25

Chapter: Scrins People

"Why do you say that?" Forseti asked.

Sigurd explained, "Firstly, their appearance alone is a dead giveaway... Besides, Scrins are inherently malevolent. I used to believe no creature was inherently evil until I encountered the Scrins."

Forseti pondered this revelation.

Despite hearing about the Scrins' savage nature, he hadn't expected it to be this severe.

Asgard was safe with crime almost non-existent. If Scrins were truly evil by nature, then he was indeed in the right place to dispense justice.

After a brief conversation, Sigurd returned to his room.

The next evening after dinner, Forseti and Sigurd entered the camp pharmacy to start their day.

The air inside was thick with the scent of medicinal herbs, which pleasantly surprised Forseti upon entering.

While Liphia Mountain was known as the Holy Land of Medicinal Herbs, its limited size restricted the availability of high-grade products, which made Warnerheim's resources more abundant for ordinary use.

"I wonder how many of these herbs can be used as ingredients for talent mixtures..." Forseti mused silently.

"Let's get started. We need to make more antidotes," several doctors entered the pharmacy and got to work.

Sigurd explained, "Besides healing stones, Greenhild's antidote is the most commonly used potion here. Warnerheim is not only rich in healing herbs but also in poisonous weeds, as they favor poison in warfare."

"While most poisons don't pose fatal threats to Aesir warriors, they can significantly impair their combat effectiveness. This makes antidotes crucial," Sigurd elaborated.

"I've only recently learned Greenhild's antidote," Forseti began preparing the required herbs.

"If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'm quite adept with antidotes," Sigurd offered.

Forseti focused on his task, handling the herbs swiftly and efficiently.

Sigurd also worked diligently.

Initially, both worked in silence.

However, after a while, Sigurd's expression turned uneasy as he glanced at Forseti a few times. "How are you so fast?"

"Fast?" Forseti didn't think so. "My cousin is much quicker than me."

Mentioning El saddened Forseti momentarily, slowing his pace involuntarily.

Observing this, Sigurd hastened his own efforts to match Forseti's progress.

However, Forseti soon regained his focus, working even faster, leaving Sigurd trailing behind.

Wide-eyed, Sigurd perspired slightly.

By the time Forseti finished preparing the antidote, Sigurd was only halfway through.

Seeing Forseti's composed demeanor, Sigurd felt embarrassed for underestimating him. After a moment, he commented, "You... have you only just learned?"

"It's been over two months," Forseti clarified, spreading out the pharmacopoeia on the table.

Sigurd was taken aback.

Forseti selected a herb and placed it on the talent mixture blueprint for identification.

Similar to his use of magic gems, Forseti had prepared several pages of notes to assist with the holy deed's identification function.

Since only he could see the images and text on the holy deed, others perceived his actions as referencing personal notes, attracting no attention.

**[Cannot be used as a substitute material]**

Forseti moved on to a new herb for identification.

**[11% substitution for Purple Lotus], [Cannot be used as a substitute material], [26% substitution for Heather]...**

**Grey Thread Grass [92% substitute for Silverleaf Grass]**

Pleased with this result, Forseti made a swift record.

A 92% substitution rate was quite favorable. Most likely, Grey Thread Grass would be his choice for the talent mixture.

"What are you doing?" Sigurd inquired.

"Taking notes."

Sigurd leaned over to examine them but found the content incomprehensible.

That was precisely Forseti's intention—the pages contained the most arcane knowledge extracted from the Greenhild Pharmacopoeia.

Feeling awkward to ask again, Sigurd concluded Forseti was more knowledgeable, returning to his own tasks with a conflicted expression.

After identifying the medicinal herbs in the pharmacy, Forseti noted a herb substituting Silverleaf Grass at 59%, another for Heather at 51%, and one for Golden Thorn Grass at 51%.

Forseti felt moderately satisfied with these findings. Nonetheless, securing Orkin, Mountain Blood, and Dragon Blood posed more significant challenges.

Purple Lotus seemed particularly elusive.

As for Thundercore, Forseti couldn't recall encountering it in any World of Warcraft.

Regardless of the difficulties, he remained determined to acquire these materials. His current stature alone wouldn't suffice for greater achievements.

In the ensuing days, Forseti swiftly adapted to camp life, assisting Sigurd daily with medicine-making and treating minor injuries among the Aesir.

That evening...

As Forseti lay on his bed, ready to sleep, a sharp whistle pierced the air.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

Startled awake, Forseti rose swiftly, peering out the window.

The camp was ablaze with activity as soldiers mobilized. In the distance, cries and footsteps echoed from the surrounding forest.

The shrill calls, reptilian in nature rather than human, held an unsettling rhythm, reminiscent of a peculiar language.

Approaching rapidly, the firelight revealed the attackers' faces.

Green-skinned, roughly humanoid figures with tails and scales—resembling lizardfolk but with insect-like heads—assaulted the camp.

From a human perspective, they were utterly repulsive.

They were Scrins.

Their numbers overwhelmed the camp, swarming in from all directions, causing the ground to tremble faintly.

Armed with various crude weapons and draped with unkempt attire, they rushed towards Aesir camp, screeching...