CHAPTER 78
The bolt of lightning struck with terrifying speed, far too fast for Luo Wei to dodge. Fortunately, his Divine Protection and Light Shield had just been activated.
The thunder slammed against the Holy Light Shield, and the clash between thunder and sacred radiance erupted into a dazzling display. A deafening "bang" resounded through the valley as the lightning dispersed, and the Holy Light Shield cracked under the strain, its glow flickering erratically.
A cold sweat broke out on Luo Wei's back as fear surged through him. Without hesitation, he began searching frantically for the Thunder Tree.
The Valley of Falling Thunder stretched far and wide, and though he searched with haste, he couldn't locate it immediately.
The threat of another lightning strike looming above, Luo Wei swiftly pulled out a Swiftness Potion, downed it in one gulp, and sprinted through the valley, eyes darting about for any sign of the tree.
There!
A towering pale-cyan tree stood sturdily in the distance. Luo Wei dashed toward it, heart pounding—but upon closer inspection, his face fell. The tree bore no fruit.
The growth of the Thunder Tree's fruit didn't follow any seasonal or climatic pattern. It seemed entirely random. Cursing his luck, Luo Wei turned and continued his frantic search.
Crack!
Another bolt of lightning exploded above, crashing down with ferocity. The Holy Light Shield groaned under the impact, visible cracks spreading across its surface. It shimmered, teetering on the edge of collapse.
Luo Wei bolted through the valley like a madman. He found three Thunder Trees in succession—none of them bore fruit.
BOOM!
Another violent thunderstrike fell, and this time, the Holy Light Shield shattered completely. Shards of light burst in every direction before vanishing.
"Just one more try. If there's no fruit, I'm out of here!"
Luo Wei clenched his teeth, recalculated his route, and pushed forward at full speed. He scoured the valley, time running out on his potion.
Then—he saw it.
A lone Thunderbolt Tree, standing silently. And hanging from one of its branches was a fist-sized fruit, glowing a cyan-blue hue. It was shaped like a diamond, semi-transparent, with arcs of electricity dancing across its skin, crackling faintly.
A Lightning Fruit!
Elated, Luo Wei scrambled up the tree, plucked the fruit, and didn't waste another second. He turned and sprinted for the valley's exit.
BOOM!
A massive bolt fell from the heavens, and with his Holy Light Shield already gone, Luo Wei had only Divine Protection and his own body to rely on. The thunder slammed into him, leaving him twitching and numb, almost causing him to collapse.
By sheer fortune, the following two minutes passed without another strike. The sky above seemed mercifully still.
Just as Luo Wei was about to escape the valley, his guard dropped slightly—and then it came.
The largest, most terrifying bolt yet tore through the sky.
BOOOOM!!!
"Aaagh—!" Luo Wei screamed, his body wracked with pain as the lightning engulfed him and launched him out of the valley.
He hit the ground hard, smoke curling from his skin, which was now charred in places. His limbs twitched violently, and darkness threatened to take him.
Yet luck remained on his side. The final strike had flung him outside the range of the valley's electrical storm. No more bolts followed.
Gasping, Luo Wei forced himself to focus and summoned several blessings of faith. The warm glow of the Holy Light flowed through him, soothing his burns and restoring his ability to move.
Panting, he glanced back toward the Valley of Falling Thunder, his heart still pounding.
That had been far too close…
He staggered to his feet and slowly made his way back to the Swamp Beast. Climbing into its wooden hut, he collapsed like a corpse.
"You're lucky to have found a Lightning Fruit so quickly," the beast trainer remarked, inspecting him. "And you don't seem too badly hurt?"
Luo Wei didn't respond. Instead, he sat up slowly and looked at the Lightning Fruit in his hand.
It wasn't large—about the size of his fist. It shimmered in its cyan-blue color, almost like the essence of thunder itself. Sparks flitted across its surface, and holding it made his palm tingle and go numb.
"What are you planning to do with it?" the trainer asked. "You should know—you've only got about ten days."
"Ten days? What do you mean?" Luo Wei looked up, startled.
"There are occasional Lightning Fruit trades in the Gakan warehouse. I know a bit about them," the trainer said. "Freshly picked ones remain stable for about ten days. After that, they become unstable—prone to spontaneous explosions. And when they explode, it ain't pretty."
"I've heard of one that lasted nine months," the trainer continued. "That was a rare case—on Gran Gravengrad. The guy who managed it was a student of the Oak King. You know of the Oak King, right?"
Luo Wei blinked. "Only nine months at most?"
"Yeah. That was a record. Most people can't keep one stable for even a month."
Luo Wei looked at the fruit again, stunned. Just ten days?
He still hadn't gathered the Young Dragon Blood, the Blood of the Mountain, or the Sands of Time. By the time he did, this fruit might've exploded into dust.
Had all that running been for nothing? Would he need to go through the valley again?
"What will you do with it?" the trainer pressed. "You're not planning to sell it, right?"
After a pause, Luo Wei said, "I might… try to grow it."
"Grow it? You planning to brew wine from it?" the trainer smirked.
Luo Wei didn't respond. If he couldn't use the fruit before it expired, and selling wasn't an option, then cultivation was the only viable path.
Though the fruit would change after being removed from the Valley—losing its potency—it was still a rare magical plant and could be used for alchemical preparations or other concoctions.
That night, while resting, Luo Wei pulled out his Sacred Deed and placed the Lightning Fruit atop the formula for the Talent Mixture, activating its appraisal function.
[88% match with Lightning Core]
Eighty-eight percent! That was impressive. The Lightning Fruit could definitely act as a substitute for a Lightning Core.
But with such a short lifespan, it meant it could only be picked when the Talent Mixture was already in its production phase.
Upon returning to the Gakan warehouse, Luo Wei spent an entire day digging up information on the fruit—especially methods for cultivating it safely.
Once that was done, he set off on his return journey, heading for the Forest of Joy.
That evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, Luo Wei sat beside a river, pulled out his dry rations, and prepared to camp for the night. Tomorrow, he would be back in Asgard.
Kakakaka.
Just as he reached for his food, a strange sound came from beneath him—stone scraping against stone, rough and grinding.
Luo Wei froze. A split-second later, realization struck—and he leapt into the air.
"Ahhh! Damn bedbugs!"
A thunderous roar followed.
The rock Luo Wei had been sitting on… was not a rock. It was a massive Kronan!
This one was enormous, rivaling the Kronan that Gus had slain. Half-submerged in the river, it had lain there motionless, looking exactly like a boulder by the bank. Its upper half leaned out of the water, unmoving—until now.
And Luo Wei had been sitting on its face.
The Kronan surged to its full height, water cascading down its body.
"You dare sit on my face!?" it roared, its voice booming like an avalanche. "I'll kill you and wear your puny human skin as underwear!"
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