And on the Demon Continent...
Medusa's daughter, who had now grown into a beautiful young woman, sat alone inside the cave.
Sadness was clearly written across her face as she looked at the pet raven perched before her.
She let out a heavy sigh before saying,
"Why didn't Mother take me with her to the war?"
"Why did she leave me alone in this cave?"
"I don't even know whether she's safe or not."
The raven tilted its head slightly, as if trying to understand her words, creating a scene that was almost comical.
But that did nothing to ease Medusa's daughter's frustration.
She folded her arms and said irritably,
"I should have gone to war with Aunt Lilith..."
"Instead of staying here, doing absolutely nothing."
She lowered her head.
Tears slowly gathered in her eyes.
After all, she was still in her teenage years.
She was full of curiosity and excitement, eager to see the vast world beyond the cave.
But...
She had not left that place even once since the war began.
Not because she couldn't...
But because she respected her mother's orders without question.
She had never disobeyed her.
And so...
She continued to wait patiently, hoping that one day Medusa would finally allow her to leave and embark on adventures of her own.
Meanwhile, in Asgard...
A short distance away from the city...
A vast training ground stretched across the land, reserved for children who had shown the potential to become future Rulers.
Boys and girls trained with unwavering determination.
They took turns practicing with every kind of weapon.
They first had to master the fundamentals of combat before embarking on their personal journey throughout Asgard—a journey that would determine the element or power each of them would one day rule over.
The clash of weapons echoed throughout the training grounds.
The instructors' shouts rang across the field.
But...
At one end of the arena...
One small boy stood out from the rest.
He was short.
Thin.
And looked weaker than most children his age.
Yet...
He was carrying an enormous club, one even larger than his own body.
He swung it with tremendous difficulty.
His arms trembled violently from exhaustion.
But...
Not even once did he try to put it down.
Nor did he stop training.
For he carried a burden that no other child bore.
He was...
The son of Thor, the Ruler of Thunder.
The grandson of Odin, the Ruler of the Sky and the Father of the Rulers.
And his great-grandfather...
Was Asgard itself.
Such an extraordinary lineage placed an unbearable weight upon his shoulders.
He always felt...
That he could never measure up to his family.
That he was a disgrace to their great name.
Because of that...
He trained harder than every other child.
He even volunteered for additional battles against the monsters captured by Sol, the Ruler of the Sun, for the purpose of training the next generation.
And he never gave up.
No matter how much stronger his opponent was.
He fought until the very end.
Even if the price was his entire body being battered and broken.
Because of that...
Despite his young age...
Old scars, burns, and bruises covered his body from head to toe.
No other child pushed themselves as recklessly as he did.
Most children...
If they realized their opponent was stronger...
Would surrender immediately to avoid suffering meaningless injuries.
But not him.
He kept fighting.
Even if the monsters tore his body apart.
Even if he fell again and again.
Every single time...
He stood back up.
And tried once more.
Just as he was about to finish his grueling club training...
He suddenly heard a strange voice.
Yet...
It sounded incredibly familiar.
It was calling his name from somewhere deep within the nearby forest.
He froze.
Then slowly raised his head in confusion.
Looking around, he realized that all the other children had already finished their training.
They were gathered in small groups, talking and laughing together.
The boy frowned.
Then thought to himself,
"How are they..."
"Supposed to become the future Rulers of Asgard?"
"How will they spread Asgard's name across the world if they spend their time chatting and playing?"
He shook his head in annoyance.
Then rested the massive club upon his shoulder.
Without telling anyone, he walked alone toward the forest.
For some reason, he felt that he should not tell anyone about what he had heard or sensed.
He had a strange feeling that whatever was calling him from the forest was not a threat.
Instead...
It felt like an opportunity that would never come twice.
Even stranger...
None of the people around him seemed to notice that he had left, as though nothing had happened at all.
The mysterious voice continued calling to him...
As if guiding him toward a specific destination.
He followed it cautiously.
The deeper he ventured between the trees...
The quieter the forest became.
Until he finally reached a hidden clearing deep within the woods...
A place that looked as though no one had set foot there for countless years.
(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]