39

[Swiftness Potion]

"I'll distract some of them. Seize the chance to get in and take out Lord Skrins and his emblem," Wayne suddenly proposed.

Forseti asked skeptically, "Can you handle it alone?"

Wayne displayed the Swiftness Potion. "You saved me once; I trust your concoction won't let me down."

Forseti fell silent for a moment, then patted Wayne on the shoulder. "May the Holy Light protect you."

Wayne nodded. "I'll wait by the rock resembling a bull's head."

With that, he vanished into the night shortly after.

Forseti and Ander remained, nervously scanning their surroundings.

Their caution was well-founded—the sheer number of Skrins made finding safe cover a stroke of luck; they risked being spotted by enemy patrols.

Ten minutes later, a commotion erupted in the distance, shattering the forest's calm.

"Aesir intruders!"

"Enemies!"

The Skrins erupted into frenzy, akin to a hive of agitated hornets, swarming towards the source of the disturbance with guttural howls.

Viewed from above, the Skrins scattered around the giant tree resembled a patch of dark green fabric torn apart and rapidly unraveling.

Carefully concealed, Forseti and Ander seized the opportunity as the number of Skrins dwindled, creating a visible gap they dashed through towards the massive tree.

Despite the diversion, the Skrins' numbers remained formidable. The closer they came to the tree, the narrower their escape route, inevitably drawing attention.

Luckily, darkness cloaked their movements while distant clamors masked their approach.

Ander's greatsword cleaved, Forseti swung his warhammer, swiftly dispatching a group of Skrins, and soon arrived at a door within the tree's structure.

"We must hurry. More Skrins are gathering," Forseti urged, eyeing the motionless Holy Light pointer at his waist.

At that moment, the pointer pointed directly ahead, indicating Lord Skrins had halted periodic movement.

"Boom!"

Ander kicked open the door.

Inside the treehouse, they spotted their target—Lord Skrins.

Lord Skrins lounged on a bed, half-naked and drowsy, accompanied by several women... Correction, corpses of women. Frozen in terror with bruised bodies, their fate at the hands of Skrins' brutality was evident.

These were Vanir women, whom Skrins were known to target despite Vanir's or Aesir's resistance against Skrins.

Startled by the entry, Lord Skrins jolted awake.

" intruders!"

He leaped off the bed, producing a sword from thin air, eyes wide with horror as he screamed, summoning Skrins outside.

"Beast!" Ander's eyes widened at the sight of the corpses, ready to strike Lord Skrins with his sword.

Forseti acted swiftly, releasing a burst of Holy Light from his warhammer.

"Judgment!"

The Hammer of Judgment struck, catching Lord Skrins off guard, crippling his leg.

"Boom!"

Infused with sin, the Hammer of Judgment exploded upon impact, obliterating half of Lord Skrins' body.

With his demise, the Holy Light pointer instantly ceased, marking the end of his sin.

"You could've let me finish him off! My strike would've been quicker," Ander protested, trailing a step behind.

"My attack was swifter, saving time," Forseti countered, preventing Ander from killing Lord Skrins, lest retribution evade them.

Without delay, Ander swiftly retrieved Lord Skrins' emblem.

The emblem of Lord Skrins served as crucial evidence for time to count.

Forseti uncovered a small, heavy box, rattling with unknown contents, likely the lord's amassed wealth of unknown value.

"Aesir intruders!" Skrins outside were swiftly converging, some breaching the room.

With no time to inspect the box, Forseti stowed it away in the Holy Light's storage space.

Ander swung his greatsword, barking, "Back off!"

Forseti gazed at the corpses with sorrow in his heart.

With a clenched fist, Forseti struck the bed with the Hammer of Verrigan.

"Boom!"

The bed collapsed, engulfed in flames, swiftly spreading throughout the room carved into the giant tree...

"Go!"

The two dashed out of the room, only to be encircled by a horde of Skrins, their eyes glowing with rage, howling in unison.

But vengeance wasn't their motive; most Skrins lacked such concepts.

From every direction, Skrins poured forth, causing a chaotic stampede.

As the lord's palace burned, Skrins' fragile discipline crumbled instantly. Amid the vast numbers, chaos erupted, a free-for-all of bodies pushing and shoving.

Forseti and Ander nearly succumbed to the surging tide of Skrins, wielding their weapons to fend them off.

"Potion!" Forseti cried, retrieving and consuming the Swiftness Potion.

The potion surged through him, flooding his limbs with warmth and vigor.

It felt akin to completing a marathon in peak condition—his legs felt light and energized, his strength renewed.

"Holy Light Strike!"

Forseti swung the Hammer of Verrigan, Holy Light cascading forth, scattering Skrins around him, effortlessly leaping seven to eight meters into the air!

Though not an impressive height in Asgard, it surpassed Forseti's usual limits, a testament to the Swiftness Potion's astounding effects.

Ander also imbibed the potion, leaping higher than usual, marveling, "Forseti, this is like a potion for flying!"

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