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The Rock Trolls were strong—immensely so by ordinary standards. But before a Sea-Lord wielding divine authority, they were no different from common soldiers facing a hurricane.
When the wind and sand finally dissipated, only Aegir remained standing amid a field of gravel and shattered stone. The Rock Trolls who'd challenged him had become part of nature again, exactly as he'd promised.
As the battle concluded, Aegir released his control over the storm. The winds died gradually, dust settling to reveal the full extent of devastation.
The remaining Rock Trolls understood they were completely outmatched. They might be brutes, but they weren't suicidal—pointless death served no purpose.
"KNEEL BEFORE THE SEA LORD!" one of them bellowed, dropping to one knee. Others followed suit, the ground trembling under their combined weight.
Aegir surveyed them with satisfaction, then pointed at a particularly large Rock Troll. "You. You're responsible for guiding us to the next gathering area. Lead the way."
"Yes, Sea Lord!" The designated Troll scrambled to comply, not daring to show the slightest hesitation.
The scene of their fellows' destruction had been genuinely shocking. That irresistible power had carved itself into their memories, roots digging deep into their minds.
For this new king, they couldn't muster resistance—not now, at least. Though who knew how long that would last?
This was exactly what Aegir wanted to achieve. If he hadn't made an example here, he'd face opposition at every settlement throughout the Northland. Better they understood consequences beforehand.
As for whether this surrender was sincere? He wouldn't worry about that excessively right now. Over time, they'd learn who deserved their loyalty—either through continued demonstration of power or through building genuine trust.
"Speaking of which," Aegir muttered to himself as they walked, "the birthplace of the Rock Trolls should qualify as a special location, right?"
His daily check-ins worked best at significant places—the more unique the location, the better the potential rewards. And the ancestral homeland of an entire race definitely wasn't ordinary.
"System, check in now."
[Checking in... Location confirmed: Birthplace of Rock Trolls. Character detected nearby: None. Generating rewards...]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Core of Sunnis, Princess of Good Earth Creatures.]
[The Core contains Sunnis, Princess of Good Earth Creatures. Place it upon the earth to immediately summon the earth elemental lord. She is the ruler of earth, dust, stone, and mountains—capable of creating and enhancing all earth elemental life. The lord possesses absolute loyalty to her creator (host).]
[A/N : Taken from the Forgotten realm wiki.]
"Perfect timing,"
Aegir's original plan had been to systematically defeat Rock Troll settlements across the entire Northland through brute force—a time-consuming but effective strategy.
Now he could change tactics entirely. After summoning the earth elemental lord, he'd use her authority to unite the Rock Trolls, saving considerable time and effort while adding both a Troll army and a powerful earth elemental commander to Vanaheim's forces.
The efficiency was too good to pass up.
He mentally queried the system for more specific information about Sunnis's capabilities.
[Sunnis is the mightiest of the Princes of Elemental Good, an earth archomental of immense strength and skill. Combat abilities include: Enhanced physical strength surpassing giants, rapid regeneration, broad immunities to poison and disease, exceptional resistance to magic and mundane weapons.]
[She controls earth and stone freely, commands nearby earth elementals, shapeshifts into earth-based forms. Spell-like abilities include: detect good, detect evil, greater dispel magic, greater teleport, see invisibility, suggestion, and telekinesis—all usable at will.]
[Once per day, Sunnis can summon reinforcements: three elder earth elementals, three juvenile copper dragons, five elder xorns, five galeb duhrs, twelve pech, eighteen sandlings, or one earth monolith.]
Other details about her also entered his mind. Well, damn. That was stronger than Skirnir by a considerable margin. Having a combatant of that level would fundamentally shift Vanaheim's military capabilities.
Aegir decided not to waste time. He retrieved the Core from his storage, bringing it out under everyone's watchful eyes.
The artifact was made of unknown stone—ancient, weathered, radiating power that felt heavy and primal. Holding it felt like cradling compressed mountains.
"Your Highness, what is that?" Skirnir asked, stepping closer to examine the strange object. He studied it carefully, confirming he'd never seen anything like it before.
Aegir didn't answer immediately. Explaining the Core's origin would be difficult without revealing the check-in system, and maintaining some mystery about his capabilities had strategic value. It was impossible to explain everything—who knew who might be listening or observing through magical means?
The Rock Trolls, despite not being earth elementals, reacted to the Core's presence. A deep calling resonated through the stone that formed their bodies—maternal kindness brushing against their hearts.
Following that primal summons, Rock Trolls emerged from surrounding areas in groups, drawn inexorably toward the gathering. They approached with confused expressions, completely ignoring Aegir, as their attention fixed on the Core.
From that small stone object, they felt pressure originating from the depths of their blood—something ancient and powerful that demanded recognition.
A strange atmosphere settled over the area.
"Your Highness!" Skirnir's hand went to his sword hilt, tension clear in his posture. "Should I prepare for combat?"
"No," Aegir replied calmly. "The Rock Troll problem is about to resolve itself. Just watch."
Under everyone's gaze, Aegir threw the Core onto the ground.
The moment it touched earth, the artifact merged with the soil instantly, becoming one with the land itself.
Earth elemental energy in the surrounding air converged into vortex-like currents, swirling with increasing intensity. The ground began trembling.
Rumbling—
Throughout the entire Northland, everyone felt powerful tremors shake the earth. Cracks appeared in the ground, spreading like spiderwebs.
In the open space between both groups, a massive mound of earth suddenly rose up, growing larger with each passing second.
Then—
A gigantic hand composed of rock and stone burst through the earthen mound. It's palm exceeded the size of ordinary Rock Trolls entirely.
It was impossible to imagine how enormous the body hidden underground must be.
Another hand emerged, gripping the edge of the opening. Then a head the size of a two-story building struggled free from the earth.
The head was spherical, facial features exaggerated compared to human proportions but vaguely recognizable through the dense rocky surface. Two eyes like glowing gemstones opened, surveying the gathered witnesses.
The Rock Trolls fell into confused chaos. They didn't understand what this new being was, having never encountered anything like it. Yet something in their very souls insisted they must obey this creature.
That overwhelming power and presence made them want to surrender instinctively.
Was this their king? The ruler they'd been waiting for? Like Surtur and Laufey.
Rock Troll intelligence wasn't generally high. Faced with an earth elemental prince whose energy signature and appearance resembled their own kind, they immediately assumed this was a powerful member of their species—perhaps their destined leader.
The princess continued emerging from the earth, her full body breaking free. Standing tens of meters tall, her imposing form inspired simultaneous awe and terror.
"By Njord's Tide!" Skirnir breathed, eyes wide with shock. "Is that truly the Rock Trolls' king?"
The other stared with similar astonishment. They could instinctively sense the creature's king-level power. Since it had been born in Rock Troll territory and resonated with them so strongly, the logical conclusion seemed obvious.
What happened next made everyone's breath catch.
The massive earth princess turned, located Aegir among the crowd, and knelt down before him. The impact of her knee striking ground was deafening, sending shockwaves through the area.
"I, Sunnis, Princess of Good Earth Creatures, greet my master,"