In the second half of this year, could it be… Strange thoughts flickered through Rowe's mind.
Andel spoke calmly, "The specific time hasn't been decided, but it's likely to be in the second half of the year. I'll be heading to Jotunheim; would you care to join me?"
The enemy forces were primarily the Scrins, and after each battle, the casualties at Camp No. 3 in Warnerheim were usually in the single digits.
However, in Jotunheim, group annihilations occurred more often than not.
If Warnerheim's Scrins battlefield was akin to a five-player dungeon, then Jotunheim, being home to one of the strongest races of the Nine Realms, the Frost Giants, was undoubtedly a 40-player dungeon. The difficulty was incomparable.
Rowe was silent, considering the proposition.
Andel grinned, "You're a lantern bearer, armed with light and heat. That could give you an edge against the Frost Giants."
His expression turned a bit more serious. "Of course, you should think this through carefully. The Frost Giants are much more dangerous than the Scrins. To be honest, I'm not entirely set on going to the Jotun Sea just yet."
Rowe nodded, "We'll see. Jotunheim is a dangerous place, but it's also one where warriors are made. Even if I don't go now, I'll certainly go in the future."
"Maybe one day… I'll be the one to decapitate Laufey, the Lord of Frost."
Andel chuckled at the bold statement, "I have the same goal. How about a bet to see who gets there first?"
"What's the bet?" Rowe asked, casually.
Andel thought for a moment, then suggested, "How about a thousand runes? After all, it's the head of the Frost King. A lesser amount doesn't seem fitting."
"No gambling," Rowe replied firmly.
"Why not?"
Rowe remained calm, "You're my friend. I don't want you to lose that much money."
Andel was taken aback, momentarily speechless.
The two continued to banter, with Ander insistent on gambling and Rowe resolute in his refusal to engage in such things for the sake of his life.
"No gambling," Rowe repeated, his voice unwavering.
Andel sighed, "Alright, how about a gold coin instead? A symbolic bet, then?"
Rowe sighed, his tone slightly resigned. "Fine, since you're so persistent, I'll accept."
After a long pause, Andel suddenly spoke again, "If we do go to Jotunheim, do you think we'll run into Laufey right away?"
"Not likely," Rowe said with a dismissive wave. "It's far too coincidental for something like that to happen."
"I'm off," Rowe said, getting to his feet, heading for the door.
Once back in his room, Rowe opened the Sanctuary and checked his two revenge rewards.
He obtained the [Standard Space Grid] and [Sacred Shield (Shard)].
Holy Shield Technique!
The fragment of the Holy Shield technique excited him. It was a lifesaver in critical moments!
Rowe took a deep breath and turned his attention to the sacred tome.
With the completion of ten revenges, the remaining six spells on the second layer were unlocked, lighting up the status to [Buyable].
Now, as long as he had enough piety, he could learn these spells without relying on shards to trigger them.
But when he saw the prices, Rowe's mood soured.
[Sword of Justice, 49.99]
The spell he had most wanted to learn, the Sword of Justice, required 50 points of piety to purchase just one shard. Collecting a hundred shards meant gathering 5,000 points of piety, which was equivalent to fifty runes.
Rowe gritted his teeth in frustration, cursing inwardly.
"Can you stop worshipping money like this? Why does everything have to revolve around materialism?! What happened to this world?!"
He grimaced, but after a moment, Rowe forced himself to focus.
He checked his balance. It was barely enough.
In addition to the Sword of Justice, there was also the Divine Protection spell, which was costly. A single fragment cost 40 points of piety. The other four spells were relatively affordable.
To learn all six spells, it would take around 150 runes—over half of Rowe's current wealth.
Looks like he would need to focus on finding another Scrins Lord's lair in the coming months, hoping to return with a chest full of gold and treasure…
Resigned, Rowe purchased the [Sword of Justice], donated all the gold coins he could gather, and acquired the [Judgment].
With the gold coins gone, he planned to find someone to exchange runes for more gold to buy the remaining four spells.
After collecting the hundred fragments, the Sword of Justice and Judgment Spell Book appeared in the holy deed. Rowe glanced through them, before turning his attention back to the sacred book, eager to inspect the third-tier spells.
The third layer contained eight spells:
[Hammer of Justice]
[Hammer of Blessing]
[Shield of Light]
[Blind Light]
[Cleanse]
[Flash of Light]
[Sacrificial Aura]
[Blessing of Kings]
Unlocking the third-tier spells required fulfilling three conditions: justice, strength, and piety.
Justice meant completing one hundred revenges—essentially, killing one hundred evil individuals. Strength required defeating three bosses in the experience space. Piety meant that a paladin must prove their devotion by donating items of level 4 or higher to accumulate 100,000 piety.
100,000 piety was equivalent to one thousand runes—an amount that seemed far beyond Rowe's current reach. His initial bet with Ander about Laufey's head already seemed insignificant in comparison.
These three conditions were still out of his grasp. Realizing it was almost dawn, Rowe quickly washed up and fell asleep.
---
Months Later
The third camp welcomed a group of business travelers, who had arrived recently and were now returning.
As soon as the business travelers arrived, Rowe wasted no time in finding the leading Warner Protoss. "So, how about it? Do you have the chains I asked for?"
The last time this business group passed through, he had specifically asked them to help acquire a chain.
"Yes," the merchant replied with a smile, immediately presenting a box. "It's made of Asgardian iron. Take a look."
Rowe opened the box and found a chain with a silver-gray metallic sheen.
"Thank you," Rowe said, handing over the payment.
Because it was made from Asgardian iron, the chain was expensive, costing Rowe over ten runes for this single item.
Back in his room, Rowe immediately chained the holy deed and wore it around his neck. The paladin's standard appearance was now complete.
Previously, it had been somewhat cumbersome to retrieve items from the space by storing the holy deed in his bag. Now, with the chain around his neck, it was far more convenient.
That day, Rowe opened the holy deed and turned to Hogg's Book of Experience. He hesitated for a moment, then decided against entering.
Though he had learned all the spells of the second layer, Uncle Hogg's overwhelming strength still made Rowe doubt his chances. So far, he hadn't been able to defeat Hogg, and had hardly even gained the upper hand.
"Your uncle is your uncle after all," Rowe muttered to himself, shaking his head.
Determined, Rowe decided to challenge another fourth-level opponent instead.
As he flipped the page, the Holy Deed responded to his thoughts, displaying [Book of Experience: Rock Puppet].