142 The Survivor of Ragnarok

The woman, bound by chains, appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen years old. Graceful in figure, with a beautiful face, her shining golden hair cascaded to her waist. Deep red eyes, as translucent as agate, stared from beneath a rust-marked round shield on her left arm. Her slender legs were encased in black over-the-knee boots, and she wore a white skirt imprinted with a golden eagle pattern.

However, the most striking feature was the pair of golden feathered wings on her head, resembling rabbit ears.

"Huh? You actually know she's a Valkyrie?" Nidhogg questioned. "Have you met her before?"

"Ahem, just a wild guess." Arkhan cleared his throat. "Who else could appear in Valhalla besides Valkyries?"

Although his reasoning seemed reasonable, Nidhogg couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

Artoria observed Odin's legendary warrior maiden with curiosity, noticing the woman suddenly lifting her head and staring fixedly at her.

Artoria hesitated for a moment, then, as if realizing something, looked down at her fingers stained with wet paint. Tentatively, she reached toward the direction of the mural.

"Grrr—!!!"

The Valkyrie emitted an unclear growl, tightly clenching her teeth, glaring angrily at Artoria with her red eyes.

Artoria finally understood and revealed a somewhat awkward expression.

"This mural... seems to be her work..."

Arkhan's black eyes showed a pensive look as he walked forward, locking eyes with the Valkyrie.

In those magnificent gem-like eyes, madness akin to a wild beast filled them, with almost no trace of rationality.

"She has gone mad..." Arkhan muttered under his breath, snapping his fingers.

A crimson feather fell from the void, merging into the Valkyrie's head. She suddenly quieted down and her eyes became empty.

With the power of Fenghuang Down, Arkhan reviewed all the Valkyrie's memories.

After more than ten minutes, he opened his eyes again, a realization dawning on him.

"So that's how it is..."

"Teacher, did you find something?" Artoria asked curiously.

"This Valkyrie is a survivor of Ragnarok, but the trauma she endured drove her insane..." Arkhan turned around, looking at the grand mural. "Indeed, she painted this mural."

"Why did she do this?" Artoria continued to inquire.

"For legacy..." Arkhan whispered.

"Legacy?" Artoria was momentarily stunned.

"Unable to accept the outcome of Ragnarok, she developed some kind of fanatical obsession—she had to leave something behind to prove they had existed."

Gazing at the magnificent mural, Arkhan sighed softly.

"This mural is the product of that obsession. Besides this one, she painted the same mural in other places. For thousands of years, she has been doing this, and now, she has painted 894 murals."

'894 murals?!' Artoria gasped, looking at the silent Valkyrie.

In Artoria's eyes, there was a profound sense of awe. She couldn't fathom the kind of determination that could sustain someone to do the same thing for thousands of years.

"She hoped that one day, if an outsider could come here, they could take a mural out, maybe that way, the deeds of the Norse gods could continue to be passed down..." Arkhan said softly.

"So that's why... when she saw me accidentally damage the mural, she got so angry..."

Artoria's face showed a hint of guilt. She walked up to the Valkyrie and bowed deeply.

"I'm sorry! Because of my carelessness, I tainted your hope. You're a truly admirable warrior."

The Valkyrie, bound all over, showed no reaction. Her eyes were still filled with deep emptiness.

"Teacher, can you help her return to normal?" Artoria looked at Arkhan, with a hint of pleading in her eyes.

"While I can indeed do that..." Arkhan said while crossing his arms. "Do you think it's really a good thing for her? Back then, she chose to escape reality because she couldn't face this miserable truth. Now you really want to pull her back into this world, let her witness this bleak and dark reality again?"

Artoria hesitated for a moment, then looked at Arkhan with a serious expression.

"But we always have to move forward, don't we? No one can stay in the past forever. If we're just immersed in the past and can't free ourselves, our lives will lose all meaning. I'm not trying to criticize her decision. I just hope to give her another chance to choose."

Arkhan gazed at Artoria deeply, a slightly relieved expression appeared in his eyes. He walked up and gently gave her a gentle headpat while sighing.

"You've finally grown up, Lily."

Artoria lowered her head slightly, a faint blush appearing on her delicate face, and a slight curve formed at the corner of her mouth.

Arkhan turned to the Valkyrie, released her from the Oath of Judah's chains, and then snapped his fingers.

The Valkyrie shivered all over, and the emptiness in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a rational expression.

"Where is this..."

The Valkyrie blinked in confusion and suddenly grunted, then knelt on the ground. Her hands were clutching her head, displaying a painful expression on her face.

"What's happening to her?" Artoria asked nervously.

"It's okay, just a sudden rush of memories from thousands of years. It's a bit overwhelming for her." Arkhan said casually. "But don't worry, she's a Valkyrie blessed by Odin himself. This kind of pain is nothing for her. It'll just hurt for a while."

As he said, five or six minutes later, the Valkyrie's expression gradually became more relaxed.

"Welcome back, Thrud." Arkhan smiled. "How does it feel to be back in this world?"

"To be honest, it's very miserable..."

Thrud, the Valkyrie who hadn't spoken for a thousand years, finally opened her mouth again. Her clear voice carried a spiritual and ethereal feeling.

She stood up, and the madness in her red eyes from before was gone, replaced by a complexity that couldn't be described in words.