After the 'registration' ceremony was completed by the Well of Urd, the frost giant avatar carrying the will of Hades and Metis seemed to have truly integrated into the land, no longer giving the slightest feeling of being a 'foreign body'.
However, a slightly special frost giant could still have a minor impact on the world.
They needed a more substantial identity to expand their influence and strengthen the connection between the two worlds.
"The identity of a frost giant is too marginal," Metis's consciousness flowed, analyzing the patterns of the Norse divine realm.
"We need a platform that can more directly intervene in the affairs of the divine realm and reasonably explain its 'specialness'."
Their will swept across the Nine Realms and finally settled on the opposite side of Ásgarðr—Vanaheimr, the homeland of the Vanir.
Unlike the Æsir, led by Odin, who advocated war, order, and conquest, the Vanir were more ancient; they were in charge of abundance, fertility, magic, and the forces of nature, with relatively gentle and mysterious temperaments.
In their original fate, wars broke out between the Æsir and the Vanir, culminating in peace agreements and exchanges of hostages (e.g., Freyr and Freyja going to Ásgarðr).
The energy system of the Vanir was closer to the origins of nature and life, which shared common ground with the trait of the 'plant god'—their core camouflage.
Furthermore, the Vanir were relatively closed and mysterious; the sudden appearance of a new member with unique abilities would be easier to accept and explain than among the Æsir.
"Go to Vanaheimr. Disguise as an ancient member of the Vanir, awakened from a slumber," Hades decided.
The frost giant avatar slowly sank into the ground in the wilderness of Jötunheimr, like melting ice and snow without a trace.
All power and will were transferred and concentrated on the genderless avatar 'Narcissus', which had just obtained a 'legal identity'.
Narcissus's figure solidified in the mists of Niflheim.
He still maintained a beautiful form that blurred gender boundaries: his dark green hair was like seaweed, his skin full of plant-like flexibility and vitality, and his body was surrounded by a quiet sense of growth and profound wisdom.
It was time for the final and most important 'identity change'.
Narcissus headed towards Vanaheimr.
Traveling between realms was not easy, but for Hades, it was not insurmountable.
When Narcissus set foot on the land of Vanaheimr, an aura completely different from the harsh magnificence of Ásgarðr greeted him.
It was full of life, with magical winds gently blowing, golden fields intertwined with mystical forests, and the air filled with the scent of abundance and tranquility.
He chose a quiet lake, surrounded by ancient oak forests, relatively isolated from the outside world.
The lake was connected to an underground vein and contained rich life energy.
Narcissus entered the center of the lake. His body, like a true plant, rooted deeply in the silt at the bottom of the lake, connecting with the earth veins in Vanaheimr, while his stems and leaves stretched in the clear water and air.
He sank into a deep, hibernation-like state of 'sleep', began to absorb the natural power of Vanaheimr with all his might, and slowly and subtly adapted his power from the 'plant god' to a state similar to the power of the Vanir.
This process also created a reasonable 'backstory'.
The 'three Norn goddesses', disguised as Nyx's clone, began a new round of 'whispers of fate' at the right time by the Well of Urd.
'Urðr's' fingers traced the water, revealing vague fragments from the ancient times of the Vanir.
Among them, there seemed to be a figure living in symbiosis with nature, but for some reason, sinking into a long sleep.
'Verðandi's' spindle neatly wove an emerald-golden thread, symbolizing 'awakening' and 'return', into the fate of all the Vanir.
On 'Skuld's' scroll, in the section about the future of the Vanir, a new point of light appeared, heralding the positive changes that the return of an ancient member would bring.
These hints of fate, like a breeze on the lake's surface, quietly influenced the collective subconscious of Vanaheimr.
Finally, when Narcissus's 'sleep' reached a certain critical point, when his existence resonated with Vanaheimr at its strongest—
A gentle yet majestic life force, centered around that lake, swept through silently like spring thunder!
The ancient oaks by the lake sprouted new buds at a visible speed, the scales of the fish leaping in the lake shimmered with a healthy glow, and the surrounding flowers bloomed!
This was not a display, but a natural celebration of life, a sign of the awakening of an ancient power.
The ruler of Vanaheimr, Njörðr, the god of the sea, fertility, wind, and waves, was the first to sense this homogeneity, yet with a hint of antiquity.
A flicker of surprise and inquiry appeared on his handsome face.
"This is... a sleeping kin? Such pure natural power..."
His son Freyr, the god of peace and abundance, and his daughter Freyja, the goddess of love and fertility, also sensed this fluctuation and turned their eyes towards it.
Under the curious and expectant gazes of many Vanir, Narcissus in the center of the lake slowly opened his 'eyes'.
These eyes were like the deepest lake, reflecting the luster of life and wisdom.
He rose from the lake, and water droplets slid from his dark green hair like pearls.
He looked at the gathered Vanir gods, a look of just the right amount of confusion and the peace of returning home on his face.
Njörðr stepped forward, his voice soft and full of majesty: "Stranger, I am Njörðr. Your awakening brings joy to life. Tell us your name and tell us from which forgotten era you come."
Narcissus bowed slightly, displaying an ancient and elegant etiquette, and his voice was clear and echoed like waves:
"My name is... Narcissus."
"Once, I slept in the embrace of nature and forgot the passage of time. Until the call of fate brought me back to my kin."
His words were natural and fluent, with a closeness to natural forces unique to the Vanir, and the life force emanating from his body perfectly matched the characteristics of the Vanir.
Njörðr carefully sensed Narcissus's presence and indeed felt a power of the same origin, as well as an ancient charm forged by time.
Fate also seemed to hint that the return of this person was something good.
A sincere smile appeared on his face, and he opened his arms: "Welcome home, Narcissus! Your return is a blessing for Vanaheimr. This land will be your home once more."
The surrounding Vanir also showed friendly and welcoming expressions.
At this moment, Hades and Metis, as 'Narcissus', had successfully infiltrated and joined the Vanir.
They had a reasonable and high starting identity—a Vanir god who had returned from an ancient sleep with unique abilities and wisdom—a platform capable of observing and even influencing the image of the divine realm up close.
And all of this was made perfectly reasonable through the altered threads of fate.