Chapter 166 - Othello 5 (2/2)
However, since he couldn’t deal with the Demon God’s power yet, it seemed better to choose a less dangerous solution.
'The Curse of the Nibelungen should be okay.'
It was the source that had corrupted the Green Dragon Fafnir and ruined Valkyrie Brynhild’s life.
If he could pull out its powers and direct them outwards, he could potentially neutralize the curse of the white ghosts.
When Woohyuk wore Andvaranaut, the White Ghost King looked puzzled.
“That ring… Where did you get it?”
“I obtained it while doing a quest related to the Edda Chronicles. It seems to have a very high-level curse on it.”
According to the records in the Edda Chronicles, the person to have cast the curse was Andvari, a member of the Nibelungen Tribe.
However, the source of the curse was uncertain.
Perhaps it was the power of a high-ranking ancient demon.
The White Ghost King raised his guard against the Andvaranaut, as he felt an unusual aura from it.
“You seem to have had quite a lot of adventures for your age. I thought it was simply through luck that you inherited Asura's name.”
“Ah, I’ve given up on many things to challenge the divine thrones.”
He hadn’t come so far simply through luck. And he was about to prove it right now.
Woohyuk focused his mind and directed the eerie energy inside Andvaranaut outward.
[You have become the true owner of Andvaranaut.]
[You have become able to handle the power of the ancient devil Mammon.]
[By using Mammon's power, you can render your opponent blind and make certain targets invisible.]
[In addition, you are immune to various curses and debuffs that are not as powerful as Mammon’s power.]
A series of system messages appeared in front of Woohyuk's eyes.
'I seem to have succeeded somehow.'
He didn’t know how high Mammon’s hierarchy and rank was as an ancient demon, but seeing how the White Ghost King had flinched, it seemed that its power was at least equal to him.
Feeling satisfied, Woohyuk swung Verserios and attacked the White Ghost King.
Clang!
The Soulsword Calites and Verserios clashed, creating a sharp metallic sound.
The momentum on both sides was almost equal.
Due to the power of Mammon, Woohyuk did not appear to be pushed back by the White Ghost King.
Moreover, unlike before, the White Ghost King’s stigma did not imprint on him.
“Color me surprised. I knew you were special considering you were Lord Asura’s successor, but I didn’t think you were this powerful.”
“If you understand it now, get down on your knees, White Ghost King.”
Woohyuk gathered strength and pushed the White Ghost King fiercely.
Clang clang!
Clang clang! Clang! Clang!
In terms of battle prowess, Woohyuk was slightly above his opponent.
The White Ghost King could not hide his surprise and shock.
'H-how...’
Even if he had inherited Asura's name, Woohyuk could still not handle Verserios properly.
In addition, the gap in their stats was large, so the White Ghost King was supposed to be overpowering him.
Eventually, after a few fierce exchanges, the White Ghost King realized the cause of the problem.
‘That ring has the power of a high-ranking devil.’
He didn't know which dimension this devil was residing in, but Woohyuk was somehow utilizing his power freely.
This was proven by Woohyuk’s sudden growth and strength.
However, the White Ghost King would not allow himself to be defeated so easily.
'Still, he is merely a human. He must have a weakness somewhere.'
At the very least, it was the case with all the humans he had dealt with so far.
As he tried not to show any openings as much as possible, the White Ghost King calmly watched Woohyuk's movement.
His attacks were definitely threatening, but he noticed some subtle patterns.
Woohyuk was pushing himself by mixing in the strong attacks with fast attacks in certain ratios.
'I can predict his next moves to some extent. If he continues at this pace...’
Even if he couldn't read all of Woohyuk’s movements, it seemed possible to make use of certain openings.
He then used the system to analyze Woohyuk’s movements in detail.
After a while, the system detected Woohyuk beginning Attack Pattern B and notified the White Ghost King, who was looking for an opportunity.
The White Ghost King shouted in delight to himself and immediately activated the counter skill he had prepared in advance.
But…
Whoosh!
His counter skills only cut through a faint afterimage.
Only then did the White Ghost King realize that he had been tricked.
'Don’t tell me… Did he know I’d do this from the start?!’
If that was the case, he had completely lost the psychological warfare.
Moreover, he had now given Woohyuk a perfect opportunity at victory.
As a result, the battle against Woohyuk became so difficult to endure that the White Ghost King had no choice but to admit his defeat.
“It, it’s my defeat...”
A public declaration.
As the White Ghost King knelt to the ground, a series of system messages appeared in front of Woohyuk's eyes.
[You have won a one-on-one duel against the White Ghost King.]
[You have acquired the title 'Master of the White Ghost King'.]
[Now, you can use the red moon to create a total solar eclipse in broad daylight for up to 1 hour.]
[The total solar eclipse caused by the red moon greatly increases the abilities of casters and ghosts including the White Ghost King.]
[If certain conditions are met, the dead can be summoned from the afterlife.]
'The ability to summon souls...’
Even if there were some restrictions, the ability to summon the dead was priceless.
Even though he had been constantly reading Nakron's Grimoire, he had not yet been able to do it.
As Woohyuk admired his new skills, a system message popped up again.
[Hidden Quest: You have fulfilled the conditions for the resurrection of Valkyrie Brynhild.]
[Do you wish to proceed with the quest?]
[YES / NO]
Valkyrie Brynhild, Sieg's former lover, was now enshrined inside Tinia's mansion.
Even though a few thousand years had passed since her death, the body remained the same as before.
After pressing the [YES] button, Woohyuk asked the White Ghost King for advice for this quest.
“I have a few questions for you, White Ghost King.”