Episode 209: Niflheim (1)
“of course.”
Jaehyun said that in an exhilarating voice and looked at Hella in front.
Niflheim. His way to the world of fog was simple but dangerous.
‘To use Draupnir.’
Hearing Hella’s words for the first time, Jaehyun thought.
What is the fastest way to Niflheim?
The answer did not come immediately.
Except for the time he visited Svartal Fame, Jaehyun had never visited another world in mythology.
The first and second trials were also conducted in dungeons or ruins. Jaehyun thought it would be the same this time too.
‘During the first trial, I visited Hel’s temple, but… It was only to get a reward.’
For reference, the god in charge of this ordeal was a person with the alias of Aesir’s fugitive, and was in a situation where he could not reveal his identity to the outside world.
You can’t open dungeons or ruins to summon opponents.
In the end, in order to go through the ordeal, he had no choice but to move himself as an adversary.
For this reason, Jaehyun thought that a change of thinking was necessary.
It takes about a year to reach Niflheim. Because I had to find a way to shorten it somehow.
I was thinking about how to get to Niflheim so quickly.
It was a very ingenious and outrageous idea that passed through Jaehyun’s mind.
‘It’s using the effect of Draupnir. Because this artifact opens a portal connecting the other world and Midgard.’
What if you could use it to open a portal to Niflheim in Midgard?
It is possible to shorten the time by one year.
However, this method had considerable risks.
“Basically, Draupnir is a mythological artifact. It requires a lot of horsepower to drive it.
You will need to inject about twice as much magic as the total amount you can generate now.”
Hella said that with a worried expression.
Still, she couldn’t understand Jaehyun’s choice.
It is natural to be concerned that your family and colleagues are in danger.
But it was too reckless to adopt this method.
Isn’t it normal for other people to think about how to earn a year’s worth of time?
However, Jaehyun chose a new way to shorten the time.
Even if it means risking your own life.
“… … under. anyway that’s how it happened I will also help as much as possible. It’s not good for me to see you die.”
“What is it? Are you taking care of me?”
Jaehyun smirked moderately and took a deep breath.
‘Know. How risky it is to force-drive a mythical artifact.
But I have no choice but to do it.’
Certainly among Draupnir’s effects is the linking of Midgard with the other world.
However, that’s what drives it. Getting full control was another matter.
Artifacts are basically tools that store repetitive tasks, like skill slots, and then inject magical power to perform them.
To put it simply, the magic tool that allows you to use the fire ball simplifies the calculation formula by using the user’s magical power as a medium. It means a tool that shortens the process of activating magic.
However, magic tools are composed of complex calculation formulas.
Because of this, the user of the artifact is not free to transform the formula, unlike the wizard who learns and uses magic directly.
It’s because injecting mana to perform a stored repetitive task is a different thing from transforming the formula after a fundamental understanding of it.
What Jaehyun wants to do now. Transforming Draupnir’s formula to open a portal to Niflheim without summoning a demon.
‘Fortunately, I heard the location and approximate coordinates of Niflheim from Hela. Now, all that remains is my individual ability.’
Gying!
At the same time as he was thinking, Jaehyun concentrated the magic that remained in his body into one point.
Mana slowly began to move from the dantian and head to a single point, and it flowed back from the wrist to the bracelet I was wearing.
Jaehyun’s brow furrowed for a moment, and a system message was heard.
―Activate the artifact «Draupnir (Myth)».
―Sufficient magic power has not been charged. Draupnir is powered by the user’s magic power.
-caution! The user does not have enough horsepower.
Stumble.
In an instant, a huge sense of exhaustion crept in and made Jaehyun’s body collapse.
His body slowly began to lean to one side.
Lose your balance.
Despite the vivid sensation he felt, he tried to hold on somehow, keeping his legs as strong as possible.
However, the operation of a mythical artifact. This was not an easy task for Jaehyun now, who had released the second stage of Godhead.
The reason Chae Ji-yoon was able to drive Draupnir in the past was because she took away people’s greed and replaced it with magic.
Hella’s expression hardened as she watched Jaehyun.
Greung… .
Poppy looked at Jaehyun with a worried expression.
Jaehyun’s expression is almost erased before he knows it. Soon after, the worst situation that the three beings did not expect at all began to happen.
-caution! The user’s mana flows back!
Due to the lack of magical energy injected into Draupnir, the power began to flow backwards.
It was the first mana rebound experienced by Jaehyun.
* * *
Freya.
The lord of Valhalla and the goddess who stands at the pinnacle of the Valkyries.
She was in a state of annoyance, unlike usual, who had always been calm.
The fine glass in front of her was about a third full of wine, but she hadn’t taken a sip.
A recent instruction given to him by Odin.
Because it upsets her.
“Odin… That trash made me do this… dirty bastard.”
Recently, Odin was preparing for the second Ragnarok.
In the process, of course, I heard that the opponent of the prophecy was interfering with him.
But I never thought that I would give myself such an order.
“Using Valkyries to attack humans?”
Not too long ago, Odin suddenly came to him and said.
[I need to deal with the adversary. Prepare the Valkyries.]
It was absurd.
Even if it wasn’t, in the past, in the first war, a lot of Einherjar and Valkyries were lost.
How long she groaned at the loss of an army that believed in her.
Still, Odin is pushing his next victim to limb.
I don’t like everything from one to ten. However, in the end, she had no choice but to listen to Odin.
“Because I didn’t have a choice from the beginning.”
Odin was not giving back what was most precious to him.
Freya could not forgive him, but it was a situation that could not be ignored.
If you make a mistake here, you may lose something precious forever.
Even if he didn’t like it now, he had no choice but to listen to Odin.
“… Sigrun. Are you out there?”
“yes.”
“Come in for a moment.”
Freya summoned a warrior wearing a helmet who was waiting outside the room.
Her name is Sigrun.
He was one of the captains of the Valkyries’ army.
Additionally, she was also the most trusted person in Freyja’s mind.
“You’ve heard that Odin is keeping the enemies of the prophecy in check, right?”
“That’s right.”
Freya said, biting her lips as if she couldn’t help it.
“Take him down thoroughly. Use the army to trample it down. can you do it?”
“Anything in your name.”
Sigrun said that while raising an angle.
Freya nodded and added.
“Be careful, the adversary is strong. Heimdall and Joo-won have already been beaten by him. His divinity is now at a level that cannot be ignored.”
At Freya’s words, Sigrun shuddered.
adversary. That he became stronger was something he had heard and known.
However, there was plenty of time to prepare.
Odin gave Valkyrie a grace period of several months. You just have to find a way to break him down inside.
Thinking so, Sigrun spoke in a tone full of conviction.
“Do not worry. I won’t disappoint you. Then, I’ll leave.”
Sigrun, who once again raised his sword, left his seat.
Freya let out a deep sigh and looked at the place she left for a long time.
A deep doubt lingered in her heart.
How did Asgard become so obsessed with war and world supremacy?
However, if you think about it deeply, nothing will change.
A great destiny has already begun to flow.
Also, this was something that even Freya could not block alone.
Freya quickly brushed off her thoughts and raised her wine glass.
The wine that went down my esophagus was tasteless.
Only a hot, tingling sensation seemed to permeate one part of her slowly.
* * *
Giying… !!
“Cuck!”
A drop of red blood came out of Jaehyun’s mouth. Hemoptysis. This was one of the representative symptoms of mana rebound.
‘shit… Isn’t it easy after all?’
Jae-hyun suffered a backflow of magic from Draupnir a while ago.
Driving a mythical artifact is not an easy task. He also foresaw some side effects.
But Jaehyun didn’t give up.
A situation where you could lose your life.
There was nowhere to retreat.
You have to stay calm now.
‘Hella said. Draupnir’s ignition is not possible only with magic power. He can only start it once a month without feeding his greed.’
To put it simply, it meant that if Jaehyun failed this time, he would have to lose a full month.
This was disastrous news to Jaehyun, who was in a hurry.
‘think. A way to remove the mana rebound and amplify my magical power.’
Beneath the calmly submerged mind, magical energy shines and gathers again.
Like fireflies in the night sky, the magical light that clears the darkness of dawn.
This began to forcibly draw out the magic of reappearance.
Obviously the situation was not good, but Jaehyun believed in himself.
Despite the dizzying sensation of burning his brain, he did not stop starting the artifact.
Even at that moment, he was constantly thinking.
What do you need to bring your mana to the limit?
sensibility? If not, will it be your own will?
Jaehyun knows.
Enough magic power to drive Draupnir.
that it is already inherent in itself.
Geeeeing… … !!
At that moment, Jaehyun’s magic began to gradually intensify.
The feeling as if it had become a huge flow of magical power.
At the same time, a clear memory from the past popped into his mind.
It was the time when he had awakened to his godhood.
‘The time I fought Heimdall. I saw the great sea.’
At that time, Jaehyun faced a Geohae inside of him.
At the time, I didn’t even know what it was.
However, after a while, Jaehyun was able to clearly realize the nature of the sea he had seen at that time.
A creature that possessed magical powers.
‘That was the total amount of potential I could bring out.’
At that time, Jaehyun had absorbed some of the water from this Geohae and awakened his unique skill.
The same is true this time.
In order to temporarily draw out enough magic power to drive Draupnir, it was necessary to face the giant sea within him once again.
And finally, at the same time Jaehyun realized this.
Shaaaaa… !
I heard the sound of waves crashing in my ears.
Tsutsutsutsutsu… !!
Jaehyun’s whole body was filled with blue light and enormous magic power.
voice that follows.
―You have successfully started the artifact.
―<Draupnir> opens the gate.
“success… … is it.”
Jaehyun groaned and looked up.
Before he knew it, the gate like the deep blue sea was wide open.
Jaehyun laughed.
“Then shall we begin? foggy world. To Niflheim.”
