92

The Marvelous Rock spells

Mutehus's eyes widened as he swiftly dodged, but the longsword grazed his shoulder, leaving a gash.

He winced, hastily covering the wound. Blue light flickered between his fingers, quickly healing the injury.

Hela's sword struck again.

Mutehus moved his staff, distorting the space between them, creating an invisible but dense barrier.

The sword halted abruptly about half a meter from Mutehus, its incredible speed visibly diminished.

Seeing this, Forseti extended his hand.

Hand of Reckoning!

A form of Holy Light power, the Hand of Reckoning couldn't cause substantial harm but was nearly impossible to defend against.

The mana barrier failed to stop the Hand of Reckoning effectively. Mutehus staggered, momentarily stunned by the attack.

The memories evoked by the Hand of Reckoning were unbearable, causing the ancient elder to tremble with rage, his face fluctuating between shades of blue and white. "Such... despicable trick!"

Seizing the opportunity, Hela's sword gleamed brightly, speeding up and piercing through the mana barrier once more.

"Argh!"

Mutehus cried out in pain as the sword impaled his abdomen, a significant wound.

The pain jolted him awake, refocusing his resolve.

"Boom!"

The ground trembled violently, cracks spreading as earth and stones erupted like a flood.

The ground continued to fissure, debris soaring into the air.

Mutehus, gloomy-faced, lifted Hermond into the air with a forceful gesture, stepping back a considerable distance. "Behold my Earth and Stone Giant!"

Before he finished speaking, the massive mass of earth and stone hovering in mid-air surged, taking on a vaguely humanoid form. Dozens of meters tall, it resembled a colossal hill.

The ground finally stabilized, and the Earth and Stone Giant solidified, raising its foot to crush Forseti.

Forseti and Hela retreated swiftly, launching attacks. The Hammer of Judgment and Hela's sword struck the giant's legs.

"Boom!"

The Hammer of Judgment exploded with considerable force, but its effect was minimal against the giant's massive frame. Hela's sword plunged into the giant's body, producing a series of muffled detonations, akin to firecrackers.

The sword emerged from the giant's skull, earth and stones cascading like a fountain.

"Crash-"

Debris rained down as the giant faltered.

Unfazed, Mutehus adjusted his staff, causing the giant's earth and stones to writhe before resuming its assault on Forseti and Hela.

"Boom!"

The Earth and Stone Giant swung a punch, its impact sending Forseti staggering.

Gripping Verrigan's Fist, he slammed it into the ground.

Justice Sword!

A blaze erupted beneath the giant's feet. The colossal figure swayed momentarily before stilling.

However, neither Judgment nor Justice Sword inflicted significant damage on the giant. Holy Light attacks were futile against such a foe.

Forseti glanced at Hela.

Hela's sword danced through the air, slicing into the giant's form or shearing away chunks of earth and stone with each strike.

Yet, the Earth and Stone Giant lacked flesh and blood. Empowered by Mutehus's mana, its injuries swiftly regenerated.

Damn it, how could they combat this?

If not for Hermond's captivity, they would have fled long ago. Now, rescuing Hermond or even defending themselves posed a daunting challenge.

Nearby, a commotion erupted. Forseti followed the noise to find the troll who had departed earlier returning with a host of trolls.

The trolls converged, surrounding Forseti and Hela.

Faced with overwhelming numbers, Hela gritted her teeth. "We must retreat!"

Forseti knew they had no other choice. He swiftly extended his hand, palm aimed at the densest cluster of trolls.

Blinding Light!

A dazzling radiance flooded the dark night, eclipsing the noonday sun. Trolls cried out, shielding their eyes.

Seizing the opportunity, Forseti and Hela beat a hasty retreat. Forseti also gulped a Swiftness Potion.

Mutehus, affected by the blinding light, rubbed his eyes. Despite the dazzle, his formidable healing magic swiftly restored his vision.

Observing the trolls temporarily blinded around him, Mutehus stamped his foot in frustration, directing the Earth and Stone Giant to pursue Forseti and Hela.

"Boom-boom-"

The giant lumbered after them. Despite its cumbersome movements, its tremendous strides ensured a relentless chase. Forseti and Hela couldn't shake it off, dodging its attacks with nimble footwork.

Forseti calculated mentally.

Blinding Light's duration varied; it might blind ordinary creatures permanently, but trolls, with constitutions rivaling Asgardians, would likely recover soon.

They had at most half a minute before the trolls regained their sight.

"Boom!"

The giant struck again, narrowly missing Forseti.

Terrified, Forseti evaded the blow, eyes scanning the giant's colossal form. Suddenly, he noticed a boulder near its knee.

A bold idea struck him!

Without hesitation, empowered by the Swiftness Potion, Forseti leapt ten meters high. The boulder at the giant's knee loomed before him.

"What are you doing?!" Hela exclaimed.

Ignoring her, Forseti retrieved his staff from Sanctuary and aimed it directly at the boulder.

Rock puppet!

Holy light bathed the boulder, attempting to shape it into a rock puppet. The spell halted abruptly, leaving behind a heap of glowing rubble.

Though the Rock Puppet spell failed to transform the boulder, the pile of luminous gravel stuck in the giant's joint, akin to jamming a gear.

Holy light coursed through the giant's knee, severely impairing its movement. The leg froze, halting the giant's advance.

Forseti marveled at his audacious success. He didn't know how long the makeshift measure would hold, but as soon as he landed, he urged, "Let's go!"