34

Forest Troll

After a long pause, a voice weakly raised a hand and said, "Lord Scala... I don't think I can go."

"Understood." Scala nodded silently.

"Anyone else having second thoughts?"

Seeing no further objections, Scala declared, "Prepare yourselves; we depart tomorrow morning."

Forseti and Sigurd returned together, and on the way, Forseti asked, "Sigurd, have you been on a herb collection team before?"

"No, this is my first time," Sigurd replied. "Honestly, I hesitated just now. If Scala had asked again, I might have considered backing out."

Forseti nodded thoughtfully, "It's only been half a year since the last major attack. Although the Skrins are multiplying quickly, they shouldn't have recovered much in that time."

"Scrins are just one concern. There are trolls in the forests of Vanaheim. Encountering them would be disastrous," Sigurd warned. "Trolls aren't as weak as the Skrins. If one of them comes at you, with our physique, we'd be in serious trouble."

"True, trolls are rare in Vanaheim. I've always been lucky; I doubt we'll come across any," Forseti reassured.

That evening, Forseti opened the Holy Deed as usual and purchased five Destiny Gifts from the Devotion Store.

Received: **Gratitude x2**, **Book of Experience: Manny Wolf**, **Piety 0.51**, **Grant Faith (Shard)**

Nothing new—he'd drawn many Grant Faiths over the past six months. It was a fundamental healing spell, akin to Holy Light Strike and Judgment, situated on the second level of the Sacred Tome skill tree.

After countless draws, Forseti realized that while Fate Draw could grant fragments of unlocked spells, they couldn't unlock entire tiers.

Despite thousands of draws, he'd amassed fragments for second-tier spells but hadn't even glimpsed third-tier ones. The concept of "everything is possible" with Destiny Gifts was more aspirational than practical; true results depended on reality.

This realization left Forseti somewhat disheartened. On the third tier was a group attack spell, Blessed Hammer. Its inclusion would greatly aid against Skrins, who swarmed like locusts.

Entering Manny Wolf's training space, Forseti honed his skills, knocking out wolves with his hammer before washing up and settling to sleep.

---

The following morning, a medicinal collection team assembled in an open space at the camp—a mix of two soldier squads and one doctor team. Forseti scanned the group; around 30 people stood ready, led by Scala.

Under Scala's leadership were the captains of the two soldier squads. Coincidentally, Forseti recognized both captains. One was Cole, who had escorted him to Vanaheim, and the other was Heimdall, a friend from Seaglord.

Once everyone was gathered, Scala led the team out of camp and into the dense forest.

Vanaheim's forest was thick with layers of shadow; upon entering, daylight dimmed instantly, replaced by a damp, earthy atmosphere.

Their destination, a herb colony, lay several days' journey ahead.

The first day passed uneventfully. After a full day's trek, the team found a clearing to rest and spent a quiet night.

The next morning,

Although Forseti habitually trained with Graf Swifttooth in the morning, he hesitated, choosing not to enter the experience space in this environment.

The space was incredibly lifelike; shifting in and out caused actual sweating. A conspicuous appearance covered in sweat would undoubtedly raise suspicions—a risky move in an unsafe forest.

Nevertheless, Forseti didn't want to break his training routine. He sought out Ander, asking, "Ander, are you free?"

"Sure, what's up?" Ander replied.

"I'd like to spar with you," Forseti suggested.

Ander grinned, grabbing a branch and adopting an offensive stance.

Forseti mirrored him, and the two engaged, circling cautiously, each seeking an opening.

After a brief exchange, Ander lunged forward, brandishing his branch like a sword aimed at Forseti's throat.

*Snap!*

Forseti parried hastily, maneuvering among the trees to deflect Ander's strikes.

*Clap, clap, clap!*

Branches clashed repeatedly, scattering leaves above.

Ander, a seasoned Asgardian warrior, demonstrated superior strength and skill. Forseti, a novice in Paladin combat, soon found himself outmatched, retreating step by step.

*Phew...*

After their bout, taking advantage of Forseti's lapse, Ander pressed his advantage, ending the spar with a swift maneuver that had Forseti's throat at its mercy.

They rested on a nearby stone, chatting amiably.

"To be honest, your physique suits smaller weapons, like daggers or swords. Why choose a warhammer?" Ander queried.

"Well... the hammer packs a punch," Forseti improvised.

Ander chuckled, then recalled, "Speaking of weapons, there's someone else in Asgard with a similar situation—not suited to hammers but fond of using them."

"Hela... the Princess?" Forseti blurted out, adding her title.

The mural in Thor 3 depicted Hela as the original wielder of the Mjolnir, a scene etched in Forseti's memory.

Ander seemed puzzled, "Why her? I meant Princess Skadi. Hela prefers swords."

"Skadi?" Forseti pondered briefly, recalling the character.

Skadi, daughter of Cul, featured prominently in "Fear Itself," a comic series where she's resurrected.

"I can't tell them apart," Forseti admitted.

"If you've seen them, you wouldn't mix them up," Ander laughed.

*Roooar!*

Their conversation was interrupted by a loud roar echoing from the forest depths, causing the entire herb collection team to tense.

"It's a forest troll!" someone exclaimed.

Forseti turned to see more than a dozen armored giants leaping from the nearby forest, shouting threats at the Asgardians: "Asgardians... perish!"

Twice the size of Asgardians, hairy and ape-like but armored and armed with massive weapons, the trolls posed a formidable threat at first glance.