CHAPTER 124

Luo Wei's expression changed slightly. After a brief moment of consideration, he decided to investigate. He crouched low in the thick grass, carefully observing the direction from which the noise had come.

Not far away, a desperate chase unfolded.

Four Vanir warriors were running ahead, their movements ragged and frantic, while seven trolls pursued them relentlessly, shouting battle cries and threats.

The Vanir were all clad in torn armor, bloodstained and limping. They were clearly injured and fleeing for their lives.

What caught Luo Wei's attention even more was that one of the Vanir warriors was someone he recognized—it was Maclean, the hunter he had encountered before.

Coincidentally, the last time they met, Maclean had also been in a dire situation. It seemed fate insisted on Luo Wei rescuing him more than once.

Despite the trolls' strength, Luo Wei had the upper hand with the element of surprise and the addition of four allies. Confident, he allowed Shilut to remain hidden, drew forth the Fist of Verigan, and charged into the fray.

Judgment!

The Hammer of Judgment flew from his grip like a flaming meteor, trailing fire in its wake before striking one of the trolls with a deafening impact.

"Boom!"

Caught completely off guard, the troll was killed instantly, his body crushed by the divine force.

The remaining six trolls, both startled and enraged, halted in their tracks. The four Vanir warriors stopped as well, redirecting their flight and heading toward Luo Wei.

"Long time no see, Maclean," Luo Wei said with a faint smile.

Maclean's arm was soaked in blood, and he was panting heavily. When he heard the familiar voice, he blinked, stunned, and examined Luo Wei carefully before recognition dawned. "You're… Luo Wei?"

"I didn't expect you to recognize me," Luo Wei responded.

Maclean still looked confused. "You've changed so much. How…?"

"I've awakened divine power," Luo Wei explained. "You know how that can change a person's appearance."

This explanation made sense. Divine power could indeed influence one's physical form, and although Luo Wei's transformation was dramatic, it wasn't beyond belief.

Maclean nodded slowly, then grew serious. "We need to move fast. There's a whole battalion of trolls nearby!"

"That suits me fine," Luo Wei said, gripping his warhammer tightly.

The trolls hesitated. They had realized Luo Wei was no ordinary Vanir, and with only a marginal advantage in numbers—six against five—they were no longer confident. Some began stepping back cautiously.

Before they could retreat, Luo Wei extended his arm and pointed—six rapid gestures, six flashes of sacred power. The Hands of Reckoning struck each of the trolls in turn.

In the past, casting six Hands of Reckoning would have drained Luo Wei's mana significantly. But ever since his divine awakening, the upper threshold of his sacred energy had increased substantially. He could now cast multiple spells without strain.

The trolls, enraged by the holy attack, snarled and howled. Their muscles twitched under the magical pain, and then, maddened, they charged at Luo Wei in a united roar.

"Die!" they bellowed in unison.

Luo Wei met them head-on, flames flaring from his warhammer as he activated its power.

"Whoosh—" Flames erupted from the hammer, and with a swing, he smashed into a charging troll. The beast was hurled backward, armor glowing red-hot, smoke and the smell of burnt flesh rising from the impact.

Another troll tried to flank him, but Luo Wei responded with a swift spinning kick that sent the creature crashing into a tree.

The other trolls closed in, but the remaining Vanir warriors rallied and joined the battle.

The skirmish was brief. With the combination of divine fire and Vanir steel, the trolls stood no chance. Luo Wei didn't need to use more spells. In moments, all six were dead.

Knowing that a larger force of trolls was close, Luo Wei quickly summoned Shilut. Together with the Vanir survivors, they retreated into the woods.

As they moved, Maclean turned to Luo Wei, marveling, "I can't believe how strong you've become… Your divine power is flame?"

"Yes," Luo Wei replied simply.

Another Vanir warrior, eyes gleaming with admiration, said, "That's the power I've always dreamed of."

"Why?" Luo Wei asked.

"I've always wanted to see the sun up close," the warrior explained. "But the sun's too dangerous. I figure flame wielders might be able to survive its heat."

Luo Wei shook his head. "I doubt it. Even though I control fire, I don't think I could last in that kind of environment—not for long."

Stars, after all, were some of the most extreme places in the cosmos. Even gods approached them with caution. Only the most powerful beings could endure their outer layers, let alone their cores.

"Still, there was a legend," the warrior added. "Four thousand years ago, a flame-wielding elder meditated in the sun for ten years. In the Atrium system."

"Maybe," Luo Wei said, changing the subject. "How is Vanaheim now?"

The mood immediately darkened. The Vanir warriors lowered their heads. Maclean's face tightened with grief. "It's a slaughter. Too many have died… I'd say less than half of our people are left."

"No," another said grimly. "We lost half on the first day alone."

Maclean didn't argue. He added solemnly, "Who would've thought such a deadly spatial rift existed in Vanaheim—and that the enemy would find it?"

Luo Wei nodded. "I've heard the Nine Realms have numerous interconnected spatial channels."

"That's a disaster waiting to happen," Maclean muttered. Then he looked at Luo Wei. "You're from Asgard, right? Reinforcements?"

"Uh… not exactly," Luo Wei replied. "At least, not for now. I came to Vanaheim for something else."

Unexpectedly, this answer triggered a sharp reaction.

A young Vanir warrior with dark brown hair, who had been silent until now, suddenly erupted. "Something else? What could be more important than this war?!"

His eyes burned with rage, and he pointed at Luo Wei accusingly. "Are the Aesir truly our brothers? What about the all-seeing eye of Ullr? Didn't he see this coming? Why didn't anyone stop it?!"

Luo Wei frowned. "Lord Ullr's power doesn't make him omniscient. The all-seeing eye allows vision across space and time, but not everything can be perceived simultaneously. That would be omniscience—not all-seeing."

But the young Vanir had lost all reason. His grief had turned to anger, and he shouted, "We've lost too many! The Vanir are going to end up like the dark elves!"

Maclean and the others rushed to restrain him, trying to calm him down.

"He's lost everyone," one of them said apologetically to Luo Wei. "His spirit… it's shattered."

Luo Wei sighed, his heart heavy.

It was clear that the situation in Vanaheim was far worse than he'd imagined. If the war continued like this, the Vanir might truly face extinction.

And given the severity of the situation, once he returned to Asgard, he suspected he wouldn't remain a free agent much longer.

It was only a matter of time before he was drafted into the war, as an official Asgardian warrior.

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