OBS Chapter 2298
Chapter 2298
Chapter 2298
So instead of rushing after them, it's better to calm down.
Don't rush, let's review the situation first.
What exactly happened, and how should it be resolved?
The worst thing about politics is getting carried away and jumping into it on a whim.
For example, they captured Sif and then executed her.
What about the trouble that follows?
First, Heimdall couldn't possibly remain indifferent. Yes, Heimdall might be dutiful, even prioritizing the interests of Asgard, but… you killed his only sister. And then, do you absolutely believe he will continue to be loyal?
I doubt even Heimdall himself has that confidence.
To reiterate, Sif is not vicious!
Even those who were determined to execute Sif admitted that she wasn't truly evil; there was a reason she had reached this point, and everyone knew what that reason was, as well as Sif's grievances. Therefore, executing her and sympathizing with her were not contradictory!
Because Sif wasn't inherently evil, and everything happened for a reason, Heimdall's resentment only intensified!
Therefore, Heimdall was unsure whether he could truly face his sister's death with equanimity!
If Heimdall himself lacked confidence, what about the others?
Then I'll have even less confidence!
So Heimdall will either be marginalized or leave Asgard altogether!
That's alright, but don't forget there's also Vanaheim!
Sif grew up in Asgard, but she is a true Vanaheimer!
Vanaheim has been severely damaged, and its strength has been greatly reduced. If possible, they would be very willing to bring Sif back. Of course, if they can't, it's okay. There's no doubt that Sif possesses Vanaheim blood, so in critical moments, she will still be an important asset to Vanaheim.
But if you kill Sif, what will Vanaheim think?
Yes, Vanaheim has suffered a significant loss of power, but because of this, Asgard is paying even closer attention to its attitude towards Vanaheim.
Don't forget how severely Vanaheim's strength was diminished.
It was that madwoman Hela who started the massacre! She killed the god-king and god of war of Vanaheim, and slaughtered a large number of their people!
How did Hela find them?
Ultimately, it's all Asgard's fault!
Vanaheim didn't blame Asgard, partly because they were truly magnanimous; after all, Hela and Surtur later attacked Asgard and nearly wiped them out... They were all in the same boat, and their relationship was so good. So, they let it go.
Of course, this is not the most important thing.
Most importantly, almost all of Heimdall's capable fighters are dead!
Even if they really wanted to cause trouble for Asgard, they wouldn't have the confidence to do so.
Even in our heyday, we couldn't beat others, let alone now.
Honestly, while there's not much difference between the lower and middle levels of Asgard and Vanaheim, and Vanaheim even has more abundant human resources, the gap is enormous when it comes to high-end combat power.
Back then, Asgard was ruled by only two gods: Odin and Hela!
And what about Warnaheim?
Njord, the chief god, is the summer and sea god of Vanaheim. He governs summer, the sea, storms, fisheries, and wealth, and is also revered as the patron god of navigation. When he is angry, he wields his iron oar, easily creating towering waves, storms, and tsunamis; when he is happy, the waves become calm. Therefore, Vikings and fishermen greatly worship him. He resides in the "ship city" of Nooton and governs the wind, water, and fire at sea.
Natherus, Queen of Vanaheim, and sister of Njord. In the liberal Vanir pantheon, Natherus and Njord had a relationship at a banquet; Frey and Freya are her children with her brother Njord. She is the goddess of fertility of Vanaheim! (The same rank as Sif).
Gulveg, the goddess of magic.
And then there's that nameless war god.
Four gods in total... and they were completely overwhelmed by Odin and Hela!
Therefore, while Vanaheim is not afraid of Asgard, it still lacks the confidence to turn against Asgard.
Another point is that the reconstruction of Vanaheim requires Asgard!
Hela's massacre of Vanaheim... was truly horrific.
Hela is the goddess of death, and she sought greater power to fight against Odin.
Therefore, he plans to enhance his Shinigami powers.
So she set her sights on Vanaheim.
Because no Grim Reaper has been born in Vanaheim, she thought of becoming the Grim Reaper of Vanaheim herself, so that she would have the dual divine authority of Grim Reaper of Asgard and Vanaheim!
How does one obtain the priesthood of Death?
The concept of divine office is actually quite mysterious. Take Sif's divine office as the goddess of fertility, for example... who knows how she obtained it? Perhaps people thought that the king's wife should represent fertility? Anyway, it's all very strange.
However, it's not entirely without pattern. Overall, it all boils down to one thing: when you do something, people know about it and then give you feedback. And that's how divine authority is formed.
For example, Death.
If you bring enough death and enough shock, then you might become the Grim Reaper!
So Hela went on a killing spree in Vanaheim!
Unleashing boundless death, and even in order to cause more death, Hela even collaborated with those scum she once looked down upon.
For example, frost giants, pirates, and trolls.
Back when Hela was in Asgard, she killed countless of these scoundrels; she held them in utter contempt.
Because they have no honor.
Hela has no family ties... because Odin used her as a weapon.
There was no friendship either.
Her subordinates worshipped her like a goddess, and the only thing she could call friendship was with her mount, the giant wolf Fenrir.
She herself had no worldly desires.
She is Death!
Death is humanity's ultimate destination, and also the most difficult reality for humankind to accept. Death is an eternal disappearance, an irreversible change, and an unpredictable unknown. Death evokes fear, sorrow, helplessness, confusion, and even despair. Death is an inescapable fate; everyone must face it, yet no one wants to.
Why are humans so afraid of death? There are several possible reasons. First, death means the end of life, the loss of all feelings, thoughts, memories, emotions, desires, ideals, values, and meaning. Death makes one feel how insignificant and trivial one's existence is, how futile and useless all one's efforts and sacrifices are. Death makes one feel how short and empty one's life is, how hollow and illusory all one's experiences and memories are. Death makes one feel how uncontrollable and ungraspable one's life is, how random and blind all one's choices and decisions are.
Secondly, death signifies a rupture with the world, the loss of all connections, relationships, communication, influence, and function. Death makes one feel disconnected from everything around them—family, friends, society, culture, history, nature, and so on. Death makes one feel disconnected from communication, unable to express their thoughts and feelings, unable to listen to the voices and emotions of others. Death makes one feel disconnected from influence, unable to change or affect anything or anyone, unable to participate in or contribute to any event or activity. Death makes one feel disconnected from function, unable to utilize their abilities or talents, unable to achieve their goals or dreams.
Finally, death means entering the unknown, facing all uncertainties, questions, mysteries, confusion, and challenges. Death makes one feel as if they have entered a completely strange and unknown world, not knowing what is there, what will happen, or what they will encounter. Death makes one feel as if they are facing a completely uncertain and unknowable fate, not knowing where they will go, what they will become, or what will become of them. Death makes one feel as if they are facing a puzzle with no answers and no explanations, not knowing why they must die, whether there is a soul after death, or whether the soul is reincarnated.
Hela is synonymous with death. Any worldly pleasures are meaningless to her. She cannot enjoy the deliciousness of food, the sweetness of wine, or even the intimate moments between men and women.
What did Hela have left?
All that's left is honor!
Honor is essentially a fictitious social construct, rooted in humanity's yearning for spiritual recognition. This product of collective consciousness relies on a reward mechanism based on neurocognition, and has gradually transformed into a highly efficient tool for social management in the course of civilization. Compared to material incentives that require actual resource investment, spiritual rewards only need symbolic encoding to trigger the release of dopamine in the group; its operating mechanism can be considered the most cost-effective manipulation technique in human history.
The social disciplinary system has long since distorted honor into a sophisticated behavioral controller. In early childhood education, the speed at which plates are emptied is quantified as a "red flower" indicator; in corporate organizations, the 996 work culture is packaged as a gold-plated certificate of honor; in militaristic systems, medals made of thin metal plates become proof of loyalty. These symbolic capitals circulate in different scenarios, constructing an addictive value assessment system. What is worth pondering is that the power to define honor always rests in the hands of those who set the rules. The traditional system of etiquette implemented moral control through the binary opposition of "gentleman" and "petty person," while modern evaluation systems use KPIs to domesticate behavior. Paradoxically, those who are disciplined often internalize this spiritual shackle as a conscious pursuit—ancient virtuous women exchanged their lives for chastity arches, and ordinary people exchanged a life of poverty for the praise of their neighbors; essentially, these are all absurd transactions that exchange spiritual symbols for the meaning of survival.
In social reality, we often witness the phenomenon of so-called honor, where winning a ranking in supposedly fair competition equates to gaining honor. Everyone desires honor; no one truly doesn't want it. In reality, honor is an intangible asset and a measure of ability, making the pursuit of it a human instinct. Since winning honor through fair competition in activities such as basketball games, calligraphy and painting contests, and poetry recitations is commendable and worthy of recognition, in a socialist society, individual and collective honor are fundamentally aligned. Collective honor is the foundation and ultimate goal of individual honor, while individual honor is the embodiment and component of collective honor.
Marxist ethics emphasizes that collective honor is superior to individual honor, while encouraging concern for individual honor. It only opposes immoral behavior that harms collective honor in pursuit of personal vanity. The proletariat's sense of honor is based on collectivism and linked to virtues such as honesty and humility, fundamentally different from vanity. Returning to reality, I am reminded of the slogan "Friendship first, competition second" (proposed by Premier Zhou Enlai in 1971). What a wonderful realm of spiritual civilization this is! The intangible wealth of honor has a strong and powerful allure derived from tangible benefits.
A sense of honor is a crucial quality in one's life. It not only propels us to achieve greater success in various aspects of life but also shapes our character and elevates our values. Whether in personal life or professional career, a sense of honor serves as an authoritative and vital guide, bringing us immense meaning and motivation.
The word "honor" is frequently encountered in our daily lives. It's not only a deeply ingrained emotion and value, but also represents outstanding achievements in various fields such as career, academia, and sports. The literal meaning of honor is glory and prestige. So, what exactly does honor mean? Why is it so important, and why does it inspire us to pursue excellence?
Literally, glory symbolizes honor and prestige. In ancient times, glory was often associated with military achievements and noble titles, symbolizing the heroic performance of figures on the battlefield. However, with the evolution of the times, the connotation of glory has gradually expanded, no longer limited to military achievements, but encompassing outstanding performance in many other industries. The significance of glory lies in the affirmation of personal dedication and effort. Behind every glory lies countless hours of rigorous training and in-depth research. Excellent athletes continuously improve themselves through training and competition; outstanding scholars explore unknown fields through in-depth research and paper writing. Glory is not only recognition of their final results, but also affirmation of their unremitting efforts and pursuit of excellence. At the same time, glory also has profound social value. Athletes who win gold medals in international competitions not only win personal honor, but also bring pride to their country; doctors who successfully cure difficult and complicated diseases not only achieve personal success, but also bring glory to the entire medical team. In these cases, glory becomes an important driving force for motivating collective progress and the pursuit of excellence. However, the pursuit of glory is not always smooth sailing. Sometimes, we may need to sacrifice personal time and interests, and even endure enormous psychological pressure. But it is precisely these challenges and pressures that forge an individual's resilience and indomitable will. While enjoying the glory, we should also view these efforts and sacrifices rationally and maintain a balance in our mind and emotions.
In general, honor is a dual praise for the outstanding achievements of both individuals and groups. It is not only a commemoration of past glories but also an encouragement for future challenges. On the path to pursuing personal goals, we should always remember that only through unremitting efforts and persistent perseverance can we win the honor that belongs to us. This honor may concern national dignity or it may simply be recognition of small achievements in daily life, but it is undoubtedly a powerful driving force for our progress.
This is also the result of Odin's constant indoctrination.
This is all that remains of Hela's life!