it."
Harvey patted Iden's shoulder gently and said calmly:
"Stop it? Ragnarok concerns the fate of every soul. Since it is destined to happen, let it happen."
"There is a famous saying in Midgard: if you save the land but lose the people, both land and people are lost; if you save the people but lose the land, both land and people are eventually regained."
"Even if Asgard is destroyed by Ragnarok, as long as our people are alive, it won't be hard to spend some time rebuilding a New Asgard."
"So, our best strategy right now is to begin transferring our people to the other Nine Realms while using every method to increase our strength."
Iden was shocked to her core. This plan was far too bold, and her heart found it difficult to accept.
"For many of our people, they would rather die in battle on Asgard than abandon the home they have lived in for hundreds or even thousands of years."
"After all, not a single brave and fearless Asgardian could ever be a deserter!"
Harvey chuckled and shook his head, choosing not to argue further. When the moment of disaster truly arrived, even the "gods" of Asgard would fear death just the same.