Odin, the All-Father, narrowed his single eye as he walked toward the great hall with Hippolyta, watching a small figure holding Diana’s hand and flitting like a butterfly before the phalanx of the Asgardian Imperial Guard.
Arthas’s face beamed with a brilliant smile.
His slightly disheveled prince’s formal attire, rather than making him look bedraggled, added a touch of the liveliness and vitality unique to his age.
He gesticulated wildly as he spoke to the guards, who stood tall and imposing like iron towers.
From time to time, he would turn back to wink and make faces at Diana beside him, causing the Amazon Princess to chuckle behind her hand, her eyes shimmering with pure doting affection.
“This brat…” Watching this scene, Odin’s slightly depressed mood from being abandoned miraculously eased quite a bit.
The corners of his mouth even curled up uncontrollably into a gratified arc belonging to an old father.
“No matter where he is, he manages to thrive.” “He’s actually better at this sort of thing than I am.” He murmured to himself in a low voice, his tone carrying a hint of self-deprecation and an undetectable trace of pride.
After all, that was his son.
The future hope of Asgard.
Seeing that his son hadn’t become timid or withdrawn due to being stranded in a foreign land, but instead acted with the confidence and composure of a true little Master, nothing could make a father feel more at peace.
“Father!” Just as Odin was still feeling moved, that familiar little milky voice pierced through the sea breeze again, reaching his ears clearly.
Arthas suddenly turned around, waved at him from a distance, and shouted loudly: “You adults go talk about adult things!” “I’m going to take these blockheads to see how formidable the Amazon sisters are!” “We’re going to have a contest at the training grounds!” “Whoever loses doesn’t get dinner tonight!” After saying that, he made a funny face, then pulled Diana along, leading those two squads of Imperial Guards—who originally only took orders from the God King—as they marched grandly toward the Arena located on the palace’s flank.
Those two squads of Imperial Guards were cold-faced killers who usually never cracked a smile in the Golden Palace of Asgard and only knew how to execute orders.
Now, led by their own Eldest Prince, they each looked like elementary school students going on a spring outing.
Though they still maintained a neat formation and gripped their spears tightly, their originally cold and hard facial lines had clearly softened significantly.
A few younger soldiers even had looks of curiosity and excitement toward this strange land in their eyes.
After all, this was the legendary Land of Women!
This was Paradise Island, which was said to be filled with beautiful warriors!
For these soldiers who stayed in Asgard year-round and were tired of looking at burly men, this place was simply…
well, a battlefield in another sense.
Odin looked at his subordinates, who were clearly a bit distracted, and shook his head helplessly.
“Those little rascals.” “I hope they don’t lose too embarrassingly.” “Amazonian Warriors are not to be trifled with.” He knew all too well how powerful these Valkyries of myth and legend were.
Although the Asgardian Imperial Guard were the elite of the elite, they were fighting on away turf, and combined with the innate wildness of those Amazons, this contest would likely be quite a sight to behold.
However, this was also a good thing.
Just as Arthas said, between martial nations, the best way to communicate was through fists.
Only after acknowledging each other’s martial prowess could the subsequent conversation proceed more smoothly.
“His Majesty Odin.” Hippolyta’s voice rang out by his ear at the right moment, interrupting Odin’s thoughts.
The Queen had reached the entrance of the great hall at some point.
She didn’t look back at the departing youths, but instead maintained her elegant and composed posture, stepping aside to lead the way for Odin.
“Let the young people handle their own matters.” “With Diana and Antiope watching over them, nothing will go wrong.” “As for us…” “There are some better things here that you might be interested in.” She gave a slight smile, one that contained so much complex information that Odin couldn’t help but turn serious.
“Please.” Odin withdrew his gaze, adjusted his cloak, and strode up the steps.
As his combat boots stepped into this magnificent palace, built in the Ancient Greek style and supported by massive marble pillars, an aura completely different from the Golden Palace of Asgard washed over him.
If the style of Asgard was one of golden splendor, filled with power and a sense of conquest, then this place was simple and elegant, filled with historical weight and divine mystery.
The faint scent of sandalwood permeated the air, and the surrounding walls were carved with historical reliefs of the Amazon race since their birth.
Each image told of the glory and suffering of this race.
Hippolyta led Odin to one side of the great hall, where a large round table had already been set up.
Exquisite crystal vessels were placed on the table, filled with enticingly colored fine wine and various fruits he had never seen before.
Clearly, this was a carefully prepared private meeting.
No maids, no guards.
In the entire vast hall, there were only these two rulers who stood at the peak of their respective Worlds.
This kind of private atmosphere often meant that the topics to be discussed next would touch upon core interests or even unspeakable secrets.
“Please be seated, His Majesty Odin.” Hippolyta took her seat first, her movements as elegant as if she were performing a dance.
Her purple gown spread across the chair like a blooming violet.
Odin didn’t stand on ceremony either; he pulled out the opposite chair and sat down with a commanding air.
Though he had disarmed, the pressure he carried from years of being in a high position still remained.
It was a kingly aura baptized by countless wars and carved into his very bones.
He picked up the wine glass on the table and gently swirled the amber liquid inside, not in a hurry to drink.
Instead, he raised his eyelid and looked directly at Hippolyta with his deep, single eye.
“Queen.” Odin’s voice echoed in the hall, carrying a metallic quality.
“Since it is just the two of us, I think we don’t need to beat around the bush anymore.” “The’surprise’ you mentioned earlier, and the ‘wonderful’ story of what happened to my son here.” “I am all ears now.” “Especially…” His gaze sharpened slightly.
“Regarding the awakening of his divine power.” “I believe you’ve seen it too; that is no ordinary divine power.” “It is…
a kind of power sufficient to attract unnecessary attention or even trigger a disaster.” Hearing this, the smile on Hippolyta’s face faded slightly.
She naturally understood what Odin was worried about.
A seven-year-old child possessing that level of power was a huge hidden danger in itself.
Not to mention that Arthas’s background didn’t seem quite so simple.
She set down her wine glass, interlaced her fingers on the table, and leaned forward slightly.
This was a serious and sincere posture.
“Since Your Majesty is being so direct, then I won’t hide anything either.” “Regarding the awakening of Prince Arthas’s divine power, I must say…” “It was one of the most shocking scenes I have witnessed in several thousand years.” Hippolyta’s gaze became somewhat distant, as if she had returned to that night when the divine power erupted.
Back to the Arena shrouded in golden light.
“You may not know, but when that child first arrived, he looked like an ordinary, lost human cub.” “Aside from being exceptionally good-looking and having a very likable personality, there were no strong energy fluctuations from him.” “But…” “Right there in the Arena.” “When he faced Antiope, my sister who is known as the greatest Amazonian Warrior.” “When everyone thought he would be defeated in a single move and might even be injured.” “He…
taught himself how to control divine power.” ?
Odin’s brow furrowed, and his fingers tightened slightly on the wine glass.
Although he knew his son was fine now, hearing words like ‘Antiope’ and ‘defeated in a single move’ still made the old father’s heart tighten.
He had seen that woman called Antiope just now; her muscles were knotted, and she clearly looked like a violent person.
They actually let such a person fight his seven-year-old son?
Wasn’t that just bullying?
If he had known this earlier, he should have let the Imperial Guard give those women a good lesson!
Seemingly sensing the dissatisfaction in Odin’s eyes, Hippolyta quickly waved her hand.
“No, no, Your Majesty, please don’t misunderstand.” “It was just a sparring match, and Prince Arthas was not injured.” “On the contrary, that battle was absolutely brilliant.” “In the face of adversity, at that critical moment.” “A golden light erupted from within him.
That light was pure and warm, yet it carried an invincible will of judgment.” “It wasn’t ordinary divine power; it was as if…
the Sun itself had descended upon the World.” “Using that power, he materialized a pair of Wings of Light, which not only blocked Antiope’s attack,” “but even…
knocked her back.” “What?!” At this moment, Odin could no longer maintain his composure as the God King.
He stood up abruptly from his chair, his weathered face filled with disbelief.
Because he squeezed too hard, the wine in his glass spilled over, dripping through his fingers onto the table, but he didn’t notice at all.
“What…
what did you just say?” “He knocked back Antiope?” “That Amazon General?” “And…
materialized Wings of Light with divine power?” Odin’s voice was slightly strained.
This sounded like a fairy tale.
Seven years old!
He was only seven years old!
To have just awakened divine power and be able to knock back a battle-hardened demigod warrior?
And to be able to materialize divine power?
How was that possible?
Even when he, Odin, was at that age, he was still wrestling with wild boars in the mud!
He couldn’t even lift Mjolnir!
Seeing Odin shocked to the point of losing his composure, Hippolyta felt a secret sense of pride.
Hmph, that scared you?
There’s even more explosive news coming up.
She unhurriedly picked up a napkin from the table and handed it to Odin, gesturing for him to wipe the wine stains off his hand.
“Your Majesty, please calm down.” “I know it sounds absurd, but it is the truth.” “And that was merely the beginning.” “The part that truly felt unbelievable to me came afterward.” Hippolyta paused, giving Odin a moment to process.
Then, she dropped the real bombshell.
“After that battle.” “I invited Prince Arthas to my private study.” “Because I discovered that although his divine power is staggeringly vast, his application of it was still in a very primitive and instinctive stage.” “This is very dangerous, like a child holding a torch while standing on a powder keg.” “So I decided to teach him some techniques for controlling divine power.” Speaking of this, a complex light flashed in Hippolyta’s eyes.
It was a look that was both proud and defeated.
“I originally thought this would be a long process.” “After all, mastering divine power requires years of realization and practice.” “Even for the most talented Amazonian Warrior, learning to wield divine power as easily as their own limbs would take at least several years.” “So I prepared a three-month teaching plan.” “Planning to start teaching from the most basic breathing and meditation techniques.” “But…” Hippolyta shook her head with a bitter smile and took a sip from her wine glass to suppress the turmoil in her heart.
“That child, His Highness Arthas.” “He only took less than half an hour.” “To completely Master all the basic theories I taught him.” “Not just understanding, but directly skipping the practice phase and entering practical application.” “He was like a parched sponge, frantically absorbing every word I said, every detail about the flow of energy.” “That kind of comprehension is simply…
terrifying.” Odin had already sat back down in his chair.
But his entire body was as stiff as if he had been hit by a freezing spell.
His one eye stared fixedly at Hippolyta, as if trying to find a trace of a joke on her face.
Half an hour?
Mastering divine power control?
This could no longer be described by the word “genius.” This was simply a “monster”!
You should know, back then, it took him a full five years just to learn how not to throw Mjolnir around recklessly!
And Arthas…
half an hour?
Was this still his offspring?
Could this be the legendary genetic mutation?
Or…
was this the terrifying aspect of that woman Aphrodite?
“Not only that.” Hippolyta seemed to feel it wasn’t stimulating enough and added another blow.
“After mastering the basics.” “He wasn’t satisfied with mere imitation.” “He began to try fusion.” “He combined that Divine Power of Light with some unique realization of his own that I had never seen before.” “Just the night before last.” “He developed his own move without any teacher.” “It’s a technique that highly compresses divine power and then releases it in an instant.” “He calls it…
‘Cross Ray’.” Hippolyta reached out and gestured a cross shape in the air.
Although the movement was simple, her expression was exceptionally solemn.
“The power of that strike…” “Although his total divine power is still limited due to his young age, and his control isn’t perfect yet.” “The power of that strike was very terrifying.” “If that strike hit a person…” “Even a demigod body like mine would likely be severely injured.” “And all of this…” “Happened only on his third day on Paradise Island.” “From awakening to mastery, and then to creating his own ultimate move.” “The entire process took less than 72 hours.” The great hall fell completely silent.
It was so quiet that one could even hear the faint sounds of shouting and killing coming from the training grounds outside.
Odin sat there, not speaking for a long time.
His brain was experiencing an unprecedented storm.
This series of information was simply too massive.
So massive that it impacted the cognitive system regarding divine power cultivation he had built over tens of thousands of years.
He had always thought that the growth of divine power was gradual and required the accumulation of time.
Like a tree, it needs to go through wind and rain to grow into a towering giant.
But Arthas…
he was like a magic bean falling from the sky, taking root upon landing, and then growing to the clouds with a “whoosh.” Completely illogical.
Completely breaking the rules.
“Hippolyta.” After a long time, Odin finally spoke.
His voice became extremely hoarse, as if his throat contained sand.
“Are you sure…
you aren’t joking?” “Everything you said, was it really done by that little brat who is currently playing in the mud outside…
er, I mean training outside?” “Could it be…
a matter of the flow of time?” “Is the time on Paradise Island different from the outside World?” “In reality, has he already spent several hundred years here?” This was the only reasonable explanation Odin could think of.
Otherwise, it simply made no sense!
Looking at Odin’s expression of questioning his own existence, Hippolyta found it both amusing and understandable.
She shook her head gently, her tone incredibly certain.
“His Majesty Odin, you are the All-Father; you should be able to perceive the flow of time.” “Although Paradise Island has a magic barrier, the flow of time is consistent with the outside World.” “He has indeed only been here for a few days.” “Those things were indeed accomplished by his own hands.” “If you don’t believe me, I can take you to see that melted mountain peak.” “That kind of residual divine power fluctuation, that pure aura of light, cannot be faked.” “That is your son.” “That genius named Arthas Odinson.” Odin fell silent.
He closed his one eye and took a deep breath.
Trying to calm his violently beating old heart.
It wasn’t the flow of time.
It wasn’t an illusion.
It was real.
His son was truly an unparalleled monster not seen in ten thousand years.
An extremely complex emotion welled up in his heart.
There was wild joy, because Asgard had a successor, and a terrifyingly strong one at that.
There was worry, because such talent was too dazzling and would inevitably attract countless prying eyes and dangers.
And there was a deep…
sense of defeat.
Back in the day, I was the Odin who was invincible throughout the Nine Realms!
How come compared to my son, I feel like a piece of trash?
Is this what they call…
the back waves pushing the front waves, and the front waves dying on the beach?
And is this really just because of my bloodline?
Or…
is it because of that woman?
In Odin’s mind appeared that blonde-haired, blue-eyed figure of incomparable beauty.
The Goddess of Beauty, Aphrodite.
The goddess who haunted his dreams but whom he could never fully see through.
She was one of the main gods of Olympus, in charge of love and beauty.
But he had always felt that her power was far more than just simple surface level.
That kind of power that could revive all things and make all gods fall was essentially a very high-level law of life.
Could it be that Arthas inherited not just his thunder and divine majesty, but also Aphrodite’s creativity and comprehension derived from the source of life?
The fusion of these two top-tier bloodlines gave birth to such a rule-breaking freak?
If that were the case…
then Arthas’s future might be something even that eye which can see through fate cannot predict.
When Odin opened his eye again, the shock in it had faded.
Replacing it was an unprecedented solemnity and deep thought.
He looked at Hippolyta opposite him, his gaze no longer containing the previous contempt and casualness.
Instead, it was a respect that was equal, even carrying a hint of gratitude.
He knew why Hippolyta chose to tell him all this.
Not just to show off, but to make him understand the value of this child.
It was also to show him what Paradise Island had sacrificed for this child over these past few days.
That kind of unreserved teaching, that kind of guidance at critical moments.
If it weren’t for Hippolyta, Arthas’s massive divine power could very likely have injured him due to losing control, or even led to a deviation.
“I understand.” Odin nodded slowly, and this time, his tone was full of sincerity.
Gone was the arrogance of the God King, replaced only by the gratitude of a father.
“Queen Hippolyta.” “Thank you for your teaching of that child.” “Even more, thank you for giving him guidance when he was most confused and in the most danger.” “You not only saved him but also helped him push open a door to a new World.” “This kindness, this karma.” “I, Odin, have noted it down.” He stood up and performed Asgard’s highest etiquette toward Hippolyta.
It was a God King’s greeting to an ally.
“During this time, your care for Arthas, as well as that priceless teaching.” “I will keep them all in my heart.” “The gods of Asgard have always repaid kindness.” “As long as I, Odin, am still on the throne, as long as Asgard still exists.” “This friendship, we shall never forget.” “If Paradise Island has trouble in the future, or needs Asgard for anything.” “You need only say the word.” “Whether it be thunder or armies, they will surely be there on call.” Hippolyta looked at this God King who had put down his airs and listened to this resounding promise.
The large stone in her heart finally landed.
She knew she had won the bet.
By treating him with sincerity for these few days, she had exchanged it for the friendship of the strongest god race in the Nine Realms.
This deal was well worth it.
And it wasn’t just a political victory.
It was also because…
she really liked that child.
Being able to pave the way for the child’s future and secure his father’s deepest attention for him.
This was also the best parting gift she, as an “older sister,” could give him.
However.
Just as Odin finished speaking and Hippolyta was about to stand up to return the gesture and bring a perfect conclusion to this conversation.
Odin did not sit down, nor did he turn to leave.
He still stood there, his one eye looking at Hippolyta.
A sudden, unfathomable glimmer appeared in his gaze.
It was a signal that the negotiations had not ended—that the real contest had only just begun.
“But…” Odin’s tone shifted, becoming somewhat playful.
“Since we’ve finished talking about divine power and kindness.” “Then next, Your Majesty.” “Should we talk about that…” “That matter which also concerns me greatly, even making me a bit unable to sleep?” “About why my silly son calls you…’Sister’?” “And that…
overly intimate ‘bond’ between him and your daughter?” The atmosphere in the hall instantly changed from the previous warmth to something subtle again.
The smile at the corner of Hippolyta’s mouth stiffened slightly.
But soon, that smile became even more brilliant, even carrying a hint of provocation.
Sure enough.
An old fox is an old fox after all.
How could he really turn a blind eye to such a thing?
But this was exactly what she wanted.
Since they were going to talk, then let’s talk thoroughly.
About the child’s belonging, about the future marriage alliance.
This war without smoke has only just entered the second half.
Outside the window, the sunlight was just right.
Bursts of cheers came from the training ground.
And in this ancient hall, the game between the two monarchs continued.