Odin and the other rulers entered the magnificent palace that the children of Asgard had built during their years of absence. The grand structure stood proudly, adorned with massive pillars and intricately carved statues, while the sunlight reflected off its gleaming walls, giving it a majesty worthy of the rulers of the world.
Odin paused for a moment as he admired the palace from within. His gaze wandered across the elaborate decorations and the spacious halls that had been carefully designed, and he said with admiration,
"It's truly beautiful."
Then he turned to Apollo and asked,
"Is this the palace where the rulers live, my son?"
Apollo answered immediately, pride evident on his face as he spoke,
"Yes, Father. We built this palace to serve as the residence of the rulers and the center of Asgard's administration."
Odin nodded calmly and continued walking through the palace, inspecting every corner with care. After finishing his brief tour, he looked back at everyone and said,
"It is truly beautiful."
Then he cast a glance through the enormous windows toward the city stretching beyond them and added,
"And the city you have built... it is truly magnificent as well."
Silence filled the hall for a few moments before Odin continued in a more serious tone,
"But..."
"Do I see among its warriors the same greatness that I see in the beauty of this city?"
Before Apollo could answer, Odin suddenly raised his head as though he had sensed something in the distance. Then he calmly said,
"Very well..."
"We'll find out soon enough."
Hades nodded before looking at his brother and asking in a calm voice,
"Will we fight in the coming wars with all our strength?"
Odin remained silent for several seconds as he looked at the new rulers standing before him.
Their expressions were completely different.
Some could barely conceal their excitement, as though the coming war were an opportunity to prove themselves before the world.
Others wore expressions of concern and contemplation, fully aware that wars bring nothing but destruction and loss.
Still others showed no emotion at all, their eyes alone reflecting the strength of their determination and their readiness for what was to come.
A faint smile appeared on Odin's face as he observed their different personalities.
Then he said,
"Let us go to the council chamber."
"There, we will discuss the situation surrounding the coming war and what awaits us in the days ahead."
After Odin finished inspecting the palace, he and the other rulers made their way to the grand council hall, where preparations began for discussing the most critical decisions regarding the war that everyone could now feel was drawing near.
Meanwhile, on the continent of Mira...
The Saintess of the Elves stood before the elders and nobles gathered around the Sacred Tree, the ancient tree that the Elven people had regarded as the source of their blessings and spiritual power for thousands of years.
She looked at them solemnly and said,
"The time has come."
"It has become necessary for us to summon the Sacred Beast of our race to fight alongside us in the coming war."
The moment she finished speaking, all the elves stepped forward at once.
They closed their eyes.
Then they released their spiritual energy toward the Sacred Tree.
The Saintess did the same before kneeling before the tree and whispering ancient words that none of those present could understand, for it was a sacred language used only in the greatest rituals.
The tree began absorbing the spiritual energy flowing from everyone.
Its radiance grew brighter little by little.
Then its trunk and branches started to glow with a mysterious green light until a green aura enveloped the entire area.
A few moments later...
A tremendously powerful spiritual being emerged from that light.
Before the Saintess and the Elven elders appeared a pure white stag of breathtaking beauty, surrounded by a flawless spiritual aura. Its antlers shone as though they had been crafted from light itself.
The moment the stag appeared before them, the faces of the elves filled with joy and delight.
They knew they were witnessing one of the most powerful spiritual beings that protected their race, and its appearance occurred only during moments of great destiny.
The Saintess quickly rose to her feet and cautiously approached the stag with respect.
The stag gazed at her for several moments.
Then suddenly...
Its eyes shone with a brilliant white light.
At that very instant, the Saintess froze in place. Her expression changed, and signs of worry and unease appeared on her face.
She turned toward one of those standing behind her and said in a serious voice,
"Go at once."
"And investigate whether anything unusual is happening within our Sacred Forest."
The man hesitated for a moment before bowing respectfully, but she continued while staring into the stag's eyes,
"The Sacred Beast senses a strange danger..."
"A danger that is drawing closer to us little by little."
The moment those words were spoken, the smiles vanished from the faces of the elves, replaced by a heavy silence, as everyone realized that what awaited them might be far more dangerous than they had ever imagined.
The elves listened to the Saintess's words with complete seriousness and did not hesitate to carry out her orders. The man she had chosen, accompanied by several warriors and nobles, hurried toward the Sacred Forest to investigate whether anything unusual was happening there.
The Saintess watched them until they disappeared among the trees. Then she let out a long sigh and said in a quiet voice,
"It seems that even if we have no desire to take part in the coming war, others will force us into it against our will."
The sacred white stag stood silently beside her, its eyes filled with both wisdom and concern as it observed the expression on her face.
Suddenly...
It sent a spiritual message directly to her.
No one present heard it, yet it reached the Saintess's mind with perfect clarity.
Its message was:
"If you wish, I will go myself and deal with this danger before it reaches the land of the elves."
But the Saintess quickly shook her head and replied firmly,
"No."
Then she repeated herself in an even more serious tone,
"You must not do that."
Looking at the stag, she added,
"You are our greatest trump card for the coming war, and you must not reveal yourself at this time."
The stag gazed at her for a few moments before nodding in understanding.
With great calm, it returned to the Sacred Tree, lay down beside it, and closed its eyes, waiting for the moment when it would leave the land of the elves and enter the battlefield if such a step became necessary.
Meanwhile, in a distant part of the continent of Mira...
A mysterious figure dressed in a black robe that concealed every feature stood atop a high hill, looking down at a small, peaceful village whose houses were scattered among fields and forests.
Silence filled the air for several moments.
Then a short, cold laugh echoed from beneath the hood.
The mysterious figure slowly raised a hand.
Suddenly...
A strange black aura gathered within the palm, overflowing with a terrifying energy unlike any natural power.
In the next instant, that dark aura shot toward the village at incredible speed, tearing through the air like an arrow of darkness.
At first, the villagers sensed nothing unusual.
They continued their daily lives.
The children played.
The women worked.
The men moved between their homes and the fields.
But...
The moment the black aura reached them, it pierced the bodies of every single villager.
In a single instant...
Their bodies began to twist and mutate in a horrifying manner.
Cries of pain and terror rose from every corner of the village.
The voices of men, women, and children blended together into a dreadful scene unlike anything the place had ever witnessed.
Meanwhile, the figure in the black robe stood watching with a satisfied smile, listening to those screams.
But after only a few seconds...
The screams suddenly vanished.
In their place came another sound.
The deafening roars of gigantic beasts echoed throughout the area.
Had anyone looked upon the village at that moment, they would not have found a single human being.
Every inhabitant had transformed into enormous black creatures resembling demonic monsters, yet they differed from demons in appearance, aura, and power.
Their bodies were larger, their eyes glowed with a terrifying crimson light, and long fangs and razor-sharp claws protruded from their mouths and hands.
The mysterious figure smiled upon seeing the results of the experiment.
Then the figure pointed forward and said in a cold voice,
"Follow me."
The moment the order was given, dozens of the black monsters followed in absolute obedience, leaving behind a village that had become a ghost village, completely devoid of human life.
No one in the world knew what had happened there.
No one had witnessed the incident.
But only the future would reveal to everyone that a new and terrifying power had been born on the continent of Mira—a power capable of changing the balance of the coming war.
On the other side of the world...
Within the Demonic Continent...
The Demon King sat upon his enormous throne, looking at his wife, Bloody Mary, with eyes filled with warmth and affection.
Then he smiled and asked,
"What do you think?"
"Should we invade the continent of Mira now?"
"Or should we wait a little longer before starting the war?"
Bloody Mary looked at her husband with an expressionless face before replying in an icy voice,
"Enough of this foolish talk."
Keeping her eyes fixed on him, she added,
"I know very well that you're simply trying to start a conversation with me in any way you can."
Then she continued in a calm yet merciless tone,
"But there is one truth you need to understand."
"I agreed to stay with you for one reason only—because my daughter wanted it."
"No more..."
"And no less than that."
Silence filled the hall.
The Demon King continued to look at her with a faint smile, as though he had expected that answer from the very beginning.
(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]