Starting with the goblin extermination

In the center of the tavern, two sharp daggers were stuck into the wooden table, their blades gleaming coldly in the firelight.

Haug and Ellis were already sitting opposite each other.

The two men braced their elbows against the table, their hands clasped tightly together in mid-air.

The contrast is striking.

The orc Haug's arms were thicker than a normal man's thighs, and his muscles were knotted together like rocks.

Ellis, on the other hand, was completely different.

Her arms were muscular and toned, yet retained a uniquely feminine suppleness and beauty despite their strength. Most striking was how, when she exerted force, the muscles in her shoulders, back, and arms bulged slightly, outlining powerful curves under the light.

But her heaving chest and taut waist served as a constant reminder to those around her—

She was, after all, a woman.

The two stared into each other's eyes, waiting for the signal to begin.

The surrounding crowd surged forward frantically, the noise almost lifting the roof off.

Elsa felt a little uncomfortable being jostled by the crowd, so she subtly moved closer to Logan and gently tugged at the hem of his shirt.

Logan felt the force from the hem of his clothes, and he naturally pulled Elsa into his arms, shielding her from the drunkard shoving him.

Elsa blushed again.

This was the first time she had ever acted so boldly in public.

Seeing this, the old dwarf Thorin simply smiled.

He and Logan continued their previous conversation.

"Some say that Elise received the blessing of the God of Asceticism, Moradin, which is why her fists became as indestructible as iron hammers."

"No, no, it can't be Moradin!"

Papa refuted Thorin's words.

"Uncle Thorin, didn't you say that for followers of the god of asceticism, the restrictions of asceticism must be followed extremely strictly? No drinking, no indulgence, no craving for any physical pleasure—it's so boring!"

She pointed to the wooden glass on Elizabeth's table, still covered in wine foam.

"She drinks, how could she possibly be controlled by Moradin?"

"Hmm, then what do you say it is?" Thorin looked at Papa with great interest.

"It must be Valkyrie Selene! She is the protector of all powerful women, so it's not surprising that Sister Iris has her blessing."

"I really hope that one day I can be noticed by the Valkyrie."

Thorin rolled his eyes at Papa without any politeness.

"You little brat, you don't even have an advanced combat skill, yet you dare to dream of divine protection?"

The gods bestow protection upon mortals.

That sounds incredible.

Logan touched the blessed [Abyssal Thorns Ring] on his hand; it was proof of the existence of a god.

"Thorin, where exactly does this so-called blessing come from? Can you choose it yourself?"

Logan recalled that his father had never talked to him about blessing.

He wanted to know more.

"select?"

Thorin was about to speak.

"start!!!"

Kosca suddenly waved his hand.

boom!

Iris and Haug's arms suddenly erupted with terrifying power.

The table creaked, and the two men's arms trembled violently in mid-air, instantly locking in a stalemate.

The roars all around were deafening.

Thorin leaned close to Logan's ear and shouted back:

"Kid, remember this! Mortals are never chosen by the gods; they are fucking chosen!"

"Blessing is undoubtedly a gift from the gods, and there are generally only two ways to obtain it."

"The first type is when you have a firm faith and are a loyal believer of a certain god. In this case, if the god is in a good mood one day, he might just answer your prayers. However, these people are usually priests of major temples, such as the group led by the goddess of order."

Goddess of Order.

Logan glanced down at Elsa, and Elsa looked up at him. At the same time, Lily's image flashed into their minds.

That little girl Lily is studying at the temple. Given her temperament, she won't receive blessings before me, will she?

Logan never expected to be surpassed by a little girl.

"What about the second one?"

At this moment, the situation in the duel suddenly changed.

The original balance has been broken.

Ellis's arm began to tremble slightly as Haug slowly pressed down on the back of her hand under the orc's terrifying brute force.

"Shh——!!"

"Get down! Press her down! Crush her!"

Haug burst into maniacal laughter, and Iris across from him showed a look of panic.

Are we going to lose?

not necessarily.

Thorin watched this scene with indifference, seemingly unconcerned about the five gold coins he had staked on Ellis.

He turned his head and continued to answer Logan's questions.

"The second way, and the way most people receive protection, is—"

"Do nothing."

"what?"

"As long as your strength reaches a certain level. As for what that level is, I can't say for sure, maybe it'll be enough like you are now."

Thorin reached out and patted Logan on the shoulder heavily. He glanced at Elsa and said teasingly:

"Perhaps you are currently fighting monsters in the forest, perhaps you are watching others fight in a tavern, or even you are sleeping naked in bed with your beloved woman... As long as you are noticed by the gods, they will shower you with blessings."

"Like Ellis. She received the blessing before she even finished her inauguration, so nobody can really say for sure what that level is."

"So, it's purely based on luck?"

Logan raised an eyebrow.

"More or less," Thorin said awkwardly, rubbing his beard. "But there's one thing you need to remember."

"This may be the only power we mortals have when facing the gods, and that is—"

"When a god bestows protection, you can choose to refuse."

"Even if the one who bestows your protection is a great god, you can still make that god get lost if you don't like it."

Reject the gods.

Will anyone actually refuse?

Elsa, nestled in Logan's arms, asked softly:

"What if you choose to accept it?"

"Then you will be forever branded by that god, and that label cannot be changed. You will no longer receive the protection of other gods."

"God is very stingy."

Papa and Baron listened with great interest, their eyes filled with longing.

However, Logan raised a question.

"Whether you have received protection or not, only you know."

"That's right, even the name of the god who blessed you is a closely guarded secret, best kept to yourself."

"Then how do you know that Elise has received the blessing?"

Thorin grinned, about to speak—

On the table, the situation instantly reversed!

Just as Ellis's hand was less than half an inch from the tip of the dagger, she suddenly raised her head and flashed a bright smile.

Then, the arm that had been compressed to its limit began to... little by little, irresistibly, rise upwards!

The laughter of those around them stopped abruptly.

"impossible!"

The orc Haug stared in shock, his muscles bulging as he desperately continued to press down.

But it didn't work.

His arm was slowly turned back to a vertical position!

Thorin, pipe in mouth, looked at the astonished expressions of the crowd and continued speaking, though he did not directly answer Logan's question.

"Kid, do you know why Ellis is called 'Steel Fist'?"

Ellis suddenly exerted force with her wrist!

boom! !

A loud bang echoed throughout the entire tavern.

Haug's thick arm was smashed down without any resistance!

Pfft—!

The dagger pierced through Haug's hand without any resistance, and the bloody tip of the blade protruded from his palm!

Ellis's hand was completely unharmed.

"Aaaaaaaaahh ...

"...Because I have personally witnessed this crazy woman smash a level 1 armored tortoise into a pile of mangled flesh with her bare fists."