Translator: Pai_
The moment Odin, revered as the Absolute God, revealed his power, waves of light spread out.
As the eye he had kept closed opened, countless magic circles filled the surroundings, and ancient letters, now rarely seen, began to occupy the air.
“Stop him!”
When the Eastern Commander gave an urgent order, the knights rushed toward Odin in a hurry.
It was common knowledge that a magician was most vulnerable when casting large-scale magic.
But Odin trampled on that common knowledge without a care.
Kugung!
A simple stomp.
However, the result from that action was catastrophic.
“Kuheuk!”
“This crazy...!”
It was only a stomp, yet knight-level forces were flung away, coughing up blood.
Then, fortress cannons were fired from the aerial ships.
Even a Master Level being or a descended god could not easily ignore the tremendous power of the fortress cannons.
But Odin simply combined a few of the many magic circles scattered in the air and blocked them with ease.
And the magicians who saw that could only stare blankly at the sight.
“Is that... really possible?”
One magician blankly stared at a magic circle.
It was magical knowledge so overwhelming that it could not be challenged with his level.
The magic was so overwhelming that the magicians lost their will to fight.
And that included the Eastern Commander, who was himself a magician.
What was more, the aura that Odin emanated from his body was so overwhelming that even knights were terrified.
“Why...?”
A knight looked at Odin with a face full of doubt.
It was the same for everyone else.
With such power, Odin could have killed them all at once, yet he did not.
“He can’t get out!”
At a magician’s words, the others realized why Odin had not finished them off.
The area where the three statues prepared for Odin’s summoning stood.
Odin’s power could not affect anything beyond that place.
He could only exert overwhelming power within the area enclosed by the three statues.
“So this is what an incomplete descent means?”
As Iron muttered that, the commanders quickly shouted.
“Retreat! Just form an encirclement!”
“Do not step forward!”
The commanders urgently gave orders and fell far back from Odin.
Numerous troops formed a wide encirclement around Odin.
But everyone knew this encirclement was meaningless.
They felt that to confront a god, at least Master Level was required, and even Grand Masters might struggle.
And to some extent, their thoughts were correct.
“Odin...”
Iron looked at Odin with a hardened expression.
The shockwave that made knights cough up blood and the countless magic circles each contained power strong enough to be filled with Mental Image.
Even the power he had casually manifested showed a difference in dimension.
The biggest problem was the overwhelming power that caused the Eastern Army and Mobile Field Army to lose their will to fight within just minutes of his descent.
“That’s not his original power?”
When Iron asked Hræsvelgr, the small bird nodded.
It was hard to believe that he showed such power even after cutting more than half of his original power and descending incompletely.
-The King of Gods. That is Odin. Showing such power is only natural.
Hræsvelgr said that while looking at Odin.
Among the highest-ranking gods, many were simply powerful in strength, but Odin was different from them.
His pure martial prowess was as strong as the top-tier gods, and he was wise.
That is why he reigned as the Absolute God and led the Mythical Era.
-Apostle of the Lord God... are you afraid?
At Odin’s provocation, Iron furrowed his brows.
Seeing Odin curling the corner of his mouth as if mocking him, anger surged from Iron’s chest before he even realized it.
The emotion was so uncontrollable that even he was surprised.
-Don’t get drawn in. You can’t win alone.
At Hræsvelgr’s words, he came to his senses and gave a small nod.
-His words themselves carry power, and they’ll shake your Mental Image. You must never fall for it.
“...Right.”
-He’s someone who has mastered all languages. Language itself is also his power.
Hræsvelgr spoke of the information he knew about Odin, awakening Iron’s mind.
-They said you killed Thor, so I had expectations, but were you just a coward?
Odin provoked Iron continuously, wagging his devilish tongue.
-To think this is all you amount to... How disappointing. Are you truly the one the Lord God trusts most?
Odin kept provoking Iron, shaking his Mental Image.
At that moment, the Blue Baepsae let out a short cry and released power.
-Tweet!
The moment he heard the Blue Baepsae’s cry, the shaken Iron regained his composure.
Seeing this, Odin's expression slightly crumpled.
-Right. You were there.
Looking at the Blue Baepsae, Odin realized that shaking Iron any further was impossible and raised his spear.
Then, countless magic circles gathered around Odin.
-Cunning bastard. So he was stalling for time for this?
At Hræsvelgr’s words, Iron urgently gave orders to his subordinates.
They didn’t know exactly what Odin was planning, but they had to disrupt it as much as possible.
At Iron’s command, fortress cannons were fired, and the Eastern Army's magicians and spirit summoners launched preemptive attacks.
Then, several of the magic circles created by Odin merged together and blocked the attacks.
Magic circles that moved as if they were alive.
And seeing that, Iron showed a puzzled expression.
“What is... that?”
A letter at the center of a magic circle shone brightly.
What was strange was that each of those letters emitted a different kind of power.
As Iron looked puzzled at what he sensed, Hræsvelgr clicked his tongue and spoke.
-The original runes.
“Those are runes? But they’re different from now...”
-They’re altered. The true runes can’t be handled by humans, so only their form was borrowed. The true runes are like spirits. The letters themselves are practically alive.
At Hræsvelgr’s explanation, Odin curled his lips.
-That’s right. You know it well. Then you must also know where I obtained the runes from...
At Odin’s words, Hræsvelgr widened his eyes.
-No way...?
The moment Hræsvelgr made a shocked expression, the dead began to rise from the ground beneath Odin's feet.
-The original runes are letters that can be obtained from the boundary of life and death. In other words! I am a friend of the dead.
Odin said so and laughed wickedly.
The dead who could not go to the great flow or even to hell after death, standing at the boundary between life and death.
Having become friends with such beings, Odin summoned forth long-forgotten existences.
-Numbers mean nothing before me.
Odin said so as he stared intently at Iron.
He looked at him as if pressuring him to fight directly if he wanted to win, and Hræsvelgr shook his head firmly.
Then Odin smiled softly.
-Do you know what I’m doing right now?
At Odin’s question, Iron turned his head away.
As if refusing to be swayed by his words, he averted his gaze, but Odin continued speaking as if it didn’t matter.
-I’m in the process of opening the Gate of Hell. Hell, which once destroyed the divine realm. I will summon it here.
Odin said so and laughed as if amused.
-With the chance of summoning gods being slim, there’s only one way to survive Destruction. Summon Hell and oppose the beings of Destruction and demons. Even if this land is destroyed, and all sorts of corruption boil over, it doesn’t matter. As long as I and the gods can descend here and survive...
Odin said this as he stared intently at Iron.
-So! What will you do? If you wait for reinforcements like this, the Gate of Hell will open, you know?
A vile smile unbefitting someone at the supreme realm called Absolute God.
As if to prove his words weren’t lies, countless overlapping magic circles were parting the space.
“...It’s real.”
The aura of Hell, something he had once felt in his past life.
Not only that, but it was also the power he had already encountered in this life in the northeastern region, now began encroaching on the surroundings.
But the density of the hellish aura now was on a completely different level than what he had seen in the Northeast.
“What’ll happen if that fully opens?”
At Iron’s question, Hræsvelgr paused for a moment before reluctantly answered.
-At the very least, the western region of this continent will be engulfed by the aura of Hell. And if those energies gather, the Gate of Hell could open again later.
“There’s no other choice then.”
It was already difficult enough to stop Destruction, and there was no room to spare for worrying about Hell as well.
Whether it ended in death or survival, Iron had to stop Odin.
The moment he gripped the Iron Wall in his hand with force, a massive Aura Blade was formed, and soon it began to turn white.
Seeing that, a wicked smile and a vile expression rose on Odin’s face.
-Dead ones, kill the living and begin a new life. I shall permit it.
At Odin’s command, the dead summoned to the ground began rushing toward the Imperial Army that surrounded him.
The dead who had remained on the boundary, unable to go to the afterlife or remain in the world of the living, now tried to kill the living to reclaim a new life.
Watching Odin manipulate the hearts of the dead, who sought even a moment’s joy of life before Destruction arrived, Iron clenched his teeth.
Then he stepped into the interior of the encirclement.
-Yes! Come forth! Come and meet a glorious death! Even if Destruction arrives, I shall at least remember your name.
The moment Odin’s words ended, a massive white sword flew toward him.
But that white sword was deflected by a spear of light created by Odin.
The white sword, which was so easily deflected, couldn’t overcome Odin’s strength and was flung far back along with Iron.
-Be careful!
At Hræsvelgr’s warning, Iron hurriedly twisted his body.
A spear of light was already chasing after the flung-back Iron.
Kwaang!
-My spear has never once missed its target.
Odin spoke those words as he attempted to kill Iron, who had entered his domain.
Gungnir, the divine spear that never failed to strike its target, pursued Iron. Iron quickly adjusted his posture and swung his white sword.
Kuuuuung!
“Keuk!”
-What a pity. It's hard enough to face me even with your full power… yet you came here in that condition...
Odin looked at Iron pitifully, shaking his head as he slowly approached.
The Divine Beasts attacked Odin, but all were blocked by his magic.
“Is there... no way?”
At Iron’s question, Hræsvelgr remained silent.
In their current state, there was no way.
Even surviving against Odin was a near-impossible probability.
-There is one way. But you’ll have to risk your life.
“What is it?”
-A fusion between you and the Divine Beasts. Of course... it will take time.
At Hræsvelgr’s words, Iron fell silent.
He understood better than anyone what those words meant.
It was already difficult enough to infuse the white sword with the energy of nature, adding the Divine Beasts to that?
His body would probably explode before it even began.
But to face an Absolute God, there was no other option.
“Will that be enough?”
A voice suddenly came from behind.
When Iron turned around at the sound, two Family Heads were standing there.
And behind them, all the Masters of the Empire had gathered.
-How interesting.
Odin, who had been advancing while pushing the Divine Beasts back, smiled gently and looked at the humans who had walked into death with their own feet.
Then Lioner stepped forward and spoke to Iron.
“Do it. I’ll risk my life to buy you time.”
At Lioner’s words, Iron looked at him.
He had said the same thing when they fought Heurimre in the Northeast.
Lioner had staked his life to buy time for Iron, and Iron had miraculously honored that sacrifice.
This time was the same.
“This time, all of us will buy time. So... do it.”
As Ariel stepped forward and spoke, Aiden, standing beside her, smiled softly.
“We’ll believe in you, hyung.”
The moment Ariel and Aiden stepped in front of Iron, all the Masters of the Empire revealed their hostility toward Odin.
Seeing that, Odin gripped Gungnir as if amused.
-How entertaining. To think those who were lower than livestock in the Mythical Era have grown this much… How admirable.
Odin said so and opened his only remaining eye wide.
-But what a shame. That I must erase such evolved humans with my own hands…
The moment those words ended, the magic circles floating in the sky all began to shine at once.
***
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