Twelve years after Odin and his siblings departed for their training, while they spent long years in seclusion, battle, and continuous growth, the outside world continued to turn, and its circumstances gradually changed.
In the middle of the vast ocean, a large ship sailed across the calm blue waves. On board was a group of adventurers seeking fame and glory—people who dreamed of writing their names into the pages of history and uncovering secrets that no one else had been able to reach.
The expedition's leader, Max, stood at the bow of the ship as the sea breeze brushed through his hair. His eyes were fixed on the distant horizon, his heart filled with hope and anticipation, while his curiosity burned brighter with every passing moment.
He turned toward his companions and exclaimed excitedly,
"Look! Look! We're approaching the region where ships disappear!"
Then he pointed ahead and shouted,
"At last, we'll see with our own eyes what's hidden there!"
The crew exchanged eager glances, their voices rising with excitement and expectation. Each of them imagined the treasure—or the secret—that might be concealed beyond that mysterious area which had puzzled the world for so many years.
But...
Before anyone could respond, and before their excitement could even settle, something horrifying happened.
Suddenly, the sky split apart, and an enormous, terrifying black force burst forth from the heavens, resembling a beam of pure darkness. It descended at a frightening speed toward the ship before crashing directly into it.
In a single instant...
The entire vessel exploded.
Wooden planks and debris were scattered in every direction as flames and smoke rose above the sea, while the waves swallowed the remains of the expedition.
Almost no one survived.
High above the forbidden region, the Fallen Angel silently watched the scene.
He looked coldly at the wreckage below, as though what had happened was nothing more than an ordinary occurrence.
Then he thought to himself,
"I've waited in this sea for twelve long years..."
"Waiting for this treasure to appear."
"And I won't allow anyone to disturb me now."
That Fallen Angel was one of the Demon King's Nine Rulers.
After confirming that the ship had been completely destroyed, he calmly flew toward the island, which was surrounded by a mysterious light emanating from its depths—a light that grew stronger with each passing day as the time of the treasure's appearance drew nearer.
Throughout the past twelve years, the Fallen Angel had never dared to approach the island itself.
He knew the value of that treasure all too well, and he understood that even the slightest mistake could lead to unimaginable consequences.
For that reason, he merely circled the island, watching everything that happened nearby.
Whenever a ship, a creature, or an adventurer approached the area...
He destroyed them without hesitation.
At first, he did so out of boredom and amusement, enjoying his overwhelming power and absolute dominance over the region.
But now...
Things were different.
He could clearly sense that the moment of the treasure's appearance was closer than ever before.
Because of that, he no longer toyed with intruders as he had in the past.
Instead, he eliminated them immediately, without mercy or hesitation, ensuring that no unexpected incident would occur near the treasure.
And indeed...
The very moment the Fallen Angel sensed that strange change, all of the world's great powers sensed it as well.
The demons felt it.
The giants felt it.
The dragons felt it.
The angels felt it.
And everyone who possessed enough power to perceive the world's changing energies felt it.
The time for the treasure's appearance had finally drawn near.
As for Asgard...
Much had changed during those twelve years.
The grandchildren who had once been little children had grown up, and some of them even had children of their own.
The population of Asgard had also increased dramatically, while the number of its warriors had risen to more than eight hundred, excluding the rulers themselves.
During those years, a new generation of rulers emerged.
The first among them was Thor, Odin's son by Forn.
He inherited his father's astonishing power and mastery over lightning, earning the title known throughout Asgard as:
The Ruler of Lightning.
Then came Volund, the son of Hades and the dwarf woman whom he had married after she forged the legendary weapons for him and his brothers.
Volund possessed extraordinary talent in blacksmithing and weapon forging, becoming the greatest weaponsmith in Asgard and earning the title:
The Ruler and Maker of Weapons.
Meanwhile, Hela and Apollo had a son named Heimdall.
As the years passed, he became a great guardian of Asgard and was renowned by the title:
The Guardian of Asgard and Its Eyes.
Then came Sol, who gained widespread fame through his mastery of the power of the sun and became known as:
The Ruler of the Sun.
From the lineage of Loki and Skadi came two rulers.
The first was Ull, who became:
The Ruler of Winter.
The second was Nott, who earned the title:
The Ruler of Night.
From Neptune and Freya was born Eir, who inherited her mother's extraordinary healing abilities and became:
The Ruler of Healing.
They also had Ran, who possessed remarkable control over rivers and flowing waters, becoming:
The Ruler of Rivers.
Another ruler, Jord, emerged as well. She possessed exceptional control over the earth, rocks, and mountains, earning the title:
The Ruler of Earth.
And so...
After twelve years of training, growth, and evolution...
Asgard was no longer what it had once been.
It had become a mighty power with a vast army and a new generation of third-generation rulers.
As a result, Asgard now possessed numerous rulers who guided the kingdom and safeguarded its future.
Yet at the same time...
Everyone felt that the peace would not last much longer.
Somewhere in the middle of the ocean...
The legendary treasure was on the verge of appearing.
And with its appearance...
The fate of the entire world might change forever.
In the great city that the children of Odin and his siblings had built upon the site of the small village where they had once lived, life had changed completely.
The humble village had transformed into a magnificent city filled with towering palaces and vast plazas, becoming a symbol of Asgard's newfound power.
At the heart of the city, inside a grand palace built at its center, Apollo sat beside his wife, Hela.
Apollo looked at her and calmly said,
"I have a feeling that my father and the other rulers will emerge from their seclusion soon."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Heimdall, who was sitting nearby, laughed and said excitedly,
"Yes, Father. They will return soon."
He then stood up, his eyes shining with ambition, and added,
"And when they do, our time to stand before the world will finally come."
"It will be our chance to make names for ourselves and earn glory with our own hands."
Neptune looked at him and frowned slightly before saying,
"You are far too eager for war, boy."
He sighed and continued,
"You still do not understand the scale of the losses we will suffer in the coming war."
Before Heimdall could reply, Sol, the Ruler of the Sun, interrupted with a sarcastic smile,
"Oh, yes... you're certainly right."
"It sounds absolutely terrifying."
The moment she heard his words, Ran, the Ruler of Rivers and Neptune's daughter, turned toward him with obvious annoyance and said,
"You truly are an idiot."
"You are incapable of making decisions of such importance."
"And you still treat war as though it were a game."
She pointed at him with disdain and continued,
"You're exactly like your brother."
Sol immediately frowned and looked ready to answer her.
But before the argument could escalate into yet another quarrel, Hela struck the armrest of her throne with force and declared in a firm voice,
"Enough."
Silence instantly filled the hall.
She continued in a stern tone,
"I do not want to hear any more nonsense from any of you."
"And I do not want the Ruler of Rulers, Odin, to say that we failed to educate you."
"Learn when to fight and when to stand united."
"And I do not want to hear another argument. Understood?"
All of the new rulers nodded silently.
Despite their strength and status, they still feared Hela.
After all, she had overseen the training of most of them since childhood.
She was the one who had taught them the arts of combat long before they became rulers.
After a few moments of silence, Skadi looked at Hela and asked,
"When will the rulers emerge from their seclusion?"
But before Hela could answer...
Everything suddenly changed.
Everyone felt a terrifying aura sweep across the entirety of Asgard.
The air around them trembled.
The energy flowing throughout the city shook violently.
In the next instant, every ruler vanished from inside the palace and appeared outside in less than a second.
They quickly raised their heads.
Then their eyes widened.
Standing directly before them was Poseidon, the Ruler of the Oceans.
He stood there laughing loudly.
Then he said joyfully,
"Well done!"
"Truly well done!"
"If Odin could see what you've built here, he would be immensely pleased."
The moment everyone realized that Poseidon had finally emerged from his seclusion, smiles spread across their faces.
He was the first of the Four Great Rulers to return after many years of training.
But before anyone could congratulate him or ask him anything...
An enormous beam of white light shot down from the heavens.
It tore through the sky at incredible speed.
In less than a second, it reached Poseidon's location.
Then the light suddenly disappeared.
And when it faded...
A woman was standing beside him.
It was Athena.
The Ruler of War.
The instant she appeared, Jord, the Ruler of Earth, rushed toward her while shouting happily,
"I've missed you so much, Grandmother!"
Athena laughed warmly and embraced her granddaughter tightly.
Then she lifted her head, looked at her daughter Freya with a smile, and asked,
"Has your mother taken good care of you, my little one?"
Before Jord could answer...
The entire area was suddenly swallowed by complete darkness.
The colors vanished.
The light disappeared.
It was as though the night itself had devoured the entire world in a single instant.
But only a brief moment later...
The darkness dispersed.
Standing at its center was a man surrounded by a terrifying and ominous aura.
It was Hades.
The Ruler of the Underworld.
Hades looked at the new rulers with his cold eyes.
Then he spoke in a calm yet frightening voice,
"I hope you did not waste the past twelve years."
Silence followed his words.
Then, at that very moment...
The entire sky lit up.
Clouds gathered above Asgard.
A mighty voice echoed across the kingdom.
It carried an indescribable majesty.
The instant everyone heard it, they bowed respectfully.
They recognized its owner immediately.
It was Odin.
His voice rang out from among the clouds,
"You have done well, children."
The heavens trembled with his words.
Then an enormous bolt of golden lightning appeared beside the rulers.
The light exploded across the area.
In the very next moment...
Odin himself appeared among them in a manner that left everyone staring in astonishment.
He looked around at the new city.
At its palaces, its streets, and its warriors.
Then a rare smile of satisfaction appeared on his face.
He said,
"I have felt everything you accomplished during these past years."
He cast a long glance over the city before continuing,
"And I have seen all that you have achieved."
"Well done."
For the first time in twelve years...
Odin, the Ruler of Rulers, once again stood among his people, while everyone present felt that a new era was about to begin in Asgard.
(Author's Note):
Hello everyone! Thank you for your continuous support of this novel; your comments and interactions mean the world to me.
Stepping away from our story here for a moment, I wanted to share another project I've been working on with great passion. I have started publishing a webtoon (comic) on the Webtoon platform titled "Me and the Wolf."
It is a [Comedy / Fantasy] story about a miserable young man and a cunning wolf who is constantly getting him into trouble! If you enjoy my writing style and the way I build scenarios, I promise you're going to love this comic.
I would be so grateful if you could go check it out, subscribe to the series, and let me know what you think in the comments there!
🔍 Search on the Webtoon app for: [Me and the Wolf]