Chapter 187
『‘Selfish Sacrifice Lv.9’ resisted the damage from ‘lightning’ and ‘thunder.’』
『Fatigue reached 98.』
His body went limp.
If it hadn’t been for the Sky Horse, he might have plummeted straight down to where Valhalla was.
‘I thought I might die.’
Desperate to end the fight with a single strike, he squeezed out every last bit of his strength. If he couldn’t win with this, then he couldn’t win at all.
‘Still… the performance has definitely improved.’
The previous strike had surprised even himself. He hadn’t thought he could unleash an attack of this magnitude.
If judged by that single strike alone, it evoked memories of Lee Suhyuk in his prime.
‘It must have supported my stamina to this extent.’
Thanks to the Heart of Lightning that had worked so hard and the Level 9 Selfish Sacrifice that played its part, he was still standing.
As every ounce of strength ebbed from his body, Suhyuk checked Loki’s condition one last time.
The message indicating the completion of the trial had not yet appeared.
It was unlikely that Loki was unscathed, but there was a possibility he wasn’t dead yet.
Sure enough.
“Ugh… ugh…”
Loki, still clinging to his staff, floated in midair with his eyes half-rolled back.
“Seriously durable.”
It was hard to believe, but he was indeed alive. Considering he had faced such a monstrous foe, it was no wonder it had been difficult.
Fortunately, he still had enough strength to move his limbs.
He had experienced intense fatigue numerous times, even managing to take half of Kim Ilsoo’s face in such a state.
He could certainly finish off a nearly dead opponent.
“Let’s go.”
The Sky Horse moved according to Suhyuk’s will. Having fought together, the Sky Horse had undeniably become Suhyuk’s ally.
Riding the Sky Horse, Suhyuk closed the distance, his sword pointing toward Loki’s neck.
“Stubborn till the end.”
He raised his sword high.
“Let’s finish this.”
Sshh-.
At the moment his sword was about to strike Loki’s neck.
Ziii-.
“…?”
Something caught his sword around Loki’s neck. Loki was still unconscious; it wasn’t his magic.
A third party.
“Hold your hand for a moment.”
Odin intervened.
“Are you shielding him just because he’s your son?”
“Shameful as it is, yes.”
He had asked just in case, and it turned out to be true. The very person who had created this situation was intervening now.
– Looks like he only planned to mess with Heimdall
– Poor underdog..ㅠ
– Damn familial ties ㅡㅡ
– Isn’t it more about adoption?
Loki was Odin’s second son.
However, among players, it was known that Loki was not blood-related to Odin.
In simple terms, he was an adopted son.
Despite this, Odin stepped in front of Loki’s death, swallowing his pride.
“Wasn’t it you folks who caused this mess?”
“…Yes.”
“Rushing in belatedly, and instead of cleaning up the mess you made, you’re here protecting your son? That’s rather disappointing.”
Suhyuk deliberately provoked him.
Odin was the one in the wrong here.
Ignoring and moving past his wrongful actions would mean Suhyuk would forever be a pawn to be used.
“This is complicated.”
Odin had intended to find the enemy who had trapped Thor with Tyr, but Loki had become an unexpected variable.
Loki had planned to steal the thunder with Heimdall.
It was unclear when they had started working together. Depending on the timing, it would be revealed whether Loki had a hand in trapping Thor.
“I intend to uncover this child’s crimes properly. After that, he’ll receive the penalty he deserves.”
“Sins, you say?”
Lee Suhyuk laughed at his words.
“Is your son’s entrapment the only crime? What about this?”
“…It’s not, no.”
The Sky Horses’ home was obliterated. If they hadn’t won the fight, neither Lee Suhyuk nor Viola, whom the Sky Horse held limp in its jaws, would have survived.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t do this, but it’s hard to stay rational when it involves my son.”
There was only one relationship requiring no justification or compensation—that between a parent and child.
Even the king of the gods wasn’t free from that bond. Odin groaned at his own unreasonable actions.
“If I call this an atonement for our rudeness and these actions…”
Odin’s gaze landed on Loki, who remained unconscious.
“How about this?”
Zzzt—.
Something sharp was extracted from Loki’s chest.
A jagged gemstone, no bigger than a fingernail, emitted a dazzling blue light.
It felt similar to thunder.
But it was different.
Lee Suhyuk remembered seeing something like that before.
‘Heart?’
It resembled the ‘Heart of Lightning’, which he had obtained after shattering the giant’s head during the second test at Ferius’ village.
“I’m not asking for your forgiveness with this.”
Swoosh—.
At Odin’s gesture, it floated slowly into Lee Suhyuk’s hands.
“But I promise this child will certainly pay for his sins.”
“Well… if you say so.”
Feigning defeat, Lee Suhyuk nodded and reached forward.
“Just this once, I’ll let it go…”
The moment he grasped the heart.
Spin—.
‘Huh?’
His vision spun wildly. His sense of balance vanished, leaving him unable to differentiate the Sky from Earth.
He couldn’t even stay on the Sky Horse’s back anymore. His spinning vision darkened, and he lost his grip on consciousness.
『Fatigue has reached 99.』
Come to think of it, his fatigue was overwhelming.
That was Lee Suhyuk’s last conscious thought.
* * *
He didn’t know how much time had passed since he lost consciousness.
Slowly, as if his body were floating up from deep water, Lee Suhyuk’s awareness resurfaced.
“I didn’t expect you to arrive so soon.”
He heard a voice.
The voice echoed like a whisper, bouncing off narrow walls.
Lee Suhyuk couldn’t help but listen.
“I thought I knew you completely, but I guess I was wrong.”
“It’s been over ten thousand years since we fought together. Change is natural.”
“It’s unfair. I’ve grown so weak while you have ascended to far greater heights.”
His vision gradually cleared.
Lee Suhyuk found himself in a prison. It felt dark and deep underground.
‘Cutscene?’
Two figures were conversing across iron bars thicker than a hand.
Heimdall, bound in countless chains, glared at Odin with bitter eyes.
No one would have expected the two to meet this way.
“Why did you do it?”
“That item must vanish.”
Heimdall reiterated an old claim.
“It shouldn’t exist. One day, it will lead not only Asgard but all worlds to ruin.”
“So you meant to destroy it?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
There was no reply.
Had he acted without a plan, or had he found a way but chosen to keep silent?
“It’s always been like this.”
Odin sighed deeply with regret as he spoke.
“I gave him the heart.”
“……!”
Heimdall, who had been bowing halfway, looked directly at Odin.
At times like this, it made one question whether he was really blind. Even without eyes, he could see whatever he wished to.
“So this is true…”
“Would any lie pass by you?”
“He possesses the complete Heart of Thunder. But why…!”
“That’s precisely why.”
Odin’s thinking was on a completely different trajectory than Heimdall’s.
“I thought we should move forward without breaking it. Instead, we should find its true master to handle it and prepare for that day that might come.”
‘A day that might come?’
Listening to the cutscene dialogue, Lee Suhyuk’s eyes snapped open.
A day that might come. It was a word engraved in the souls of all players, including himself.
Suhyuk had been aware of that day for a long time. However, he had never found a clue about it until now when Odin mentioned something similar.
“Thor failed.”
“Yes. He failed.”
“Are you expecting a human to succeed in what your own son failed?”
“Surely, you haven’t forgotten? Who is it that blinded your eyes?”
Heimdall lost his eyes in a battle between gods and humans.
“He is strong enough for now, and his ability to handle Thunder is better than Thor’s. What do you think? Isn’t it worth expecting great things from him?”
“… That’s exactly the problem.”
Their views did not converge at all. The conversation running in parallel lines ended with Odin’s remorse.
“That day… we should have ended it.”
“If we had, we wouldn’t be separated by these bars now.”
“Indeed.”
Heimdall grabbed Odin, who was about to turn away for the last word.
“I hope you don’t regret this.”
Odin, after halting momentarily, began to move his feet again.
“That depends on the human.”
* * *
As the cutscene ended, Suhyuk’s mind gradually became clear.
He slowly opened his eyes, feeling a comforting sensation. He wondered if he had fully become a streamer because he unconsciously focused on the chat first.
-Hey, he woke up
-Persistent wins LOL
-My timing was perfect
Seeing the rapidly scrolling chat comments, it seemed that he had been unconscious for quite a while.
Recently, there hadn’t been a time when he blacked out for so long during a stream.
“Urgh-.”
He first lifted his body and observed his surroundings.
Judging from the fact that he was lying on a bed, it seemed to be somewhere in Valhalla.
‘Did Odin bring me here?’
He was the last one Suhyuk was with, so it must have been him.
He didn’t particularly feel indebted. No matter how great a price he had received, Odin and Tyr had used him.
The content of the cutscene lingered in his mind.
It was a cutscene that mentioned something that would happen one day. Since there were no comments about the cutscene, it seemed the viewers hadn’t seen it.
He recalled the words left by Hwang Gyuseong before he died.
“If you get the chance… meet the Three Demon Kings. Then… you might understand.”
He had already planned to visit them, but now he had another reason.
‘But in my current state, I’m far from ready.’
The Three Demon Kings were kings among demons, beings referred to as Demon Kings.
Seeking them out with subpar skills would mean even ten lives wouldn’t be enough.
Deep in thought about the cutscene, Suhyuk suddenly asked,
“How long was I out?”
He thought there was no one around, so he directed the question to his viewers.
“About half a day.”
The answer came from an entirely different place.
“……?”
How long had they been there?
Turning his head to the side, Suhyuk saw Thor waving at him.
“Nice to see you again. Should I say we’re acquainted?”