Chapter 102: Ragnarok (1)

As the ice and flames collided, the steam that erupted from the impact obscured the vision like a thick fog. 

Wolfgang instinctively realized that she was no longer in the world she had once inhabited. 

Had the powers of the gods clashed, causing this space to shift? 

Or perhaps the overwhelming forces twisted the fabric of space, making her fall into a different place? 

She wasn’t sure.

But one thing was certain. 

Only one person would leave this place alive, and that person would be her.

“Finally, the day has come to put an end to this long-running grudge.”

“Must be nice. To be able to do what’s right forever.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“It means that from the start, there was a role I had to carry—the role of bearing evil.”

The Winter Queen, who had now stood before her, wore an unexpected bitter expression as she stared at Wolfgang. 

Had she realized something upon ascending to the godly throne?

“You know something, don’t you?”

“Seems like you do too.”

“…Lately, things I never noticed before are starting to appear.”

“Same here. Ever since I took over this position.”

Wolfgang silently observed the Queen. 

Now that she had gained powers comparable to those of a god, she could tell when someone was lying. 

And it was clear—she wasn’t lying. 

At first, she wondered if the Queen was stalling, but now she realized it was better to hear her out.

“Tell me everything you know.”

“Of course.”

“You’re surprisingly cooperative. What are you aiming for?”

“I’ll tell you everything, including that.”

Wolfgang felt uneasy at how readily she spoke. 

Until just before her exile from the kingdom, she had acted as if she owned the world, full of arrogance and control. 

But now, she looked like someone who had given up everything. 

What happened in such a short time?

What did she know?

“You know we’re called ‘gods,’ right?”

“How could I not? That damned Winter King made me suffer for it.”

“Yes. At least your Sun God and my father were beings who could rightfully be called gods. But not me.”

At first, she thought that if she usurped her father’s position, she could wield the Winter God’s power and take control of the world. 

It seemed like that kind of strength.

But doubts soon followed. 

Her father clearly had powers greater than hers, and unlike the Sun God, he was an evil god, with no need to care about oaths.

No, even if he did care about them, his actions were contradictory. 

He had taken the Empire’s northern lands without hesitation, yet kept a strange balance between breaking and keeping his oaths.

Her suspicions grew, but she soon gave up thinking about it. 

It was all in the past. 

And her father, despite being arrogant, probably lost because of his overconfidence.

She then recalled a crucial moment: when everything was ready, she had finally prepared to take her father’s seat.

[41123: It’s not the right time yet.]

“What… what is this?”

An unexpected intervention had occurred.

Everything was ready. 

She had long planned to usurp her father’s throne. 

She had even built a temple in advance. 

And finally, the moment had arrived, a feat even her father couldn’t achieve. 

But then, out of nowhere, an incomprehensible force stopped her, preventing her from acting.

She couldn’t understand it. 

The highest gods were the Sun God and the Winter King. 

There shouldn’t be anyone who could challenge her now that she had inherited one of their positions.

There was no way she could resist. 

She had no choice but to follow their instructions. 

But even in that, there was something. 

Through that process, she was able to glimpse fragments of their plan.

The world was not created by a single god.

Too many gods wanted their share and tried to control the world. 

As a result, the continent was full of chaos.

[Wait, how about we do this?]

The gods didn’t want the beautiful and intricate creations they had made to be destroyed by their own conflicts. 

So, after much deliberation, they came up with a game—a set of rules for how they could intervene without directly destroying their creations. 

But with so many variables, they needed two gods to oversee the game.

Those gods were the Sun God and the Winter King. 

They were tasked with managing life and death. 

Through their influence, the gods could intervene in the game, but only in very limited ways.

Using cheats would make the game too easy, and the fun would be over too quickly. 

So, in extremely restricted circumstances, one god would raise a hero, and another would nurture a demon king.

“So in the end, we were just pawns in their game?”

“…But there were also those who just observed the story unfold.”

“If there are those who write the story, there are also those who are content just reading it from afar. The latter group is far more common.”

The Queen bitterly smiled, revealing everything she knew. 

Her expression was one of resignation. 

Wolfgang clicked her tongue in response.

“So what? Are you asking for pity?”

“No.”

“Then why are you telling me all this?”

Wolfgang understood that there was a story behind her actions. 

But just because she had a story didn’t mean her deeds were excused. 

She responded sharply.

“If I die in this fight, avenge me.”

“What?”

“The power of the Sun and Winter gods are here. And the victor can take the power of the defeated. What do you think will happen if their powers combine?”

“Could it be… that we are finally able to intervene in their game?”

“The Administrators are given powers so vast that they can’t directly intervene. But I’ve usurped all of my father’s powers, and your connection to the Sun God is growing stronger. Isn’t that right?”

“…”

No further explanation was needed. 

Just by facing each other in this moment, Wolfgang could understand exactly what she was trying to say. 

What she desired.

It wasn’t about a world she had played with.

It wasn’t about reigning forever as a god.

It was simply… a blood-soaked revenge against them.

Wolfgang frowned. 

She was a cunning goddess. 

Regardless of whether she won or lost, she would get what she wanted. 

If she won, she would take her revenge herself.

But even if she lost, it was clear that Wolfgang, inheriting her power, would be the one to destroy them. 

Of course, Wolfgang didn’t like the situation either.

Ten years.

Ten long years.

She had fought with her life on the line in that hell, watching as her comrades and neighbors, people who fought beside her, were either killed or devoured by Wendigos overnight.

Even Wolfgang herself nearly lost her life in that hell. 

The memories of those times still haunted her, tormenting her. 

Her own life and the lives of those she fought alongside.

And yet, all of that?

Was it nothing more than a story, a game for someone?

A sacrifice for a brief moment of amusement?

Wolfgang thought he wouldn’t even be able to get angry at such absurdity, but now wasn’t the time for that. 

The idea that everything—his life, the lives of those who had fought beside him—was merely part of a game, just a fleeting diversion for someone else, was unbearable.

This couldn’t go unanswered. 

Even setting her anger aside, how could she ever appease the spirits of the comrades who had gone before her if she didn’t make them pay for this?

Though she had an inkling of the truth, confronting it head-on filled her with an anger that she could no longer hold back. 

Wolfgang had no intention of suppressing the anger that rose from her chest.

“Alright, fine. This time, I’ll play your game willingly.”

“Then it’s settled.”

“Are you sure? You’re going to die in the end.”

“Don’t get it twisted. I’m going to fight with everything I’ve got. After all, there’s nothing more satisfying than carrying out the revenge with my own hands, right?”

“True enough.”

It was an ironic situation. 

The only other being who shared this same truth was… someone she had hated all her life, someone she had always intended to defeat.

But despite everything, she didn’t plan on turning back. 

The outcome wouldn’t change. 

The only thing that had changed was that there was one more enemy to defeat.

This couldn’t go unanswered.

And so, as ice and flames collided, the battle began.