Luo Wei was in free fall, the icy winds of Jotunheim howling past his ears. His body shrank involuntarily, shivering from the bitter cold.
How high is this cliff? he wondered grimly. It's been nearly half a minute, and I'm still falling.
His gaze searched below. Could there be a lake?
But then he remembered—There are no lakes in Jotunheim.
Even if there were, from this height, even water would feel like concrete.
Still, Luo Wei wasn't afraid. Cliff jumping had become second nature to him. After all, "invincible cliff jumping" was practically a paladin specialty—second only to the infamous "invincible hearthstone."
With the Holy Shield Technique in hand, I'll show you how it's done.
He kept his gaze locked downward, arms wrapped tightly around Sanqi.
Finally, the frozen ground of Jotunheim revealed itself, rushing toward him like a looming wall of death.
Hold on…
Luo Wei's breath quickened. His pupils dilated. For a moment, even the throbbing pain in his arm faded into nothingness.
At the very last second, he activated the Sanctuary—
Holy Shield Technique!
The air around him shimmered. A radiant burst of golden light bloomed outward, forming a protective sphere made up of tiny, intricate runes.
BOOM!
Luo Wei struck the earth like a meteorite. The impact echoed with thunderous force, shaking the icebound ground.
But the Holy Shield held.
Despite the shattering power of the collision—enough to rupture the ancient frost-covered terrain—the divine protection absorbed it completely.
Chunks of ice and rock exploded around him. Within the eye of the storm, Luo Wei came to a stop, completely unharmed, embedded deep within the frozen layers.
The shield lasted only a second. The runes faded. The holy light dissipated.
Then came the cold.
A bone-chilling frost invaded his skin and bones. Gritting his teeth, Luo Wei clawed his way out of the hole he'd made, emerging onto the frozen plains.
He collapsed against a nearby slab of ice, panting heavily as he began treating the wound on his arm.
Looking up, Luo Wei stared into the darkness above.
Jotunheim was cloaked in perpetual gloom. From the top of the cliff, he hadn't been able to see the bottom. Now, from below, he couldn't see the top.
Laufey probably won't follow me down, he thought.
But what about Hela?
I hope she managed to escape.
The thought gnawed at him. Alone in Jotunheim with no allies and no way to return to Asgard, Luo Wei had to act fast.
He knew the general direction of the first outpost. If he could make it there…
But first, he needed a secure location to recover—his injuries and the depletion of his Holy Light made him vulnerable.
---
In Asgard, within the Bifröst teleportation chamber, Odin paced furiously.
"Uller, where is my daughter?"
The god's voice trembled with restrained fury.
Uller stood calm, his eyes glowing faintly as he peered across space and time. "I'm searching…"
"You didn't act until the outpost was already destroyed!" Odin snapped. "Why?"
Uller's tone was measured. "The sixth outpost—where Princess Skadi was stationed—was also attacked. I couldn't protect both."
Odin's eyes narrowed. "And Hela isn't more important than Skadi?"
"Princess Skadi is the Crown Princess—the next God-King of Asgard," Uller answered flatly. "She takes precedence."
Odin clenched his fists, something dark flickering behind his golden gaze. "I hope this isn't a personal vendetta."
"There is no grudge between us," Uller replied, avoiding further elaboration.
An awkward silence stretched.
Then Uller's expression shifted. "I've found her."
---
Back in Jotunheim, Laufey stood at the cliff's edge, staring downward. He frowned.
Then, his eyes darted sideways—
Hela!
She was limping through the icy terrain, blood trailing behind her.
With a snarl, Laufey raised his hand.
Shards of enchanted ice exploded from his palm, whistling through the air.
Hela turned too slowly. Her body took the hits—her armor cracked, and she tumbled to the ground, blood seeping into the frost.
She tried to rise. Failed.
Laufey advanced steadily.
But just before he could reach her—
A sudden brilliance filled the air. A column of rainbow-colored light descended from the sky, encasing Hela in its radiance.
The Bifröst.
Laufey's eyes widened. "Rainbow Bridge!"
He lunged forward—
Too late.
The light vanished, taking Hela with it.
---
Elsewhere, Luo Wei found a cave.
It was small and narrow, but in the icy wilderness of Jotunheim, such cramped spaces offered rare security.
Inside, he resumed treatment.
Frostbite crept from the stab wound Laufey had left in his arm, spreading like ink in water. Though he'd dealt with the injury's surface, the deeper effects remained.
Thankfully, he was prepared. A skilled doctor as well as a warrior, Luo Wei pulled out a cold-relieving salve from his pack. He wrapped the arm tightly after applying the medicine.
Next came dry food from the Sanctuary's spatial storage. He devoured a few bites.
But then he stopped.
Food is going to be a problem.
Jotunheim's wilderness was barren. He didn't know how long it would take to reach the outpost.
He packed the remaining food carefully, saving every crumb.
Then he tapped a piece of ice with Verrigan's Fist—
A short flame burst out, melting enough water to drink.
It'll have to do for now.
Weariness soon crept over him. As he often did before rest, Luo Wei opened the Sanqi lottery.
—[Thank you for your patronage]
—[Standard Space Grid obtained]
—[Piety +0.21]
Ever since I mastered the second-floor spells, the space grid rewards have become more frequent, Luo Wei mused.
Still, in a crisis like this, any edge helped.
He continued rolling.
—[Thank you for your patronage]
—[Thank you for your patronage]
—[Cleansing Technique obtained]
Cleansing… a detoxification spell. Not bad.
—[Book of Experience: Stone Tooth Boar]
—[Piety +0.07]
—[Book of Experience: Ice Demon Hunter]
Luo Wei blinked.
Ice Demon Hunter?
He quickly opened it.
—[Ice Demon Hunter]
—[Experience Level: 3]
The moment he saw the name, Luo Wei's instincts flared.
Could this help against the cold?
He debated. He was in no shape for combat training. Instead, he stored the book and drifted into sleep.
---
Time passed.
Thanks to the medicine, his injuries healed. But now, side effects from the Swiftness Potion he'd taken during the battle set in—
His legs ached like hell.
With a grimace, he cast a Faith buff on himself, easing the pain and restoring mobility.
He ate a little more. Drank water. Then remembered the experience book.
He summoned the Fist of Verrigan and activated the experience space.
Suddenly, he stood in an icy wasteland much like Jotunheim.
A tall, feral figure stood across from him—
The Ice Demon Hunter, a frost troll variant from the Warcraft universe.
The creature grinned and flipped backward, drawing twin axes.
"Dazdingo!" it shouted, preparing to attack.
Luo Wei raised his weapon, eyes narrowing.
Time to learn.