Shadow's Hand - Chapter 26: A Confrontation

In the world of Norse mythology, a human boy falls in love with Waltraute, the fourth Valkyrie sister. He wishes to marry her, but Waltraute gives him an impossible challenge to deter him.

Nevertheless, the boy is determined to carry out the dangerous task and to marry Waltraute afterwards.

On earth, Felix is just a normal guy, a bit of a loner but otherwise normal. In the multiverse, under the rule of The System, he's a caster. Fascinated by magic and hungry to learn, grow and discover, this series follows Felix on his adventures through the integration and beyond.

“Xavier Lancaster, the richest and most influential man on Earth, lives by one simple motto: 'Money First'. A brilliant strategist, ruthless businessman, and master negotiator, he built an unshakable financial empire. But when a mysterious incident transports him to a medieval world on the brink of collapse, he finds himself… the ruler of a weak and crumbling kingdom.Faced with corrupt nobles, hostile neighbors, and a shattered economy, Xavier decides to use the one thing he knows best: the law of the market. Armed with his cunning, modern strategies, and cutthroat business sense, he turns every problem into an opportunity and every enemy into an investment.His goal? To become the richest and most powerful emperor this world has ever seen. But in a land where strength rules and magic exists, will money really be enough to buy everything?Get ready to witness the rise of a man who’s ready to put a price on the throne itself.”

Ethan's head throbbed violently as he opened his eyes, his vision hazy and unfocused. A dull ringing filled his ears, drowning out his thoughts.“What’s happening…?” he thought, his mind sluggish, struggling to catch up with reality. One moment, he was asleep—or at least, he thought he was—and the next, searing pain forced him awake.His vision swam, shapes blurring together in a disorienting mess. But then, muffled noises filtered through the haze—frantic, panicked sounds. Someone was trying to scream, their voice smothered, choked by something.A cold shiver ran down his spine.As his sight gradually sharpened, Ethan's breath hitched.He was on all fours, looming over someone. A girl.Her body twisted and writhed beneath him, ropes biting into her wrists and ankles. Her mouth was gagged, muffling her cries. Her wide brown eyes, brimming with fear and fury, glared up at him.Ethan's body locked in place, his blood running cold.“What the…?” His mind reeled, thoughts slamming into each other in chaotic disarray. “What kind of bizarre dream is this?”Panic clawed at his chest. His breath came in ragged, uneven gasps as he scrambled backward, only to realize his limbs felt sluggish, uncooperative, like they didn’t belong to him.“Is this… is this some kind of twisted fantasy I never knew I had?” A sickening thought slithered through his mind, making his stomach churn.The girl's frantic squirming slowed for a moment, her gaze flickering with confusion as she took in his expression—his trembling hands, his wide, horrified eyes. But the fear returned just as quickly. She struggled harder, her body arching, her muffled screams rising in pitch.Ethan wanted to speak, to say something, anything, but before he could force out a word, a glowing blue window materialized before his eyes.His breath caught.A translucent, hovering screen?“What…?”Lines of glowing text scrolled across its surface.---[System Activated…][Host Confirmed.][Simulating Previous Data…]Ethan awakens in a mysterious world, shackled by a curse that clouds his judgment and drives him toward choices he never wished to make. Burdened by guilt and responsibility, he must navigate the fallout of his actions while unraveling the truth behind the curse—and his place in this enigmatic new reality.