The Novel’s Villain

69. Disrespect (3)

Odin and the gods of Asgard advanced, and the Earthlings followed right behind them.

Their faction held formidable strength. When their all-father threw Gungnir, Horus, gliding through the skies, fell.

His spear, one of the two sources of lightning, had the ability to hit his opponent with certainty at lightning speed. Not even Horus could escape it.

Nitocris ran to where Horus crashed and helped him.

‘He fights well.’ Jin-woo thought in admiration.

Popcorn went right into his mouth during the action-packed scene.

After all, no matter how advanced movie technology was, nothing could beat watching it happen in person.

Even without Thor, the gods of the Northern World were still strong.

Among them was Baldur, a military officer. He was close to invincible, even according to the mythological stories revolving around him. Other than mistletoes, there was nothing else that could hurt him.

According to tales, his vulnerability was caused by Odin’s wife, Frigg, forgetting to make mistletoes swear an oath not to hurt him. When she told Odin about it, he destroyed every living member of its species in the Northern World, eliminating the only thing that could harm his son.

Along with his army of Earthlings, that was the reason why he was convinced of his victory in this war against the Western World. Baldur fended off the opposing army’s projectiles and weapons with his bare body, unable to even scratch his skin.

His advance made their ranks collapse far too easily. Nitocris and Horus could barely slow down his momentum.

The avatars, disguised as Earthlings, fought against the enemy soldiers on equal footing. Jin-woo, watching the situation for a moment, put down his can of cola.

“Even out the playing field.” He commanded.

The Sphinx bowed at him, then immediately carried out his orders, blocking Baldur’s path.

“Your power doesn’t work on me, Sphinx! I am invincible!”

“Invincible?”

The Sphinx unsheathed a beam sword and held it with both hands, the ominous red light it emitted startling Baldur. He swung it around, but the god before him decided to stand his ground.

He truly believed he was untouchable.

Zwoong!

Baldur blinked.

His head had fallen to the floor, the Sphinx’s weapon decapitating it cleanly off of his neck. Nevertheless, he couldn’t bring himself to believe that he had defeated him so easily.

Loki flinched in great surprise upon witnessing the scene, while Jin-woo only nodded in satisfaction.

By the World of Gods’ standards, Baldur was indeed invulnerable. But that only applied to this dimension.

‘Beam swords are from a different realm. His invincibility doesn’t account for its existence.’

Frigg made everything in the World of Gods take an oath never to hurt her son, but she never asked the armament that just beheaded him to do the same.

As the Sphinx began to run rampant with Baldur’s head, the gods of Asgard found themselves hesitant to charge onwards. The Earthlings didn’t push that hard either, following Jin-woo’s orders. They only ever fought fiercely when they were within Odin’s sights. They held themselves back otherwise, achieving the balance their master was aiming for.

As time went on, the damage on both sides increased.

The Northern World couldn’t retreat now. They had sustained far too many casualties to do so without getting any results first.

Meanwhile, the Western World desperately defended against them.

‘It’s starting to get boring. I should make my move now.’

Jin-woo awakened his power, causing light to come out of the golden ring he was wearing, and approached the dimensional store Odin possessed, which he now had access to since his new jewelry gave him access to all such shops.

‘He seems to be in a hurry.’

Odin was selling various items through it to obtain dimensional gold coins, which he then used to restore the power of the gods and manifest various abilities.

When he handed a coin to Frigg, she used it to heal the wounded avatars.

In the midst of all this, Ah-young sharpened the blades of her revenge, her eyes fixated on the leader of the Asgardian deities.

[You have dominated Odin’s dimensional store.]

Jin-Woo used the power of domination to gain control over the Norse supreme god’s shop. His golden ring didn’t have such a function, but he didn’t need it to. He still dyed Odin’s dimensional store black and corrupted it until it twisted to and fro.

The first thing he did was freeze his transactions, cutting off all the lines trying to connect and already connected with it.

“My dimensional store…?!”

Odin, who had pushed Horus and Nitocris away, opened his shop, only to be bewildered by its current status.

Jin-woo simply smiled at him.

“Shift the balance towards the Western World’s favor.”

Acting according to his orders, the avatars began to move recklessly, allowing themselves to sustain more damage than before. Moreover, they also cleverly stabbed their blades into the Asgardian deities’ backs. Tasked to guard Odin’s tactician, they surrounded him as he thought of their next course of action.

Shuk!

Thrusting their weapons into his body, they made the chain of command collapse, leaving the avatars with no ‘orders’ in the middle of the enemy swarm. Gradually, the Western World pushed the Northern World away.

Their timing was impeccable.

Jin-woo sent a message to Odin’s dimensional store.

[Hello, I am the manager of the dimensional stores.]

[Your rating has increased!]

[Odin, since you have been quite an excellent customer, you are now eligible to borrow dimensional gold coins with an interest rate as low as 30%.]

[Check out the amazing conditions that come along with it!

1. If you can provide collateral, you’ll be able to borrow a large amount of dimensional gold coins!

2. After successfully paying off your loan, you will receive a 5% commission fee.

3. Anyone can borrow! We will help you proceed with the transaction after checking your property.

4. Receive the funds as soon as your application has been approved!

5. Touch here to send a message now!

*Manager Lee Jin-woo of Customer Happiness Support Team]

Odin blinked at the message he received.

‘I did hear rumors about the dimensional store having a manager…’

Dimensional stores were created when the primordial gods created the World of Gods, though not even the deities themselves understood their existence properly. They only considered it to be a privilege only famous gods could enjoy.

‘It’s not a lie.’ Odin thought, but he used the power of his eye anyway to be certain, ultimately confirming it all to be true.

He still trusted his eye too much.

Odin retreated momentarily, leaving the gods of Asgard to face Horus and Nitocris, and pressed on the window, immediately connecting him to Jin-woo.

Manager Lee Jin-woo: Hello, Odin of Asgard. Welcome to your dimensional store.

Odin: I still find it quite hard to believe dimensional stores have managers.

Manager Lee Jin-woo. Fret not, for I understand. You’re our first customer, after all.

Odin: Really?

He wasn’t all that surprised since he made great use of his store in every war he fought.

Odin: How much can I borrow?

Manager Lee Jin-woo: We can immediately deposit up to 10 million dimensional gold coins as of this moment. That amount can be increased depending on the collateral you’d present.

Odin: Well, what about the sword that killed Fafnir?

He took Gram, the famed sword of Sigried, out and put it in the dimensional store.

Manager Lee Jin-woo: You can now borrow up to 50 million dimensional gold coins.

Odin: Can I change the collateral item later?

Manager Lee Jin-woo: Of course, dear customer.

Odin: Can I use gods and humans as collaterals?

Manager Lee Jin-woo: That wouldn’t be a problem.

Odin thought about his offer deeply.

It came with a huge 30% interest rate, but he should be able to earn enough to cover for it by winning this war. No, it didn’t really matter if he didn’t pay. Once he had emerged victorious against the Western World, he would become the strongest.

‘At that point, no one will be able to stop me.’

If he became the strongest, he wouldn’t even have any need for dimensional stores.

‘I can’t believe he’s trying to manipulate me!’

The dimensional store manager attempted to take advantage of the war to make a profit, but it didn’t work on him.

He would rule the World of Gods and conquer even the dimensional stores!

For now, however, he needed to hide his sinister secret.

Odin: I accept your offer.

Manager Lee Jin-woo: Thank you, dear customer. I wish you good luck.

Odin immediately withdrew 1 billion dimension gold coins, registering all the items he had as collateral. However, realizing they weren’t enough, he borrowed Freya’s treasures and the other gods’ possessions.

In the end, he was loaned over 1.5 billion gold coins. That amount wasn’t much by Jin-woo’s standards, but it was already quite paramount in the World of Gods.

In fact, it was more than enough to change the entire flow of the battle.

Some of the most prized treasures of the Northern World, such as Gram and Freya’s Brisingamen, piled up in front of the God of Evil. Yoo-na, noticing Freya’s necklace among them, picked it up and admired it.

“It’s so pretty.”

“You can have it. Consider it a present from me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you.”

She didn’t refuse his kindness.

Loki swallowed his saliva. He knew very well how much Freya had to work to get that piece of jewelry. After all, he was the one who told Odin that she had to sleep with four dwarves to get her hands on it.

“You take one too.”

“Huh?” Oh, uh, I’m fine.”

Jin-woo forcibly gave him a treasure despite his rejection, however, leaving him no choice but to hold back his tears.

Odin raised Gungnir. By spending 1.5 billion dimensional gold coins, he endowed his weapon with powerful abilities.

“Advance, my warriors! Let my blessings strengthen you!”

The light emitted from his spear enveloped the avatars, healing their wounds and improving their weapons and armor by wrapping them in gold.

It also enhanced their regeneration capabilities.

Such was the power the funds he acquired could afford.

‘Amazing.’ Jin-woo thought. Odin melted and absorbed all of them, turning them into his power that he now used to show why he was known as the Northern World’s supreme deity.

The God of Evil ordered the avatars to move in earnest.

“It’s time I join them as well.”

“Have fun, master.” Yoo-na smiled gently as she lowered her head. Loki followed and did the same.

Jin-woo stepped down to the battlefield.

He removed the hallucination he had cast on Ah-young and took the pillow’s place, immediately assuming his surgeon role.

She looked at him with a serious expression.

“History has changed.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! The history I know didn’t flow into this situation! Still, I think the end of this path will be the same anyway.” She replied, her voice carrying a sense of urgency.

She found the events too complicated to keep up with but thought they were still heading down the same result as the one she witnessed.

When the avatars began to go all out, they greatly pushed the Western World warriors back, forcing them to retreat.

The situation led them to grow even more desperate. They couldn’t just give up now. In the first place, the reason they were fighting this hard was the large population of civilians behind them that they swore to defend.

If Odin succeeded in absorbing the Western World’s yang, they’d all be dead.

The supreme god swung his spear, sending Nitocris flying across the desert. Horus charged at him as well, hoping to fend him off, but not even he was a match for him now that he had reached a more powerful state due to the dimensional gold coins he had consumed.

Aiming at Horus, he threw Gungnir. It bolted through the battlefield in the form of lightning, piercing its target’s chest.

“Argh!”

“Sir Horus!”

Horus staggered and fell to the ground. Nitocris tried to make her way to him, but Frigg’s magic restrained her. With her now captured, the Western World’s soldiers lost their will to fight.

Tuk Tuk Tuk!

Odin slowly walked towards Horus, who sat up and looked up at him.

Ah-young and Jin-woo just watched the situation from a distance.

“This is it.”

“What do you mean, Ah-young?”

“Once Odin absorbs the Eye of Horus, the act will momentarily weaken him. That’s our chance. We need to aim for that perfect moment.”

She used her stealth skill to sneak behind Odin’s back.

The Norse supreme god grabbed Horus by the neck and lifted him up, knowing full well he no longer had any strength left to fight him. Not only did he suffer tremendous injuries from his battle against Set, but Gungnir was also embedded in his chest, neutralizing all of his powers.

“Finally…” He uttered as he reached for Horus’ eyes, the right symbolizing the sun and the left symbolizing the moon.

With them, he gained the potential to pry into the planets of all dimensions.

Fusuk!

Odin pulled them out, let Horus fall to the ground with his body drooping, and fused the pair, turning them into a jewel emitting dazzling light.

A storm raged in the desert.

With the Eye of Horus now in his possession, Nitocris and the Western World warriors could no longer resist his reign.

“Hahaha! Bow down before your new god!” He laughed with great joy. Wasting no time, he began to unite the Eye of Horus with his own eye.

However, as he did, Ah-young unsheathed her sword and charged towards his back.

Having reached the rank of Emperor, not even Odin himself could avoid being fatally wounded if she attacked him while his guard was down.

This opportune moment she had been waiting for was the true aim of her regression.

For as long as it meant slaying the king of Asgard, she willingly sacrificed everything. Now given a chance to do just that, she thrust her blade into his spine, taking advantage of his momentary weakness.

Ting!

But just before her sword could pierce through his back, she stopped.

“What?!”

“Did you think I was unaware of your true intentions?”

Odin’s Gungnir was blocking her weapon. He knew all along that she was a regressor and would betray her at the last possible minute. Hence, he kept her under close observation and always had his guard up around her.

“Despair before my might, foolish human.”

“Damn it!”

He sent her flying towards Jin-woo with a slap and caused her to vomit a lot of blood.

“No…”

“You failed again.” Jin-woo looked down at her.

Gasping for air, she barely managed to push her body up.

“R-run. Once Odin absorbs that power…” She cried desperately, her eyes fixated on him.

Paah!

The Eye of Odin and the Eye of Horus merged.

Odin was still weakened, but his eye had grown incredibly powerful.

He checked it out with his Magic Eye of Information.

[SSS+] Eye of Insight

Imbued with the power of the beginning, this eye can see through everything.

Its description was simple, but its capability was immense. More importantly, Jin-woo could feel demonic power from within it.

Gungnir, reacting to the Eye of Insight, released intense energy as Odin raised it, his attention on the avatars.

“Begin the slaughter, my soldiers! Under my name, you may do whatever you desire to your opponents!” He roared, ordering them to massacre the people of the Western World, including the civilians.

“Kill them all and loot all their treasures!”

Nitocris and her warriors fell into despair as they watched the ‘Earthlings’ march towards them.

Ah-young’s reaction was the same.

All that she had done so far had been in vain. In the end, everything went according to Odin’s plans.

‘Stand tall!’

However, the advancing avatars soon stopped in their tracks. Odin tilted his head at the scene, wondering what had just happened.

“What are you doing? Charge!”

When they didn’t respond, he looked at them using his Eye of Insight. It didn’t take long for him to find the pulsing black energy their veils had obscured.

“Hahahahaha!”

“Hahahahahaha!”

“Hahahaha!”

Amid his surprise, they began laughing loudly at the same time, which only shocked him even more. The sight rendered Odin, the gods of Asgard, Nitocris, and the Western World warriors speechless.

It was simply far too creepy and ominous for them to handle.

Their laughter didn’t stop. Even when their jaws took strange forms due to the strain, they continued their maniacal cackles.

“W-What?!”

Even Ah-young didn’t know what was going on with them.

Jin-woo, standing next to her, slowly walked towards Odin.

“Jin-woo?”

“Thank you for your hard work. Because of you, this event became a lot more fun.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Approaching the Norse supreme god, the avatars dropped their weapons as he passed by them.

“Wow!”

“Woohoo!”

Clap clap clap!

Now completely disarmed, they focused their attention on Jin-woo, clapping and cheering for him. Odin turned his head to look at him as well, only to be met by his deep, sly smile.

“Hello, I am Lee Jin-woo. The manager of the dimensional store.”

“Huh? What?”

“With your loan overdue, I have decided to visit you in person to talk about your long-overdue loan.”

The 30% loan interest wasn’t monthly or yearly.

It wasn’t daily, either.

It was to be paid by the second.

This was why one had to carefully consider the contract under any circumstances before signing it.