Chapter 1: Ragnarok (Special 5000 words)
Campione.
Beings that were titled as God Slayers. They were once human like everyone else. The difference is they have an opportunity to kill a Heretic God and obtain their powers.
Heretic Gods are entities that manifest in the mortal world. They can be Gods, Heroes, Monsters, and many more as long as they were recorded in the Myths and Legends.
Authorities are the powers and weapons of the Heretic Gods. Normally, a Campione can only obtain one authority and it depends on the compatibility, personality, and power of the Campione. The distribution of the Authorities is controlled by Pandora.
Pandora is the True God and the self-proclaimed mother of the Campione.
Campione is a saver for the mortal world but also a demon king that endangered the world. No other beings could be on par with a Campione except their fellow Campione and Heretic Gods. Basically, some of them have screws loose on their brain.
Each of them governs their own territories in the mortal world.
This is a story about a boy who was banished out of his original dimension without any memories about himself or anything.
A story to find his true self and his origin.
- - - - -
*Boom*
An explosion that could create a massive earthquake if it happened in the mortal world occurred in a dense forest. The forest that was once beautiful was now covered in flames. There is no sign that the flame will die anytime soon.
"Grrr!!!"
A wolf's growl can be heard and it seems like the wolf is angry and in pain. There stood a dark blue giant wolf fighting with an old man covered in broken armor with an eye patch on his right eye. The old man held a golden spear with three tips in his hand. His majestic aura has disappeared from him as he looks like a mess right now.
"Let's finish this, Fenrir!"
The old man runs towards the wolf that was running towards him. The claw of the wolf clashed with the golden spear and created a spark for each clash.
"Haaaa!!!"
"Grrrr!!!"
The golden spear and the wolf's claw keep clashing for more than fifty times. Fenrir is slowing down gradually because of exhaustion and the wounds he received from Odin's Gungnir. When Odin saw it, he immediately grabbed the chance to end the battle.
"Pierce the heart, Gungnir!!!"
As Odin sang the incantation, the sky trembled from the enormous power. The golden spear shined and Odin threw it towards Fenrir. It traveled at the speed of light and struck Fenrir who was caught off guard.
"G-Grrr…"
The wolf felt that his strength gradually weakened and he fell to the ground while growling in pain.
"Haaa… haa…"
Odin is not much better than Fenrir. Fenrir was known for his tooth that could tear gods or anything with divine powers. Odin was bitten by Fenrir almost ten times in the battle. Can you imagine how bad is Odin now?
His body and face were covered in blood while he had lost his left hand after it was torned by Fenrir's bite. The majestic armor that he wore before the battle has been greatly damaged that even the dwarves would choose to create a new armor rather than fix it.
Odin looked at his surroundings. The forest was burned by the flame of the flame giant lord, Surtur. This is Ragnarok. Although it is different from the original myth because of additional elements, it is still the twilight for the gods.
There are many gods and monsters fighting in the forest. Loki vs Heimdall, Jormungandr vs Thor, Surtur vs Frey, Garm vs Tyr, Vidar vs Skoll and Hati, Nidhogg vs Baldur, and Freya vs Hel.
Some of them lay weakly on the ground but no one has died yet. Some were on the brink of death like Thor who was poisoned by Jormungandr's venom.
Odin dragged his weak body towards the forest that was not burned by Surtur's flame.
- - - - -
In the forest not far from the battlefield, an unconscious boy was lying on the ground. He has short blonde hair that was not combed but wasn't disheveled either. He wears a plain white t-shirt with black pants. He is very young, about 10 years old and he has a handsome face that could even attract goddesses if he grows up to a teenager.
The boy gradually opened his eyes and he didn't have any expression on his face. No smile, no surprise, nothing. He has a pair of crimson blood-red eyes that would make people feel intimidated when they saw them.
"Where am I…?"
The boy was confused because he didn't have any memory of anything. Even about himself. He is like an amnesiac kid that was thrown into a forest.
He lifted his body and stood while observing his surroundings. There are only trees everywhere and smoke not far from there. But, there is only one question in his head.
"Who am I…?"
He tried to remember but nothing came out. Well, he is not an amnesiac. He just doesn't have any memories from the beginning. It was like he was just born but with a 10-year-old body.
『Confirmed. No information was found about you. Searching in memories… failed. No memories have been found. Analyzing the body… success. Your race has been detected as Half-God and Half-Dragon with a little bit of human blood. You're basically a demigod. But, your God power and Dragon power are currently sealed.』
Suddenly, the boy heard something. The voice sounds female. But, no one other than him was there. He glanced at his surroundings a couple of times before asking again.
"Who?"
『Answer. I am one of your authorities called «Great Sage».』
'Authorities?'
『Yes. Authorities are the powers or weapons of the Heretic Gods that were recorded in their myths and legends.』
The boy was confused right now. What is god? dragon? human? demigod? myth? legend? He didn't know anything about those words.
'Do you exist inside my head?'
The boy guessed because he didn't need to speak to talk to her(?).
『Yes. I am your power.』
'I see… so, can you talk more about it? What are Heretic Gods? dragon? human? I don't know anything about those.'
『Answer. Heretic Gods are entities that manifest to the mortal world from their myths and legends. They could be Gods, Heroes, and even Monsters. Myths and Legends are records that exist in the mortal world. Most of them were evil and looked down upon humans.
Humans are the only race that exists in the mortal world. Although most of them didn't know about the Heretic Gods, there are some organizations that take precautions about this kind of thing in the mortal world.
Dragon is a race that can be included as Heretic Gods.
In this world, there are some beings that are called Campione. They are former humans that gained the power of god after they killed a Heretic God.
Usually, only one authority can be obtained after killing a Heretic God because of the compatibility, personality, and power of the Campione.
The distribution of authorities are controlled by Pandore the True God.』
'I see... that was a lot of information. How did you get them?'
『Answer. There is an authority of yours called «Akashic Records» but it is in a 98% sealed state. I use the 2% to collect the basic information about this world. Do you want me to transfer them to your brain?』
'Sure. It will be good to learn more to find my origin...'
『Knowledge about the world is being transferred... transfer completed.』
The boy could feel that after the transfer was completed, he gained a huge amount of information that he felt that his head was about to burst because of them. Most of them were basic information so that he could live and act as a normal human does.
『Your body has been analyzed. There are six authorities detected in your body. Do you want to analyze them?』
'Yes.'
『Analyze the authorities... analyze completed. Showing your status in the easiest-to-understand format.
Name: ???
Race: Demigod (Half-God (Sealed) + Half-Dragon (Sealed) + Human)
Origin: Unknown
――――――――
«Innate Authority»
――――――――
• «Great Sage» (Passive)
It is a conceptual intelligence that has an emotionless personality and is driven by logical computation. Its only purpose is to help and benefit you.
- «Thought Acceleration»
Increase your thinking and processing speed by a thousand times.
- «Analyze»
Analyze one or multiple targets to copy and comprehend their movements and skills.
- «Parallel Processing»
Detach thought so you could think and do different things at the same time. The amount of how many thoughts could be detached will be based on your mental power.
- «No Chant»
You don't need to chant or use incantation to use your authority or other powers. But, if you use it, the output and the control of the powers will become stronger and higher.
• «No Limit» (Passive)
Remove the limitations and weaknesses of your power and body. It gives you compatibility and talent to use any powers without restrictions. Only effective against gained powers.
• «Infinite Mana» (Passive)
Grant you an infinite amount of mana that can be used without limit but it strains your body, stamina, and mental power.
• «Divine Detector» (Passive)
Allow you to detect anything that has any relations to Gods or anything with divine powers. Able to predict the appearance of the Heretic Gods one month before the event.
• «Copy of Power» (Sealed) (Active)
Allow you to copy other beings' powers but can only be used before the target's power is activated. It can be activated for as long as you want. But, it will strain your mental power because this authority will keep analyzing your target. Can be used on multiple targets but will also strain your mental power too.
• «Akashic Records» (98% Sealed) (Active)
Allow you to open and access the forbidden library that contains all information on the universe and gain the knowledge that you want to have.』
'I see... so, what do you think I should do in the future?'
『Answer. I recommend that you hunt all Heretic Gods that appeared in the mortal world to get their authority and train your mental power. But before that, you need to leave this place and go back to the mortal world.』
'This place? Is this not the mortal world?'
The boy was confused. That's because he didn't understand things that were related to this. But, if you were to ask him about general things such as science, he could become the best already.
『No. This is a boundary space created by some Heretic Gods for battle. To get out of here, you need to kill all the Heretic Gods inside.』
'I see... become a Campione huh? Do I need to become the most powerful to find my origin?'
『Yes. I believe so. When you become the most powerful, all the secrets will no longer be secret anymore.』
'Good... hm?'
The boy feels something strange. It is like his instincts screamed in danger. He couldn't help but frown and try to understand what that feeling is right now.
『Warning. I detected that a Heretic God is walking towards here. Please prepare for battle.』
The boy immediately understood that those strange feelings came because of a Heretic God. Although the boy had been warned, he didn't know what to do right now...
While the boy is thinking, an old man appeared from the burned forest part. He has an eye patch on his right eye and broken armor on his body with his face and body covered in blood.
"Old man, are you okay?"
He didn't know where his confidence came from, but the boy is very curious right now. What happened to the old man?
"A human... How did you end up here? Hm? Wait, you're not a human... you're a god and a dragon but you aren't a Heretic God. What are you...?"
As expected of Odin the wisest. He could see through the boy with a glance. Odin is different from the other Heretic Gods. Most of the Heretic God brought danger to the human but Odin is different. Although he didn't care about humans, he also didn't endanger the humans.
"I don't know... do you know anything?"
"No."
That was the end of the conversation. Odin keeps on looking at the boy while analyzing him.
"So what now? Am I supposed to kill you to get your authorities?"
"Hm? You want to become a Campione?"
"Yes."
The boy nodded in approval. Odin cast a weird look on the boy.
"You're a demigod but you want to become a God Slayer... You're different from the Heretic Gods. You weren't bound to the myth at all."
"I want your authorities."
The boy blurted out anything on his mind. He is smart because of the information given by «Great Sage» but he lacks EQ. He is like a baby that was just born.
"BWAHAHAHA. Good! You're indeed different from the rest. You got the courage. A demigod with human blood. A god that wasn't bound to the myth. I am looking forward to seeing what you could achieve! My name is Odin. I am the Allfather and ruler of Norse Mythology. What is your name, boy?"
Odin laughed because he finds the boy very interesting. He felt that the boy lacked emotion and feeling somehow.
"...I don't know. I don't have a name..."
The boy looked at Odin with a blank expression. He just remembered that he didn't have any name.
"Hmm... Fine. I will name you. Your name is Arne now. That means eagle in the Norse language. This name comes with hope. I hope you can spread your wings and do great things. Amuse me, human!"
"Good. My name is Arne now."
The boy felt that the name was good and the meaning behind it was also good. So, he decides to use that name because he can't think of one.
After giving the boy his name, Odin's body started to glow. It seems like he is going to disappear pretty soon.
"It seems like I need to go now, Arne boy. Show me what you can do."
Odin disappeared and turned into a ball of light before it went into Arne's body. Arne suddenly felt sleepy and he closed his eyes.
- - - - -
When he opened his eyes, all Arne could see was pure white. Everything is white. From the ceiling to the ground and wall. All white.
But, he felt that his head seemed to touch something soft. He felt very comfortable.
When he looked up, he saw a face. A girl's face to be exact. She is very beautiful like a fairy and cute like a doll. She has pink hair that was tied in twin tails and a pair of clean blue eyes. She looked about fifteen with a slender and slim body. She wears a thin pure white dress. She looks like a girl coming out of fantasy stories because her hair color isn't normal and from what Arne knows, humans don't have pointy ears. She gives him the feel of a lady but somehow likes a child.
"You wake up!"
"Where is this...?"
"This is Netherworld!"
Arne didn't see anything else other than white. The Netherworld is the boundary of life and immortality where souls go after their death. It is also the place where the Heretic Gods hide so they won't return to their myths. What it means to return to myth is to return to the Realm of Immortality. The place where the Heretic Gods dwell.
"...Who are you?"
"My name is Pandora and I am going to be your new mother! Come, call me mom!"
Pandora, the True God of this world. She is the girl who opened the box that was filled with all the evils in the world and hope in Greek Mythology.
"Err... no thanks."
Arne felt awkward to call a girl that looks only in her mid-teens a mother. Although her age is unknown, what matters when you were immortal is your face and she looks like a loli.
"Mou... but you're still cute! Your name is Arne, right? Come and see, you got a haul you know! A total of ten authorities have been obtained from Odin!"
Pandora pulled Arne closer to her and a circle thing appeared on her hand with a total of ten balls floating above it. That was all of Odin's authorities. This item is called the «Circle of Usurpation». This item allows her to gain the authority of the Heretic Gods when they were slain.
"I usually don't let someone that didn't kill the god receive the authorities they are supposed to get. But, I made an exception for you because you are cute! You also have good compatibility with authorities somehow. How about that? Do you feel like thanking me and calling me mom?! I might even make you my favorite!"
Pandora puffed her flat chest and patted them lightly. She acted like that because she never saw a ten years old kid in her life become a Campione.
"No... but I still want to thank you. Thank you."
Arne could only look at Pandora who was acting like a kid.
"Mou… but you're still my favorite!"
Pandora puffed her cheeks. She is so cute.
"Something about you is attracting me and my divine power. Be careful, you know? It might be a blessing or a curse."
Her face changed and became a serious one unlike the bubbly personality she showed before.
"Well, I will give you what you deserve now. You will become the youngest Campione ever. Your other siblings may get you into trouble or target you. Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'm sure. If they come to bother me, I just need to defeat them."
Arne said without any change in his expression. His goal is to become the strongest and find his origin. If he can't find it, then he just isn't strong enough.
Pandora looked at her new son and smiled when he said that.
"Well, you got the courage. Good luck to you then and happy birthday."
Pandora held his cheeks and their faces are very close right now.
"The black art that Epimetheus and I left behind... The sacred birth of an illegitimate child, shrouded in darkness, born of a fool and a witch. A secret rite of usurpation, only possible through the sacrifice of a god. All conditions have been met. A gift from heaven.
By my name, Pandora, the all-giving woman. You shall be reborn as a Campione. I hereby declare you as a Campione, the God-Slayer, the King of Kings, the Campione."
Pandora said something that Arne couldn't understand. Arne was confused about what she was doing because her face gradually got closer to his face.
*chuuu*
Arne suddenly felt that his lips were being sealed by Pandora's lips. He didn't know what she was doing but he felt that it was quite good. He felt that something inside him is awakening right now.
"Puah... goodbye and see you again, Arne-chan. It is time for you to wake up. I hope you can achieve everything you want. You're a Campione, you can do whatever you want."
Pandora's lips parted away from his and Arne felt that his consciousness gradually became blurry that he could only hear the first part of what Pandora said before he slumped to the ground.
- - - - -
When he opened his eyes again, he knew that he was back to the place he had been before. Everything was still the same. Dense green forest with smoke spread in the air not far from him.
『Authority «Gungnir» has been acquired.』
『Authority «Sleipnir Chariot» has been acquired.』
『Authority «Knowledge of Primordial Runes» has been acquired.』
『Authority «Draupnir» has been acquired.』
『Authority «Divine Wisdom» has been acquired.』
『Authority «Valhalla» has been acquired.』
『Authority «Hlidskjalf» has been acquired.』
『Authority «Huginn and Muninn» has been acquired.』
『Authority «Geri and Freki» has been acquired.』
『Authority «Asgard» has been acquired.』
Arne feels that his body is changing. His bones become harder, his muscles are reinforced, his body is full of vitality and stamina, his feet are very light that he could run faster than before, his sense and instinct are sharper than before, and his eyes can see anything even in the dark.
『You have become a Campione.』
『Skill «Spiritual Sense» has been acquired.』
『Skill «Magic Resistance» has been acquired.』
『Skill «All Language» has been acquired.』
『Skill «Spiritual Resistance» has been acquired.』
『Skill «Enhanced Sense» has been acquired.』
『Skill «Enhanced Strength» has been acquired.』
『Skill «Enhanced Body» has been acquired.』
『Skill «Abnormal Condition Immunity» has been acquired.』
『Skill «Night Vision» has been acquired.』
『Skill «Magic Core» has been acquired.』
『Skill «Fast Regeneration» has been acquired.』
『Skill «Battle Physique» has been acquired.』
Reminders from «Great Sage» keep coming one after another. After obtaining ten authorities from Odin, he felt that he knew every god that exists in the world because of «Divine Wisdom». It enhances the speed of thinking and provides the best way to achieve the best result. It also gave Arne the knowledge that Odin has regarding the supernatural world like Heretic Gods, magic, and many more.
Arne also felt that he could use all kinds of runes for battle or daily use. Rune itself is very diverse. There is a rune for anything. What he learned from «Knowledge of Primordial Runes» is not normal runes but the primordial ones. The ancient secret knowledge that Odin got after drinking the water from Mimir's well.
«Gungnir» is the golden spear that Odin uses in every battle that brings him victory. It could laser a magic blast from its tips. The spear itself could pierce anything and the piercing wounds can't be healed by anything unless Arne allows them.
«Sleipnir Chariot» is a chariot that is pulled by the eight-legged horse, Sleipnir. Sleipnir is said to be the best of all horses that could fly and travel at the speed of light.
«Draupnir» is the gold ring that can multiply itself. This ring is a symbol of bond and can only be used on the opposite gender. This ring could grant the wearer access to one of Arne's authorities as long as Arne allowed them.
«Valhalla» is the golden hall where the deceased brave warriors with honor go after their death to become the Einherjar. This authority could create strong warriors clad in golden armor and golden swords for you to battle.
«Hlidskjalf» is the seat of Odin that allows him to see what happened in the nine realms of Yggdrasil. This authority allows you to locate and monitor one or multiple targets that you know or at least know their face without being detected.
«Huginn and Muninn» is a pair of subordinate gods that could become invisible and their eyes can be connected to your eyes. You could see and hear what they see and hear. They could also steal precious items as long as they saw them.
«Geri and Freki» is a pair of subordinate gods that were called wolf-warriors and could summon wolves for battle.
«Asgard» is one of the nine components needed to create the Nine Realms of Yggdrasil. It creates a land with a castle inside a special space.
«Spiritual Sense» is the power to sense magic from far away or magic inside objects.
«Magic Resistance» is the power to dispel any magic and spells that were aimed towards the Campione.
«All Language» is the power to understand and learn all languages in a short period of time including non-human and ancient languages.
«Magic Core» is the power to create mana like a factory and store mana inside the core.
«Battle Physique» is the power to adjust the body to suit whatever Arne does and increase concentration in battle.
Now, Arne isn't the boy that didn't know anything. Although he only knows things about the supernatural world and basic information, at least it is better than nothing.
«Great Sage» said that Arne needs to kill all the Heretic Gods inside this boundary space.
'How many Heretic Gods exist inside this boundary space?'
『Answer. After analyzing the surrounding, a total of 17 Heretic Gods have been detected.』
'17?!'
Arne was very shocked right now. Fighting against one is already very difficult for him right now. Although he has gained Odin's authorities, he hasn't practiced them yet. He was also powerless before. He didn't have any knowledge about magic or martial arts.
『Answer. You don't have to be scared. From their magic and aura, they are all on the brink of their death. Furthermore, you have usurped the power of the King of the Norse Mythology. You could restrict the authorities of the Norse Gods in battle. Only one being still has half of its power.』
Arne nodded after hearing «Great Sage»'s explanation.
'Please direct me there.'
『Confirmed. They are 1 km away from here. Follow the path where Odin came from just now.』
- - - - -
On the battlefield, almost all of them lay on the ground. Although they haven't died, they are not far away from there. All of their armors were damaged and their body and face were covered with blood. Anyone who saw it will immediately know that this is a very brutal battle.
This is Ragnarok. The twilight of the Gods. The end of the Gods to welcome the new world that was about to come.
"You are all still very weak."
The only one who didn't lay down on the ground is a giant. His body is like magma and he is covered in flame while holding a sword that shines brighter than the sun. His name is Surtur, the ruler of the fire giants and Muspelheim. Although he still stood up, he could only do that with the support of his sword that was stuck in the ground.
In front of him is the Vanir that he has defeated called Frey. He is the God of Fertility, Harvest, and Peace. He was supposed to get beaten very easily because he fought with a deer antler in the myth but this isn't the myth and he has his sword when fighting Surtur.
A god with long red hair and a red beard groaned weakly on the ground. If he were in full health, he would bash that giant with his hammer. He is Thor, the God of Lightning and Thunder. But, he can't even move a finger because he has been poisoned with his arch-enemy's venom.
His arch-enemy is a giant snake that was said to surround Midgard and grasp its own tail. He is Jormungandr, the son of Loki and the brother of Fenrir.
Fenrir on the other hand is on the brink of his death after being pierced by Odin's Gungnir. The wounds on his chest can't be healed at all.
Their father, Loki, the God of Trickster and Mischief, is covered in blood lying on the ground beside his arch-enemy, Heimdall. Heimdall is the watcher of the Nine Realms that guard the Bifrost Bridge.
Skoll and Hati groaned weakly on the ground while trying to stand up but they don't have the stamina to do that. Their enemy, Vidar, leaned against the rock weakly. He is the God of Vengeance and Silence.
Not far from him is his brother, Baldur, who rides on top of the dragon that gnaws at the root of the world tree, Nidhogg. Baldur is the God of Beauty and Light but is well-known for his courage and bravery.
Tyr, the one-handed god, lies on the ground while looking at the sky with Garm the dog that guards Hel's gate not far from him.
There are also Freya, the God of Beauty and War who was glaring at the Ruler of the Dead and Niflheim, Hel and vice-versa.
They are all very exhausted after the war. Why was no one killed? That's because they didn't want to go back to their myths. Although they are enemies, they still know how it feels to return to the myths and that's why they are very exhausted.
Well, that's a good thing for Arne.
Suddenly, Surtur saw a silhouette coming towards the battlefield. When the silhouette disappeared, a very young boy appeared in his sight.
"A human boy…? What are you doing here?"
Arne only glanced at him without answering his question. Then, he looked at the "corpse" on the ground.
"Do you still need them?"
Surtur squinted his eyes while thinking about the possibility of what the boy was going to do.
"Hoo… You want to kill them?"
"Yes."
"HAHAHA!! They are my rewards for winning the war. I want to eat them after I have healed. If you want to kill them, you must defeat me first, human!"
Surtur raised his body with all his power and pulled out his sword off the ground.
"Good."
Arne didn't bother to talk to Surtur because even if Surtur didn't have that requirement, Arne would still fight and kill him to get out of this boundary space.
He also didn't want to talk too much in a battle because only fools talk while fighting. The foolest were those who explained their moves to their enemies after they used them.
"Gungnir!"
A golden spear with three-pointed tips appeared in Arne's hand. Arne didn't need to chant to use authorities because of an ability of «Great Sage».
"Hoo? You're a God Slayer? It is weird that I can't detect you before. So you have killed the old guy."
Surtur was surprised when he saw Gungnir appear on Arne's hand. Usually, when a Campione meets a Heretic God, the Heretic God's battle instinct will be instantly triggered.
The Campione released hundreds of times of adrenaline compared to normal humans that turned them into battle freaks when they met their fellow Campione or Heretic Gods. Arne could conceal his aura also because of «Great Sage»'s help.
"Come, God Slayer! Let us fight till the end!"
Surtur swung his giant sword that was covered with flames that could burn anything.
"Haa!!!"
Arne jumped towards Surtur and blocked the attack of the sword. Fortunately, Gungnir isn't affected by the flame. Although Odin gives him ten authorities, only «Gungnir» and «Knowledge of Primordial Runes» can be used for a one vs one battle.
After parrying the sword, Arne bounced back quite far from Surtur. The ground and trees were burned by the flame.
"HAHAHA!!! Very good! O' Flame, burn everything to ash!"
Surtur swings his sword again, but this time, it isn't aimed at Arne. The sword shines brightly and the flame spreads out from the sword and creates a circle of flame to trap everything inside.
This is one of Surtur's authorities called «World Flame». It is the flame that Surtur created which he could control and manipulate as he wanted. Everything that touches this flame will be burned instantly.
Arne didn't know what to do right now. He could only trust his instinct. «Divine Wisdom» is currently activated for Arne to find the best and fastest way to kill Surtur.
"Pierce to death, Gungnir!!"
The tip of Gungnir shines and it collects the mana around Arne and releases it in the form of a magic blast towards Surtur.
*fooooomm*
Surtur felt the danger coming at him and he felt that he would be killed if he didn't avoid the magic blast.
- - - - -
(A/N: If you like my story, comment, vote, review, and add it to your library 😁. You can also give me some story ideas that weren't in canon.)