Chapter 23: Return, Resume, Rewind

Son of Odin.

Well, that was interesting. From what little I knew of Norse Mythology - and had subsequently researched upon during that grueling one hour outside the classroom with Myrddin as we discussed plans - while Loki, the god I was previously emulating, was known as a brother of Thor, it was by adoption and not by blood.

So why then did I get a title like this?

Remembering to keep up my mask this time, I asked quietly, "Why do you call me that?"

Alysse tried to hide her wince. "It's what our people have started calling you in the past three days that you have been gone. When our Valkyries found out that you were sure to come back even after death, they had started telling more and more absurd versions of the last encounter with the Vikings."

She bowed her head again. "This was the conclusion. To them now, you are a son of the gods, specifically Odin. For who other than Odin's son uses both magic and close combat like you do? It's not like the Trickster fights in any way other than his spells."

That made sense, and was almost ironic considering I was indeed the son of one of the 'gods' that created this world.

Still, "You say 'them' like you aren't one of them again. So you admit to being a player?"

Alysse kept quiet.

When it took more than a few minutes and nothing remained said, I held back a sigh and decided to move on from the subject for the moment. Turning to the town that was now without its cliff overhanging over it again, I walked away without saying anymore to the Valkyrie behind me.

Alysse stood, and followed without another word.

There was time to talk about her status as either a Player or an Adventurer later. I had some... speculations as to who 'Alysse' really was, but it was not my place to keep pressing her to admit it. Even if I was now completely sure that I had seen her face when I was younger.

After all, if I was right, then Alysse had a good reason to keep her identity secret.

When I walked through Freylin's streets again for the third time in peace, it was a little distinctive how different the Valkyries were treating me this time around.

If the first time they saw me all they had to give were glares and doubtful looks searching for deceit, and if the second time after healing their fellow Valkyries had them giving me thankful nods and appreciative smiles, then this third time had them acting very differently.

It was all very subtle, but it was there. It was in the short glances they sent my way, the looks they turned to my face before breaking off as I tried to meet their eyes. It was in how whispers were sent, murmuring to themselves all around me as they tried to keep themselves unnoticed.

It was reverence. It was high-handed respect, almost how one would look at the image of a messiah and would expect him to bring about miracles in their presence.

It stifled me.

After all, while it never reached to this point where it stopped short of actual worship, in programming circles back at the real world I was treated similarly. My mistake of working towards becoming a prodigy aside, my father's name meant that people who knew who I was looked at me with expectations I was never sure I could achieve.

Change the world. Isn't that what you are expected to do, Brian?

How the hell would I be able to meet what they expect of me, especially when I was just one person?

"Alysse." I spoke quietly as we walked, making sure nobody else other than the Valkyrie behind could hear. "Tell me, is Brunhilda still at that building you last brought me to?"

Alysse's voice sounded far away as she answered. "Yes, Son of Odin. I believe our Chief would be willing to talk to you at any time of day, as long as you don't intend to punish her for what she has allowed to happen in her town."

I successfully held back a wince. What Alysse was saying meant that my plan was working - people still thought that I was angry even though I was actually not, or at least for now. Fear was a useful tool in negotiation, but that didn't change the fact I hated being feared.

I glanced around me. Suddenly it was quiet as Valkyries snapped their eyes away from me and kept their mouths shut.

"Don't worry," I replied, working on my voice to keep it both toneless and just loud enough to hear by those close by. "At the moment, I have no plans on doing such things. All I want is a private talk with your Chief."

I had to be both deaf and blind to not notice the slight relief that was suddenly in the air. But it was still tinged with apprehension; after all, my wording made sure to make it obvious how things could still change.

If it's 'at the moment', then could it be that it could still happen? was going through their minds.

Alysse, for one, acted like she didn't read behind the words even though I was pretty sure she could see beneath the underneath easily enough.

"Is that so?" Alysse actually smiled. "Brunhilda would be pleased to know. Shall we head for her now?"

I nodded in response.

We were done here. This scene would surely made it spread:

The Son of Odin is back. They would say, making it reach the ears of every Valkyrie in town. He is awaiting judgement, but so far it's looking good for us Valkyries. If we do this right, we might win the war!

Just as I planned.

Thankfully, when I was alone with Brunhilda, the Chief of Freylin looked at me for only a second before she spoke:

"Boy, get the stoic mask off your face. We are alone here, so there is no need for further pretense."

I let go of the breath I didn't know I was holding. My face defrosted back to the more relaxed features of Rain. My shoulders relaxed, my body slumped, and with a bit of stretching and popping a few joints, within seconds the mask that was 'Brian' wore off, leaving behind the same Fool that I really was deep inside.

It was almost saddening, how reality was starting to be less real than virtual life was for me. Even more so was the fact that keeping up the pretense of being 'Brian' was becoming more and more difficult with every accelerated day that went past.

Brunhilda woke me out of my thinking with a snap of her fingers.

"So, 'Son of Odin' Rain. What are you planning now after you've come back from your temporary death?"

One had to laugh at how dryly she spoke of my new title.

"It's a work in progress..." I paused for a moment in thought. If there was anyone who was from this town who should know of my plan, it was the woman in front of me. "In fact, what would you think if I said it was like this?"

I explained to Brunhilda my plan of using fear and respect to force peace between the two sides.

It only took Brunhilda a second to shake her head. "No, that wouldn't work."

Immediately I felt weak. I had expected it - after all, it was a plan that heavily depended on several factors that was out of my control - but nevertheless, the very plain way of how Brunhilda had declared my plan as a failure made me feel useless deep inside.

Was peacefully asking for peace really too much?

Seeing the look on my face, Brunhilda tacked on, "See, while your plan may work on the short term, what does that mean for the two sides when you finally leave?"

I opened my mouth to provide a counterargument... before closing it without a word.

Brunhilda was right. Using the two towns' fear of me wasn't going to work for long - either they lose that fear over a period of time or somebody angers someone from the other side again, restarting the war until I remember to get back.

Then it was just another waiting game before I had to come back and enforce that fear again.

And if someone finally dies as a result, would there even be a chance for peace anymore?

I was a Fool as always. How had I not seen this?

"Make no mistake. I am not alone in wishing for peace - in fact, you could even say most of both sides are tired of war already. As I told you, if both sides weren't too stubborn to show face, then this war would've ended years ago." Brunhilda spoke, unheeding of the thoughts that was going through my head. "Brynjar and Alysse are the same as me: looking for a path to peace while not compromising our beliefs."

Brynjar...

My eyes went wide. "So that's why you were so angry when he knocked apart the cliff over the town. You two made a secret oath to keep casualties minimum, didn't you?"

Brunhilda nodded grimly. "It was ever since this war began and the both of us were no fools to wish for such a meaningless war to go on forever between our people. I was meant to lead the Valkyries and he, the Vikings, all in search for a way to fix this mistake that should've never even happened."

"Luckily, I just had the skills to do so. You see my spear here?"

Brunhilda gestured to her long, adorned weapon. "The Gungnir, along with Brynjar's Mjollnir, was made with our kind's best of all metals: the Sacred Steel. Blessed only with the consecration of both Viking and Valkyrie, these two weapons were the last of those that still exist after the War."

"Isn't Gungnir the-"

"Weapon that never misses and always strikes true?" Brunhilda interrupted me with an almost amused smile. I had a feeling I wasn't the first or would be the last one to ask that question to her. "It's not the real spear of Odin himself, but it's a pretty good imitation of it I might say. Never has it failed me."

I remembered that wondrous scene in the last battle I was in. Thousands and tonnes of rock, shattered into nothing but dust as a grand streak of light crushed them into pieces like they were made out of glass.

I couldn't hold back the awe that left my lips as Brunhilda allowed me to hold her weapon in a sign of explicit trust.

Then I remembered what it could be used for.

"Sure-hit. Strikes true and hits many at once." It clicked in my mind. "You used this in your invasions of Thordinn didn't you? You aimed for their ankles, snapped their tendons and disabled most of their men in one shot? And then declared the crippled men as 'weaklings' that didn't deserve having their lives cut down to your Valkyries, all so to keep possible deaths to minimum, or even zero?"

"You got it in one." Brunhilda smiled again before taking her spear from me and placing it where it belonged across her back. "And we didn't keep deaths minimum - with Brynjar's Mjollnir temporarily paralyzing most of my Valkyries in one shot every time we attacked, over the past ten years not a single man or woman died."

I smiled at that. It was loyalty in adversity indeed, even of different sides of a war.

"Then suddenly it changed."

I felt like I was physically hit with how her tone instantly changed from warm to cold.

Was this what those close to me felt when I did it to them?

"For reasons still unknown to me, Brynjar had changed the delicate balance that we had managed to keep. In our previous entry into Thordinn, he changed plans on me. After I did my part in disabling his men with minor injuries, he led the rest against my will into baiting my Valkyries into a trap. They were led into a location tightly enclosed by buildings before Brynjar paralyzed them with Mjollnir."

Her last words had her holding for support as she obviously remembered a memory she never wanted to see.

"I witnessed my women being trapped as buildings burned and broke apart all around them."

Bile rose to my throat at such an image.

To imagine being paralyzed, unable to do anything as fire roared all around you? Of how it would be hard to even breathe as acrid fumes and smoke burned like acid in your lungs and flames threatened to swallow you into nothing but ashes? To face death before your very eyes and have no hope of a second chance after you died?

...No wonder the Valkyries that we first met were so cautious. Even I would be if someone did that to those close to me.

"D-Did," I swallowed heavily, "Did anyone die?"

To that, Brunhilda managed a smile. "No one died. And it's all thanks to you. We thought that we had saved our friends and family only to see them waste away and die slowly before our very eyes until you came and healed them."

I let out a sigh of relief at that. "Thank whoever is above that I managed to come in time then."

"Yes, yes, we should."

It took me a few moments to respond again. "So... what now? Do you have any idea as to how to fix this situation with my help? And Myrddin's too - over at the other side, I managed to meet him in person. I could chat him up at anytime you want."

Brunhilda smiled at me. "Your previous plan gives me a slight hint of an idea. Just give me time to think about it for a while."

I recognized a dismissal when I heard one, so I turned to leave. My hand was already on the door handle when Brunhilda called after me.

"But for now, you should..."

You should learn how to fight as a warrior instead of a mage. Let Alysse help you - don't worry, you can trust her with anything you have talked to me in privacy.

That was the last thing Brunhilda said to me before I left. Which meant than within a few hours, once again I was alone with the first Valkyrie I had met, and ironically, even at the same clearing underneath the waterfall that Myrddin had first walked into as she bathed.

"So, Brunhilda told me to let myself be taught by you." Once more, my stoic facade was on my face as I said the words to Alysse. Somehow, it felt right acting like 'Brian' in front of the woman in front of me. "Please treat me well, Alysse."

Thankfully Brunhilda had convinced her to start calling me by name instead of some title.

Alysse herself looked stiff as she bowed in return. "The same as well, Rain."

The air felt awkward, but that was alright - I could do with awkward. As long as it got me stronger in preparation for whatever plan I would end up doing, it was fine with me.

I started first. Making sure I had 'The Priest (II) on, I stepped forward with a lunge before locking my wrist in preparation for a hook. Alysse responded by sidestepping my blow before locking her arm around my outstretched elbow, facing the same direction as me before her feet stepped on my foot and-

snap

My stoic facade broke as I screamed out in pain with how my elbow broke.

Seizing the chance, Alysse did the same with my wrist with a twist her hands, before kicking my kneecap into pieces and finishing me off as she threw me overhead facefirst into the mossy ground.

"Hand-to-hand Combat Crash Course Number One," I heard Alysse say, "Sparring."

Remembering that I had healing abilities through the blinding pain, with a groan I placed a glowing hand over my wrist before placing it on my elbow where it snapped back in place with a sickening crack. The same went for my knee, but it was slower going.

As soon as that finished I choked out, "Aren't you supposed to start slow with this?"

"Pain is the best motivator for learning, and from what Brunhilda told me we don't have much time." Alysse replied without much regret in her tone. "Plus, you're both a Player and a healer, right? It's not like you won't be gaining some experience in the fighting, endurance, and healing skills that you would get or use in this training."

A grimace reached her face before she smoothed it back to normal.

"You could only get stronger exponentially with this kind of training. Would you continue, even knowing what it would be like?"

I glanced at my side where several announcements were already there like they had the right to be.

Your Holy Heal has gained a level! Holy Heal is now level 18!

Your Sturdy has gained a level! Sturdy is now level 43!

Your success in fighting without weapons has given you a skill! You now have Barehanded Mastery!

Your Barehanded Mastery has gained two levels! Barehanded Mastery is now level 3!

Barehanded Mastery (Passive): Lvl 3Real men don't need any weapons! They use their fists!

Hit them with your FALCON PUNCH!

Effects:

Increases barehanded damage by 18%.

Additional damage increases with every level.

I had to admit, I was going to say no. After all, defeated or not, I had indeed managed to take on all the Vikings as a one-man army already. Sure, the mana expenditure of it was high, but given time I was sure I could make some leeway around that problem.

But then I remembered the times I was halted by pain. Of how my health bar still declared me alive even as I broke down under the wounds I was carrying. Of how a battle could've been won had I not been weak enough to flinch over something like an arrow between my eyes.

In the end, I stood up slowly. The blood that I had spilled were already flaking off into pixels in front of my eyes - leaving me looking like I haven't just broken three of my vital joints over the past few minutes.

It is training. Pain Tolerance training. I mentally repeated to myself like a mantra. This is something I need.

As I closed my eyes, I didn't notice the slight look on Alysse's face at that moment as she watched me mentally preparing myself for a hell I was willing to go through.

When I opened my eyelids, determination was coursing through my veins.

Seeing that, Alysse said one last thing. "Your Skills will guide you how to fight. Just let them push you into actions before burning the movements into your mind so you can do it on your own."

I nodded one last time before starting off with a low kick.

It only took seconds for her to jump over my foot, land on it, run across my leg with it making a loud snap as she twisted her body to lash out with a kick across my face-

No pain, no gain.

"I'm so sorry."

I was on the ground hours later. Efficiency wise, the training Alysse had just given me did as promised. In short time, I had gained eighteen more levels in Barehanded Mastery along with several levels in Sturdy and Holy Heal. I had even gained more END from it - enough to replace my lost points in that stat due to my death and more.

But hell if I could ever say it wasn't torture. Once again, I regretted my choice of keeping the pain meter so high - I always been meaning to lower it ever since that first time I was hurt by a Dirge Wolf, but all the things that happened to me recently meant that I kept forgetting it.

Thus, that meant that even if my health bar was full, my body refused to move as my mind tried to recover from the continuous pain it was forced to endure.

"Don't worry." Somehow I managed to smile. It was a slow thing coming, but I supposed martial artists had been telling the truth about how two fighters could befriend each other through their fists. Or bone-breaking. "I asked for it."

"You're a monster when it comes to learning, you know that?" Alysse sat beside me, an almost tender smile clinging on her face. It made her look like she was made out of glass. "Halfway through, you were already managing to fight properly with me."

I looked away at that. Alysse didn't know it, but in that time I had learned a valuable lesson.

In the past, when I got hurt and adrenaline just wasn't enough to block out the pain, I always let myself grow weak and be stunned. But now after two hours of having my bones, my face, and my guts feeling like they went through the grinder, I had learned how to ignore pain.

Pain doesn't dull in fights, unlike what some people say. It's just a trick of making yourself break through that pain and ignore it in order to continue fighting.

"Yeah, two or three attacks before you sweep me off my feet again. 'Fight properly', indeed."

Alysse laughed, sounding like glass bells. It all seemed so familiar, and I had to hide tears as I remembered how long it was since I heard that sound...

"Hey, I'm the Strongest Valkyrie in all of Freylin, outside of the Chief. Of course it would take more than a single afternoon for you to battle me equally with only your fists."

I went quiet for a second. Right now, Alysse was the happiest as I had seen her. Through our continuous matches and my sheer force of will, somehow I managed to make her open up to me. In a few hours, I wasn't so sure if it was going to stick, so...

This was just the right moment. I sat up, turned to Alysse and met her in the eyes, placing my hand over hers and holding to it as tightly as I could.

"...Alysse, how long have you been in this town?"

Alysse could've attacked. At this point, I had no doubt that if the Valkyrie wanted, she could beat me up with her hands tied and her eyes blindfolded if it all went down to physical. Alysse could've also pulled away, which was actually what I was expecting.

I didn't expect her to hold on to my hands as well.

"Ten years, Rain." Her face was so sad, so brittle, but I needed to hear it from her. "Tell me, Rain. What does that tell you?"

I forged on. "Tell me, Alysse. Were you the one who started this war?"

"He called me a trophy wife!" Tears were already falling down her face. Seeing that, I looked away from her, letting her save the pride I knew she cherished. "I was so angry, I was enraged! But I didn't mean to, never meant to do this to this town..."

"So you stayed and tried." I finished for her. "You stayed for all of those ten years here to make amends, to try and make peace for the town you had unwittingly pushed to oblivion."

Her hands were tight around mine. I took a look at them, and saw the lack of the ring I knew was tightly worn around the ring finger of the real person behind the woman in front of me.

"But that isn't all, isn't it? After all, why did you even trust us then when Myrddin and I first met you? Why is it that I recognize your face inside my memories, even though I know nobody close to me has that face now? Why is it that when I hear your laugh, I reminisce about my childhood?"

Alysse was like me.

She was someone who cared for the beings that existed in this world. I was strange, Myrddin was strange, and so was she because all three of us had connections that allowed us to empathize with all the Adventurers. To Myrddin, it was his knowledge and the fact that he was studying Virtual Reality like me.

To me, it was the fact that my father and uncle was part of the team that created Adventurers in the first place.

To her? It was because she was wed with a man who was part of that team. It was because she had a son who felt the same thing as she did.

Alysse was like me, or rather, I was like her without even knowing it.

Somebody must've made an avatar that was like their real body before me, or otherwise Professor wouldn't have known about the effects of such a decision. And considering the fact that it didn't really have to be the same age...

Brian and Rain. Alyssa and Alysse. Bodies that were the same yet different.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

"Mom." I said the name I had not called Alyssa Walters for so long. "Is this you?"

A few hours later, I sent Myrddin a message.

"Myrddin, get yourself ready over there. Meet us just outside of Thordinn while it's dark. If you trust anyone over there, bring them as well. You, me, Alysse, and whoever you are bringing are going to make a secret excursion tonight."

"We have a war to end before the sun sets tomorrow."

Would you send this message to 'Myrddin'?

Yes/No

I hit the affirmative. Beside me - my mother - Alysse placing her hand on my shoulder as she bit her lips.

"Are you sure we aren't going to tell Brunhilda about this?"

I hefted my staff behind me, already preparing to leave. It was still a few hours of travel before we would be at Thordinn, so there was logic in starting early.

"Plan has changed. It's better if she doesn't get word of this before the plan is already underway."

Alysse looked back at the town that her guilt had bound her to for an entire decade.

I reached out a hand for her to hold. She took it.

Alysse has joined your party! Your party now has three members!

Secret Requirement has been achieved! Through being a leader of a group you can call your own, you have received the title 'The Emperor (III)'!

"Let's do this."

AN: ALRIGHT, LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED! Or not, considering I have to show one last Myrddin 'Solo Interlude' chapter before that... tehe~!

And did anyone expect the twist about Alysse's identity? I worked on it to be a really huge surprise... if you think it's an asspull, think again. Just look back at the Prologue if you want to see how I prepared for this twist since then. Anyways, things for me as a writer haven't changed it seems. My reply count is still at eight for every brand new chapter. Hope it does this time around.

It's really disheartening.

REVIEW AND REPLY, PLEASE!