The Novel’s Villain

67. Lee Jae-J (1)

The fake Valkyries provided Jin-woo with intel about Asgard.

Odin’s eye was outstanding, yes, but the problem was that it was too good. Through it, he could check not only the avatar’s information but also Jin-woo’s power that was connected to it.

Normal gods would’ve taken critical damage or gone crazy just looking at it, but he only hurt his eye.

That was enough proof of his greatness as a deity.

According to their report, he sustained what seemed to be a severe eye disease. Due to it, his eye’s ability was in a state of decline.

It didn’t cause any major inconvenience since it didn’t affect his founding abilities, but he couldn’t see through Jin-woo’s protection and the avatars completely anymore.

Even if he tried, he wouldn’t be able to see their future because of the darkness enveloping them and preventing him from peering even a tad ahead.

Jin-woo thought he would still find something strange about the avatars, but he didn’t show any signs of it.

Odin trusted his eye too much, but he couldn’t blame him. It gave him the ability to see into the past, present, and foretell the future, making it only natural for him to rely on it.

‘Everything’s going according to plan. I would’ve preferred if there were other variables I had to deal with, though, since that would make things more interesting…’

It felt a little bland, which was a pity.

Ah-young had seen the locations she and Jin-woo had gone to, but the same couldn’t be said for the other aspects of this reality. After all, all 200,000 of their captives were now avatars, which were constantly maturing as they took on the role of human beings.

After going through the tutorial and passing the Valkyries’ handcrafted trials, the Earthlings were given full-fledged training. The gods’ followers and Midgard’s brave warriors that had become demigods directly taught them.

During this program, they wouldn’t have to worry about death. However, brainwashing methods would be conducted on them using sweet words and deals that easily allured them.

“Your success here will be your ticket to Valhalla, a realm where you can enjoy endless happiness!”

“There, you’ll be able to experience all the pleasures you couldn’t in this world!”

“Odin will grant all your wishes!”

“You’ll be given immortality! This is the road to eternal pleasure!”

The Earthlings’ instructors told them if they died fighting bravely, they would be sent to Valhalla or even return to Earth.

Throughout their training, they were provided with a livable environment and decent compensation, leaving those who survived in a state of satisfaction. Of course, all of it was part of their blatant manipulative tactics.

Even after reaching the training ground, Ah-young didn’t lower her guard.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but they’ll abandon us after the desert conquest, letting only a few chosen warriors live. They’ll assign them as the next batch of Earthlings’ trainers.”

“I see.”

“The gods will bless you according to your training performance, but keep in mind that the deities’ ranks being higher doesn’t necessarily mean they provide greater blessings. Focus on getting the ones that are efficient and effective instead.”

Ah-young already knew all the useful blessings. Before regressing, she had already met many Earthlings who became outstandingly powerful after receiving certain gods’ graces.

“I think it’s best to get Thor’s. He triples all of your stats and applies the lightning attribute to all of your attacks.”

“How do we get it?”

“We have to give him a cat.”

“A cat?”

In the World of Gods, cats could only be found in the Western World, where they were hailed and treated as divine beings.

They had the power to kill all snakes, after all.

“Is there any reason Thor wants a cat?”

“It’s because of the witch’s prophecy. Just as told in Earth’s mythology, he is allegedly fated to be killed by Jormungandr’s poison. Odin said he couldn’t see his son’s end, but… He’s anxious.”

“Thor’s end… Do gods die too?”

“Their souls can apparently be sent to the afterlife, but I think there’s a way to revive them,” Ah-young answered.

The Olympian gods weren’t dead yet.

However, the Asgardian gods’ immortality was weak compared to theirs. There was a way for them to return from the underworld, but resurrection was different from perfect immortality.

‘He wants a cat to get rid of Jormungandr.’

That gigantic serpent was indeed huge and strong, but not even it could oppose the Western World’s felines.

Thor was strong enough to be compared to Odin based on combat abilities alone, making it a little funny that he was looking for a cat.

“Let’s get his blessing. With it, even you will be able to become stronger.”

“Ah… I don’t like fighting…”

“Please don’t say that…”

“Alright. I’ll do my best.”

Ah-young looked at Jin-woo, who had just recovered from a near-death situation, with worry.

He trained her spirit while staying true to his kind-hearted surgeon role. Although he constantly put her under a lot of stress, she didn’t abandon him in the end.

Her record was brilliant.

There was a time when he was taken hostage after he tried healing an Earthling sent to kill him, but she swiftly put herself in danger just to save him.

After that, he tried to test how far she could last.

As a result, Ah-young earned 180 million good deed points and a title.

[A] Liberator

Having overcome the God of Evil’s ordeals, this user has been liberated.

Now equipped with immense mental fortitude, she’s become immune to mental attacks below A rank. Moreover, she’s now guaranteed a comfortable life after her death.

There were other training camps aside from the one Jin-woo and Ah-young were sent to. The avatars gathered there, acquiring the deities’ blessings.

[Avatar A-11332 has acquired Baldur’s Blessing.]

[Avatar B-23322 has acquired Tyr’s Blessing.]

[Avatar B-32442 has acquired Heimdall’s Blessing.]

They worked like machines. As soon as they received a god’s grace, they quickly developed their abilities, showing remarkably rapid growth.

This helped Jin-woo as well.

Avatars were essentially fruits that passed on the abilities they had absorbed to him through the power of domination.

‘These gods are quite skilled.’

Unlike the gods of Olympus, their immortality was limited, and that flaw created the need for them to deeply improve their abilities and talents.

Once Jin-woo absorbed their powers and made them dramatically stronger. Heimdall’s ability, Espionage, became even more amazing.

[S+] Heimdall’s Espionage

Heimdall’s eyes are said to watch over all of the nine worlds, but that was an exaggeration.

Since he isn’t popular, he often spies on the Valkyries. Constantly honing his skills to do so, he became capable of seeing the entirety of Midgard with enough concentration.

Having absorbed such an ability, the God of Evil gained that feature as well.

The Bifrost’s gatekeeper was far from normal.

On another note, the avatars’ development was proceeding smoothly.

‘Hmm?’

Olympus contacted Jin-woo.

Uranus, Team Ragnarok, and the Titans currently resided in the Central World. Bread Jam, who now worked with Luna as a goddess, occasionally prayed to him.

Perhaps because of his immense popularity, he was overflowing with divine power, but he had to consume it regularly to live a normal life.

‘I should go.’

Jin-woo summoned an avatar that mimicked his shape, cast an illusion, then opened and entered a portal back to Olympus.

This place had changed a lot.

The temple had been expanded and rebuilt to fit Uranus and Typhon, whose sizes were so big the existing Olympus couldn’t accommodate them.

Yoo-na was already waiting by the time he arrived.

“Odin of Asgard has sent an envoy.”

“An envoy?”

“Yes. They said they’re here to deliver a letter to you, but we’re making them wait on our nation’s border for now. They called themselves the Aesir gods, and though not that well-known, Odin seems to trust them.”

The Northern World had many deities, some of which belonged to the Aesir clan, which inhabited the Asgardian realm.

Deciding to meet them, Jin-woo took a seat on the huge throne at the far end of the Evil God’s Temple.

Raising his head, he looked around him.

The Temple of Olympus had always been the most splendid and grandiose infrastructure in the World of Gods, but it’s scale was now on a different level.

Giant statues made of the rarest metal in the universe now flanked its halls. They were made by and bought from the players, who chiseled and molded them using the robots’ high-powered beam swords.

They even made a depiction of that moment Jin-woo annihilated Zeus and Poseidon, though they made it look cooler than it actually was.

‘Hmm…’

Still on his glorious throne and staring at the displays, he thought for a moment before releasing mana. He had to look better in real life than his statues. Considering this was their first official meeting with the Norse gods, he decided to show them his glory.

Black air currents flowed out and wrapped around Jin-woo.

Its presence alone was so powerful the entire mountain of Olympus shook. Allowing it to take full control over his appearance, it molded him into the figure most resembling his soul.

‘I feel okay. Maybe I should increase the output.’

He released even more of his mana, causing the enormous collection of power to engulf the entire temple.

[The God of Evil has opened up his soul and embodies its form, revealing the source of all malevolence and endless darkness.]

His black currents grew as gigantic as Uranus and soon transformed into an indescribably demonic form.

Looking at it alone would drive others to insanity, taint them with corruption, and make them fall into the pits of darkness. With his soul, power, and mana now unified, Jin-woo felt quite great about himself.

Wheeeeeeew!

His existence distorted the space around him.

If he were in any other dimension, just being there would’ve crushed the entirety of it with ease.

Still, he thought it wouldn’t be bad for him to try something new every now and then.

‘My hands feel kind of empty…’

Jin-woo reached out and took Astrafe and Triana out of his subspace. Enveloped by the same currents, the two soon assumed larger versions of themselves. Lightning flashed then, and an onyx storm raged.

Jin-woo turned his attention to Yoo-na.

“What do you think? Do I look okay?”

“It’s a little creepy.”

“I am known as the God of Evil, after all. Isn’t it only proper for me to look like this?”

“… It’s not my taste.” Yoo-na disagreed, clearly unaffected by the pressure he exuded since she belonged to the Sanctuary.

Jin-woo didn’t think much of it.

‘They’re here.’

The Northern World’s envoy entered his abode in perfect timing. They soon trembled, however, because of the two transcendental monstrosities’ overwhelming presence guarding the entrance.

Uranus and Typhon.

The God of Evil’s Temple was much grander than Valhalla. In fact, its interior made the messengers momentarily forget about their original mission and just stare at the beautiful statues out of sheer fascination.

But its effect on them didn’t last long.

“Huh!”

“Argh!”

They caught wind of the God of Evil sitting at the end of the temple.

As members of the Aesir clan, they were often involved in Odin’s reign over Asgard.

As a result, they were always honored and praised.

“Ugh!”

“Bleurgh!”

This wasn’t one of those moments.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

They shut their eyes closed as they screamed, banging their heads against the ground and wallowing in despair.

The horrific whispers crawling through their minds felt unbearable. It was as if they were digging through their skin, breaking their bones, and eating away at their brains.

Fear and pain devoured them.

They couldn’t even look at the God of Evil.

‘Oh…’ Jin-woo felt a little flustered. As soon as they saw him, they screamed and pounded their heads on the floor even as they bled. In fact, they continued smashing their skulls even after they had already created quite the puddle of Aesir blood.

Jin-woo stretched out Triana, wrapping them with a stream of water and blowing them out of the temple before they could completely crush their heads.

The Aesir gods immediately fainted.

“… Well then…”

“…”

Jin-woo and Yoo-na looked at each other, the latter looking as if she couldn’t understand what had just happened.

Turning pale, he reshaped his body to that of his soul’s original shape, returning to what could probably be called his normal appearance. Still, this didn’t make their reaction any less of a shock.

“… Is this enough?”

“Yeah, I think this one’s a little cute,” Yoo-na muttered. It was indeed a little less domineering than his previous form.

Showcasing his power and glory to the envoys made them go crazy. Still, considering he brought them out swiftly during the incident, they should return to normal after a bit of time. They’d most likely suffer from aftereffects, though.

‘Only one god remains.’

Now left all alone, the Aesir deity bowed down to him, closed his eyes tightly, and somehow managed to hold onto his sanity in the God of Evil’s presence.

‘I don’t think he’s just a random god.’

Jin-woo used the Magic Eye of Information on him.

[SS+] Loki

God of mischief and master of disguise.

Though he carried the blood of giants, Odin adopted him.

Thor, the god of lightning, is his brother, but he isn’t as well-received as him in Asgard. Hence, he decided to use their resentment against him as his fuel to make his pranks and tricks even worse.

Unlike giants, he doesn’t have excellent combat ability, but he boasts great intelligence. Also known as a master of disguise, he could create a mien even the Norse supreme god would have trouble discerning.

Falsely accused of the eye disease Odin is suffering from, he’s been put under strict observation and probation.

However, when he heard that an envoy was being sent to the Central World, he disguised himself and joined the expedition, intending to obtain and use information about the God of Evil.

*[SS+] Disguise

Loki can completely change his body and even alter his soul.

*[SS+] Mischief and Manipulation

He pranks and cheats better than anyone.

Loki.

It seemed deities on his level could endure Jin-woo’s demonic form to a certain extent. Of course, even he couldn’t stay in his presence for too long, considering the corruption he exuded still affected him.

“So you’re Loki, huh,” Jin-woo uttered.

“Gasp…” He flinched in surprise, not expecting he’d find out his true identity that quick.

With a swing of his Astrafe, Jin-woo struck him with a flash of lightning, returning him to his original form.

“Are you here to ridicule me?”

“Oh, no! Not at all!” Loki trembled. For the first time in his entire life, fear engulfed his heart as the God of Evil’s malevolence embraced him.

“Good.”

Considering he drove the Aesir gods to insanity, Jin-woo thought it would only be right for him to overlook this diplomatic disrespect in return. That didn’t mean he couldn’t scare him a little more, though. With Astrafe stretched forward, he opened the portal to Tartarus.

Even Loki knew about Tartarus, a hell so terrible that not even Helheim could compete against it. In its abyss, he could see Zeus and Poseidon completely bound.

Black air currents flowed out of Jin-woo and wrapped around him.

“W-w-wait!” He gasped, unable to breathe properly as he was gradually dragged into the dark entrance.

“Listen to me, please! Stop!”

“Why should I do that?”

“Come on, please don’t… this!”

“Hmm…”

Pretending to be troubled, Jin-woo released him from his grasp.

Loki sighed heavily, rubbing his neck. Growing desperate and feeling as if this was his last chance to prove himself, he brainstormed for a solution with all his might.

“I-I’m not Odin’s legitimate child. I am actually a giant he merely adopted, which resulted in me suffering all sorts of humiliation. The reason I came to you today is to ask for your help.” He lied, then proceeded to offer him a proposal.

Jin-woo merely listened to him in silence, causing him to break out in cold sweat.

“My help?”

“Y-yes. The Aesir gods are far too arrogant! Not only have they devastated the Northern World, but they’re also not invading the Western World without even seeking the God of Evil’s permission first! If Odin conquers that area, he’ll certainly gain immense power.”

The Eye of Horus and the yang energy of the Western World.

With those in his hands, Odin’s strength would grow dramatically.

When Jin-woo finally showed interest in what he had to say, Loki quickly knelt before him.

“I, Loki, god of mischief, fire, and wind, swear allegiance to the God of Evil. In exchange for the power to defeat Odin, I will dedicate the Western and Northern Worlds to the God of Evil.”

“What do you want in return?”

“The throne of the Northern World.”

Things were finally starting to become interesting.

Jin-woo didn’t think Loki could defeat Odin. He was indeed smart, had great concealment skills, and could manipulate fire and wind at will. However, those were all no more than basic magic spells from his perspective.

He was just a slightly outstanding god.

“Alright.”

He accepted his offer, but only because doing so would provide him more fun than declining it. Having so many variables to consider made this entire situation much more interesting.

Loki bowed even deeper.

“I’ll provide you with strength.”

“T-thank you.”

Jin-woo withdrew Hermes’ shoes from his subspace, startling Loki.

They were one of the supreme treasures, after all. It gave its wearer the ability to fly at nigh-teleportation speed when worn.

Despite how valuable it was, he still gave it to him.

“I’ll assign you under Team Ragnarok.”

“Ragnarok… That’s a great word.”

On Jin-woo’s command, Uranus and Typhon appeared behind Loki. Prof. Kim Dae-jin, Medusa, Hercules, the Sphinx, and the other monsters made their entrance as well.

He also summoned the Underworld Conquerors, including One-Handed Swordsman, and the Titans.

Slowly raising his head, Loki turned around.

“Ahh…”

He trembled, admiring the invincible army in front of him.

“Lead them with this.”

Jin-woo took out a staff imbued with a beam cutter, its shaft engraved with symbols representing the God of Evil and Team Ragnarok. This weapon was made by Hephaestus, using materials and designs from both the Maze and the Sci-Fi World.

It was made for the Underworld Conquerors, but since they didn’t need any weapons, he decided to store it away until now.

Loki accepted it with both hands.

When imbued with mana, a dark red beam soared from its tip. To him, this staff gave its user the ability to manipulate Team Ragnarok.

“All gods will bow down to the God of Evil.” He smiled slyly.

Jin-woo simply looked at him in excitement.

‘Interesting indeed.’

He couldn’t help but be curious about what would happen next.