Adam gazed at the horizon, the air thick with the scent of scorched earth and ash, remnants of the battle with Baldur.
The ravaged forest around him whispered the story of the recent conflict, twisted trees standing as silent witnesses to the divine fury that had unfolded there.
He could feel it, his entire being, born for this purpose, sensed it—a [Heretical God] was approaching. He could feel his blood boiling, pounding forcefully. Taking a deep breath, he felt his strength slowly returning. Though a lingering weariness remained in his muscles and a dull ache throbbed in his head, he was no longer on the verge of collapse. His energies were gradually replenishing, the magic within him rekindling like a flame reignited after nearly being extinguished.
Suddenly, the wind shifted, carrying with it the sound of distant shouts, a cacophony of voices laced with rage and determination.
His ears perked up, registering the growing sound. It wasn't an echo of past battles, but a new threat approaching.
He lifted his gaze to the horizon and saw two figures emerging at the edge of his vision. The first, leading the chase, was a radiant woman with golden hair that shimmered like the rising sun. She wore a flowing robe that seemed woven from golden light, and in her hands, she carried a basket emanating a soft glow.
Behind her, advancing furiously, came a robust man, his presence a storm incarnate. He wielded a gigantic axe, each step causing the ground to tremble. Lightning danced around his body, illuminating the sky with flashes of light. His eyes were tempestuous, filled with indomitable rage.
"Iddun!" the man roared, his voice echoing through the valley. "You cannot escape me! Treachery will not be forgiven!"
Adam narrowed his eyes, observing the interaction between the two figures on the horizon.
The mention of the name "Iddun" and the reference to treachery set his mind whirling, connecting fragments of stories and myths he had learned in his past life.
The Goddess of Youth, Iddun.
As Iddun ran, she glanced back, her expression a mixture of determination and fear. "Perun, I betrayed no one! You don't understand! There is no need for destruction!"
God of the Storm, master of lightning and thunder, a force of nature in human form, Perun.
Her voice was a plea, an attempt to calm the tempest Perun carried within him. But the Heretical God was unwilling to listen.
Adam, watching the scene unfold, pondered what could be happening.
Iddun was the guardian of the golden apples of youth. These apples were the secret to the gods' immortality, preserving their eternal strength and beauty. She was known for her kindness and loyalty, always watching over her precious apples with devotion. However, there was one god who constantly tested the limits of divine balance with his trickery: Loki, the god of mischief and chaos.
There was a legend that told how one day, Loki was captured by the giants, ancestral enemies of the gods, while exploring distant lands. To save his own life, Loki made a treacherous deal: he promised to deliver Iddun and her apples to the giants. Using his cunning, Loki returned to Asgard and, under the pretext of showing Iddun some apples more marvelous than her own, convinced her to leave the safe walls of Asgard. As soon as Iddun crossed the boundaries of the divine city, the giants captured her and took her to their icy realm, Jotunheim.
Without Iddun and her apples, the gods began to weaken, their vitality fading like leaves falling in autumn. Desperate, the gods sought out Loki, suspecting his involvement.
Pressured by Odin and Thor, Loki confessed his crime and, fearing the wrath of the gods, promised to rescue Iddun. With the help of a magical cloak that transformed him into a falcon, Loki flew to Jotunheim. There, he found Iddun imprisoned in a cave, protected by powerful enchantments. Using his cunning, Loki transformed Iddun into a nut and, holding her in his talons, flew back to Asgard. The giants realized her escape and transformed themselves into eagles, pursuing the trickster god through the skies. However, with his speed and cunning, Loki managed to reach Asgard before being caught.
Had she manifested because she sensed the [Grimoire of Loki] as well? Thinking of this, he clutched the book tighter.
As for Perun? Well, the Slavic peoples revered him as the mighty god of thunder and war, guardian of the heavens and protector of men against the forces of chaos.
In some myths, he wields a lightning axe that he hurled at his enemies, especially Veles, the serpentine god of the underworld and cunning, his eternal rival. While Perun represented the sky, order, and justice, Veles symbolized the earth, chaos, and deception. Together, they personified the eternal conflict between light and darkness, good and evil.
The most famous legend of Perun narrates the cycle of his annual confrontation with Veles. During the height of summer, when the crops were abundant and the sun shone brightly, Veles, in his serpentine form, crawled from the underworld, attempting to steal the herds, crops, and even people. He hid in the trees, waters, and fields, spreading disorder and chaos. Perun, vigilant, hurled his lightning bolts from the mountaintops and heavens, trying to strike Veles.
The storms Perun unleashed were seen by mortals as a divine battle between the two gods. Thunder and lightning illuminated the sky, while heavy rains purified the earth, banishing Veles back to the underworld.
Each year, Perun triumphed, restoring order and ensuring that the land flourished again. The peasants celebrated Perun's victory with rituals and sacrifices, giving thanks for the rains that fertilized the soil and protected their crops. Perun's thunder was considered a blessing, a sign of his protective presence.
In addition to being a warrior, Perun was also seen as the god of justice. In his role as divine judge, he was invoked in oaths and pacts. Those who broke their promises or acted dishonorably would incur the wrath of Perun, who could punish them with his flashing axe.
Now, why was he angry with Iddun?
In ancient Slavic tradition, Perun was revered as the God of thunder and war, his war axe and imposing presence in the sky a symbol of absolute power. However, as time passed and influences from other cultures spread, the stories began to change, especially with the arrival of Norse influences and other mythologies. The interactions between Norse and Slavic cultures during the Middle Ages resulted in a significant exchange of myths, symbols, and traditions.
In the case of the relationship between the Slavic god Perun and the Norse goddess Idunn, some interpretations suggest that the Scandinavians absorbed elements of Slavic symbology, adapting them to their own myths and, in some cases, reinterpreting them in ways that could devalue the original symbolism.
In Slavic mythology, Perun's golden apples represent destruction, being talismans of divine power. The subsequent conquests of the Nordic peoples, in order to devalue the Slavic gods, led Perun's golden apples to become a symbol of Iddun.
By linking the golden apples to Idunn, the Norse not only reinterpreted the symbol but also relegated it from the domain of a King of the Gods to a goddess who does not occupy a central position in the pantheon, a form of devaluation of Slavic symbolism.
Thus, Perun's own symbol, the golden apples, an icon of destructive force, was gradually associated with Iddun, the goddess who symbolized continuity and eternal life.
With this, the legend of Perun was denigrated, in the sense that his image, once imposing and respected, began to be obscured by the more favorable view of Iddun.
In this process, Perun, who once dominated the skies with his thunder and fury, had his symbol taken away, being relegated to a lesser role, and Iddun assumed the symbol that once belonged to a King of the Gods. Perun's golden apples, then, were no longer the symbol of his wrath, but rather a reflection of eternity, passing from their old form to a new meaning under the influence of Idunn.
The [Heretical Gods] had manifested. Iddun because of the [Grimoire of Loki] and Perun because of Iddun, seeking revenge for how, because of her, he was denigrated, he supposed…
With each step the gods took towards him, the air felt more charged, heavier. They were still far on the horizon, but they were coming his way, meaning a confrontation was inevitable.
Adam clenched his fist, his heart pounding. He felt the magical energy coursing through his body as he prepared for the arrival of Iddun and Perun.
With the impending battle, he decided to activate the authority he had usurped from Baldur.
He closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on the newly acquired authority. Inhaling deeply, he began to chant the incantation:
"O mark of divine protection, become my armor."
As the words left his lips, golden runes began to appear on his skin, glowing with a soft, comforting light. The runes spread rapidly, forming an aura of protection around him.
Adam felt strength surge within him. His muscles felt stronger, his senses sharper. The authority not only offered protection against attacks but also enhanced his physical attributes to a divine level. He knew that as long as the aura was active, he could face the gods directly, without fear.
This was the authority he called [Blessing of Protection] that he had received from Baldur. According to myth, Frigg foresaw her son's death, and to prevent it, made all living and non-living things swear never to harm him, thus granting him invulnerability. Only the mistletoe did not make the oath, thus being responsible for Baldur's death.
This Authority surrounds him with golden runes, which generate an aura of protection. Unlike the Gods of Steel, Baldur's protection does not transform his body into a walking steel fortress, as Baldur does not have the characteristics of a God of Steel. His Authority works by "rejecting all attacks." The brilliant aura of the runes nullifies any blow directed at him while active. Similarly, in this state, he doesn't need to eat, drink, or sleep, can withstand intense blows from other authorities and divine weapons, and even the vacuum of space itself, resisting almost all attacks without flinching.
The weakness of this Authority is that it consumes a large amount of magical energy to nullify attacks, making it very exhausting to maintain for long periods.
He can also extend the runes from his body, generating a protective dome to shield his allies. But this creates Baldur's additional weakness, as it can be easily destroyed with mistletoe.
While this Authority is active, he also receives divine physical attributes, such as strength, endurance, and reflexes, allowing him to face a God with nothing but his body.
The feeling of invulnerability was intoxicating, but he was aware of the price that came with it. Maintaining the authority required a large amount of magical energy, something he couldn't sustain indefinitely.
He needed to finish the fight quickly.
Adam took a deep breath and activated another of his authorities, this time the one he had received from Balor. His eyes took on a vibrant blue hue with red lines dancing in the center of his pupils. He then used the [Primordial Light] that allowed him to manipulate light, creating an elemental medium to float on, and flew towards the [Heretical Gods] while clenching his fist and preparing himself. He also tucked the [Grimoire of Loki] behind his pants and covered it with his shirt, thinking it might be useful in defeating one of the two [Heretical Gods].
The sky above was tinged with a somber hue as the wind blew softly through the burned trees, carrying the scent of destruction.
On the horizon, the imposing figures of two [Heretical Gods] stood out, their dominant presences filling the air with a palpable tension. Perun, the Slavic God of Thunder, stood with his arms crossed, his eyes flashing with electricity and his face marked by an expression of disdain. Iddun, the Norse Goddess of Youth and Guardian of the Apples of Immortality, stood beside him, emanating an aura of severity. Her eyes, normally gentle, were now filled with rage as they fixed on Adam.
The two sensed the Campione; they were natural enemies. They possessed the ability to sense each other from miles away.
As Adam approached, Perun was the first to speak, his voice reverberating like the thunder he controlled.
"Foolish child," Perun said with disdain, his eyes sparking with electricity. "You dare interfere in matters that are beyond your comprehension? This dispute is between gods, and there is no place for mortals, even if you are a Campione."
Iddun stepped forward, her anger evident as she glared at Adam, her gaze darting to his back. "You have the grimoire of that damned traitor! Why is it with you?"
Ignoring Perun, Adam looked at the goddess and spoke casually. "Baldur came down here because of it. I suppose you did too."
Iddun narrowed her eyes, her anger contained but still present. "Loki, that damned wretch!"
Perun interrupted with an impatient gesture. "Leave him, Iddun. Let us finish our dispute and let this fool deal with the consequences of his actions."
Adam stepped forward, his body radiating the golden light of his authority.
"Annoying. I'm not here to listen to your irritating voice. I came to kill you both, and I will do just that…"
Iddun hesitated for a moment, her eyes fixed on the Campione before her. There was something in Adam's determination that gave her pause. Perun, however, let out a harsh laugh, raising a hand wreathed in lightning.
"So be it, Campione. But remember, you chose to place yourself between us."
With that, the two Heretical Gods began to prepare for battle.
Adam had no time to react before Perun attacked. The Heretical God raised his arm, and a blast of thunder echoed through the sky. Lightning descended with destructive force, tearing through the air towards him. The golden runes around his body glowed intensely, absorbing the impact of the lightning, but Perun's power was immense, forcing Adam back a few steps.
Iddun, unwilling to be left behind, raised her hand, summoning a barrage of golden vines that erupted from the devastated ground. They advanced rapidly, attempting to ensnare Adam, but he leaped back, severing the vines with a swift movement of a sword molded from light.
Adam steadied himself in his combat stance. He charged forward, his sword spinning in a brilliant arc, aiming for Perun, who dodged with an agile movement, conjuring more lightning that exploded around him.
The two began to clash with blows of lightning and light in the sky.
Adam created any weapon he could wield with mastery to strike the God, who defended himself with lightning and his axe.
The sky looked like a chaotic mixture of light and thunder, covering the entire horizon in the distance.
Perun summoned thunder with every movement, transforming the already devastated forest into a battlefield of electricity and destruction. Each time he attacked, the ground trembled, and the trees that were still standing were reduced to ashes. Adam dodged with agility, using his usurped authority from Baldur to absorb the most direct attacks.
Iddun, on the other hand, used the nature around her as a weapon. The golden vines continued to emerge, attempting to entangle Adam at every opportunity. She invoked an aura of youth and vitality that strengthened her attacks, making each blow more ferocious. Her anger over the Grimoire of Loki fueled her; her attacks were precise and full of intent.
Adam, surrounded by attacks from both sides, held his ground.
The runes glowed intensely, protecting him as he continued to fight.
With a shout of exertion, he spun his light-made spear, unleashing a wave of energy that pushed Perun and Iddun back momentarily.
Taking advantage of the momentary pause, Adam floated above the Heretical Gods. He aimed his spear at Perun, who was recovering from the impact, and hurled it with all his might. The spear shone with an intense light, cutting through the air like a relentless arrow.
Perun, with a roar, raised his hand, invoking a shield of electricity that deflected the spear at the last moment. The weapon returned to Adam's hand, who was already descending towards Iddun. She raised the vines in a barrier, but Adam sliced through them with a fluid motion, landing in front of her.
Before she could react, Adam swung his spear, forcing Iddun to retreat. He spun in place, facing both gods with mastery.
Perun laughed grimly, preparing for another thunder attack, while Iddun, her eyes gleaming with determination, braced for another onslaught.
They attacked with renewed force.
Adam dodged some attacks and endured others with the [Blessing of Protection], feeling it drain his magical reserves quickly. He started to feel his magic dropping to a dangerous level and knew he had to end this soon. His eyes, now a vibrant blue, glowed intensely as he gathered the energy around him, preparing himself for the fight.
Perun, with his war hammer in hand, invoked the storm, his eyes flashing with the fury of lightning. The charged clouds in the sky gathered around him, and the sound of thunder echoed with each movement of his hammer. Lightning struck around Adam as if the sky itself was trying to destroy the warrior. But Adam, with impressive agility, dodged each bolt with precise control over his movements, avoiding each burst of electrical energy that aimed to strike him.
Iddun, alongside Perun, was not a direct combatant, but her ability to manipulate nature and the vitality of things around her was formidable. With a subtle movement of her hands, she made flowers and vines emerge around them, creating a natural armor of bushes and roots that blocked Adam's advance. Her ability to heal and revitalize made her almost unbeatable, as her defenses were always regenerating with each blow.
But Adam didn't back down. With a quick gesture, he molded the light around him, transforming it into a blade of pure energy, cutting through Iddun's vines and roots. Each blade of light he generated had deadly accuracy, cutting like a hot knife through the vegetation. The roots tried to coil around him, but Adam cut them with ease, maintaining his focus on his adversaries.
Perun advanced, swinging his war hammer with devastating force. Each blow aimed to crush Adam under the weight of his storm. Thunder followed each movement, creating an intense pressure wave that made the air vibrate. But Adam, without hesitation, used the light to create a barrier around himself, a blade of concentrated energy that deflected and reflected the lightning bolts that came his way. The light molded in his hands expanded, creating a solid defense against Perun's attacks, though he had to move constantly to avoid being caught by the overwhelming force of the thunder god.
In this battle, he was learning much more about how to use the [Primordial Light] than in his training. He remembered that a Campione grew in battle. Yes, they craved battle; that was why his blood was boiling as he fought.
That was why he wanted to smile with joy…
The dance of attacks between them was frantic. Adam used the light molded into various weapons—swords, spears, and even shields of pure energy—to block and counterattack his opponents' attacks. His agility was his greatest advantage, and he moved with impressive speed, cutting through space with blades of light that shone intensely. He struck with precision and dexterity, but he also knew that the resilience of his opponents was something to be reckoned with.
Iddun, seeing that the battle was unfolding more aggressively than she had anticipated, decided to act. She began to summon more of her golden apples, releasing them around Adam. But instead of using them directly as a source of healing, she made them float in a way that the revitalizing energies spread across the field, further hindering Adam's task. The apples, with their power to heal and restore, created a life force field that hindered any blow directed at Iddun or Perun.
However, Adam did not yield. He used his ability with light to mold his weapons with even greater precision and intensity. Each blade of light he created was a masterpiece of destruction, and he used them with impeccable technique, undoing Iddun's vines and roots while dodging Perun's attacks. He spun, leaped, and slashed, always with divine reflexes and endurance. Each movement was like a dance, agile and precise.
The battlefield was intensifying, with each attack from Perun creating a wave of destruction and each blade of light from Adam cutting through that fury. Iddun tried, with her serene presence, to maintain balance, creating more natural barriers and healing the damage, but Adam was becoming a formidable opponent. He did not use divine powers, only his dexterity with light, but his skill seemed to grow, as if each blade of pure energy had a purpose, a fatal blow in mind.
The tension in the battle increased. Perun began to invoke more lightning, creating a field of storms around Adam, while Iddun sought more ways to protect and heal.
In an opening, Adam looked at the two and activated one of the effects of the [Evil Eye of Balor].
There was no need for any incantations or words – Balor's power manifested directly through his gaze, and his aura instantly became heavier, as if death and petrification hung in the air.
The first target was Iddun, who felt an icy chill run down her spine, as if something was trying to take control of her body. Her skin began to slowly harden, as if it were becoming part of an ancient, cold stone. The process was gradual but relentless, and she tried to move, but her muscles refused to obey.
Perun, seeing Iddun being affected, shouted in fury. His expression was one of pure rage, and thunder seemed to gather around him. He charged forward furiously, wielding his axe, ready to attack Adam and finish him off. But Adam, with the calmness of a predator, turned his gaze to Perun, and the same petrifying energy immediately directed itself towards him. Adam's gaze struck Perun's arm, and the effect was instantaneous. Perun's arm began to harden like stone, quickly rising from his hand to his shoulder. The axe, which had been held firmly, fell to the ground with a clang, Perun's hand unable to hold it.
This Authority has two partial manifestations. The first is that it allows him to use the power of petrification, as Balor's evil eye was similar to the gaze of the Greek Gorgon Medusa and the European monster Basilisk. This allows him to turn living creatures to stone, either instantly or gradually. People are not killed, but the effect takes months to disappear. There is no limit to the number of targets. This gaze can also see through objects and extend for several kilometers. It cannot turn gods and Campiones to stone, but it can partially affect them, ideal for temporarily immobilizing or surprising the opponent.
Adam smiled and activated the second effect of his authority, making his vibrant blue eyes even brighter. The destroyed trees, the rocks, even the [Heretical Gods] themselves, everything was covered by an intrinsic network of shining lines.
These lines were the "Lines of Death," the visible manifestation of the concept of death that permeated every being and object. Each line represented a weak point, a direct connection to the end.
The God of War and Destruction, Balor was also the God of Death and the Underworld. This allowed him to perceive the "conceptual death" of everything in the form of "lines of death." Cutting these lines would result in the death of all beings. Campiones and Gods, due to their high vitality and magical resistance, are resistant to this, not dying immediately. However, they are affected in the same way, causing damage to their life force, slowly weakening them.
Adam advanced, his sword made of light cutting the air with deadly precision. He aimed for Perun's lines, who reacted with a resounding thunderclap. Lightning danced around Adam, but his protective aura rejected the blows. His sword found the first line, severing it with a flash of golden light. Perun roared, feeling his life force slowly weaken. Although it was not an instant death, the impact was profound, undermining his divine resistance.
Iddun, perceiving the danger, tried to retreat, but Adam gave no quarter. He lunged towards her, his spear piercing the air and severing the lines along her body. The golden vines she summoned trembled and weakened, signaling the decline of her vitality. Each cut Adam made in the lines of death drained his magical energy, but she fed on the nature around her, recovering enough to keep her authority active.
The two [Heretical Gods] were injured and weakened.
Adam looked intently at Perun and Iddun, who were ready to attack. The air around them seemed to pulsate with the force of divine power. Despite having cut their "Lines of Death" and wounded them, they were ready to continue fighting.
Perun was the first to move, raising his hammer, the skies charged with storms. Lightning danced around him, heralding the devastating blow that was to come. Adam watched his opponent's movement and, with a swift motion, molded a blade of pure light in his hands. He deflected Perun's attack with impressive agility, using the blade to cut through the air with lethal precision.
The blade made contact with the hammer, generating a burst of energy that pushed them both back, but Adam did not stop, quickly advancing to attack again.
Iddun, seeing her opportunity, began to control the vegetation around them. Roots and vines grew rapidly, trying to immobilize Adam. But he was not caught off guard. With a fluid movement, he created a spear of light and hurled it with force, cutting through the vines with ease. At the same time, he used his agility to avoid Iddun's attacks.
Perun, furious at the loss of ground, advanced again with his divine strength. Bolts of pure energy were fired towards Adam, but he did not hesitate. Molding a shield of light, he blocked the attack with ease, feeling the force of the impact, but without faltering. He advanced, dodging Perun's blows with impressive agility, and with a precise movement, cut the "Line of Death" that was on the god's leg, causing him to stagger back.
Iddun, in turn, tried once again to use the power of nature to stop him. Trees and vines grew at an accelerated pace, trying to trap him, but Adam, with his skill with light, created a vortex of energy that destroyed everything in its path, catching the goddess by surprise.
He quickly manipulated the light to form several weapons and launched them like rain towards the Goddess, who desperately dodged. He took this opportunity to catch her off guard and with a single stroke of his sword cut her in half.
Perun, seeing the target of his revenge being destroyed, cried out in frustration and advanced towards him with difficulty due to his useless leg, but it was too late.
Adam, with a single movement, spun his blade of light and cut Perun with overwhelming force, destroying his resistance once and for all.
The god of thunder fell to the ground, his expression of rage and pain disappearing, giving way to silence.
Adam stopped floating and descended to the ground. He fell to his knees, his breathing heavy and ragged, as if the fight had drained all the energy from his body. His hands trembled slightly, the impact of the battle still reverberating through every fiber of his being. The flames of light he had manipulated with such precision were now diminishing, gradually fading as if they were as exhausted as he was. Pain spread through his muscles, and the feeling of exhaustion was overwhelming, as if he had been fighting for days on end.
Defeating Perun and Iddun had not been easy. He knew that their divine bodies possessed unparalleled resistance, but that did not mean he was immune to the effects of intense battles. Every movement, every blow, drained not only his magical energy but also his vitality. He had managed to use it to its fullest potential, but the price of victory was now being paid.
The light molded into weapons, with which he had so skillfully fought, was dissipating, the blades of energy slowly vanishing around him. The divine aura emanating from him was weak, his reflexes slowing. He was not used to feeling this kind of physical exhaustion, but now, the effects of combat were taking their toll. Each breath seemed more difficult than the last, and he felt a sharp pain in his lungs, as if every inhalation was a struggle for air.
For a moment, Adam allowed himself to rest, closing his eyes and trying to regain control of his breathing. He fell onto his back and, without realizing it, blacked out completely.