Meanwhile...
On the shores of Asgard...
Far from the trial that Hercules had just overcome...
Thor and the other Rulers stood before the treasures brought by Odin's raven, along with the unconscious mermaid.
Silence settled over the shore as everyone's eyes moved between the mysterious treasures and the mermaid, who remained completely unconscious.
Thor looked at the mermaid before speaking in a calm yet commanding voice.
"Not, Ruler of Night..."
"Take her to the prison beneath the city."
"My father's raven explained her story to us before leaving the captive and these treasures behind."
As soon as Thor finished speaking...
Not quietly nodded.
Then he raised his hand.
In an instant...
Shadows engulfed the mermaid's body.
Darkness swallowed her whole.
Then both she and Not vanished without a trace, as though neither of them had ever been there.
After Not departed...
The remaining Rulers turned their attention toward the five treasures the raven had delivered.
Each one radiated a completely different presence.
The first...
Was a massive black stone that emitted an ancient and majestic aura, as though an immense dormant power slept within it.
The second...
Was a flawless white crystal that shone with brilliant light.
Simply gazing upon it filled one's heart with peace.
The third...
Was a mysterious metal unlike anything any of them had ever seen.
At first glance...
It seemed as though it had been created solely to forge an unrivaled weapon.
The fourth...
Was a pitch-black jewel.
A sinister and unsettling aura flowed from it, filling anyone who approached with an instinctive sense of dread.
And finally...
There was a strange mineral that resembled stone in both appearance and texture.
Yet it shimmered with countless colors, producing an indescribable feeling in anyone who looked upon it.
Thor silently examined the treasures.
Then he turned toward Volund.
The bruises from Thor's earlier beating had already healed.
Now, Volund stared at the treasures with unmistakable obsession, as though he were looking upon the love of his life.
Thor let out a quiet sigh.
Then said,
"You will be responsible for these treasures."
"You are the Ruler of Weapons."
He pointed at him seriously before continuing,
"But be careful."
"Do not waste these treasures on anything worthless."
"They will become the foundation of Asgard's future strength and greatness."
Volund raised his head.
His eyes burned with determination.
Then he replied confidently,
"Don't worry, Thor."
"Not a single one of these treasures will be wasted on a useless weapon or tool."
"I'll use every one of them to forge Sacred Weapons..."
"Or perhaps weapons even greater than those."
The moment he finished speaking...
He immediately knelt down and began gathering the treasures one by one.
However...
He quickly realized how difficult it was to carry all of them.
Not only were they incredibly heavy...
They were also far too precious to handle roughly.
He feared that even the slightest carelessness might damage one of them.
So...
He looked toward Jord, the Ruler of Earth.
Jord let out a quiet sigh.
Then raised one hand toward the ground.
Suddenly...
The earth trembled.
A gigantic stone giant rose from beneath the soil.
Its entire body was formed from solid rock, making it resemble a mountain walking on two legs.
The stone giant approached Volund.
Then carefully lifted all five treasures.
Volund climbed onto its shoulder.
Moments later...
The stone giant departed, carrying both Volund and the treasures toward the place he wished to go.
Once they disappeared from sight...
Thor looked at the remaining Rulers.
Then declared firmly,
"I'll go drive that dragon away from Asgard, just as we agreed."
Sol's eyes widened.
"By yourself?!"
"That's dangerous!"
"That dragon could be incredibly powerful."
"And don't forget..."
"He's the son of the Dragon King."
Thor thought for a moment.
Then nodded.
"Very well."
"You'll come with me."
"And you too, Ran, Ruler of Rivers."
"Your power will be useful in battle."
Sol and Ran both nodded.
Then hurried away to retrieve their weapons and prepare for the coming battle.
Less than an hour later...
Thor, Sol, and Ran departed from Asgard.
Their destination lay far across the open sea...
Where their long-awaited battle against the dragon awaited them.
After the three Rulers had left...
Heimdall stood atop his great watchtower, gazing toward the distant horizon.
Then he sighed.
"I only hope nothing goes wrong during their mission."
The moment those words left his mouth...
His expression suddenly changed.
He felt something...
A familiar energy.
Yet far stronger than before.
It had appeared somewhere within Asgard itself.
He slowly turned toward its source.
His eyes narrowed as he stared into the distance.
Then he murmured in astonishment,
"Has..."
"Thor's son awakened?"
(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]