Episode 304: Flowers Blooming in the Snow (4)
“There are two new grades in all. The first is S+ grade. It is literally a rank above S-class, and it is stipulated that it can be reached only with the consent of five or more S-class radars in each country.
Ahn Ho-yeon, Kim Yoo-jung, and Seo In-na, who are members of Min Jae-hyun’s radar, fall into this category. Hearty congratulations to all!”
Three people, including Kim Yoo-jung, came forward and were awarded medals.
It was a square plaque of appreciation made of crystal, and it had a pretty luxurious design.
However, the members of Nine only briefly expressed their gratitude. I hadn’t had much of a conversation with Richard.
Each of them had a slightly disapproving expression on their faces. Jaehyun somehow seemed to know the reason, but she didn’t express it outwardly.
After all, there will be an opportunity to talk about him later.
The other members who did not reach the newly established S+ level were treated slightly differently.
They were upgraded to the old highest grade, S-class, and thus naturally obtained the right to participate in the World Radar Conference.
In fact, in the case of Lee Jae-sang and Kwon So-yul, it was only natural that they were not at the level of S+ from the beginning. In the first place, rather than strength, they were talents specialized in the other side.
Again, if now is the right time, it will be the right time.
If you attract more attention than necessary, bad things can happen later.
There was no reason to explain that it is always good to do only what you can handle.
… Of course, if one were to ask whether there was anyone with the guts to touch an adversary’s allies, that would be another matter.
But that wasn’t all of the World Radar Administration’s announcement.
Richard, who continued his presentation in front of the podium, continued.
“The second new level is a level that is only allowed for one person.
Ex-class! It means out of specification. We know which radars this term fits best.
Jaehyun Min Raider successfully solved the problem during the last Red Gate incident and led the battle against Valkyrie to victory! Only, by giving him this title, the Society wishes to praise his bravery.”
Wow!
Applause poured in from all directions.
But Jaehyun knew. That it’s not all that positive.
In the end, to strangle yourself.
That it is trying to fill the shackles to make a hero.
He knew instinctively.
I could feel my lips twisting slightly.
Could it be stopped without Jaehyun?
That’s right.
Valkyrie was strong, and she broke the wall to defeat them.
Because I tried to overcome the limit and see the scenery above it.
But there was one great contradiction in Richard’s words.
Does Jaehyun really have to save everyone?
Should I be a hero?
That was another matter.
If Jaehyun was a blind sage who wanted to save someone with a story, Jaehyun would have tried to save Sigrun at the end of the last.
After all, she moved on her own accord, and it was as if she was being manipulated.
Odin and Freya. I don’t know what kind of relationship there is between the two, but anyway, she’s a victim too.
But Jaehyun didn’t.
He killed Sigrun without hesitation.
There is only one thing that is most important to Jaehyun right now.
Can you protect what you value?
If it’s not mine, I won’t protect it even at the risk of it.
It was extremely selfish, but also natural.
Therefore, Jaehyun had no intention of guaranteeing everyone’s safety as they wanted.
As long as no one is dying in front of my eyes, and my family and colleagues don’t die, that’s enough. Even the wicked will not go forward until they are saved.
‘To protect oneself must be oneself.’
Jaehyun also knew.
Now is the time to struggle.
Even more so because he was weak.
They should not lean on themselves.
Also, there was only one way to resolve this dependence.
‘Yggdrasil. Attack the tower there and break the control device. It’s to neutralize the system and break the growth limits of the radars.’
Mimir said in the past.
Spiral Tower of Yggdrasil, top floor. There will be a control tower there.
That is the origin of the Aesir system, and this system is a device that controls all awakened people so that they cannot grow further.
Also, he said that those who were tamed by this system would later become the Einherjar and become Odin’s army.
Mimir said to break it.
To prevent Odin from using humans as limbs. So that we can’t expand our forces further, so that humans can become strong in a human way.
‘I can’t protect everyone. Then I just need to give them the strength to fight.’
We need to move the Awoken all over the world.
It is not a weak existence that is protected by itself, but it should be made to advance.
It was necessary to remind them that that is the essence of radar.
Jaehyun nodded slightly. It was the moment when his own next goal was set.
‘To do so, the next ordeal is the first step.’
Also, Jaehyun had to become stronger in order to do that.
Yggdrasil.
In order to destroy the control tower there, Mimir’s proposed minimum godhood requirement was Liberation Level 3.
It had already been reached once, but that was the story of when it was possible to completely control the power of representation.
Jaehyun recalled the last story of Hel he had heard when he left the temple of Hel.
[The fourth trial. Paying for it will help break the ban on your powers. A guy specialized in that area will be waiting for you.]
* * *
“so. The fourth ordeal, or something. Are you leaving today?”
Kim Yoo-jung, who was sitting on a luxurious sofa in the circle room, suddenly opened her mouth.
I was sitting crookedly on a dark mustard-colored sofa that looked expensive, and I didn’t feel good about it.
Jaehyun nodded softly.
“okay. It won’t take long.”
“… It’s because I’m worried about Yoojung and I too. Are you really okay with being alone? No matter how long ago, I was a patient, but in such a hurry… .”
“Anyway, the ordeal is prepared only for the adversary. Even if you go together, you won’t be able to help. It would be better if you send them away comfortably so that your heart doesn’t become heavy.”
Hella said that, alleviating her worries. However, the concerns of her colleagues still continued.
It was because the fact that Jaehyun might have a lonely fight again was painful for them.
“You shouldn’t worry too much. For the time being, even the Aesir gods can’t move easily. ‘The Mirror of Equilibrium’. In exchange for breaking it, the Æsir also lost most of their divinity.
It will probably take quite a while to recover.”
equilibrium mirror. Hella had explained it to the Nine members.
It was one of the artifacts that supported the nine worlds, and it was an object that maintained all the bonds and restrictions in the world.
However, in order to break this, the user must inject a large amount of his/her divinity.
Odin made a decision to prevent reappearance even at the cost of this…
it snowed.
long winter. Fimbulbert had begun.
“Hella, but… It’s the fourth ordeal. Paying for it could hurt Jaehyun, right?”
Those were the words of Ahn Ho-yeon. Now, Hella and them have reached the point where they can talk without hesitation.
Even at the time Jaehyun was hospitalized, there was quite an awkwardness between her and her colleagues, but it didn’t last long.
In fact, whether in cat form or human form, Hella had a pretty cute appearance. It was not difficult to win the hearts of her members.
Wouldn’t it be great if it’s popular enough to bother me again?
‘Heh.’
Hella laughed a little inwardly, but she didn’t show it and kept it cold.
“It will hurt. But it won’t die. I don’t think it will be difficult if Jaehyun believes in the strength he has accumulated so far.”
“… It sounds like you’re rolling until you’re about to die again.”
Jaehyun murmured, swearing lightly.
But the decision has already been made. Now there was nowhere to retreat to.
The beginning of Ragnarok.
It was a representation of how clear it meant.
‘end. What started cannot be undone now.’
what must be prevented.
Jaehyun stood up from his seat, repeating that.
It’s time to get up.
Now, there are only two ordeals left.
If you clear all of them, the stage that Jaehyun can reach is the 4th level of Divine Power Liberation. He was able to grow to the level just below Loki, Odin, and Thor.
‘It’s really not too long now. Asgard… Until I reach Odin.’
Jaehyun moved his body without a moment to feel new emotions.
way out of the ordeal.
The members who came along lined up outside the room. He had come to see off after himself.
“I’ll be back.”
Jaehyun smiled faintly.
Feeling not too bad, he took a step.
The next ordeal was the sea of Midgard.
* * *
On the other hand, when Jaehyun and his colleagues are saying goodbye without tears.
On the terrace in Niflheim’s subspace, the goddess of youth, Idun’s embarrassment was bursting out.
“Hehe!? stop eating!! Do you know how many bowls I’m eating right now?!”
Idun was horrified to see the man eating the food as if he had heard the previous rumor.
Of course, her reaction had its own justification.
The man sitting across from her.
It wasn’t enough that he came to my house, he was inhaling food at a mad speed!
He’s swallowing the food whole bowl, as if he’s been caught.
Does it feel like seeing someone who has been starving for 10,000 years?
“under… .”
Idun touched his forehead and sighed.
The face of a man now eating food on his terrace.
This, of course, was familiar.
Loki.
The head of the anti-Aesir coalition came to his garden to clean up the house.
There were already piled bowls beside him, showing his appetite.
In fact, from the beginning, Loki in Norse mythology was a god famous for his gluttony.
Truly, a food fighter.
Eating lots of food quickly was one of his specialties.
said Loki, picking his teeth with a toothpick while the food was being refilled.
“Ah~ What’s going on between us? I’ve been jailbreaking for the first time in a while and I feel great! Any more grain wine here? Wine is fine too.”
“please!”
Idun appealed, but he didn’t even listen.
Note that.
The reason why Loki was now in the garden of Idun was surprisingly simple.
‘Actually, when I was first released, I was going to go find the antagonist right away… Because that’s too dangerous.’
No matter how you think about it, it was a very risky choice.
It’s like telling Odin where you are.
Even if he didn’t, he would be looking for him with his eyes on.
No matter how much Loki was, he couldn’t brag about telling Odin that since I’m here, take him and see him. Anyway, there are a lot of people who are on their shoulders.
Even if it was a little out of temper, it was necessary to develop caution.
‘It’s better to hide here until you recover your strength.
Not only to the enemy, but also to me.’
To move hastily is poison.
And the same goes for Aesir.
The war has already begun, but whoever strikes first can completely change the outcome.
The balance of power was still narrowly on the side of Asgard.
Well, that’s it anyway.
“under… I think it’s a bit lacking in meat. Idun, how the hell do you live on this kind of grass? There’s no such thing as protein.”
“… Don’t you think you’re overeating?”
“They say that men who eat well are popular. Although I am popular because I am good looking.”
“under.”
Idun put his hand on his face again.
At that moment, the door to Idun’s garden suddenly opened, and a being came to visit them.
A dragon with a massive body and fangs. It was Nidhogg.
[This, Idun! Is that true?! Loki successfully escaped… crab… ?]
Nidhogg hurriedly opened the door and entered, frightened at the scattered dishes.
[…] … It seems that the stomach hasn’t shrunk at all for 10,000 years. Like a crazy person.]
“ah… No matter how much I eat, it’s not enough. Nidhogg, do you have anything to eat? My appetite has changed a bit, so I like to eat monster meat.”
[Crazy guy.]
Nidhogg deliberately said it twice. However, the trickster in front of me just laughed and kept pushing food into my mouth.
It’s as if you’re having a conversation that has nothing to do with you.
When Idun was angry and was about to leave.
Suddenly, her shoulders started to tremble.
“… Needhog? Did you step on my flower bed by any chance?”
At that moment, Nidhogg’s spine went cold. Come to think of it, it seems like I didn’t pay much attention to it because I was running in a hurry… .
“We can’t go back until both of them are restored.”
After a while, what Idun brought was a trowel and a hoe.
Chaeng-Geurang!
The farming tools she threw away made a harsh grinding sound.
said Nidhogg, scratching his nose blankly.
[that… Is there anything bigger?]
In his hand was the trowel that Idun had thrown away before he knew it.
