You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

"Oh, Berserker... unlike those guys, you seem pretty smart."

Iori smiled slightly at Cú Chulainn's teasing.

There's probably not much to say about who Cú Chulainn is. The legends of "Cú Chulainn's Hounds," "The Red Branch Knights," and "The Bull-Taking" are famous throughout the world, especially in Europe, and are comparable to those of King Arthur.

Cú Chulainn is best known as a Lancer, which is also his most powerful form. However, as a hero who is proficient in various martial arts and has made many achievements, he, like Heracles, has multiple class affinities.

Aside from warrior-type characters like Saber, Lancer, Rider, and Berserker, he can also be summoned as the Caster class, which doesn't quite fit the general perception.

Although he is best known for his bravery on the battlefield, he is actually a druid who is proficient in Celtic natural magic, a standard dual practitioner of magic and martial arts.

Not to mention that he also learned runes from a certain purple-haired old... beautiful girl.

Not long after Iori arrived at this floor, she wandered around and, as if drawn by fate, encountered this melee Caster. Perhaps because of the change in class, this Cú Chulainn was very easy to get along with, and the two quickly established initial trust.

Afterwards, Iori followed the great Celtic hero across the steep ridge, heading towards the other side of the hilly area.

As they reached the summit, Iori stopped, gazing at the magnificent scenery that stretched before her, and sighed for a moment:

Here, there are endless mountain ranges and vast lands, bearing a striking resemblance to some landscapes on Earth. However, there is one huge difference: this place is covered by an immeasurable amount of ice and snow, making it feel like the polar regions.

The position of the sun in the sky tells Iori that this place is actually quite close to the equator in terms of latitude, yet this is the scene before her...

This is an anomaly that cannot be observed in phantoms on Earth; ice and snow that have existed for thousands of years have frozen the entire world.

As Iori traveled, she discovered that there was no longer any prosperous human civilization on the vast land; the few remaining life forms were magical beasts scattered everywhere.

To combat the severe cold, even the magical beasts have shown signs of evolution. Although their types are quite similar to those encountered in the singularities, they are much larger and many are covered with thick fur.

Apart from that, there seemed to be nothing here except for ice and snow and the intense sunlight that made people dizzy... The sunlight shone on the ground as if it were reflected in a mirror, making people feel disoriented.

——【Human Reason Frozen】

If Iori is correct, this should be one of the Lostbelts that appeared after Humanity was frozen in the so-called second part of FGO.

Strictly speaking, it should be the first two Lostbelts: Russia and Northern Europe.

Because although it's nominally called "Humanity Freeze," the two aforementioned apocalyptic timelines are the ones that are truly in a state of ice and snow.

Where have all the residents gone?

Iori followed Cú Chulainn to a long-abandoned village. Although there was no sign of any living people, the houses were well-preserved and there were no signs of a battle, which made him very curious.

"This is a fragment of the Lostbelt."

Cú Chulainn said nonchalantly, "This world was originally meant to be eradicated, but it was forcibly propped up by certain forces. After the Lostbelt King was defeated and the Imaginary Tree was cut down, it lost the power to maintain the world's operation and naturally it was destroyed."

"destroy?"

Iori looked around.

"It's strange, isn't it? Why does it look like it's been 'destroyed' even though it's clearly been 'destroyed'?"

Cú Chulainn turned and glanced at Iori: "The destruction I'm talking about doesn't refer to violent means like floods or asteroids."

The destruction of Lostbelts won't be as dramatic as depicted in myths, but rather... in modern terms, it's like a game gradually losing popularity.

With fewer and fewer players and less and less buzz, it gradually disappeared from the public eye. When people no longer remember it, that's when it was physically 'cut off'.

The Lostbelts are the same; there's no killing or natural disaster, people just disappear without anyone noticing. Like an old person whose time has come, once their eyes close, they will never open them again.

The destruction of the world is not a loud 'boom,' but eternal silence.

"So, this is the Lostbelt that Chaldea has already conquered?"

"Yes, the records of [Mooncell] can reopen this completely closed world line, but human souls cannot be recreated. People who have disappeared can never come back."

So, these villages that you see here came to be…

Iori remained silent for a moment before asking after they had passed through the village, "Are you taking me to the base? How much further?"

"What, are you getting impatient?"

Cú Chulainn chuckled and said, "That's not good, considering this is only a third of the way."

"One-third? But we're already gone..."

Iori frowned slightly. "Why did you leave the base so far away?"

"I wouldn't have met you if I hadn't done this."

Cú Chulainn spread his hands, saying helplessly, "Someone calculated that that area is connected to other worlds. If anything can break the seal on this doomsday world, it should appear from there... And sure enough, I've waited for it!"

"Who is it? Is it also a Chaldea Servant?"

"Of course, there are quite a few formidable figures at our base."

As Cu Chulainn walked along the ice path, his back to Iori, he said, "And everyone, including myself, is waiting for the right opportunity, the right person."

"What does it mean?"

"You only get one chance."

Cú Chulainn turned around and looked at Iori seriously: "If you want to go to the upper levels, you only have one chance!"

"The Lord of this closed world is Surt, the Fire Giant King!"

In a small house, the queen, dressed in a magnificent purple dress, sat on a simple wooden stool. Although she was in a narrow and dimly lit ordinary room, her calm and reserved demeanor made it seem as if she were receiving envoys from foreign countries in a palace.

"But if you want to defeat him and go to higher places, that's absolutely impossible."

The speaker is named Skadi, the Norse goddess of winter, who, for some reason, bears the same appearance as Scáthach, the queen of the Land of Shadows.

(Actually, her hair color is slightly lighter, and because she is not a martial artist, her body is more flexible—simply put, her breasts are larger.)

She was originally the Queen of the Norse Lostbelt, the sole deity ruling this closed world, and the great enemy of Chaldea!

However, she is no longer the Queen of the Lostbelts, but was summoned to Chaldea as a Caster. After this incident, she took the initiative to gather the Servants scattered in various places, forming a force of resistance.

Besides Cú Chulainn and Skadi, there was another berserker in the hut—Beowulf.

It is said that two other Servants are still wandering outside, searching for someone who can break the deadlock, just like Cú Chulainn. They haven't had time to return yet. Their real names are Brunhilde and Sigurd.

Yes, except for Cú Chulainn, all Servants are from Norse mythology!

Even Cú Chulainn himself actually had some connection to the Nordic peoples...

In a sense, they were playing on home turf this time. Given Sigurd and others' fame in Northern Europe, they should have been invincible... Unfortunately, the enemy also had a home-field advantage, and it was much greater than theirs!

The Flame Giant Surtur is a demon king who will burn the entire world in the final moments of Ragnarok. He is a planetary doomsday device that embodies the word "destruction"!

That is not something that can be dealt with by mere Servants, even if there is a numerical advantage!

"Moreover, even if you could actually pierce the giant's heart, you still wouldn't achieve your goal."

"Why?"

Iori was puzzled. "After defeating the [Lord], you can take the shuttle to the upper level. Doesn't that rule apply here?"

"It's established, but this layer is somewhat special."

Skadi paused, then stretched out her slender, pale hand. Several runes floated in the air, projecting a spiral staircase made up of glowing marbles.

"Each gem represents a fragment of a world. Although they appear chaotic, they are independent of each other and have a clear hierarchical relationship. Each level contains multiple worlds, so there are many different combinations of climbing routes, but they all eventually lead to this place."

Because taking just one more step will lead to the end of the stairs, and this is the final obstacle before the finish line!

Upon hearing this, Iori became excited: "So, as long as we defeat Surtur, we can see the final boss?"

"That's how it is in theory, but the mastermind behind all this also thought of this, so this layer was never intended for anyone to pass through."

The so-called "Lord" promotion system was originally just legacy data. Although it would be troublesome to abolish it directly, it wouldn't be difficult to manipulate it.

This level retains the path upwards, but the [Lord] itself has been modified.

"Surute?"

Iori had no idea what else the Flame Giant King could possibly need to be modified; its original strength was already quite high!

"How much has it been enhanced?"

"No, it has been weakened."

Skadi explained, "In the Lostbelt, Surt broke the limitations of mythology after devouring the demon wolf Fenrir, becoming a great being who could simultaneously control eternal ice and world-destroying fire."

But now, Surtr, who serves as [Lord], has not only not been strengthened, but someone has also deliberately separated him from Fenrir, making him exist as two independent individuals.

Iori frowned: "Why is that?"

"To ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Cú Chulainn continued, "Although the two are separated, an invisible connection still exists. If we kill Surtr, Fenrir will automatically become the new Lord, and will no longer target us, but will directly begin to destroy this world!"

"..."

"Conversely, if Fenrir is killed beforehand, then Surtr will also begin to destroy the world. And whichever of the two dies, the remaining one will receive a significant boost in stats, approaching the strength of Ragnarok."

Therefore, to reach the upper levels, both must be eliminated simultaneously; otherwise, leaving either one alive... it's impossible for us to kill the enhanced World Destroyer in a short time.

Skadi pointed out the most crucial issue: "That's why we haven't taken any action and have just been waiting here."

Clearly, they didn't have the ability to kill two bosses at the same time. Although the Servant lineup led by Skadi was already quite good, if they were split into two teams, they would only be slaughtered by Surtr and Fenrir.

(And no one can benefit from her green support buff.)

“I have a general understanding of the situation… but I don’t understand, how did you know these things?”

Iori was quite curious.

Reality isn't a game. You won't be given a walkthrough before you start a dungeon. Where did Skadi and the others find out things like "the survivor gets stronger when one dies"?

"It's a baby."

Without hiding anything, Skadi said, "She came to this floor earlier, wanting to climb up like you, seemingly unhappy that someone had taken the [Mooncell]."

Surtr and Fenrir's special abilities were designed by [Mooncell], and BB obtained this secret information through his privileges... He originally intended to cooperate with us to eliminate these two monsters.

Iori understood the unspoken meaning: "What about BB now?"

"They've disappeared. Although I'm more inclined to believe they were captured or killed, it's safe to say they're missing. Sita from our team has also disappeared... Otherwise, having an extra archer would have made the battle much easier."

Sita!

Iori immediately recalled Rama's last words, and felt a slight surge of excitement... before calming down.

Saving the world is naturally a more meaningful task than helping Rama find a wife!

Let's prioritize public interests over private ones. Let's restore Chaldea to its original state first, and then consider other matters.

"So, what do you need me to do in the upcoming operations?"

"Simple. We'll split into two teams. One team, led by Siegfried, will attack Fenrir, and you'll lead the other team—"

Go and kill Surut!

"what?"

Chapter 299 You are not allowed to participate in the Spirit Particle Transfer!

After a strategic meeting, it was decided that the Norse husband-and-wife team of Sigurd and Brunhilde, along with Skadi, would lead the attack on Fenrir. The task of defeating Surtr fell to Iori, Cú Chulainn, and Beowulf.

It looks quite balanced, with two warriors and one magician as the main combination. However, everyone knows that Surtur is stronger than the other two bosses, so Iori should be the main force.

That alone is not enough. The power of the gods far surpasses that of the Servants, even if each of them is a top-tier Servant, there is still a huge difference.

It's important to understand that Surtr and Fenrir were monsters that brought about the end of the world, and together with Jormungandr, the Midgard Serpent, and Nidhogg, the black dragon, they marked the end of Norse mythology. Even in the distant age of the gods, they were beings feared by the gods.

Of course, just as Sigurd and others' Servant forms are not as powerful as they were in life, this Surt in the Lostbelt fragment is not the original form of the Gods' Calamity that burned Asgard, but merely an existence summoned by [Mooncell].

The gap in strength is still huge, but it's not hopeless. If they fight desperately, there might still be a glimmer of hope.

In order to seize this slim possibility, Skadi brought out a rune called "Divine Mark".

Runes are a highly versatile form of runic magic, and they have been passed down even in the modern era when mysticism has declined. However, interestingly, not many magicians choose to delve into them; only a few ancient families and genius scholars seriously study them.

This is because, while runes are extremely convenient as a form of magic (no incantation required, they take effect immediately upon being inscribed), they have a flaw that modern magicians have been unable to overcome:

Runes are related to divinity!

The higher the divinity, the stronger the runes inscribed; conversely, if it is a mortal without divinity, the power is only slightly stronger than ordinary magic.

This explains why, in Norse mythology, the dwarves, despite being extremely skilled in forging and runes, were oppressed by various giants and gods—the fundamental reason being that their physical bodies were not as powerful as the gods.

Skadi possesses a high degree of divinity, and even a single rune she inscribes can surpass an A-rank Grand Magic, raising its power to EX rank—a level of strength that Empress Semiramis could only achieve with the blessing of the Hanging Gardens.

The "God Imprint" she brought out this time is even stronger than her own!