45

Unlock Layer 2

"In the second half of this year, could it be..." Strange thoughts flashed through Forseti's mind.

Ander: "The specific time hasn't been determined, but it's likely to be in the second half of the year. I might be going to Jotunheim. Do you want to join?"

Since the enemy was mainly Skrinsians, casualties at Camp III in Vanaheim were usually in the single digits after each battle.

But in Jotunheim, group annihilation was not uncommon.

If the Skrins battlefield in Vanaheim was like a five-player dungeon, then Jotunheim, home to the Frost Giants, one of the strongest races in the Nine Realms, was undoubtedly a 40-player raid, with incomparable difficulty.

Forseti was silent.

Ander smiled: "You wield the power of light and heat as a Lantern Bearer; you might have an advantage against the Frost Giants."

Then his expression grew more serious: "Of course, this isn't something to decide lightly. The Frost Giants are much more dangerous than the Skrinsians. Honestly, I'm not even sure I want to go to Jotunheim myself."

Forseti nodded: "We'll discuss it later. Jotunheim is both dangerous and a place where warriors can prove themselves. Even if I don't go now, I'll definitely go in the future."

"Maybe... one day, I'll cut off the head of Laufey, the Lord of Frost, myself."

Ander laughed: "We share the same ambition. Let's make a bet and see who can achieve it first."

"What do you want to bet?" Forseti asked casually.

Ander thought for a moment: "How about a thousand runes? After all, it's the head of the Frost King, and it shouldn't be for too little."

"No bet," Forseti refused flatly.

"Why?"

Forseti looked calm: "You're my friend. I don't want you to lose that much money."

Ander: "..."

They chatted for a long time. Ander insisted on betting, but Forseti sternly refused, citing his desire to stay away from gambling.

"No bet," Forseti said again.

Ander: "Fine, let's bet a gold coin, just as a symbol. How about that?"

Forseti sighed: "Alright, since you're so insistent, I'll agree."

After a while, Ander suddenly asked: "If we go to Jotunheim this time, will we encounter Laufey immediately?"

"That would be too much of a coincidence," Forseti said dismissively.

"I'm leaving," he said, standing up and walking away.

Back in his room, Forseti opened his Sanctuary and checked his two rewards.

He received [Standard Space Grid] and [Divine Shield (Shard)].

Holy Shield!

This reward delighted him. A fragment of the Holy Shield spell could be life-saving!

He calmed down and turned to the sacred book.

With ten acts of vengeance completed, the remaining six spells of the second layer were finally unlocked and marked as [Buyable].

Now, as long as he had enough piety, he could master these spells without needing fragments for one-time use.

But seeing the prices, Forseti's excitement faded.

[Sword of Justice, 49.99]

The Sword of Justice, the spell he most wanted to learn, required fifty piety points for one shard. Collecting a hundred shards cost 5,000 piety points, equivalent to fifty runes.

Forseti almost wanted to strangle the holy book's creator, inwardly growling.

"Damn, can't you stop being so money-driven? What's wrong with this society!"

His face twisted for a while, but Forseti returned to reality.

He checked his balance. It was barely enough.

In addition to the Sword of Justice, there was the Divine Protection spell, also expensive, with each fragment costing 40 piety points. The other four spells were more affordable.

Learning all six spells required about 150 runes, more than half of Forseti's net worth.

He would need to pay extra attention in the coming months, hoping to find another Skrinsian lair and return with a treasure trove of gold and silver...

Enduring the pain, Forseti bought the [Sword of Justice] spell, donated all the gold coins he could find, and purchased [Judgment].

With the gold coins gone, he would need to exchange runes for more gold coins to buy the remaining four spells.

After collecting a hundred fragments, the Sword of Justice and Judgment spells appeared in the holy deed. Forseti took a quick look, then turned back to the sacred tome and examined the third-level spells.

The third layer had eight spells:

[Hammer of Justice], [Hammer of Blessing], [Shield of Light], [Blind Light], [Cleanse], [Flash of Light], [Sacrificial Aura], [Blessing of Kings].

Compared to the second-layer spells, the unlocking conditions for the third-layer spells were much more complex. There were three requirements: justice, strength, and piety.

Justice meant completing a hundred acts of vengeance, killing a hundred evildoers. Strength required defeating three bosses in the experience space.

Piety meant proving the paladin's devotion by donating items of level 4 or higher, accumulating 100,000 piety points.

One hundred thousand piety points equaled a thousand runes, the same amount Ander had initially suggested betting on Laufey's head. The thought gave Forseti a toothache.

These three conditions were far from being met. Seeing that dawn was approaching, Forseti quickly washed up and went to sleep.

Months later.

The third camp welcomed a group of merchants. This group had arrived a few months ago and was now returning.

As soon as the merchants arrived, Forseti eagerly sought out their leader: "Do you have the chains I requested?"

When the merchants had last visited, Forseti had asked them to buy a chain.

"Yes," the merchant nodded, smiling, and handed him a box. "It's made of Asgardian iron. Take a look."

Forseti opened the box to reveal a chain with a silver-gray metallic sheen.

"Thank you," Forseti said, paying the merchant.

The Asgardian iron made the chain expensive. Though it was just a chain, he had spent over ten runes on it.

Back in his room, Forseti immediately attached the chain to the holy deed and hung it around his neck, adopting the standard appearance of a paladin.

Previously, retrieving items from the space grid meant digging into his bag. Now, with the holy deed on a chain, it was much more convenient.

That day, Forseti opened the holy deed and turned to Hogg's book of experience. He hesitated but decided against entering.

Despite learning all the second-layer spells, Uncle Hogg's strength still made Forseti question his abilities. He hadn't been able to win, or even gain the upper hand.

Your uncle is your uncle, after all.

Shaking his head, Forseti decided to challenge another fourth-level opponent.

Turning the page, the holy deed responded, displaying the [Book of Experience: Rock Puppet].