Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest-Chapter 327: Surpassing Sindri, Beyond Mjolnir

Adam slammed the dwarf’s shoulder in amusement, exploding into laughter. "That’s the best way to recognise me."

"Hahaha!" Durgrim hugged Adam’s waist, his face brightening. "I knew you’d return, my lord. How could you not after you delivered on your promise, but I still didn’t?"

He pulled back, smirking at Adam’s confused face. Then, he gestured at him to follow and pulled the tent’s leather curtain, revealing his workshop.

Intricately engraved pieces of jewellery glinted in amethyst, ruby, and azure in their neatly arranged displays.

By the sides, dummies wearing aggressive full plate armors seemingly overlooked the tent’s treasures. Their horn-like curved pauldrons, the spiked gauntlets, and the flickering runes that shone in blood red forced an approving nod from Adam.

But what drew his attention was the blinding golden light shining from the center most display. Though the radiance hampered his view, he distinguished two items before Durgrim turned and gripped his hand.

"I’ll never thank you enough... you know for... everything." Durgrim’s hand trembled, and his voice cracked, the words he had wanted to say for ten years but couldn’t, finally finding a way out of his heart. "No more discrimination because I’m different, that ugly caste system obliterated, and the heads of this disgusting city lord and king rotting on spikes. I know most are grateful, but let me be the first to thank you properly."

The corner of Adam’s lips curled as he shook his head. "I just kept my promise, nothing more. But tell me. Since when did you become that emotional?"

"Ha!" Durgrim scoffed, dragging him to the brilliant lights. "I imbued my masterpieces with these emotions. They’re nothing like the originals. They carry weights—a purpose that transcends species, ranks, and materials. And they’ll work only with the one those emotions are directed to."

Confused, Adam watched him open the display, noticing how the lights twirled towards him as if to embrace a long-lost friend. Their touch, soft and warm, made him smile. They indeed carried Durgrim’s deep gratitude.

Meanwhile, Drugrim’s voice thundered as he gestured to a golden bracelet and silvery war hammer with one flat side, while the other extended into a sharp beak crackling with occasional bursts of electricity.

"The gratitude’s embrace bracelet and the Oath Keeper’s Wrath!" ƒrēenovelkiss.com

Adam’s eyes widened, and his voice caught in his throat, resounding an octave higher than usual. "Are these?!"

"They are! For ten years, I’ve internalised and refined Sindri’s craft. I got rid of his doubts and touched a pinnacle never before seen by either my ancestor or the Sons of Ivaldi thanks to Luna’s materials. Anything the ring of Draupnir and Mjolnir can do, they can do it better!"

Shocked, Adam stumbled forward, his breath ragged. Whether they were better than the originals or not, these were divine artifacts. But how did Durgrim get enough divine materials to craft them?

As he was about to ask, Durgrim’s lips curled into a delighted grin. "Luna and Garduck plundered an Orichalcum reserve. Even if it’s not as good as Uru, it’s still a divine material hard to come by. When was the last time someone used it?" He knitted his brows pensively before he nodded. "During Atlantis’ era. Anyway, I added a meteorite fragment we lucked out on."

His grin broadened. "Didn’t I tell you the bracelet is better than Draupnir? Each night, it duplicates any material placed against it! But you’re a warrior, right? Great! Because it’s not a mere trinket either. It can draw your subjects’ loyalty to condense a protective ward. The happier they are, the stronger it is!"

Adam’s fingers trembled over the bracelet’s runic engravings, his heart drumming in his ears. ’Infinite materials? Isn’t that broken? No, it’s a real-life glitch! I’m almost scared to check his stock...’

With a cough, he passed the bracelet on his left wrist, the cold metal adjusting its size to fit. Yet, another tidal wave of shock crashed over him as his muscles twitched and his skin thickened. With a quick check on his interface, he gasped as he noticed his three main stats increase by thirty percent.

"Oh yeah. I didn’t mention it, but it also makes you noticeably stronger. What? You thought I’d shame myself with divine items in name only?" Durgrim slapped his lower back.

Then, he leaned over the display, his face reddening and his arms veins bulging as he struggled to lift the hammer. After a few seconds, he let the leathery-laced handle go and shrugged.

"As you can see, it’s heavier than Mjolnir and shares its limitation: only the worthy can wield it. Hahaha!" He almost cried in laughter. "Isn’t it a funny legend? Odin deemed an impatient drunkard, an unwise fool and a braggart, who let his bloodlust control himself as worthy." He shrugged. "Instead, your citizens will deem if you are worthy."

"Just like that?" Adam frowned. "And are you talking about Thor? Really?"

Durgrim rolled his eyes. "Come on, my lord. Don’t tell me you believe these bullshit stories. That’s what Odin believes: heroism requires threats. They could have sealed Midgard to prevent jotuns’ invasions but didn’t. Why? After all, it’s a weak realm with little to no magic."

He clicked his tongue and scrunched his nose in disgust. "Because they needed humans to worship them. By showing them terror and then bringing salvation, they appear like the good side, out to stop chaos from rampaging. But they’re nothing more than another chaotic faction—organised, but chaotic."

Adam’s eyes narrowed. Though he had admired Thor’s stories in games and movies, he found it hard to refute Durgrim’s views.

"Fabricated heroism," he muttered, shaking his head. It was somewhat revolting. "I should have known they were all the same—each action motivated by their benefits."

"Exactly." Durgrim nodded. "That’s why I like the enchantments I carved." He moved aside and gestured to the hammer. "Pick it. I’ll let you assess what true worth is."

With a nod, Adam seized the handle, preparing to pull with all his strength. He wondered if the hammer would act like Excalibur’s scabbard, but before the answer came, his arm flew up as if he were holding a feather. "W-What?"

As Durgrim laughed, he scrutinised the weapon, the stat panel appearing with a shower of lightning.

Name: Oath Keeper’s Wrath

Introduction: A divine hammer forged and perfected for ten years by Durgrim. Imbued by its creator’s gratitude and vision of true worth, its powers surpass Mjolnir’s. But who is worthy enough to wield it?

Rarity: Divine

Level Requirement: Bound to the wielder’s devotion and adherence to sacred oaths.

Stats:

Strength: +40% of base strength

Agility: +25% of base agility

Essence Efficiency: +50%

Essence Regeneration: +30% per second

Attributes:

Oath-Seeking Lightning: Lightning imbued with divine judgment strikes down those who have broken their oaths or engaged in betrayal. The lightning bypasses defenses forged by deception.

Blessing of Steadfastness: Bolsters the resolve of the faithful, granting them increased strength, resilience, and resistance to mind-affecting influences when struck by the hammer’s lightning.

Domain of Devotion: Creates a consecrated domain where loyalty is amplified, increasing the combat prowess of allies while causing traitors to falter. Those who have betrayed an oath suffer increasing weakness the longer they remain within the domain.

Judgment’s Echo: When striking an oathbreaker, the hammer releases a secondary shockwave of divine energy, dealing half the initial damage to all nearby enemies.

Enhancements:

Divine Tribunal: Upon landing a decisive blow on an oathbreaker, the hammer seals their essence, preventing them from reviving or escaping their fate.

Stormforged Vow: The wielder can make an unbreakable vow with the hammer, enhancing its power when acting under that vow. Betraying the vow results in the hammer rejecting its wielder.