章節 2087: Awe
"Master, my pack has taken over three of the Altars."
Though it had only been a few minutes since Fenrir sent out her pack of puppies, Vahn wasn't surprised to hear they had already completed their objective. Even the weakest among them was stronger than the average 6-Digit Community member. They also had nothing to do with any of Fenrir's actual Gifts, so, even if someone tried to cry foul, it wouldn't take long to prove their innocence.
"Good girl."
Running his hand along the side and bottom of her neck, Vahn compelled Fenrir to roll over so he could give her belly a vigorous rub. As this was happening, a horn could be heard in the distance, its sound carrying across the game board as a rainbow-hued pillar of light impacted each of the Altars.
"Oh. I half-expected something like Jörmungandr to show up..."
Since this made his job a lot easier, Vahn created a double to teleport near the base of the Altar Fenrir's fortress had settled over. The rainbow-hued pillar had penetrated through the icy mass as if it didn't exist. This would have terrified most people, but, knowing he could just make another version of himself, Vahn immediately stepped into the beam.
After a sensation akin to having his body broken down molecule by molecule, Vahn found himself reassembled in a large stone arena. There was a large runic symbol that had burned itself into the ground beneath his feet, but, rather than pay attention to that, he raised his brows toward the rather fierce-looking redhead standing at the opposite side of the arena, asking, "Is it just you...?"
Furrowing her brows in response to Vahn's words, Ragna brandished her twin battleaxes, the runes across its surface emitting a fiery blue light as she explained, "The arena of Himinbjörg is a sacred place. Only two people can enter. Only one can leave. You will have to occupy this place until the end of the Gift Game if you wish to declare yourself the victor."
As Ragna spoke, an updated Geass Roll appeared out of thin air. Now, instead of three hidden conditions, there were only two. The third row of question marks had updated to reflect what Ragna had said.
"Well, that simplifies things..."
Raising his hand as he spoke, Vahn left Ragna frozen, the pupils of her eyes contracted as he caught the lightning bolt that attempted to strike him. If he had tanked it, she wouldn't have been that surprised. Instead, his touch had caused it to turn into a physical tendril of energy as he said, "You can have this back."
Though she could deflect natural lightning, Ragna was barely able to tense her body before the bolt wielded by Vahn struck her like a whip. In the very next moment, she felt as though her body had passed through multiple membranes. In actuality, these were a series of stone pillars and a thick wall...
With Ragna's body breaking down into bluish-white light, Vahn shifted his attention to the structure of the arena. It was approximately 500m in diameter with a series of ten, thirty, and fifty-meter walls forming three concentric circles. The circle he had presently found himself in was host to nine large pillars, each connected via a large engraving resembling a tree.
"Marvelous..."
As a Blacksmith and an Artisan, Vahn was someone who could appreciate interesting designs and themes. It was obvious that someone had put a lot of effort into developing this particular Game Board. If he didn't know that everything would be reset the moment the game came to an end, he might even be reluctant to destroy it...
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"Greetings, friend. My name is Thanus Nyx, Leader of Twice Twilight. I owe you my sincerest gratitude. Without your help, we would have already been eliminated from the competition."
Though he could sense of overwhelmingly dark aura emanating from the glowing-eyed man, Siegfried had learned from Vahn that he should never judge a book by its cover. Thus, without any discernible hesitation on his face, he accepted the former's handshake, stating, "It's not a big deal. I was just passing through and decided to lend a hand of my own volition. There are no debts between us."
Smiling in response to Siegfried's words, Thanus gave the former's hand a firm shake before retracting his hand and asking, "What will you do now? I can't imagine you cooperating with us until the end of the Gift Game. Shouldn't you be helping your own Community?"
Answering in Siegfried's stead, Dorothea, the same woman Vahn had encountered prior to his affiliation with Thousand Eyes, revealed, "He said he doesn't belong to a Community. He is the conjured spirit of another Player."
Blinking in surprise, Thanus gave Siegfried another once-over as he remarked, "Amazing. Your Master must be a remarkable individual to summon someone as powerful as you. From what I can tell, you're no different from any other Player..."
Returning a kind smile, Siegfried withheld any remarks related to Vahn. He had no intention of parting with any information related to his best friend and benefactor. Instead, he just nodded his head and said, "I should be going. I wish you and your Community the best of luck for the remainder of the game."
Without waiting for Thanus' reply, Siegfried directed a second nod towards Dorothea before spreading his wings and taking to the sky. This caused the smile on Thanus' face to turn wry, but, understanding he wasn't a match for the silver-haired warrior, he ultimately just shook his head before looking back at Dorothea and musing, "You're as popular as ever."
Blushing in response to her Leader's words, Dorothea adopted a slightly pouty expression as she rebutted, "Mooou! I told you to stop teasing me! B-Besides, the person I really like-"
Before Dorothea could finish her impromptu confession, one of the Einherjar that had been knocked unconscious by Siegfried suddenly charged toward her. Unfortunately for him, he was only able to get about three steps before a bluish-black shadow resembling a demonic ant emerged from the ground, bifurcating him in an instant...
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With five of the eight Altars under the control of his forces, Vahn wasn't surprised by the lack of people arriving to challenge him. Each individual member of Fenrir's pack could wipe out an average 6-Digit Community on their own, so, even if numerous Communities teamed up, there was very little they could do to shift the tide in their favor.
Fortunately, the Gift Game seemed to have accounted for this particular scenario as another horn could be heard echoing throughout the Game Board after an hour had passed. Since he had another version of himself idling about at the base of the mountain, Vahn was able to see a massive blizzard forming along the edges of the playing field.
"So that's how they intend to force the Players inward. The playing area shrinks over time..."
As soon as those words left his mouth, Vahn was unsurprised to see a Geass Roll manifest in front of him. Whenever Players discovered one of the hidden objectives, the rolls had a habit of updating for all participants. What he didn't expect was the actual description present on the scroll...
"We have to protect the Altars from a Frost Giant invasion? That's sneaky..."
With a clause dictating that everyone would be eliminated if more than half of Sigrun's Altars were destroyed, Leviathan's Tail would have been able to guarantee their victory against most other Communities. The rules of the game not only forced a Community to divide their forces to conquer multiple Altars but they would also need to send their strongest members through the Bifrost in order to ensure victory. In other words, only their weaker members would remain to defend against the Frost Giants' assault, and, due to the restrictions placed on summoning, someone like Jin would have been helpless to do anything.
Unfortunately for the members of Leviathan's Tail, Vahn had no such limitations. Siegfried and Scathach weren't even considered summoned creatures, and, even if they had been, the rules of the game didn't designate that a Player couldn't use multiple Gifts to summon. It only said that Gifts related to summoning were limited to a total of three summons. Nowhere did it say you could only use a single Gift related to summoning.
After briefly considering whether or not he should summon the entirety of Avalon's forces in order to deter future challengers, Vahn ultimately shook his head before patting the two pups in his lap and saying, "My turn."
Though the pup representing Altria seemed unwilling to part with him, she ended up having little choice when Fenrir, appearing as a much larger wolf, picked her up by the scruff of her neck. This allowed Vahn to rise to his feet, his bones creaking and popping as the clothes on his body gradually disappeared. This created quite the sight for female viewers to behold. As for the men...well...
Thanks to his numerous Divinities, Vahn was vaguely aware of how others, especially large groups of people, perceived him. Fortunately, he wasn't inexperienced with this phenomenon so he was largely able to ignore it as he appeared outside the frozen fortress. Then, under the shocked gazes of virtually everyone spectating the Gift Game, his body increased in size as an azure light erupted from his body.
With the intent of increasing his familiarity with [Rakshasa Body], Vahn decided to transform into a proper Azure Dragon for the first time in quite a while. Instead of the humanoid version, however, he went with the full dragon transformation. By the time the light faded away, he had grown to more than 300m in length, his body resembling that of an eastern dragon, complete with a serpentine body, golden scales, large horns, whiskers, and an azure mane that crackled with electricity.
Ignoring the ravenous look he was receiving from Hime, Vahn opened his maw to release a roar that, for a brief moment, created absolutely no sound. At the same time, the image most people were viewing appearing to freeze. It was like everything had suddenly come to a stop, and, were it not for the ambient sounds around them, some may have even believed they had been frozen in time.
As a feeling of incongruency welled in the hearts and minds of the average spectator, a scene unlike anything they had experienced appeared before them. The image seemed to glitch for a brief moment as a majestic roar emanated from the screen, seemingly echoing throughout the entirety of the East Side. At the same time, incomprehensible devastation was reflected in the image they had been watching as thick bands of azure lightning tore through the blizzard that had been encroaching upon the Game Board...
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Seeing the form of Vahn reflected on a floating jade tablet, a man with remarkable features, long white hair, sword-like eyebrows, and sky-blue pupils couldn't help raising his brows as he remarked, "What a curious fellow. I wonder if he has any relation to Meng Zhang?"
Answering the inordinately handsome man's inquiry was a woman whose beauty could only be described as heavenly. She also had long white hair, but, instead of radiant, sky-blue eyes, hers were a shade of opaque pink that seemed to draw in anyone that stared into them. As for her response, she simply replied, "Perhaps."
Returning a curt nod in response to his wife's remark, the inordinately handsome man pulled out a jade slip with his right hand, shattering it as he said, "Wang. Fetch Meng Zhang. There is a matter I wish to discuss with him."
Shortly after the man had spoken, a remarkably reverential voice, seemingly emitting from the void, answer, "As you will, Your Imperial Majesty..."
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Is it just you...?','That is a pretty sneaky clause...','Vahn takes showing off to another level...')
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章節 2088: Incredulity
Standing between four and nine meters tall, the Jotun, colloquially known as Frost Giants, were a race of monstrous humanoids with an extreme preference for cold. Rather than garments of fabric or armors made from metal, they garbed their blue-skinned bodies in frigid black stone held fast by perpetual, magically enhanced ice.
In the myths related to their species, Frost Giants were among the most physically gifted races in the Nine Realms. Even their weakest members could overwhelm the average resident of Asgard, and, despite being a relatively primitive species, their raw physical power and magical resistance allowed them to wage war against the other realms.
Under normal circumstances, the only way to overwhelm a Frost Giant was with magical flames and enchanted Asgardian metals. They were nearly unkillable using other methods, as, even if you were to throw them into a river of molten lava, it would simply freeze over without doing any meaningful damage.
Unfortunately, as was often the case whenever Vahn was involved, such details simply didn't matter. He was far beyond the level where resistances, natural or otherwise, held any real meaning. Thus, to the surprise and horror of the simulated titans, there was nothing they could do as bands of vibrant azure lightning, many thicker than they were tall, tore through their ranks.
Without any suspense whatsoever, everything touched by the azure lightning found itself torn apart at the molecular level before being cast into the void. From the perspective of others, it was like the lightning was erasing everything it touched. This included the magical energy sustaining the storm. Thus, by the time three minutes had passed, the battlefield had become eerily silent as Vahn, still in his Azure Dragon transformation, lingered in the sky like a God of Destruction overlooking creation.
"Three-hundred-meters may have been a little much..."
Feeling the invisible membrane just a few meters above his head, Vahn didn't have a lot of room to move around. This tempted him to manipulate the space above the battlefield to give himself a bit of extra room, but, fearing people would cry foul play, he decided against it. Instead, he expanded his domain to cover most of the battlefield, powerful barriers erecting around each of the Altars as he grasped the position and strength of every remaining contestant.
Sensing there were no major threats remaining, Vahn nodded his massive head before shifting his attention to Hime. It was impossible to tell due to his draconic visage, but a wry smile spread across his face the moment he saw the inordinately beautiful white serpent staring at him with an intense, slightly glimmer in her pale yellow eyes.
Noticing Vahn's gaze, Hime immediately lowered her head in a respectful and subservient manner, muttering, "My Lord..." in an audibly impassioned tone.
Issuing a resounding chuckle that caused the surrounding space to ripple, Vahn felt a sudden and intense urge to coil around Hime's body. Unfortunately, as shameless as he was, he wasn't quite at the level of someone like Scathach. Hime might not be able to control herself if he teased her in her current state, so, after several seconds of contemplative silence, he said, "Return to the fortress. I'll take care of the rest."
Though her aura made it very clear she was reluctant, Hime didn't hesitate to obey Vahn's words. Instead of returning to her human form, however, she coiled around the icy throne in the hopes of cooling her remarkably hot body. She felt like literal flames had been ignited inside of her, and, as a result, the ice began to hiss and produce steam the moment she came into contact with it.
("It appears Scathach isn't the only person I'll need to deal with once this game has been settled...")
(*Vahn...*)
("Yeah, yeah, I know...")
As something similar happened nearly every time he transformed in front of a woman with draconic traits, Vahn knew he didn't have any leeway to act surprised. Rather, he would be far more surprised if Hime didn't have a reaction. After all, they were already mates. They might not be married, but he doubted she would even consider independence in the next thousand or so years. Dragons, even as servants, could be remarkably obstinate...
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"Gyda...are my eyes playing tricks on me? Did that man seriously just transform into a Pure-Blooded Dragon and wipe out the Frost Giants in an instant...?"
"..."
Unable or perhaps unwilling to respond to her brother's words, Gyda just stared at the projection of Vahn with a pensive expression on her face. She had been born into a 4-Digit Community, but, even after sixteen hundred years of existence, she had never seen anything even remotely comparable to the strength Vahn had shown.
Furrowing his brows, Sigurd changed the image to reflect the version of Vahn loitering in the arena. He had literally laid a pale-blue blanket across the ground, and, instead of exploring the area like a normal person, he simply relaxed with his hands behind his head.
"Dammit...you can at least pretend to take this seriously. Organizing an event this large takes a lot of planning and effort..."
Though he had the backing of one of the most powerful alliances in the Little Garden, it had still taken months for Sigurd to establish his Community and make preparations for a high-profile Gift Game. The negotiations, in particular, had been a nightmare. After all, no matter how eager they were to claim a Pure-Blooded Vampire as their prize, most Community Leaders had enough sense not to leave their fate in the hands of a lottery.
Vahn had managed to emerge entirely unscathed from the lottery process but some Communities had been unfortunate enough to draw lots that required them to hand over Gifts, members of their Community, or even their Flag. This was the reason so many Players became desperate the moment they became Einherjar. For some, their very futures were on the line.
Had things proceeded according to plan, Leviathan's Tail would have received a tremendous boon once the Gift Game had concluded. They stood to gain numerous Gifts, several additional Players, and an ample amount of territory in one fell swoop. Afterward, they would have returned Leticia to the alliance so that she could be auctioned off or used as bait in future Gift Games.
Shaking his head, Sigurd turned to Gyda, asking, "What do you think we should do? I was going to suggest attacking the Altars but most of our forces have already been eliminated. If we ascend now, we might not even have enough people to open the Bifrost for a return trip."
Without any discernible changes in her expression, Gyda stated, "We don't know how many times that man can split his body. I also get the impression he hasn't gotten serious, so, even if we initiate the Ragnarok protocol, I can't imagine it having any meaningful effect against him. The power of a Strongest Species is simply beyond our means to deal with..."
Though he was in agreement with Gyda's observations, Sigurd couldn't help frowning in response to his sister's words. Instead of getting angry at her, however, he just popped his neck rather loudly before saying, "Well, at least we can earn some brownie points with the spectators by ending things early. Fortunately, I doubt anyone will look down on us for failing to defeat a Pure-Blooded Dragon. They aren't called one of the Strongest Species for nothing."
With that said, Sigurd shouldered his oversized battleax before stepping on a runic engraving that depicted the same pattern as the one left behind by the Bifrost. A rainbow-hued light immediately expanded from the center of the formation, but, before activating completely, Sigurd had enough time to turn around and say, "I know I promised we'll fight together, but you're the only person I can trust to hold the fort. Once I'm defeated, I'll see if I can do something about the Altars as an Einherjar."
Finished with his words, Sigurd gave Gyda a cursory wave as a pillar of light erupted from his feet and instantaneously enveloped his body. He knew he couldn't defeat Vahn but that wasn't going to stop him from trying. Rather, once he became an Einherjar, he intended to descend the mountain and charge directly at the massive dragon that everyone else was avoiding. He had never fought a Strongest Species before. There was no way in hell he was missing the opportunity to do so...
Understanding her brother's thoughts, a sigh escaped Gyda's throat as she sat down next to the reflecting pool and cycled through various images. Under normal circumstances, she would have focused all of her intention on her brother's fight. In this particular instance, however, she refused to do so since it might negatively impact her impression of him. It had been quite some time since she felt the same passion towards her brother that had compelled her to follow him to the East, so, for both of their sakes, she decided to ignore him.
As that thought crossed her mind, Gyda's hand paused mid-swipe as the pool reflected the image of a handsome, and, most importantly, muscular man. His outfit left his chest and part of his back completely exposed, and, despite the strange runic pattern covering them, it was possible to make out every single muscle in his upper body.
Feeling a bit of tension in her throat, Gyda swallowed audibly as she dipped the tips of her fingers in the reflecting pool's surface. There was a time when her brother's physique had been even more impressive. Now, he resembled a young boy who had never trained a day in his life. His personality had also changed rather drastically, so, while she still loved him dearly, there were times when Gyda felt that her brother had been replaced with someone completely different.
"We should have never left the South..."
Shaking such thoughts from her mind, Gyda was prepared to change the reflecting pool's surface to focus elsewhere. The thing that stopped her was the kind and affectionate smile that had appeared on the ashen-haired man's face as he pulled out a silvery locket and gazed at the content. This was enough to garner Gyda's attention, so, rather than change the image to someone else, she adjusted it to take a peek at the locket.
"What in Odin's name...?"
Seeing the pictures of nine women reflected in the locket, six of which were nearly identical to one another, Gyda found herself at a loss for words. Harems weren't particularly rare, but, based on the similarities between the six women, they were clearly sisters of some sort. She had never seen any man capable of wooing sextuplets, much less three goddess-like women.
"He must be quite capable..."
Since there was an unbelievably beautiful redhead among the women displayed in the locket, Gyda couldn't help imagining herself in the ashen-haired man's muscular embrace. His horns, wings, and tail also made it pretty clear he had the blood of dragons flowing through his veins, so, even if she shouldn't be thinking things like this, she found herself contemplating how powerful their children would be...
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Unaware of the fact he was being observed, Siegfried continued staring at his locket for the better part of three minutes before returning it to his pocket. It had been less than two hours since he was summoned, yet, in spite of this, he couldn't help missing his wives and children. It didn't matter that his true self was currently sleeping between two of them. Even a moment away from the people you loved could feel like an eternity.
Exhaling a sigh, Siegfried turned his aquamarine eyes towards the peculiar phenomenon in the sky. It was like an azure-green filter had been superimposed over reality, and, based on the pulsing of his scar, Siegfried knew this was the result of something Vahn had done. This made it pretty clear that his friend and Master didn't actually need his help, but, rather than feeling like this was a waste of time, Siegfried felt privileged just to see the former in action.
"You really do have what it takes to unify everyone, don't you...?"
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Hime be like: *jiiiiiiiiiiiiii-*...','Vahn needs to give Sigurd some protein powder or something...','Sumanai-san is a good guy...')
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