194

Second Sanctum

Constructing the sanctuary proceeded in the traditional manner. While others gathered stones, Forseti called Shilut over and began laying the foundation stones for the Second Supreme Sanctuary.

Soon after, mages opened portals and dispatched numerous craftsmen to further develop the sanctuary.

"Agamotto, should we establish a village nearby?" Forseti inquired.

"Even a practitioner of Mystic arts needs proper sustenance, beyond his practice. Having a nearby village for procuring food, clothing, and other necessities would be highly convenient," Agamotto agreed.

"Go north to the village, find some villagers, offer them silver, and invite them to settle here," Agamotto instructed.

"Understood." The mage promptly departed.

Upon returning, however, the mage brought back only one sturdy male villager.

"Why only one person?" Agamotto questioned in surprise.

Before the mage could respond, the villager spoke up, "There are sea beasts in the waters nearby. This location is too perilous; who would willingly come here?"

"Sea beasts?" Agamotto echoed.

"Yes, fierce sea creatures from the distant southeast seas. They're known to attack and can even come ashore," the villager explained.

"Why did you agree to come here?" Agamotto inquired further.

"I have no family left, and with the money you offered, I decided to take the risk. Besides, I have some skills," the villager replied confidently.

Hearing this, Forseti's expression shifted. He suddenly turned to the villager and asked, "Are you literate?"

"A little," the villager admitted.

Forseti nodded decisively. "Excellent, you shall be the village head."

Everyone present was taken aback.

Diops interjected, "But the village hasn't been built yet. Is it wise to appoint him so hastily?"

Despite the objections, Forseti insisted, sensing some unseen alignment between the man's surname and the place.

The village construction was temporarily halted as efforts resumed on building the Second Supreme Sanctuary.

One day, Forseti soared through the skies wearing a magic floating cloak, gradually increasing his speed.

However, despite its smooth operation, the cloak's speed left much to be desired.

Agamotto, being of slight build and human form, managed decent speed with the magic floating cloak. For Forseti, an Aesir god weighing roughly 600 pounds, equivalent to several Agamottos, the cloak's performance lagged.

But still not even birds could outpace him.

In one instance, Forseti attempted to chase down a swift bird, but it effortlessly outpaced him, almost mocking his efforts before disappearing from sight.

Disheartened, Forseti landed and walked away with a furrowed brow.

Unable to contact Asgard, returning via the moon's space channel seemed the best option.

However, spanning hundreds of thousands of kilometers from Earth to the moon, neither flame flight nor the magic floating cloak seemed capable.

Could a combination of both work?

The idea struck Forseti.

The magic floating cloak offered stable flight with minimal effort and strong balance. If it could assist in maintaining balance during flame flight, it could significantly enhance speed and endurance.

But could the magic floating cloak withstand divine flames?

Forseti harbored doubts.

After all, even if it was magical enchanted fabric , in the end it was mere fabric. While adequate against ordinary flames, divine flames were another matter entirely.

Yet, determined, Forseti decided to experiment. He retrieved the remaining silkworm silk from Sanctuary space and cut a small piece.

Holding it, he invoked divine flames, raising its temperature swiftly.

Initially resistant, the silk eventually scorched and caught fire at high temperatures. Forseti quickly extinguished the flames.

Clearly, as suspected, the silk couldn't endure full-strength divine flames.

With a sigh, Forseti donated the charred silk to Sanctuary.

Closing the holy deed, a revelation dawned on him.

Holy Light Infusion!

Infusing objects with holy light altered their properties, potentially sanctifying them and enhancing their power over time.

For example, Forseti had previously infused Clatrus's iron sword with holy light once, significantly boosting its strength. Extended infusion could yield even greater results.

The magic floating cloak possessed some fire resistance. If sanctified, its resilience against flames could increase substantially, perhaps enough to withstand divine flames.

Forseti hadn't yet sanctified anything. Now, resolved, he made a decision.

The magic floating cloak would be the first!

Just then, a disturbance arose in the nearby sea.

"Roar!"

A thunderous roar reverberated, and the sea erupted. A massive sea lion-shaped beast breached the surface, a dolphin clutched in its jaws.

"It's a sea beast!" Lao Dong exclaimed.

Caught in the act of devouring the dolphin, the sea beast spotted Forseti on the shore.

"Roar!"

It bellowed, causing the waves to surge.

Without hesitation, Forseti's magic floating cloak billowed behind him as he flew at full speed, brandishing Antu Sur's hammer.

Hammer of Justice!

Holy light burst forth as the war hammer struck the sea beast's forehead.

"Boom!"

"Ow." Clearly a brute, despite its immense size, the sea beast proved no match for the hammer's justice. It thrashed and floundered, eventually succumbing.

Forseti delivered a series of final blows, ensuring the sea beast's demise.

Agamotto arrived, surveying the scene. "Let's haul it ashore and summon nearby villagers. This will reassure them and encourage settlement near the sanctuary."

Forseti nodded. With Diops's assistance, they dragged the massive sea beast ashore, its corpse resembling a hill.

Diops tentatively touched the beast's remains. "Forseti, I suspect this sea beast will taste quite good."

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