"Boy wake up."
Wodin's familiar voice roused Will from dreamland as he came to. Will groggily opened his eyes and looked around. He was in the same small room he always visited after a battle. He scratched his silvery-white hair in confusion as his blue eyes scanned the surroundings. His vision was uncharacteristically hazy. A feeling he hadn't had for a long time. He slowly waited for his vision to adjust as he tried to remember what happened before he lost consciousness.
'My intent is numb, I can't sense anything around me. And my eyes are adjusting to slow.'
Will snorted and pushed his mental energy to the limit. He was not a master of mental cultivation, but he had more than enough experience in regaining his prime state. Similar to how an athlete stretched in specific ways to get their body primed and ready for action. Will's vision cleared in seconds. What greeted his sight was an unbelievable line up he never could have imagined.
Divine and Immortal energy suffused the room, all emanating from the eight individuals present. 2 in particular stood out while the others only released a small amount of their aura.
Will was only familiar with 4 of these individuals, but the other four were a complete mystery.
One figure was the giant muscular and fully bearded Hercules. He was still pumping a small weight as his eyes playfully looked at Will despite his stoic expression. To his left was the bald and also fully bearded Odysseus, who was dressed in simple leather armour. Odysseus beard was long and covered every square centimeter available for facial hair on a human's face. His eyes spoke of his intelligence and he carried a scholarly disposition about him. He had a pair of glasses that added to his intellectual aura.
To Odysseus' left was a figure Will was already familiar with. Wodin's raven black hair and stubble brought Will an odd sense of comfort. Will was not sure why, but he was already feeling a sense of reliance toward the All-Father. The latter had his arms crossed in a laid back manner, as if he didn't have a single care in the world.
To Wodin's left was a figure that was completely unfamiliar. He was tall and broad shouldered just like Odysseus and was wearing a long trench coat. His bald head was littered with scars while his face was hidden behind a Tengu mask. But there was no hiding the playful nature behind his gaze. This of course was the ever calm and level headed god of archery Hou Yi.
'It's like he can see through me.'
Never had Will felt such a penetrating gaze, as if the man could see his past, present and future all at once. Will quickly shifted his attention to the left, something about the bald masked man made him feel uncomfortable, like a shy child unable to keep eye contact with an adult. The individual next to the masked man did not make Will's life easier either. It was a figure Will was all too familiar with.
He was Caucasian with long unkempt navy blue hair flowing to his waist. He was wearing kimono-like attire, with two twin katanas strapped on his waist. His deep blue eyes had a piercing clarity that disturbed Will.
The blue haired warrior was standing still. Only his samurai-like clothing flapped in the wind. He was like a statue, standing still while the waves of time did nothing as they crashed against him.
'There is no wind in here, so why is his robe flapping?'
No presence was being given by him besides the basic markers given off by the environment. It was like he did not exist. Will did not like the fact that he could not detect anything about Jingsung Ha at all. As if Will could only sense him because he allowed it.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Will's battle with Jingsung had left a lasting impression on him. Battling a person created a unique connection between two warriors, especially those with similar attributes.
'He is a Solitary Sword Sovereign and water attribute Truthseeker. Looks like I caught the attention of a big fish.'
Will had no idea who Jingsung was, all he knew was his name from Jingsung's self-introduction. But Will did not doubt one crucial fact.
'He is either a divinity or an immortal.'
It only made sense considering the others in the room. Speaking of others, Will could not help but look at the duo next to Jingsung. He didn't need to be told who they were. Their disposition and appearance made things obvious. Will's collection of knowledge and sensitivity to divinities made things clear.
The first was Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, war, and crafts, and the second was Narcissus, the hunter who fell in love with his own reflection.
Athena stood tall, her silver armour gleaming in the dim light of the room. Her piercing blue eyes shone with an unearthly intelligence, and her long hair, the colour of freshly fallen snow, cascaded down her back in waves. A shield bearing the head of the gorgon Medusa was strapped to her arm, an ominous warning to those who dared to cross her. From her fingertips, tiny sparks of light flickered, a manifestation of her divine power. Her aura, though partially reserved, still pulsated with an otherworldly energy, filling the room with a sense of awe and reverence.
Beside her stood Narcissus, his beauty and arrogance unmatchable. His skin was shining with a golden, shining as if it were made of the purest metal. His long hair was the colour of honey, framing his sharp cheekbones and angular jawline. His eyes, the colour of fresh emeralds, were filled with a self-absorption that could only come from one who had fallen in love with himself. As Will looked closer, he noticed something he had not seen before. A delicate golden chain appeared to be connected to his heart, pulsing with his every movement. This chain was a physical manifestation of his divine power, the power of beauty, and its hold on those who were drawn to it.
As the two stood next to each other, Will couldn't help but feel the contrast between them. Athena was a being of wisdom, strategy, and strength, radiating the power of the ancient gods. Meanwhile, Narcissus was a being of allure, beauty, and charm, embodying the seductive nature of his divinity. They were two sides of the same coin, both powerful in their own way, but with fundamentally different purposes.
In that tiny room, Will felt the weight of their power, the intensity of their divine presence. It was evident that these were not mere mortals, but beings beyond human understanding. With their supernatural phenomena manifesting around them, it was clear that they had an impact on the world in a way that no mortal ever could.
Will mused for a moment as he could not identify the two bald men because they did not release any auras connected to their divinities, just like Modus, Wodin, Hercules, and Adelda. But his curiosity about their identities did not last long. There was no point as they would clearly get introduced to him one way or another.
Last but not least were beings he was familiar with. Modus' brown skin and horse shoe beard were the only distinctive features about him. He had a plain face ordinary middle aged men had but there was no hiding his slightly childish gaze.
'The bald guy, Modus, Hercules and Wodin look at me like I'm sort of toy, it bothers me.'
Will's thpughts lingered for only a moment on Modus before he shifted his attentions to who he really cared about most in that room.
Adelda's dark brown skin, brown eyes, short black hair and incredibly extreme curves were what Will could not stop staring at. It didn't matter whether or not he fought Jingsung Ha. It didn't matter how many scars the bald man had or how much working out Hercules did.
It didn't matter how intimidating Narcissus and Athena were due to their leaking auras. It didn't matter that Modus and Wodin looked at him like a piece of meat. It didn't matter how intellectual Odysseus looked. At the end of the day, it all paled when compared to Adelda's humungous assets. And Will had full intentions of investing in this quarter.
Adelda noticed that Will had his attention on her, despite Narcissus and Athena releasing their auras wantonly. She sighed in resignation and mocked herself, 'Lord Modus was spot on. Will still focuses on me in front of such a line up.'
She walked up to the boy and said words few men ever wanted to hear from the woman they were attracted to.
"Will, we need to talk."