Before the Ruler of Fear could even finish speaking...
Odin acted immediately, commanding his horse to flee the area at full speed.
The six-winged warhorse shot forward like a meteor, tearing through the sky with terrifying velocity until it began disappearing from sight within moments.
The Ruler of Fear was visibly irritated by Odin's reaction.
Hundreds of his eyes widened as he watched the stranger flee without the slightest hesitation.
He spoke angrily,
"Do you really think you can escape from me?"
The moment those words left his mouth—and just before he could pursue Odin using one of his spatial abilities...
He suddenly sensed an overwhelming danger.
His expression darkened instantly.
Hundreds of eyes swept across every direction, searching for the source of the ominous feeling.
But he saw nothing.
Silence lingered for a brief moment.
Then...
In the very next instant...
Every one of his eyes turned toward the same point in the sky.
Hundreds of eyes widened in shock all at once.
He saw...
A terrifying arrow cutting through the heavens at a speed almost beyond perception.
It raced toward him like a beam of light, tearing through space with unimaginable force.
In that instant, the Ruler of Fear realized there was no possibility of dodging it.
So he did not even try.
Instead, he unleashed every defensive ability at his disposal simultaneously.
Dozens of the eyes covering his body changed color.
Some projected layer upon layer of magical barriers.
Others released negative auras intended to weaken the arrow and drain its power.
Another group drastically increased the gravity around him, attempting to slow its advance.
Meanwhile, the remaining eyes enveloped his body in a solid aura that made him harder than diamond itself.
But...
None of it gave him even the slightest sense of reassurance.
Quite the opposite.
His frown deepened.
He watched with his own eyes as the arrow remained completely unaffected by the negative auras.
Its speed did not decrease despite the overwhelming gravitational force.
Even the magical barriers and energy shields shattered one after another, pierced effortlessly as though they had never existed at all.
Not a single one of those abilities managed to slow the arrow for even an instant.
At that moment, the Ruler of Fear realized that ordinary defensive techniques would not be enough.
So, at last...
He invoked his true power.
Suddenly...
A gigantic eye opened in the center of his body.
It was far larger than all his other eyes, radiating an ancient and mysterious aura.
Just before the arrow reached him...
The Ruler of Fear began chanting incomprehensible words in an ancient language that had vanished countless ages ago.
The words carried a strange power.
Even time itself seemed to warp.
The moment he finished the incantation...
The arrow stopped.
It came to a complete halt.
Suspended in midair only a few centimeters from the Ruler of Fear's body.
Silence followed.
He stared at the motionless arrow before him, relief briefly appearing on his face.
But it lasted only a moment.
His expression darkened once again.
He turned toward the direction where Odin had been only seconds earlier.
But...
No one was there.
Odin had vanished completely.
During those precious few seconds, he had escaped so far away that even the Ruler of Fear could no longer sense his presence.
Several of the creature's eyes slowly closed as he pondered the situation.
Then he reached a conclusion.
Continuing the pursuit would now be meaningless.
He assumed that the mysterious stranger had already returned to the homeland of his race...
To his companions.
Perhaps...
Even to the very person who had fired that troublesome arrow.
The Ruler of Fear extended one of his enormous arms.
He grasped the arrow, which remained frozen in place under the effect of his spell.
His massive hand tightened around it.
With a single motion...
He crushed the arrow completely.
It shattered into countless fragments.
He casually scattered the remains across the sky.
Then he lifted his head and spoke in a cold voice filled with restrained fury.
"If I ever catch the one responsible for this..."
A terrifying smile slowly spread across his face.
"...I will show him no mercy."
As his voice echoed through the heavens, the hundreds of eyes covering his body continued turning in every direction, as though committing the aura of that mysterious arrow to memory...
Preparing for the day they would finally meet its true master.
(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]