Chapter 101
The flames surged fiercely above eye level, crackling and roaring. Reinhardt watched expressionlessly as his child was consumed by the fire.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t sad. It just didn’t feel real.
“My goal is you, Father.”
Isaac.
His only son.
The boy who had left, promising to become an excellent player, had returned as a corpse.
“Just wait. I’ll catch up to you within twenty years.”
He had been so confident. A boy with enough talent to back up his bold claims…
Drip-.
Tears finally fell from Reinhardt’s expressionless eyes. Several players, familiar with him, wanted to comfort him, but they were ultimately stopped.
He needed time alone.
“Isaac…”
It was incomprehensible. Why had his son returned in this state?
Even when contact suddenly stopped, Reinhardt hadn’t been overly concerned. Isaac had never been the type to stay in touch frequently; he wasn’t particularly close to his father.
But during that time, Isaac had become a cold, lifeless body.
“Has the culprit been identified?”
At Reinhardt’s question, John, a player from the Golden Castle guild, approached.
“I’m sorry. Not yet…”
“Why not?”
“There are no traces. The cause of death—whether it’s from burns or a blade wound—is unclear. Judging by the skill, it seems like the work of a professional.”
“A professional?”
“Yes. This seems more like…”
John trailed off, unable to finish. Saying more would imply that it was done by someone holding a grudge against Reinhardt, something that shouldn’t be said to a grieving father.
But unfortunately, Reinhardt was quick-witted. Noticing what John meant, he nodded.
“Indeed. That might be the case.”
“Reinhardt…”
“But don’t be too biased. Look in various directions.”
“…Yes.”
John nodded. He couldn’t verbalize his thoughts. It was likely an act of vengeance by a player with a grudge against Reinhardt.
The moment he said it aloud, Reinhardt would have to live with that guilt for the rest of his life.
Bowing, John left to give Reinhardt some time alone.
As the corpse was almost completely consumed by the flames, watching the fire gradually die down, Reinhardt had a thought.
‘A grudge…’
Who could bear a grudge against him?
Too many names came to mind. On his way to this position, he had decapitated and crushed countless people. But Isaac was different.
The boy had only just started climbing the Tower; it was hard to imagine he had amassed any deadly grudges. Then, a memory flashed through Reinhardt’s mind.
“…Lee Suhyuk.”
Isaac had mentioned it at some point.
“There’s a guy named Lee Suhyuk here.”
“Lee Suhyuk? What an unpleasant name.”
“It’s just the name. His skills are terrible, and his personality is even worse.”
“Don’t bully him too much. We don’t want any trouble later.”
“Sure thing, sure thing.”
At the time, it seemed like an insignificant conversation, but perhaps it was the mention of that name by Isaac that made the memory resurface.
‘Could it be…’
Swish—
Reinhardt pulled a kit out of his pocket. Lee Suhyuk was currently streaming.
*
『Stage 2 – ‘Rescue’ begins.』
Rescue.
A simple and clear title. It was directly associated with Valkyrie Viola’s request. It seemed the other two Valkyries were in danger.
Crackle, crackle—
Suhyuk watched the small campfire flickering inside the cave. Exhausted from running, Viola had fallen asleep immediately after treating Vigo. Anything else would have to wait until she regained her strength.
‘Muspelheim…’
How many enemies could there be?
Viola had avoided giving a detailed answer to that question. Whether she thought it unnecessary or simply didn’t want to talk about it was unclear.
Suhyuk hadn’t pressed further. There was no need to rush. Regardless of the enemy’s numbers, Viola’s primary goal was to rescue the other Valkyries. Until that was accomplished, nothing else mattered.
‘I was a bit worried about the stream…’
『Title: Continuing the clear. (No communication) Break time~ ^_^』
Smiling at the new title, Suhyuk felt relieved.
‘Good job.’
Un Hyang’s sense of title was impeccable. By clearly dividing rest time from the trial segments, it eased the obligation to interact with viewers.
『(Whisper) Manager: Don’t worry too much. In marathon streams, the focus is more on finishing the trial rather than communication. Good luck, Suhyuk!! ^^』
Thanks to this, he could think and rest without worrying about the viewers.
‘Muspelheim.’
He had only heard stories about them. A realm led by the giant Surtr, and a major adversary to Asgard. Even encountering Valkyries and Muspelheim’s demons was unexpected so soon.
Originally, such an encounter might have been rare…
‘Can’t let this opportunity slip.’
The Heart of Thunder was here. And in his possession was the empty heart he obtained as a reward from the Thunder Cave. It was too valuable to miss. No, it was impossible to miss.
Simply climbing the Tower wasn’t enough. He had to surpass expectations, much like he had acquired the Heart of Lightning during the 2nd-floor trial.
That was his mission and what the viewers anticipated.
Rustle—
Suhyuk took out a pendant and held it in his hand. A round and rugged pendant. This was the newly acquired ‘Warrior’s Pendant.’
-Whoa
-New gear?
The previously quiet viewers perked up. Examining new items was always engaging content. Thanks to Un Hyang’s title change, it was the perfect time for a quiet inspection.
『Warrior’s Pendant』
Grade: Rare
A necklace given to the warriors of Asgard. Wearing it fills you with strength.
Strength +2
Stamina +2
An item that boosts a total of four stats. Highly practical and convenient to wear as an accessory.
-Whoa…
-Not bad!
-For something acquired in a single second, this is a steal.
The viewers were generous with their praise. The vitality bonus was especially appealing to Suhyuk.
‘This is perfect.’
He had been considering items to boost his vitality anyway. With that as a temporary goal, the Warrior’s Pendant was a very satisfactory reward.
Rustle—
He put the pendant around his neck. Suhyuk then closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep.
*
The next day.
“Thank you.”
While packing up, Viola suddenly spoke.
“For helping us.”
Suhyuk had decided to assist in rescuing the Valkyries. It was, after all, the second stage of the trial. His skills had already been proven by defeating Vigo.
In fact, it wasn’t just a simple proof. Vigo had been knocked out with one punch from Suhyuk.
“My power is related to you and your kind, isn’t it?”
It wasn’t just out of simple goodwill; Suhyuk had his reasons for helping.
“Then I should tag along and find out more about this power.”
The rewards of the stage were indeed important. But more important was unraveling the mystery of his lightning power.
“In the first legend, lightning was used to annihilate giants.”
“In the second legend, gods and giants fought over lightning.”
Two legends about lightning told by Ferius. Wildly fantastical, but as time passed, he began to think they might not be entirely false. Even now, it felt true.
Despite the system’s restrictions, asgard sent Valkyries to hide the Heart of Thunder. Muspelheim sent demons to retrieve it. Gods, demons, and giants.
All coveted this power. Ferius had said that the Heart of Lightning was created so humans could fight against these beings.
‘It was lightning that defeated me.’
Suhyuk didn’t think he had lost to Kim Ilsoo. It was the lightning that had killed him. His greatest failure had been his inability to control this power. This time had to be different.
For that reason…
“Is it alright if I say something…?”
While Suhyuk was mentally mapping out his plan for the trial. With a dissatisfied expression and voice, Vigo spoke up.
“To be honest, I don’t understand.”
“What is it?”
“Why you’re helping us.”
There was suspicion lingering in Vigo’s eyes.
“There’s no reason for you to help us, is there?”
“Maybe not.”
“Even if it might get you killed?”
His words grew shorter, and suspicion seeped further into his tone. Suhyuk sighed at this. The reward would naturally come after completing the second stage. But Vigo had no way of knowing that.
In that case—
“Alright, how about I receive something in return?”
Suhyuk, looking around, pointed to an object that had caught his eye since yesterday.
“How about that?”
“What?”
Viola looked startled when Suhyuk pointed at her sword.
“My sword?”
“That’s a holy sword, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but how did you…”
“It’s obvious at a glance.”
He held back the rest of his thoughts. Among the numerous players in the Tower, probably no one had handled as many holy swords as he had.
In his efforts to wield thunder, he had held and broken many holy swords due to their durability. Now, he could tell at a glance whether a sword was an ordinary blade or a holy sword.
“No matter what, that’s—”
“Vigo.”
Viola stopped Vigo, who was glaring with veins popping on his neck.
“It’s alright.”
“But, Viola…”
“I’m willing to give it up. As long as my comrades are saved safely.”
Suhyuk didn’t know exactly how important a holy sword was to a Valkyrie. But for most swordsmen, their sword was as important as their limbs.
However, Viola valued her comrades more than her sword.
-Huge gain.
-What a bastard.
-(Extremely harsh insults)
Perhaps it was because of Viola’s expression, but the viewers reacted strongly. But what choice did he have? They needed a reliable reason to trust him.
‘Another reason to rescue the Valkyries.’
It was indeed time to change his sword. A sword used by a Valkyrie would not be an ordinary item. Suhyuk needed a holy sword to handle thunder more effectively, and increasing his vitality was crucial.
However—
‘It’s rare to get a holy sword.’
Unlike unstable magic swords, holy sword items were literally worth their weight in gold. Given his perpetually tight finances, buying a holy sword was impossible.
But now, he had the opportunity to obtain one through this trial. Suhyuk grinned behind his mask.
‘What a lucky break.’