Walking on Thin Ice
The feeling of walking on thin ice — what’s it like? When we were kids, my friends used to walk across the Anyang Stream every winter. It was completely frozen over, thick enough. They’d even throw rocks to test how solid it was. But whenever they asked me to join them, I refused. Am I an idiot? What if it cracks? Is it really worth walking home soaking wet in the middle of winter? I’ve always been the type to follow the rules to a fault, so I never pulled that kind of stupid stunt. Besides, I had cram schools and homework my parents had signed me up for. I didn’t get many chances to play with friends properly.
Even someone like me once did something stupid. Yeah… I was an idiot after all. My friends threatened to cut ties if I didn’t come, so I ended up walking on the ice with them. The bridge connecting Sambong Elementary to Seoksu-dong. There was a bike path running alongside the Anyang Stream. We walked beneath it, sliding across the frozen surface. I was terrified. Genuinely terrified — I almost pissed myself. With every step, the ice let out a sharp crack. “Oh shit.” “Kim Taesik, you dumbass! What if it breaks?” “Shut the hell up. It’s your fat ass that’s the problem!” “What did you just say?”
Right. That’s exactly how it feels now. That same heart-pounding, walking-on-thin-ice sensation. Seria’s killing intent clearly isn’t directed at me, so why does it feel so terrifying? It didn’t take long to figure out why.
Lion’s Rage. The unique trait of the Lionblood family. I’d seen it a few times from Candel and Vidar. It’s an aura of intimidation that strikes fear into every living being nearby. The reason she’s angry is obviously me. Still, I can’t just stand by and watch. Threatening Fina isn’t my problem, but I’d rather avoid a bloodbath. They might be trash, but they don’t deserve to die — at least not by Seria’s hand or mine. If they die to someone else or a monster… well, that’s not my concern.
Fina, who had been clinging to my arm, finally let go. Her whining was gone, replaced by the face of a girl paralyzed with fear. Lunaris was the same. She’d pulled the blanket over her head and kept muttering, “Don’t come…!” It was almost pitiful. Still, it was satisfying to watch.
I reached out and took Seria’s hand — the one holding the sword. Gently, I spoke, offering the simplest way to make her stop, something she could accept.
“Put the sword down.”
“…Hero? But that woman touched your arm… She touched what’s mine. You’re mine. Everything about you is mine… Everyone’s trying to take you away from me—”
“Just endure it this once.”
“Why should I…? I already endured it last time. Do I have to again?”
Yeah. A very simple method.
“How about this, then?”
“…This?”
I raised my index finger. Seria’s eyes wavered.
“I’ll grant you one wish.”
“…A wish?”
It was an offer that would make her eyes light up and come running — while simultaneously sacrificing myself. Just hang in there one more time, big shot.
“I won’t let this one slide.”
“…Then two.”
She flinched, her body trembling as she let out a delighted moan. A seductive smile spread across her face — the look of a lioness who had found her prey. Who the hell is showing me this fate…? …It’s you, isn’t it, Odin?
Seria glanced at me and asked, “You’ll really grant whatever I want, right?”
“Of course.”
“Heh… Hehe. No take-backs?”
I nodded. Life returned to Seria’s eyes. Whew. So that’s what “aging ten years in a single moment” feels like. More importantly, the reason I saved Fina was right here.
“You said you’d do anything, right?”
“…Y-Yes!”
Fina carefully stroked her ceremonial robes. Her touch was almost lewd. Fina, what the hell are you thinking right now? I’m not some pervert obsessed with sex like Ragner.
“Wipe your hands. That’s not what I meant.”
“…R-Right?”
“Just heal.”
“Huh?”
She stared at me with wide eyes, as if she’d heard something completely unexpected. My reason for saying this was simple.
“You’re heading to Hvergelmir, aren’t you?”
“…Yes.”
“Then while you’re there, heal us when we fight Nidhogg.”
Tool acquired.
The root-gnawing dragon, Nidhogg. He usually stays submerged in Hvergelmir, but when he’s hungry, he eats the roots of Yggdrasil. His fangs are filled with poison. After being corrupted by the void, it seems he’s been contaminating Yggdrasil through those fangs.
“So this is the place?”
“Yes. This massive spring is Hvergelmir.”
“…Huh.”
I let out a gasp that went beyond admiration into outright shock. Hvergelmir wasn’t the spring I had imagined. Then again, it made sense — a place where a dragon lived and snakes dwelled. Of course it would be enormous.
“…It’s ridiculously huge.”
“I agree.”
This wasn’t a spring. It was a river. Some branches stretched toward the surface, others plunged downward. It was like the Han River split into countless streams — water of that scale and length.
“…Ugh.”
Fina looked around nervously. I didn’t need to ask to know who she was searching for.
—The Sage of Hvergelmir grants small wishes. That’s what some elf in Alfheim said. Honestly, that sounds like complete bullshit. Think about it. This is Niflheim, the coldest of the hells. The snakes have become void serpents because of Nidhogg, and Nidhogg himself supposedly lives here. How could any human survive?
Pfft. I’d bet my neck that Fina got tricked—
“What brings you here?”
—or not. Oh shit. My precious neck!
Startled, I turned toward the voice. Green hair, brown skin, and golden eyes. He didn’t look like an ordinary person. Then again, a sage probably wasn’t ordinary to begin with. Still, the aura he gave off felt strangely familiar yet alien. Was he even human? At first glance, he reminded me of when I first met Odin.
The man looked at us. His gaze briefly flicked to my waist before he smiled.
“Well now. So you’re the Hero?”
“You know me?”
“How could I not? The almighty sword Mistilteinn, forged from unbreakable mistletoe. There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize that.”
So he really is a sage. The true name of the Holy Sword is known only to me, the Hero’s party, and the king. The king had told me it was a gift from Odin a week before my summoning. He’d warned me to treat it like a national treasure and never lose it. That memory lasted only a moment.
Fina fidgeted with her hands as she approached the man, her voice trembling and her face already on the verge of tears.
“…Are you the Sage of the Wailing Pot?”
“Sage? Ah, so that’s what I’ve become.”
“Become”? That phrasing was suspicious, but it didn’t seem important right now. Still, I filed it away just in case. Tirgar was quietly on guard, which meant something was off. I could feel it too — this guy wasn’t normal.
“Yes. I am the Sage.”
“The price of a wish…”
“Everything from the one who makes the deal.”
In other words—
“If you want something, you have to offer yourself.”
“…What?!”
“Why so surprised? It’s not a lie. Did you really think wishes would be granted without any price?”
“T-That’s…”
The green-haired man chuckled, looking amused. I felt the same way. As he covered his mouth in mockery, he shot me a sly glance. There was a slight gap between his golden pupils. No — his eyes were shaped like a serpent’s.
…Maybe I should be a little cautious after all.
The man spread his arms wide and spoke, the exaggerated gesture making Fina’s face flush red.
“What a shameless woman. Selfish and willful.”
Oh, I agree. I nodded vigorously. So this is what a sage is like? We might become good friends.
Fina clenched her fists, her voice shaking as she spoke through gritted teeth.
“…I’m not selfish.”
“Really? Do you truly believe that? If that’s what you honestly think, then you’ve come to the wrong place.”
But—
“That doesn’t mean I can’t grant your wish. As long as you offer yourself, I’ll grant it.”
—Make your choice. That was his condition. I wasn’t taking Fina’s side, but it did seem harsh. Then again, granting a wish was worth that much. He wasn’t a volunteer, and he wasn’t wrong. I had believed Odin’s promise of granting wishes and taken up the Holy Sword. To return home. To make two women happy. I had made a contract with a god and stepped toward an uncertain future.
Fina trembled. If she died, Lunaris’s memories would return. At the same time, she would never be able to share love with her. A case where advantage and disadvantage came together. Fina had to decide. Her heart was clearly in turmoil. Giving up her own existence meant she could never achieve that love.
“…If it’s for Lunaris.”
Fina spoke with resolve.
“…I’ll offer myself.”
“Kekeke. In the end, you weren’t selfish after all.”
The man clapped his hands. The sound was so loud that I could feel the wind pressure — like the wings of some massive being. He sneered, and I could sense a hint of madness in that expression. Why? Without realizing it, my hand moved toward the Holy Sword. This is dangerous. Something’s wrong. We need to run. My instincts were screaming.
“Abandoning your love for a mage’s memories… What a tear-jerking romance, don’t you think?”
“…Kh.”
“Loki, who devised such a vile plan using emotions, is even more impressive.”
…What did he just say?
The moment I heard that name, I drew Mistilteinn. A brilliant radiance burst forth as the Shield of Frost roared. As expected, ominous premonitions and suspicions never lie. Tirgar hurled a chunk of ice. A massive ice boulder shot straight toward the man.
Crack!
He sliced it into eight pieces with his fingernails in an instant. The fragments tumbled into Hvergelmir. Water surged upward, creating irregular ripples. The ice boulders that had fallen into the spring floated on its surface.
“…Riana!”
“Prepare for battle!”
Riana drew Bete, the jet-black axe. Its massive double-edged blade began to ripple with purple light. The energy of the void stirred — Bete was naturally responding to Riana’s fighting spirit.
Even in this situation, Fina kept talking to the man. Fuck, I’m going to get cancer from stress.
“Y-You’ll grant the wish, right?”
“Yes.”
“But this is…”
“That’s right. This isn’t a wish rune.”
This is—
It’s Void.
The man flicked his hand. Beneath his distorted pupils, his mouth split all the way to his ears. His form began to change. The ground trembled. A spiral formed in the unfrozen spring water amid the cold blizzard.
“Kieeeek!”
“Shiiii!”
They were snakes. Massive void serpents emerged from the depths of Hvergelmir.
“…Taesik, wall!”
“[Ice] [Wall] [Defense]”
I fused them at the same time.
Fusion!
Rumble!
An ice wall rose to block the surging water. I reinforced it with the Shield of Frost. Skrim’s head began to react. And then—
“How foolish, getting caught up in Loki’s scheme.”
“…What?”
“He said it himself. The Saintess would lead everyone here.”
In other words—
“All of your movements have been according to Loki’s will.”
It meant we had been dancing in the palm of Loki’s hand, watching from somewhere. I couldn’t even begin to process what kind of fucked-up situation this was. Caught up in Loki’s plan? My thoughts accelerated in the short time I had. Where had it all started?
“…Fina!”
“Y-Yes?”
“…You cancer-inducing bitch!”
The elf she met. If it was Loki — someone whose strength wasn’t great but who excelled at deception and smooth talk, someone vicious enough to do anything for revenge — then… he could have easily tricked Fina. I realized it. No, I became certain of it. The elf she met in Alfheim was Loki in disguise. Loki, who had predicted we would come, lured Fina to Niflheim, and we walked right into his trap.
Of course there wouldn’t be a sage in a place like this. Good thing I was suspicious from the start. A sage — a mere human — surviving in Hvergelmir, a place filled with snakes? That was impossible. If Loki had known we would come here, if everything had been planned from the beginning… then what was he after? I couldn’t tell. At the same time, I thought this situation was fortunate. In the end, we had to kill him anyway. That was why we came here in the first place.
I sneered and poured mana into Mistilteinn. A faint blue sword aura flowed gently along the blade, becoming a soft yet sharp wave like flowing water.
“Nice to meet you, you piece of shit. I was wondering why I hadn’t seen you.”
The dragon that contaminates the World Tree Yggdrasil. The dragon that fell for Ratatoskr’s scheme. The dragon corrupted by the void.
“Isn’t that right? Nidhogg.”
Nidhogg bared his fangs.