Chapter 184: Odin’s Familiars

“How are you all…!”

Yeo Seong-Gu and Lee Jun-Kyeong looked over at the two, who had suddenly appeared, with surprised expressions. Hel and Hyeon-Mu should have been with Sangun, but they were now standing next to them.

“But Sangun…”

–He asked us to protect you, Master.

“But still…!”

As Lee Jun-Kyeong was about to cry out, embarrassed, a strong gust of wind blew.

Swoosh!

It completely dispersed all of the smoke. In the midst of the void of space caused by the tearing mana, an explosion expanded forth.

Boom!

“...”

Lee Jun-Kyeong looked straight ahead with clear eyes.

–We will…

“Protect you, Master…”

Before him, Hyeon-Mu and Hel were standing guard. Beyond them, something was floating in the sky: a gigantic creature whose shadow darkened the world.

“Odin’s Familiar,” Yeo Seong-Gu said as he looked up at the sky in an understanding manner as if he had figured out the beast’s true identity.

All of a sudden, a rainbow-colored sword appeared in his hand. In the midst of this situation, where all parties were prepared, Lee Jun-Kyeong was tearing through the veil. By this point, as he could be seen to have been connected to the veil, he wasn’t able to easily release his hands or handle any external blows.

“I guess I’ll protect you as well.”

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

That was why Yeo Seong-Gu had also stepped forward to protect Lee Jun-Kyeong.

Swish! Swish!

In the sky, that vast creature was flapping its wings. Lee Jun-Kyeong wracked his brain, trying to figure out the identity of that beast.

He had seen Odin’s Familiar once before. It was a massive raven, green in color. It had been the eye that had watched over him, the eye that had circled the world searching for information from the gates, offering it all to Odin.

Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that Odin had quite a few Familiars, two of which took the form of green ravens. Of the two, one of them was before them, flapping its wings. The two ravens had vastly different types of abilities.

“So he sent, Muninn, is it…”[1]

Unlike Lee Jun-Kyeong, Yeo Seong-Gu seemed to have already ascertained the Familiar’s identity.

“If he’s sent Muninn, he really must be trying to take you out,” Yeo Seong-Gu commented.

“Muninn…”

As Lee Jun-Kyeong was wracking his brain for Muninn’s abilities, the cry of a beast began to sound out.

“Grr…”

“Growl!”

The sharp growls of a beast rang through the air, seemingly the cries of a wolf. However, the ferocious beast that appeared was something that couldn’t ever be compared to that of a measly wolf.

“... Fenrir?”

A massive wolf-like beast, almost identical to Fenrir, had appeared in the forest.

“He’s also sent Geri…” Yeo Seong-Gu said. “And even Freki.”[2]

This time, Lee Jun-Kyeong seems to have figured out the wolves’ identity as well. Yeo Seong-Gu looked back at him nervously and said, “He really seems like he’s determined to kill us?”

The opponents before them were just Familiars, and Familiars were inevitably weaker than their master. However, Yeo Seong-Gu was still incredibly apprehensive when he saw the Familiars spread out before them.

“I’m going to go crazy.”

Yeo Seong-Gu looked back at Lee Jun-Kyeong. The Hunter was still in the middle of breaking through the veil.

He was constantly bombarding the veil with his mana as the veil continued to crumble.

“Fifteen minutes,” Lee Jun-Kyeong looked at Yeo Seong-Gu and said. “Please hold on for fifteen minutes.”

Yeo Seong-Gu nodded with an anxious gaze.

Caw!!!

Howl!!!!

With Muninn’s cry and Geri’s and Freki’s howls, a roar of mana burst out, echoing through the space. At the same time, the sound of Yeo Seong-Gu’s groan could be heard.

“

Ugh

.”

It seemed as though he had suddenly been weighed down by a set of invisible chains that fell upon his body. He could feel it, the influence of Asgard. The Restriction of Asgard was another reason why Yeo Seong-Gu hated Odin.

“Damn it.”

Yeo Seong-Gu forced his body to move as he looked over at Hyeon-Mu and Hel. His body had been burdened, and his movements were unnatural.

“Let’s go!”

Even so, he still shouted and swung his rainbow-colored sword.

***

At the same time as Yeo Seong-Gu and Lee Jun-Kyeong’s trials, Hunters were running forward with war cries and shouting far away.

“Ahhhh!!!”

An uncountable array of magic and skills were fired over the heads of the charging Hunters. Many Hunters were doing their best to block them. The battle had begun, starting on the broken road that led to Yangpyeong.

“Show no mercy!”

Hunters were screaming and running to kill each other.

Although the enemies should have been monsters since it was the cataclysm, currently, at this moment, the situation was different. Humans were colliding with humans.

“Show no mercy!”

The Hunters shouted as they charged forward, crying out as if they were making a promise to themselves.

Numerous thoughts dominated the minds of the Hunters: their enemies, the ones who had taken everything, but most of all fear. The fear of having to kill another human being and the fear of death loomed over them. As it began to bleed together, they heard someone shout.

“Ahhhh!”

From within Sangun’s formation, someone quickly rushed out through the gaps between the Hunters.

Roaring like crazy, the figure held a massive greatsword in both hands, so large that it was difficult to even consider it a sword.

“

Ha-a-eup!!

”

He finally broke through the lines of the Hunters, and Jeong In-Chang soared high into the sky with a shout. The greatsword changed before them as a bright light burst forth as if to blind their eyes.

Boom!

He fell from his perch in the sky, slamming his greatsword into the broken road. In front of the Hunters, a great explosion occurred right as everyone was rushing in without knowing what would happen next.

Crack!!

At the same time, the road started to split apart. The road cracked and split apart with the accompanying sound of the screams of people.

“

AGHHH!

”

The broken road consumed the Hunters, opening up like the jaws of a monster. Jeong In-Chang pulled his sword from the ruins, turning around even though the enemies were right before him.

“...”

His eyes were bloodshot. Here, he had to face humans. In the past, he wouldn’t have been able to wield his sword properly, drowned out by the horror and agony of cutting down a person, but that, too, had changed for him.

‘They are enemies.’

Even if those before him were human beings like him, not everyone was on the same side. In fact, they were enemies who sought his own life and the lives of his comrades.

“I will no longer be merciful!!”

His shout, which had a strange resonance, rang through the space. Rather than a roar, it was more akin to a throat-wrenching scream. As Odin’s camp was shaken by Jeong In-Chang’s blow, spine-chilling cries began to echo from the heavens.

Caw!!!

“Retreat!” Sangun shouted at Jeong In-Chang.

However, it was already too late.

Caw!!!

The grotesque cries of a raven had already come close enough to Jeong In-Chang, and he held his greatsword aloft, realizing he wouldn’t be able to avoid it. The raven quickly fell from the sky, plummeting down as if the sky itself was falling. Feeling a huge aura pressing down on him, Jeong In-Chang could feel the pressure from the falling raven weighing down his body.

“

Ha-a-eup!

”

As he shouted loudly and prepared himself for the clash, another roar was heard.

“Goongje!!!”

The princess, who should have been moving with the Hunters behind him, was suddenly flying through the air above Jeong In-Chang’s head.

Boom!!

Before he was able to call out to the princess, an explosion burst before him.

***

“Let me go!” someone screamed from within a room. “Let me go this instant!”

A woman continued to scream and struggle.

Boom! Booom!!

They could hear the sounds of explosions and the screams of people coming from outside the room.

The battle had begun.

“Let go!”

Ungnyeo tried to get out of the room by any means possible. Her companions were fighting. They had put their lives on the line to save her and their people.

“I said, let me go…!”

While her companions were fighting, she found herself stuck in this room, unable to do a single thing. The aura bound to her body restrained her.

She wanted to somehow break her bondage with her strength, but a voice said, “It’s of no use.”

Her bondage was not something she could overcome.

“You monster…”

The one who had placed the restriction on her was a man who was terrifying enough to be called a monster. He had a monstrous strength and was no different from a terrifying beast.

“You are a monster, down to your core,” she said.

The man simply laughed. Following that, the man smiled faintly as he watched the explosions outside the window and heard the screams of people. He then turned his head and looked over at Ungnyeo, a strange shimmer glistening in his one remaining eye.

“Do you know the truth of this world?”

“...”

At his sudden question, Ungnyeo shut her mouth.

“Clueless idiots who know nothing…”

Contempt flickered in his eyes. Even at that moment, Ungnyeo continued to struggle, trying to release her restraints.

“Fine…” Odin muttered while looking through the window by himself.

“Sometimes ignorance is a blessing… I envy you. You, who know nothing.”

Odin was someone who was inquisitive at every moment and desired to know everything. Ungnyeo couldn’t believe that such a person was speaking like this before her.

“For them, death could be a blessing instead,” Odin said to Ungnyeo offhandedly.

Ungnyeo's restraints tightened a little more, and it felt like she would never be released.

Drip.

Tears streamed down her face. She was helplessly chained down as her comrades and her people. She wallowed in despair, feeling sorry for herself.

“What is it that you know?” Odin asked. “Do you know the truth of this world? What lies await for us at the end of it all? Or, how all of this…”

Odin’s voice quieted down. “How it all started?”

Upon hearing Odin’s question, Ungnyeo smiled for the first time. It was a chilly, cold smile.

“I only know one thing,” she said in a venomous voice that spread throughout the room. “That you will die at Jun-Kyeong’s hands.”

Odin looked out the window again, replying with a strange smile. “How quaint.”

***

Crack!

The cracks in the veil were spreading even faster as Lee Jun-Kyeong was destroying it with all of his concentration. Depending on the perspective, it was taking him either too long or too short to break through the veil.

‘Please!’

However, to Lee Jun-Kyeong, each second felt like an eternity.

Boom! Boom!

Explosions were wracking the air behind him. Yeo Seong-Gu, Hel, and Hyeon-Mu were facing Muninn, the giant green raven, and two wolves that looked strangely like Fenrir. Hyeon-Mu’s corps rose from the ground, firing spells and arrows at Muninn. Hel cast buffs to the artillery of magic and arrows while attracting spirits to the area.

“

Ugh!

”

As for Yeo Seong-Gu, who was dealing with the two wolves, his condition was not good.

‘The restraint of Asgard.’

He was someone who belonged to Asgard and had been with Odin for a long time. As a member of Asgard, there were several restraints placed upon him to prevent betrayal–to prevent a rebellion against Odin. Since his opponents were part of Odin’s Familiars, they were able to use Odin’s power to oppress him.

Moreover, as Odin’s Familiars, there was another special matter of their existence. Although they were still simply Familiars, their strength was incomparable to that of any other Hunter. They exuded a pressure that was as if he was facing a group of Apex Hunters.

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“How much longer?!” Yeo Seong-Gu shouted at Lee Jun-Kyeong.

In the midst of the cracking of the veil, Lee Jun-Kyeong shouted at Yeo Seong-Gu.

“Now…!” he shouted.

“It’s open!”

1. Muninn is the other of Odin’s two raven familiars in Norse Mythos. Muninn means memory, juxtaposing Huginn’s thought. 👈

2. Geri and Freki (Greed and Avarice) are Odin’s other major Familiars. As a form of foreshadowing of Ragnarok, Geri and Freki are the embodiment of Odin’s uncontrollable urges. They, along with Thought and Memory, form the balance of what makes a human a human, the ability to think beyond one’s savage urges. 👈