In a dark forest, which was far away from the Royal Capital Base, a young looking military official was walking among the thick bushes. Under the moon light, no one could see his real appearance.
He was walking in that forest, as if it was his own place. He didn't use a map or even a compass, he was just strolling. In the area he was taking a leisurely stroll was labelled as a Black Zone, due to that area being full of unknown monsters which were impossible to defeat. Most of the investigation teams who went for this area returned with heavy casualties, and even the few people who survived had gone crazy. But all of them told the others in the whole world, ' Don't even think about going there. It's impossible for humans to defeat them, even with the power of gods!'
Luke, himself heard about all of these horrendous information about the area he was marching. But as the god of origin, according to his vast experience as a god who was at the top knew that this area was a nest of the one of the most ancient species in the universe. Yes, it was a nest of dragons.
Dragons were highly intelligent beings, and it was rumoured that their intelligence surpass even humans. They were always protective about their territory and their family. According to the aura he felt, he was sure that there were at least 10 dragons residing in that area.
" 10 dragons living in this much small area? And everyone is older than 1 million years? Hmm, interesting."
Although, dragon families tend to live together, it's not like they love to live in a small house. 10 dragons to live? They would at least need space of two Earths, unless there was someone who keeps them in check.
' Better check them later.'
Luke continued to walk. As dragons being highly intelligent creatures and with special sense to evaluate one's strength accurately, they didn't dare to attack Luke, despite his intrusion in their habitat.
Then his attention, was focused to somewhere else. He felt immense energy waves coming forth about 2 km away from him.
' Well, it seems someone is fighting. Judging from the aura, there is a monster and a human.'
He turned his head, and waited for few seconds thinking and the next moment he disappeared.
●●●
Sasha Cunningham, one of the chosen of the Goddess Athena, was fighting with a hydra. A hydra, is a monster with many heads, each having the ability to produce venom, which was capable of killing a high level human warrior within a few seconds. It always tends live alone and hunt alone.
As how Sasha encountered, this one was quite a story. She was entrusted to secretly investigate the Black Zone which just the name terrified almost all of the hunters in the world. A month ago she had set off with four other members from the Athena Base as this mission was requested by the Royal Capital Base. At first the journey went smooth, and they found out that the mysterious creatures who were residing in the Black Zone were the dragons. And when they were about retreat after getting this valuable info, they were attacked by a hydra. To defeat a hydra, they needed at least two level 3 hunter teams.
Hunter teams are classified into 5 levels according to their attacking prowess and experience. Level 1 was the weakest while level 5 was the highest. Sasha, was a member of a level 5 warrior but she knew, only herself alone wouldn't be enough to defeat a hydra.
As her power was related to Athena, what she excelled was wisdom and war strategy. She didn't excel in one vs one duels. And also fighting a monster who had a long range fire power? That was not Athena's area of power. In fact it was their weakness. Despite all of that, as the most powerful one and the leader of the investigation team, she ordered her teammates to leave the monster to her and retreat to the base and get help from the there. She had been fighting continuously with the hydra for at least 8 hours and now she was covered in bruises and venom. Still she kept fighting.
' Damn it! Why aren't anyone still here? It doesn't take much time to reach the camp and gather reinforcements!'
She jumped away from a poison ball that almost landed on her. Even though she could get away from most of the poison still some of it landed on her body.
" Arghhh" Pain ruthlessly attacked her brain. But did she back away? Never.
She got up and deflected another tentacle attack from the hydra. As her cosmic energy had been almost depleted, she couldn't completely deflect the force of that attack. He hands was shaking and he could see her precious weapon showing marks of breaking down.
' Shit! Am I really gonna die here?'
She remembered how hard she worked to get into the position she was now in. After the awakening she trained very hard and finally she got the chance to become a general of Athena's army. She loved power. She hated being weak.
Before she was chosen by Athena, Sasha always dreamt about becoming a chosen of the Zeus. She didn't like Athena or any other god. Because she deemed every other gods are weak, at first when she was chosen she hated Athena. But still her obsession for power was so much strong that she fought with any person she met. She drove deep into the Athena's power to find if there is something she missed to become more powerful. That's how her character was.
But in front of this monster, she felt she was still so weak that she can't even defeat a damn hydra alone. She hated herself for being weak, she hated Athena for being weak, and also she hated Zeus for not choosing her.
" Yeah, you are weak, and I think you should be more powerful than that!"
Suddenly she heard a voice of man. She turned her head around with her guard up. She felt the new threat was far worse than the hydra she fought with.
After a moment of waiting she saw a well built man wearing a higher ranking military official's robe. But the uniform was so much peculiar to be a military personnel's uniform. She had never seen a uniform with such design.
" Who are you?"
" Sigh? I think that's the wrong question Ms. Sasha. The right question is ' What power can you give me?' Am I wrong?" Luke leisurely answered with a light smile on his face.
' Shit! He is quite something.' A god's smile was not something a human woman can deal with. Luke's smile was so beautiful and warm that she felt like she was melting in front of him.
" I ask again, who are you?" It took all the courage that was left in her to gather her scattered thoughts to question look.
" Well. I think you still didn't get it. Looks like I have to do some demonstration."
With that Luke turned his head towards the hydra. Then all of a sudden a giant cannon made of white metal appeared above the hydra in the sky. The cannon's outlet was round and white light poured out of it. Hydra felt something was off and screamed at the cannon.
Then the cannon fired a beam of white energy at the hydra. Sasha could feel her hair standing straight and she felt how powerful that mysterious energy was.
Hydra got enclosed in the white beam while screaming in pain and after a second it was gone. The area where the hydra was had now become a wasteland and everything in that area had now become ashes. With that the cannon also disappeared in to thin air.
" Do you want that, power? Power enough to kill a hydra in a few seconds?" Luke appeared behind Sasha and whispered in her ear.
Sasha gasped from the surprise.
Did she like that?
" Fuck, yeah. I mean is this even a question?"
From the moment the cannon appeared in the sky, she loved everything. She loved how it shot white energy beams. She loved how the hydra was reduced to pile of ashes. She loved everything.
In an instant she fell in love with Luke. Actually, it's his power she fell in love with.
Luke knew everything happening in her little brain and a wicked smile appeared on his face.
" So tell me what do you want from me in return for this power?"
" Well, I need nothing for now. But will let you know if there is something."
" Okay. I'm completely okay with that. Now can I have that power?"
" Don't you want to know who I am?"
" No, but I know enough about you. You are strong and probably more stronger than Zeus. And that's enough for me."
Luke once again smiled. Everything was as he expected.
While smiling he ordered, " Kneel"
Sasha didn't even hesitate for a moment to kneel in front of him. And that's what Luke wanted. For power she would sacrifice everything she had. Her dignity, her pride as a woman, she didn't give a damn about them rather than power.
" Then, get ready to accept my power."
With that he gently touched her head.