Hela’s pupils contracted slightly.
She had seen many strange things; countless creatures of various forms existed in the Nine Realms, including three-headed giants, incorporeal fire spirits, and trolls whose bodies were made of rock.
But the entity before her was completely different from anything she had ever seen.
His bodily form was no different from an ordinary human, but that “head” completely exceeded the scope of her cognition.
That purple hand, that die, that faint aura that seemed to seep in from beyond the World—all of this was telling Hela that the white figure before her did not belong to the Nine Realms, nor even to any territory she recognized.
“Who are you?” Hela asked again, her voice lower this time, carrying a dangerous calmness.
Her sword was not lowered, and Fenrir’s body was taut like a fully drawn bow, ready at any moment to pounce and tear the intruder to pieces.
Asat Pramad stopped his steps.
The distance between him and Hela was about twenty paces, a distance that could maintain safety while allowing effective communication.
He tilted his body slightly.
Because he had no head, this head-tilting action turned into a subtle inclination of his entire upper body, looking both bizarre and carrying a peculiar elegance.
“Just a passerby,” Asat Pramad said.
His voice sounded no different from an ordinary person speaking, but on certain syllables, it carried a slight resonance, as if the voice was slightly distorted when passing through that die.
“Or rather, a passerby who resonated with what you just said.”
Hela’s eyes narrowed.
Her gaze lingered on Asat Pramad’s “head” for a fraction of a moment, then swiftly swept across his entire body, assessing the threat level of this unfamiliar entity.
Her combat intuition told her that the person before her was extremely dangerous, but to what exact degree of danger, she unexpectedly could not judge.
“You were eavesdropping on me,” Hela said.
This was not a question, but a statement.
“Eavesdropping is not quite the accurate word.” Asat Pramad’s tone was as relaxed as if he were attending a tea party.
“I was originally just strolling across this plain, admiring Asgard’s scenery, and then happened to hear someone complaining about her father.
I admit I stopped to listen for a while, but shouldn’t this be considered…
a chance encounter?
A coincidence?
Destiny?”
The corners of Hela’s mouth curved into an icy arc.
It was not a smile, but more like a warning.
“You still haven’t answered my question.
Who are you?
How did you enter Asgard?
What is your purpose?”
Three questions, each sharper than the last, and her tone was filled with an oppressive pressure that allowed no refusal.
This was the aura of Asgard’s crown prince.
Even when feeling down, she remained that Goddess of Death who made the Nine Realms tremble.
Yet Asat Pramad was completely unaffected by her aura.
He even took another step forward, a movement that caused Fenrir’s low growl to suddenly rise a few notches.
The giant wolf’s fangs were completely bared, and saliva dripped onto the grass, making a sizzling sound.
“My name is Asat Pramad.” He frankly reported his name without any concealment.
“As for how I got in…
you might find it hard to believe, but I truly walked in.
Asgard’s boundary defenses are very strong, but for someone like me, passing through them is no difficult task.”
Hela’s gaze instantly turned sharp.
Asgard’s boundary defenses were personally co-designed by her, and the power contained within them was sufficient to block an entire army.
The person before her claimed he could easily bypass those defenses; this was either arrogant boasting or he truly possessed power far exceeding ordinary understanding.
“As for my purpose…” Asat Pramad paused for a moment.
The rotation speed of the die seemed to accelerate just a bit, and those blurry symbols emitted a faint purple halo.
“I originally had no purpose at all, but after hearing your complaints, I suddenly felt that perhaps we could have some common topics between us.”
“Common topics?” Hela’s sword still pointed at Asat Pramad, but the tip drooped just a fraction.
This was an extremely minute change in angle, yet enough to show that her attitude had loosened slightly.
“What kind of thing are you?
How dare you claim to have common topics with me?”
Asat Pramad let out a light chuckle.
The laughter was not loud, but in the empty plain, it appeared exceptionally clear.
“I heard every word you spoke, Hela, daughter of Odin, Goddess of Death, crown prince of Asgard.”
Each time he uttered a title, Hela’s gaze grew one fraction colder.
“You complained that your father is content with the territory of the Nine Realms and unwilling to continue expanding.
You feel that he has grown old, that he has grown cowardly, turning from a conqueror into a guardian.”
Hela’s jaw muscles tightened.
She was clearly unaccustomed to having someone directly repeat what she had just said in private.
“And you.” Asat Pramad raised one hand, pointing his slender index finger at Hela.
“You want to continue conquering, want to plant Asgard’s banner into more distant stellar regions, want to forge an unprecedentedly massive empire with iron and blood.
Your ambition extends far beyond the Nine Realms, your vision sees farther than Odin’s, and your heart is hotter than all the warriors of Asgard combined.”
His finger lowered and hung by his side.
“But your father does not understand you.
He suppresses you, denies your thoughts, and uses his authority as the King of Gods and father to make you shut up.
You are angry, aggrieved, and unwilling to resign.
You clearly have more foresight than him, and know more clearly than him what path Asgard should take, yet because he is your father and king, you can only obey.”
Hela fell silent.
Her sword still pointed at Asat Pramad, the dark green light on the blade still circulating, but an extremely subtle change appeared in her expression.
That change was almost imperceptible to the naked eye, but in the perception of Lord of Annihilation Asat Pramad, it was as clear as ink spots on a white sheet of paper.
Her lips pursed tighter, the muscles at the corners of her eyes twitched slightly, and the knuckles of her fingers holding the sword hilt turned white.
These words struck her sore spot.
“Do you think you can see through my heart?” Hela’s voice grew even lower, almost a low roar.
“You monster who popped up from nowhere, without even a head, wearing a ridiculous white formal suit, how dare you stand before me and say you understand me?”
Her words were sharp and harsh, but Asat Pramad heard a trace of subtle hesitation from within them.
She was using aggressive language to cover up the embarrassment of her inner thoughts being struck, and this reaction precisely indicated that his words had already taken effect.
“I don’t need to understand you.” Asat Pramad’s tone remained as calm as stagnant water, forming a sharp contrast with Hela’s sharpness.
“I just happen to have similar thoughts to yours.”
“Similar thoughts?” Hela let out a sneer.
“Do you know what my thoughts are?”