Chapter 188
It was the first time he saw Thor in a sane condition.
The Thor he had seen before was like a crazed bull seeing a red cloth.
His body bore far more wounds than Suhyuk, who had just awakened from unconsciousness. It seemed they had a hard time capturing him while Heimdall was imprisoned.
“Do you remember me?”
Suhyuk asked.
Thor shook his head.
“No. I have faint glimpses of scenes, but I do not remember. I heard about you from my father.”
“Then it’s hard to call it an old acquaintance.”
“Even so, you saved my life. It’s not an introduction.”
After saying this, Thor suddenly bowed his head.
“Thank you. Asgard and I owe you. I don’t know if I can represent Asgard, but I thank you on behalf of everyone.”
Suhyuk was quite taken aback by the unexpected bow.
But then again, considering what he had done from the fifth floor until now, it wouldn’t be unusual if they knelt instead.
– Thor is cool.
– He really did go through hell.
– Your dad is a bit shameless, though, haha.
Even amidst this, seeing the chats come in, Suhyuk realized he might have truly become a streamer.
After pausing for a moment, Suhyuk spoke with resolve.
“… For someone who owes me, the treatment was rather odd.”
Thor bowed deeply again at Suhyuk’s implied criticism.
“I’m sorry. Your disappointment is justified.”
“Was there really no other way?”
“Until now, we haven’t found any. And probably, that would have been the case going forward too.”
“Just admit it. You sure have a way with words.”
He wasn’t exactly in a great mood. Putting aside the difference in species, Suhyuk had helped Asgard considerably.
However, Suhyuk had been used by the gods once more. Though it was in the nature of a trial, and he received rewards, it didn’t change his view of Thor and the gods of Asgard.
“I am aware of how much you have helped us.”
Fortunately, asgard wasn’t as shameless as he had feared.
Raising his head, Thor confidently met Suhyuk’s eyes.
“So, the debt we owe you, we will repay it with interest over however long it takes.”
It didn’t sound like mere words. There was weight in the words of Asgard’s prince.
This was likely something Thor had discussed with Odin or Tyr.
“For now, take this.”
Thor handed over a golden token with the Sky Horse engraved on it.
“What is this?”
“It’s a golden token. This is given once every thousand years to those recognized by my father, Odin.”
“Is this supposed to settle everything?”
“You wouldn’t say that if you knew what it could do.”
“What can it do?”
“Anything Asgard can do.”
Although Thor’s response seemed casual, its content was substantial.
It meant that if it was something Asgard could do, it could mean practically anything in the world.
– It’s like a Buster Call.
– What’s a Buster Call?
– It’s an immensely powerful button from One Piece.
– Is it a good thing?
– It looks good, but too bad it’s one-time use.
Already, the chat was alive with discussions about the reward.
A one-time-use item with immense power. Such an item could not have its value assessed merely by its performance.
‘Depending on how and where this is used, its value could change.’
In short, it was a one-time-use ultimate move.
And there was no predetermined place to use it yet.
“Well, I’ve conveyed what my father wanted me to convey.”
At that moment, Thor’s eyes changed after delivering the token.
“Friend, shall we go outside and talk privately?”
There were indeed many things he needed to discuss with him.
* * *
Whirr-
Thor brought Suhyuk to a field where the Sky Horse was.
In Valhalla, the Sky Horse was not tied up in a stable. Once tamed, it wouldn’t easily leave its master’s side, even without special measures.
Thor approached his old mount.
“Taming this creature isn’t an easy task. You did well.”
His words made Lee Suhyuk remember belatedly.
“Oh, right.”
“Hmm?”
“No, something I had forgotten came to mind.”
Lee Suhyuk, quickly turning the microphone, asked, “SafeAsset, sir? Is your asset safe?”
– Hahahaha
– Now he’s even teasing the viewer, hahaha
– Oh, hahaha, asking if it’s safe, hahaha
The two missions that SafeAsset had set up. Ultimately, the outcome this time also resulted in Suhyuk’s victory.
『Completed the mission.』
『Received 100,000 points as sponsorship from ‘SafeAsset’.』
『Completed the mission.』
『Received 500,000 points as sponsorship from ‘SafeAsset’.』
『’SafeAsset’ sponsored 100 points.』
『You dog』
SafeAsset was still watching the stream.
There were a few more missions pending. As Suhyuk received the mission rewards one after another, his smile grew wider and wider.
With the growth of the stream, the number of missions had also increased. Seeing the rapidly accumulating points lifted his spirits.
“Seems like something good happened.”
“No, nothing good really.”
“Stop the formal speech. You’re my savior. Why don’t we be friends?”
“Friends? Let me think about it…”
The deliberation didn’t last long.
“Sure, why not?”
– Hahaha
– Accepted right away
– If you’re going to pretend to ponder, at least make it seem longer, haha
Becoming friends with the prince of Asgard.
It wasn’t an offer with any downsides.
Considering previous events, the likelihood was high that future trials would also be related to this world. Thus, having broad and deep connections would be beneficial.
“I like your straightforwardness. Very manly.”
Thor, laughing heartily, petted the Sky Horse and asked, “Friend, are you searching for the trace of thunder?”
The trace of thunder.
It was the first time he heard the term, but he could infer what it meant. Suhyuk had already heard about the origin of lightning from Tyr before.
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Why?”
“Because I need greater power.”
– To win the Counter-Fight, hahaha
– Quickly, give out the rewards~
There was no need to explain why a player pursued strength.
Honor, power, wealth. And values beyond those. Everything in the Tower was directly tied to the player’s strength.
“Is there a reason you need power?”
“It’s too soon to tell you that; we just became friends.”
“Indeed. That’s also true.”
With a sly smile, Thor looked into the Sky Horse’s eyes.
“I believe in this guy’s choice. He’s been my comrade in countless battles for a long time.”
Then, Thor’s gaze shifted to Suhyuk.
“And you rescued me.”
“It wasn’t really a rescue…”
“No. For me, it was.”
Thor shook his head determinedly.
“Back there, I killed countless lives. It didn’t matter if they were humans or gods.”
“…Back there?”
As far as Suhyuk knew, Thor hadn’t gone anywhere. He had been swallowed by thunder and imprisoned by Odin.
So, the place Thor was talking about could only be one thing.
“Yes. That was the memory of thunder.”
The memory of thunder.
That was where Thor had been, swallowed by the power of lightning.
“I couldn’t discern the purpose. I just killed, and killed again the lives I saw, driven by the boiling power in my body.”
“…For how long?”
“It’s been over hundreds of years.”
Many players had become desensitized to killing people.
Whether it was through tests or guilds, or personal competition and fights. A player’s life was more closely tied to death than their life before becoming a player.
But even so, was it possible to kill someone incessantly for hundreds of years with ordinary mental strength?
Just hearing about it and imagining it was enough to make one nauseous.
“When I wondered if this would ever end, you saved me.”
Thor closed his eyes, perhaps recalling the sense of relief he felt at that moment.
When he reopened his eyes, they held a look reminiscent of the prince of Asgard.
“That’s why I must help you. Who else would if not me?”
“What do you mean by help?”
“Thunder and lightning, and lightning.”
Three words came out of Thor’s mouth.
“I know the whereabouts of one of them, the lightning.”
“Lightning….”
Lightning was the one thing Lee Suhyuk did not possess.
Knowing its whereabouts would be invaluable.
‘This must be the destination.’
He felt it.
Even after taming the Sky Horse and defeating Loki, the trial hadn’t ended, just for this conversation.
Perhaps, the moment Thor revealed the whereabouts of the lightning, the 7th floor would also come to an end.
“Where is it?”
“…Aren’t you afraid?”
“Of what?”
“You could become like me. Consumed by that power and becoming a monster who doesn’t even know what you are.”
What in the world was he talking about?
“It doesn’t matter.”
Lee Suhyuk shook his head decisively.
He was someone who had already died once trying to handle the lightning. If he feared this power, he wouldn’t have started in the first place.
“You are just like me.”
Smiling wistfully, as if recalling a past event, Thor soon gave his reply, as if unwavering resolve was the right answer.
“Olympus.”
The moment he heard the answer.
『‘Scenario: Wings of Thunder’ has been completed.』
『‘Scenario: Seeker of Thunder’ has been completed.』
『You have gained 300,000 points.』
『You have gained 500,000 points.』
『You have acquired ‘Mark of Asgard’.』
『You have acquired ‘Heart of Thunder’.』
『You have leveled up.』
『Your level has…』
『…』
* * *
The day of the Counter-Fight was just one day away.
The Counter-Fight would take place in the central city of the 7th floor, the Desert Kingdom.
Humid and dry weather, along with colorful and tall buildings that didn’t suit the kingdom.
Sitting in a café in the middle of that kingdom, Cheon Ryang was nervously bouncing his leg and biting on a cup that only had ice left.
“These humans…”
Naturally, the ‘humans’ he muttered about were Lee Suhyuk and Un Hyang.
Lee Suhyuk went up to the 8th floor after the test, and Un Hyang disappeared without a word about where she went.
They both had given no news until the day before the main event was supposed to start.
They were supposed to return by this day.
‘It’s understandable for Un Hyang, but why Lee Suhyuk, the streamer?’
Despite the fainting incident, Lee Suhyuk’s stream was a huge success. The test set in Asgard, and the perfect conclusion foreshadowing a great stage in Olympus.
It wasn’t like he was supposed to take the 8th floor’s test right away, so taking this long to come back didn’t make sense.
“At this rate, we won’t even be able to apply for participation.”
Lee Suhyuk the streamer’s qualification for the main event was still valid. But only as long as he completed the application in time.
Grit.
The combination of anxious thoughts and the hot weather made him irritable.
As he was biting on the ice out of frustration.
Whoosh.
From across the direction he was looking to check the distance, a familiar face popped up over Cheon Ryang’s shoulder.
“Why are you alone?”