Chapter 185: C180
"In my younger days, I would have relished a good fight with you," Odin said, his gaze shifting to Leon as he blinked with a rare, almost mischievous expression. It was an oddly endearing contrast to the composed and dignified king he typically presented himself as.
"It's a shame. I've heard some tales of the God King in his prime," Leon replied softly, his tone tinged with subtle regret. "But I'll never truly grasp the majesty of what you were back then."
The image of Odin in his youth loomed large in Leon's mind. The old man seated before him had once been a fiery, arrogant warrior. His impetuousness and bloodlust had far surpassed that of his son, Thor. And Hela, Odin's firstborn and the fearsome Goddess of Death, who had been sealed away for her ambition and cruelty, was undoubtedly shaped by her father's ferocity.
Back in those days, Odin had been nothing short of a tyrant. Riding his eight-legged steed Sleipnir, wielding Gungnir, and carrying the Eternal Flame, he had razed armies, crushed realms, and slaughtered entire races. It was through such brutality that Asgard had risen to dominate the Nine Realms.
There was a time when Odin donned the Destroyer armor, fearlessly facing off against rival pantheons. Even when battles didn't come to blows, his warlike spirit and unmatched valor had been the stuff of legend.
In the brutal reality of the universe, peace between civilizations was scarce. Intrigue, betrayal, and wars to the death over resources or power were the norm. History was written by the victors, and the losers were often erased.
Odin, too, had rewritten history. Once his ambition waned, he sealed Hela and reshaped his narrative. The blood-soaked murals depicting Asgard's violent rise were replaced with polished depictions of peace and prosperity.
To some, this made Odin a hypocrite—a king who whitewashed his past for the sake of legacy. But to Leon, this was simply reality. On Earth or among the stars, the strong ruled, the weak suffered, and fairness was an illusion.
Leon didn't dwell much on Odin's past. He was wary of the old king, certainly, but there was also a measure of respect and something unspoken in his thoughts.