Chapter 74

Episode 23/Chapter 1: Saga (1)

TL: Tsubak

ED:

When Tae Ho defeated the kraken and the sea monsters he obtained a new slot for his saga.

However, he didn’t use it and saved it.

Before going out to the battle to recapture Kataron, Tae Ho had obtained a new saga when the other warriors had also received one. However that wasn’t obtained after using the new slot. It was a saga that was formed naturally just like what happened with the ‘warrior that rides on valkyries’.

Idun’s warrior.

It was the new saga Tae Ho obtained after relating with the geass. At the same time it was the saga of Tae Ho the warrior of Idun, that was made with the things that had happened after he entered to Valhalla as the base, and not the stories of the dragon knight Kalsted.

Tae Ho’s geass was really abnormal. But that wasn’t the only reason why the greatest warrior of Erin, Cuchulainn, got bewildered.

It would amplify the amount of power of a God temporarily but won’t let you use it for 15 days after that.

He didn’t think if that kind of geass could operate properly. Because if it operated properly that was also a problem by itself.

What would happen if the geass got forcefully activated every time he utilized the power of a God.

Cuchulainn’s worries made sense. Because of that Tae Ho also worried about the same problem.

How was it that he connected the saga and a geass?

How did he make it into a new saga?

The geass would activate every time he used ‘Idun’s warrior’.

He would create a new power by combining the powers of Asgard and Erin, the saga and the geass.

Golden light started to be emanated from Tae Ho’s body. The moment the light shone brightly, it took the attention of everyone and Tae Ho breathed out longly. He sensed the changes occurring in him.

The effects of ‘Idun’s warrior’ didn’t simply stop at making his body shine. His general battle power had amplified greatly. He could also handle more power freely.

Tae Ho closed his eyes for a moment. He could feel Idun. And Heda’s blessing that remained in his lips made his head clear.

‘My warrior, Tae Ho.’

He could hear Idun’s voice. Tae Ho smiled faintly and then opened his eyes and glared at his enemy.

He was using this saga for the first time.

He couldn’t know exactly for how long he could maintain it or how strong it was.

However Tae Ho knew.

He could do it.

He was able to do it.

The sharp senses that awakened every time he stood at the turning point of victory and defeat told him that. It told him the path.

Let’s go.

Tae Ho told to himself and kicked the ground. And then, everything that had stopped returned to normal.

Kwagak!

Balzak pulled on a tree that was near him and threw it. Tae Ho looked at that thing that was flying like an arrow. He didn’t dodge it and ran straight towards it. The sharply attuned senses was telling him the path and the huge tree passed next to Tae Ho and got stuck in the ground.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Balzak fired more trees in consecution. However not even one hit him. The trees that got stuck or crashed in the ground exploded. Fragments of trees spread behind Tae Ho.

The distance kept shortening. Tae Ho thought while charging towards Balzak.

He thought of the most effective way of battle to face the enemy that was injured in front of him.

The same strategy he used in the 6th selection of the national team.

‘Keep attacking the same spot!’

Tae Ho increased his speed by a notch. It was only for a moment but Balzak lost trace Tae Ho. Tae Ho, that moved to Balzak’s side along the traces of the golden light, could feel Balzak’s gaze. At that moment, he changed the direction of his charge that was like a thunderbolt and leaped up. He kicked the air in consecution and reached the place he had set up as his objective in an instant.

Balzak’s knee that was still recovering.

Balzak couldn’t react at the sudden changes in Tae Ho’s movement. The Burst lance appeared in Tae Ho’s hands and he stabbed it towards Balzak’s knee without hesitation.

It was an attack with all his weight behind it. The Burst lance got embedded deep in the wound, and Balzak struggled in the terrible pain.

However Tae Ho’s attacks hadn’t ended. Even while Balzak was struggling, Tae Ho grabbed the lance tighter and added the power of a God into it.

‘Full burst!’

Bang!

The wound exploded. The knee, that was half broken thanks to Bracky’s attack, couldn’t endure it anymore. The bones turned to dust and the muscles got cut off. He couldn’t sustain his leg anymore with just torn skin.

Balzak screamed once again. At the same time, the torn off leg fell to the ground. Tae Ho used the moment red blood started to flow out to create some distance between them by kicking the air. Cuchulainn warned him.

‘Block!’

The whip Balzak had swung randomly charged towards Tae Ho like a snake that was alive. It was the power of the magic that was filled with malice.

It was impossible to dodge the whip now that he had already changed directions once in the air. Because of that Cuchulainn had ordered him to block it however he could.

Tae Ho thought that Cuchulainn’s decision was right. However he didn’t cover himself with the power of a God like a barrier. he didn’t fear the malice that he felt in his back.

Because Tae Ho wasn’t alone.

Tae Ho wasn’t the only one fighting!

[Saga: I am their shield]

Notung looked at Tae Ho. And he didn’t stand in a far place and observed him anymore. He appeared behind Tae Ho the moment he activated his saga to cross space. He raised his shield to block Balzak’s attack.

The shield broke. However Notung didn’t. He sealed Balzak’s malice with the power of Heimdal and then laughed and sat on the ground.

Tae Ho landed. A huge harpoon flew from far away and hit Balzak, that only had his upper body raised. It was Harabal, that had entrusted Ingrid and king Ivar to the warriors of Kataron.

The harpoon that had the power of Njord behind it pierced through Balzak’s malice. Balzak, that had his shoulder pierced by the harpoon, ground his teeth and glared at Harabal. He tried to befall a strong curse on Harabal to the point he wasn’t even able to breathe now that he had spent some strength to execute the attack he had done.

Harabal received Balzak’s eyes and laughed like a man. He didn’t struggle to dodge the curse or block it.

He was the same as Tae Ho.

He also knew.

That the one that had returned wasn’t only him.

[Saga: He’s the son of a God that has returned]

“Thoo~rrr!”

Bracky, that had received a fatal wound, let out a roar and stood up. It was Bracky’s saga that returned his body to the best state once a day.

He made a decision as soon as he saw Balzak and Tae Ho. No, rather than having judged it, his genius like senses had activated by its own.

“Tae Ho!”

Bracky yelled and swung his hammer. He released all the strength he had once again.

[Saga: Thunder enters his hammer]

Lightning that was bigger and stronger than the ones he had made until now fell down the sky. But it wasn’t towards Balzak. Bracky’s hammer was pointing at Tae Ho.

You receive it now.

He felt like he could hear Bracky’s voice. Tae Ho extended his hands towards the lightning falling down at him.

[Saga: The one that controls lightning and gale]

Bracky’s lightning didn’t harm Tae Ho and it rather remained in his hands. It combined with the lightning Tae Ho created and became a bigger and stronger lightning.

Tae Ho swung his hands. He threw the lightning that had the power of Thor behind it towards him.

Balzak hurriedly turned his eyes. He released all the magic he had gathered to curse Harabal. He blocked the lightning falling down on him with an invisible wall.

Kwagang!

A loud explosion was heard. It was the sound made by the lightning that exploded when it collided with the wall. However, the lightning that was covered with Thor’s power, didn’t completely disappear. Balzak blocked the lightning while dripping cold sweat and Tae Ho added more strength towards the lightning.

It was a close fight. Just like Tae Ho added more strength to the lightning, Balzak also added more strength to his evil eyes.

Bracky let out a curse while panting and raised his head unconsciously. That was the same for Notung and Harabal.

[Saga: She’s a beautiful and proud flower that bloomed on the battlefield]

Siri, that was being carried by Olmar, breathed roughly and activated the power of her saga. Olmar also lowered his head to look at Siri. It was the same for king Ivar and the warriors that were uneasy looking at the breathtaking battle of the warriors and the giant.

Balzak also turned his eyes. At that moment, the magic of the eyes that lost their objective broke. The lightning that had the power of Thor behind it hit Balzak’s chest!

Balzak couldn’t even scream. No, the thunder erased Balzak’s scream.

His chest exploded, it got torn and burnt. A burning smell was felt with the smell of blood.

However Balzak didn’t die. White smoke surged rom Balzak’s chest.

He was using all his remaining magic power to heal the wound. And actually, his regenerative power got grealy amplified that the wound was closing quickly.

Notung thought. He had to pour more attacks before he recovered completely. Faster than what he could recover, to the point he couldn’t even recover.

Harabal also thought the same. And Olmar also did.

Tae Ho charged the ground and charged towards him. And when Siri saw his back she could somehow know.

What Tae Ho was going to do now.

Something more lethal than consecutive attacks.

Balzak threw dirt, trees, boulders towards Tae Ho, whatever he could grab. Those things that were thrown with his strength were really threatening.

Tae Ho focused the power of a God to one spot. But he still didn’t add any to his defense. After passing through the rain of attacks he closed the distance between him and Balzak in an instant.

Balzak looked at Tae Ho. He was barehanded. He didn’t even grab the Unknown sword piece that had only the hilt or use his saga to make some equipment.

What? Just what is he going to do?

Balzak swung his arm. But Tae Ho dodged it this time too. He rather rode his arm and extended his arm towards Balzak.

Balzak was strong. His regenerative power that was amplified with all the magic power he had was at a marvelous level. Although only mere seconds had passed, close to half of his wound had closed.

That was why Tae Ho was satisfied. He used all his strength just like Balzak did. He amplified Balzak’s regenerative strength with Idun’s power.

Golden light shone on the place Tae Ho’s hands touched and the wound closed in an instant. But it didn’t end with just that. The regeneration rather started to ruin his body. It didn’t stop at curing his body but it destroyed it.

A bigger wound remained in Balzak’s chest, that seemed to have returned to normal. No, it was hard to even call it a wound. His body itself was breaking down.

Balzak couldn’t understand the current situation. So instead of stopping his regeneration he chose to pour more magic power into it. And obviously enough, the crumbling got faster.

Cuchulainn was really impressed. Tae Ho went for the next action. He threw himself towards the huge heart that could be seen between the broken chest of Balzak. After he stabbed him with the Burst lance, he released all of Idun’s strength he had remaining.

That was a shiny light. It was a beautiful golden light that made you forget about the loud sound.

Balzak fell along his last cry. The winter tree forest shook when the giant fell and the fomoires that were as shrewd as their owner fled quickly. The Tyrant Bress, that was looking at the battlefield through the eyes of the fomoires, clenched his fists and roared.

“Thor.”

One of the warriors of Kataron that had witnessed the fight that would only appear in mythologies said casually.

Because he saw a lightning that defeated the giant.

The other warriors also said the same word. And then, the small mumble became a big cheer.

“Thor!”

“Thor!”

“God of thunder!”

But that yell was soon refuted back. And the first one was none other than Thor’s warrior.

“Glory to the warrior of Idun.”

Bracky said. He hit his chest twice and expressed his manners. He looked at Idun’s warrior that was standing on top of the giant.

It was the same for the other warriors. They looked at the golden light covering Tae Ho that was starting to dissipate and hit their chests. They praised his accomplishments while calling the name of Idun.

“Oh Idun.”

Helga said while gathering her hands. Valkyrie Ingrid told her thoughts to king Ivar with a frail voice and then he raised his sword and yelled.

“For Idun! For Idun’s warrior! For the great warriors of Valhalla!”

It was the initiation of the king. The warriors of Kataron got perplexed but then remembered the golden light. They also raised their voices like the king.

“For Idun!”

“For Idun’s warrior!”

As the warriors that were close to a thousand yelled, that sound was like a storm of thunder. They clearly remembered the feat the one that received Idun’s blessing accomplished. They engraved a new legend in their hearts.

[Synchro rate: 39%]

The runes that surged up from Balzak’s corpse became rain and poured down. More than twenty attributes of runes entered Tae Ho’s body.

‘You did well.’

Cuchulainn praised shortly. It was simple but that wasn’t to disparage Tae Ho’s feat. Because he had really done well. He was so impressed that he couldn’t think of any other words.

Tae Ho closed his eyes. He released ‘Idun’s warrior’ and the restriction of the geass started. He could feel the power of a God disappear quickly.

Cuchulainn decided to talk about the geass slowly at a later time. What a warrior that had accomplished a great fact needed wasn’t a scolding but plenty of rest and praise.

But Tae Ho let out a sigh filled with relief and exhaustion while standing on top of Balzak instead of fainting. He really wanted to faint but even though the power of a God had disappeared, Idun’s blessing was still in good shape. No, it wasn’t only that. Although it may just be his feeling, he felt like Idun’s blessing had become stronger.

“We won.”

Tae Ho said shortly and then turned to the direction where king Ivar and the warriors of Kataron were claiming and cheering Idun’s name and then raised his fist.

“For Idun.”

And for Heda.

Tae Ho made a smile unconsciously and sat on the ground. Although he couldn’t faint, he made himself comfortable and closed his eyes.

&

Time passed quickly. Several hours passed after the fight with the giant.

The warriors of Valhalla decided to take a rest in the castle of Kataron after finishing their search. Even though all of them were wounded, they took turns to guard in case fomoires appeared.

And how much more had passed?

Tae Ho, that was sleeping in a really comfortable position in a bed king Ivar had given him, raised his head. It was because Ingrid had appeared after opening the door.

“Ingrid?”

The one that received the biggest wound in his group was none other than Ingrid. Looking that she was walking around like that, was she already recovered?

She answered with the same business like expression as always when Tae Ho called for her.

“Warrior Tae Ho, it’s a meeting.”

Meeting.

And then Tae Ho realized. That he was in a dream right now.

The walls and floor made with stone disappeared and a wide plains appeared. An open sky faced Tae Ho instead of the closed room.

“Hello again?”

Tae Ho smiled at the greeting that was imitating Heda, and Idun appeared where Ingrid was standing and looked at her warrior while smiling brightly.

The second meeting with the Goddess started, that a huge commotion would be made if the warriors of Valhalla knew this.

< Episode 23 – Idun’s warrior (1) > End