124

Meet Maclean Again

Forseti's expression changed slightly. After considering it, he decided to investigate. He crouched in the thick grass, looking in the direction of the sound.

Not far away, a chase was unfolding.

Four Vanir were running, pursued by seven trolls who were shouting and killing. The Vanir were in tattered armor and clearly injured, fleeing for their lives.

What surprised Forseti was that among the Vanir was a familiar face: the hunter Maclean, whom he had met before.

Coincidentally, the last time he met Maclean was in a similar critical situation. It seemed this guy owed him twice for saving his life.

Although the trolls were formidable, Forseti was confident he could handle them with the help of the four Vanir. Even if he had to leave Shilut behind, he took out the Fist of Verrigan and charged forward.

"Judgment!"

The Hammer of Judgment blasted forward, trailing flames through the air like a meteor, striking one of the trolls.

"Boom!"

The troll was caught off guard and killed instantly. The remaining six trolls stopped in shock and anger, while the four Vanir hurried to Forseti's side.

"Long time no see, Maclean," Forseti greeted with a slight smile.

Maclean, injured and gasping for breath, looked at Forseti in surprise. "You are... Forseti?"

"I didn't expect you to recognize me," Forseti replied.

Maclean was confused. "How did you change so much?"

"I have awakened my divine power. You know, divine power can change one's appearance," Forseti explained.

This explanation was plausible, though his transformation was indeed quite dramatic.

Maclean was stunned, then said, "We need to fight quickly. There's a large army of trolls nearby!"

"Just to my liking," Forseti said, shaking his warhammer.

The six trolls looked uneasy. They realized Forseti was not easy to deal with, and their numerical advantage of six to five was not significant. They naturally wanted to retreat.

At that moment, Forseti extended his hand and cast Reckoning six times in succession, hitting all six trolls.

Before, the mana consumption of six Reckoning spells would have been considerable for Forseti, but after his awakening, his sacred mana capacity had increased significantly, allowing him to manage it easily.

Hit by the Reckoning spell, the trolls who intended to retreat were provoked, their faces twisted with rage. With a roar, they charged at Forseti.

"Go to hell!" the trolls growled in frustration.

Forseti's expression remained unchanged. He rushed forward with the Fist of Verrigan, flames rising between his fingers.

"Huh—" The flames roared in the air, and Forseti struck a troll with his hammer.

The troll screamed and fell, his armor glowing faintly red from the impact, and the smell of burnt flesh filled the air.

Another troll rushed in close, but Forseti lifted his foot and kicked it away with a flying kick.

The remaining trolls and the four Vanir joined the battle. The fight was not fierce, and Forseti refrained from using more spells. With the help of the four Vanir, he quickly killed the six trolls.

A large troop of trolls was nearby, so after the battle, Forseti called Shilut and left with the Vanir.

"Unbelievable, you've become so strong... Is your divine power flame?" Maclean asked as they walked.

"Yes."

Another Vanir spoke enviously, "The power of flame, that's the power I most yearn for."

"Why?" Forseti asked.

"I've always wanted to see the sun up close, but it's too dangerous. I think the divine power of flames must adapt to that environment," the Vanir explained.

Forseti disagreed. "I don't think so. Although I haven't been to the sun, I know I can't survive in that environment, at least not for long."

Stars, as one of the most extreme environments in the universe, are perilous even for the gods. Only a few powerful beings can survive there, and even then, it's only on the surface.

"Maybe you can try. Four thousand years ago, a senior with flame power stayed in the sun of the Midgard for ten years," the Vanir suggested.

"Maybe," Forseti replied casually. He then changed the subject. "How is Vanaheim now?"

The question made the Vanir sigh and look down. Maclean answered, "It's very tragic. Too many people have died... The Vanir might have less than half of our population left."

"No, I think you're too optimistic," another Vanir interjected. "We lost half our people on the first day of the war."

Maclean didn't argue but said solemnly, "Who would have thought such a deadly space channel existed in Vanaheim, and that the enemy would find it?"

Forseti commented, "I've heard there are many interconnected space channels within the Nine Realms."

"That's an unimaginable disaster," Maclean said. "Forseti, are you here as a reinforcement from Asgard?"

"Uh... no, not yet. I came to Vanaheim for other important matters," Forseti replied without elaborating.

Unexpectedly, his words triggered a reaction from a young, brown-haired Vanir who had been silent. "Other important matters? At a time like this, are there other important things?!"

"Are the Aesir really our brothers?" The young Vanir became emotional, trembling as he pointed at Forseti. "Didn't Ullr have the All-Seeing Eye? Why didn't he foresee this? Why?"

Forseti frowned. "Lord Ullr's All-Seeing power doesn't mean he can see everything simultaneously. If he could, it would be omniscience, not All-Seeing."

But the young Vanir had lost his reason, becoming more agitated. "How many of us have died? The Vanir will become the next dark elves!"

Maclean and the others hurriedly tried to calm him down, explaining to Forseti, "He lost all his family and his spirit is... you know."

Forseti sighed inwardly, frowning.

It seemed the situation in Vanaheim was even worse than he had imagined. If this war continued, the Vanir might be doomed.

At the same time, Forseti realized that under these circumstances, once he returned to Asgard, he would likely be recruited soon.

He was about to become an official Asgardian warrior.