Odin sat on the sofa in his living room, holding a sphere and examining what was happening inside it.
Ponzu was hard at work cultivating in her room, consuming the Supreme Immortal Pills Odin had given her.
As Odin watched, unprecedented changes were taking place within the sphere in his hand.
It was a Planetary Sandbox he had created using information about the Starry Sky Octopus clan's Testing Ground, various other data, and his own abilities.
Inside that sphere was an impossibly tiny planet, and on that planet, an impossibly tiny race was developing.
Odin was running a simulation to see whether the Human Race would develop a different civilization without overwhelming pressure.
The doorbell rang.
Odin waved his hand lightly, and the door opened.
The Elf Queen stood outside, dressed in a Dark Robe and leaning on a Wooden Staff.
Elwen followed behind her, her silver braid hanging down to her waist. Her eyes darted about, full of curiosity about everything in the house.
"Come in," Odin said.
The Elf Queen entered and sat down across from Odin.
Elwen stood behind her, still looking around the room.
"Chairman," the Elf Queen began, "there's something I'd like to ask your help with."
Odin set down the sphere in his hand and looked at her. "Go ahead."
"There's another Elf Tribe to the south," the Elf Queen said. "They've been trapped in Human Territory for decades. I'd like to take a group out to rescue them."
Odin raised an eyebrow. "How many are there?"
"More than eight hundred," the Elf Queen said. "Most of them are children.
They've been hiding in a Forest Valley. Only the Goddess of Nature's protection has kept them from being captured.
But the human Slave-Catching Squads have been growing more active lately. I'm afraid something will