Back To Hldrmir's Realm, Sixth Outerlayer

Fwooosh~!

When they emerged on the other side of the Artificial Zecian Portal, they were once again greeted by the trees that enveloped the entire dimension. Now that Albrecht thought about it, he had no idea what type of trees they were, but clearly, they were more picturesque than the trees on Earth.

One look and one would immediately notice that the scenery was alien. Serenity and tranquility enveloped the entire forest, but to adventurers who first saw it, the design was very foreign.

As expected of Hldrmir's Realm. He was, after all, the Overseer of Earth.

[The Medallion of Terra is reacting strongly]

Since this was the second time Albrecht arrived here, he was already familiar with Hldrmir, the Overseer of Earth. From the beginning, Hldrmir assumed that Albrecht was one of the greatest followers of Fjormir, but in reality, he wasn't.

He just so happened to get a couple of items that proved his allegiance to Fjormir, but that didn't prove anything at all. Those items were just decorations, but they did represent something that Overseers hold in high regard.

Just like the 'Protection Symbol of Gehenna', the 'Medallion of Terra' is one of the key items that proved Albrecht's relation to the Overseer of Earth. With the 'Medallion of Terra', Albrecht instantly proved that he was one of the great followers of Hldrmir. There were a couple of other perks that go with the medallion, but that's the gist of it.

"Where do we go from here?" Yulie concernedly asked since this was the first time to ever step foot inside the Sixth Outerlayer. Although she couldn't sense any form of real danger, There was something weird about the place. In any case, she didn't say anything out loud for fear that Sheila and Yukina might tease her for it.

As usual, Sheila and Yukina were indifferent to the Sixth Outerlayer. They were both originally from within the dungeons so foreign soil is not a new experience for them. Right now, the only thought at the forefront of their minds was what they were doing in a weird place.

Even though Sheila didn't wear her feelings on her sleeve, she was in awe of such a place. Hldrmir's Realm is the polar opposite of the realm of the undead. There, everything was bleak and greyed out, but here, the colors played around her eyes, mesmerizing her.

Speechless, Sheila observed her surrounding, breathing in a breath of fresh air while she keenly listened to the chirps of birds and the faint sounds of rustles coming from the trees. The tip-taps and scurries of animals could be heard as well, giving Sheila a relaxing feeling as she felt one with the place.

"So this is what freedom is like." Sheila muttered to herself.

"What?" Yukina asked. She had no idea what Sheila was talking about, but somehow she somewhat understood her sentiment.

Hldrmir's Realm was really free, devoid of war and conflict. Then again, it was still part of the Outerlayers which consisted of the area around the Great Meteor. Overall, that area around the Dark One reeked of death and massacre, but this place was a breather for everyone involved.

Even Hldrmir himself never allowed damages to his realm. Whenever he sets a trial for adventurers, he would teleport them to another dimension, or maybe give them a harmless trial in exchange for his Earth Blessing. Not everyone has the affinity to the element of Earth, however, so only those who were worthy of his Earth Blessing would get it.

There was an exception though, since Albrecht didn't have the right affinity with the Earth Element, but he still received the highest form of Earth Blessing from Hldrmir, just because he proved himself to be affiliated with Fjormir, the Overseer of Fire.

When Albrecht, Sheila, Yukina, and Yulie arrived in his realm, Hldrmir noticed them in a split second. In a snap of a finger, he recognized Albrecht's signature and he hurried towards him. He wanted to get an update from him on how Fjormir liked his gift (the 'Mother of Life Cooking Pot').

Sensing that Hldrmir was approaching them, Albrecht couldn't help but utter a silent prayer, hoping that Hldrmir hasn't talked to Fjormir just yet. He knew that if Hldrmir had the courage to ask Fjormir about his gift, he'd be aware that Albrecht wasn't connected to Fjormir at all.

Then again, there was an incident when Albrecht was saved by Fjormir when he was on the brink of dying, so in a sense, there should be a connection between them.

Step.

Step.

From a distance, the party heard the steady steps of Hldrmir as he made his way to the group. From his steps, they could tell that he was exceedingly excited to meet them.

"Albrecht Stein! You've arrived! I just want to ask how you're doing. Did Fjormir take the gift nicely? Did she like my humble offering?" Hldrmir rubbed his hands together while he asked Albrecht for confirmation. The 'Mother of Life Cooking Pot' is actually one of the rarest items that Hldrmir had in his possession. Giving it to someone is the same as expressing how much he was invested in that someone.

"O-ou~! She liked it very much. I hope you continue to have an amicable relationship with the great Fjormir." Albrecht slightly bowed his head lower to express his respect towards Hldrmir. Even though he didn't usually act this way, he needed to continue his peaceful exchange with Hldrmir in order to reach his goals.

"No, I should say the same thing to you. Hyaah~ this is as close as I could get to that star, Fjormir." Hldrmir scratched his head. In any case, how may I be of help, Albrecht sa—"

That's when Hldrmir felt a spark in his mind. For some odd reason, he could sense that something was different within Albrecht. It's as if his presence had become majestic. In Hldrmir's mind, a certain force urged him to greatly respect Albrecht even though he was a lower being than him.

"What's going on?" Hldrmir asked.

Then he saw Albrecht holding a certain item— one that he'd never seen in a long time. "W-why do you have that, Albrecht?" He genuinely asked, wondering why Albrecht was holding the Medallion of Terra.