-Did you have any problems?- asked Ottar
Viggo saw his brother wearing a sword over his right shoulder. His bear ears and large stature attracted attention, otherwise, he looked like an average adventurer.
-Something like that- Viggo replied with an uncomfortable smile.
They were advancing through the third floor of the dungeon with an atmosphere like the tunnels of a mine. It was around eight o'clock in the morning and they could be on the fifth floor, but Viggo arrived late thanks to a small conversation with his wives, who were not very happy that he and Ottar were immersed in the dungeon.
Viggo was dressed as usual, Kiara's necklace around his neck with a celestial stone hanging from the links. The naked torso, the thick belt with the lion's head in the center, red tunic from the waist to the knees and leather boots. From his back hung a quiver with arrows and in his hands, he carried a black metal bow.
-Here comes one- said Viggo, catching a small shadow advancing through the tunnel. He drew an arrow, tightened the rope, aimed, and shot. The arrow flew forming an arc and stuck in the monster's head. Because of the poor illumination his appearance was a mystery, but as he fell to the ground, his body vanished, and a purple stone fell. Viggo looked at Ottar with a smile and said -you should keep that, unless necessary, I doubt you need to occupy a weapon to defeat the monsters to the 20th floor-
-You're right- said Ottar, nodded and channeled mana to the ring with a blue stone in his right hand, which absorbed the sword and left him empty-handed.
They continued walking through the stone tunnel and as they encountered the monsters, Viggo killed them with an arrow to the head. It doesn't matter if it was two, three, four or even five. Viggo could take an equal number of arrows and shoot them at once without missing a target.
Ottar was watching the show. Inside Orario it was said that the best archers were elves, but he doubted that anyone was as good as his brother. They came out of the tunnels to reach a kind of deep precipice with a spiral staircase attached to the wall. Several meters below were five adventurers climbing. Viggo and Ottar went down the spiral staircase and ran into the guys, staring at them, but they didn't say anything to them.
Once Ottar and Viggo left the adventurers behind, Ottar commented -the baby you took into your home-
-That I adopt- Viggo corrected.
-Did you adopt him?- asked Ottar somewhat surprised.
-Yes, I adopted him, I can't tell you reason because it involves many things but adopt him in my family. I hope you will be kind to him-
Ottar sighed and nodded –I hope you're a better father than a brother– he said.
-I expect the same too- said Viggo -What did you want to know about the child?-
Ottar looked at the stone stairs, with torches at the height of the meter with eighty centimeters. The abyss on the left side threw a dry and dirty air, annoying to his good sense of smell. In addition to looking like an endless cesspool.
-Nothing- said Ottar.
-Come on, don't start like this- Viggo said with a smile. In his left hand he carried the bow and with the back of his hand, he gave a slight blow on the shoulder to Ottar -you are no longer a child-
-They say Zeus stole an adventurer's baby- continued Otar -Is it the baby?-
-Yes- Viggo said quietly as he understood where the conversation was headed -I killed Zeus-
Ottar stopped, so did Viggo. Both looked into each other's eyes, having a little conversation with their eyes. Ottar shook his head and said -Viggo is still the same as always, getting into trouble, Was there a good reason?-
-Yes, there was- said Viggo with a frown -it was related to the future and the child-
-What kind of future? What did you see?-
-I can't tell you-
-It's because of Lady Freya-
-Don't be idiots, you know not, I trusted you and would tell you if I could but knowing about the future can be dangerous. All you must know is that I'm moving for everyone's future. Even yours-
-I understand- said Ottar, take a deep breath and kept going down the spiral staircase.
-When I need it, I will speak to you, for now we must become strong. More than Jason and the others, more than Dad-
-So much?- asked Ottar stopping and turning his face to look at Viggo. Being stronger than Jason and the others was already a good goal but being strong like Kain were already big words. He was talking about the only person who fought three level eight at the same time and beat them.
-So strong, brother- Viggo said with a sly smile -You can do it?-
Ottar stared at Viggo seriously for a few seconds, he couldn't believe his say, but after seeing that Viggo looked at him seriously despite having that silly smile on his lips, Ottar nodded.
-Okay, is there a time limit?-
-I don't know yet, but let's think about a career fifteen years from now. Whoever first becomes God will be the victor-
Ottar smiled and chuckled -you say it like it's easy. In that aspect, don't you have the advantage?-
-Yes, but will you give up without a fight?-
-Of course not, idiot-
-That's better let's continue- Viggo said.
-Yes- said Ottar.
Viggo went down the spiral staircase until they reached Ottar, and both continued descending into the dungeon. Until they reached the seventeenth floor, where the Goliath was hidden under a layer of glass on the wall. The place was spacious, barren and with rocky walls and roof. Viggo and Ottar stopped five hundred meters away from the monster.
Viggo made a gesture with his right hand, where he had his ring so that he quidded with arrows and the bow were stored. Then he made another gesture and took out a small coin of a valis -Heads or tails?- he asked
Ottar stared at him, grimaced in annoyance, and replied -you take care of this thing-
-Come on, don't be boring- Viggo insisted -heads or tails?-
-Why do you always drag me into this?- complained Ottar with little desire to fight the Goliath on the seventeenth floor. It was a good exercise, but at this point in life it had ceased to be a challenge.
-Because if not everything would be boring, let's go, heads or tails?-
-I don't want to-
-Ok, Dad always says that if you don't choose on your own, someone else will choose for you- said Viggo, tossing the coin in the air spinning, but Ottar caught it in the air and held it in his hand. Viggo stared at him with a smile as Ottar frowned.
-Heads or tails?- asked Ottar holding the coin in his hand
-Head- replied Viggo in good spirits.
Ottar was a little upset with Viggo for forcing him into these games, but he let out a sigh, placed the back of his left fist horizontally and deposited the coin in his right hand. Ottar raised his hand and was crossed.
-I knew it, you did something to the coin- complained Ottar
Viggo laughed and replied -what are you talking about, you caught it and flipped it over, it's your bad luck-
-Damn, you're a cheater, I'm sure you did something to it- continued Ottar, took the coin and looked at it from both sides, everything seemed in order, he even put it in his mouth and bit it with his teeth to know if it was real or Viggo had done something to it, but no, the coin was ordinary.
-Come on, go play with the Goliath- said Viggo, pointing to the index finger of his right hand.
-Damn cheater- Ottar said and threw the coin at him, but Viggo moved his face to the side and the coin passed by. Ottar frowned, made a gesture with his right hand, where was the ring Kain gave him and made his sword appear. Then he walks ahead wanting to erase Viggo's smile from his stupid face. However, within seconds Viggo caught up with him carrying the leviathan axe in his right hand.
-Hey, don't start, this is my problem- Ottar said in a bad mood.
-Come on, come on, don't be a bad loser- Viggo replied with a big smile -you may be a loser, but that's not why your brother is going to leave you alone-
-You're so annoying, I don't like how you say things-
-Say what you want, whoever strikes the last blow to the Goliath, wins. If you lose, you will have to go clean all the of the road to the twenty-fifth floor.
Viggo began trotting in the direction of the huge glass wall where the Goliaht was trapped.
Ottar stared at him for a few seconds, but then he remembered how much annoying the monsters on the lower floors were –hey, you're cheating again- he screamed. Ottar jumped forward, overtaking Viggo and running at a higher speed.
Viggo smiled at the sight of Ottar excitedly and also quickened his pace. Both began to run at the same speed, looking at each other every few meters and smiling.
When they were a hundred meters away the Goliath was activated, and the glass wall began to fall apart. The Goliath let out a bestial roar that reverberated all over the floor, but that did not intimidate Viggo and Ottar, who put all their efforts into running. The Goliath stepped out of the glass wall and walked at a slow pace. However, before he could do anything. Viggo and Ottar jumped at the same time rising several tens of meters above the ground while aiming at the neck and attacking at the same time. Deep cuts occurred on both sides of the Goliath and the monster instantly fell to its knees.
Viggo and Ottar fell to the ground, turned, and looked at the Golitah and as its head fell and hung from a piece of flesh and skin. The huge humanoid body fell head-on and collapsed leaving a dust in its wake.
-First- said Viggo.
Ottar pointed his sword at him and said -Hey, don't start, I was the one to kill him-
-What are you talking about, I beat him, I made the deepest cut-
-Do you want to fight?-
-Okay, whenever you want- replied Viggo, pointing the Leviathan axe at him.
Ottar held his gaze, but then he denied and kept the sword inside the ring -let him, if Dad saw us he would scold us- he said -we are supposed to be on a mission-
-Yes, well, you're right-
-Idiot, I'm absolutely right. Also, stop behaving like a child. Now you're a father of two, you have wives and a lot of responsibilities-
-Hey, what's wrong with a little fun?-
-You are hopeless- replied Ottar with a smile, both walked to the huge purple stone left by the Goliath and Ottar stored it. Then they walked at a slow pace to the bottom of the floor, where they found a cave and went inside.
-Hey, did you remember to bring two tents?- asked Viggo.
-No, just one, why two?- asked Ottar puzzled.
-Don't joke, Ottar, when we were kids, you were super toxic, more stinking than rotten eggs-
-That- said Ottar embarrassedly -that was when we were kids, I was only six and I liked to eat- then he shouted in response -besides, you have nothing to complain about. Your feet always smelled like cheese. Surely with those leather boots they are even more stinky. Be determined, you sleep outside the tent-
-Do you think it's a loss? Save me, I don't want to die intoxicated-
-Idiot-
-Look who's talking-
The two continued to walk at a slow pace, with a smile on their lips, only for the end to let out a silly chuckle.