"WHAT?! What's happening?!" Hldrmir exclaimed as his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
"Also... a human and two vampires? What a weird combination." He commented.
He knew the conflict between the different races, that's why it came as a surprise for him that they would enter the Sixth Outerlayer together.
"Now... which trial should I give them?" Hldrmir rubbed his hands together as he chose a trial for the group. This would determine the difficulty level of his Outerlayer in this particular world, that's why he didn't want to waste this opportunity to give them hell.
—
Albrecht could only imagine Hldrmir's smirk as he watched over them. "Right about now, he's probably thinking of a suitable trial for us..." Albrecht muttered to himself.
Hldrmir's Realm is the polar opposite of the Fourth Outerlayer. Instead of a fiery barren wasteland, it was a lush forest filled with life. Trees grew to unfathomable sizes, and the air was fresh, untouched by humans. Here and there, unknown creatures and beasts peacefully roam the forest.
A confused expression was written on Anastasia and Claude's face since they didn't expect the Sixth Outerlayer to look like this. Judging by the scenery, they could tell that a powerful guardian lives on the Sixth Outerlayer.
"Albrecht... have you been here before?" Claude asked, tilting his head towards Albrecht who was calmly standing there.
"I told you, we're pretty much set for the Sixth Outerlayer. Don't worry," Albrecht answered.
He was prepared for this, though, and he did something that Hldrmir wasn't expecting at all.
In fact, it was the last thing that he expected to happen.
Smiling, Albrecht waved the Mystical Fire Stake at Hldrmir. He gasped and almost choked on his tongue as he recognized the item that Albrecht was waving.
"T-t-that's—!" Before he could say anything, Albrecht started talking.
"Greetings, Hldrmir, Overseer of Earth, I come in the place of Fjormir, Overseer of Fire. She sends her regards." Albrecht slightly bowed his head in a graceful manner, extending his hand upward so Hldrmir can get a better view of
Of the Mystic Fire Stake.
"T-the Mystic Fire Stake? Why does he have..." Hldrmir had no way to confirm whether Albrecht was telling the truth right now.
However, if he were to take everything at face value he was fairly certain that Albrecht had a connection with Fjormir.
After all, he was holding a Mystic Fire Stake in his hand. Only a true follower of Fjormir is granted the Mystic Fire Stake.
In the past, Hldrmir had already encountered a couple of Mystic Fire Stake, and it was always handled by a notable adventurer or a hero. This was the first time he saw a level 1 human with the Mystic Fire Stake and it intrigued him.
"State your name, human," A voice boomed in the background. It was clear that they had attracted Hldrmir's attention.
"I'm Albrecht. Albrecht Stein." Albrecht responded. "I come before your presence because we need the Mother of Life Cooking Pot."
There was no hesitation in Albrecht's voice. He immediately requested for the Mother of Life Cooking Pot even though this was one of the most prized possessions of Hldrmir.
Of course, Albrecht had already seen through Hldrmir's facade. Despite his stern and powerful voice, he was a hopeless romantic. He held great respect for Fjormir and he was madly in love with her.
However, he couldn't bring himself to confess to her since she's more powerful than him. They were both Overseers, but Fjormir could easily defeat him in a fight.
Albrecht knew this, and he used it to his advantage so Hldrmir would bend to his will.
"T-the Mother of Life Cooking Pot?! How did you know about th— ehrmm!" Hldrmir cleared his throat. There's no way a regular human would have the knowledge abiout the Mother of Life Cooking Pot.
In all his years in this dimension, there was no human who asked for the Mother of Life Cooking Pot from him.
That's why he concluded that Fjormir really did have a connection with the human in front of her. Judging from his low-level and powerful presence, it was safe to assume that he has the divine blessing of Fjormir, the Overseer of Fire.
It was also safe to assume that Fjormir is directly requesting the Mother of Life Cooking Pot since her greatest follower was right there.
Albrecht's presence alone showed great sincerity to Hldrmir, and he commended him for it.
Hldrmir took another look at Albrecht before he cleared his throat. Up until now, he still hasn't shown his physical form on Albrecht. He knew he should do it if he wanted to make a lasting impression on the follower of Fjormir.
A vortex of wind appeared in front of Albrecht. And then a powerful figure stepped forward. He had a well-sculpted body, and his skin was fair with roots running through his body as a form of clothing.
His eyes were pure green, and there was great emotion in his eyes. His hair was olive green, and it swayed with the lightest of breezes.
"I'm Hldrmir, the Overseer of Earth. It is of great pleasure to meet the great follower of Fjormir, Overseer of Fire." He formally greeted him.
On his hand was a huge cooking pot with thick roots holding it in its place. He didn't think twice about giving it to Albrecht.
"Albrecht, was it? Consider this a personal gift from me to you. I hope you will continue to respect and follow the great Fjormir, just as I greatly follow and respect her."
"Also, this is the first time I'm giving this to someone, but as the Overseer of Earth, allow me to grant you the Earth Blessing (SSS-Rank). This is to express my sincerity for your visit." Hldrmir continued.
Albrecht was surprised that Hldrmir just gave the highest form of Earth Blessing to him. Even though he had no affinity to the element of earth, the Earth Blessing would still be useful in the future. He bowed his head to express his thanks.
"And for the two vampires who are clearly your servants... I will also give them the Earth Blessing (S-Rank). Vampires have a great affinity to the element of earth, so I'm sure it would be useful."
In the end, the three of them agreed to receive the divine blessing.
Claude couldn't stop sulking, however, after the great Hldrmir just called him a human servant. It was the greatest insult he had received in his lifetime.