Chapter 25

Odin was a light skinned man somewhere in his late fifties. His hair is relatively long, a couple strands were braided, with its color being mostly gray, but with a few streaks of black. Odin had a full beard so long it reached his chest, mostly gray, but with large patches of white. His right eye was covered with an eyepatch with his other gray-blue eye staring into my soul. In his hand he held a beautiful Norse spear, Gungnir.

"You're my ancestor?" I asked, confused. "How? I don't think my mom had any norse ancestors though."

The god gave a small smile. "I am talking to you, Adrius Markus. Your family was deeply rooted into the norse world. Had you not died, I would have revealed myself to you."

"Wait hold on, that doesn't make sense.." I was confused.

"The answer is simple, Adrius or would you rather be called by your new name?" Odin asked.

"I left that name long behind, I am now Perseus Jackson." I responded with my head bowed.

"If you say so." Odin muttered. "Now to answer your question. The reason I am here is because I have tied my soul to your family blood-line. As long as your bloodline lives I will continue to move onto the next male heir."

"That is a lot to take in." I admitted. Odin waved me off.

"Now the reason I have brought you here is because it is time that you recieved your divine blessing." He spoke as he walked around me. 

"Hold on, a divine blessing?" I asked confused. "What do you mean."

"When the male comes of age, I appear before them and grant them my blessing. Usually they all ask for my wisdom."

"So I can pick anything I want?" I responded. Odin nodded as he clasped his hands together.

"That is correct. Now, boy. What is it that you wish for, any of my powers is now yours. Choose well for once you recieve your gift, you wont be able to change it.

I stared at the all-father. "I want the Odin Force."

"Are you sure, it is a really powerful ability. You will need to train really hard to control it, do you still want it?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Alright, then the Odin Force is now yours, use it well, my child." Odin placed a hand on my head as a silver light was absorbed into my body. "My powers live in your veins, boy!" Odin shouted as my vision went black. "Use them to defeat that annoying godling!"

In the heart of the battle with Heracles, an unexpected surge of energy erupted from within me, propelling the God of Strength two feet backward. I could feel my heart racing, my muscles tensing with newfound power. Above, thunder shook the heavens, and a colossal beam of light descended from the sky, it looked to be made of a rainbow and it struck the ground between Heracles and me. It was unmistakably the Bifrost—the legendary bridge of the Norse gods.

Without hesitation, I relinquished my grip on Riptide and Morningstar, my trusted Xiphos blades, and removed Atlan. With a determined resolve, I hurled the enchanted ring into the heart of the rainbow beam, knowing deep within me that this was the path to victory.

All eyes were fixed upon the suspended ring as it hung in the center of the Bifrost, rapidly spinning taking on the form of Draupnir, before it glowed with divine energy as it changed and what took its place was a magnificent 7-foot spear. Its exquisite craftsmanship was evident, crafted from what appeared to be ivory or some other ethereal bone-like material. Intricate patterns adorned its surface, representing ancient Norse runes. It was Gungnir, the legendary spear of Odin himself.

A grin of exhilaration crossed my face as the bifrost vanished and the spear shot back towards me. "Oh, I can work with this!" I exclaimed. "Thank you, Odin."

Empowered by the divine artifact in my grasp, I lunged toward Heracles, Gungnir firmly held within my hand. Its ivory staff acted as a conduit for my newfound powers, coursing with energy that surged through me like a river in full flood. In my other hand, lightning crackled menacingly, poised to unleash its cataclysmic force.

Heracles, the mighty God of Strength, charged forth, his club raised high, and a defiant roar on his lips. Staring him down, I spun Gungnir as I charged straight at him.

Our weapons clashed with a deafening boom that reverberated across the beach, the very ground quaking beneath our feet from the sheer force of our encounter. As I strained against his overwhelming strength, I could feel Gungnir resonating with power, ready to channel my abilities.

I summoned all my demigod power from Zeus, channeling it through Gungnir. With a resounding slam into the sand, I sent forth relentless bolts of lightning that struck Heracles with unyielding ferocity. Each sizzling impact seared with divine potency, causing the God of Strength to convulse in agonizing torment.

Heracles, once an indomitable force, struggled to maintain his footing. The electric onslaught left him weakened and vulnerable, his massive form quivering as the currents surged through him. Smoke and sparks danced around his writhing body, casting an ethereal display upon the battlefield. Even a god, it seemed, could not endure an unrelenting barrage of lightning.

Unyielding and determined, I watched as Heracles fell to his knees, wracked with pain. Seizing the moment, I released Gungnir, propelling it toward the god. With unerring precision, the spear struck Heracles, impaling him through the chest and creating a gaping void within the divine being.

Yet, my assault did not end there. I summoned Morningstar and uncapped Riptide, launching the blades toward Heracles. They sailed through the air with deadly accuracy, severing his arms before shadow traveling back to my side. Gungnir, summoned back into my hand, was ready for the final blow.

Heracles, battered and defenseless, gazed up at me with eyes that held both pain and disbelief. The once-invincible god had been reduced to a mere mortal, his formidable strength drained by the relentless onslaught. "Any last words?"

"Áde gamísou." Heracles spat blood and spit in my face. I sigh and wipe it off, before I swung Gungnir, severing Heracles's head from his body. Time itself seemed to slow as his godly essence burst forth in a radiant explosion of golden light, leaving behind only his club and a card that quickly vanished. Gungnir flickered in my hands before shattering like glass and returning to Draupnir and shifting back into its ring form.

Skill "Divine Strength" accquired

The battle had drawn to its triumphant conclusion. I stood there, victorious and breathless, as Heracles, the God of Strength, dissolved into nothingness. The beach, once a battleground, returned to a state of eerie tranquility, and the receding tide revealed Hades's bronze helm of darkness. Picking it up, I felt the weight of the godly artifact in my hands.

However, before I could rejoin my friends, the sound of leathery wings flapping reached my ears. Two sinister-looking figures descended from the sky, landing before me with an air of ominous authority. The first Fury was unmistakably Tisiphone.

"We witnessed the entire spectacle," she hissed, her voice a mixture of astonishment and begrudging admiration. "Perseus Jackson, you possess far more power than we had assumed. At such a tender age, you have slain a god."

With a nonchalant gesture, I flung Hades's helm toward her, and she caught it with a surprised expression."Return this to my father," I instructed her. "Tell him what transpired here today."The Fury hesitated for a moment, her forked tongue flicking over her green, leathery lips.

"Live well, Perseus Jackson,"

I joined Clarisse and Annabeth, who were staring at me in astonishment.

"Percy," Clarisse began, "that was so incredible..."

"Terrifying," Annabeth interjected.

"Cool!" Clarisse corrected herself with a grin. "You killed a god!"

"Well," I said, breaking the silence, "now it's time to return the Bolt to Mr. Grumpy." They both nodded, still taken aback by recent events.

"We need to get back to New York, and fast."

"That's impossible," Annabeth protested, "unless we—"

"Teleport," I finished her sentence.Annabeth looked at me with disbelief. "Teleport with your control? No way, not again."

"Yeah," I said as I grabbed both of them around the waist, lightning cackled around us as we were surrounded by the shadows, "pretty much exactly like that."