At the critical moment, Rowe swiftly activated the Divine Protection Technique. A faint, sacred radiance enveloped his body, just as the four-horned goat's front hooves smashed into his chest with crushing force.
He felt a colossal impact strike him, and his vision blurred as he was flung backward. He crashed to the ground, dazed.
A sharp, stabbing pain spread across his chest, stealing his breath and twisting his face in agony.
The four-horned goat truly was the most fearsome beast in all of Asgard.
Undoubtedly, with his current strength, confronting such a creature head-on was utterly suicidal. If he were struck just two or three more times, he'd be finished.
The beast's formidable resilience showed again as, even while Rowe lay winded on the ground, it had already recovered and stood firm.
"Bah—!" it roared menacingly, hot sparks flaring from its nostrils with every snort.
Rowe hastily summoned his holy deed. Pressing a hand against his injured chest, he activated a fragment imbued with holy light. The Flash of Light technique burst forth from his palm.
While less focused on offering faith, Flash of Light possessed tremendous healing power. The searing pain in his chest subsided instantly. However, the cost was heavy—his remaining reserves of divine energy were nearly halved in a single use.
"Bah!" the four-horned goat roared again and charged.
Rowe reacted quickly, slamming his warhammer into the ground.
Sword of Justice!
A blazing blade of justice, infused with flames and holy light, erupted from beneath the ground and impaled the beast's belly.
The goat had been rushing forward. It was immediately torn open by the radiant sword—its abdomen split apart, and its intestines spilled out in a gruesome arc of blood and gore.
Such a wound would've crippled most creatures on the spot.
But not this one.
The four-horned goat's vitality was monstrous. Unless its head, heart, or bones were destroyed, any other injury would be regenerated in moments.
It shrieked in agony, yet continued its charge undeterred, its savage eyes locked on Rowe.
With no time to waste, Rowe swung his warhammer and unleashed a divine judgment, retreating swiftly to shelter behind a nearby tree.
The Hammer of Judgment struck true, smashing into the goat's left eye and bursting the eyeball with a sickening pop.
Still, the beast barreled forward and crashed directly into the tree.
Boom!
The massive tree, easily too wide for any man to grasp, shattered under the blow. Splinters and chunks of wood exploded in all directions as the trunk collapsed.
Rowe's heart pounded. He rapidly assessed the situation.
The goat's weak points were limited—its skull, heart, and bones. But he had just tested its head and bone defenses, and they were absurdly durable. Even his strongest attacks barely made a dent.
That left only the heart as a viable target.
He began circling the beast in a curved trajectory, eyes locked on its chest, trying to get an opening.
The goat howled in rage and gave chase. Though it was massive and awkward at sharp turns, its raw speed was far greater than Rowe's. The distance between them was rapidly closing.
As he dodged, Rowe saw something that sent a chill down his spine.
The goat's ruined eye had already begun to regenerate. The torn wound across its belly was closing, its flesh knitting together at an inhuman pace.
Its regenerative power was terrifying.
Seeing the beast preparing to strike again, Rowe clenched his teeth and raised his left hand. He activated another holy light fragment.
Holy Light Shield!
A brilliant radiance surged between his fingers, and a large, glowing shield materialized in front of him just in time.
Simultaneously, he struck the ground once more with his warhammer.
Another Sword of Justice erupted upward, slashing across the goat's chest and stomach, ripping it open anew.
The beast slammed into the Holy Light Shield with deafening force.
Boom!
The barrier cracked visibly, trembling under the impact.
Rowe staggered back, watching in dismay as the goat shook its head and prepared another charge, seemingly unfazed.
His heart sank.
The attack had failed again. He hadn't pierced its heart.
His internal reserves of divine energy had been depleted further, especially after using Flash of Light.
He did a quick risk assessment.
If the battle dragged on, death was a real possibility. With no better choice, he pulled out a bottle of Swiftness Potion and quickly drank it.
Boom!
The goat smashed into the shield again. The already fractured Holy Light Shield shattered, dissolving into sparks of radiance.
Rowe turned and fled into the dense forest.
He wasn't overly panicked. The goat might be faster, but it would take some time before it caught up. If he could make it to the tavern near Asgard, he'd be safe.
Still, the timing couldn't be worse. It seemed he'd miss the Hunting Festival this year.
Rowe sighed internally.
Then came a chilling sound.
Awooooo!
The hair on the back of his neck bristled.
His eyes widened.
Ahead, a pack of gray wolves had emerged—dozens of them. They stood in the shadows, howling and slowly turning to face him.
Damn it!
Lone wolves usually didn't dare attack humans. The risks were too great. But a pack? That was a whole different story.
Instinct told him he was in deep trouble.
He spun around instantly. Behind him, the roar of the goat and the howls of wolves overlapped in a terrifying harmony.
For the first time, Rowe began to question his earlier thoughts about Tialfi. Maybe the guy wasn't cursed after all. At least, when Tialfi was around, things never went this bad.
Rowe sprinted wildly. Trees and brush blurred past him as he tore through the undergrowth.
Then, suddenly, a vast body of water came into view—the Sea of Marmora, the core ocean of Asgard.
The Sea of Marmora was strange and majestic. It encircled the land of Asgard, yet connected to space beyond the realm. At every moment, endless waves poured out into space, vanishing beyond the stars.
And yet, it never ran dry. Its waters were infinite.
"Bah!!" The goat's roar grew closer.
Rowe had no choice.
He leapt into the Sea of Marmora and began swimming with practiced strokes.
The wolves halted at the shoreline, growling and howling but unwilling to pursue into the sea.
Not the goat.
With a furious cry, the four-horned beast plunged into the water and continued the chase.
Thankfully, Rowe had trained his swimming rigorously after his rough encounter with the murlocs. The goat, however, was sluggish in the water—its bulky frame reducing its speed. Even so, it swam almost as fast as Rowe.
He paddled frantically.
The goat didn't relent. Its bloodlust fueled every stroke.
Rowe glanced ahead.
The sea's edge was in sight. Beyond it: space. Cold, silent, star-filled space.
He scanned the area, and hope lit up his eyes.
A small, narrow island jutted out of the water. More importantly, it had a slit, barely visible, submerged partially beneath the waves.
It looked narrow enough for him—but definitely too tight for the goat.
Without hesitation, he changed course and swam to the island, reaching it quickly and slipping into the crevice.
Boom!
The goat crashed into the slit entrance, dislodging loose stone. But it couldn't squeeze in.
Rowe chuckled softly. "Hehe."
The beast howled, furious. It snorted fire, boiling the seawater near the entrance into steam.
It slammed into the crevice repeatedly, but the passage was simply too tight.
"Roar—roar—baa—!"
Eventually, the goat gave up, its anger burning out. It let out a final frustrated roar and swam away.
Rowe exhaled in relief.
He had narrowly escaped death.
Just to be safe, he decided to stay hidden for a while longer.
The fissure extended deeper into the island. As he swam forward, the narrow crack gradually widened into a cave, its floor rising above the waterline.
Rowe floated for a moment, then turned and swam into the cave, feet finally touching dry ground...
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCE 40+ CHAPTERS
patreon.com/HACKDWORLD