306

Bandit Marco

"Stop!" Several Kronan bandits brandished their weapons, halting Forseti in his tracks. They scrutinized him up and down. "Are you from Vanaheim?"

There were also some mortal Vanirs living on Ria, so when they saw Forseti, they subconsciously mistook him for a Vanirs.

Forseti didn't respond immediately. Instead, he glanced down at the Holy Light Pointer. Seeing it wavering among the bandits, he declared, "The first to surrender may live."

"Surrender to you?" Several Kronans scoffed.

Their laughter was short-lived. Forseti clenched his fists, flames swirling around them, and delivered a powerful blow to the stomachs of two Kronans.

*Boom!*

Their bodies ruptured instantly, fiery flames bursting forth like volcanic eruptions.

With a crash, the two Kronans crumbled into rubble, scattered on the ground.

The remaining bandits hesitated for a moment, but one reacted swiftly.

Forseti glanced at him and then relaxed his fists, dispatching all the bandits except one.

Facing the gravel-strewn ground, the surviving Kronan knelt in terror, trembling, repeating, "I surrender, I surrender..."

Forseti didn't immediately acknowledge him. Instead, he bent down and sifted through the rubble. His eyes lit up when he retrieved a blood-red gem from the pile of stones.

Fortunate to find a Mountain Heart among these underlings.

To most, a Kronan's corpse was an unremarkable pile of rocks.

But to the Kronans themselves, it was quite a different sight.

Watching Forseti unearth the Mountain Heart from the rubble, the surviving Kronan felt a chill creep over him. He gagged a few times, reacting as any ordinary being would to such a grisly sight.

Stowing away the Mountain Heart, Forseti approached him. "You're one of Marco's lackeys, correct?"

"Yes..." The Kronan lowered his gaze, unable to meet Forseti's eyes.

Forseti pressed further, "Take me to Marco."

The Kronans were taken aback, and Forseti reiterated, "Lead me to your boss, Marco, or suffer the same fate as these."

"Yes." The Kronan responded quickly, refraining from further inquiry, and led Forseti forward.

After walking for a while, they reached the base of a mountain. In the distance, rough structures came into view, with robbers standing guard and patrolling outside.

Seeing Forseti and his guide, a few Kronan patrollers approached. "Ormand, why have you brought a Vanir?"

"Uh..." Ormand hesitated briefly, but had evidently prepared his response. "He's a messenger from the Rogue Brotherhood, delivering a letter to Lord Marco."

Several Kronan guards exchanged glances. "The Rogue Brotherhood? What brings them all the way out here?"

Yet they were familiar with Ormand, so they left the matter at that, offering a few casual words before letting them pass.

Under Ormand's guidance, Forseti proceeded unhindered, soon arriving at the mountain's summit, where several Kronans loitered at the forefront.

"Our boss's abode lies ahead, but we may face resistance from the guards there," Ormand cautioned.

Forseti remained silent, advancing on his own. Turning the corner, he beheld a stone palace perched atop the mountain, guarded by numerous Kronan robbers.

Clearly, Marco wielded considerable power as a bandit. Around this mountain, the Kronan robbers had practically established a city.

Forseti unleashed his venom, transforming into the likeness of a symbiote warrior illuminated by light. Before the Kronan sentries could react, he drew his swords and charged.

"Enemy attack—enemies!"

"Alert the boss!" The guards shouted.

Yet only those directly in Forseti's path posed any challenge. With his swords swinging, he dispatched them swiftly, as though cutting through ripe melons.

At that moment, a thunderous roar echoed from the palace.

The ground trembled slightly, and a colossal Kronan over three meters tall emerged. His skin was bright white, encased in heavy armor, wielding a massive axe that exuded menace.

"Who are you!" The giant Kronan scanned the scene, his anger palpable, yet he refrained from rash action.

Forseti regarded him with surprise.

He had encountered many large-bodied Kronans, some even surpassing three meters, but this one's bright white complexion was unusual.

While other Kronans resembled stone, this one looked more like porcelain. Forseti wondered if he truly was a Kronan.

"Are you Marco?" Forseti inquired.

"Since you know my name, how dare you slaughter so many of my brothers!" Marco roared indignantly.

"I came for you," Forseti stated, rushing forward and slashing his swords.

*Boom!*

Marco hastily raised his axe to parry, but with a deafening clang, he was knocked back several steps, struggling to regain his footing. By contrast, Forseti remained steady.

In just that single exchange, the scales tipped decisively. Despite Marco's immense size, his strength fell short.

What further soured Marco's expression was the superior quality of Forseti's weapons; a single blow had already left a crack in his giant axe.

Without hesitation, Marco bellowed, "Men! Brothers, join me in killing him!"

Robbers from nearby and the mountain's base rushed in, surrounding Forseti from all sides.

Initially, Forseti managed to hold his own against Marco, but with the growing numbers, the odds stacked against him. Marco dodged cautiously, struggling to coordinate their attacks.

Nonetheless, Forseti remained composed, eyeing the encircling enemies. A golden flash shimmered across his form.

Vengeance's Wrath!

Two wings of Holy Light unfurled behind him, enhancing his strength and speed.

With a flicker of Holy Light wings, Forseti shot forward like a cannonball, penetrating through the layers of Kronan robbers.

*Boom—*

Kronan corpses and rubble scattered in all directions as Forseti materialized before Marco.

Judgment!

His swords descended in a swift, dazzling arc, bathed in Holy Light, aimed directly at Marco's head.

Fear flickered in Marco's eyes as he raised his axe hastily to block.

*Boom!*

However, under the onslaught of Vengeance's Wrath, Marco's battle axe was sent flying, embedding itself in the mountainside from a distance.

Marco stumbled backward, falling to the ground before scrambling to his feet and staggering into the palace.