Yggdrasil stood at the edge of the dense forest, overlooking the goblin nest far below, a place choked with vines and jagged rocks. The air was thick with a foul stench—a mixture of excrement, rotting meat, and damp earth. From the distance, the shrill, metallic screeching of goblins echoed through the trees.

  It was a massive subterranean rift, its mouth gaping like a dark abyss, surrounded by swarms of patrolling goblins. He silently calculated the odds, his gaze sweeping over the hundreds of creatures and the towering Goblin King standing at the center of the entrance. The King’s dark green skin shimmered with a metallic luster; its chest was armored in beast bone, and a single horn protruded from its forehead—a mark of its royal status.

  "Whoa... that’s quite a crowd." Instead of fear, a spark of excitement flickered in Yggdrasil’s eyes. Within his stout, burly frame, the "Otaku soul" of Naoki Fujiwara was roaring with life.

  A thought flashed through his mind: A nest this size... according to the rules, I should report back to the Guild and request reinforcements, right?

  But that rational thought lasted less than a second before it was crushed by a far stronger, child-like curiosity and longing.

  "Are you kidding? This is the best opportunity!" He nearly laughed out loud. "I’ve been dying to see what the Creator God’s power actually feels like when I cut loose!"

  He stood tall, his stout and powerful legs planted firmly on the ground like a stone statue connected to the earth itself. He slowly returned the unadorned battle-axe to his storage space. For this battle, he wanted to try something different.

  He closed his eyes, recalling the words Zareon had once told him: "The essence of magic is your imagination of power."

  In his mind, he visualized rolling thunderclouds and a network of lightning weaving a web of destruction across the sky. The mana within him began to surge at an unprecedented speed. His rounded belly grew slightly warm as the energy gathered there, turning his core into a furnace for stored thunder. He spread his arms wide, palms facing the heavens, and his voice rang out, deep and commanding:

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  "—Thunder Judgment!"

  The sky darkened instantly, as if answering his summons. The clear afternoon was swallowed by dense, black thunderclouds. A heavy pressure descended from the heavens, and the sharp, pungent scent of ozone filled the air. The goblins froze, looking up at the sky with unease, muttering in their guttural tongue.

  "Gugi...?" "Ooooowooo..."

  BOOM—!

  The first bolt of lightning, as thick as a siege ram, tore through the sky and slammed into the center of the nest. Following it, dozens of silver serpents danced wildly, falling in a relentless, torrential downpour of electricity that turned the forest and the nest as bright as high noon.

  The goblins shrieked as they were charred, scattered, and consumed by the lightning.

  The roars of explosions and the hum of electric currents echoed through the forest like war drums. Those attempting to flee were turned to ash by the falling bolts; the shamans trying to counter-attack were swallowed by pillars of light before they could even finish a chant. As for the Goblin King, just as it prepared to roar an order to its legion, a titanic hammer of lightning crashed down from the sky, shattering its bone armor and driving it to its knees. With one final howl, it collapsed into the smoking earth.

  For several minutes, the Thunder Judgment did not cease.

  Only when the last flicker of lightning faded did the forest return to silence, leaving behind nothing but scorched earth and drifting smoke.

  Yggdrasil slowly lowered his hands, sweat beading on his forehead, his chest heaving from the massive drain on his mana. He looked at the goblin nest, now leveled to charred ruins, and a smile of absolute satisfaction spread across his face.

  "...So, this is my power."

  He felt the emptiness of the mana ebb within him, along with the deep, soul-stirring thrill of wielding absolute strength. He felt no discomfort; instead, it felt like he had just finished an exhilarating game—refreshed in both body and mind.

  "Alright, time to 'pick up the loot.'"

  With a cheerful heart, he walked toward the scorched ground to begin inspecting the valuable trophies and items left behind. These would be his best proof to the Adventurer’s Guild that his first mission was a resounding success.

  "Behold the power of the Apostle! I wanted to give Yggdrasil a moment to really show why Zareon chose him. There's nothing more satisfying than a perfectly executed AoE spell, right?

  For the RPG fans out there, don't worry—the looting starts now! If you're enjoying Yggdrasil's journey from salaryman to thunder-wielding dwarf, please Follow and Rate to help us stay on the Rising Stars track! See you in the next chapter!"