CHAPTER 150 ( PLAT )

During the time Aidan was deep in his research, Thor and the others had come back several times from their various missions across the Nine Realms. Each time they'd returned to Asgard, they'd learned that Aidan was holed up in the library for what amounted to an academic retreat, so they didn't bother him. And to be honest, they weren't big fans of Asgard's library anyway - most of them had never even gone inside to read anything more complex than tactical reports.

Can't really blame them, Aidan thought when he'd heard about their visits. Most warriors probably see a library as the place where boring people go to avoid real action.

Not long after returning to Asgard each time, Thor's group got dispatched to other realms to deal with various rebellions and uprisings that seemed to be popping up everywhere. Apparently, news of the Bridge being out of commission had encouraged several groups to test Asgard's resolve.

At this point, Aidan had basically become fluent in Vanaheim script, and his next target was the main Asgardian collection. As usual, he took out his enchanted map, focused on finding the right section, and felt reality shift around him as he disappeared from the Vanaheim study.

When he materialized again, he found himself standing in what could only be described as the most magnificent library he'd ever seen. To call it a study room would be a massive understatement - this was more like stepping inside a cathedral dedicated to knowledge itself.

The space was surrounded by towering stone pillars that were so tall you literally couldn't see their tops without craning your neck back uncomfortably far. Each pillar was carved from what looked like golden marble and decorated with intricate relief work depicting various scenes from Asgardian history. The craftsmanship was so detailed you could make out individual facial expressions on warriors who'd died thousands of years ago.

A circle of bookshelves ran around the entire perimeter, their height matching the massive stone pillars and forming pointed tops that disappeared into shadows above. The shelves themselves looked like they'd been grown rather than built, with organic curves that somehow supported thousands upon thousands of volumes without looking like they'd collapse under the weight.

On one section of wall that had been left clear of books, you could see murals depicting the former kings of Asgard in chronological order. Each portrait was painted with such skill that the figures seemed to watch you as you moved through the space. The last painting showed Odin himself in his prime, looking every inch the warrior-king who'd conquered the Nine Realms through a combination of wisdom and overwhelming force.

There were also smaller portraits scattered throughout showing other significant figures who'd served under various rulers - generals, advisors, court mages, and heroes whose names had become legend.

The moment Aidan entered the study, he felt genuinely overwhelmed by the majestic and vast atmosphere. The murals and golden stone pillars, combined with the countless books neatly arranged on their towering shelves, created a sense of nobility that didn't sacrifice any of its ancient dignity for the sake of showiness.

This was luxury built from knowledge itself, an ocean of wisdom that had been accumulating for millennia. Standing in the center of it all, Aidan felt like an ant who'd somehow wandered into a cathedral built for giants.

No wonder most people find this place intimidating, he thought as he took in the sheer scope of what surrounded him.

After recovering from his initial shock, Aidan's body slowly left the ground as he activated his flight magic and headed toward the upper levels of the bookshelves. He needed to work through Asgard's historical documents first, then locate the sections dealing with technological development and magical theory.

After a quick scan of the bottom row of shelves - which covered several city blocks worth of floor space - he continued flying upward. The lowest level contained what looked like the complete historical development records of Asgard, starting from their earliest settlements and continuing through every major war, political change, and cultural shift.

That's probably a few thousand years of documentation right there.

Moving up to the next level, he could see books focused on technological research and development. The Asgardians had apparently been documenting their innovations for as long as they'd been recording their history.

He kept climbing. It was hard to say exactly how long he'd been flying upward, but when Aidan finally reached the section he was looking for, he glanced down and realized the ground level had shrunk to the point where people would look like dots. He'd climbed to an altitude of roughly fifty meters, and the surrounding space was completely enclosed by books on all sides.

Looking up, he could just barely make out what might be the top level of the collection. Asgard's book collection is seriously impressive. But what was recorded here wasn't all about Asgard itself - there were travel records from every corner of the Nine Realms and even accounts of expeditions to other dimensional spaces and distant galaxies.

Given the extremely long lifespans of Asgardian people, a single individual could potentially write hundreds or thousands of autobiographical volumes over their lifetime. Add to that the detailed records of magical research, combat techniques, political treatises, botanical studies of exotic plants from across the cosmos, and engineering manuals for impossible technologies, and you'd need a collection this size just to avoid running out of storage space.

Makes sense when you think about it. If you live for thousands of years and rule multiple dimensions, you'd accumulate a lot of information.

Aidan found the section marked "Magic" and started browsing through the available texts. Many of the concepts were things Queen Frigga had explained during his previous magical education sessions. Others were similar to books he'd studied in the Kamar-Taj library, though often with additional theoretical depth that suggested the Asgardians had been practicing magic for much longer than Earth's sorcerers.

After putting one particularly dense theoretical treatise back on its shelf, Aidan turned around to scan the surrounding area. That's when he spotted something unusual - a book marked with runic characters that seemed somehow different from the others around it.

On Earth, according to Germanic mythology, Odin had sought higher wisdom by hanging himself from the World Tree for nine days and nights, contemplating the fundamental mysteries of the universe. When he finally came down from Yggdrasil, he'd gained understanding of the Runes and their power. In the first century AD, the runic script that Heimdall had helped develop was transmitted to Earth, where it eventually evolved into systems used for divination and prayer - basically the foundation of what humans called wizardry.

Curious, Aidan carefully removed the book from its shelf. It wasn't very thick - maybe an inch or so - but it was unusually large, and there was a chain attached to the front cover like some kind of security measure.

He ran his hand over the cover, feeling an unusual texture that looked like orange sand arranged in patterns resembling a barren starry sky. The material felt like some kind of polished bark that had been treated with preservatives that would last for millennia.

Looking at the bottom of the cover, the author's name was clearly visible: Odin.

Holy shit. This is actually written by Odin himself.

When he tried to open the book, the chain on the cover suddenly rattled and pulled tight, keeping the book securely locked. Aidan stared at it in confusion for a moment, then remembered something. He quickly took out the enchanted leather map that had been granting him access to different parts of the library.

He slowly brought the map closer to the book. Sure enough, the chain fell away as if it had recognized some kind of master key, dropping to hang loosely from the cover.

Apparently my library access includes the restricted section.

Raising his eyebrows in anticipation, Aidan put away the map and carefully opened the ancient tome.

The first page contained a poem written in archaic script:

"Nine nights I hung from a wind-swept tree, Wounded with a spear, dedicated to Odin, Myself to myself, on that tree of which no man knows! No bread they gave me, nor a drink from a horn, Downwards I peered; I took up the runes, Screaming I took them, then I fell from thence."

So the mythology was actually true. Odin really did sacrifice himself to gain knowledge of the Runes.

"Rune" was the name that had eventually reached Earth because the characters represented mystery itself - the fundamental mysteries of the universe that most beings couldn't comprehend. But since this system had been created by Odin during his ordeal on the World Tree, it should properly be called "Odin Runes" to distinguish it from later derivative systems.

There was a warning written after the poem that made Aidan pause: "There's more than just one dimension of power. Even a rune that's intended to be full of blessings, as long as the starting point is wrong, will cause a terrifying imbalance..."

That's... ominous. And probably important to remember.

In the Kamar-Taj temple, there'd been records about runic magic, but they weren't nearly as detailed as what he was seeing here. In the Odin Rune system, each character was composed of a vertical line and diagonal slashes at specific angles, and they were primarily used for blessing, protection, and fundamental magical operations.

The first few pages contained explanations of basic theory and warnings about proper usage. When he turned to the third page, he finally reached the main content.

HABALL, symbolizing stillness and contemplation. It represents slow and steady evolution, which can provide a high degree of safety for the practitioner. Magic channeled through this rune will develop in a stable state and can actively prevent the invasion of negative energies.

Sounds like a good foundation rune for beginners.

NIEDERUN, symbolizing one's own desires, also known as the liberating rune. It can allow someone to transition into whatever state they want according to their own desires, using their willpower as the primary driving force behind the transformation.

That one could be dangerous if you don't really understand what you want.

Intentional Killing Rune - okay, that's a concerning name - symbolizing the synthesis and balance of the self. It can concentrate or focus developed magical energy, prevent the emergence of chaotic forces, calm sudden events or volatile situations, and help focus one's consciousness to laser-like precision.

Despite the name, it sounds more like a control and focus tool than an actual weapon.

URUZRUN, a symbol of peaceful natural forces. It'll provide power to magical workings that have been stagnant for long periods, but it won't cause dramatic changes. Instead, it encourages gentle, sustainable progress. It can be combined with other runes to summon various natural forces without disrupting local ecosystems.

Environmental magic. That could be really useful.

SURI SAZRUN, this represents defensive power and also has a redirecting function. When an enemy attacks, it can return the same type of attack back at them, and the returned attack will be doubled in intensity. It channels pure, unplanned, reactive willpower.

A reflection spell that amplifies the return damage. That's seriously powerful defensive magic.

KENNAZ RUNE, this channels gentle flame energy. It enhances learning ability and creativity and can also bring vitality to individuals or dispel dark magical influences.

Perfect for studying. I should definitely learn that one.

Aidan floated slowly in the air, completely absorbed in the knowledge of Odin's runic system. In addition to the basic runes that Odin had originally developed during his sacrifice, there were detailed explanations of how different runes could be combined according to their characteristics to create more complex magical effects.

This is like having access to the source code of reality manipulation. No wonder Odin was able to conquer the Nine Realms - he literally rewrote the rules of magic.