Chapter 32: Hellheim – 3

Seong Yujing lost consciousness and collapsed, causing the collapse of the barrier that had been supporting them.

All the students of Tean 14 immediately sensed the danger to Seong Yujin and knew they had to leave the place right away.

The largest and strongest student, Miguel, hoisted the fallen Seong Yujin onto his shoulder, while Han Sehee used her magical manipulation to float the blue-white orb that had caused Seong Yujin’s mental state.

Han Sehee used her magic to move it telekinetically, as touching it directly could have put even herself in danger.

“We need to inform the professor immediately.”

They were deep inside the dungeon.

It had taken a long time to reach this place, stepping on sturdy platforms created by barriers.

Now, without the platforms, they had to traverse a muddy swamp on foot.

Even a child could see that it would take a long time.

How long would it be before Seong Yujin, who had lost consciousness, started showing abnormal symptoms?

It was impossible to give an exact answer since it was a matter of possibilities, but Hermod didn’t ponder for long.

“Everyone, gather around me. I’m going to transport us all to Eden’s infirmary right now.”

Though he didn’t want to use his mystic ability if possible, Hermod decided to do so willingly.

He spread his palm, and a small sphere of magic appeared in its centre.

The thread of magic that extended from the sphere resembled Seong Yujin’s barriers but had a completely different role and ability.

Puk-

The thread of magic penetrated the badge each of them wore on their chest.

It was the emergency return artifact that Professor Karia had given them before the dungeon expedition began.

Normally, to prevent cheating during the dungeon raid, the artifact couldn’t be used manually and would only activate automatically when the students’ safety was in danger.

“Brace yourselves, it might be a bit dizzying. I forcefully activated its function!”

Hermod used his mystic ability to force the artifact to overdrive.

Boundaries arise when things are divided and recognized.

His mystic power connected the broken boundaries, paving the way and delivering the message faster than anyone else.

Team 14 conquered the dungeon faster than anyone and returned to Eden ahead of everyone.

***

Noticing the alert on the status window, I tensed my body as soon as I realized I had been under mental attack.

I quickly redeployed the barrier I had foolishly taken down and raised the loosened boundary to the highest level.

“What did you do to me?”

I asked Hella with a frown, demanding to know what she had done to me, what she intended by feeding me the banquet food.

Clicking her tongue, Hella raised her right arm.

Snap—a clean sound echoed as her fingers flicked.

Magic surged from the surroundings.

I swiftly kicked the chair I was sitting on and leaped away.

“There must be a reason you had to use illusion magic to feed me the food.”

I murmured coldly, and finally, her mouth opened.

“I had to keep you here.”

Keep me here?

It seemed something bad would happen to her if I left this place.

Then I would gladly leave.

Thinking so, I drew upon my magic.

The vast power from the two cores circulated through my circuits, enhancing my body.

“I promise. I won’t pose any threat to your safety. Just enjoy delicious food and a peaceful rest, and live an eternal life here.”

Right after I broke through the illusion of Helheim and rejected the food, Hella clicked her tongue and unleashed her magic, but strangely, she kept trying to persuade me.

Instead of simply attacking and forcing me, she always stopped attacking and waited for my response when trying to persuade me.

It was like trying to hold back a guest who was about to leave with aggressive means.

It made me curious.

What exactly was she trying to keep me away from?

“Why?”

So instead of continuing to attack, I asked.

“Why go to such lengths to keep me here?”

What exactly was her reason for trying to keep me here?

To that question, Hella replied.

“To set this world right.”

Her goal was probably Ragnarok.

The purple glow in her eyes as she glared at me was compelling evidence of that.

But I still didn’t understand what she meant by setting the world right.

Did she intend to destroy the world once with Ragnarok and rebuild a new world from scratch?

I had doubts, but this was not the time to solve such questions calmly.

“You people, the humans of this era, don’t know. You don’t know the great sin that Otinuus committed.”

“…Otinuus committed a great sin?”

“You seem to know her. Well, considering your role, Otinuus would have contacted you no matter what.”

Otinuus’ sin.

As I hardened my expression at this unheard-of story, she chuckled softly.

My role.

Was she referring to Rift Laesir, the role she mentioned when we first met?

First, I needed to find a way to escape this place.

Judging by the status window that had filled my vision earlier, this was not reality.

It was a different world, separate from reality.

“You are being deceived. You are utterly fooled by the fraud who has fashioned herself as a hero and are blind to the great truth that you should face and overcome.”

A storm loomed.

A cold gale swept across the vast frozen land.

The world moved in response to her gestures and words.

It felt like I was fighting not Hella but the entire world.

“I don’t want to kill you.”

In an instant, the fierce magic subsided.

Without letting my guard down, I watched Hela’s movements closely.

Her lips were pursed, and a voice mixed with a slight sigh pierced my ears.

“Stay by my side. If you dislike that, lay down the Golden Rune and seek the ordinary lives and happiness of mortals.”

The Golden Rune.

A mysterious fragment extracted from the heart of the Replice of Gungnir.

Why does Hela know about the Golden Rune?

Swallowing my saliva, I forcefully pulled up my magic.

I had no intention of staying here, let alone handing over the Golden Rune.

A situation where combat was unavoidable.

But in such a situation, my lips were smiling.

“I refuse.”

I will block Ragnarok and carve out a new ending.

“I will see it through to the end in my own way.”

So I cannot retreat.

But it’s also fine not to retreat.

Thud.

A piercing pain coursing through my body.

It wasn’t as agonizing as before, perhaps because I had grown accustomed to the pain, or maybe because my mental strength had improved with the rise in my mental stats.

It could be both.

My body had changed significantly since then.

“One last thing I would like to ask. Where are we?”

“…This is my world. The cold land where my imagination is realized. Hellheim.”

As if she didn’t care to tell me, Hela responded coolly to my question.

I reached out my arm towards her.

Despite the pain, it wouldn’t be long before this agony turned into pleasure, filling my body.

And also, in the world of imagination, my combat prowess would increase exponentially.

Hellheim.

Her realm where Hela’s imagination is manifested.

“You did not attack me in reality.”

That was her mistake.

Reality is bound by absolute rules and powerful laws, but human imagination is not.

It can change as one desires and is easily swayed and fluid.

“You underestimated an individual named Seong Yujin.”

As deadly as arrogance and complacency.

Hela wouldn’t have been able to predict it, even if she died and woke up.

[Second Round Data: Completed the succession of ‘Barrier Fighter #BoundaryMage’.]

I am using a cheat that overturns all the basic principles of this world.

[Some stats of the second round data are added.]

At this moment, in the short exchange of a few blows, I have become infinitely stronger.

[Acquired some skills from the second round data.]

And my abilities are at their worst against her power, the imaginary world of Hellheim.

[Third Round data: The succession of ‘Supreme Barrier #BoundaryMage’ is possible.]

A few facts missed by Hela become sharp daggers aimed at her.

‘Succession begins. ‘

And

State window open.

The wide-open state window imbued my body with the knowledge of the inherited skills and a stronger physique.

Now the conditions are met.

All that remains is to return my mind trapped in her imagination to my original body.

And I know how to do it.

Taking the initiative, I extract my mind from this world.

“Let’s see which world is stronger.”

Forming hand seals, I pour out my magic, drawing out the dormant mystery within.

There is sufficient magic to operate the mystery.

This place belongs to another world, not reality.

In this world, I can exercise Sovereignty of Otherworld with much less magic than when using mystic ability in reality, and exercise it more powerfully.

So I use it.

I overlay my imaginary world over Hela’s Hellheim, now just waking from its slumber, with my own phantom world.

“Territory Deployment.”

With that word as the incantation, I sketch my phantom world onto the cold land of Hellheim.

As if adding paint to a picture, the world shakes, and the landscape of Hellheim, spread out in all directions, changes.

[The phantom world erodes Hellheim.]

From now on, it’s a tug-of-war between my phantom world and Hela’s Hellheim, a battle for dominance over a single spot, meaning it’s practically a war of attrition.