22

Chapter: Twenty-Two - Accompanying Military Doctors

Level four!

The item's level had been upgraded by one, but the completion rating remained unchanged. It appeared that enchantments did not affect the completion rating of forged items.

Forseti nodded, resolved to test the power of Verrigan's Fist, and began to peruse the holy scriptures.

During this period, he had acquired numerous items through the Destiny's Gift, including several experience books, all of which were of first and second levels.

The first-level experience book was relatively mundane, filled with beasts like wild boars, spotted boars, mangy wolves, and giant crabs, none of which dropped anything noteworthy after he defeated them all.

Deliberately saving one second-level experience book, Forseti intended to gauge the might of Verrigan's Fist.

**[Experience Book: Shining Gold Town Infantry]**

**Experience Level: Level 2**

Upon entering the experience space, Forseti found himself on a flat, open terrain. A human warrior clad in armor and wielding a longsword stood opposite him.

"Prepare for combat!" the Shining Gold Town infantryman shouted, tightening his grip on his sword and charging toward Forseti.

Forseti's expression remained unchanged as he gripped Verrigan's Fist tightly. Between his fingers, holy light flickered.

Having gathered one hundred fragments of the Holy Light Strike spell, he had learned Holy Light Strike two months ago. Now, it was time to test how effectively Verrigan's Fist could unleash the power of Holy Light Strike.

Just as the Gold Town infantryman approached, Forseti roared and leaped into action.

**Holy Light Strike!**

A burst of holy light flashed between his hands, enveloping Verrigan's Fist in a dazzling golden aura imbued with sacred energy.

Simultaneously, sparks erupted from the hammer's head, igniting flames that danced and flickered.

Flames intertwined with holy light above the warhammer, creating a spectacle of light and heat akin to the sun itself!

The Shining Gold Town infantryman raised his sword to defend.

**Crack!**

A crisp sound reverberated as Verrigan's Fist shattered the longsword like bamboo. The force of the blow remained undiminished, striking the infantryman's helmet.

**Boom!**

Faced with such tremendous impact, the Shining Gold Town infantryman's armor proved useless as he disintegrated into smoke and dissipated.

One strike, victory!

Overwhelmed with excitement, Forseti couldn't help but break into a triumphant smile as he examined the warhammer whose holy light and flames had just faded.

Truly, it was an exceptional novice hammer for a paladin, possessing extraordinary power.

After playfully swinging it a few more times, Forseti finally turned his attention to the items dropped by the Gold Town infantrymen.

The drop rate from ordinary monsters was typically low, so he held minimal expectations.

Most likely, it was mere pittance.

However, upon inspecting the loot list, Forseti couldn't help but be taken aback.

**Acquired: Devotion 6.99, Disguise - Shining Gold Town Infantry.**

**Disguise - Shining Gold Town Infantry?**

Forseti quickly consulted the holy scriptures.

**Disguise - Shining Gold Town Infantry: Disguises the wearer as a Shining Gold Town Infantryman; automatically dispels after one day...**

Interesting. Perhaps it could prove useful for future evasions, Forseti pondered.

After exiting the training space and examining Verrigan's Fist in his hand, Forseti felt both elation and concern.

Where to stow this?

While he had previously sketched out a storage space, it amounted to a mere cubic decimeter, far too small to accommodate a warhammer with dignity.

After much deliberation, Forseti resolved to entrust the warhammer to Skorch for safekeeping.

He made his way to Skorch's residence.

Skorch's father worked as a stonemason, and their home was filled with stones reminiscent of ancient ruins.

Presently, Skorch was assisting his father.

"Skorch!" Forseti called out.

Skorch exchanged a few words with his father before rushing out of the yard.

Spotting the warhammer in Forseti's hand, Skorch's eyes lit up. "What's this, your weapon?"

Forseti handed him the warhammer with a smile. "Indeed."

Skorch swung the hammer around. "It's handsome, but a bit small. Where did you get it?"

"I bought it, of course," Forseti replied succinctly, continuing, "This must be kept hidden from El and my uncle. If they find out, I'll be in serious trouble. Will you help me keep it safe?"

"No problem," Skorch agreed readily. "When are you leaving? I plan to enlist in the Boy Scouts as well."

"Signing up tomorrow."

...

The following day, accompanied by his cousin El, Forseti arrived at the military doctor's enrollment location.

With El present, she handled all the formalities, leaving Forseti to observe from the sidelines.

"We are currently in need of medical doctors in two locations. One is the Jotunheim outpost, facing the Frost Giants," explained a kindly old man overseeing the registration process, his gaze fixed on the paperwork.

"The other is the third camp in Vanaheim, a joint camp of the Aesir and Vanir Gods. Their adversaries primarily consist of the Skrins."

The Frost Giants of Jotunheim were Asgard's archenemies, while the Skrins were a low-intelligence humanoid species inhabiting Vanaheim. Physically robust and stronger than Earthlings, they were nonetheless savage and prone to aggressive behavior.

Despite their lack of ambition beyond reproduction, their prolific breeding posed a significant threat to Vanaheim, a matter of grave concern to the Vanir Gods.

"Vanaheim," El promptly decided before Forseti could voice his preference.

Forseti pondered briefly but refrained from comment. Given the Frost Giants' far greater menace compared to the Skrins, experiencing the battlefield atmosphere in Vanaheim first might prove beneficial before venturing to Jotunheim.

Upon completing the necessary formalities,

"Three days from now, assemble at the Rainbow Bridge. Punctuality is crucial," the old man concluded.

Forseti nodded in acknowledgment. "Understood."

...

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

"When you arrive in Vanaheim, establish good rapport with those around you and exercise patience during treatment... Remember, you're not a soldier," El reminded him repeatedly.

"Got it, sister," Forseti assured her, simultaneously retrieving a box from his side and presenting it to her. With a grin, he teased, "Guess what's inside?"

Momentarily taken aback, El asked, puzzled, "What is it?"

"Open it and see," Forseti urged.

El lifted the lid, her eyes widening in astonishment and delight.

Within the box lay a string of crystal-clear gemstone necklaces, shimmering with blue light and radiance.

Before departing Asgard, Forseti had decided to purchase a gift for his ever-supportive sister. He ventured to the Norvi Magic Shop and spent more than ten runes on a magical gem necklace.

While he knew little about gemstones, the holy scriptures provided an appraisal book that helped him select a visually appealing gemstone with high value.