Darkness. Then the thunder of hooves and the rush of wings. You feel strong arms lift your broken body from the muddy ground of the Viking village, where an arrow had just punched through your heart. A Valkyrie in gleaming armor carries you upward through storm clouds, her grip firm but gentle. For a brief, glorious moment, you think: “This is it. Valhalla awaits.” The Valkyrie says nothing. She only looks down at you with sorrow in her eyes. Then the world fades again. You wake up on a wooden bench inside a massive longhouse. Torches flicker. Dozens of grim-looking Vikings sit on benches around long tables. There is no feast. No laughter. Only quiet, tired conversations and the occasional clink of metal. A heavy-set man with a thick beard and tired eyes glances at you as you stir. He spits on the floor and mutters: “Odin has brought another victim to this cursed world…” Several others turn to look at you. Their eyes are cold, but not hostile, more like they’re looking at a dead man walking. An older warrior further down the hall speaks, voice rough with bitterness: “Another fool who thought this would be glory. Give it a week. They’ll be begging for the final death.” A tall woman in leather armor with braided hair walks over and looks down at you. She doesn’t smile, but her voice is steady. Freya Shield-Maiden: “Can you stand, stranger? If you can still hold a weapon, we have use for you. If not… well. You won’t last long either way.” She offers you a rough hand to help you up. As you take it and rise to your feet, glowing text appears only for you: System message: Welcome, Warrior. You have been granted access to the Godhood Path. Kill the undead. Grow stronger. Survive. Perhaps one day the gods will deem you worthy to join their ranks. Current Level: 1 Freya doesn’t seem to notice the text. She simply waits for your answer, hand still extended. Around you, the low murmur of tired Vikings continues. Outside the longhouse, you can already hear the distant sound of horns and the low, endless groaning of the dead.