Chapter 547
At the same time.
The other factions participating in the meeting, ‘Celestials’ and ‘Eden,’ also made their move.
Inside the temple where a blazing red crystal orb was placed, two groups from different mythologies gathered.
“……”
“……”
A heavy silence filled the air.
Given the inherently opposing natures of the deities involved, just being in the same room made the atmosphere unbearably tense.
Especially Uriel, whose radical tendencies made it almost impossible for her to restrain her urge to sweep everything away right now.
“You must endure.”
Another angel, ‘Atael,’ who had accompanied Uriel as her escort, spoke cautiously.
“…I know.”
If she let her anger show here, everything would fall apart.
Currently, Eden was riddled with minor factions centered around Gabriel and Michael.
Their overwhelming early advantage no longer meant anything.
Repeated failures had only solidified Gabriel and Michael’s standing.
At this point, many angels were even questioning if it was right to drag Eden into further wars against other factions.
“You don’t need to look so sour. It’s not like we wanted to be here either. Just do what needs to be done and we’ll be fine.”
Ganesha shrugged.
The rest of the Celestial deities and their honor guards also maintained a laid-back attitude.
“You really don’t get how serious this is… That ‘what needs to be done’ isn’t as damn easy as you think.”
Ragnarok, after Yggdrasil’s restoration, was enjoying brilliant prosperity.
On top of that, there was Kang Jinhyuk and the Veteran Corporation.
If they let their guard down, they’d be repeating old nightmares.
“That outsider gave a way to break Alice’s contract, and Ares is personally moving on the Olympus side. With that many cards in our hand, I’d say we’ve got a fighting chance, no?”
“And it’s that sort of half-baked thinking that’s left us in this mess.”
“Hm. Fair enough. But.”
Shiva, sitting beside Ganesha, chimed in.
“If I told you we had an ally in the heart of the enemy’s camp, would that put your mind at ease?”
“What…?”
An insider within the Norse faction?
What did that mean?
Given how closed their bloodlines were, it was unimaginable that the Norse deities would accept an outsider.
Unless…
“No way…”
Uriel’s pupils rapidly widened.
There was only one possibility.
A faint, twisted smile played at the corner of Shiva’s mouth.
“That’s right, we succeeded in recruiting someone on the inside. And not just anyone, but one of their main deities. Sure, the price was steep—but the payoff will be worth many times more.”
If a chief god helped from the inside, the story would change entirely.
Especially if they landed a perfect backstab at the right moment—the effect would be unimaginable.
Uriel leaned back on her arm, relaxed.
“…Now things are getting interesting.”
For the first time, she felt certain of victory.
⁕⁕⁕
Swoooosh….
A dazzling wave of golden light cascaded down.
A place overflowing with pure white pegasi and countless other lifeforms.
This was the new stronghold of the Norse deities—‘New Asgard.’
“Wow.”
An exclamation escaped Jinhyuk’s lips.
He’d expected Yggdrasil’s revival to bring prosperity, but hadn’t imagined it would happen this quickly.
It matched the glory of its ancient past—
No, it might even have achieved a civilization more radiant than ever before.
“Haha! We really did work hard. But none of this would’ve been possible without your help.”
Thor let out a booming laugh.
“You flatter me. I didn’t really do anything…”
“Contractor, did you eat something wrong? Since when do you say such humble things—ouch! Don’t pinch me! You’re going to rip my cheek off!”
Alice squirmed in pain.
She should have chosen her words more carefully.
Now a bright red finger mark was stamped on her mochi-like cheek.
“No need for modesty. We all sincerely thank you. Isn’t that right?”
At Thor’s shout, everyone on the hillside looked up.
His voice was so loud, it was impossible not to draw attention.
“Ooooooh!”
“Hey! Look over there! It’s Lord Thor—and the human hero!”
“The savior who revived Asgard!”
“Kang Jinhyuk! Kang Jinhyuk! Kang Jinhyuk!”
The cheers were deafening, enough to shake all of Asgard.
It was clear—
Helping the Norse was the right call.
At the very least, they hadn’t forgotten a debt of gratitude.
“The meeting is at midnight. Until then, take your time and rest. Your lodgings are in that mountain’s mid-slope over there.”
Thor pointed to a mountain straight ahead.
The grand white mansion built on the steep cliff looked luxurious at a glance.
Alice’s eyes instantly sparkled.
It was a top-class residence, perfectly suited to her love for all things fancy.
⁕⁕⁕
“Mmm. Ooooh! Hee.”
Alice let out a string of delighted sounds.
Juicy, glistening meat and the finest wine.
Aromatic fruit, all sorts of cheeses, and thick soups.
The food was flawless.
And enjoying such delicacies in a grand mansion atop a cliff made it a feast for both the eyes and palate.
Alice stuffed her cheeks full and munched away.
‘She should be quiet for a while now.’
He’d managed to buy a bit of time before the meeting started.
Jinhyuk slipped away from Alice and quietly headed to the mansion’s backyard.
Before moving ahead with the main event, there were a few preparations to make.
First…
Vwooom!
[Subspace inventory is opening.]
A space opened, and what appeared was T-Bone, made of bone.
“Clack. Master. Did you call?”
T-Bone showed up, leading his ghostly warhorse.
After spending time in the subspace, he had grown so much he was now beyond a Skeleton Warrior, past Death Knight, and something even greater.
T-Bone alone could now take down most floor guardians.
“Yeah. I have a favor to ask.”
“Just say the word.”
“You know the dragon corpse stored in subspace?”
“Of course. You stuffed that giant thing in my house—how could I not know? But why?”
“I need you to make it into a bone dragon. I called you to get started right away. Oh, and the deadline’s today.”
“…Are you insane, master?”
T-Bone’s empty eye sockets burned with intensity.
Even with a grandmaster-class lich, it’d take a full week to make that.
But he wanted it done in one day?
He might as well have asked T-Bone to die.
Of course, things like common sense didn’t work on Jinhyuk.
“Lately, everyone’s been complaining about feeling weak. I was thinking of making bone broth with bones packed with magic. Huh? What luck, I happen to have just the right bones.”
“Clack! I can do it. I’ll finish in a day!”
“Great, I’ll leave it to you. Thanks.”
Jinhyuk smiled brightly.
With the ‘Dragon Heart’ in hand, as long as T-Bone completed the bone dragon, the rest would be easy.
Next up—
Jinhyuk summoned more people from subspace.
Step.
“A place I haven’t seen before. Hm.”
Frey.
“Hm. What’s this now?”
And Behemoth, one of the Ancient Beings.
Both were powerful members of the Veteran Corporation.
They’d be crucial for climbing the Tower.
Instead of answering, Jinhyuk pulled out two swords.
A fierce energy radiated from ‘Crimson Lotus’ and ‘Barnard.’
“Sparring…?”
“Oh? You want to go a round after all this time?”
Frey and Behemoth reacted to Jinhyuk’s fighting spirit.
“I’ll probably have to fight some really strong guys soon. I could handle a one-on-one, but I doubt they’ll play fair. Plus, we’ll be outnumbered.”
To defend their base and attack the enemy’s, they’d need many allies.
And every one of them had to be top-tier.
“I also want to check your growth, and if your teamwork’s good, I might put you two together as a team.”
“If it’s training to improve my skills, that’s fine. Alone, I’d have about a 7% chance of winning. But with an Ancient Being, that rises to 37%.”
“Ha! What kind of crap calculation is that? If it’s two against one, it should be 100%!”
Behemoth bared her teeth and growled, clearly eager for a real fight.
Boom!
Behemoth struck the ground and charged at Jinhyuk head-on.
…Fast.
She activated ‘Instant Acceleration’ and used ‘Mass Alteration’ to freely change her own weight.
Jinhyuk crossed his two swords.
Crash!
A heavy impact rang through his bones.
She must have maxed out his weight at the moment of impact.
Still, this… it was a little too dangerous to be just sparring.
“As expected, you’re incredible. If we fight again, I was planning to finish it in one shot next time.”
“You don’t actually mean to kill me, right?”
“That’s how you get results against someone like you, isn’t it?”
“Your logic’s a mess, but your attack was flawless. Great skill use. Power too. Not a single thing to nitpick.”
“Heh! Of course, it’s my attack.”
Behemoth puffed up with pride at Jinhyuk’s praise.
Meanwhile—
“…I can fight well too. Yeah. I see. So if you land an attack that actually threatens their life, you’ll get praise.”
Frey’s vibe changed.
A blue aura gathered on her short spear.
Where Behemoth’s goal was a bold clash—
Frey’s fighting spirit was something else entirely.
A powerful, persistent magic engulfed the entire mansion.
“Yeah. I’m coming.”
“Frey…?”
Vwooom!
The spear split the air.
Clang!
As Jinhyuk blocked the spear, Frey vanished from sight.
Behind!
[Unique Ability ‘Triple Magic’ is activated!]
‘Blink’ and ‘Space Distortion’ activated at once.
It was meant to twist the spear’s trajectory, even a little.
Luckily, it worked.
Boom!
The second spear whizzed past Jinhyuk’s armpit and buried itself in the ground.
If he’d been a moment slower, it would have punched a hole through him.
“My attack was more lethal. Yeah.”
“Haha! Just like before—I swear, that doll’s not right in the head. All right, let’s go again!”
Behemoth also pulled out her greatsword from a distorted rift.
“Guys. This is just a spar, you know? Okay?”
Jinhyuk’s voice quivered a bit.
But of course, no one answered.
It seemed their original purpose had long been forgotten.