Chapter 34: Zeric Of Valhalla

Mephisto—the demon—was forcibly separated from Murphis.

Ichio barely paused. His instincts roared.

"Now—time to finish this!"

Power surged once more.

"Charge up! Unleash all your desires—OPPAI POWER! BOUNCY PUNCH!!"

His fist crashed down.

BOOOOOOM.

Murphis hit the ground so hard the earth cratered beneath him. Blood splattered from his mouth as his summon vanished.

Silence.

Dust settled.

Ichio stood there, panting, his fists still trembling from the overwhelming energy coursing through his body.

Murphis, barely clinging to consciousness, let out a breathless laugh.

"Hah... no one has ever pushed me this far since the merge..." His voice was weak, but there was a twisted grin on his lips. "You did a good job, kid... But seriously, what the hell was that?"

His eyes flickered toward Ichio.

"Just a second ago, you were on death's door. Now you have this... plot-armor-level bullshit. I don't get it. I really don't." He coughed. "How did I even lose this?"

Ichio blinked.

"...Wait." He looked around.

"...Did I just win?"

The spectators, his allies, all remained dead silent.

**Oppai Power—an Artem-Ability that can only be unlocked when the user touches a girl's breasts. Upon activation, it unleashes the user's deepest hidden desires, allowing them to manifest their suppressed will in devastating physical attacks. These punches can separate fused entities, sever a soul from its vessel, strip power from the unbeatable, and even shatter concepts themselves. Additionally, each punch divides the opponent's power in half and adds it to the user's own, making them progressively stronger with every strike**

Ichio just stood there.

The wind blew.

Gesine, Vitalia, and Valkyrie stared at him, unreadable expressions on their faces.

Livia looked like she was going through several emotions at once.

The spectators? Half were slack-jawed.

And then—

Somewhere, in the guild hall—

Someone started clapping.

Ichio stood there, his breath still heavy, his heart pounding in his chest. His mind reeled from the sheer absurdity of what had just happened.

The battlefield—if it could even be called that anymore—was utterly devastated. What was once a structured combat zone was now a desolate wasteland. The ground was fractured, jagged craters stretched as far as the eye could see, and shattered remnants of the environment lay strewn about like the aftermath of a natural disaster.

The only ones left standing amidst the wreckage were himself, Valkyrie, Vitalia, Livia, and Gesine. Murphis had been teleported out the moment he was defeated, sent directly to the Health-Room. Now, only the final members of each party remained.

A sigh broke the silence.

"Well, I guess my party lost," Gesine admitted, hands on her hips, surveying the destruction with mild amusement. Without hesitation, she raised a hand. "I forfeit."

The moment she spoke those words, a bright system notification pulsed into existence—

And just like that, Ichio and his team vanished from the battlefield.

---

They reappeared at the center of the bustling guild hall, where a massive crowd of players and spectators had gathered. The instant their presence was registered, an automated announcement rang through the space.

[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT]

The Winners of the Battle Royale Event—

Knull Party!

Participating Members:

Ichio, The Technologist

Valkyrie Kahal, The Contractor from Valhalla

Livia Invicta, The Warrior Maiden of Ragnarok

Vitalia Mortifera, The Death-Bringer from Hell

The hall erupted into applause. Cheers, whistles, and celebratory shouts filled the air as players acknowledged the victors.

Ichio barely reacted. He was still taking everything in. His mind was too preoccupied with the strange power he had just unleashed.

But then—he began to hear the murmurs.

"Seriously? That power he used at the end… That was so cringe."

"I mean… who gets their power from that? What kind of ability even is that?"

"I can't believe it actually worked…"

Ichio's eyes turned cold as he cast a sharp glare toward the murmuring crowd. The whispers died instantly.

Without another word, the group moved toward the guild's counter, where Elsa was waiting for them with an amused expression.

---

"Well, you did well," Elsa said with a smirk, crossing her arms. "I expected you guys to win… but I definitely didn't expect that sudden power-up at the end."

She tilted her head slightly, eyes gleaming with mischief. "So, Ichio… you into stuff like that?"

Ichio exhaled sharply, clearly irritated. "It's not that I'm into stuff like that," he said, rubbing his temples. "It's just something I deemed unnecessary. That power allows me to let loose a bit. Nothing more."

"Is that right?" Elsa mused, her smirk widening.

Ichio's expression darkened. "Drop it, Elsa."

She chuckled, then swiped her fingers in the air, summoning a translucent tablet. "Fine, fine. Let's get back to business." She handed the device over. "You guys will be the ones taking on Floor 10. Fill in your details."

Ichio and the others entered their information.

As Elsa reviewed it, she gave them a knowing smile. "Later, just make sure you come back and see me. Or maybe… we'll meet in another guild somewhere again."

As they turned to leave, Valkyrie muttered under her breath, "Did she just say we might meet her on another floor? What kind of NPC is that? This is kinda scary…"

The group exchanged glances but said nothing.

---

Once inside their assigned room, the tension finally lifted. Valkyrie flopped onto a chair, exhaling in relief. "Well, I guess that settles it. We won."

Vitalia stretched her arms. "And now… we're officially taking on Floor 10."

Livia sat down, arms crossed. "That's no small feat."

Ichio, however, said nothing. He walked toward the bed and collapsed onto it with a sigh. His body ached, and his mind was exhausted.

I don't even understand the power I just got…

He let his eyes drift shut.

Then—

A sudden flicker.

His status board lit up.

New text appeared before his eyes, sending an immediate chill down his spine.

---

✓ Betrayed by Friends → Route Taken: REVENGE

✓ Save Someone from Danger → Route Taken: HERO

✓ Make a Comeback in an Ubsurd Way → Route Taken: MAIN CHARACTER

Artem-Ability Unlocked•

✓ Plot Armor

---

Ichio's eyes snapped open. He bolted upright.

 Eyes wide with disbelief.

"Seriously?" he muttered, staring at his status board as the words flickered before him.

The three girls—Valkyrie, Livia, and Vitalia—immediately turned toward him, their gazes sharp with concern.

"What's wrong?" Valkyrie asked. "Did something happen?"

"Yeah, you look like you just saw a ghost," Livia added.

Ichio quickly shook his head. "No, no, no. It's nothing."

But even as he said that, another set of glowing messages appeared before his eyes—

---

---

Ichio's mind raced.

Wait… does that mean everyone in my party?

His gaze flickered toward Valkyrie, Vitalia, and Livia. If this was affecting them now, then—

What if I get future members?

As if responding to his thoughts, another set of messages appeared—

---

---

But before he could fully process that, another notification popped up—

---

Ichio frowned.

'What the fuck is going on?' His frustration grew. 'I don't even understand what it's talking about anymore. What's all this 'Route' stuff anyway?!'

His confusion didn't last long. Because the moment he questioned it, the system responded.

---

---

"…Wait, what?" Ichio's heart dropped. 'Penalty? Zeric of Valhalla?'

His mind raced back to the events earlier—had he missed something? 'Yeah… I forgot to ask her.'

He turned sharply toward Valkyrie.

"Val," he said urgently, "what the hell is Zeric of Valhalla?"

Valkyrie blinked at him, then tilted her head slightly. "Zeric of Valhalla?"

"Yes! What is it?! I need to know, now!" Ichio asked.

Valkyrie nodded and began explaining. "Well, Valhalla is—"

Ichio quickly cut her off, waving his hands. "No, no, no! I don't need a history lesson on Valhalla! I just need to know what Zeric of Valhalla is specifically!"

Valkyrie clicked her tongue but complied. "Alright, fine. It's a place in Valhalla where the most powerful warriors reside."

Ichio frowned. "And?"

"It's basically a punishment zone," Valkyrie continued. "If you're sent there, you have to fight one of Valhalla's most Strongest warrior as a penalty."

Ichio narrowed his eyes. "And the catch?"

Valkyrie's expression turned grim. "The warrior chosen to fight you will always be someone who completely counters your abilities. If you use fire, you'll be sent against someone who can completely nullify or destroy fire. The whole point is that you're forced to fight against an opponent with the perfect counter to your strengths."

Ichio felt a sinking feeling in his gut.

"And if you lose?"

"You become part of Valhalla," Valkyrie said flatly. "Meaning you die and join its ranks as one of its dead warriors."

"And the warrior who defeated you…?"

"They get a second chance at life."

Ichio clenched his fists. "And if you win?"

"You receive a bounty and return," Valkyrie admitted. "But that almost never happens. The matchups are designed to be unwinnable."

Ichio's mind was spiraling. "So let me get this straight… The Valhalla punishes you by sending you to a place where you have to fight some undead monster who has an ability specifically made to counter yours… and if you lose, you die?"

"Yeah," Valkyrie confirmed. "That's pretty much the gist of it, but since they're already dead. They just return to normal Valhalla life."

Ichio opened his mouth to curse, but before he could—

A brilliant flash of light engulfed him.

"Wait—!"

And in the next instant—Ichio vanished before their eyes.

 CHAPTER END.