I Stream DC on Marvel-Chapter 568 Record of Ragnarok: A Punch That Shakes The Gods, The Courage of Mortality, The Wrath of Shiva And Reclaiming Purity In A Single Fist.

Chapter 568 - 568 Record of Ragnarok: A Punch That Shakes The Gods, The Courage of Mortality, The Wrath of Shiva And Reclaiming Purity In A Single Fist.

There was a terrifying silence...

The first strike made his intent clear; this man had come to pulverize a god, nothing more, nothing less.

The sound of an exhale shattered the stillness...

It might seem absurd... maybe he could've chosen to be a warrior, maybe a martial artist, perhaps a monster from the past, or even another demigod. But no. Allen chose a humble origin. He didn't come as a monster, not as a walking apocalypse, not as a terrifying being; but as a man.

He didn't even choose an easy life. He chose a miserable origin, one that could show the weight of what it costs to live as a simple man.

"Hahaha!" Shiva stood up with a wide grin. "I felt that, human!"

"..." Allen didn't reply, but the look in his eyes—filled with determination—said it all. It sent a shiver down Shiva's spine.

He stood, adjusted his posture, and advanced. This time, he didn't take Allen lightly. With divine speed, he launched both of his right fists. Shiva's high punch—Allen ducked just enough to dodge it. The low punch—he blocked.

"Oh..." Shiva looked surprised, amused even—but then, in a split second, he felt danger. He tilted his head as a deadly blast whooshed past him, grazing close enough to feel like it would've taken his head off.

With a wild expression, Shiva used his left fists to strike. Still, Allen vanished in an instant—dodging—and reappeared next to a stunned Shiva, landing a punch that caused another glove to explode, unable to contain the champion's power.

Shiva rolled across the ground.

Silence returned—broken only by Allen's exhale, now thick like steam...

"Hell yeah! That's my boy!" Allen (Nokotan) shouted.

"That's how it's done!" Yuri the bear exclaimed as well.

Brunhilde and Göll joined the celebratory cries. Soon, it spread throughout all of humanity and even reached the Chat. Cheers and excitement out of nowhere. It was strange—Allen always had an imposing aura. Sometimes suffocating. Sometimes protective. Sometimes intimidating. But this time, it was different. Similar, but different...

More human...

Purer...

Why?

...

(Flashback)

This occurred shortly after Allen obtained his second Record Number in the history of mankind.

The girls appeared around Allen, inspecting him closely.

Nokotan approached and sniffed him. Was she part deer or part dog?

"Nunununu... smells like Master, but a little wilder..."

The deer girl's eyes sharpened, and Allen, noticing, pinched her nose between his fingers. Harley walked up and used her hands to feel Allen's chest.

"Not bad~"

Jalter scoffed. "I don't see why you like this Allen.... Even if he's bulkier, he's much weaker than his original body!"

Kurumi looked bored. "The normal version of Master is better; a balance between an attractive build while still being masculine..."

While some girls were indifferent to the change, and others didn't like it. Esdeath, Albedo, and, unexpectedly, Artoria showed great interest. Albedo even leaned against Allen's back while daydreaming.

Allen remained silent as he clenched his fists and felt how this body behaved, then blurted out a comment without losing his cool. "I feel out of shape..."

[That's natural. In this body, you only have a fraction of your power...]

"That's true..." Allen chuckled. "But maybe I made a mistake. With a body like this, it might not be enough to face Shiva."

"In that case, there's only one thing to do... We have to train you," Wednesday said as everyone turned to look at her—but her eyes stayed locked on Allen in silence.

After a moment, Allen let out a small laugh and his expression turned serious.

"Alright. But I'll also need help from professionals to break my limit..."

...

(One hour later)

Allen closed his eyes as the system transported him to another dimension. The temporary isolation gave him all the time he needed to prepare. In the distance—snow-covered mountains. Leafless trees cloaked in white.

There was a hut in the image before him so he headed there. In the background, a man and a bear are chopping firewood. Each swing of the axe echoed in the frozen forest like a war drum. As absurd as it sounds, the bear stacked the logs while the man split them with a single strike.

Allen recognized Yuri the bear instantly—ironically, one of the opponents who came closest to defeating him. As for the man, at first, Allen didn't know who he was, but the system had used a method similar to Record of Ragnarok to summon him.

Allen stepped through the snow until he got close. Yuri immediately grinned.

"Allen! You're here!"

"Hey Yuri, it's been a while..." Allen smiled at the bear, remembering how this bear became Muhammad Ali's professional trainer in Allen's world—which had been born in modern times. Ali was now the world champion in two categories. As for why a group of wild bears became intelligent and civilized in Allen's world... it's better not to ask.

Attention turned to the man who had been chopping logs in the cold. His body was built like a block of granite: broad shoulders, thick arms, and sweat clinging to him despite the falling snow.

He was no ordinary man. His eyes, though calm, burned with resolve. Allen looked slightly out of place in his jacket in the Siberian mountains.

If you didn't know who he was, you'd think he was just an old warrior surviving winter. But if you looked closer, you'd see it—that fire in his eyes.

"Rocky Balboa."

"Allen Walker."

Two men shook hands with mutual respect. There was a purpose to all this—and there was nothing wrong with that. Even Tesla had help from many scientists before his battle.

Rocky looked over Allen's body, nodding at first, but the moment their eyes met, his brow furrowed.

"I see the problem..." Rocky walked toward the cabin. "Get changed."

Allen glanced at his clothes in confusion. "What's wrong with my outfit?"

"We're not betting in Vegas or fighting criminals. Lose the shirt, pants, and boots. Put on something more appropriate."

Allen frowned—he didn't like the idea, but figured as the guest, he should comply.

...

Rocky stepped out of the cabin and began running. Allen followed, now in black athletic gear. They both ran across the snow for miles without signs of fatigue. Allen's current body was weaker, but still chiseled and unnaturally strong.

This was proven when Rocky began to look tired before Allen did. He smirked. "What's wrong, coach?"

"Looks like we need to push you to the limit first," Rocky replied calmly. "Yuri!"

"ROAR!!"

A bear's roar echoed through the mountains—and Allen turned to see Yuri charging at him. At first, he didn't understand—but it quickly became clear this was part of the training.

"Yuri, wait! I'm not indestructible in this body!"

Allen tried to stop the bear—who, until a moment ago, was actually kind of huggable, even cute.

Esdeath appeared, seated on a giant Timcampy. "If I were you, I'd start running," she said with a warm smile.

Allen didn't think twice—he took off running while a massive grizzly chased him down the path.

Allen opened his mouth in disbelief. "What are you people planning? I only came to train a little with Rocky..."

"A little?!", Esdeath gave him a scornful look. "Since when did you become so arrogant?!"

"...!"

As Allen ran, a strange sensation hit him. Had he truly become arrogant? But wasn't that arrogance born from the power he had gained? Had he not just become proud?

"ROAR!"

Yuri's roar pulled Allen from his thoughts. The bear looked like he had returned to his wild roots—no, he looked even worse, like a bloodthirsty beast.

"Hey, what did you guys do to Yuri?!"

Makima appeared above him with a flirtatious smile. "Don't worry, he volunteered for this. It's nothing serious."

Allen looked at the red-eyed bear chasing him, drooling and roaring like mad.

"You know that bear has a garden where he grows bonsai trees?!"

"Hehe~" Makima grinned wider, narrowing her eyes. "Just focus on running faster, darling~"

"Are you a demon?!"

"That I am, and it's far too late for returns🖤~"

Allen pressed his lips together and began to accelerate. Reasoning didn't make sense at this point—everyone here was just trying to help him. After, he would take revenge on Makima in bed for Yuri's cruel fate.

"ROAR!"

"Tsk..." Allen's body wasn't weak by any means. He was the undefeated champion, after all.

Allen ran through the snowy path, heading toward the summit of the mountain. He had to be quick or Yuri would catch up.

Snow began to fall, but Allen didn't stop or even slow down. However, after ten miles, he started to feel his muscles burning—a sensation he had long forgotten. His breathing quickened, his heart raced, and more than anything, he began to feel something called fatigue.

"ROAR!"

Unfortunately for Allen, Yuri wasn't going to stop just because Allen was feeling mortality again. But Allen had his pride too, and he wouldn't let this stop him.

...

The snowfall turned into a blizzard, the snow and wind stinging like icy blades against his skin. He could feel the old healed wounds carved into his body—the scars and impacts from a life he hadn't even lived, yet were etched into his current form.

Allen started to feel respect. He knew he was a filthy cheater and that this body had been created by the system, partially overwriting the story. Even so, he could feel reality in every drop of sweat, every muscle fiber, every step on snow or ice. In every effort of his heart, every breath that scraped his throat.

He kept moving forward in the snow towards an increasingly steep path.

Allen M. Walker existed. He wasn't just a lump of flesh created by the system. He definitely existed. And now Allen could feel that this body truly belonged to him.

"Ugh..."

Allen slipped on the steep slope of the mountain. But he quickly got back up and continued. Yuri's roars still echoed behind him, and Allen wasn't taking them lightly. He reached a rock wall and began to climb.

...

At first, it was easy. His thousand battles-hardened body allowed it. But after climbing for one hour in the middle of a blizzard, his fingers began to bleed, and the cold; foreign to him for so long, started making him feel like he might pass out.

And yet, Allen kept climbing. Maybe out of pride, maybe out of stubbornness, maybe just on a whim. But now, he wanted to reach the top. All the while, the Dolls watched him. Most of them wanted to stop this, including Esdeath and Makima, who had come up with this training method. But when they saw the look in Allen's eyes, none of them dared intervene.

Allen kept climbing in silence...

One of his fingers broke, and though he frowned, he kept going. One of his shoes tore open and became useless, so he took it off and climbed barefoot. His pants ripped, but he still kept going.

Four hours passed before he finally reached the summit—just as the skies cleared.

Allen clung to the edge, and with one last painful, exhausting push, he pulled himself over the top. He looked at the clear sky as if he'd just been reborn. He breathed deeply and recovered for a moment, then looked over and saw Rocky sitting beside a sleeping Yuri.

Allen walked over and sat not far away, gazing at the horizon...

"Your body is incredible—hard as a rock, resilient like a locomotive, with immense strength... but your eyes held no fire. Not the fire of a warrior, but the dignity of an Emperor and the pride of someone invincible... That's useless now, your Majesty... You have to get dirty if you want to master this mortal body..."

"I always told myself I was human. But the truth is..." Allen said, looking at his injured hand and smiling slightly. "I'd forgotten how hard it is to live..."

Rocky smiled. "Now you're ready. Let's start training."

...

(Inside the cabin)

Allen was doing squats with a wheelbarrow stacked with twenty sacks of potatoes filled with rocks—and even Esdeath sitting on top.

"Come on, don't give up! It's only a ton!" Rocky shouted beside him. "It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt! Got it?!"

"Urgh!"

Allen was drenched in sweat, every muscle fiber screaming. He felt like his body was going to break after a hundred reps.

"No pain... No pain... No pain... No Pain!"

"Ahh!"

Allen screamed in pain—something he hadn't done in a long time. But instead of stopping him, Esdeath pushed him even harder.

"Come on! At this level, Shiva will kill you in an instant!"

...

(In the middle of the forest)

Allen closed his eyes while Rocky nodded to Wednesday. She used her magic to release the logs tied up everywhere. Allen managed to stop a few, but others hit him.

"Come on! What will you do if you lose your vision in combat?!" Rocky shouted.

"What will you do if the fires of destruction burn your eyes?" Wednesday asked with serious concern.

Allen had been knocked down but stood up again and returned to the center.

...

Allen raised his arms as Artoria, without armor, attacked him. Surprisingly, Allen wasn't able to block the hit and was sent flying.

Artoria's gaze faltered, and her body trembled, but she clenched her fists, bit her tongue, and looked at Allen with renewed determination.

"If you can't block one punch, what will you do against four?!"

Allen didn't blame her. He got up, wiped the blood from his mouth, and raised his guard again. Artoria attacked once more. Allen kept taking hit after hit.

At dusk, Allen was helped back to the cabin by Albedo, where he could rest. Rocky prepared something to drink in a pot while Yuri added firewood to the flames.

"Drink this..."

Allen looked up when Rocky called him and handed him a dented metal cup. Allen didn't refuse.

"..."

The drink was terrible-quality coffee—almost disgusting. But he drank it all. It didn't disgust him, because he felt he had drunk worse things in the past. That moment reminded him the system had given him a humble origin in the slums. He had even eaten garbage to survive.

Allen squeezed the cup, and Rocky looked at him from the side.

"The price of life is harsh and cruel. Life sometimes tastes like shit. But that's the life of a human... Champion, when you stand before those gods... remind them what a mouthful of dirt tastes like. ", Rocky extended his fist.

Allen smiled and bumped his fist with Rocky's fist, "Yeah..."

The training continued much longer. One ton became two. A hundred reps became two hundred. The logs grew larger. Even Yuri's family joined in the chases...

Slowly, Allen grew stronger and stronger. With every drop of sweat, he bled less. With every drop of blood, he became stronger. With every fall, he rose even harder... Finally, the champion was ready for Ragnarok.

(End of the flashback)

...

...

...

Back at the battlefield of Ragnarok—now filled with cheers and tears from humanity's side—something was different about Allen. It was subtle. It was mundane. It was simple. It was warm and shining brightly.

Allen wasn't here to play. Allen wasn't mocking anyone. His eyes were serious; he was taking this role seriously!

"Damn it!"

Shiva stood up once again, but this time, he felt inferior to his opponent. And it had nothing to do with power; it was something else as if every punch was like getting spat on.

"What's wrong, god? Is that all?", Allen made a mocking gesture with his hand for Shiva to approach.

"Huh?!"

Shiva, now angry, stood up and charged at Allen, this time without holding back. He didn't care if the fight ended in one move. Shiva reached Allen and attacked. Allen didn't dodge; he attacked too.

Both hit each other in the cheek, though Allen blocked one of Shiva's fists.

Shiva felt humiliated again as if his opponent had adapted to his strength and speed.

"You damn mortal brat!" Shiva was enraged—leaving even the other gods speechless. This warrior, who normally smiled at the thrill of battle and was happy to die in a good fight, was furious.

Allen growled, "Shut up and fight!"

They both clenched their fists and clashed again, this time at such high speed that residual images and shockwaves shook the sacred mountain.

Both sides—humans and gods—cheered on their champion in this intense battle, filled with pride and the weight of what they represented.

...

In the stands on the human side, a man in a hooded sweatshirt sat and watched the fight silently.

"Shouldn't you be out there?" asked the man next to Rocky.

Rocky looked at the screen. The summit of Mount Kailash had turned into a boxing ring—about ten times larger than normal. Since Shiva picked the location, Allen was allowed to choose the rules. And, as if to honor his current identity and his master, he chose to follow several modified boxing rules for this fight.

Rocky watched Allen's fierce expression as he took a punch that made him bleed from the mouth; only to immediately return the blow and knock out one of Shiva's teeth.

"Don't worry... he doesn't need a vulgar guy like me... He'll be fine."

"Whatever you say," said Rocky's old rival/friend, Apollo.

...

The battle entered its rawest stage; where the limits of both warriors would be tested!

===

A/N: I don't think it's a secret that I like Rocky movies. 🍷🗿

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