Chapter 4: Vol. 1 – Episode 4
“We call this world Valhalla. Your place is called the fantasy world.”
“Valhalla, and?”
Sungjin also knew the name. This was where heroes went after death in Norse mythology. In a Norse-type utopia, it was said that they fought during the day time under the main G.o.d, Odin, and they were resurrected to enjoy banquets at night.
“Our world started from G.o.ds who loved games between heroes. They created six cla.s.ses of heroes first and a battlefield to enjoy watching the games between them.”
“How…?”
Battlefield. Hero. Game.
Sungjin had instinctively become interested in those familiar words even though he was still angry. Ereka, who noticed his reaction, quickly continued.
“After enjoying the fights, the G.o.ds combined those countless battlefields to create this world. They made the heroes fill up the world through birthing children, and they also made and attached more lands and extra cla.s.ses to each battlefield. If anyone won in a battle, they would allow him to rule all of them.”
“Then, does that mean that the heroes have superhuman powers and compete in the battlefield for dominion over the land and the people?”
“Yes, the winner takes everything and is given stronger Heroic Power by the G.o.ds. The loser, on the other hand, is resurrected outside the battlefield, promising to do the following. Therefore, the fight has been going on. Take a look at this for yourself. That’s better than words.”
Ereka invoked the prepared Video Stone. The three-dimensional fantasy contained in it was replayed.
An old knight stood proudly in the stormy winter wind. He, showing a bare upper chest, was taller than Sungjin, and his large muscles were as strong as rocks. The power of winter did not dare intrude upon his body.
But he was not strong.
That’s why everything was relative. How could the human body that was made with blood and flesh deal with steel spears? The soldiers around him speared at him simultaneously, and ten spears pierced his naked body at the same time.
Flesh was split open, and blood flowed, but it all belonged to the soldiers.
“Iron Faith!”
This was a skill that embodied the steel beliefs he held as a knight.
The body, strengthened by the power given by G.o.d, transcended steel. The spears which were thrown out with all their might bounced off of his body, and his hands with the power of an ox grabbed them and broke them in half.
This was a knight, one of the six heroes created by Valhalla’s creation G.o.ds. A strong defense that could repel even steel spears and a strong force that could smash boulders—this was a cla.s.s given to Rittier.
Hmm. This is kind of cool, isn’t it?
Sungjin’s interest was piqued. The game he had played on earth was a match he played with data on a screen. Although the individual’s hand on it was genuine, they could not help competing only in the limited framework provided by the program.
In comparison, the compet.i.tion here was real. This was not a character made up of data, but a battle of heroes with real special talents.
Another video flashed before his eyes.
“That’s good, Rittier. But how long will your Heroic Power remain in front of this number?”
The woman in a purple costume beckoned in front of Rittier. Following the gesture, hundreds of skulls carrying half-moon swords rose from the ground and encircled Rittier.
“Ha! No matter how many come, this body won’t back down!” the old knight shouted loudly and wielded a sword.
One, two. Ten, Twenty.
Even in front of a crowded army, the old knight did not step back. When hundreds came, he cut down the hundredth one, and when a thousand came, he cut the thousandth one.
Even in the midst of death, the courage of the knight shone. Even though ten fell down, the strength of the skulls was not reduced. Even though a hundred fell down, the strength of the skulls was not reduced.
A new army rose from the ground. In proportion, the courage of the knight and the supply ability of the army were completely equal.
It was an endless war of attrition
However, sweat drops began to form on the body of the old knight, and the woman stood arrogantly. It was obvious which side had an advantage in the ability to sustain such a miraculous feat.
The sword of a skull soldier grazed Rittier’s body, and blood splattered for the first time.
“Huh. Have you already run out of Heroic Power? I thought you’d last a little longer,” the woman sneered.
“Heroic Power” was a miraculous power given by G.o.d. With it, heroes could have defensive power stronger than steel, and they could raise skulls and use them as soldiers. Such things could only be done because of their skills formed under that power.
In other words, the hero cla.s.s was not any different from the extra cla.s.s whenever they exhausted this power.
Just then, the sky howled.
Woorr~ Kw.a.n.g~ Woorr~ Kw.a.n.g~
White light struck down through the sky, and a huge hammer fell as it’s shadow covered the ground.
The resounding thunder was the world’s dedication to the dignity of the war G.o.d. This was Thor’s hammer from mythology—the reemergence of Mjolnir.
It was a young wizard who accomplished this miraculous feat. But who accompanied him was one who had inherited the power of a “Shaman.” They could carry out the requests of the G.o.ds.
A hammer swooped down to the ground, and lightning strikes devoured the skulls and the woman at the same time.
The earth was broken into pieces, and they flew everywhere. The trees were burnt and shattered. A severe blow changed all the terrain features and created a huge pit.
“Mjolnir.”
In response to the girl’s yell, the old knight ran through the empty s.p.a.ce in a moment. Even holding a big sword, his speed was more than 12 meters per second, which was beyond the human limit
The knight’s sword cut the purple woman’s wound with lightning again, and the game was finished in a moment.
“Hmm. This is definitely cool.”
Sungjin frankly admitted that he was interested.
So splendid forces with special talents given by G.o.d crashed into each other. It was a real fight where everything was possible without being limited to the programming in a game.
It was a sport because you could be resurrected after the battle, but it was a real match except for that. This seemed to be much more fun than the game on his computer.
The prizes weren’t just money or honor, but the land, the people, and the power over the country itself. This was a different level of intensity.
His instinct as a matchmaker was already seething.
“Then… would you like to sign a contract with me and stand on the battlefield as the representative of our country?” Ereka asked cautiously, but Sungjin shook his head.
“It’s quite tempting, but it’s not enough.”
You’re saying that this body is short as a reward… Ereka bit her lips slightly because the words “no need for all that makeup” echoed in her mind. Then, how many women does he need?
Although she was determined to offer herself up, she could not do that to the people.
“I’ve prepared abundant wealth and fame, and high status. As for wealth, I will give half of the gold, jewels, and artwork owned by the royal family as well as the t.i.tle of the queen’s husband and the Grand Duke. It’s the second highest position in every protocol in the kingdom.”
“Haah. I don’t need that.”
Sungjin only raised his eyebrows when he received the suggestion of money and status. That had nothing with the games that he pursued.
“What else do you want?”
“Games! The blood-boiling games and strong opponents.”
The two videos she just showed to him were pretty cool, but he couldn’t feel the force of the world champion cla.s.s from them. A real special talent far more spectacular than the game was present, but the unique soul of the world champion cla.s.s was not shown in.
“The Blood Ruler now threatens the kingdom.” Ereka suppressed her voice, becoming as cold as possible.
I see. According to the legend, the demidevil of the Other World is hungry for blood and s.e.x. For s.e.x, I am sacrificing this body, and blood will be given by fighting. That is what it is.
The fight was scary for her. If it wasn’t for the sake of protecting the people, she would have put away her armor and weapons for all of her life. But the fight itself was great fun for the demidevil.
She was physiologically repulsed, but what could she do? He was so powerful.
A new video played.
A red beam shot straight out at a flying bird. The bird fell down to the ground in a complete lump of charcoal immediately.
The turret, the source of the beam, prevented enemies from approaching. There was a human wall in front of it, even though it was already a single fortress.
It was Rittier now armed with full-body armor, even though he had repelled steel spears and defeated hundreds of soldiers. His two legs standing firmly against the earth were like t.i.tan from ancient mythology.
Again, hundreds of soldiers stood in the way between him and the turret; the dense transverse formation was built flawlessly.
And behind that, Jenna stretched out a triple magic square under her feet and embodied Thor’s hammer in the sky. The moment when the enemy approached, its power would burn everything with lightning.
She had built up a momentum that no enemy could break through. “We must defend here.”
Desperate resistance, that’s what it was called. How many large forces were there against them?
It was windy in the forest, and the wind was grey rather than clear. Unswervingly strong lightning burned the earth, and the leaves crumbled to the ground. It was supposed to be green in May, but it was all brown. The wind was a harbinger of the fire, a battalion of troops carrying death. The true nature of the military made the old knight ready to buckle down.
There was only one woman who emerged from the forest, but she was not an ordinary woman.
Her dark red curly hair, which reached her chest, was like a garden full of roses, and her plump skin and voluminous body released primordial energy. Her huge yet firm chest was overwhelming, and her arrogant smile showed both brutality and elegance. The blood-red armor covered only her private areas, but its overflowing spirit made its appearance more dignified than obscene.
Each step she took shook the ground and destroyed its surroundings. The grey souls floating around the blood-red magic sword in her hand shed mournful cries and curses.
“You can’t come any further! Blood Ruler Riad!”
“What a joke!” Riad drew her big sword in the air at once. The air split and a shock wave created a deep hole shaped like a cone in the ground.
Rittier had both legs firmly on the ground but was eventually pushed back. The soldiers standing together were caught up in the wave and were blown away.
The impregnable defense line began to crumble in a moment.
“Mjol… nir!” Jenna invoked her Ultimate, saying that she couldn’t lose.
Thor’s hammer ripped through the sky and hit forcefully. The earth was turned upside down, and the forest was burnt. The view was filled up with smoke, and Rittier jumped in at that chance.
“Blood s.h.i.+eld.”
The smoke subsided after a while. And… the Blood Ruler walked out aloofly without any ashes on her body.
“That’s just so loud. Anyway, that’s probably level 4. Whatever you borrow, the power in there is about that level…”
And Rittier was… his body was divided into five pieces was left to fall into the pit.
“Woah… Woah… Woah…”
Jenna trembled with fear.
“The weak must succ.u.mb.”
The Blood Ruler ignored the turret as if it were only tickling her and approached callously before she cut a trembling Jenna in half in one blow. Her little body was sliced, and the red magic sword swallowed up the spouting blood.
Seeing their miserable defeat again, Princess Ereka clasped her hands.
The Blood Ruler, Riad is too strong an enemy… A tyrant who came back with that sword and is trampling on everything… a truly fearful tyrant.
“The woman you’ve just seen is the strong Blood Ruler Riad threatening the kingdom. She is my older sister.”
“Huh, older sister? Is this a fight for the throne?”
“Yes, I am the successor of my father, but she has already taken all the lands except for this castle by force. And all the heroes except for the two beside me here are already on her side.”
“I don’t care for that testament, but your opponent is truly great. Yeah, this is real. You said, ‘Blood Ruler’? She’s strong, I can feel it.”
Sungjin laughed and said that his hands were itchy.
He could feel the spirit.
He felt the same spirit from the members of the Virgo team, the world champions he had faced. The Blood Ruler was single-handedly giving out the energy that all five of them exuded together. How much better an opponent she would be if she had team members!
The enemy was real even though the reason for the fight was a power struggle for the throne in a humble family.
He wanted to compete, and his blood boiled. His nerves were on edge as if he were running headlong towards a summit.
Ereka was sure that the transmission was successful by watching him writhe in antic.i.p.ation.
The demidevil is hungry for blood and s.e.x. It could be a disaster if he surpa.s.ses the Blood Ruler, but I should control the poison with another poison.
“If this is not enough, there are more legendary beings.”
“Ho?”
“The Blood Ruler is strong but the strongest only in the periphery. There are many others in the center beyond her. Moreover, there are the Four Devas over there who have been the strongest since the beginning of time.”
“The Four Devas…”
“Yes. The Four Devas are said to have been given power from G.o.d since the beginning. There is a myth that whoever defeats all of them will become the Arc Master and become a new G.o.d who can reshape the world as he pleases… but they’ve never been defeated.”
They were champions who didn’t allow even a single victory to their challengers.
“Only two people, who were the strongest men in history and given the t.i.tle of ‘Kaiser’ by accomplis.h.i.+ng the greatness of central unification, challenged, but they were utterly defeated. The Kaiser’s death caused the empire to collapse. It was said to be a mythical clash that was shrouded in mystery, and it was a different level from the central battle.”
“Arc Master.”
Sungjin’s heart beat violently as if it had now reached its zenith.
The one who has the power of the world champion team is only the strongest player in the periphery and only the second in the league? Sungjin thought.
Basically, there were monsters of a higher level in the center, in the first league. Moreover, there were four champions who’ve been reigning since the beginning? Those who conquered the world challenged them and were defeated.
Wasn’t that so cool? Was there any other battleground that was so great as to write such a brilliant legend?
Forgetting his anger, Sungjin admitted the seething desire for the match.
“All right. I’ll forget the past. I’ll challenge the road to the Arc Master. As the first step, I’ll also jump into the battlefield here.”
“Thank you.” Ereka was barely relieved.
Rittier and Jenna, who had been watching with a close eye, were all relieved.
Princess Ereka succeeded in appeasing the demidevil of the Other World.
“I’ll come back once I finish the game I promised in my original world.”
“I’m telling you now that that’s impossible. There’s no ritual to send you back.”
“Ha?”
Did they kidnap him without his consent?
The eyes of Sungjin became fierce for a moment. He began to like this world, but Princess Ereka, not so much.
“Well, all right. I will skip that now because it’s irreversible.”
“Then before we sign, please put your hand here in the presence of G.o.d and register his existence formally in front of the G.o.d of this world. Then if you put your name on it and swear the contract in front of the ‘Eye of G.o.d,’ the promise will become an absolute thing that neither side can break.”
Even though the demidevil from the Other World was fierce and always hungry for blood and s.e.x, his contract in front of the divine stone, called the “Eye of G.o.d,” couldn’t be broken. No one in this world has ever gone back on their oath, as the punishment is death if it is broken.
That was the trump card prepared by Ereka when she attracted this being that was more dangerous than the Blood Ruler. It was a restriction line to keep other people from being touched by the demdevil’s l.u.s.t.
“Sign first. I am going to check.”
The stone of G.o.d that Ereka pointed out was a watermelon-size crystal on which a pupil pattern was engraved. Sungjin put his hand on it. This was a significant moment, where the beginning of a new s.h.i.+ning legend was to be written by him in this world.
Everyone including Ereka watched the scene breathlessly. It was the moment where various information about the demidevil was finally revealed, even his name that was not asked for yet.
What’s his level?
Princess Ereka was level 6, Rittier was level 5, and Jenna was level 4. That was all they had now.
How much power the demidevil had would change the situation in the future.
If he’s level 8…
The wall of awakening and non-awakening presented between level 8 and level 7 were vastly different. This was not the same as the difference between other levels.
If splitting hairs, the difference between level 4 and level 3, where the Ultimate skill was formed for the first time, was comparable to that, but of course, the higher, the better!
It would be better if his level was 9 or 10, anything beyond level 8.
Finally, the voice of a woman sounded out with an unfeeling, mechanical tone.
[Checking new target. Updating status information.
Name: Cha Sungjin
Cla.s.s: Unknown
Heroic Power: 0
Level: 0
Retention Skill: 0
Calibration capacity: 0
Attack power: 0
Defense power: 0
Spell power: 0
Resistance power: 0
Speed: 0
That’s all. Would you like to register as a new member of Valhalla?]
“Le… Le… Le… Level 0?”
Ereka went completely rigid.
“Level… 0?”
Rittier twisted his face.
“Huh? You are Level 0?”
Jenna’s knife tail stretched out.
The demidevil from the Other World, who was called out with all kinds of resolutions, was only level 0.
Did that mean that he was the same as the extra cla.s.s without any Heroic Power who existed to serve the hero cla.s.s?
Why the h.e.l.l did they want to use him? Where could they even use him?
Their summoning was a complete failure. The demidevil they pulled out was absolutely useless.