Game of Divine Thrones

Chapter 183: The Valkyrie's Ruins 2

After returning to the capital of the Norton Kingdom to take control of it, Woohyuk headed straight to the Valkyrie's ruins.

The Valkyrie's ruins were located on a coastal cliff of the Scania Peninsula in the southwestern region of the Kingdom.

It was an area where pirates frequently looted.

“My Lord, I encountered Blackbeard's men on my way back, so I captured them!”

Triton shouted from the pirate ship that reached the shore.

He was actually returning by swimming in the North Sea like Woohyuk had ordered him.

As everyone stood in astonishment, Woohyuk heard a certain voice in his head.

[King of Rhine, how is the war against the undeads going?]

It was Rosenkreuz.

Before replying, Woohyuk confirmed the location of the members of Castineon with his administrator’s authority of the Informant’s Messages.

'There are a few people in the Norton Kingdom.'

He was being monitored from the shadows.

It was due to becoming too famous as the Hero King.

However, Woohyuk was planning to stop tricking Rozenkreuz sometime soon.

Once he finished settling all the problems in the north, he would then take over the Holy Aperian Empire.

Unlike the past, Woohyuk now had six kingdoms under his command.

The power of these Allied Forces would be sufficient to conquer the western continent.

Moreover, he had gained Princess Eleonora as an ally, so it was not completely necessary to wage war with the Empire.

But he had to be ready for the worst case scenario.

Woohyuk spoke back to Rosenkreuz after a short while.

“It was a complete victory. But there are still some remnants spread around the country, so it will take some time to clean up.”

[You are indeed the warrior of the God of Light. I am very happy to learn that the forces of darkness are gradually disappearing from the Eeth Continent. But... What exactly happened with Princess Eleonora?]

“What do you mean? As I explained before, nothing special happened other than chatting about defeating the Lich Lord.”

[Ah, you see, the troublesome princess is head over heels in love with you. Well, it's not a bad thing, but I wanted to make sure it wasn’t the same case for you.]

Rosenkreuz was warning Woohyuk not to side with the imperial power due to his affection for the princess.

"Of course. She truly was an unruly girl, unlike my preferences. Her face wasn’t so bad though.”

[You are technically not a clergyman, so I won’t consider it a problem if you pursue that kind of pleasure. Even if you get in trouble, the Holy See will support you.]

A political alliance.

That was the key point Rosenkreuz was emphasizing from the beginning.

Throughout real history, secular monarchs had often allied themselves with religious powers.

However, as there were fundamental differences between them, friction could spark between the two powers one day or another.

Since he did not want to have the clergy intervene in his affairs and preach their fabricated scriptures, Woohyuk wanted to end this relationship as soon as possible.

“Several small kingdoms of the west will also stand with the Holy See. Although I couldn't participate in the war because of the Lich Lord Nigel, I hope that I hear good news from the northeastern front.”

[Don't worry, light will surely find the way to fight off darkness and win. Well then, may the protection of the God of Light be with you]

Rosenkreuz unilaterally ended the call again.

Sieg spoke with a deep frown as Woohyuk put the communication device away.

“How long are you going to listen to him? He’s becoming more and more arrogant these days.”

“First of all, we need to restore the Edda Chronicles. We can deal with Pronoia after that.”

Monarchs had to know how to ally themselves with the enemy when necessary.

Those who couldn’t make rational decisions that would benefit them simply due to their emotions disqualified as rulers.

'In any case, the first catastrophe is gradually approaching.'

The Advent of the Fallen Angel Cruella.

The only way to stop it was hidden in the ruins right before Woohyuk’s eyes.

Sieg spoke up when Woohyuk moved his gaze toward the coastal cliff that was engraved with a huge geometric pattern.

“My Lord, will you not question them? It would be best to deal with Blackbeard using this opportunity...”

“We’ll do that on our way back to the Rhine Kingdom.”

According to Allen and Reina, Blackbeard's homeland was an island in the Black Sea, the area southwest of the Rhine Kingdom.

They would waste a lot less time by dealing with him on their return trip.

After leaving the pirate ship to Triton, Woohyuk walked toward the cliff.

The ruins were hidden, similarly to the White Ghost King’s Sand Temple he had explored last time.

It would take some time to enter it.

“It's your time to shine, Brynhild.”

“Leave it to me.”

Brynhild picked up the Valkyrie's dagger and inserted it into a tiny crack.

The geometric patterns engraved on the cliffside emitted a blue light, creating colorful runes in the center.

“It’s a barrier made of sacred letters.”

“Yes. We didn’t want demons to invade these ruins.”

Valkyries were angels specialized in combat.

If their legacies were abused, the continent would be in more chaos than it was currently.

The security had to be thorough.

Eventually, the entrance emerged and Woohyuk’s party stepped inside the ruins.

“As I thought, there are no monsters here.”

“Indeed. But there are many traps to defend against intruders.”

“But you’re able to neutralize them all, right?”

“Yes, this is a location for us Valkyries. As long as I am with you, the traps won't get activated.”

Brynhild took the lead as she brimmed with confidence.

She knew the shortest path to reach their destination.

Click.

When Brynhild touched the statue of a Valkyrie next to the entrance, the sound of a mechanical device unlocking was heard.

Afterwards, the large statue receded inside and a translucent box resembling an elevator emerged from the empty space below it.

“A transportation device, I see.”

"This way, we don’t have to take a detour. Let’s go."

Inside the lift was an area for passengers and numerous buttons with runes engraved on them.

Brynhild pressed some of them simultaneously, and...

Swoooosh!

The device rapidly descended and began to move horizontally from place to place along empty passages like a subway.

Before long, a surprising sight unfolded in front of Woohyuk's group at their destination.

“I never expected anything like this. There’s a forest inside the ruins...”

“And it doesn't look artificial. It seems that the creatures here have been receiving divine power from that crystal sphere.”

A transparent jewel shining and emitting pure white rays was floating from the top of the center of the forest like a sun.

As everyone watched in awe, Brynhild chuckled and spoke.

“It's Erdium. It is one of the minerals that only exist in the heavenly world. The higher the purity, the better the strength and capacity.”

“… So that’s Erdium.”

A key material necessary to craft a certain weapon.

Epion, the Godslayer.

Woohyuk had read about it in the Nag Hammadi Chronicles.

Woohyuk had to use this opportunity and take the Erdium, as it would help his journey to challenge the Divine Thrones.

As Woohyuk’s eyes shone, Brynhild shook her finger at him.

“You can’t touch that. If you do, this whole space will teleport to heaven. Meanwhile, we will be automatically ejected from the ruins by the system.”

“Then, do we receive something else as the reward?”

“Yes, you will be given the Edda Chronicles and Erdium of higher purity. You can take that with you.”

“Then I can also take that piece of Erdium on our way out as well.”

“… Oh well, do as you want.”

Brynhild gave up convincing Woohyuk otherwise and took the lead again as she sighed.

As Woohyuk's party followed her through the woods, he heard a horse neigh in the distance.

Shortly thereafter, a white horse with graceful wings appeared behind some bushes.

"It's a pegasus."

“He was my personal mount. His name is Grane. He can walk on water and fly in the sky.”

Being able to move regardless of the terrain was a great merit.

Woohyuk could also walk on water because of the Mermaid’s Kiss he obtained from the Sea God’s Temple.

He could also fly if he used his demonic energy and spread his abyssal wings.

However, the more methods he could use to travel, the better.

Moreover, owning a pegasus would greatly improve his popularity and erase the bad rumors about him.

Due to the dark powers Woohyuk utilized, many people around the continent had bad opinions about him.

The pegasus was one of the symbols of the Valkyries, so it was possible to improve his image beyond what the Holy See could ever achieve.

As Woohyuk approached Grane, the horse snorted and stepped back.

He was wary of Asura's demonic energy inside Woohyuk.

Noticing his discomfort, Brynhild walked to Grane and reassured him.

“Don’t worry. He's not a bad person. Sieg is also here with us. See him? Those two have some circumstances, so we’re working with that man.”

“… Neigh.”

Grane made a small cry and looked at Sieg standing next to Woohyuk.

Afterwards, the pegasus approached him and rubbed his head against Sieg’s cheek, to which the fallen hero burst into laughter.

“Haha! So you remember me! Have you been well?"

“Neiiigh!”

Grane seemed to understand human speech.

As he circled Sieg with excitement, Brynhild spoke to Woohyuk.

“I will give you that horse in return for helping us. He doesn’t get afraid easily, so you can also take him to battles.”

“I gratefully accept this gift.”

Woohyuk nodded, approached Grane and grabbed the reins.

He then climbed onto the stirrup, and a system message popped up.

[You have acquired the Myth-grade mount, Pegasus.]

[While riding Pegasus, resistance to skills and magic of dark properties increases by 25%.]

[Moreover, feeding Pegasus with Emperor Carrots will greatly increase his movement speed for an hour.]

Emperor Carrots were high-quality crops that grew in temperate climates.

Although their prices were on the high side, the costs would not be burdensome for Woohyuk's current funds.

He had confiscated the properties of the slave traders in the Talis Kingdom, so he had considerable funds.

When Woohyuk rode Grane as a test drive, Helena’s eyes glittered with curiosity and excitement.

“Please let me ride him too. My dream was to fly in the sky on a Pegasus when I was young.”

"Aren't you afraid of heights, Witch of Profanity?"

“I can deal with it if it’s not too high. Please grant me my wish.”

Helena begged Woohyuk in desperation.

She looked innocent unlike her usual attitude.

Woohyuk nodded and reached out to Helena.

“It is a gentleman's duty to accept a lady’s request.”

“… That was extremely cringey, but I’ll let it pass this time.”

Helena’s face slightly blushed due to the unexpected cringe-worthy but romantic line.

She then climbed into Grane, and Woohyuk pulled on the reins as hard as possible.

“Fly, Grane! As high as you can!”

"Huh? What are you do... Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Helena’s confusion was soon followed by a death shriek that could pierce even the Creator’s eardrums.

Grane had started to fly at an extreme speed.

Watching Woohyuk harass Helena, Brynhild asked Sieg.

“Does he hold some sort of grudge against Helena, Sieg?”

“… At the very least, I don’t think he likes her very much.”

It was the first time he had seen his lord so joyful while harassing someone else.

Sieg scratched his head as he watched Grane speed through the air.