A delicate balance 1.34 - ING. VERSIÓN

Viggo was standing on the edge of a cliff, staring in amazement at Muspelheim's wonderful and terrifying bastedad. In the distance, the mountains rose, emitting large clouds of black smoke that covered the sky and turned yellow in the sunlight. If the clouds were denser, the beams of light transformed them into orange. At the same time, lava flowed from the tops of the mountains and these, in turn, joined other streams and transformed into rivers of lava. Which transformed into beautiful waterfalls of fire and descended to the depths of the mountains to feed a large igneous lake that spit out jets of lava.

The world was burning, and the mere sight of seeing everything on fire overwhelmed Viggo.

-This is the beginning of life- said Old Xiao, standing to the right of Viggo.

Viggo nodded unwillingly to delve too deeply into the topic and turned around. Then he saw a wide training ground. The place had an oval shape, more than a hundred meters deep and thirty meters wide. To the left and right of Viggo, there were large pillars that functioned as frames for a grille. You could see inside the channel through which the fence would pass. It was followed by wide walls ten meters high that bordered the entire training ground. At the end of the training ground there was a torrent of lava coming down with the speed of the water, splashing and flowing rapidly. However, at its base there was a deep hole that absorbed all the torrent and prevented the training ground from being covered with fire. On the left side of the torrent, there was a wide cave 5 meters high by 10 meters wide. It was closed with long iron beams that looked like criss-cross spears. To the right of the lava flow were two other caves just as large and closed in the same way.

However, despite the lava, despite the sky covered with dark clouds, despite the mysterious sealed caves, what most caught Viggo's attention, was a huge sword stuck in the ground, about 50 meters from him. Only the handle, the handguard and part of the blade were visible, but only that was already more than five meters high. Considering the swords, he had taken, Viggo thought that the huge sword must be 15 meters long.

Viggo advanced through the flattened earth in an unnatural way, covered in black soot like a paint film. The air felt too hot and dirty from the soot. However, Viggo continued to move forward, feeling that with each step he took, the sword in the center of the training ground became bigger and bigger. At the same time, Old Xiao followed closely and looked at the heavens, as if someone were looking at them.

Viggo crossed the distance and arrived in front of the great sword, with a golden handle and intrinsic runic engravings on the sides. On the handle and handguards, they seemed to have designed intertwined vines. In the center of the leaf, they had engraved a giant snake and in its center was a convex circle.

-Are you ready?- asked Old Xiao

Viggo looked at his left hand and saw his axe. Then passed it to his right hand and turned around to look at the old man -I'm missing a shield- said.

Old Xiao raised his eyebrow and asked him -Are you sure?-

-Yes, this is the best time to master the shield. In the midst of the struggle, I will be forced to improve at a rapid pace, or it will be my end-

Xiao nodded and waved. Out of nowhere appeared a shield covered in bronze, a Spartan aspís. As it was flat base, it lost its balance and fell to the ground generating a metallic tap. Viggo bent down and took it with his left hand. Arrange it and carry it on my left forearm. Xiao raised his eyebrow at the sight of him, as the shield and axe were too big for him.

-Go ahead- Viggo said with a look full of determination.

-Okay- Xiao said -to start the test, you must touch the circle in the center of the sword snake figure. Once you place your hand, shout with all your strength "I challenge you Surtr" and the challenge will begin. If you have doubts, this is the time-

Viggo made a gentle smile, opened his mouth to say something, but the words got stuck in his throat. He takes a deep breath and said looking into his eyes -if I fail, I want you to take my body to my father and mother. That is my only request-

Xiao stopped smiling and nodded with a solemn expression. Viggo turned his back to him and put his right fist on the circle while continuing to hold his axe. On the other side, Xiao rose in the air to reach fifty meters high and saw Viggo touch the big sword from the sky.

Viggo closed his eyes for a moment, remembering everything he lived and everything he learned from his master. Then he thought of his father, his mother, his aunts, and his brothers. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes full of determination. He looked at his fist placed on the golden circle and saw the reflection of his gaze. He smiled nervously, along with air in his lungs and shouted -I CHALLENGE YOU SURTR-

The next instant, several volcanoes were heard in the distance bursting into flames, spewing sediment and lava through the skies. The lava rivers overflowed, and the earth trembled. The sword in front of Viggo emitted a golden glow and disappeared into particles.

Viggo opened his wide eyes, but before he got scared, he heard his master roar in his head -Prepare yourself!-. Then Viggo reinforced his grip on the axe and shield. At the same time, hear bestial roars and the grinding of iron. He looked back, saw how a fence ten meters high on each side closed the exit. On the other hand, then another squeak sounded ahead of Viggo. He looked and saw that the floodgates that looked like criss-cross spears came down. From the dark interior of the cave, several humanoid silhouettes were elucidated, emitting an igneous fire throughout the body.

Viggo was fifty meters away from them, so he could only see them from afar. However, and without a doubt, they were draugrs, but different from the others who occupied broken swords and broken wooden shields (from their past lives). These draugrs had swords made of metals that absorbed their body fire. At the same time, they turned swords, hammers, and war axes into an igneous red glow.

-What have I gotten into?- asked Viggo, overwhelmed by the number of silhouettes. At least can count ten with the naked eye.

However, Viggo lacked the time to complain, as Muspelheim draugrs, in addition to looking more intimidating, ran like a normal person. The first to leave the cave was a draugr carrying two hand axes. He ran at full speed and in such a way that Viggo thought he was not a walking dead. Viggo tightened the grip on his shield and waited for him prepared, with a strong and stable posture. The draugr came within two meters of Viggo, lifted both axes and unloaded them in one movement. Viggo moved forward, lifted his shield, and hit a backhand punch that sent the axes back. The draugr stepped back a step and Viggo threw an axe at his jaw. Then he continued with an axe to the neck and then took the shield and hit him in the face with the lower edge. That sent the draugr to the ground. Viggo moved forward, raised the axe, and discharged it against his head. The next instant, the draugrs' body shut down and began to burn from the intense natural heat of the environment. It was like dry wood setting fire.

On the other hand, Viggo had to stop looking at the phenomenon. In his direction came more draugrs and everyone was moving at a brisk pace. Viggo let out a war cry and ran to meet Them.

From the top of the sky, old Xiao watched Viggo block and hit with all his strength. The first ten Draugrs could handle with relative ease, but when those with axes and hammers of war began to come out of the caves, he was overwhelmed. He had to devote himself to dodging, preventing large weapon from crushing him or cutting him in two. The fight dragged on minute by minute, increasing the number of draugrs on the training ground so that fifteen could be counted at the same time. By then, Viggo had finished with twenty of them, but he was still far from reaching the limit that old Xiao had agreed with Surtr.

Viggo kept blocking, punching, breaking, and cutting. At this time only his axe and shield mattered. He was doing well, it was said in his mind, until tiredness distracted him. Viggo gasped feeling dizzy, he didn't know if it was because of the heat or the polluted air. However, that moment of carelessness left him unprotected. Viggo heard a beastly roar behind him and saw a huge draugrs, sturdy body and intimidating war hammer. The rectangular tip of the hammer glowed red-hot. Viggo raised his shield and all he could do was get as firm as he could. The blow was tremendous, he felt that his arm was being taken down. He fell to the ground, but instead of worrying about the pain. Roll back, let go of the shield and stood up.

Viggo pursed his nose and gritted his teeth trying to endure the pain. Although his left hand hurt, he forced himself to take the axe knob. At the same time, the draugrs roared and ran in his direction. Viggo was intimidated by the flood of undead. However, instead of feeling afraid, he screamed with a fury and ran to meet him. So, without worrying about the state of his body, he began to attack as his master had taught him. Strength, precision and without hesitation. He was the axe, and his function was to kill. He was a killing machine, there would already be time to think about what he was doing. Now it only mattered to survive.

On the other hand, thanks to the excessive effort and the accumulation of internal wounds, red marks began to come out all over his body, which gradually began to take dark red dyes and turn purple. However, Viggo in the euphoria of combat, was indifferent to his own pain. He kept screaming with an animal fury and unloading the axe until only a single draugr was left standing.

Around Viggo there were more than twenty bodies lying on the ground, all burning like dry firewood and turning into ashes. Viggo was gone from his thoughts, he didn't even remember who he was. It was only him, a living being, who was fighting to kill his enemy. The draugr in front of him had a helmet with two horns, a shield, and a sword. He was seen with a torn loincloth tied to his waist. In his eyes shone the igneous red of all the undead. His body looked scrawny and thanks to the years, he had lost his stomach. Somehow, the entire torso was held only in the spine.

Viggo was breathing heavily and thanks to the volcanic smoke, he was starting to cough. At the same time, he felt dizzy from the shortage of clean air. However, he never let go of his axe, let alone worried about his state of health. He was totally gone in his state of concentration. On the other hand, his body had been filled with large purple spots, the product of the tearing of his muscles. However, despite all the pain, nothing stopped him and instead of waiting for the attack of the draugrs, he threw himself into their encounter. The draugr advanced with a clumsy pace, holding the shield and preparing his sword for the attack. Viggo came in front of the draugrs, threw an axe and the draugr repelled him with the shield. Viggo was forced to back off, the draugr raised his sword and threw a horizontal cut. Viggo took advantage of the momentum of his recoil and dropped on his back as he rolled backwards. Then the sword passed over, Viggo rolled and rejoined, advanced, the draugr raised his shield to protect himself, but Viggo gave him a powerful frontal kick that raised his guard. The draugr was left unprotected and Viggo took his axe with two hands and threw a powerful cut to the chest. The axe was embedded in the chest and the draugr took advantage of throwing a cut. Viggo crouches, passes under the blade, and tackles the draugr. Both fell to the ground and Viggo removed the shield from the dragur. With one foot crush the other arm, lift the shield pointing with the edge and discharge it on the head. Again and again, until the hull deformed and sank. The draugr lost his fire, making clear the end of the fight, but Viggo in the madness of the moment, continued to hit him with the edge of the shield. Only once he saw the creature's body starting to ignite from the intense heat did he turn away to avoid getting burned.

-Is it over?- asks Viggo between gasps, standing in the center of the obsidian stone training ground. With the volcanoes spewing lava and sediment on their backs.

However, weighed his desires, he hear a beastly, powerful, and guttural roar, which bristled his skin. Viggo looked towards the cave on the right and saw a huge ogre emerge from the darkness. Red and with its face painted as if it were a skull. His long fangs protruded from his mouth, with an intense look and full of animal fury.

From the impression alone, Viggo almost dropped his axe.