The next morning, Rowe arrived at the pharmacy and carefully retrieved the healing stones from the furnace.
The furnace's temperature was not excessively high—comparable to a standard forge on Earth—so Rowe could reach inside and retrieve the stones without using tongs or other tools.
He wrapped each healing stone in specialized medicinal wrapping paper. As he did so, El entered the room, carrying several fresh herbs in her hands.
"Rowe, you're up early today." She looked surprised to see him already at work.
Rowe smiled sheepishly.
If the healing stones were left in the furnace too long, their medicinal potency would weaken. In the past, he often overslept, leaving El to retrieve them on his behalf.
El set down the herbs and immediately began preparing medicine.
Rowe was already quite skilled in herbal medicine, but El was a true genius in the craft. Most of the high-level medicines in the shop were her creations, and much of what Rowe knew had been taught by her.
In Asgard, the term "high-level medicines" referred to treatments for the rare but serious afflictions that could affect even the Aesir.
The Asgardians were immune to almost all diseases, but the vastness of the cosmos meant that some rare and terrifying illnesses existed beyond even their resistance.
For instance, a resident of their town was afflicted with the dreaded "God Cancer," a disease so severe that even Thanos had suffered from it in the comics. The patient spent thousands of gold coins monthly on medicine just to prolong his life, slowly sinking into bankruptcy in a desperate struggle to survive.
At that moment, El was busy preparing a treatment to alleviate his suffering.
Rowe continued his work on the healing stones but gradually became distracted by a lingering question. Finally, unable to shake the thought, he turned to El.
"El, I've been wondering… Are Asgard's years, months, and days really that close to those of Midgard?"
Midgard, also known as Earth, was referred to as the "Atrium" because of its central position among the Nine Realms.
Since his arrival in Asgard, Rowe had noticed that the passage of time felt oddly familiar. The length of a day, the cycle of months, and even the progression of years all seemed to match Earth's.
However, he had always doubted his intuition. After all, what were the odds of such a coincidence occurring naturally?
"Why do you ask all of a sudden?" El inquired.
Rowe hesitated. "I overheard someone mentioning it, but I wasn't sure if it was true."
El shook her head. "It's not just similar—it's exactly the same."
"Exactly the same?" Rowe was stunned.
El chuckled. "I told you this before—have you already forgotten?"
"Uh… maybe," Rowe admitted. He tried to recall the conversation but came up blank.
El sighed and explained, "The Nine Realms base their calendar on Midgard's."
"Why?"
"The Atrium holds a unique position in the cosmos. It sits at the center of the Nine Realms and is a stable, standard planet. Asgard has no seasonal changes of its own, so we follow Midgard's cycle to track time," El elaborated. "A realm like Jotunheim, for example, is cold and dark year-round. If they tried to create their own calendar, it wouldn't make sense. So, they use Midgard's as a reference."
She continued, "Although Midgard itself is rather ordinary, its central location makes it significant. Many powerful forces keep their eyes on it."
Rowe blinked. Was this why Earth was such a magnet for cosmic events?
It explained a lot. Otherwise, how could one planet coincidentally be connected to all six Infinity Stones?
"El, have you ever been to Midgard?"
"No." She shook her head.
Rowe thought for a moment before asking, "And what about Asgard's 'days'? They seem almost identical to Midgard's as well."
"That's true. The day-night cycles of the Nine Realms are closely aligned," El confirmed.
"But why?"
"It's because of the sleep rhythm of the World Tree. The Nine Realms are all connected through its branches, and their cycles follow its natural rhythm."
The Nine Realms—Asgard, Jotunheim, Vanaheim, Muspelheim, Alfheim, Nidavellir, Svartalfheim, Hel, and Midgard—were not merely distant celestial bodies. They were linked together by the cosmic structure known as the World Tree.
Though they were physically scattered across the universe, their deep connections meant they were regarded as a unified system.
However, Rowe had always understood that the "World Tree" was more of a metaphor than a literal, towering tree connecting the realms.
"The sleep rhythm of the World Tree?" he asked, confused.
El shrugged. "I don't know the deeper reason. That's just how it is."
Ten Days Later
"Rowe!"
A familiar voice called out from outside the window. It was Skorche, visiting again.
"Come up," Rowe called back.
A few moments later, Skorche climbed the stairs and entered the room, his face carrying its usual mischievous expression.
His first words were, "Are you really not going to reconsider?"
He was, of course, referring to Amora. Over the past few days, he had brought up the subject more than once.
Rowe waved him off, not wanting to discuss it further. Instead, he opened the Sacrament of Kings and pointed to a line of text.
"Skorche, what do you think of these words?"
Skorche leaned in and examined the page, his face twisting in confusion. "This is just blank paper."
"Look closer."
Skorche squinted, scrutinizing the page, then shook his head. "This isn't funny, Rowe. I know you weren't very humorous before, but this is a new low."
"Alright." Rowe chuckled, closing the book as if it had all been a joke.
But in reality, he had only wanted to confirm his suspicion—no one else could see the words written inside the Holy Deed.
To everyone else, it appeared as nothing more than a blank journal.
The two chatted for a while, until Rowe suddenly said, "Skorche, let's go outside to the training grounds."
"For what?"
"A sparring match."
Skorche raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Are you serious?"
Despite his young age, Skorche was physically imposing—almost the size of an adult.
Though his build carried a bit more fat than muscle, he was still much stronger than Rowe. If the two fought, the outcome seemed obvious.
"I'm serious," Rowe nodded.
He wanted to test the combat techniques he had been practicing as a Paladin.