In the midst of a battlefield where life was dying, a man with a sword, who Lee Jun-Kyeong presumed was leading the Chinese Hunters, had introduced himself as Liu Bei.
‘Liu Bei…’
He and the other two heroes were all strong.
Lee Jun-Kyeong searched through his memories, but he couldn’t recall what their identities were. It was possible that they had died, unable to leave a name in history or to instill a strong memory in the mind of the Demon King.
Then, as he was trying to place their faces, Lee Jun-Kyeong remembered something and said aloud, “The direct descendant of the General Secretary…?”
“...”
Liu Bei and the two Hunters responded to his comment with silence.
That man who had introduced himself as Liu Bei was the son of Zhang Taofeng, the former General Secretary of the collapsed China. Lee Jun-Kyeong had heard stories of Zhang Taofeng’s son, who supposedly struggled to revive destroyed China as a Hunter.
For some reason, he had died before he had been able to see the light at the end of his efforts. That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn’t really remembered much about them.
“To think you’re someone who heard about me… how interesting. So, it’s time for you to tell me who you are,” stated the man named Liu Bei. He stood off to one side, forming a formation with the two other Hunters, as he faced Lee Jun-Kyeong.
“Lee Jun-Kyeong.”
“Are you a Korean?” Liu Bei asked.
Lee Jun-Kyeong had revealed his name to the Hunter before him. He still wasn’t sure whether the man in front of him was a direct descendant of the fallen General Secretary or whether he was trying to rebuild China.
All that mattered right now?
‘He’s the enemy.’
Lee Jun-Kyeong made his move. Bursting forward quickly, he forced his way into the midst of the three Hunters.
‘I can’t let them gather in one place.’
The synergy between the three was impeccable. When they were together, they could rival the strength of Heracles. It would be foolish of him if he left them to fight in the manner they were comfortable with.
“Keheuk!”
The man wielding the guandao blocked Lee Jun-Kyeong’s blow, but then groaned and stepped back. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong’s movements didn’t stop there. Instead, he turned around, slashed down at Liu Bei’s sword with his spear, and then pierced the tip toward the man wielding the shemao.
Clang!
However, the one wielding the shemao struck back at Muspel’s Spear, knocking it aside.
Nevertheless, he achieved his goal; the formation had collapsed.
“...”
They tried to make the formation again, but the flames that bloomed in front of them stopped them from proceeding.
Flicker!
It was an incredible blaze. Now that the limit of mana that he could handle had increased, the heat radiating from Monarch of Fire had also grown stronger.
Lee Jun-Kyeong's gaze pierced through the flame and turned over to Thjazi.
"…"
Thjazi’s expression, who had been facing Thrymr, was greatly distorted.
However, it was clear that his expression was one of confusion, not pain.
'If it continues like this...'
They would lose.
With their commander in that state, there was no way that the giants of Utgard would be able to use their strength.
“Ha-a-eup!”
“Goongje!”
“Growl!”
Fortunately, Jeong In-Chang, the princess, and Fenrir were maintaining the balance of the battlefield.
Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to take care of Liu Bei and his party quickly, and he now had enough power to do so.
However, suddenly, he thought of something.
"I have a question for you."
Lee Jun-Kyeong moved the flames to surround only the two other Hunters, releasing only Liu Bei from the blaze.
“What made you betray your own people?”
It was a question that had been on his mind. The man in front of him had been a Hero in history, and one who had given his life for the reconstruction of China.
But the person standing in front of him at this point was one who had betrayed his own people and stood on the side of the Nar.
“I…”
Liu Bei opened his mouth. He seemed to have intuited that he wasn’t Lee Jun-Kyeong’s opponent.
“I didn’t betray them.”
“...”
This is a path I’ve made for them. It is a path to the cause.”
‘The cause?’
"What sort of purpose is it that…"
“The reconstruction of China. Thrymr promised… if we are able to take down the King of Utgard… He promised to restore our lands.”
Still, Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn’t understand.
“But couldn’t you make a pact like that with the King of Utgard…?” he asked.
“We can’t!” Liu Bei trembled in anger.
“We can never make a pact with him,” Liu Bei said as he pointed his sword forward. Lee Jun-Kyeong could clearly feel the man’s will to not back down.
The Hunter snarled, “That bastard killed our people. Justifying it by saying we were the cause of the epidemic, he secretly slaughtered countless humans. But our people were never the cause of the epidemic!”
“...!”
Lee Jun-Kyeong’s eyes widened as he heard the side of the Chinese Hunters for the first time.
"I will never join hands with someone like that."
This was most likely what he had heard before.
‘This is probably the incident that had happened while Won-Hwa was away and is the story that only the Hunters know.’
That was the only way it all made sense. Not only were there too few human survivors in Utgard, but also it accounted for the betrayal of the Hunters.
However, Lee Jun-Kyeong still had his concerns.
“Even if we say that’s true, do you really think that it was the right move to abandon the people of Utgard and stand on the side of the Nar?”
The cause.
Although he understood that it was for the reconstruction of China, even though the King of Utgard had done such a thing, even though the man’s reasons were valid, Lee Jun-Kyeong’s eyes narrowed.
He pointed out, “It’s not like you brought them with you when you joined the Nar either.”
It was a cause he couldn’t understand.
Shiiing!
Therefore, for now, he would knock the Hunters down. However, he decided he wouldn’t kill them.
It seemed as though the man had more information. Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though it would be better to subdue him and listen to his story.
However.
"Hyu—hyungnim!"
“Hyungnim!"
Surrounding them were the most intense of flames. But, while it was clear that their entire bodies had to have been scorched while they pierced through the wall of flames, the two Hunters appeared, standing by Liu Bei.
They had recklessly pierced through the superheated flames using their bodies.
“How impressive.” Lee Jun-Kyeong sincerely admired them.
Even though it was evident that they must have undergone immense pain, their faces remained firm. It was a testament to their will and their strength.
The three of them joined together again and radiated an even stronger power, as if they were proclaiming that nothing could break them apart again.
They were showing him their will to not give up.
Lee Jun-Kyeong had heartfelt admiration for them.
"I!" Liu Bei settled into a stance with his sword pointed forward. "I didn't throw them away!"
There was no need for Lee Jun-Kyeong to attack again.
The three of them started to press in on Lee Jun-Kyeong.
***
"…”
Thjazi didn't say anything further, he just continued to swing his fists and run forward in order to take down Thrymr.
‘The one that killed my father is…’
The king of Utgard.
It had been Loki?
He couldn’t comprehend what Thrymr had said.
Why?
That had been his first thought.
Originally, the frost giants had been a species that formed into a number of separate tribes. However, due to the sudden great war, many tribes had disappeared.
The remaining tribes had gathered in Utgard.
Utgard had been a fortress that had been built to withstand anything.
Of course, as there were many tribes gathered, there had to have been a general commander.
However, it wasn’t easy for them to select a chieftain.
There were three candidates for the chieftain position.
There was Loki of the Utgardian tribe, who was the current ruler of Utgard.
Then there was Thrymr from the Black Frost Clan who was currently clashing with Thjazi.
And finally, the last was Alvaldi of the Blue Frost Tribe, and Thjazi’s father.
‘But…’
There had been no reason for Loki to kill his father.
In the beginning, Loki’s position had been unassailable.
After all, the Utgardian tribe had created Utgard, and Loki was someone with enough strength that he could rise to the rank of chieftain without having to do anything.
"Your father, Alvaldi…" Thrymr said, blocking Thjazi’s fist and bringing his gigantic face to Thjazi’s own.
“He knew Loki’s ambitions.”
“Ambitions…?” Thjazi asked.
“Loki,” Thrymr continued. “He planned on causing the great transference over here.”
“...!”
The great transference was the cataclysmic event that had happened in Jotunheimr, the land of the frost giant tribes.
It had appeared suddenly and killed many frost giants. In the end, it was the catastrophe that had dropped the giants in this unknown land.
“If! If he wasn’t able to cause the great transference again…!”
However, the great transference was something that even Loki couldn’t bring about again.
“He wanted to make this land into a new Jotunheimr.”
Jotunheimr, the world that they had lived in—to think that the king had stated that he had desired to make this place into a new Jotunheimr.
"What are you…?" Thjazi asked.
Thymir screamed, “He wanted to purify this world and make it a land of giants. Annihilate an entire race, leaving only the giants left!"
Thjazi’s fist slammed into Thrymr’s throat, and Thrymr paused, choking for a moment. Thjazi looked down at him in that state and said, “So you’re saying Alvaldi had wanted to resist the will of Loki! And that was why he died!”
But, he couldn’t understand it.
"Why…! Why didn't you tell me?!" he howled.
If that was the truth, he felt as though the giant should have told him. If, the father he had thought had died in a simple accident, but had in fact been killed by the chieftain he was currently serving, then the other giant should have told him.
Thjazi felt intense pain in his chest.
“Ahhhhh!”
He punched out with both fists.
They were covered in a fierce aura, a power wielded by the frost giants.
Galdr.
It was a technique that exploded by releasing condensed power all at once.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Thjazi's fists exploded forth, rupturing the space. They finally reached their destination: Thrymr’s hands.
“...”
However, Thjazi didn’t use his skill and released it at the last moment. He couldn’t use it.
“Why didn’t you block…” he asked, angry and perplexed.
He couldn’t because Thrymr didn’t seem to have any intention of blocking.
“I can’t… lose you too, Thjazi.”
Thrymr then said with a dry voice, “The reason I didn’t tell you… it was because I knew that it would only hurt you to know this.
Thjazi’s gaze turned to question.
"You are a loyal warrior of the frost giants. You have honor flowing through your veins, so would you be able to betray the chieftain if I had told you he was the one who killed your father?”
Thrymr broke off with a quiet sob and then continued, "Look at yourself. Even after you found out the truth, a bit of fighting spirit still remains in your body. It’s the desire to fight against me, in order to eradicate a traitor. So…”
Thrymr's fist shone; it was the same power that Thjazi used: Galdr.
Bang!
The skill burst out, hitting Thjazi’s face directly.
Thjazi dropped to the ground, still breathing, but he apparently fainted.
"Sleep until everything is over."
Thrymr looked over the battlefield. A tight balance was being maintained, but it was time to wrap things up.
‘Even if it’s just a little more…’
They had to advance to Utgard while maintaining their strength. There was already no way back from here.
He would have to march to Utgard like this, kill Loki, and become king. That was the only way to direct Thjazi’s allegiance to himself.
‘Or I die.’
Thrymr's eyes shone fiercely. The first thing he wanted to sort out was, of course, a single human.
"…”
The human figure stared back at him after having dealt with the other Hunters that had been on his side, the side of the Nar.
“How amusing.”
Thrymr felt the same feeling now as the time when he had first seen him.
He was a special existence, a special person.
The man in front of him was more dangerous than Thjazi and just as dangerous as Loki.
“Ha-a-eup!”
Thrymr circulated all the power in his body. Galdr began to spread throughout his body, burning up from the ends of his feet as if it was about to explode.
It was an incredible power.
He had saved it in order to deal with the king, but he couldn’t just ignore the man in front of him.
However, Lee Jun-Kyeong surprised him, speaking while raising both hands, “I surrender!"
1. Currently, every mention of Loki is the giant king, Utgard Loki.
2. This is not Gigantomachia.
3. This word stumped me. In Korean, it reads ???, which means to choose, but it is being used as a noun in this sense as the name for a skill. Therefore, the closest thing I could think of in Norse mythos was galdr, or the incantations used to cast spells, create enchantments, etc. This may be revisited because Galdr isn’t just a giant thing, but everyone can use it, so I may replace it with a new word if it comes up later with Odin.
In the midst of a battlefield where life was dying, a man with a sword, who Lee Jun-Kyeong presumed was leading the Chinese Hunters, had introduced himself as Liu Bei.
‘Liu Bei…’
He and the other two heroes were all strong.
Lee Jun-Kyeong searched through his memories, but he couldn’t recall what their identities were. It was possible that they had died, unable to leave a name in history or to instill a strong memory in the mind of the Demon King.
Then, as he was trying to place their faces, Lee Jun-Kyeong remembered something and said aloud, “The direct descendant of the General Secretary…?”
“...”
Liu Bei and the two Hunters responded to his comment with silence.
That man who had introduced himself as Liu Bei was the son of Zhang Taofeng, the former General Secretary of the collapsed China. Lee Jun-Kyeong had heard stories of Zhang Taofeng’s son, who supposedly struggled to revive destroyed China as a Hunter.
For some reason, he had died before he had been able to see the light at the end of his efforts. That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn’t really remembered much about them.
“To think you’re someone who heard about me… how interesting. So, it’s time for you to tell me who you are,” stated the man named Liu Bei. He stood off to one side, forming a formation with the two other Hunters, as he faced Lee Jun-Kyeong.
“Lee Jun-Kyeong.”
“Are you a Korean?” Liu Bei asked.
Lee Jun-Kyeong had revealed his name to the Hunter before him. He still wasn’t sure whether the man in front of him was a direct descendant of the fallen General Secretary or whether he was trying to rebuild China.
All that mattered right now?
‘He’s the enemy.’
Lee Jun-Kyeong made his move. Bursting forward quickly, he forced his way into the midst of the three Hunters.
‘I can’t let them gather in one place.’
The synergy between the three was impeccable. When they were together, they could rival the strength of Heracles. It would be foolish of him if he left them to fight in the manner they were comfortable with.
“Keheuk!”
The man wielding the guandao blocked Lee Jun-Kyeong’s blow, but then groaned and stepped back. However, Lee Jun-Kyeong’s movements didn’t stop there. Instead, he turned around, slashed down at Liu Bei’s sword with his spear, and then pierced the tip toward the man wielding the shemao.
Clang!
However, the one wielding the shemao struck back at Muspel’s Spear, knocking it aside.
Nevertheless, he achieved his goal; the formation had collapsed.
“...”
They tried to make the formation again, but the flames that bloomed in front of them stopped them from proceeding.
Flicker!
It was an incredible blaze. Now that the limit of mana that he could handle had increased, the heat radiating from Monarch of Fire had also grown stronger.
Lee Jun-Kyeong's gaze pierced through the flame and turned over to Thjazi.
"…"
Thjazi’s expression, who had been facing Thrymr, was greatly distorted.
However, it was clear that his expression was one of confusion, not pain.
'If it continues like this...'
They would lose.
With their commander in that state, there was no way that the giants of Utgard would be able to use their strength.
“Ha-a-eup!”
“Goongje!”
“Growl!”
Fortunately, Jeong In-Chang, the princess, and Fenrir were maintaining the balance of the battlefield.
Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to take care of Liu Bei and his party quickly, and he now had enough power to do so.
However, suddenly, he thought of something.
"I have a question for you."
Lee Jun-Kyeong moved the flames to surround only the two other Hunters, releasing only Liu Bei from the blaze.
“What made you betray your own people?”
It was a question that had been on his mind. The man in front of him had been a Hero in history, and one who had given his life for the reconstruction of China.
But the person standing in front of him at this point was one who had betrayed his own people and stood on the side of the Nar.
“I…”
Liu Bei opened his mouth. He seemed to have intuited that he wasn’t Lee Jun-Kyeong’s opponent.
“I didn’t betray them.”
“...”
This is a path I’ve made for them. It is a path to the cause.”
‘The cause?’
"What sort of purpose is it that…"
“The reconstruction of China. Thrymr promised… if we are able to take down the King of Utgard… He promised to restore our lands.”
Still, Lee Jun-Kyeong couldn’t understand.
“But couldn’t you make a pact like that with the King of Utgard…?” he asked.
“We can’t!” Liu Bei trembled in anger.
“We can never make a pact with him,” Liu Bei said as he pointed his sword forward. Lee Jun-Kyeong could clearly feel the man’s will to not back down.
The Hunter snarled, “That bastard killed our people. Justifying it by saying we were the cause of the epidemic, he secretly slaughtered countless humans. But our people were never the cause of the epidemic!”
“...!”
Lee Jun-Kyeong’s eyes widened as he heard the side of the Chinese Hunters for the first time.
"I will never join hands with someone like that."
This was most likely what he had heard before.
‘This is probably the incident that had happened while Won-Hwa was away and is the story that only the Hunters know.’
That was the only way it all made sense. Not only were there too few human survivors in Utgard, but also it accounted for the betrayal of the Hunters.
However, Lee Jun-Kyeong still had his concerns.
“Even if we say that’s true, do you really think that it was the right move to abandon the people of Utgard and stand on the side of the Nar?”
The cause.
Although he understood that it was for the reconstruction of China, even though the King of Utgard had done such a thing, even though the man’s reasons were valid, Lee Jun-Kyeong’s eyes narrowed.
He pointed out, “It’s not like you brought them with you when you joined the Nar either.”
It was a cause he couldn’t understand.
Shiiing!
Therefore, for now, he would knock the Hunters down. However, he decided he wouldn’t kill them.
It seemed as though the man had more information. Lee Jun-Kyeong felt as though it would be better to subdue him and listen to his story.
However.
"Hyu—hyungnim!"
“Hyungnim!"
Surrounding them were the most intense of flames. But, while it was clear that their entire bodies had to have been scorched while they pierced through the wall of flames, the two Hunters appeared, standing by Liu Bei.
They had recklessly pierced through the superheated flames using their bodies.
“How impressive.” Lee Jun-Kyeong sincerely admired them.
Even though it was evident that they must have undergone immense pain, their faces remained firm. It was a testament to their will and their strength.
The three of them joined together again and radiated an even stronger power, as if they were proclaiming that nothing could break them apart again.
They were showing him their will to not give up.
Lee Jun-Kyeong had heartfelt admiration for them.
"I!" Liu Bei settled into a stance with his sword pointed forward. "I didn't throw them away!"
There was no need for Lee Jun-Kyeong to attack again.
The three of them started to press in on Lee Jun-Kyeong.
***
"…”
Thjazi didn't say anything further, he just continued to swing his fists and run forward in order to take down Thrymr.
‘The one that killed my father is…’
The king of Utgard.
It had been Loki?
He couldn’t comprehend what Thrymr had said.
Why?
That had been his first thought.
Originally, the frost giants had been a species that formed into a number of separate tribes. However, due to the sudden great war, many tribes had disappeared.
The remaining tribes had gathered in Utgard.
Utgard had been a fortress that had been built to withstand anything.
Of course, as there were many tribes gathered, there had to have been a general commander.
However, it wasn’t easy for them to select a chieftain.
There were three candidates for the chieftain position.
There was Loki of the Utgardian tribe, who was the current ruler of Utgard.
Then there was Thrymr from the Black Frost Clan who was currently clashing with Thjazi.
And finally, the last was Alvaldi of the Blue Frost Tribe, and Thjazi’s father.
‘But…’
There had been no reason for Loki to kill his father.
In the beginning, Loki’s position had been unassailable.
After all, the Utgardian tribe had created Utgard, and Loki was someone with enough strength that he could rise to the rank of chieftain without having to do anything.
"Your father, Alvaldi…" Thrymr said, blocking Thjazi’s fist and bringing his gigantic face to Thjazi’s own.
“He knew Loki’s ambitions.”
“Ambitions…?” Thjazi asked.
“Loki,” Thrymr continued. “He planned on causing the great transference over here.”
“...!”
The great transference was the cataclysmic event that had happened in Jotunheimr, the land of the frost giant tribes.
It had appeared suddenly and killed many frost giants. In the end, it was the catastrophe that had dropped the giants in this unknown land.
“If! If he wasn’t able to cause the great transference again…!”
However, the great transference was something that even Loki couldn’t bring about again.
“He wanted to make this land into a new Jotunheimr.”
Jotunheimr, the world that they had lived in—to think that the king had stated that he had desired to make this place into a new Jotunheimr.
"What are you…?" Thjazi asked.
Thymir screamed, “He wanted to purify this world and make it a land of giants. Annihilate an entire race, leaving only the giants left!"
Thjazi’s fist slammed into Thrymr’s throat, and Thrymr paused, choking for a moment. Thjazi looked down at him in that state and said, “So you’re saying Alvaldi had wanted to resist the will of Loki! And that was why he died!”
But, he couldn’t understand it.
"Why…! Why didn't you tell me?!" he howled.
If that was the truth, he felt as though the giant should have told him. If, the father he had thought had died in a simple accident, but had in fact been killed by the chieftain he was currently serving, then the other giant should have told him.
Thjazi felt intense pain in his chest.
“Ahhhhh!”
He punched out with both fists.
They were covered in a fierce aura, a power wielded by the frost giants.
Galdr.
It was a technique that exploded by releasing condensed power all at once.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Thjazi's fists exploded forth, rupturing the space. They finally reached their destination: Thrymr’s hands.
“...”
However, Thjazi didn’t use his skill and released it at the last moment. He couldn’t use it.
“Why didn’t you block…” he asked, angry and perplexed.
He couldn’t because Thrymr didn’t seem to have any intention of blocking.
“I can’t… lose you too, Thjazi.”
Thrymr then said with a dry voice, “The reason I didn’t tell you… it was because I knew that it would only hurt you to know this.
Thjazi’s gaze turned to question.
"You are a loyal warrior of the frost giants. You have honor flowing through your veins, so would you be able to betray the chieftain if I had told you he was the one who killed your father?”
Thrymr broke off with a quiet sob and then continued, "Look at yourself. Even after you found out the truth, a bit of fighting spirit still remains in your body. It’s the desire to fight against me, in order to eradicate a traitor. So…”
Thrymr's fist shone; it was the same power that Thjazi used: Galdr.
Bang!
The skill burst out, hitting Thjazi’s face directly.
Thjazi dropped to the ground, still breathing, but he apparently fainted.
"Sleep until everything is over."
Thrymr looked over the battlefield. A tight balance was being maintained, but it was time to wrap things up.
‘Even if it’s just a little more…’
They had to advance to Utgard while maintaining their strength. There was already no way back from here.
He would have to march to Utgard like this, kill Loki, and become king. That was the only way to direct Thjazi’s allegiance to himself.
‘Or I die.’
Thrymr's eyes shone fiercely. The first thing he wanted to sort out was, of course, a single human.
"…”
The human figure stared back at him after having dealt with the other Hunters that had been on his side, the side of the Nar.
“How amusing.”
Thrymr felt the same feeling now as the time when he had first seen him.
He was a special existence, a special person.
The man in front of him was more dangerous than Thjazi and just as dangerous as Loki.
“Ha-a-eup!”
Thrymr circulated all the power in his body. Galdr began to spread throughout his body, burning up from the ends of his feet as if it was about to explode.
It was an incredible power.
He had saved it in order to deal with the king, but he couldn’t just ignore the man in front of him.
However, Lee Jun-Kyeong surprised him, speaking while raising both hands, “I surrender!"
1. Currently, every mention of Loki is the giant king, Utgard Loki.
2. This is not Gigantomachia.
3. This word stumped me. In Korean, it reads ???, which means to choose, but it is being used as a noun in this sense as the name for a skill. Therefore, the closest thing I could think of in Norse mythos was galdr, or the incantations used to cast spells, create enchantments, etc. This may be revisited because Galdr isn’t just a giant thing, but everyone can use it, so I may replace it with a new word if it comes up later with Odin.
