Verethragna — POV
After the council meeting ended, the Olympians slowly left the chamber.
My brother Apollo was already preparing to hunt the serpent Python.
It was apparently meant to be some kind of proving moment for him.
Personally, I didn't care much.
Apollo was strong enough to handle it.
Before he left, I simply gave him a nod.
"Good luck."
He grinned confidently.
"When I get back, I'll tell you how easy it was."
Then he left Olympus to hunt the monster.
Artemis had already disappeared as well, likely exploring her new domain as the goddess of the hunt.
That left me alone.
Perfect.
With a quiet motion, I turned and walked out of the council chamber. My gray cloak shifted slightly as a gentle wind moved through the golden halls of Mount Olympus.
Olympus was enormous.
Entire sections of the mountain were still unused.
After speaking briefly with my father, Zeus, I chose a quiet region far from the main palaces.
This place would become mine.
My temple.
Creating it was… surprisingly easy.
Divine energy flowed through my body as I raised my hand.
The mountain trembled slightly.
Stone moved.
Marble pillars rose from the ground as if the earth itself obeyed my will. Golden lines of divine power etched themselves across the walls.
Within minutes, a massive structure stood atop the mountain.
A temple dedicated to Victory and War.
It was elegant but simple.
Unlike some of the other Olympians, I had no interest in excessive luxury.
What mattered was power.
And training.
Speaking of training…
The past several days had been extremely productive.
While the others had focused on their natural abilities, I had concentrated on mastering my Avatars.
Several of them were already under my control.
The most important ones.
The big six.
Wind.
Strength.
Sun.
Lightning.
Speed.
And endurance.
Each Avatar represented a different aspect of divine power, and mastering them had drastically increased my combat potential.
At this point, I was confident in something.
If I fought most Olympians…
I would win.
Only the strongest gods—especially the Big Three—would still be beyond me.
For now.
But that gap would close eventually.
I stepped forward and entered my temple.
The interior was quiet.
A massive circular chamber filled the center of the building. Marble floors reflected faint light from the open ceiling above.
At the center of the room stood a single throne.
Not for ruling.
For thinking.
For planning.
For training.
I walked toward it slowly, feeling the divine energy of Olympus flowing around me.
This mountain was saturated with power.
Perfect for what I intended to do.
I sat down and closed my eyes.
My consciousness turned inward.
Within my soul, I could feel them.
Ten divine presences.
My Avatars.
Each one like a sleeping god waiting to awaken.
Soon…
I would master them all.
And when that happened…
Even the king of the gods might need to take me seriously.
For now, though, I had something more important to do.
Training.
Victory wasn't something that happened by chance.
Victory was something you prepared for.
And I intended to be ready for every battle this world could offer.