Odin's eight-winged horse streaked across the sky like a meteor, carrying its master, who was still unconscious. It tore through the clouds at a devastating speed, making it seem as though the very air was being ripped apart by its momentum.
But then...
The horse suddenly came to a halt.
Odin's spear trembled slightly. Gungnir was no longer an ordinary spear—it had awakened its own consciousness and obeyed no one but Odin.
The spear guided the horse toward the island Odin had visited before...
Treasure Island.
At that time, the Fallen Angel who guarded the island had left to participate in the war, leaving it completely deserted.
And that...
Was a grave mistake.
In that moment, he had not even left behind a magical barrier or any means to protect the island.
As a result, the horse flew there without the slightest resistance, arriving directly above the island.
Once overhead, Gungnir directed the horse toward one of the island's many mountains, then commanded it to enter a hidden cave within it.
The horse stepped into the cave, carrying both Odin and Gungnir.
Suddenly...
Its entire body froze.
It could no longer take even a single step.
But in the next instant, a heavenly aura burst forth from the spear, enveloping both the horse and Odin before gently pushing them deeper into the cave, as though an unseen force was guiding them toward their destination.
The farther the horse ventured into the cave, the denser that ancient aura became, until the entire place felt as though it existed beyond the boundaries of the world itself.
After a long journey...
Odin finally awoke.
He slowly opened his lone eye and spoke in an exhausted voice.
"Where am I...? Why didn't you take me back to Asgard?"
Then he suddenly fell silent.
His spear had conveyed everything it had sensed to him.
Odin's eye widened as he stared into the depths of the cave, where an eerie light shone—a radiance unlike anything he had ever seen in his life.
Then, in a low voice, as he climbed down from the horse with his body trembling from exhaustion, he said,
"I'll go in... alone."
A powerful instinct told Odin that he had to enter the cave by himself.
So he left both the spear and the horse behind, ordering them to leave the cave and wait for him outside.
Then he continued onward alone.
He limped with every step, supporting himself against the cave walls to keep from collapsing. His petrified left eye was completely lifeless, leaving him able to see only through his right.
His exhaustion became so overwhelming...
That he nearly collapsed and lost consciousness several times.
But his determination was stronger.
Steadying himself with great difficulty, he pressed onward until he finally reached the deepest part of the cave.
There...
He saw something that made him stop in his tracks.
Before him lay a small pool of water.
But it was no ordinary pool.
Its waters were pure white, glowing with a gentle radiance, while an unimaginably ancient aura emanated from it—one that carried a mysterious power unlike anything Odin had ever felt before.
He slowly approached the pool and murmured in astonishment,
"I never expected Treasure Island... to conceal a treasure like this."
The moment he finished speaking, he knelt before the pool and reached out to touch its surface.
The instant his fingers met the water...
A single realization flooded his mind.
He could feel the miraculous power hidden within the pool, as though it had been calling out to him ever since he was born into this world.
He took a slow breath.
Then he raised his hand to his petrified left eye.
He slowly opened it...
Revealing a stone eye utterly devoid of light or life.
Without the slightest hesitation...
Odin tore out his petrified eye.
His hands did not tremble.
Nor did he falter.
Then he threw himself into the pool, declaring,
"I offer the eye that can no longer behold the light... In return, grant me the power to see fate itself... O sacred well."
Odin sank into the pool.
Though it appeared incredibly small, he continued sinking endlessly, as though it contained an infinite world within.
Soon, he vanished completely from sight.
Nothing remained inside the cave except the white pool, silently spreading its ancient aura throughout the cavern.
Then, without warning...
That white aura began flowing into Odin's body.
It seeped into him slowly before gathering where his missing left eye had once been.
Little by little...
As Odin drifted within the depths of the pool, he felt another eye beginning to take shape in place of the one he had sacrificed.
An ancient, indescribable power was recreating it from nothingness.
Even though he remained submerged beneath the water, weakened to the point of death, and vulnerable enough to be killed by anyone at any moment...
He smiled peacefully.
He closed his right eye.
And allowed the new eye to form naturally, without the slightest impatience.
Then he quietly thought to himself, a faint smile spreading across his face.
"It seems my battle against Medusa... wasn't a complete loss after all."
He paused for a moment.
Then his smile widened.
"On the contrary..."
"I've gained a new eye."
A soft laugh escaped his lips, filled with satisfaction and triumph.
"Ha... ha... ha... ha... ha..."
(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]