Chapter 139

Episode 139: Sacrifices and Altars

[You will die here]

“…It’s a bloody ordeal.”

Jaehyun let out a bitter laugh.

However, Mimir was not at all shaken.

To test the wisdom of the opponents of prophecy.

That was what he had to do at the Ruins of Hrungnir.

Mimir smiled lightly.

[However, I don’t want the opponent of the prophecy to die here either.

I’ll give you two hints.]

At Mimir’s words, Jaehyun lifted his head.

The gun returned to his eyes as he looked at the clutter around him.

Mimir added.

[However, you already have the wisdom that can be obtained by dedicating this.]

“You already have…?”

[That’s right.]

It was a difficult sentence to understand.

Jaehyun asked calmly.

“……What about the second one?”

Mimir paused for a moment before replying in a slightly subdued tone.

[Wednesday.]

“Wednesday?”

[These are all my two hints.]

Upon hearing the story, Jaehyun’s expression subtly changed.

Even so, Wednesday?

What does that mean?

‘Mimir is a giant who guards the spring of wisdom, Mimisbrunn. Probably both have a deep meaning.’

[The time limit is one hour. I’ve given you every hint I can give.

Then I wish you no luck.]

That voice last.

Mimir’s voice was no longer heard.

“Okay then.”

Jaehyun groaned and looked around.

It didn’t seem easy. From now on, he had to find a single item to offer to Wisdom among the clutter of this great ruin.

‘I’m not sure which is the correct answer.’

Concerned, Jaehyun sat down on a nearby chair and crossed his arms.

“At least it doesn’t mean that you have to go through all these things ignorantly.”

No wonder. At first glance, there are hundreds of thousands of junk items abandoned around here.

However, there was only one sacrifice that could be offered to the altar.

It was nonsense to search and find them one by one.

‘Let’s try this and that for now.’

Jaehyun released his magic and activated an active skill.

―Activate the active skill 《Magic Power Detection》.

―The user’s obliques are enlarged, and mana can be read more clearly.

I looked around with two magical eyes.

However, there was no significant effect.

“It must be difficult to borrow the power of detecting magic here.”

sense of power.

It was a skill that sensed something possessing magical power.

In other words, it means that the effectiveness is too low for things that do not possess magical power.

‘I’m the only one with magic in this room.’

Jaehyun let out a small sigh before thinking again.

For now, the first step was to reflect on what Mimir had just said.

‘The wisdom I already have. and Wednesday.’

While thinking and thinking again. Time continued to pass.

The time limit Mimir walked was one hour. If the problem is not resolved within this time, Jaehyun will lose his life.

‘It must be God’s word.’

Jaehyun sighed and stretched.

“Let’s stay calm. Even if you don’t pass the ordeal anyway, being beaten by Heimdall is the same.”

It wasn’t a matter of dying or not dying.

What if Heimdall destroys everything around him as Hela said?

Jae-hyun loses everything he has kept so far after returning.

It was a story that we might lose the meaning of living again.

A reenactment before returning to life, desperately longing for life, but facing a miserable end in the end.

How many times have you promised not to go back to that time?

“Even with Smir, I risked my life and fought. I can’t back down from here.”

Jaehyun chose to breathe to calm his mind and body.

In order to reduce the burden on the brain, sufficient oxygen was supplied and mana was wrapped around the body to ensure that blood flowed smoothly. I did anything that would help, even if it was small.

Like the particles of snow that have fallen down gently.

Jaehyun maintained his concentration in an unshakable posture.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

and.

Little by little the tangled threads began to unravel.

Jaehyun smiled faintly and looked at the antiques piled up around him.

‘okay. What does Mimir want to say?’

Jaehyun immediately got up from his seat and headed to the altar.

He was holding nothing in his hand.

But there was no hesitation in his steps. He walked at a slightly faster pace and stood in front of the algorithm at the altar.

The corner of Jaehyun’s mouth went up, and his fists clenched with strength.

voices at the same time.

[What is the offering on the altar?]

It was not Mimir’s.

It’s just a kind of mechanical sound that has been programmed.

It was also familiar to Jaehyun.

‘It perfectly matches the voice of the Nornir system. This must also be Mimir’s work.’

The voice of the system that I have heard countless times so far.

Jaehyun took a deep breath and then spat it out.

“The sacrifice is me.”

[…The sacrifice to be offered on the altar is the person himself. It is the antagonist of prophecy itself. Are you sure?]

The voice asked a little later. Jaehyun nodded.

“of course.”

while saying so.

With Chaeng…!

All the clutter that was furnished around it began to fall apart.

The ground he was stepping on shook in a dizzying way, and his vision flickered in an instant.

at the same time.

[This is the correct answer. Opponent of the prophecy.]

What I heard this time was the unmistakable voice of Mimir.

* * *

‘As expected, my prediction was correct.’

Just now.

Jaehyun never stood at the altar without thinking.

I was standing here alone with a very strong conviction.

The reason was simple.

‘Two hints from Mimir. It would have been an easy matter if I could interpret this.’

First of all.

The wisdom that Jaehyun already possesses.

It was the knowledge of runes.

It is exactly what I got when I first got 《The Lost Eye of Odin》.

Looking back, it was only one of the knowledge of Norse mythology that Jaehyun gained in any meaningful way.

but.

It wasn’t just that Jaehyun decided to sacrifice himself.

second. keyword Wednesday.

In fact, this became the decisive hint.

The meaning of Wednesday in Norse mythology was clear.

There is a story that ‘Wednesday’, which is Wednesday in English, came from the old English word meaning ‘Woden’s day’. Warden is another name for Odin.’

that is so.

It means that this wisdom is related to Odin.

Jaehyun immediately remembered an anecdote related to this.

‘How Odin learned the rune language.’

It was a story I read in old Norse mythology.

Long ago, Odin sacrificed himself to gain knowledge of life and the underworld.

Hanged upside down in Yggdrasil and pierced by Gungnir, he endured for nine days. As a result, he learned Rune, the language of the underworld.

Jaehyun recalled a plot in a myth like this a while ago.

I was also sure that this story had something to do with this altar.

‘Then there is only one sacrifice to be made on this altar.’

I am myself.

That was the conclusion of Jaehyun. Fortunately, the results paid off.

[Splendid. A boy who was destined to be the antagonist of the prophecy.]

Mimir continued in a cheerful voice.

[However, unfortunately, this is not the end of the test. Do you know?]

‘Damn it.’

Jaehyun was a little nervous, but forced his head to nod.

Mimir laughed heartily.

[Good. From now on, Mimir, the giant of wisdom, will test you.]

Along with the voice, a spear stuck in the floor turned upside down and was pierced right into Jaehyun’s abdomen.

“Heuk!”

at the same time. Mimir’s voice came again.

[Two hours from now. You must endure the pain pierced by this spear.

Of course, don’t worry. This is just a fantasy. I will never die.]

Jaehyun gritted his teeth.

According to the myth, Odin acquired the knowledge of life and the underworld after being pierced by Gungnir for nine days.

Jaehyun was well aware of what it meant to offer himself as a sacrifice.

‘To risk one’s life. Enduring the risk of death.’

It was something he had already experienced.

when you first returned. Jung Woo-min’s attack killed Jae-hyun.

If it wasn’t for the effect of the item. If it wasn’t for the power of the Nornir System.

Jaehyun must have died there.

but.

The window sill turns red, and blood pools beneath it.

Jaehyun forcibly endured the mind-bending pain, but did not close his eyes.

Face the pain you feel clearly and try to be calm.

The pain you will have to endure in the future will be many times harder than this.

If it’s just an ordeal that ends in body pain.

‘It’s rather cheap.’

Jaehyun reached out and grabbed the window stick that was stuck in his stomach.

and.

“I don’t have time… I don’t have it. How about we finish it a little faster?”

With those words,

Jaehyun thrust the spear stick deeper into his stomach.

[…You were a madman. Yes.]

“What are you doing!?”

Mimir’s mesmerized voice and Hela’s scream-like sentences were heard.

However, Jaehyun was just smiling.

* * *

About an hour after that. The spear stuck in Jaehyun’s abdomen disappeared without a trace.

end of the test. It meant passing the second stage.

Mimir’s voice continued to confirm.

[The exam is… all over.]

Jaehyun bit his lip and raised his head slowly so as not to lose consciousness.

It was shocking to see his entire body stained with blood.

Even Mimir stuck out his tongue and muttered.

[I’ve heard that he’s a strong person, but… I couldn’t believe it was this much. It was more toxic than I thought.

That spear is poisoned, so it must hurt several times more than a normal spear.]

‘You told me earlier.’

Jaehyun took a deep breath and looked down at his stomach.

‘There is no wound pierced by a spear. After all, it was all an illusion just a moment ago.’

However, there was no time to think deeply.

Jaehyun straightened his back and stood straight in his seat.

“Is this the end of the second test?”

[Sure. I hope this test will give you great insight.

Oh, except for the lesson that a poisoned spear hurts more!]

Mimir made a gag that didn’t even bother him, but Jaehyun’s reaction was cold.

He licked his lips with a slight pity.

[Then, now it’s your turn to keep your promise.]

“I’ve been waiting.”

Mimir said earlier. If Jaehyun passes the second ordeal, he will give you a hint that will lead you to the truth.

Jaehyun was waiting for this and passed all the trials.

Now, only Mimir’s answer remains.

Silence flows for a while. Mimir took a breath and opened his mouth.

[From now on, I will help you get closer to the truth. I’ll give you three words.

These three words will become one sentence again and take you to the truth.]

“You’re using a cumbersome method.”

[It’s to avoid the eyes of the Aesir gods, so don’t hate it too much.]

Jaehyun nodded and clenched his fist.

‘Finally, after returning, I was able to reach the first hidden truth of the gods.’

Mimir added an explanation.

[By the way, this is something that even you, the guide of the five Greek trials, do not know.]

“The truth that I do not know…?”

[Yes. It’s been covered up forever. It’s information from a very deep place.]

‘It’s surprising that even Hella doesn’t know.’

Hella has followed her all the way to this place as a guide through the five trials.

But there is a hidden truth that even she doesn’t know about?

[Then I’ll tell you.]

Mimir was after clearing his throat.

[Three words make one sentence of truth…]