บท 79: 79
Hela's Visit
Under the intense light, the four Kronans were momentarily blinded and panicked.
Forseti strode forward, swinging his warhammer, striking the nearest Kronan.
Enhanced by the King's Blessing, even a simple swing carried the impact of holy light.
Blinded again, the Kronan took a direct hit to the head, crumbling into rubble that scattered on the ground with a crash.
Forseti swiftly moved, delivering two more hammer blows, dispatching the remaining three younger Kronans, leaving only their leader.
Blind and watching his comrades reduced to rubble, the Kronan leader panicked.
Forseti sneered, "Your end has come!"
With that, he leaped, warhammer aimed squarely at the leader's face.
"Boom!"
Despite his blindness, the Kronan leader, relying on hearing, managed to block the blow with his club.
Forseti was taken aback but retaliated with a rapid barrage of hammer strikes.
"Bang bang bang!"
Under the relentless assault of Forseti's King's Blessing-enhanced attacks, the Kronan leader finally faltered, retreating under the relentless onslaught.
Still blind, realizing he was outmatched, the Kronan leader turned to flee.
Forseti couldn't let him escape. He slammed his warhammer into the ground.
Sword of Justice!
Empowered by the King's Blessing, the Sword of Justice now appeared larger as it thrust up from beneath the Kronan leader, piercing through his groin.
"Ah! Ah! Ah!" The Kronan leader's scream was shrill as his lower body crumbled into rubble, collapsing in agony.
Fortunately, as stone beings, Kronans suffered no bloody wounds; otherwise, the sight would have been unbearable.
Forseti pursued.
The Kronan leader struggled to rise but couldn't. He sobbed, pleading, "I surrender! I surrender!"
Forseti had no intention of showing mercy. Gripping Verrigan's fist, he delivered a final blow to the Kronan leader's forehead.
Holy Light Strike!
"Boom!"
The Kronan leader's movements ceased abruptly as his head shattered, his body crumbling into rubble that scattered on the ground.
Finally rid of his adversary...
With the Holy Light power expended, Forseti dared not linger. He turned and hurried away.
"What?"
Unexpectedly, he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye and halted his step.
Forseti glanced around, bending to inspect the Kronan leader's corpse. He flicked debris aside, revealing a fist-sized, blood-red gem.
"What is this?"
He picked up the gem, examining it in his hand, taken aback.
In a flash, recognizing the gem as akin to the Blood of Mountains, Forseti's expression lit up with joy.
This wasn't entirely unexpected. After all, in the World of Warcraft lore, Blood of Mountains was found on lava giants, and Kronans, being stone-like beings, were close relatives to lava giants.
Still, 76% substitution was slightly lower than ideal...
Realizing this, Forseti hurriedly searched the bodies of the other three Kronans nearby.
Disappointingly, he found no similar gems.
Could it be that only powerful Kronans possessed such gems, while ordinary ones did not?
That seemed the only plausible explanation.
Despite this setback in collecting Lightning Fruits, it was still a good harvest—finding a substitute for Blood of Mountains.
Forseti double-checked, confirmed no other gems were present, and swiftly departed.
...
Back in Asgard, Forseti bathed, rested briefly, then retrieved Lightning Fruits gathered from Thunder Valley.
With a shelf life of just a few days before detonation—and the longest record of stability less than a year—it was impractical for immediate use. At best, it could be cultivated.
Until acquiring Young Dragon's Blood and Sands of Time, a return to Thunder Valley was inevitable.
With his background in herb gathering, cultivating Thunderbolt Fruit posed no challenge for Forseti.
Given its volatility, he designated a small plot near the courtyard gate exclusively for cultivation, careful not to mix it with other herbs—lest a garden's destruction lead to significant loss.
Squatting, planting Thunderbolt Fruit, a voice interrupted, "What are you doing?"
Forseti turned, surprised to find Hela standing at the gate, watching him curiously.
"Your Highness! What brings you here?" Forseti rose quickly, brushing dirt from his hands.
Recalling his recent position squatting while planting Thunderbolt Fruit, he felt a twinge of embarrassment and offered a polite smile.
Hela, clad in light armor with her hair cascading over her shoulders, exuded both beauty and strength. She observed Forseti silently for a moment.
Oddly, her calm gaze unnerved Forseti, who felt increasingly self-conscious and bashful...
"I just returned from Jotunheim. I heard you've opened a renowned herbal shop. Thought I'd drop by," Hela finally spoke.
Forseti fumbled for words, "Asgard must have prevailed in battle."
Hela nodded, "Indeed. A decade ago, we suffered severe losses, losing two outposts. This time, the Frost Giants paid a higher price."
She then inquired, "Where have you been? It seemed you'd vanished."
"Uh..." Forseti's mind raced, "I've been in Landvety Forest, seeking Four-Horned Goats... The Hunt Festival approaches in a few years."
"You plan to participate in the Hunt Festival?" Hela seemed surprised.
"Why not?" Forseti shrugged nonchalantly.
Hela smiled, "Bold indeed, young one."
Young one...
Forseti remained speechless.
Despite being centuries older than him, he was still a forty-year-old adult!
An adult!
Forseti growled inwardly.
But Hela's next statement caught him off guard.
"I'll have Father Odin ensure you a place in the festival," she said.
Damn.
His casual comment, and Hela took it seriously, granting him a guaranteed slot!
In truth, Forseti had little interest in the Hunt Festival. Unable to handle even Four-Horned Goats, participation would likely yield no notable achievement.
สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
-- การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
-- หินพลัง