High above the skies...
Where Odin had asserted his dominion, filling the horizon with storm clouds, thunder, lightning, and raging tempests through his overwhelming power...
He began to grow impatient.
He had waited for a very long time.
And yet...
No one had arrived.
He furrowed his brows and thought,
"Have they abandoned this island and left everyone on it to die?"
"Or has something serious happened in the war without my knowledge?"
He was about to use his ravens, which he had dispatched across the world to gather information...
But...
At that very moment...
He sensed a powerful aura racing toward him at tremendous speed.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
He raised his head and looked toward the horizon.
Far in the distance...
He saw a gigantic red dragon tearing through the sky at terrifying speed, heading straight for the island.
Odin's smile widened.
"So..."
"My plan worked."
He did not move.
Instead, he remained motionless above the clouds, waiting for the dragon to draw nearer.
Originally...
Odin had intended to return to Asgard immediately to help his brothers merge the island they were transporting into the kingdom.
However...
After using his ravens to scout the situation...
He learned that they had not yet reached Asgard.
So...
He changed his plans.
He sent the treasures he had acquired, along with the captured mermaid, back to Asgard.
As for himself...
He chose to remain behind.
He wanted to witness the strength of the outside world with his own eyes.
He did not want the people of Asgard to overestimate their enemies...
Nor underestimate them.
For that reason...
He decided to lure one of the dragons to this island...
So he could personally measure its strength.
At the same time...
If possible...
He intended to capture it alive.
He wanted to give Volund the opportunity to forge new weapons from its body, taking advantage of the legendary durability of a dragon's bones and scales.
Odin smiled once more as he watched the dragon draw closer and closer to the island.
Then he disappeared into the thick clouds.
There...
He began preparing the surprise that awaited his future captive.
Meanwhile...
Within the storm-covered sky...
The enormous red dragon flew toward the island at incredible speed.
Then suddenly...
He frowned.
He thought,
"What is this strange feeling?"
"It's as though the sky itself is resisting my advance."
He pondered the sensation for a few moments.
But soon dismissed the thought.
He was already very close to his destination.
So...
He accelerated even further.
He prepared to descend upon the island, intending to speak with the elves who had requested aid...
And scold them for wasting his time if their warning proved to be false.
But...
The moment he came close enough to clearly see the island...
He froze.
His eyes widened in utter shock.
There was no sign of life.
Only devastation.
Where the great fortress had once stood...
Nothing remained except an enormous black crater, as though the earth itself had been burned and melted away.
The tornadoes...
The rain...
The snow...
And the lightning...
Still ravaged the island without end, making it seem as though the end of the world had descended upon that place.
The dragon stared at the horrifying scene in disbelief.
Then he immediately changed course.
He decided not to descend onto the island.
Instead...
He quickly flew away, thinking in shock,
"Impossible..."
"There's no way this weather is natural."
"Someone must have attacked this island and annihilated everyone on it."
Unease began creeping into his heart.
For the first time in a very long while...
He felt fear.
The being capable of creating such a catastrophe...
And sustaining it even now...
Could not possibly possess ordinary power.
Therefore...
He decided to retreat immediately.
He would report everything he had witnessed to the other dragons...
As well as the Three Dragon Elders.
But...
Before he could get away...
His body froze once again.
A calm voice suddenly spoke from right beside him,
"What do you think of my masterpiece?"
"It's magnificent..."
"Isn't it?"
(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]