Hero? I'm just here to borrow power!

He slowly removed the one-eyed mask from his face, a mask he had worn for thousands of years.

The face hidden by the mask looked to be only about thirty years old.

He was much younger than the white-haired, one-eyed god-king in myths and legends.

His eyes were contrasting: one shone like flowing gold, while the other was dim and lifeless, like a star that had died many years ago.

This seems inconsistent with the description in the myth. According to legend, Odin had already sacrificed his right eye to the Well of Wisdom.

However, at that very moment, something unexpected happened.

His right eye, which had been dull and lifeless, suddenly burst forth with a crimson-gold light far more dazzling and profound than the golden pupil in his left eye.

That was the color of the eyes that no known dragon had ever possessed.

Even Lu Mingze, who frequently made deals with Bai Ye in the Nibelungen, never possessed it.

Only at this moment, in the same Arctic Ocean as him, does the true form of the Black King Nidhogg possess this supreme dragon eye of such color.

This is the ultimate proof of existence!

Odin's body was dissolving. Even with the power of multiple dragon kings, his body could not bear the power of the Black King. However, he no longer needed his physical body. Under the protection of the power of multiple dragon kings, his consciousness was heading towards the body that should have originally belonged to the Black King.

Lu Mingze's judgment was wrong.

Odin did not fail to complete the entire path to godhood. Rather, like Lu Mingze, he was an ancient being who could also sense the constant cycle of this world.

Throughout countless reincarnations, he had carefully concealed the fact that he had already acquired the wisdom belonging to the Black King.

All this is to wait for the appearance of Bai Ye, the only variable who does not belong to this world.

Waiting for that moment when he will pierce through the Black King's indestructible, eternal shell.

Odin lacked the courage to become the new Black King.

His physical body simply cannot successfully undergo transformation. He will die at the final step of the true path to godhood.

That was the true "Ragnarok" for him.

But he doesn't have to become the new Black King!

After this monster, a giant fish, awakens, possessing the power of the Black King but lacking his wisdom.

Use the powerful "tool" of White Night to shatter the Black King's hard shell.

Then, using the complete wisdom of the Black King that he possessed, and with the supreme authority of the Black King, he forcibly allowed his consciousness to enter the body.

Seize this perfect body, born from the will of the entire planet!

Just then, Bai Ye's body was severely overloaded due to the continuous release of the Illusion Sword, forcing him to temporarily stop attacking to recover his strength.

He suddenly realized.

Accompanied by an ancient aura that was both incredibly unfamiliar and incredibly noble, it forcefully surged into the Black King's body.

His enormous dragon eyes, which had originally only held the murky instincts of a wild beast, were now gradually becoming brighter.

The Tide of the Black Moon: Chapter 161 Overwhelming Hope!

The day of destiny will eventually come, and Odin will surely fall at Ragnarok.

Then let yourself become Ragnarok.

Bai Ye gazed at the colossal creature before him, a black fish that snaked like a mountain range, but deep within its eerie dragon eyes, he sensed a hint of triumphant satisfaction.

That colossal creature, which seemed to have only ever been passively attacked since time immemorial, finally moved.

For the first time, the sluggish body burst forth with the light of consciousness, launching a counterattack against the white night.

The colossal body, stretching across the horizon like a shadow, suddenly flipped over at speeds dozens of times faster than sound. Its massive tail tore through the air with a thunderous roar, striking the white night that was suspended in mid-air with tremendous force.

It wasn't being hit, but rather being struck head-on by a star falling from outer space.

A bright red flower of blood exploded in the air, and Bai Ye's figure, like a kite with a broken string, was slammed into the depths of the icy sea by that irresistible force.

No need for incantations or manipulation of elements.

As a planetary-level being, Nidhogg's body itself is the ultimate weapon.

Its density and mass are a miracle beyond human scientific imagination; every swing of its arms distorts gravity.

Without exaggeration, if he were to strike the continental shelf with his body at this moment, the energy released would be no less than that of the impact that ended the age of dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

That is extinction itself.

Everyone who watched this scene via satellite surveillance suffered a sudden cardiac arrest.

True despair is not the absence of hope.

Hope ignites like a spark, only to be mercilessly extinguished by an unseen hand.

Just now, the moment Bai Ye pierced the Black King's outer shell with twelve phantom swords, flames ignited in the hearts of countless people.

They believed that this monster, which should not exist in the world, would eventually be punished by another hero who should not exist in the world.

But at this moment, when Nidhogg launched his counterattack, they finally understood the insurmountable barrier between monsters.

Yes, Bai Ye is very strong, stronger than any logic. He can destroy Tokyo with a single sword strike, and a series of strikes can wipe out an entire country.

But the enemy he faced was one that couldn't even be measured by the concept of "common sense".

That was a planetary calamity, a deity whose unconscious breath was enough to cleanse the entire planet's ecosystem.

Even the dragon race, which once enslaved the world and regarded all living beings as ants, trembled before its progenitor.

He's far too extraordinary as a monster.

The destruction of the world seems inevitable.

……

Kassel College Operations Command Center.

A dead silence.

The hearts of everyone who had been hanging in suspense finally sank to the cold seabed.

Professor Manstein slumped in his chair, and the executive director Schneider's face, which was always as cold as an ice sculpture, was now filled with only ashen despair.

Only the principal, Angers, was absent.

At this moment, the old man who was always burning with passion has changed into a black suit.

Holding his personal folding knife, he boarded his private plane and, like an arrow released from a bow, resolutely headed for the Arctic.

This was akin to a moth drawn to a flame, yet his expression was solemn, his eyes calm. It was as if he were not going to a certain death in battle, but rather to attend a grand funeral that should have been held long ago.

……

Japan, the Snake-Headed Eight Families.

The Kaguya-hime system is still operational; it is one of the few remaining electronic hubs in Japan that are still functioning since the Battle of the White King.

The nation's attention was focused on that battlefield in the far north.

The long-standing grudge between Genjiro and Genjiro has been resolved in the White King's illusion. The brothers stand side by side, while Erii and Natsumi stand quietly behind them, watching the unprecedented battle together.

As Bai Ye's illusory sword pierced through the Black King's body time and time again, the surviving members of the Snake Clan erupted in hoarse cheers. They had indeed once regarded Bai Ye as a monster, but now they were glad that this monster had become so monstrous.

Only Erii and Natsumi remained silent.

Erii is not good with words. Even though the shackles on her body have been removed by the "transformation of inaction", she still prefers to communicate with the world through that small notebook.

Xia Mi is different.

The lively girl fell silent at this moment because, as the Dragon Queen, she could most truly feel the power of the creator, a power that could freeze one's soul.

However, things took an unexpected turn in the direction she feared most.

As blood blossomed on the screen and Bai Ye's figure disappeared into the sea, Xia Mi's power completely spiraled out of control.

A mournful, inhuman roar echoed through the castle tower. The power of Jormungandr, the Dragon King, broke free from its restraints, and the girl's figure vanished instantly into the distorted air.

Erii's reaction was completely different.

Her face was pale, but she still stared at the screen.

There was no fear in those beautiful crimson eyes, only absolute focus.

She held a game controller tightly in her small hands, as if she were quietly waiting for someone to return and continue the unfinished promise.

He won't lose.

If he can tear through the atmosphere like a comet and return from space to save himself, he will surely be able to defeat any enemy.

Believe it.

Belief needs no reason.

The girl said to herself.

……

The whale's song echoes throughout the Arctic.

The song was ancient and grand, as if it originated from the beginning of the universe.

It celebrates victory; it praises strength.

A giant black fish writhed in the icy sea, and an ancient roar emanated from its body.

Once upon a time, that terrifying enemy who could kill half of his power clone with a single blow is now like a summer insect, easily crushed into dust with a casual swipe.

How could this not be delightful?

That Ragnarok, which was destined to destroy him, has now become the final stepping stone to his immortal throne.

How could one not be intoxicated by one's own amazing wisdom?

At this moment, the Black King Nidhogg... no, it is the Black King Odin.

With a voice like a whale's song, he transformed his plans and victories into a torrent of spirit, forcefully pouring it into the minds of every living thing in this world.

Ah, such a perfect victory, such an ingenious plan. The only regret is that, having become a planetary-level being, there is no longer any opponent to confide in.

The only being on this planet that could harm itself is dead.

The remaining humans and dragons were nothing more than dust that could be crushed at any moment.

Joy and loneliness echoed alternately in this magnificent whale song.

"I see……"

A voice that should have terrified the soul suddenly came from the depths of the sea.

The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly cut into Odin's solo opera.

"I thought I had saved Chu Zihang's father, but it turns out he was still taken away by you."

The sounds from underwater seemed to have gleaned all the secrets from Odin's song.

"Old Tang's death was your doing."

"Kassel College, you are the one who tried to assassinate me."

"It was you who lured Herzog."

"It was you who nearly caused Erii to be devoured by the White King."

"The one who awakened the spirits Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi in the Takamagahara at the bottom of the sea, and who tried to kill Natsumi, is still you."

The voice spoke with such familiarity that each line caused a barely perceptible pause in Odin's whale song.

"And now, the one who seizes the Black King's body, escapes Ragnarok, and destroys the world is you."

The words grew colder with each one.

As the final accusation fell, a beam of light was born in the pitch-black depths of the Arctic sea.

What an intense light it was...

If the arrival of the Black King was characterized by overwhelming, suffocating despair.

And now, the light rising from the deep sea...

that is...

Unreasonable, absolute, overwhelming hope!