The homeland of the Rock Trolls—birthplace of their entire race—spread before them in harsh, unforgiving terrain.
Rock Trolls, also called mountain giants, preferred rocky environments like mountains and canyons. Long ago, they'd coexisted with the Vanir in Vanaheim, though not always peacefully. There had been countless battles between the two races for dominance over territory and resources.
The Rock Trolls' strength was considerable. They averaged over 2.5 meters in height, with weight measured in tons. Both their defensive capabilities and offensive power far exceeded ordinary Vanir warriors.
Their only real weakness was speed—they were relatively slow and cumbersome compared to more agile opponents.
In the ancient wars, however, the Trolls had ultimately lost and been confined to the North. The deciding factor had been simple: they lacked king-level powerhouses to lead them.
The Fire Giants had Surtur at their peak. The Frost Giants once had Ymir. With such powerful leaders, those races had built unified kingdoms and could challenge even the Aesir.
The Rock Trolls lacked that top-tier combat power, which had relegated them to subordinate status under the Vanir. They'd shown good strength when following the Vanir against the Aesir in the old wars.
But after Sea Lord Njord fell into eternal sleep, the Rock Trolls had declared independence in the North, coercing the people living there and becoming the strongest and largest separatist force in all Vanaheim.
Hogun, one of Asgard's Warriors Three, had actually been born in this northern region before being recruited to Asgard.
"Skirnir, lead the way," Aegir commanded. "We're going straight to the Rock Trolls' main settlement."
"This direction, Your Highness," Skirnir said respectfully, pointing toward a cluster of mountains.
This was Aegir's first time in the Northland, so he was completely unfamiliar with the geography. Bringing Skirnir had been essential—the old warrior knew these territories from his military campaigns centuries ago.
As they traveled, Aegir noted how different the environment was from the capital. The Northland possessed the largest continuous landmass in Vanaheim and the most concentrated mountain ranges. Earth elemental energy was extraordinarily active here—he could feel it resonating with his divine senses.
The main Rock Troll settlement sat where earth elemental energy was most concentrated. Rocks covered virtually everything, with very few trees or grass breaking the monotonous gray-brown landscape.
The settlement itself formed a large tribal structure—Rock Trolls at the center, surrounded by communities of normal Vanir who'd been living under Troll dominance for generations.
When Aegir and Skirnir entered the settlement's outskirts, no one challenged them or even paid much attention.
Because no one will think that the new Vanir king would come alone to incorporate the Rock Trolls. It was common to think that the King will lead his army for the subjugation.
Only Aegir didn't play by conventional rules.
Observing the normal people going about their business and Rock Trolls casually lying on the ground basking in the sun, Aegir couldn't help but feel bemused. How had these people maintained their resistance for so long with such lax security? How had they dominated the region while being this complacent?
Or perhaps they genuinely didn't believe a new Sea Lord had been born?
"Your Highness," Skirnir murmured quietly, "their defenses are pathetically inadequate. We could—"
"I noticed," Aegir interrupted dryly. "Apparently, three thousand years without a real threat has made them soft. Good. This will be easier than expected."
The Rock Trolls didn't have a centralized leader like Laufey of Jotunheim. No single chieftain ruled them all with absolute authority—instead, they operated through a loose coalition of tribal leaders.
That meant simply finding and negotiating with one boss wouldn't work. They'd need to be convinced collectively.
So, the direct approach it was.
Just overwhelming force and a clear choice: submit or face consequences.
A breeze began to blow through the settlement.
At first, no one paid attention—just normal wind in a mountain region.
But it didn't take long for people to notice something wrong.
The wind was intensifying rapidly.
In less than a minute, the gentle breeze had transformed into a violent storm, sweeping through the entire tribal settlement with devastating force.
The Rock Trolls fared relatively well—their massive weight allowed them to stay grounded. They curled into defensive positions, becoming stone-like lumps that even hurricane-force winds couldn't easily dislodge.
The Vanir people were different. Despite their considerable physical strength, their weight was similar to normal humans. The sudden storm caught them completely unprepared, and most were swept into the air—lifted high above the settlement and deposited far outside without injury, but thoroughly scattered.
In that moment, a figure slowly descended from the storm itself, wind swirling around him like a living cloak.
"Submit, or die!"
Under the influence of divine power, Aegir's voice became majestic and thunderous, resonating through the sky alongside the howling wind.
"Who the hell are you?!" someone shouted, struggling to remain standing against the gale-force winds.
"Aegir!"
"Aegir? The new Sea Lord?!" Recognition sparked in multiple voices, exclamations mixing with disbelief.
"Impossible!" A particularly large and burly Rock Troll pointed accusingly at Aegir, shouting over the wind. "You can't be the Sea Lord! The last one's been dead for thousands of years! There's no way some young upstart is a royal descendant! You're a fraud!"
"Then you're doubting my power?" Aegir asked.
"This... this is just magic!" the Rock Troll blustered. "Yes, you're just a magician! A damn trickster! This is Rock Troll territory—we don't welcome your kind! Get out!"
Aegir looked around at the assembled crowd, his gaze sharp and assessing. "Does anyone else doubt my identity? Please, stand up now. I'd be happy to provide proof."
Silence fell—aside from the howling wind. Everyone bowed their heads, refusing to meet Aegir's eyes. Even the Rock Trolls who'd been lounging moments before now looked uncertain, unwilling to challenge him directly.
"Very good," Aegir observed with satisfaction. "It seems intelligent people are in the majority after all. I appreciate that."
He turned his attention back to the loudmouth Rock Troll who'd challenged him. "As for you—since you doubt my legitimacy so strongly, let me help you return to nature."
BOOM!
Aegir seemed to merge with the wind itself, accelerating to incredible speed. He slammed into the Rock Troll with devastating force.
Under the overwhelming impact, the massive creature didn't even have time to react before exploding into rubble—literally disintegrating into a pile of stones and dust.
"YOU BASTARD!" Another Rock Troll roared in fury. "KILL HIM! KILL THE INVADER!"
Other Rock Trolls charged forward, their heavy footsteps making the earth groan under their combined weight. Dust rose with each thunderous impact.
"Good, come at me!" Aegir said, his voice carrying eager anticipation. "Saves me the trouble of hunting you down one by one."
He showed no mercy or hesitation.
The Rock Trolls had been separated from Vanir leadership for thousands of years. Without conquering them through overwhelming strength, there was no hope of returning to the old alliance. Diplomacy had failed before it could begin—these people only understood power.
Fighting was the only language they'd respect. And this would serve as an excellent example to other resisting factions throughout Vanaheim.