Chapter 148: You Are Too Arrogant, Odin
No!
The impact Odin felt upon seeing Noah was so immense that he even began to question his own existence.
But after all, he was a God-King, and he quickly regained his composure, reaffirming himself once more.
Yet even he, having recovered from that initial overwhelming shock, had to admit that Noah was a god in a league of his own!
If ordinary gods exist according to the world's expectations, and their collective forms a Pantheon.
And if a God-King is the pinnacle of a Pantheon, or one of its pinnacles.
Then Noah is an existence that stands above the Pantheon.
He embodies the three attributes of God-King, One True God, and Pantheon in a Trinity!
Where he stands, the entire Pantheon stands, the divine lineage he represents stands — under such circumstances, it is no wonder the world spontaneously reverts to the Age of Gods.
Or perhaps... this is a concept inherent in his Trinity Divinity!
And this concept stems from him being the Pantheon itself!
For instance, if someone like Noah were placed in their Norse Pantheon, he shouldn't be called a God of War, a God of the Military, or even God-King Noah, but rather:
-Norse Pantheon · Noah, or Norse Pantheon · Noah.
Such a being far surpasses any pinnacle of a divine lineage or any supreme deity!
Even Odin never imagined that in this era, as the Age of Gods nears its end, the world would still allow such a uniquely tiered god to be born!
"...But since someone like you is here, you must have sensed the impending crisis as well."
Odin slowly rose from the ground, but he didn't stand; instead, he sat directly on the floor.
He didn't necessarily see himself and Noah as adversaries.
He believed many things could still be discussed, so he now intended to tell Noah about the White Titan and the Umbral Star.
As the God-King of the Norse Pantheon, he did his best to position his tone on equal footing with Noah.
But perhaps even he didn't realize it.
Naturally, when speaking to Noah, he chose to sit below, not ascending the steps to stand as an equal.
"The White Titan is returning... I know this is hard to believe, as the White Titan should have been defeated by the first Holy Sword wielder. But the fact now is, the White Titan is about to reappear, and I suspect the reason lies with the Umbral Star."
Seeing that Noah remained silent, Odin continued on his own.
As if reporting the situation to Noah.
"Normally, Velber appears once every fourteen thousand years. During the Stone Age, Velber arrived, and Titan-like beings appeared for the first time."
"Then, during the Dawn of the Age of Gods, Velber came again, and the White Titan appeared for the second time."
"And this is the third time..."
"This time is different from the previous two. It's not that Velber's return cycle has arrived, but rather the White Titan is inexplicably about to appear... I suspect the Umbral Star may have taken some action, but I have no way of gathering information about the Umbral Star. For these extraterrestrial visitors, even prophecy cannot determine their movements or foresee their future — so..."
"The only thing I can do is find a way to prevent the White Titan from appearing a third time."
"The White Titan's will to destroy civilization has already begun to awaken."
"Its will has already scarred the planet, but the White Titan itself has not yet fully awakened."
"We still have time, and opportunity."
At this point, Odin looked at Noah.
"I do not expect your help, but I hope you will not hinder me. All you need to do is wait quietly—because I will prevent the White Titan's revival, and ensure the calamity does not appear a third time."
That's right.
Odin brought this matter to Noah not because he sought Noah's assistance.
Rather, he had his own plans and did not want Noah interfering.
But Noah calmly looked at him, rejecting his proposal without any personal emotion.
"Impossible."
In the final simulation of the first volume, Noah had already tried waiting and holding onto hope... but what his waiting brought was the fully grown Titan directly sinking the entire Britain.
Moreover...
"Odin, these words should not be spoken by you—who long ago retreated to the Inner Sea of the Planet—to me, who has remained on this land. Instead, they should be spoken by me to you, who merely hid away."
"Do not hinder me."
"Otherwise, do not blame me for sending you back from this land you abandoned long ago to the Inner Sea of the Planet."
"It was not you alone who saw through the White Titan's situation, and now it is hard for me to believe that you can prevent its reappearance..."
Just as Scáthach, before meeting Noah, would seek out outstanding warriors to fight, searching for someone who could kill her, yet rarely interfered with their fates or their histories.
That was because Scáthach did not want to deny the heroes who would come later.
Additionally, as the Queen of the Land of Shadows, it was not appropriate for her to interfere too much in such matters.
But Odin clearly had not considered these issues at all, or perhaps he had but simply did not care.
Unconsciously, he had taken this matter upon himself, and even after meeting Noah, he had not abandoned this idea.
So...
"You are too arrogant, Odin."
With Noah's words, Odin felt Noah's Divinity pressing down upon him!
Noah was in a league of his own among gods.
Thus, even as he was suppressed by Noah's Divinity, he slightly bent his waist, feeling as if all the joints in his body were locked in chains!
Even in terms of Divinity, it was like this...
If they truly fought, in his current Incarnation state, he would likely be evaporated in an instant!
Just like the Forest Giant he summoned earlier, which was vaporized...
It was late at night, and as Odin thought of the light spear that descended from the sky earlier, he felt as if every star in the night sky was a spear tip gleaming with cold light.
Sigh...
At this thought, Odin let out a long breath, then struggled to raise his hands and lowered his head.
"Perhaps you're right... Fine, I concede—since you believe you can handle this matter, then I'll leave it to you."
Odin spoke these words with a casual air.
Because he wasn't foolish. Even in his Incarnation state, let alone his true form, it would take him centuries of careful consideration to oppose Noah.
However...
"Since this concerns the Umbral Star, and though the White Titan has not yet awakened, your choice today might be our only chance to prevent this catastrophe from arising—I won't..."
"You interfere with me because I carry the resolve to succeed even with only one opportunity."
"Noah, what about you! Do you possess such resolve!"
Odin's words easily brought pressure, but to Noah, hearing this was no different from hearing Odin's concession—both were met with an utterly expressionless face, as if he had long known, or as if he simply didn't care.
"If resolve isn't present from the very beginning, its meaning may become blurred and constrained."
"And besides..."
"You can only fail once, while I only need to win once."
"You and I are not the same."