377

[Seeds]

Little Thor didn't hesitate and began his ascent of the Thunder Tree.

For a young Thor, the small arcs on the Thunder Tree were not insignificant, making the climb arduous as he endured constant electric shocks.

After a while, panting heavily, Little Thor reached a high point near the thunder fruit enveloped by arcs, stretching out his hand to grab it.

"Crack!"

An electric arc struck his hand, causing him to groan. His hand was slightly charred, but it didn't deter him.

Finally, he successfully plucked the Thunder Fruit, holding it in his hand with an excited expression.

The Thunder Tree planted by Forseti was markedly different from those in Vanaheim's Thunder Falls Valley, with the fruit's appearance also distinctly unique . Probably changed due to abundant divine power of Asgard.

Compared to the original valley version, this fruit was plump, round, and translucent, incredibly enticing.

Little Thor gazed at the Thunder Fruit in his hand, momentarily tempted to taste it.

According to Loki, this was a Thunder Fruit that blossomed and bore fruit every three thousand years. What would happen if one were to consume it?

He swallowed nervously, then, after a moment's hesitation, brought the Thunder Fruit to his lips.

"Boom!"

With one bite, a deafening noise echoed as the Thunder Fruit erupted into blinding light, knocking Thor unconscious.

Under the Thunder Fruit's power, Little Thor tumbled until he hit the wall, smoke emanating from his body before he lay still on the ground.

Little Loki, who had been lying on the wall, was momentarily stunned, then quickly rushed in, calling out, "Thor?"

Little Thor remained unresponsive in his coma, smoke still rising from his body.

Little Loki moved closer to Thor to help, but as his hand made contact, he received a painful shock, causing him to cry out in agony, tumbling to the ground with flushed cheeks, unable to rise for a moment.

Fortunately, at that moment, Heimdall's all-seeing eye caught sight of the two.

Seeing his fallen brothers, Heimdall swiftly redirected his gaze and located a lean youth: "Hermond, go to Forseti's residence."

Hermond hesitated, "Are you asking me to spy?"

"Don't waste time, go!"

Hermond muttered under his breath but swiftly rose, vanishing in an instant.

Moments later, he appeared beside Thor and Loki.

"Hermond!" Little Loki exclaimed in surprise.

Hermond examined the unconscious Thor with concern. He hurried forward to assist him and then glanced at Little Loki, struggling to rise, asking, "What happened? What's going on?"

"Uh, well..." Little Loki hesitated.

Hermond turned to Hermondall, "Heimdall, what's going on?"

"I just noticed, but I didn't expect them to break into Forseti's herb garden and seemingly pick the Thunder Tree's fruit," Heimdall explained. "Don't worry about this now; hurry and check on Thor."

Half an hour later, at the Golden Palace.

Odin and Frigg stood anxiously by Thor's bedside. Frigg's eyes were red from crying as she anxiously inquired, "Scala, how is Thor?"

Scala frowned and replied after a moment, "He's still young, and this kind of injury might be... challenging for him."

Frigg couldn't hold back her tears upon hearing this, sobbing as she leaned over Thor's bed.

Nearby, Little Loki lay on another bed. Though not as severely injured as Thor, he received no attention from his parents.

Half-lying on his bed, Little Loki gazed dimly at the Odin couple fussing over Thor, then quietly withdrew beneath his blanket...

Meanwhile...

"Om..." Beneath the Thunder Tree, Shilut snored heavily, drooling onto the ground.

Forseti stood beside him, silent for a long while, then raised his head to ask, "Hermond, what happened?"

He had been practicing in the Pyramid of the Moon when Heimdall suddenly alerted him to trouble at home, prompting his swift return. Upon arrival, he found Shilut fast asleep.

Although Shilut often feigned sleep, he actually had no need for rest unless he consumed a potent energy gem. Yet, Forseti was unaware of what gem might have caused him to slumber so deeply.

Heimdall's voice echoed in his mind, "According to Loki, Thor stole the queen's gem, used it to send Shilut into a deep sleep, and then picked the Thunder Tree's fruit."

"The Thunder Tree's fruit?" Forseti was taken aback.

"You weren't aware?" Hermondall asked, surprised.

Forseti frowned, "The Thunder Tree I planted is markedly different from those native to Warnerheim. They're essentially two distinct species. It hasn't borne fruit in over a thousand years."

Heimdall fell silent before responding, "It may take another thousand years for it to fruit."

"Where is the fruit?" Forseti inquired.

"Just to your left, in the corner."

Forseti stepped closer and saw a round, blue fruit lying on the ground.

This green, spherical fruit had been bitten, revealing its flesh and embedded seeds.

The seeds were the size of rice grains, golden, diamond-shaped, emitting a faint glow akin to gold casting, delicate and exquisite.

The presence of these golden seeds surprised Forseti; such seeds were absent from typical Thunder Fruits.

After brief contemplation, he returned indoors, using tools to extract the golden seeds from the pulp before dividing the remaining pulp into two portions.

Forseti kept one portion for himself, though he presently lacked interest in further investigation. With the herb garden now largely deserted and his research on hold, he planned to gift the remaining portion to his sister, Eir.

Carrying the Thunder Seeds and pulp, Forseti journeyed to Lifia Town and found Eir.

"What kind of seeds are these?" Eir asked, inspecting the Thunder Seed gleaming like gold.

"Thunder Tree seeds," Forseti replied.

Eir was astonished, "You mean the tree in your yard actually bore fruit?"

Forseti confirmed, "Yes, I was surprised too. I thought it would never fruit. I brought some seeds here; you must be curious about what they'll grow into."

That evening, Forseti enjoyed a lavish dinner with his sister.

As Eir's skills in herbal medicine grew increasingly refined, so too did her culinary prowess. They chatted amiably over a sumptuous meal, their conversation stretching long into the night.

Sated, Forseti finished his mead, then suddenly asked, "Eir, is Haldo still pursuing you?"