A month had passed.
In the open training ground, Luo Wei and Skorch stood opposite each other. Luo Wei remained calm, while Skorch looked slightly nervous.
With a roar, Skorch charged forward.
Luo Wei didn't move as his opponent approached. When Skorch threw a punch, Luo Wei dodged to the side at the last moment. At the same time, he subtly raised his foot and struck the popliteal fossa of Skorch's left leg.
Skorch's leg gave out, and he dropped to his knees.
He instinctively tried to counterattack, but Luo Wei was faster. He stepped on Skorch's left calf while pulling his left arm from the right side, immobilizing him.
Skorch struggled hard. His strength far surpassed Luo Wei's, and for a moment, it seemed like he might break free. Luo Wei almost lost his grip.
However, the disadvantageous position made every movement difficult for Skorch. He was quickly out of breath.
"I give up! No more fighting!" Skorch surrendered.
Luo Wei released him and let out a quiet sigh of relief.
If Skorch had kept struggling, he wouldn't have been able to hold him down.
Over the past month, Luo Wei had gained a solid grasp of basic Paladin combat techniques, but the gap in raw strength between them hadn't narrowed. In fact, it had widened—Skorch had grown bigger and stronger, his muscles developing even more explosively.
Fortunately, despite his size and strength, Skorch lacked a strong fighting spirit. He always struggled briefly before giving up.
Skorch stood up and dusted himself off. "You're getting better and better. Are you planning to join the army?"
"I've considered it," Luo Wei replied.
Skorch was surprised. "Why?"
"For the spoils."
"The spoils?" Skorch laughed. "You're serious?"
"Of course." Luo Wei nodded.
He wasn't joking. While Asgard was a warrior's realm, its security was excellent. Finding opportunities for theft or easy gains was nearly impossible.
If he wanted to acquire weapons, armor, or powerful artifacts, there was only one realistic option—war.
Becoming a warrior and claiming battlefield loot was the best way to grow stronger.
Skorch hesitated. "You're already strong—stronger than me. But your physical condition…" He trailed off, but the meaning was clear. Luo Wei wasn't built like a frontline warrior.
"I could be a military medic," Luo Wei said. "Don't forget, I'm also a pharmacist."
Skorch fell silent for a moment before nodding. "You know, now that you mention it… I've been thinking about joining too. Randolph and the others killed an Ice Beast in Jotunheim and sold its teeth for a fortune. If you become a medic, I'll be a soldier. When are you planning to enlist?"
"Not yet." Luo Wei shook his head.
First, he needed to forge the Fist of Verigan—after all, military doctors weren't given weapons.
As they talked, Skorch suddenly said, "Oh, right! I want to introduce you to someone."
"Who?"
"There's a really strong girl in Landveti Town. She's a year younger than you, but I think she's on your level. If you're interested, you should test yourself against her."
Skorch didn't elaborate further and waved for Luo Wei to follow.
---
Landveti Town
Landveti Town was one of the largest settlements in Asgard, largely because it encompassed the Landveti Forest, home to Víðarr, the God of the Forest.
Before long, they reached the Brave Hunter Tavern, the town's most famous gathering place.
"Haha! Fresh lamb!" A burly man stood in front of the tavern, a dead goat slung over his shoulder. The nearby crowd cheered.
"Tialfi, still no luck with a four-horned goat?" someone teased.
Tialfi, the hunter, didn't respond. A tavern attendant inspected the goat, then handed him a bag of coins. Without another word, Tialfi left with his payment.
Inside the tavern, the atmosphere was lively. The place was packed with people, both inside and outside.
In a quieter corner, a small group of young warriors sat together. Skorch led Luo Wei toward them and gestured to a dark-skinned girl.
"Valkyrie, this is Luo Wei—the guy who beat me in just a month."
Valkyrie?
Luo Wei's eyes widened slightly.
He knew that name. If this was the Valkyrie, then she was destined to become one of Asgard's greatest warriors.
"Hello, Valkyrie," Luo Wei greeted.
"Hello." Valkyrie gave a brief nod before glancing at Skorch. "Are you asking me to fight him?"
Skorch grinned. "Haha, yeah. I want to see who's the weaker one between you two. That way, I'll have a short-term goal to work toward."
"A short-term goal? Skorch, you talk big," a blonde man teased. He looked older than the rest—probably in his thirties.
Skorch pointed at him. "Just wait, Bart. I'm serious about learning combat skills."
Then, he turned to Luo Wei. "What about you? Want to spar with Valkyrie?"
"Not today." Luo Wei declined with a smile.
Fighting a girl was awkward—especially one destined to become a true Valkyrie. If he won, it wouldn't feel like much of an achievement. If he lost… well, that would be even worse.
After exchanging introductions, Luo Wei chatted with the group for a while before heading home.
---
Back at Home
Luo Wei retrieved the copper hammer he had purchased from Hadier's Smithy.
He adjusted his stance, took a deep breath, and activated the Sanctuary.
The Book of Experience: Big Candle Garg appeared in front of him.
His last few attempts had been disastrous.
Big Candle Garg was stronger than expected. Luo Wei had used multiple Holy Light Strikes in each battle, yet he still hadn't managed to defeat him.
He was even tempted to use Divine Shield, but he held back. Unlike in the experience space, spell fragments consumed here were real. Wasting Divine Shield on a virtual kobold wasn't worth it.
So he trained relentlessly, refining his technique until he was confident enough to try again—without using spells.
Holy Light Strike, even as a basic Paladin spell, consumed precious spell fragments. Every three draws yielded only one spell, and he wasn't about to waste them. His priority was to save up at least 100 fragments to learn higher-tier magic.
Luo Wei gripped his hammer tightly and activated the experience space.
The surroundings shifted, and he found himself back in the mine.
This time, he was ready.
"I'm going to take your candle!" he shouted, sprinting in an S-shaped pattern toward the depths of the cavern.