Chapter 610: Supreme

It was the story the idol of users around the world had lived through.

The hidden story was laid bare before the public.

Everyone mourned for him and worried about Valhalla.

But it was nothing more than concern.

The fervor centered overwhelmingly on Hyunsoo for one simple reason: he had won.

In the end, the grief of the man who had become number two did not truly reach them.

But there was a difference between being merely a viewer and having a genuine connection to Valhalla.

Those who had actually met Valhalla, or had some bond with him, began to move.

“Hyunsoo, where is Valhalla now?”

Musashi.

He asked Hyunsoo, who was most likely to know.

Mio spoke next.

“Is he at Sophia’s grave?”

She immediately set out for America as well.

Many members of Hyun’s Forge did the same.

Now that Valhalla’s story had been made public, they simply asked Hyunsoo where he was going. When he said America, they joined him.

One by one, their numbers swelled until hundreds of people gathered near the grave.

And who had posted those words?

The Williams, the couple who had run the orphanage where Valhalla and Sophia had once lived.

The elderly couple, both nearing eighty, had officiated Valhalla and Sophia’s wedding.

Age sometimes allowed people to see what the young could not.

The moment Valhalla, who had always stood tall and straight as though he could touch the heavens, finally broke down.

The couple thought he needed people to go to him, and that was how countless people ended up gathering before the grave.

Standing some distance away from the gravesite, the Williams smiled as they watched Valhalla surrounded by hundreds of friends.

In their minds, they saw a glimpse of the beautiful girl Sophia had been and the boy Valhalla had once been.

*****

After hundreds of people had greeted Sophia, everyone began walking down the steps together.

For some reason, Valhalla sensed that Hyunsoo did not look well.

“Is something wrong with Hyunsoo?”

At Valhalla’s worried question, Yoonchan let out a dry laugh.

“He got on a plane without his shoes and made front-page news around the world.”

“...?”

Valhalla could not help but laugh at the reason for Hyunsoo’s dejection.

Meanwhile, Hyunsoo could feel just how enormous the fallout had become.

Come on, people make mistakes sometimes!

Was that really something worthy of front-page headlines around the world?

Just as he was beginning to feel needlessly gloomy, Valhalla approached him.

“Wear your shoes next time.”

“...Yeah.”

Valhalla snorted at Hyunsoo’s dispirited reply, then looked around at everyone.

“Since we are all here, I will treat everyone to a restaurant Sophia and I used to frequent.”

“Oh...!”

Hyunsoo’s expression brightened.

It was his first time in America, and he had always harbored grand fantasies about American-style food.

America means pizza, right? Or hamburgers? Wait... American pizza and hamburgers are supposed to be too salty. Will I be able to enjoy them?

Half anxious and half excited, Hyunsoo followed Valhalla.

A little while later.

BUBBLE, BUBBLE—

“...?”

Hyunsoo stared in confusion at the kimchi stew boiling in front of him.

“But... this is America. Why is there kimchi stew...?”

He could not believe it.

He had eaten kimchi stew at the airport before flying out yesterday, too.

Valhalla, who had just lifted a piece of rolled omelet to his mouth, tilted his head.

“Why are you not eating?”

“...Don’t they have anything American?”

“The restaurant is called American Kimchi Stew.”

“...”

Hyunsoo was dumbfounded.

Still, Valhalla gave a small laugh.

“Try it. Sophia and I know good food.”

Hyunsoo sighed.

It had been one of Valhalla and Sophia’s favorite places. He could hardly complain.

And if he wanted kimchi stew, there were plenty of restaurants near his house in Korea.

With that thought, Hyunsoo took a spoonful.

What is this...?

The pleasantly sharp, perfectly fermented kimchi and rich pork broth created an incredible flavor.

The familiar taste of MSG, discovered in a foreign country, deepened the savory richness.

Especially when he scooped up kimchi with a perfect mix of fatty and lean pork, the harmony in his mouth was simply unreal.

And what about the rolled omelet?

Perhaps it had milk in it. It was soft and fluffy, and drenched in ketchup, it was perfect for demolishing another bowl of rice.

Is this better than the kimchi stew places in Korea?

Hyunsoo wolfed down his food, then looked around.

“This is insanely good...”

“Holy...”

“It tastes better than in Korea.”

The members of Hyun’s Forge, most of them Korean, were not the only ones eating kimchi stew with abandon.

Musashi, Mio, Lund, and countless other rankers were doing the same.

That was right.

Valhalla and Sophia really had known their food!

“One more bowl of rice, please.”

His second bowl arrived.

MUNCH, MUNCH—

Hyunsoo was completely absorbed in his meal, and by the time everyone was nearly finished eating—

“There is something I want to do.”

Valhalla’s words brought everyone to a halt.

Hyunsoo was especially attentive. Yoonchan had told him Valhalla might choose to end his own life.

Valhalla looked calmer than Hyunsoo had expected, but that did not mean Hyunsoo could know what truly lay in his heart.

Could it be...?

Hyunsoo thought that perhaps the thing Valhalla wanted to do had something to do with him.

“Do you want to beat me or something?”

It might have sounded arrogant, but it was time for Hyunsoo to become Valhalla’s goal.

“Probably that too.”

Valhalla did not deny it, and everyone turned to look at Hyunsoo.

The fact that a user named Hyunsoo had become the person Valhalla would pursue was genuinely astonishing.

But that was not what Valhalla truly wanted to say.

“I am going to make a team.”

“...What?”

“A team?”

“Valhalla is making a team?”

That single statement stunned everyone there.

Who was Valhalla?

He was the strongest user.

He had lost to Hyunsoo, but only by the narrowest margin.

In fact, even Hyunsoo could not guarantee he would win if they fought again.

And now that lone wolf, who had always lived alone, was going to make a team.

“I will select them one by one and build a team that belongs only to me. Sometimes they will be users. Other times, NPCs.”

By declaring that he would select them, Valhalla was making one thing clear.

Being close to him would not be enough to become part of his team.

But regardless of who they were, one thing was certain.

The team personally selected by Valhalla would become the best team in the world.

And from another perspective...

It could become a threat to the nation of Hyun. It could even be a declaration of war.

Perhaps the nation of Hyun’s fame would one day look shabby before the team Valhalla created.

That was why those present thought Valhalla’s words might sound like a declaration of war against Hyunsoo.

He said it to a user who had only recently become a king.

And Valhalla has declared that he will build his own force. No one could stop him.

Hyunsoo is going to be under a lot of pressure.

They expected an icy chill to sweep through the kimchi stew restaurant.

But—

What?

Is he smiling?

...He looks completely unruffled.

It was merely an illusion.

Hyunsoo’s expression carried the arrogance of a king. Put another way, he was overflowing with composure.

And then—

“I cannot wait.”

“...”

He also felt a purely sincere anticipation.

Who would make up the team Valhalla created?

What kind of power would they possess, and how strong would they become?

And the rankers there realized something.

Even if Valhalla began building a team that very moment...

Arte, Luxiu, Bengers, Akao, the Overlord, Yi Sun-sin.

Sword King Barad and countless others.

The people Hyunsoo had gathered.

It would take Valhalla a very long time to build a team that could surpass them.

“I will be cheering for you, Valhalla.”

Hyunsoo meant it sincerely.

His bright smile held the genuine joy of a friend who was happy that Valhalla had found a new goal.

Meanwhile, Valhalla gave a bitter smile as he looked at Hyunsoo’s expression.

Do you know?

Valhalla.

Even after losing to Hyunsoo, he remained someone no one could dismiss.

And the reason a man like Valhalla had dreamed of creating a team—

It was because he had seen the people surrounding Hyunsoo and wanted a team like that for himself.

And then there were the blacksmiths’ creations that had changed the course of the match.

Like “For Our King!”

Valhalla wanted people at his side who knew how to stand behind someone out of that same noble conviction.

You will probably never know.

Valhalla decided to keep that thought to himself.

*****

Hyunsoo was busier than ever and could not remain in America for long.

Valhalla came to see him off, regret clear on his face.

“I wanted to go to Disneyland with you...”

???

Of course, Hyunsoo knew it was Valhalla’s particular brand of humor.

And he had absolutely no intention of walking around with Valhalla while wearing Mickey Mouse headbands.

Valhalla smiled playfully, then revealed why he had come to see him off.

“The one who defeated me is special, Hyunsoo.”

“Could you stop bragging already?”

Hyunsoo was dumbfounded.

Was Valhalla really bragging about himself even as Hyunsoo was leaving?

Then Hyunsoo saw the boundless seriousness in Valhalla’s expression.

“Could it be... You think I gained something from defeating the person who held that position for so long?”

Without a word, Valhalla nodded.

In other words, it was a hint.

A hint that Hyunsoo must have received some kind of reward.

Something I got for defeating Valhalla...?

Hyunsoo had never expected such a reward, so he could not help but feel excited.

“Thank you for telling me, Valhalla. I will come again. Let’s eat kimchi stew again then.”

And with that, the two parted ways.

Hyunsoo and Valhalla both knew instinctively that it would be quite a long time before they met again in the game.

Valhalla had to leave in order to build his own team, while Hyunsoo would be too busy strengthening his kingdom to take a breath.

After Hyunsoo left, Yoonchan decided to remain in America for the time being.

Together with Valhalla, Yoonchan left the airport and stopped in front of Yoonchan’s Mustang.

“Where do you want to go?”

“Disneyland.”

“...”

“...”

For the record, Valhalla had not been joking.

He was curious about Disneyland because he had never gone before in his life.

*****

After returning home, Hyunsoo was baffled.

The breaking news reports had made him realize that Valhalla’s words had not been a joke.

But is that really breaking-news material?

It was almost on the same level as Hyunsoo boarding a plane without shoes.

But more importantly—

Capsule use was still impossible on airplanes, so Hyunsoo had not yet been able to check the reward hinted at by Valhalla.

The first thing he did upon arriving home was lie down in his Ares capsule.

PSSSHHH—!

[You have connected to Ares.]

The moment he hurriedly logged into Ares, several notifications appeared.

[You have won the PvP Event: Throne Match.]

[You have acquired a gold medal.]

[You have gained All Stats +2.]

[You have become the MVP of the Ares World Championship.]

[You may claim an MVP reward.]

DING!

[You led the World Championship to victory.]

[For one week, users on the Korean server will receive double EXP and artifact drop rates.]

[The one who led the victory is a little more special.]

[For two weeks, your EXP and artifact drop rates will be doubled.]

DING!

[You defeated someone who had not lost once in four years.]

[You inherit a title from the target.]

Inherit?

Hyunsoo was startled by the notification, which he was seeing for the first time.

He was going to inherit a title.

It was something he had never heard of and never experienced before.

In other words, it was something that had occurred specially only in this case.

What title could it be?

Just as he wondered, another notification rang out.

[You have acquired the title: Supreme.]