{🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please support me.🥰 You can access upto 105+ advance chapter through Patreon by using the link: https://patreon.com/HACKDWORLD
As the enemy army approached, the Asgardian Protoss warriors in Odin's camp braced themselves, weapons ready, and moments later, the clash erupted.
Rowe's team was the first to encounter a squad of trolls. More than a dozen of them charged forward with thunderous roars. Their massive bodies struck fear into the hearts of some inexperienced soldiers, sending tremors through the front line.
Judgment!
Rowe took the lead, channeling divine energy into Verrigan's Fist. The Hammer of Judgment burst forth, trailing a radiant arc of flame and holy light as it streaked through the air and slammed into the chest of a troll.
Boom!
The troll had twisted slightly at the last moment, so the hammer missed his head. Even so, it struck him squarely in the chest with explosive force. He let out a guttural cry, coughed blood, and crumpled to the ground, unmoving.
That marked the true beginning of the skirmish. With one troll down, the numbers between the two teams were equal, setting the stage for one-on-one combat.
Trolls towered over Asgardians in size, but their brute strength did not overshadow the superior intelligence and training of the Asgardian warriors. While the trolls could rival their foes in raw power, they often lacked the tactical edge to prevail in close quarters.
One example was Skorch, whose battle prowess negated any troll advantage.
"Ha!" Skorch bellowed, swinging his massive axe downward with terrifying force. The troll before him raised his club, but the sheer impact knocked him backward, staggering on unsteady feet. Seeing this, Skorch grinned savagely and lunged again.
He might not have had refined techniques, but Skorch's massive frame and brutal strength made him a walking siege engine. Trolls found it nearly impossible to counter his relentless aggression.
Valkyrie, by contrast, danced across the battlefield like a stormwind. Lacking Skorch's overwhelming strength, she made up for it with speed, grace, and deadly precision. Her short sword glittered in the sunlight, stabbing and slashing with dazzling agility.
She circled a troll, staying just outside its reach, slicing it repeatedly in quick, precise motions. Her opponent flailed at her like a bear swiping at a bird, only to howl in pain as she pierced its thigh, dodged a wild swing, and finally stabbed upward into its abdomen. The troll collapsed, while Valkyrie remained untouched.
But not all members of Rowe's squad fared so well.
"Ahh!"
One warrior cried out as a troll kicked him to the ground, raising its weapon for a killing blow. Elito, nearby, leapt forward—but it seemed he wouldn't arrive in time.
Rowe acted swiftly.
Hand of Reckoning!
A surge of holy light erupted from his fingertip, slamming into the attacking troll. The demonspawn's expression twisted, gripped by a flood of guilt and rage as the spell took hold. It paused just long enough for Elito to reach it.
With a yell, Elito slashed the troll's weapon aside, then followed up with a clean strike across its neck. Blood spurted as the troll collapsed.
"Not bad," Rowe called, nodding in approval.
But Elito frowned, his gaze lingering on Rowe's glowing finger. Something about it had shaken him.
Bang!
A heavy blow crashed into Rowe's shield, sending a jolt through his arm.
A troll had struck him with a hammer. Rowe staggered backward but kept his footing. Using the momentum, he spun and delivered a flying kick into the troll's gut, knocking it back.
As it tried to recover, Rowe raised Verrigan's Fist high and brought it down. The troll rolled aside, barely avoiding the head-splitting blow.
The hammer struck the ground with a divine thud, and holy light burst forth in a shockwave.
Sword of Justice!
A radiant blade shot from the ground, skewering the troll through the chest mid-roll. It let out a choked scream before going still.
A sharp crack followed. A whip of water lashed the dying troll's body, adding insult to injury.
Rowe turned.
Amora.
She stood nearby, the water whip retracting into a fluid blade in her hand.
"Looks like I'm stealing your thunder," she said with a coy smile before turning to confront another enemy.
Rowe's team finished off the trolls efficiently. Thanks to coordinated efforts and the power of the Hand of Reckoning, no one suffered serious wounds—only a few minor injuries.
With their path cleared, Rowe's gaze fell upon a strange sight not far away.
A demon, bruised and bloodied, with chains dangling from its wrists, staggered from a nearby camp. It ran frantically toward a group of demons and collapsed face-first in the mud before them.
"What happened?" one of the demons asked, helping him up.
The demon's eyes were vacant. He didn't speak, but kept pointing frantically behind him, like a madman haunted by a nightmare only he could see.
The others glanced around uneasily.
Then, as suddenly as he had come, the battered demon turned and ran back the way he came.
"Let's check it out," said the demon captain. The squad followed.
They soon found Rowe waiting.
"Jie Jie…"
Rowe laughed ominously, twirling his hammer like a villain in a tragic play.
The demons hesitated. An ominous aura surrounded him.
Before they could react, Rowe charged.
Blessed Hammer!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Spiraling hammers of light shot forth in arcs, colliding with the demon squad and killing five or six instantly.
Without stopping, Rowe launched into another chain of attacks—more trials of divine power. The ground scorched, the air shimmered with holy wrath.
The few survivors panicked and fled, their minds broken by the ambush.
Rowe didn't chase. Instead, he reset the trap.
Using the same demon statue—now in pieces—he continued luring more foes. Some came alone. Others arrived in small squads. But the results were always the same.
Rowe stood like a reaper among the ranks of Hell's army, harvesting life with every swing.
His team watched with slack jaws.
"I was right," Rowe said smugly to Elito.
Elito said nothing.
But fortune does not always smile forever. The more success one has, the more likely fate waits to balance the scales.
After Rowe had slain more than twenty demons, a powerful presence arrived.
This demon was larger than the others. Gray skin, a single curved horn, muscles rippling with power, and eyes filled with malice.
Boom!
The horned demon smashed what was left of the decoy statue into the dirt. The fragments scattered. He snarled, glaring at Rowe.
"Clever trick," he growled, "but it ends here. You die now."
"That's… that's a high demon," a nearby warrior gasped. "We're finished…"
"Shut your mouth, fool!" Elito snapped, brandishing his blade. His hands trembled slightly, but his stance was firm.
Rowe squared his shoulders and met the demon's gaze.
This creature wasn't Zatanos-level, but it was clearly no mere foot soldier. A second-tier divine threat, perhaps—but still within the reach of victory, especially with Holy Light on his side.
The demon roared and slammed his fists into the ground.
Boom.
{ Enjoying the chapters? Please Support me on Patreon and unlock advanced chapters, with 3 new chapters released every two days!
The fanfic is also available for one-time purchase on Patreon – unlock lifetime access to the full collection, no membership needed! Don't miss out –support and own it forever!
patreon.com/HACKDWORLD}