And on Treasure Island—or not far from it, beyond the reach of the Aura of Death that the Fallen Angel was spreading across the surrounding seas...
One of the Titans stood upon the vast ocean.
This Titan was the envoy sent by the Titan Leader to investigate the situation and discover what was happening near the island after alarming reports of unusual activity in the area had arrived.
He stood upon the water like an immovable mountain amid the crashing waves, while his enormous eyes observed everything unfolding on the horizon.
Suddenly...
He sensed danger.
Narrowing his eyes, he looked toward the black Aura of Death spreading around the island.
At first, he thought the aura was consuming everything in its path.
But after watching carefully, he realized something important.
The Aura of Death was spreading around the island and throughout the surrounding region, yet it had not crossed into the island itself even once.
It was as though an unseen force was preventing it from passing beyond the island's boundaries.
The Titan let out a slow breath and sighed in relief.
For a brief moment, he had thought those mad demons had decided to destroy Treasure Island entirely.
Had that truly happened, it would have been a catastrophe for every race.
But as long as the treasure still existed, and the island remained intact, the situation had not yet reached the stage of true danger.
As he continued observing the area, trying to uncover the cause of all this chaos...
He suddenly sensed a pure and powerful energy approaching.
He raised his head toward the sky.
It did not take him long to recognize its source.
"That aura... It must belong to one of the Angels."
he muttered before smiling faintly.
It was obvious that the Angels had also sent someone to investigate the situation.
The Titan shook his head and chuckled softly.
Then he turned around and departed.
He had already obtained the information he had come for.
Now he needed to return to his leader and report everything he had witnessed.
Even so...
Curiosity lingered in his mind.
He could not understand what had enraged one of the Demon Rulers to such an extent.
What exactly had happened to provoke such overwhelming fury?
And what had driven him to unleash that terrifying aura?
The Titan, however, was not particularly concerned.
From his point of view, Treasure Island was not facing any real danger.
Everything he had witnessed was nothing more than strange movements by the Demon race.
Movements that were utterly insignificant compared to the overwhelming might of the Titans.
In fact, he believed that even if the Demons succeeded in claiming every treasure on the island, the Titans could simply take whatever they wanted from them by force.
The gap between the two races was simply enormous.
The Titans possessed such terrifying power that the sheer size of a single Titan was enough to crush entire armies.
For that reason, he paid the matter little attention.
And that was, more or less, the same reaction shown by the envoys of the other powerful races.
The messenger sent by the Dragon King, as well as the envoy dispatched by the Archangel, witnessed what was happening before quickly returning to their leaders to report the developments.
The followers of the weaker races, however—those sent by the kings of the Continent of Mira—did not share that confidence.
Instead, they felt fear.
Sorrow.
And deep anxiety.
The Aura of Death spreading around the island alone was enough to make them realize the scale of the disaster.
As long as that terrifying Demon Ruler remained near Treasure Island...
They would never be able to exploit the situation or obtain even a small portion of the treasures hidden there.
The followers were deeply disappointed.
One by one, they began returning to the princes who had been staying in the region for a long time.
Everyone was preparing to depart for the Fallen Islands.
Even the Crown Prince of Humanity was reluctant to leave.
Part of him wished to remain and witness the events with his own eyes.
But reason told him the truth.
There was nothing he could accomplish here.
So he sadly shook his head and left with the others.
Even so...
There was one person who was genuinely delighted.
One of the followers of the Mermaid race.
Unlike everyone else, he did not despair when he saw what was happening near Treasure Island.
Instead, he began thinking rapidly.
A few moments later, he took out several special crystals used by the Merfolk to monitor the condition of members of the royal family.
These crystals would change if any king or prince—or princess—were in danger or had died.
He examined the crystals carefully.
Then his smile widened.
The Princess's crystal was completely intact.
There were no signs of danger.
Nor was there any indication that she had been injured or killed.
He quickly understood the truth.
"So... the Princess is still safe."
His eyes gleamed as another thought crossed his mind.
"More than that... she must already be inside Treasure Island itself."
Everything pointed to that conclusion.
It seemed she had taken advantage of the chaos in the area and secretly entered the island through the depths of the ocean without anyone noticing.
The follower did not fear for her safety.
The Princess was far from weak.
She carried with her one of the greatest treasures of the Mermaid race—
the legendary treasure that her people had finally completed after many long years of effort, gathering fragments from the ships that had once traveled between the Continent of Mira and the Fallen Islands.
That legendary treasure was known as...
The Ocean Crystal.
A treasure of immense power, capable of protecting its bearer from countless dangers.
And so, while everyone else departed the region in despair and disappointment...
The Mermaid follower alone continued gazing toward Treasure Island with a hopeful smile, as though he were waiting for something extraordinary to happen in the very near future.
With the Ocean Crystal in her possession, the Mermaid follower was completely confident that the Princess would be safe.
Even if she were to face one of the Demon Rulers himself, he would neither be able to kill nor capture her, so long as she could reach the ocean.
The Ocean Crystal was one of the greatest treasures of the Mermaid race, renowned for its extraordinary abilities within the seas and oceans.
Because of this, the follower firmly believed that as long as the Princess was in the ocean and carried the crystal with her, she would be able to escape at any moment—even if she was burdened with all the treasures she had come to obtain.
For that reason, he did not remain in the area any longer than necessary.
Instead, he turned around and departed at once to report everything he had witnessed to his king.
He could not use Message Crystals to deliver the news.
The Fallen Islands were saturated with strange energies and ancient magic, while the overwhelming auras released by powerful kings and rulers disrupted all forms of magical communication and transportation, including Message Crystals.
Thus, he had no choice but to deliver the report in person.
Meanwhile, on Treasure Island...
Odin had already finished selecting the five treasures he intended to claim.
He had spent a considerable amount of time studying the countless treasures scattered across the island, choosing those he believed would benefit Asgard and its people the most in the future.
After gathering everything he wanted, he decided it was time to leave before reinforcements could arrive to aid the one he had fought earlier.
But before departing...
He suddenly stopped.
A look of surprise crossed his face.
He had sensed another living being on the island.
His eyes narrowed.
It was truly unexpected.
As far as he knew, no one else should have been here.
If another creature truly existed on the island, then only two possibilities remained.
Either it was a legendary creature born from the immense power of the island's treasures...
Or it was an intruder who had somehow managed to reach this place.
Either way...
Odin's curiosity was immediately ignited.
He ordered his winged horse to fly toward the location where he had sensed that faint aura.
On the island's shore...
The Mermaid Princess emerged from the depths of the ocean.
Water streamed down her hair and clothes as she walked across the golden sand.
A joyful smile spread across her face as she sensed the countless treasure auras scattered throughout the island.
She had succeeded.
She had finally reached the place she had dreamed of for so long.
She was just about to celebrate her achievement.
But before any visible sign of joy could appear...
She heard an unfamiliar voice behind her.
It was calm, yet carried such overwhelming authority that her entire body froze in place.
The voice said,
"Oh... So you're a Mermaid."
At that very instant...
It felt as though the entire world had come to a standstill.
She spun around.
Standing behind her—without her having sensed his approach in the slightest—was a man.
That man...
Was Odin.
Odin, however, looked at her with an entirely different expression.
A trace of disappointment was evident in his eyes.
He had hoped to discover a newly born legendary creature, or perhaps a living treasure created by the island's immense energy.
Instead...
He had found nothing more than a young Mermaid.
Even so, he did not dismiss the matter.
His mind immediately began racing.
How had this girl managed to reach the island?
How had she survived the countless dangers of the ocean?
And how had she overcome every obstacle that had prevented everyone else from approaching?
It did not take him long to reach the answer.
She possessed a powerful treasure.
A treasure capable of protecting her and allowing her to reach this place.
It was virtually impossible for an ordinary Mermaid to arrive at the island alone.
No one in their right mind would ever believe such a thing.
The moment he realized that, Odin made his decision.
Everything that followed happened in less than a single second.
From the instant he spoke to her...
To the moment he finished thinking...
To the moment he made his move.
Odin swiftly raised his spear.
Then struck her with its blunt end.
It was a perfectly controlled blow.
Not lethal.
But more than enough to knock her unconscious instantly.
The Mermaid Princess collapsed onto the sand without a sound.
Immediately afterward, Odin extended his spiritual aura toward her.
He carefully examined her body.
Only a few moments passed before he sensed the presence of an extraordinarily powerful treasure concealed within her.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
He focused his power completely.
Then directed his energy toward the treasure's source, attempting to extract it.
It was not an easy task.
The Princess had used a unique method to fuse the treasure with her body.
As a result, Odin encountered some resistance while separating it from her.
But the difference in strength between them was simply overwhelming.
A few moments later...
He finally succeeded.
A brilliant blue crystal, the color of the deepest ocean, emerged from her body.
The crystal radiated a majestic and pristine aquatic energy.
It slowly rose into the air.
Then flew straight into Odin's outstretched hand.
The moment he grasped it, he felt the immense power of the sea hidden within.
His eyes gleamed as he stared at the crystal.
Then he burst into loud laughter.
With unmistakable delight, he said,
"Oh..."
He raised the crystal before his eyes and continued,
"It seems leaving this island will be much easier thanks to this treasure."
His laughter echoed across the island's shores as the Ocean Crystal shone brightly in his hand, completely unaware that he would have been in grave danger had he not taken possession of that crystal.
(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]