Playing As The Hero King At The End

To touch the realm of the gods with a mortal body? 

Even with the acquisition of magical power, in the eyes of Beelzebub, the King of Hell, it was pitifully weak. 

He could have crushed this human with a wave if not for the master-servant relationship enforced by the summoning circle. 

"Hahaha, interesting. That guy gave you magic and the summoning circle to Summon me, and you're already planning to betray him?" 

Beelzebub couldn't help but laugh, though he hadn't expected that guy to succeed in granting humans magical power. 

But why would he go out of his way to research something like this? Wasn't he creating trouble for himself? 

Humans with magic would become even more troublesome and more challenging to control. 

"Lord Beelzebub, let me correct you. First, that guy didn't give me the magic and the summoning circle. Though it's somewhat related, I merely studied two pages from a book he was holding. Through my own curiosity, I gained magic. And as a result, I ended up summoning you." 

The human's explanation left Beelzebub stunned. Was he lying? 

No, he could tell the human was speaking the truth. 

For the first time, Beelzebub didn't look down on this human with disdain. Instead, he gazed at him with disbelief. 

This human bore no divine aura, meaning he was born an ordinary human, not a descendant of a god or someone with holy blood. 

Yet, this human had touched the realm of the gods, completely overturning their understanding. 

In the past, gods had attempted to grant humans magic, but the result was that only humans born from the union of gods and mortals could wield it. 

But this human had achieved it without such a union, and he had even touched the root of magic itself, something even the gods couldn't accomplish. 

In a sense, this human had surpassed the gods! 

"As for betrayal? I've never believed in so-called gods, so how could I betray them? On the contrary, they tried to plant some suggestion in my mind, which is unacceptable. So, I thought it would also be fair to plant some chaos in their heads." 

The human spoke calmly as if he wasn't angry, but Beelzebub felt an inexplicable chill. 

"So, Lord Beelzebub, have you made your decision?" 

The repeated invitation left Beelzebub silent. 

Now that he had calmed down, he needed to think carefully. Was this human genuinely worth the risk of collaboration? 

If they failed, the consequences would be unimaginably dire. 

He couldn't even begin to fathom the torment he would endure. 

They probably wouldn't kill him, but they would make him wish for death. 

But should he continue to endure? 

He was truly fed up! 

Was his hatred for the gods solely because he had been treated as an enslaved person? 

Of course not. There were deeper secrets involved. 

His public identity was that of the first angel created by God, once holding great glory as the Vice-Ruler of Heaven. His pride had been his original sin. 

In the end, his arrogance led him to attempt to overthrow God, becoming the leader of the dark army and the chief instigator of the rebellion. 

But he lost, utterly defeated, and fled Heaven, descending into Hell, where he became a demon. 

Thus, he became the Great Demon King of Hell, commanding countless demons, and became Heaven's greatest enemy. 

However, even as the Great Demon King, he was still under God's control. It was all part of God's scheme. 

He was merely a pawn used by God to control and rule over the demons. 

To the other gods, it seemed he had broken away from God's divine system, but a few older gods knew he was still a dog on God's leash. 

Moreover, his true identity wasn't that of a created angel. He had once belonged to his own mythological system. 

One day, God's forces invaded, completely devouring his mythological system as if it had never existed. 

In its place, the mythos of Heaven and Paradise took root. 

Many other mythological systems had been similarly devoured without warning. Lucifer and the other fallen angels had once belonged to their own mythologies. Still, they had been forcibly transformed into angels, their memories erased, serving their new creator as if they had always been loyal. 

But the memory-erasing spell wasn't perfect. Some fallen angels had regained their memories, which was why they rebelled. 

Unfortunately, they were still being played like puppets. 

Furthermore, many of the demons in Hell were originally gods who hadn't been transformed into angels but had been directly corrupted into demons. 

Among his 72 Pillar Demons, some were once deities. 

"So, what's your plan? How do we collaborate?" 

This was Beelzebub's answer after his silence, revealing his decision. 

If a mere human could have the courage to oppose the gods, how could he, a demon king, be so cowardly? 

Had his courage really become so feeble that he was inferior to a human? 

How laughable. When had he become so timid? 

The endless humiliation and servitude had become unbearable. He was nothing more than a walking corpse. 

It was time to take a stand! 

"It's simple. I need you to teach humans various secret arts and magic, train human soldiers, and teach them how to hunt angels—and even slay gods!" 

The human's words left Beelzebub stunned. 

"Human soldiers?" 

"Yes. I will ensure that more humans gain magical power." 

"But even with magic, humans are still bound by their mortal lifespans. I don't believe a few decades of training will be enough to create a force capable of rivalling Heaven's angelic army." 

Not to mention Heaven, even a single one of his 72 Pillar Demons could easily crush such an army. 

"Indeed, a few decades won't be enough. So—" 

As the human spoke, Beelzebub's expression suddenly changed. He sensed an intruder in the hall. 

Was it God? No, the presence wasn't that powerful. 

Someone from another timeline, peering into this era from the future! 

At the same time, the human seemed to sense it as well and stopped speaking. 

Without hesitation, Beelzebub unleashed a terrifying wave of power toward the intruder's location. He couldn't let them escape! 

By rewinding the historical records and moving through time, Brynhildr finally found what she was looking for. 

King Solomon was deep within a palace, conducting a mysterious ritual that seemed to involve summoning a demon. 

Judging by the complexity and mystique of the summoning circle, the demon being summoned was no ordinary one. 

It was likely one of the 72 Pillar Demons. 

When the summoning circle erupted with light, Brynhildr felt a chilling aura. 

Then, a figure from the portal to Hell emerged, leaving her in awe—Beelzebub, the King of Hell. 

She had considered the possibility of him being summoned, but the odds seemed too low. 

Even though Solomon had acquired magical power, compared to the beings in myth, he was still too weak. It seemed impossible for him to summon a being of Beelzebub's calibre. 

Moreover, Beelzebub, as the proud King of Hell, wouldn't casually respond to a human's summons. 

It would be like a typical farmer summoning a king—an absurd notion. 

Yet, it had happened right before her eyes. 

This could only mean that Beelzebub had been compelled to appear, perhaps by that god's command. 

But wait, wasn't Beelzebub supposed to be an enemy of that god? Why would he obey such a command? 

Upon deeper investigation, Brynhildr had learned that Beelzebub had never truly escaped that god's control. 

His identity as a demon king was merely a facade, allowing that god to carry out unspeakable deeds. 

However, Beelzebub's reaction and conversation with Solomon shattered Brynhildr's assumptions. Beelzebub hadn't been summoned by that god's command. 

He had been summoned by Solomon himself. 

What shocked Brynhildr the most was that Solomon had deciphered two pages from a sacred text and used them to gain magical power. 

This was as unbelievable as a pig solving humanity's most complex mathematical problems. 

Now, it seemed Solomon had successfully convinced Beelzebub to collaborate. 

If so, the 72 Pillar Demons under Beelzebub's command would also obey Solomon. 

"Achoo!" 

Gray's sudden sneeze echoed loudly in the hall. 

Brynhildr's expression changed instantly, and she grabbed Gray, preparing to flee. 

No, that was the wrong move! 

She needed to exit this historical record immediately, so she summoned the Akashic System and prepared to log out as if leaving a virtual game. 

But when she realized her mistake and tried to correct it, it was too late. 

A terrifying power erupted from Beelzebub, instantly engulfing her. 

The power transcended the barriers of time and space, pinning her in place. 

It was as if a hand had reached through a plastic film, unable to pull her through but preventing her from leaving. 

It felt like being dragged into deep water, with immense pressure crushing her. 

"Oh? Who do we have here? Two demigods using the Akashic Records?" 

Beelzebub's voice was both amused and cold. 

Usually, demigods weren't allowed to enter the Akashic Records, so Beelzebub was curious about these two. 

As he increased the pressure, the empty space before him began to ripple irregularly. 

Gradually, two translucent figures emerged as if made of water. 

Though he couldn't see their true forms, Beelzebub could roughly guess their divine affiliation. 

"Valkyries from the Norse pantheon, are you?" 

Though he couldn't pull them into this era, he could trap them in this temporal layer, preventing them from returning to their own time. 

Narrowing his eyes, Beelzebub's gaze turned vicious. 

Normally, two Valkyries would panic under such circumstances, and the younger one was terrified. 

But the older Valkyrie remained calm, suggesting she had a backup plan. 

Was there someone else in the Akashic Records? A Norse god who could pull them back at any moment? 

Regardless, these two had overheard their conversation and had to be dealt with. 

Beelzebub prepared to unleash a devastating attack, even at the risk of temporal backlash, to shatter their souls. Even if their bodies returned to their original time, they would be empty husks. 

"Don't be hasty, Lord Beelzebub. They may not be enemies." 

Solomon's intervention made Beelzebub frown. 

What did this human mean? How could he be so sure? 

"Isn't that right, Brynhildr of the Norse Valkyries?" 

Solomon's words caused the older Valkyrie to be visibly startled. 

Beelzebub noticed her reaction and realized Solomon had guessed correctly. 

This was getting strange. How had Solomon known her identity? 

And how had he determined that Brynhildr wasn't an enemy? 

"Brynhildr, you've been observing me for some time, haven't you?" 

Beelzebub saw the Valkyrie's expression change again. Another correct guess. 

This was truly bizarre. 

Beelzebub had only noticed their presence because they had gotten too close and made too much noise. 

But how had Solomon known he was being observed? 

It was as if Solomon could see through the barriers of time and space—no, it was more like he could peer into the future. 

"Let me guess why you're observing me. You want to oppose the gods, don't you?" 

Beelzebub thought this was an obvious conclusion, given that Solomon had already deduced Brynhildr had been observing him and wasn't an enemy. 

But then Solomon spoke again, his tone playful. 

"Ragnarok, isn't it?" 

The Valkyrie's expression shifted dramatically. 

Ragnarok? 

In the Valhalla Constitution, a special clause—Article 62, Section 15—stipulated a one-on-one battle between gods and humans. It proposed a final struggle of 13 gods versus 13 humans, known as Ragnarok. 

Was that what Solomon was referring to? 

Beelzebub remembered that this clause was invoked during the Millennium Council's "Human Survival Conference," when the gods decided to end humanity's existence. It was humanity's last hope for survival. 

However, this clause has never been invoked since the dawn of humanity. 

The gods never believed it would be necessary, as humans could never defeat gods. It was a universal truth, an unbreakable law. 

So, had this Valkyrie come from a future where Ragnarok had been invoked? 

Had humanity finally been sentenced to extinction by the Valhalla Council? 

And had Brynhildr entered the Akashic Records to search through humanity's seven million years of history for individuals capable of opposing the gods? 

Was that it? 

As Solomon spoke, Brynhildr's expression shifted again, clearly startled. She seemed to be asking, "How do you know?" 

Though her voice couldn't penetrate the temporal barrier, Beelzebub could guess her words. 

Solomon's accurate prediction left Beelzebub even more astonished. It was as if Solomon possessed omniscience, like a god. 

If Solomon knew about Ragnarok, he must also have known about the Millennium Council and the Human Survival Conference. 

"So, Brynhildr, you're from the future. Not too distant, either. Let's see…" 

Solomon closed his eyes as if contemplating. 

Then he opened them, his gaze piercing through the fabric of reality. 

"You're from three thousand years in the future, correct?" 

Once again, Brynhildr's expression changed. Another correct guess. 

Solomon's performance gave Beelzebub the illusion that he was facing a being with godlike omniscience. 

At this moment, Beelzebub was more convinced than ever that Solomon's plan to slay the gods might succeed. 

"So, humanity has only three thousand years left? That seems like a long time." 

Solomon's tone was casual as if the fate of humanity didn't concern him. 

Beelzebub was slightly taken aback but not overly surprised. 

For beings like them, three thousand years was a blink of an eye, but for humans, it was an eternity. 

After all, humans were short-lived creatures, lucky to live a century. 

For Solomon, who hadn't broken free from the limitations of the human lifespan, three thousand years meant his bones would have turned to dust long before then. 

Even so, if Ragnarok were to occur now, Solomon could still intervene. 

But Beelzebub suspected that Solomon's goal wasn't to save humanity. 

Everything clicked into place. Solomon's true aim was to slay the gods on that stage! 

Though the current Solomon was no match for the gods, the Solomon summoned from history would be the complete version, having lived an entire lifetime. That Solomon would be far more powerful than the one before him now. 

Perhaps the fully summoned Solomon would indeed possess the power to slay gods. 

At this moment, Beelzebub felt a growing sense of dread. He felt as though he was making a deal with the devil. 

Wait, a deal with a devil? 

The thought made Beelzebub want to laugh at himself. 

Was he, the Great Demon King of Hell, actually feeling this way? 

"Brynhildr, I understand your purpose. You may leave now, but please refrain from spying on me in the future." 

Solomon's words were polite, but Brynhildr couldn't help but feel a chill. 

"Lord Beelzebub, let them go." 

"Are you sure, King Solomon?" 

This was the first time Beelzebub had addressed Solomon with such respect, placing him on equal footing. 

"Yes." 

With Solomon's confirmation, Beelzebub withdrew his power. 

The two translucent figures gradually faded, merging back into the fabric of space until they disappeared entirely. 

"Sister Brynhildr…" 

Gray's voice trembled as she looked at her sister, who remained motionless. The terrifying sensation of being touched by the finger of death had left her shaken. 

They wouldn't have been discovered if it hadn't been for her sudden sneeze. They had come so close to disaster. 

The power of Beelzebub, a being on par with the gods, was genuinely terrifying. 

"We apologize for the intrusion, King Solomon." 

Brynhildr gave a deep bow, her expression solemn. 

She had encountered yet another terrifying human, one who sent shivers down her spine. 

This human knew who she was and her purpose, and three thousand years later, Ragnarok would be invoked. 

It was as if there was nothing King Solomon didn't know. His godlike omniscience left her drenched in cold sweat. 

Though he appeared gentle and amiable, Brynhildr sensed no warmth in him. 

It was as if he were an anomaly wearing the skin of a human. 

Thus, when he politely warned her not to spy on him further, she knew better than to test his patience. 

As she gazed at the familiar surroundings, Gray, the youngest of the Valkyries from Norse mythology, felt a wave of relief wash over her. Her tense body finally relaxed, and as if all her strength had been drained, she slumped to the ground.

"Gray, what happened?" A gentle, melodious voice filled with concern reached her ears. Turning toward the source, Gray's eyes fell upon a beautiful figure.

Her long, shimmering brown hair cascaded down her back, her delicate features soft and serene, her skin pale and almost translucent. She wore a simple yet elegant dress that accentuated her slender figure, reminiscent of her elder sister, Brynhildr. This woman radiated a warmth that instantly soothed Gray's frayed nerves.

"Sister Randgríðr, it's nothing... I was just scared," Gray replied, her voice trembling slightly.

Randgríðr, the fourth eldest of the thirteen Valkyrie sisters, was known for her gentle and nurturing nature. Her presence alone was enough to dispel the fear that had gripped Gray's heart.

"Scared? Don't worry, little sister. I'm here now. I'll protect you," Randgríðr said softly, pulling Gray into a comforting embrace. She didn't press for details about what had frightened her youngest sister. Instead, she simply held her, allowing the warmth of her presence to calm Gray's racing heart.

Randgríðr then turned her gaze toward Brynhildr, the eldest of the Valkyries. Brynhildr's face, which had been tense, now relaxed as well.

"Sister, are you alright?" Randgríðr asked, her voice laced with concern.

Brynhildr had been working tirelessly to prevent the gods from bringing about the end of humanity. Her determination was both admirable and worrisome to Randgríðr. While she would never try to stop Brynhildr, she couldn't help but worry for her sister's well-being.

Unlike the gods, the Valkyries had always been closer to humanity. They couldn't stand idly by and watch as the gods decided to bring about Ragnarok—the end of the world.

"I'm fine," Brynhildr replied, shaking her head. She had just realized something important. The previous intrusion of one of the Four Cardinal Rulers in the Akashic Records had been deliberate. Their goal was to make her aware of the existence of King Solomon, who had commanded the 72 Demon Pillars, and they wanted her to summon him.

And now, she had succeeded.

"Ahahaha! Hahahaha!" Brynhildr suddenly burst into laughter, clutching her face. Her laughter was tinged with a hint of madness, causing Gray and Randgríðr to exchange worried glances.

"Sister..." Gray whispered, her voice trembling.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. In fact, I'm ecstatic! We're one step closer to achieving our goal!" Brynhildr exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with determination.

First, there was Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes, a human whose power was beyond comprehension. And now, Solomon, the King of Magic, had once commanded the 72 Demon Pillars and even the Demon Kings. If the gods, unaware of their true strength, sent lesser deities to face them during Ragnarok, they would be annihilated.

It was almost like a game of chess—a battle of strategy. The gods, in their arrogance, would reveal their chosen champions, and Brynhildr could then decide who to send against them. She could do the same if the gods tried to change their lineup at the last moment. But the real challenge would be the final battles, where the strongest would clash.

However, Brynhildr knew that Gilgamesh, with his pride and arrogance, would never follow her orders. He would choose his own opponents, likely targeting the strongest among the gods. As for Solomon, while he appeared calm and reasonable, he was not one to quickly enter the fray.

Suddenly, Brynhildr's expression darkened as a thought crossed her mind. She reached out, and a book materialized in her hands—The Key of Solomon. Initially, she believed this book to be nothing more than a medieval grimoire written by humans who sought to glorify Solomon's legend by adding mythical elements. But now, she realized it was far more significant.

She needed to study it carefully to uncover its secrets about Solomon's true power and what had happened to him after his reign.

No longer in the Akashic Records, Brynhildr found herself in the mortal world, standing before the ruins of Solomon's ancient palace. The modern world buzzed around her, a stark contrast to the ancient magic she sought.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the site of the ancient palace built during the reign of King Solomon..." A tour guide's voice echoed in the background as she led a group of tourists through the ruins.

Brynhildr and her sisters stood before a stone wall, the very one they had seen in the historical records—a gateway to another dimension. Brynhildr placed her hand on the wall and closed her eyes, focusing her senses.

When she opened them again, a look of confusion crossed her face.

"Well? What did you find, Sister Brynhildr?" Gray asked anxiously.

"It's just an ordinary wall. There's no trace of magic here," Brynhildr replied, her voice tinged with disappointment.

The space that had once been created by the power of the 72 Demon Pillars was gone. Without the pillars, the dimension had collapsed. But what puzzled Brynhildr was how Solomon's grand plan—to create an army of mages—had vanished without a trace. There were no records of a war between his forces and the gods. It would have been impossible to hide if such a conflict had occurred.

What had happened to Solomon's army? The answer, she suspected, lay within the pages of The Key of Solomon.

As she flipped through the book, she found nothing useful until she reached the final pages. There, written in bold letters, was a prophecy:

"After 3,000 years, the Magical Kingdom shall descend."

The Magical Kingdom? Where was it? Brynhildr didn't have the luxury of waiting 3,000 years to find out. She needed to return to the Akashic Records and continue her search for the remaining eleven champions. Time was running out. If finding the next candidate took as long as the previous two, Ragnarok would begin before she was ready.