Melting Chapter 73: Conquer, Conquer, Melt, Melt! (Patreon)

Karnilla was a proud woman.

She looked down on everyone, believing that no man was worthy of her. Her skill in magic was quite advanced, surpassing even Loki’s, and she could in certain aspects rival Odin himself. Added to that, she possessed a body as powerful as any Asgardian’s. The two combined made her the strongest individual in Nornheim, allowing her to take the title of “Queen of Nornheim” and lead the fight against Asgard.

Aaron was the first man in years whom Karnilla actually took an interest in. His genes seemed flawless, and his power was considerable. So she decided she would conquer him!

But fantasies are beautiful, and reality is cruel.

As soon as they started, Aaron activated Sensory Sharing. Even the greenest novice, under the effect of Sensory Sharing, could swiftly improve their “driving” techniques, turning into an experienced “driver” in no time.

After repeated practice, they could master perfect force and direction. Imagine in modern urban society: if a beginner driver were able to bind to a seasoned driver’s senses, the months of training it would normally take could be compressed into a few hours—possibly surpassing the mentor and reaching a state of “perfection.”

Because of that craving for perfection, Karnilla ended up in a more embarrassing situation herself.

Meanwhile, Aaron activated “auto-pilot” so to speak, and simultaneously melted down some “machine oil.”

[Magic Codex (Karnilla): You have acquired the traits of alchemy, summoning across distances, cross-space teleportation, instantaneous movement, phase-through-object abilities, and magical shielding, etc.]

[Gift of Magic: You can grant energy (to yourself or others) that boosts physical or sensory capabilities, granting different forms of superpowers, plus the ability to release energy-based attacks and create energy shields.]

“Not bad!” Aaron murmured approvingly.

But Karnilla assumed he was complimenting her moves, so she only worked harder, diligently learning through Sensory Sharing—trying to keep both sides mutually satisfied at all times and quickly picking up various “positions” of knowledge.

Suddenly, Aaron channeled a burst of magical power—“Gift of Magic”—that amplified certain sensory sensitivities, making it easier to grasp more knowledge.

Wait…?

Karnilla abruptly felt her sensory acuity increase again, at least fivefold!

This was bad!

Karnilla… collapsed on the spot like a snail in salt!

…

“Sif, you’re not gonna go check on Uncle? That Nornheim woman took him away. If she succeeds in seducing him, Asgard’ll become the biggest laughingstock,” Loki said in a rush, having kept an eye on Aaron and Karnilla the whole time. He went straight to Sif.

But Sif just looked at him with an odd expression. “As I recall… Karnilla is purely a mage, right?”

Loki nodded.

“She’s not stronger than me physically, is she? I mean, in terms of raw strength.”

“No way. You’re Asgard’s most powerful female warrior,” Loki said.

Sif smiled in a strangely self-assured way. “Keep an eye on the clock. I bet Aaron will be back within an hour.”

Loki: “???”

Sif was calm, showing no sign of panic. From Loki’s brief account, she wanted to laugh: a mere female mage, daring to take on Aaron alone—truly someone who doesn’t know the meaning of fear! And to be so…forward about it, too.

Sif was well aware how terrifying Aaron could be once he got going. By his own words, Karnilla probably wouldn’t last even a Felicia unit of time. Who was she going to whisk away like that?

Then, suddenly, Sif’s expression got a bit strange. “I figure… it won’t be long before Nornheim is completely under our control.”

Thor happened to walk over right then, and hearing the words “Nornheim” triggered him: he rushed over. “Uncle’s about to launch a full-on war against Nornheim? When? How many troops? I volunteer to lead the vanguard—for Asgard, I’ll crush Nornheim in one glorious battle!”

Sif’s expression grew even more peculiar. For some reason, she was fed up with Thor’s style of “troops first, think later” warmongering.

“This time, we won’t need a single soldier. One move is all it’ll take,” she said.

Thor and Loki were both stunned. How do you seize an entire realm without an army and force them into perpetual submission? Thor in particular struggled to imagine the scene—how do you completely conquer a nation without fighting?

He pressed her, “How does that work?”

Sif just smiled cryptically, then slipped away with Savannah and Nina, who had wisely backed off.

To conquer a whole kingdom, you don’t necessarily need to defeat their army. Conquer one person, and that’s enough.

Loki partly got it and partly didn’t. He shook his head, unable to fully comprehend. He wondered if everything was really okay.

He glanced at his watch and quietly started counting. Sure enough, about fifty minutes later, Aaron returned, looking lively as ever. Loki was more confused than ever, but nobody cared what he thought.

Aaron spotted Sif, who welcomed him with a mysterious grin. “Aaron, between Nornheim’s ‘fertile fields’ and Asgard’s ‘charming scenery,’ which one leaves the stronger impression?”

Aaron gave her a look, noticing Savannah listening curiously to their banter. After a short pause, he said, “Nornheim is indeed rich and fertile: burbling streams, dense forests, plus a pair of peaks up top that have a certain… unique beauty.”

Sif’s smile faltered slightly. She glanced down at herself in annoyance. Damn, she lost that comparison!

But Aaron went on, “Asgard’s landscapes are quite nice too—maybe not as lush, but they’re well-groomed, and every so often the stream overflows, giving the fields extra moisture so they’re even smoother and denser for planting seed. As for the mountains, they might be shorter than Nornheim’s, but they’re quite breathtaking…”

“All in all, Asgard and Nornheim both leave you wanting more!” he concluded.

Sif’s smile brightened.

Meanwhile, the Light Elf princess Savannah and her guard Nina felt that this conversation sounded rather strange. Since when was a flood a good thing? As elves, they were quite adept at agriculture. One look told them Asgard’s fields couldn’t possibly outmatch Nornheim’s. But neither of them dared question it. Sif had been nothing but kind to them, after all.

Timidly, Savannah spoke up: “Um… Your Majesty Aaron…”

“No need for titles,” Aaron gently interrupted. “Just Aaron is fine. No need to be so formal.”

Sif agreed. “We said we’d be like sisters. So what should you call him?”

Savannah’s lips quivered, and in a voice barely above a whisper, she said, “Br…Brother-in-law…?”

Aaron silently gave Sif a thumbs-up. “I like it,” he said, nodding. “Since you and Sif are now like sisters, that makes you my sister-in-law. If you want to call me that in public, go right ahead.”

Savannah nodded, cheeks blazing red. Imagining that her “brother-in-law” was this unbelievably strong hero-king made her head spin.

Nina behind her couldn’t help feeling a pang of envy. Everyone kept saying that Aaron was poised to be the strongest figure the Nine Realms had ever seen—peak Surtur had been instantly slain by him, and he was so young and handsome that everyone found him endlessly fascinating.

On top of that, Savannah’s father, the Elven King, had drilled into them this idea of how “perfect” Aaron was. How could anyone not admire him?

“So, what were you going to say?” Aaron asked.

Savannah answered softly, still addressing him as “Brother-in-law.” “Asgard’s scenery is beautiful, and Nornheim’s is too, but… Alfheim’s is no less spectacular! The forests are denser, the streams gentler, and the mountains taller…”

Aaron and Sif exchanged a glance and burst out laughing. Savannah felt a surge of stubborn defiance, though she had no idea where it came from. Puffing out her chest, she pressed her lips together. “I’m telling the truth! If you don’t believe me, come see for yourself!”

Aaron smiled, eyeing Savannah and Nina. “I believe you. These eyes of mine can see Alfheim’s loveliest vistas. I’m sure it’s gorgeous, and I’ll make time to appreciate it myself.”

Savannah joined in his laughter—until she realized she’d spoken in that slightly pushy tone to a powerful God-King. Immediately, she shrank back again. Nina awkwardly coaxed her away, explaining, “Apologies, Your Majesty, our princess can be…a bit…”

“I understand,” Aaron said with a gentle nod. “She’s like a timid little parrot, but I’m sure she’ll change before long.”

Stepping closer, he placed a hand on Savannah’s shoulder and lowered his head to look into her bright, sapphire-like eyes. “As my sister-in-law, you share in my glory. You can hold your head high and speak up. Don’t act like some little frightened bird—it just makes everyone want to bully you.”

Savannah hovered anxiously, then mumbled, “Nobody can bully me. My father is king, my sister is Asgard’s strongest female warrior, and you’re the mightiest man alive, the most powerful God-King. Nobody would dare bully me!”

“But what about me?” Aaron teased, leaning in. “Would you let me bully you?”

Savannah bit her lip, snuck a peek at his striking golden eyes, and nodded, “You can bully me, Brother-in-law.”

“Promise?”

“Promise!”

Aaron grinned wider, drawing sidelong glances from the crowd. People from the Nine Realms, including Asgard, looked on, noting how well he was getting along with Savannah, Nina, and the others—and mentally writing “Hands off Savannah” in bold. The Light Elves might not intimidate anyone, but Aaron made gods themselves tremble.

“Alright, Savannah and Nina, why don’t you stay in Asgard for now? I’ll be on Midgard a lot, so you can come visit me there if you want. It’s a different kind of world. If anything bothers you, just tell your sister. Sif will take good care of you.”

He gave Savannah’s hair a gentle ruffle. Teasing her was fun in small doses, but too much felt a bit mean. This innocent, timid little thing needed looking after. If she went out alone, she’d definitely get tricked, maybe even help pay the scammer.

After a word to Sif, he left Savannah and Nina in her hands. Savannah’s face lit up with glee. Nina was also delighted because Aaron had remembered her name, even though she was “just” the bodyguard.

Plus, a heroic Valkyrie had offered to help them both. That level of respect felt amazing—she couldn’t help but straighten her posture, revealing the graceful physique her training had granted her. Granted, nobody else noticed.

Beautiful flowers require constant tending, plenty of sunshine, and may or may not bloom fully. Sometimes there are pests. But the simple grass beside them only needs a stray ray of light here and there, a few drops of water, and it grows vigorously—cheerful and content.

Once Aaron had parted ways with Sif and Savannah, he didn’t stick around the banquet. He disliked such events. He didn’t need to flatter anyone or force a smile; no matter what he did, people would interpret it favorably. But he still found the atmosphere dull. After sampling the food and drinks, he left.

He was the star of the show, but the celebration carried on just as boisterously even after he departed. In fact, it grew more relaxed and lively without his presence.

Even Laufey started knocking back cup after cup, tearing into drumsticks as though trying to bankrupt Asgard by eating it bare. Fandral was off with a wine-maiden, Volstagg telling one story after another to his wife and child, and Thor mingled comfortably with the crowd, thoroughly at home in the festive setting.

Whether warrior or noble, local or guest, everyone was in their element.

Especially the Asgardians. Since the peace treaty with Jotunheim in 965 AD, they’d spent centuries living in relative paradise, with advanced technology, a long lifespan, and a laid-back lifestyle that other cosmic civilizations envied.

Little by little, they’d grown decadent. Thor, for example, hadn’t improved in a thousand years. In truth, compared to their days of conquering the Nine Realms, they now resembled pompous nobles—flashy but lazy, more interested in feasting than fighting.

Aaron took one look, then melted down the so-called “dagger of the Frost Giant Progenitor” Laufey had given him.

[Gigantification (Complete Frost Giant King): With power from the Casket of Ancient Winters, you can grow infinitely…]

[Primordial Giant Force – Fragmented (Fusion of Fire Giant, Frost Giant, Stone Giant): Your physical stats have risen again, letting you more rapidly absorb energy from frost or fire and wield more potent mastery over ice, flame, and earth elements.]

It was a decent reward, enough for Aaron to sense a fresh surge of cellular activity. His cells were now a bit stronger—maybe a negligible amount, but in his case, every little improvement was a massive leap, multiplying his strength to astronomical levels. Each of his cells probably equaled multiple Skyfathers at this point.

“Aaron, you don’t seem fond of this environment. You’re the main star here—don’t you want to enjoy a bit more of this moment of glory? Share in the wine and festivities with your people?”

Odin appeared from a distance. He had experienced countless gatherings like this. Though it was the first time so many realms had celebrated simultaneously, Odin was long inured to it all. Right now, he cared only about Asgard’s future.

“I’m a man, not a god,” Aaron replied. “Even if I possess a god’s power, I still think like a human.”

Odin nodded. “You’ll get used to it someday. We have very long lives, and we need to find things to do with our time. If we can’t adapt to living like gods, it’s all too dull, too pointless.”

Aaron agreed; that did make sense. But if he really wanted to savor a godlike lifestyle, he’d better first ensure he was completely unbeatable. And in the process, why not enjoy the scenery along the way? Never miss a good view, discard the bad ones, and explore those spots no one else had seen.

Perhaps one day, if he reached the ultimate pinnacle, he’d return here for a well-earned retirement with them. But right now, he couldn’t stay put.

“To enjoy a god’s pleasures, you need the power to fear nothing,” he said. “Too bad… I won’t find it here.”

Odin’s pupils constricted!