Chapter 139
Chapter 139
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 139
Chapter Title: Fourteenth Warrior, Brunhilde
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Zzzt, zzzt-.
The remnants of lightning scattered across the floor. Suhyuk grimaced as he yanked the broken spear from his shoulder.
Crunch-.
Since the spear had pierced straight to the bone, it came out with a grotesque sound.
There was considerable bleeding from the wound. He narrowed his eyes at his staggering opponent.
'Should've used it.'
The problem was holding back on stamina and not using Master of Lightning.
In the end, it made no difference whether he used it or not—the calculations were off.
"You were hiding thunder, weren't you."
The fourteenth warrior, Brunhilde, finally spoke for the first time since facing Suhyuk.
"You still don't know how to wield a sword properly, but it's impressive."
"Is that praise or criticism?"
"Both."
That was Brunhilde's overall assessment of Suhyuk.
Suhyuk, having pulled the spear from his shoulder, once again aimed the tip of his sword at Brunhilde.
She hadn't fallen yet.
"There's no need for that."
Swish-.
Brunhilde, kneeling on one knee, began to fade away starting from her toes.
"I'm done now. Standing was just the last shred of pride as a warrior."
"Is that what pride is?"
"It's the mindset one must have to wield Asgard's sword and shield."
Suhyuk clicked his tongue at Brunhilde's words.
Well.
With that kind of mental fortitude, it made sense she led the Valkyries.
"It won't be easy."
Before closing her eyes for the last time.
She repeated words he'd heard several times already.
"Surviving in Asgard as a human."
Thud-.
After the not-so-short battle, Suhyuk sat down on the stairs for a moment. Brunhilde's body vanished without a trace as time passed.
Most of the chat lamented Brunhilde's death.
True to her status as the Valkyries' leader, she was a beauty who could rival Viola.
But there was no helping it.
"Should I let myself get killed instead?"
To move on, he had no choice but to fight.
What a pointless question.
Suhyuk shook his head in disbelief. He recovered some stamina, staunched the bleeding from his wound, and chatted with viewers for a bit.
Then.
As if tired of waiting, a donation message popped up.
The mission that started after surpassing Heimdall's memory, the tenth one.
Every time he defeated a warrior, from 1,000 to as much as 5,000 points—totaling 12,000 points on the line.
And to that question, Suhyuk stood up and answered.
"Go."
This mission would wipe all accumulated points if failed even once.
If Suhyuk lost to the next opponent, the 48,000 points he'd built up would vanish.
But.
'Can I stop here?'
He still had strength left—too much to quit now.
Beyond points, each warrior defeated ramped up the trial rewards.
Plus, viewers were piling up visibly with every fight.
The number had easily surpassed 60,000.
With the intriguing Asgard backdrop and heavy-hitter gods appearing one after another, retention was high and inflows steady.
Naturally, missions and donations swelled.
As he slowly climbed the stairs, Suhyuk reviewed the fight.
'That's their old record, huh.'
He'd pushed through with lightning firepower.
Pure weapon skill? Brunhilde was a cut above.
Brunhilde. Valhalla's Valkyrie leader.
She truly embodied Asgard's elite.
'Wonder what she's like now.'
He was curious.
If this ancient memory-version was that strong, what about the real deal?
As he caught his breath with those thoughts.
One chat caught Suhyuk's eye.
'Right.'
He'd forgotten.
The god named Tyr he'd met outside with Viola.
No. That couldn't be.
From Viola's deference to Tyr, or the cutscene—from all signs, he wasn't some low-rank god.
That Tyr hadn't appeared yet meant perhaps...
'He's waiting higher up?'
Suhyuk's gaze shifted to the stairs ahead.
Maybe not. Not every Valhalla god would be here; Tyr might not be recorded.
But his gut screamed otherwise.
Higher than Valkyrie leader Brunhilde.
Tyr was probably waiting up there.
"This place is interesting."
Step, step-.
His footsteps quickened up the stairs.
"Valhalla."
Every god met here was Valhalla-exclusive.
And nine times out of ten, they'd be far higher up now than these fights.
What were they like now?
He was already looking forward to entering Valhalla. Viewers felt the same.
The world where Odin, Thor, Heimdall, Brunhilde and such gods lived.
As many viewers awaited Valhalla as the next trial boss.
That shrouded realm—already cleared?
It felt suspiciously easy.
A chill seeped up from the rough, hard stone floor. In a prison lit only by a tiny window the size of a hand, Viola was bound by ropes around both arms.
Squeeze-.
No use struggling. These weren't ordinary ropes—they wouldn't budge.
'Did the guards have ropes like this?'
She couldn't shake the feeling they'd prepared in advance.
This room, ropes fit for binding a Valkyrie—none procurable overnight.
Step-.
Footsteps echoed from the corridor's end.
Baldur?
Hands bound, she straightened up. Tension halted her breath, nerves on edge.
But fortunately.
"Lady Viola."
It was Vigo who came.
"Vigo!"
"Are you alright?"
"For now. No injuries."
Viola hadn't resisted arrest. Too compliant? In hindsight, still the right call.
"Why didn't you fight back?"
"Resistance would've just hurt me—no change in outcome. Baldur was there."
Baldur commanded Midgard. His rank came from pure skill.
Even as guard captain, he handled multiple Valkyries effortlessly.
Now as commander? Unimaginable.
"Only way is proving my innocence. Whatever the misunderstanding—"
"No misunderstanding."
"...What?"
"Your arrest wasn't mistake or error."
Vigo's words flooded Viola's mind with questions.
She swore she'd never harmed Asgard.
Not misunderstanding, not guilt.
Then.
"Vigo. You know what's going on."
A third reason.
"......Yes."
Vigo dropped his head heavily.
After a long breath, he spoke.
"You're the sacrifice."
"Sacrifice?"
Not a welcome word. Demons favored it.
"For what?"
"Didn't you hear the goal before coming here?"
A phrase stuck in memory.
"So I've resolved. To cross it my way."
Rasdellichi.
The border splitting Valhalla and Midgard.
Baldur eyed the gods' realm since Asgard's founding.
"Impossible."
She could say it firmly.
"Even united Midgard can't. Let alone one commander and dozens of followers?"
"More than dozens. Around two hundred."
"Same difference."
Valhalla's might was immense—a former Valkyrie knew.
Innumerable Valkyries like her. Leader Brunhilde, Tyr, Thor, Heimdall.
Hundreds or thousands—even one would wipe them.
One puzzle: Baldur knew this.
"That's why the captain needs Valkyries."
Vigo never called Baldur 'commander'.
In his heart, Baldur remained 400 years back.
"For what?"
"To awaken Bergelmir."
Whoosh-.
Viola shot up, startled.
"How?!"
"Uncorrupted pure divine blood and flesh. Final ingredient to break the seal."
"Bergelmir sealed here?"
Viola knew Bergelmir's legend as frost giant progenitor, Ymir flood survivor.
Sealed by Odin.
No battle records—just oral tales.
Yet.
"Doesn't the day feel colder?"
Vigo knew too much about Bergelmir.
"Bergelmir was Midgard's winter."
Viola's eyes shook violently.
Not from winter's origin or Bergelmir's existence.
Step-.
Another presence entered the prison.
"So Lady Viola—"
Slash-.
Before Vigo finished, a long red line slashed across his throat.
"Must... survi..."
Screech-.
His head lolled, unbalanced. It dropped with a dull thud.
"Vigooo-!"
"I wondered why you pried so much."
The one who'd decapitated Vigo in one stroke: Baldur.
He shook blood from his blade onto Vigo's corpse, gazing at Viola through the bars.
"Good thing I checked. Right?"
"Baldur, you...!"
"Pathetic. As if spilling this changes anything."
Baldur sneered at Vigo's body.
Just a jailed Valkyrie.
Info traded for Vigo's life seemed meaningless.
But.
"No. It changes."
Even here, change was possible.
In her bound hands: the comms kit for Suhyuk.
And at that moment.
"...So the captain needs Valkyries."
Suhyuk muttered watching the cutscene.
"...Figures."