Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Heimdall's Recognition
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Tyr returned to Valhalla. It seemed his business was done after confirming that Soo-hyuk was taking the trial.
Puzzled by his inexplicable confidence, Viola went to find Balder.
Balder.
The former captain of old Midgard's guard, and now the current commander of Midgard.
He greeted Viola alongside Vigo.
"Welcome, Lady Valkyrie."
"It's been a while, Sir Balder."
Viola and Balder shook hands. For a moment, Viola's gaze shifted to Vigo before returning.
It wasn't strange for Vigo to be here. Balder had been Vigo's old superior, after all.
"I heard you became commander."
"Save the congratulations. This guy has already showered me with plenty."
Balder shrugged and nodded toward Vigo with his eyes.
Once they moved to the inner reception room, Viola got to the point of her visit.
"I have something I want to ask."
"Me? What is it?"
"Actually..."
Viola recounted what had happened with Tyr and Soo-hyuk.
Even his firm conviction that a human could never pass the trial.
"You told me the same thing once, Sir Balder. That Asgard's gods would never accept us."
"...Yes. I did say that."
"Was there a reason for that certainty?"
Silence hung over the room for a moment. The answer was delayed, and Viola understood his hesitation.
This might be Asgard's shame, after all.
After a long silence.
Balder parted his pale, chapped lips, which he hadn't moistened in ages.
"Heimdall was there."
A disappointingly anticlimactic answer after the long silence.
"I know that. But he would have-"
"Just let you pass."
Interrupting Viola, he spoke in a mocking tone.
"Unlike with me."
"...?"
The atmosphere shifted.
Confused, Viola glanced at Vigo standing behind Balder.
Whether he had heard the story beforehand or already knew, Vigo's face remained as calm as ever.
"That's why I hate the gods. They built a wall called Rasderich to draw lines and divide classes. They treat us like livestock to be used."
"Sir Balder?"
"Maybe not you, Lady Viola. But can you really say the other gods aren't like that?"
She was at a loss for words.
She couldn't deny it—not after meeting Tyr just moments ago.
Having heard those words, she couldn't refute Balder.
"...Heimdall didn't let you pass?"
"He didn't let us pass."
"Why?"
"Because we were half-breeds. Tainted with human blood."
As if rage was boiling up, Balder stood and walked to the window.
His clenched fist trembled. What he saw in the distance was the towering wall of Rasderich.
"It's a mountain he can never cross. You know that, right? Heimdall was even stronger before he lost his eyes."
"Why would Valhalla's trial...?"
"Someone intervened. Probably Odin."
It was an example she had no choice but to nod at.
There weren't many beings in this world capable of that. And Odin had the power to create an opening in Valhalla's trial.
He was the strongest warrior—and a mage as well.
"That's why I've made up my mind."
Gazing beyond the window at Rasderich, Balder's eyes gleamed.
"To cross it my own way."
Thud thud thud—
It was then.
The reception room door burst open as guards rushed in.
"...Sir Balder?"
Viola called out to him uneasily at the sudden situation.
And as if to confirm her unease.
"For that, Lady Viola."
Turning back to her with a completely changed expression, he said,
"I need your help."
"I've decided."
Heimdall spoke as if he held Soo-hyuk's fate in his hand.
"Show me your thunder. I'll judge after seeing it."
The meaning was clear.
If it pleased him, he'd let him pass. Otherwise, he'd block him.
'This won't be easy.'
Soo-hyuk realized he had no choice.
Even just ten steps away, he couldn't gauge the opponent's power. The distance was too vast.
The being before him was one he could never surpass.
He was an opponent who demanded acknowledgment, like the wolf warrior from the Starting Dungeon.
But there was one difference.
'It's not the same as back then.'
This opponent was one whose measure he couldn't even take, unlike the wolf warrior.
This was a path with only one option.
'I came here because of this trial.'
Soo-hyuk took a deep breath.
A quick glance at the chat showed the viewers were already in chaos.
Many viewers remembered the rewards Soo-hyuk got from the 5th floor. It wasn't hard to realize that the thunder Heimdall mentioned was the Heart of Thunder.
There was no reason to hold back.
No other options, either.
"If you want to see it that badly."
This time, he didn't adjust the mic.
It was a message for both Heimdall and the viewers.
"I'll show you."
Yellow and blue lights intertwined in his hand.
Sparks flew as lightning of different colors clashed.
As the visible sparks grew stronger, the damage began to reach Soo-hyuk's skin.
ZZZING—
The lightning flowing from his fingertips began shedding its vague form.
A mass of mana stretched long from a central point.
KABOOM—!
Unable to be fully controlled, it unleashed the loudest thunder yet.
The sound reached even the viewers beyond their monitors.
And right after the boom, a spear formed in Soo-hyuk's hand.
It was a long rod that could barely be called a 'spear'.
A nearly 3-meter spear mixed with two colors.
Its imperfection stemmed from Soo-hyuk's still-low proficiency.
Zing, zing—
Heat coursed through the hand gripping the spear. Holding it longer might burn his arm first.
The only reason he could hold it was one.
'Damn, this is intense.'
Thanks to the gloves Kindre made.
The straightforwardly named 'Thunder Gauntlets' item.
This glove's effect was singular.
To help control thunder's power.
Kindre's nonstop work and materials costing hundreds of thousands of points were all for that one purpose.
"Impressive."
Heimdall admired the imperfect spear Soo-hyuk created.
"But can you throw it? Doesn't seem feasible."
"It has to be this much to make you budge even a little."
He still couldn't tell the opponent's size. To sense it, he'd need far higher levels.
But now, he had confidence.
This wouldn't be a total waste.
"And if throwing is impossible—"
Whoosh—
Soo-hyuk pointed the spear tip at Heimdall.
"I can thrust it."
"Thrust? Well, that's a method too."
"Then..."
The moment he thrust toward the nodding Heimdall.
"That's enough."
Hiss—
The spear aimed at his heart halted.
His hesitation broke his focus. The imperfect spear in his hand scattered like mist.
"If you can't throw, you thrust. Just having that resolve is passing enough."
"Did I pass?"
"For now."
Heimdall nodded.
And as if on cue.
Whether the messages appeared or not, Heimdall continued.
"Doesn't mean the other gods will acknowledge you."
"Tyr said the same. He really hates humans."
"He has reason."
"Something happened between gods and humans."
It wasn't just intuition.
There was a story he'd kept in mind.
“Gods and giants. Great beings humans could never face with their power.”
“This was made to fight and win against them.”
What Pelius told him when he first got the Heart of Lightning on the 2nd floor.
For humans to fight and defeat gods and giants meant something had happened between them.
And it was likely unrelated to why gods like Tyr hated humans.
"Didn't I say? Meet the me outside, and I might tell you."
Soo-hyuk smacked his lips in regret.
Seemed he wouldn't get answers here.
"Well, then..."
No point dragging the talk. Soo-hyuk passed Heimdall and looked up the stairs.
"Planning to keep climbing?"
"No opponents like you up there, right?"
Heimdall was a device someone placed to stop humans from going further.
Having cleared that hurdle, next would be Valhalla's real trials.
"I'm curious too. Who's next."
"I'll let the you outside know as a review."
"Appreciate it."
He felt Heimdall smiling behind him. As he took the first step up the stairs.
"Handling that won't be easy."
Heimdall's final words followed.
"There's a reason he split it in half."
Whoosh—
Soo-hyuk turned as he ascended.
Mysteriously, no one was there. As if deleted in an instant, the Heimdall whose voice had been clear vanished.
Probably fulfilled his role upon passing the trial.
An annoying sponsor message.
At the welcome viewer, Soo-hyuk smiled under his mask.
"Wanna bet?"
The viewer with 0% win rate.
Soo-hyuk provoked both Safe Asset and Heimdall.
"Whether I can handle this or not."
The viewers handled the extra provocations.
For them, bets with big points were always fun spectacles.
But disappointingly.
This time, Safe Asset tucked tail.
At Safe Asset's choice, Soo-hyuk resumed climbing the paused stairs.
Glancing down, the Thunder Gauntlets on his hand entered his view.
'Won't be easy.'
Safe Asset.
His shit intuition had never missed once.