Ryan and Surtr's Battle, Contract, and Gaze

Death seems incredibly distant, because in the face of this devastated world, even the right to choose death has been stripped away and disappeared.

An endless vitality seems to be bursting forth, and the competition among all things is also born from the power of destruction.

So, what exactly is this?

Ryan felt an endless vastness and boundless surging. He wandered aimlessly through the desolation, watching himself disappear and then reappear in the distance.

The ground he trod on was not ground; there was no tactile sensation of solid footsteps, and everything seemed empty.

Is he still in Nidhogg?

Or perhaps he has entered some unfamiliar world.

"I am the soul."

Ryan looked at his hands. He was naked, and his body was illusory. He gradually realized that he was in a soul state.

Because... when the Spirituality Panel appeared in front of him, Ryan discovered that the Spirituality Panel was the same as his own.

Transparent, illusory, untouchable, yet a part of oneself.

How could he appear in this strange place in the form of a soul? Surtr has already killed him and extracted his soul.

Ryan found this terrifying, because it meant he might suffer Eternity torment and Surtr's wrath.

He felt that would be extremely tragic.

However, he felt as if he had lost the ability to feel fear.

It's amazing that the Spirituality Panel can be summoned and put away in one's soul state. Ryan tried to find where the Spirituality Panel was hidden in his soul, but he couldn't find it.

"The moment Deities power descended, my will and thoughts were frozen. Is this Great Being?"

"I'm afraid even Legendary can only struggle briefly thanks to their Legendary Boon?"

Before the Deities, Legendary are as insignificant and small as ants.

Of course, since ants are capable of biting and harming Deities, Deities will take notice of these ants.

The Florian Empire must have been an empire made up of a group of successful ants. When the Deities were at their weakest and most vulnerable, the ants took a bite and tasted the pleasure of blasphemy.

Ryan's thoughts wandered aimlessly. In his soul state, he seemed unable to concentrate, yet... his consciousness could simultaneously think about everything at a speed without any hindrance.

"Food can definitely be grown in the Swamp. Even if I am far inferior to those saints who produce food, I can still make that land produce food based on the experience of those predecessors."

"Sigh, I wonder if Norton has helped me spread the word about Lord Ryan's generosity and creditworthiness. I was really hoping for a life where money makes money."

"How can I possibly win Count Winter's allegiance? All I want is his loyalty. What have I done wrong? What's wrong with me being the Monarch of the Northwind?"

"How did the Northlands come into being? Winter and snow alone could not have transformed the world's landscape in just a century. Can't people survive in extremely low-temperature environments? Yet the Northlands would plunge the world into death."

"What should we do? Should we bring Queen Leta from Dawn City up to Rhino Horn Mountain? Avril will definitely be angry. She knows Queen Leta's status, while she's just a Baroness. Is she afraid she won't be able to control her?"

"Should I rebel? The emperor has a strong and powerful army... I don't have a strong and powerful army yet. I'll see when the time comes. But wouldn't it be a bit strange if I transmigrated and didn't rebel?"

"What should we eat tomorrow? The goats that the Sera Kingdom sent over look pretty good. They seem to be food for Griffin. We'll have Shara for breakfast, lamb for lunch, and Viscountess for dinner. Avril definitely won't refuse for a midnight snack."

"What am I thinking about? Oh right, I was just thinking about that woman, Shaya. Damn it, she must have some unspeakable secret. The Elector shouldn't have rejected her, because that way he could have gained the support of Grand Duke Mayers. But even though Shaya is pregnant, he gave up on her, even at the cost of creating a rift with Grand Duke Mayers."

"The Elector must have discovered some secret, so he's willing to risk offending the Grand Duke to give up this support that represents a quarter of the empire's power."

"It must be related to the Deities. I heard before that Shaya went to the West Sea to find Lord Lais, the original Blasphemers."

"Is Meyers thinking of blaspheming? Oh no, that's incredibly audacious."

"Hmm, where to go today? It's spring now, how about we go to Queen Leta's place in Dawn City?"

"Speaking of which, Archbishop Adriana is really something. When she blessed me, my soul was clearly visible, completely naked."

"Once the grain is grown, I can deal with those Northwind nobles. They are short of food, especially in recent years. Emperor Flor and the Church are at war, and they will definitely allocate a large amount of grain to the South."

"The Northlands is where food is most needed. Growing food is a must, and we also need to figure out how to raise livestock. That big wild boar is perfect for ranching."

"What is the civilization of the Elves in the Forest the Woodlands like? And the Dwarves in the Firelands to the south, they must be very intelligent."

Ryan's thoughts wandered aimlessly. One moment he was pondering how to easily dig potatoes in the frozen tundra of the Northlands, and the next his thoughts had drifted to the South of the Empire, trying to imagine the prosperity of the West Coast.

Until one moment, Ryan's soul and thoughts froze.

"I should still be alive."

"The power bestowed upon me by the Dragon Emperor has vanished. His last remnant has descended upon me, and I have become his vessel?"

"No, He became my vessel."

In that instant, Ryan's thoughts were like two parallel lines overlapping and merging together.

Ryan opened his eyes.

Boundless flames fell from the sky, yet could not reach the earth; in the burning sky, Surtr's furious flames permeated all matter.

In all directions, countless burning meteors fell to earth, and the churning waves on the ocean, along with the mutual annihilation of the meteors, produced a large amount of water vapor that shot straight into the sky.

With his single arm, Surtr slammed down in anger, his only hand striking down like the largest meteorite crashing onto a planet, creating a wave of energy that stirred up towering waves.

The great Dragons emperor stood before the giant waves, roaring as he brandished his claws, tearing open the ocean that belonged to his world.

[A despicable thief]

Surtr was furious, but the majestic Dragon Emperor once again unleashed a sword strike. The spiritual radiance of the Dragons emitted a dazzling light that engulfed Surtr's body. A massive amount of the Fire Giant's shell was cleaved off, leaving behind stones like volcanic lava that fell into the ocean without ever extinguishing, burning Eternity.

You thief!

Shameless mortals

Surtr continued to curse, but the Dragon Emperor remained silent. After all, He operated like a pre-programmed machine, unable to make any unnecessary movements.

The Dragon Fang Sword continued to slash, and with each strike, the world seemed to be torn apart. The raging storm caused Surtr unbearable pain, but the pain and anger made Him even stronger.

Flames scorched the world, and thunder roared over the earth and sea behind the two Great Being, using every means to become their backdrop and please their will.

The torrential rain fell into the air and became air currents. The seeds gathered by the storm were blown to the distant edge of the world. The broken waves rose again and again, but they were clueless and did not know where their target was. In the end, they could only kill each other and disappear into the ocean.

Until Surtr's power descended once more, the scene brought by this Great Being was the most spectacular. The sky was gray, the world was gone, and countless flames burned in, like rivers flowing into the sea. He was absorbing the heat of this world to provide himself with a more powerful foundation.

He can plunge the world into Dead Silence, and He can also kill all His enemies.

The Dragon Emperor remained unmoved, frantically slaughtering the flames that approached him, and unleashing a terrifying slash at Surtr.

These two Great Being are constantly shaking the seemingly unbreakable foundation of this world.

Until... Ryan opened his eyes.

The dragon, its muscles bulging and its Dragon Scale resembling the finest armor in the world, wielded a monstrous form. Its sharp limbs had even cleaved the void with cracks. The dragon claws it had just raised froze in mid-air. Ryan looked at the sword in his hand; it felt so familiar, like Amber Longsword.

Forget it, whatever. Ryan twisted his limbs. What a strange feeling. It felt so good to be able to carve out the Tengwang Pavilion Preface in the void with these claws. I wonder if I can carve out a three-room house... or better yet, a castle.

"My thoughts are not stagnant."

Ryan was surprised. Faced with such a great being as Surtr, he didn't even have the time or the right to think.

But now, his thoughts are no different from when he was in his soul form.

In other words, his will is now on par with that of the Deities.

Ryan was shocked, and from the moment he opened his eyes to the moment he came to this conclusion, he only paused his sword for a moment.

Looking ahead, Surtr.

Mortals cannot look directly at great beings, otherwise even their souls will be distorted, but it seems that...

Nothing special, just a big guy.

[Despicable...]

Surtr was still roaring, furious, wanting to summon the Blazing Greatsword he had left in the the North, but he could not do it. The body of the Great Being Demon Dragon instinctively suppressed his sword, preventing him from taking back his weapon. If he had a weapon, how could he not kill this mortal?

Therefore, Surtr became even angrier once again.

"Or... if you're tired of yelling, you can forgive me."

Ryan didn't want to go to war with Surtr, because at worst, no matter how much he used the Dragon Emperor's power, the Dragon Emperor was a loser when he was alive. Could he kill Surtr with the power he had left after his death?

That's ridiculous. Surtr died once and came back to life.

Shameless thief

Surtr's booming voice brought more disasters to the world.

"We can't keep fighting."

Ryan looked down at his feet; if the fighting continued, his own granary would be torn to pieces.

"Think about it, you've definitely been scammed."

"Did He invite you into this world really to help you take revenge on me?"

"You have been deceived. He is the ruler of this world. He sensed my arrival and opened the door to let you in."

"It's all for the purpose of depleting my power."

"You don't know Him well, do you? But I know Him very well. We often eat together. He knows I'm coming back and how much power I have left."

"He doesn't want to fight me because He has been in a deep sleep. He is weak and needs the help of the Taisu to awaken Him."

"He dares not wage war against me, because it would awaken another being whose soul is asleep but whose body is awake. He is the most powerful. If He is awakened, we will all be devoured by Him."

"So... He opened the door for you."

"He made you discard your weapons, leaving you with roughly the same strength as me."

"And He also closed the door."

"He wants to devour me. Devouring me will allow Him to awaken more of the Primeval Essence. But if He can devour you, then He will be completely resurrected in this era."

Ryan looked South, where his view was expansive. He saw in the distant Muspel, in that world of fire, endless seawater was pouring in from all directions, gradually extinguishing the fiery world that Surtr had come to.

The sacred Dragon God is closing the door.

Ryan looked north again, where the Demon Dragon's body instinctively suppressed Surtr's weapon, which had torn open a gap and brought snow and wind to the Northlands.

"He will devour us and awaken completely."

[despicable...]

The enraged Surtr paid no heed to Ryan, and countless fiery meteors rained down from the sky, wantonly destroying the world.

"I only borrowed a few hundred units of Taisu from you, but He wants to steal all of your Taisu!!!"

Ryan shouted loudly, and the triggering of the keyword finally made Surtr start thinking with his burnt-out brain.

[A despicable thief]

"Yes, yes, I am a thief, okay? But the guy behind you is a robber. Have you ever experienced being robbed? It's awful. I almost rebelled after my credit was stolen."

"Think about it, isn't that the truth?"

That damned robber!

Surtr let out a deafening roar that shook the entire world. Ryan was surprised; had this guy really been robbed before?

That's terrible.

However, at least the keywords were correct.

"See? He's much worse than me."

What greeted Ryan was a burning lava fist that slammed Ryan deep into the earth. Ryan felt sore all over, and when he flew up again, he looked at Surtr blankly.

Why did you hit me?

[Kill you all]

Surtr's wrath is no joke. Even if he knew the truth, so what? He, Surtr, was never a Great Being who used his brain to think. His absolute power allowed him to overcome all difficulties.

"He's so stubborn."

Ryan jumped up and down, his whole body aching; Surtr's punch was not something anyone could withstand.

"I owe you Taisu! I'll pay you back! Double the amount!!!"

Ryan shouted loudly.

"Let's cooperate, devour that damned guy, consume his authority, and that way you'll be fully revived!"

Ryan was certain that Surtr in front of him was not fully awake, otherwise Norris Continent should have reacted.

So far, the only one to have awakened is that unfortunate Hobii.

"You will gain nothing by killing me; I am Taisu and devoid of divinity."

"But by killing Him, you will gain countless divine Taisu, which will allow you to fully awaken from your slumber in the Twilight Heavenly Kingdom and reclaim everything that belongs to you with your retinue!"

Surtr's fist landed on Ryan again, but this time, Ryan felt that the force was much less.

"You understand me, you know I have ways to do it, like... like plundering someone else's Taisu."

Ryan didn't directly name the feud between the two, but instead spoke indirectly.

"Look, we'll split it evenly then."

"We joined forces to plunder the very essence of this world."

"It would be best if we could kill those two damned guys, then we'd be rich, and you'd never have to worry about the loss of Twilight Divinity again."

Surtr hesitated, Ryan seized the opportunity, his eyes suddenly shining brightly.

"If you kill me, the great Lord will surely notice. Are you His match?"

Seeing that Surtr was about to go berserk, Ryan knew that the relationship between Surtr and the God of Light was probably not good.

"But if we team up and can eat this damn thing up, then you'll be able to challenge Him, won't you?"

"You can definitely do it!"

"But you can't kill me and be watched by Him, otherwise you'll never gain power again."

Ryan declared loudly that his current body was Great Will, a communication between Deities. To the mortals below, it appeared as a scene of raging lightning and thunder, world-destroying flames, towering waves, and earth-shaking tremors.

This communication belongs only to Ryan and Surtr, since even the Dragon God and the Demon Dragon are dormant and only their instincts function.

"You need to mature and gain greater strength."

"Let us join forces; my sacrifice to you will shield you from the gaze of the Dawn."

Surtr looked at Ryan and stretched out his one arm once again, but Ryan sensed that this time it was different from before.

He also reached out his hand, which collided with the enormous hand of the Fire Giant.

At this moment, the contract is fulfilled.

Surtr turned and left, disappearing into the deep sea. He wanted to return to that world of flames to maintain the fire, which was his only way out of this world. Being imprisoned would be troublesome.

Ryan looked at his claws, where there were flame marks.

"This is troublesome."

Being directly watched by Deities —what could be more troublesome than that? Surtr has already locked onto him, and at the soul level no less.

Ryan also fell from the sky. The Dragon Emperor's favor on him was nearing its end, otherwise why would Ryan be in such a hurry to make his soul form a contract with Surtr?

As he gradually transformed into a human, Ryan didn't experience any side effects. The only side effect was that he completely lost the life-saving power to fight against Great Being.

Ryan no longer posed the final threat to the two Deities of Nidhogg.

Standing naked on the ground, Ryan staggered slightly; the two punches Surtr had given him really hurt.

His bones felt like they were about to crack, but Ryan stood firm in place because in front of him, countless people knelt on the ground, worshipping him devoutly.

He kicked a stone in front of Egil, who looked up at Ryan, who was glaring at him.

Brandt didn't understand, but Egil quickly realized what was going on and took off his clothes, throwing them at Ryan.

After putting on his clothes, Ryan finally spoke and asked:

"What are you doing?"

People looked up, their eyes filled with fervor.

Praise be to my Lord!!!

Humanity's devout faith blesses every great being.

Ryan raised an eyebrow, then frowned deeply the next moment.

[Spirituality: 1034585]

(End of this chapter)