Chapter 157
A massive round table stood beneath an endless sky.
Around it sat solemn figures.
The Constellations of the major factions.
Dark storm clouds filled the heavens.
The atmosphere felt as though lightning could strike at any moment.
"...So what you're saying is that Olympus was responsible for killing an Asgard Constellation?"
Ares, one of the Twelve Olympians, asked coldly.
Thor immediately slammed both hands down and shot to his feet.
BANG!
"If not Olympus, then who else could it have been?!"
RUMMMMMBLE!!
His furious voice shook the heavens.
Thunder cracked across the sky.
In the flash of light...
Thor's face was twisted with rage.
The other Constellations of Asgard looked no different.
Every one of them seemed ready to plunge into war at any moment.
Then...
Someone on the Olympus side quietly raised a hand.
Every gaze turned toward him.
Hermes.
"First of all, this makes no sense."
"The fact that Loki suddenly died is absurd enough."
"But Olympus being behind it?"
"That's even more ridiculous."
Hermes rose from his seat.
"Loki may be your younger brother, but shouldn't we look at the situation rationally?"
"What reason would we have to kill Loki?"
"More importantly..."
"Why would we kill another Constellation?"
With practiced eloquence, Hermes began trying to calm the furious Thor.
"There would be no reason for us to accept such losses just to kill him."
"If Olympus and Asgard went to war now..."
"Nothing would remain except mutual destruction."
In other words...
"The only faction that benefits from this situation is Paradise."
"Which gives Olympus even less reason to kill Loki."
It was a perfectly rational conclusion.
One that made complete sense under the circumstances.
But if reason alone had been enough...
This meeting wouldn't have been necessary in the first place.
"Hah!"
"You're only looking at this from your own perspective."
Thor glared at him.
"For all we know, you might have done this to bring Lee Suhyeok over to Olympus."
"What reason do we have to believe anything you say?"
"What reason...?"
Hermes briefly trailed off.
Then his expression became serious.
He looked around at everyone present.
"Even without evidence, you have no choice but to believe us."
"You know better than anyone that we're all bound by the ‘Oath of Nonaggression,’ don't you?"
Several Constellations flinched.
The Oath of Nonaggression.
A covenant that placed each Constellation's own extinction as collateral.
It was even more absolute than an Absolute Contract.
If a Constellation killed another Constellation...
They would immediately be extinguished as well.
That applied even to the highest chief gods of Olympus, Asgard, and Paradise.
"...Keugh."
Thor ground his teeth.
"Even if you bring up the Oath of Nonaggression..."
"It doesn't change the fact that Loki is dead."
"Who knows?"
"You might've found some kind of loophole."
At Thor's words...
The chief gods of Olympus rose in anger.
"We can no longer sit here and listen to this!"
"What nonsense are you spouting?!"
"Are you saying you want war between us?!"
"How arrogant!"
"No matter how blinded by rage you are, how dare you insult us like this?!"
The Asgard Constellations reacted the same way.
"Hehehe."
"Fine."
"Then I'll start by smashing that mouth of yours."
"Just because we're seated at the same table doesn't mean we're on the same level."
"What did you say?!"
At that moment...
Enormous Ranks collided.
Space itself began to collapse.
Cracks spread through the air like a spiderweb.
The situation was seconds away from becoming open war.
Then...
THUD.
A staff struck the ground.
The raging Ranks scattered instantly.
The fractured space slowly began restoring itself.
"Enough."
"That's enough."
Silence fell at once.
The one who had spoken...
Was Odin.
He had remained silent until now.
"Yes."
"Hermes."
"If we think about this rationally, you're right."
"Because of the Oath of Nonaggression, Olympus should be incapable of killing Loki."
"To deny that any further would only lead to war and mutual destruction."
It seemed as though the situation might finally settle.
But then...
"However..."
"That only applies if one is thinking rationally."
Odin's gaze hardened.
"There is no parent who remains rational after losing a child."
Everyone froze.
"Therefore..."
"Asgard will recognize Loki's death as an act committed by Olympus."
"...!!"
That meant there was no longer any point in negotiation.
War.
Odin rose from his seat.
Every Asgard Constellation stood with him.
"...The next time we meet..."
"One of us will no longer exist."
"Zeus."
Leaving behind that chilling warning...
Odin and the Constellations of Asgard departed.
Meanwhile...
Ruzian had been watching the entire scene from his white space.
He quietly lifted his teacup and took a sip.
Then set it down.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Yes."
"Destroy yourselves."
"You have no place in the Tower that will exist from this point onward."
He rose from his chair.
Then looked toward Suhyeok through the screen.
His voice sank low.
"Only you remain."
"The key that will free me from these infuriating restrictions."
"Player Lee Suhyeok."
The next day.
At last...
The Greatest Martial Arts Tournament Under Heaven began.
Crowds poured into the Martial Alliance grounds.
The inside was on a completely different scale from what they'd seen outside.
"Hah..."
"This place is magnificent every time I see it."
Bong Taesu looked around in admiration as they walked past rows of enormous halls toward the tournament grounds.
"Every single building is just...."
Kim Hyuna laughed softly beside him.
"Pfft."
"Now that you mention it, I remember the first time you came here, Mister Taesu."
"You said it looked exactly like something from a martial arts novel and ran around everywhere until they caught you."
"C-Cough!"
Taesu cleared his throat.
"Didn't we agree to keep that secret?"
Even Suhyeok smiled.
"That sounds exactly like something you'd do."
"So that's why you asked the Alliance Leader yesterday whether there were any spare rooms inside the Martial Alliance."
"You wanted to look around the place first thing in the morning."
"Ahem...."
Taesu looked away.
"Well, thanks to that, we didn't have to wait in line."
