On the top of Mount Olympus, Achilles raised his sword and pointed forward, with infinite light surrounding him.
And this time, as he said, Ares really had no way to escape.
No matter how angry he was that the gods did not help him, the God of War did not dare to let this madman enter the Golden Palace in front of Zeus and Hera.
But the good news is that this time he is no longer alone to face the enemy.
In the sky, two magnificent auras pressed down one after another, echoing Ares from a distance.
The three powerful gods released their power without restraint. Even if each of them was not a strong man in this field, the combined strength of the three was enough to make any true god look at them.
"Hu——"
The aura locked onto the hero in front of the Golden Palace, and the God of War no longer wanted to say anything more.
Even if the opponent's victory was only due to the power of other gods, his own failure was an indisputable fact after all.
Words were so pale that Ares now had no choice but to stop this mortal.
Then he was brought before Zeus, so that he could see with his own eyes the power that only the king of gods possessed.
Taking turns to sit on the throne?
Even I, as the legitimate king of gods and the son of the queen of heaven, have never dared to have such a delusion, how dare you say such a crazy thing!
Swish -
facing the sword of Achilles, the bronze glow shone on Ares' body.
He didn't want to face this powerful artifact directly, but he was an immortal god after all.
At the same time, Phoebe in the sky also raised the cross in his hand, stirring up the clouds in the sky.
As soon as she arrived at the sacred mountain, the goddess was startled by the golden sun
rising into the sky. Without Zephyrus's reminder, Phoebe, who felt that he had lost face, once again took the initiative to call the stars in the sky.
There was no sun or moon, and no one knew how long the night lasted.
After all, no matter whether it was supposed to be day or night, the golden chariot that brought light failed to drive into the starry sky as promised.
So in the deep night, storms and meteorites fell from the sky, like an alternative "heavy rain", sprinkled on Mount Olympus.
"Well--well done!"
Achilles laughed, and with a burst of golden flames rising into the sky, the four auras collided without reservation.
Mountains collapsed and sank one after another, and only the main peak where they stood stood tall and unshakable under the protection of the power of the God King.
Boom--!
The war of gods, which had just stopped for a moment, was staged again in a more intense form.
······
Outside the Golden Palace, the vast power of gods vented everywhere.
However, inside the Golden Palace, pillars engraved with gorgeous reliefs supported the palace, and the sound of a pin drop could be heard in front of the long table of the banquet.
Zephyrus returned as promised, and also brought back ancient gods who did not belong to the God Court to help in the battle.
However, no one needed to explain, the gods could see that for Achilles, who had absorbed another round of "sun", the existence of Phoebe was of no help.
Moreover, since Phoebe came to help, the speculation about Zephyros's whereabouts has come to a conclusion.
The God of West Wind went to the starry sky, the place where the ancient gods lived in seclusion outside the God's Court.
As we all know, before Zeus showed his great power, the God's Court had never had the ability to take the starry sky into its hands. It was not
until the God King showed his strength that his power was enough to support him to gather the starry sky.
But before any action was taken, the Typhon Rebellion put an end to it all.
Until today, Zephyros went to the starry sky with the token of the God King, but only Phoebe responded.
Did the God of West Wind only visit her and return in a hurry, or did the gods of the Titan era still refuse to bow to the God's Court?
"Zeus, it seems that Zephyros's method does not work."
Others may choose to wait and see, but Hestia does not need to care about these.
Sitting on the throne that belongs only to the Lord God, the goddess shook her head slightly.
"If it doesn't work, I will help Ares capture him."
"Anyway, he was the one who started this unnecessary trouble... At most, we can just keep him in custody and not do anything more."
The sound of fighting outside the Golden Palace became more and more intense. In fact, the gods also agreed with the statement of the goddess of the hearth.
Although Zeus' previous explanation seemed logical, the gods did not understand his choice. They just respected the power of the king of gods.
As a living king of gods, it is understandable that you don't want to have a grudge with the original god because of a mortal, but this time it was the other party who came to cause trouble first.
If it was the original god himself, Zeus' choice could still be understood as cautious.
But if it was just a mortal who was valued that was feared, it would be too ridiculous.
Now that Hestia asked this question for them, it naturally aroused their approval.
"Auntie is right. If there is a problem with the artifact of the original god, we can just return it."
"But letting a human wreak havoc on the sacred mountain is probably not a good thing."
"If your majesty is reluctant to do it, I am willing to help and take down this lunatic."
Apollo also expressed his opinion in a rare voice beside the temple.
Originally, he had neither good nor bad feelings towards Achilles.
But now it is different, because the sun pulled by the golden chariot was absorbed by the powerful artifact for two rounds, and the palace where the chariot was parked had already turned into a sea of fire.
Even these alone would be fine, but Apollo felt an inexplicable threat and disgust on the indestructible sword.
Obviously, although Apollo, who was acting as the god of the sun, did not know the origin of the sword, he still felt it.
After all, the first owner of Levatin was once the god of sunlight and fertility in the nine realms, but under the guidance of fate, it eventually became the murder weapon that killed the sun god.
The two main gods spoke one after another, and immediately aroused a wave of approval.
No matter what their original views on this matter were, Achilles' contempt for the gods made every god present have some opinions.
For a moment, the voices inside and outside the Golden Palace sounded at the same time. Only Zeus sat high up, quietly listening to the opinions of the gods.
He occasionally nodded, but more often smiled, and never expressed any opinions.
As time passed, the voices outside the Golden Palace became louder and louder.
Obviously, this battle between gods and men has reached its climax.
If Zeus' power had not stopped it, the Golden Palace would have been shattered in the battle
between gods. Until this moment, as if he had finally waited for something, Zeus suddenly raised his hand and stopped the gods from talking.
"Everyone, be quiet."
With a sincere smile, Zeus's eyes slowly swept over the gods in the palace.
Under his gaze, the Golden Palace returned to peace again.
During this trip, Zeus watched the God of West Wind go to three directions in the starry sky. These were actually three questions he asked, or three invitations he issued.
Now that the first two have been resolved, the third and most important one is finally coming to light.
"It's a coincidence that if this mortal from the spirit world hadn't made a fuss in the God Mountain, I would have something to summon the gods for."
"Because today, a guest is going to visit the God's Court."
"I originally hoped to solve this trouble in advance... but I didn't expect that I would end up making a fool of myself."
Zeus tapped the armrest and stood up from his seat.
The three-color scepter hung silently at his waist, and the God King seemed to be ready to go out to greet him.
Heh... He finally came. But if he didn't come, even if he didn't want to, I would have to limit the intensity of the war.
After all, for Zeus, who had deceived so many gods with his sweet words, the most luxurious thing he had was trust.
You promised me that we would advance and retreat together, but I didn't believe it.
Only if you set up your enemy first, then I will believe that you really have no intention of regretting it. ······
Boom——!
Outside the temple, golden light illuminated half of the sky.
The long sword wrapped in flames tore through the divine power protecting the god of war and slashed at him fiercely.
The body that seemed to be cast in gold immediately cracked with a bloody wound, and then slowly healed in a burst of green light.
Hebe, the goddess of youth, daughter of Hera, the cupbearer of the gods.
Although her strength was very ordinary, she had a companion artifact that most gods envied.
The liquid flowing from Hebe's golden cup could make people eternally young and restore the damaged to their original state.
With the help of the golden cup, Ares could finally try to block Achilles's sword head-on.
Even though every hit was enough to make ordinary people unbearable, it aroused the ferocity brought by his bloodline and priesthood.
Bang——!
Taking the meteorite from the sky, Ares threw it at the enemy.
Achilles just split it with a sword, and the meteorite fell behind him in two halves, smashing a basin in the human world.
The more he fought, the more the young hero felt the joy and fiery of the sword in his hand.
It seemed that it was also eager to drink the blood of the gods and make the enemy feel the same pain as it did.
"Hahahahaha... Ares, come again!"
Achilles laughed loudly in the air under the night sky.
This kind of battle is what he wants. Defeating the enemy in such a battle is the glory he has won on the battlefield.
The young hero vented his emotions wantonly, and his loud voice shook the four fields.
So much so that he did not notice that the sky suddenly stopped, and Phoebe and the wind god were full of disbelief.
"Oh, the gods... are just like this."
Raising his sword, Achilles was about to give Ares another heavy blow.
However, in just a moment, the young hero suddenly swung his sword back.
The hair stood on end, and a sudden sense of fear came over his heart.
However, the next moment, Achilles suddenly found that the edge of his sword seemed to be blocked by something.
Zhe——!
He took a step forward, turned around and drew his sword.
But what made Achilles feel relieved and surprised was that he did not feel any resistance.
"Who... are you?"
With his muscles tensed, the young hero stared cautiously at the three figures that suddenly appeared behind him.
A man and a woman stood on either side. Achilles felt an aura from them that was slightly stronger than that of the God of War.
As for the black-clad man at the head... Achilles could not feel any aura from him.
"God King? Or the God King's men?"
"If you are not a member of the God's Court, I advise you not to meddle in other people's business."
For some reason, Ares did not take the opportunity to attack.
But just by looking at the two gods who acted as "attendants", Achilles knew that the person in front of him was not easy to mess with.
If they were already enemies, then they would probably have to fight.
But if not, then there was no need for him to create more powerful enemies out of thin air.
"God King? The God King's men?"
"Hehe..."
The voice was not loud, as if it came from in front of him, and also as if it came from far away.
Achilles only felt that the person in front of him did not hide his appearance, but he could not see it clearly anyway.
Holding the artifact tightly in his hand, the infinite light and heat gave him some confidence.
The young hero raised his sword slightly, as if threatening.
"Isn't it? Then you should leave."
"This is a grudge between me and Olympus. It has nothing to do with you."
"Really?"
The man in black shook his head slightly, as if smiling.
"I wonder what the grudge is that is worth you making such a fuss?"
"Someone tell me, maybe I can mediate."
"Really? What if I want the throne of the king of gods?"
Achilles was a little unsure of the man in black's intentions, so he directly spoke to test him.
If the other party was a member of the Olympian God Court, he would definitely not tolerate his presumption.
However, unexpectedly, the young hero only saw the man in black in front of him nodded, as if to express his approval.
"No problem, the position of the King of Gods... there's nothing he can't do."
"But to be the King of Gods, you must have enough ability."
"In the past, Zeus became the King of Gods after experiencing a 'life' catastrophe and then a 'death' catastrophe."
"He has been to the abyss, broke into the palace of the second generation of the King of Gods, suppressed the Mother Earth, and defeated the demon king Typhon." "
Compared to him, what great things have you done that you want to sit on the Mountain of Gods and rule the earth and sky?"
"The great things I have done?"
After a moment's silence, Achilles said, "Zeus got the throne only because he defeated his father."
"He defeated Typhon and the Mother Earth only because he was stronger than them."
"So if I am stronger than him, then my strength is my capital. But since you are not Zeus's subordinate, why don't you stop these people from the Gods for me? After you sit on the throne of the King of Gods, I will definitely reward you accordingly."
Still testing, Achilles had vaguely sensed that something was wrong.
However, in front of him, the man in black just nodded again, and then shook his head.
"No need to be so troublesome... Let me make a promise with you. If you can win, you can take the throne of the King of Gods. But if you can't win, I will no longer give face to my old friend, and I will have to ask you to go back to where you came from."
"Promise? What promise?"
Achilles asked subconsciously, and he saw the man in black draw a black circle on the spot.
The darkness inside was deep, and there was no light, as if it was eternal.
"It's very simple, just walk into this circle."
The man in black raised his hand slightly and pointed to the black circle in front of him.
"No matter what method you use, as long as you can illuminate the light outside the circle, I will consider you the winner."
"Then you will naturally take the throne of the King of Gods."
"But if you can't..."
The man in black still smiled before he finished speaking.
Throughout the world, there was only one mortal who could fight him.
Even if he died once, the other party should be satisfied.
Mount Olympus, in front of the Golden Palace.
The man in black casually drew a circle on the ground.
A simple circle, an ordinary circle.
Except for the darkness that was just big enough to cover a few people, Achilles could not see any problems.
However, it was obviously not that simple. Subconsciously, the young hero thought it was a trap.
Just like the golden net at the beginning, but for him who was holding the sword in his hand, the big net had long been vulnerable.
"Promise... What if I don't agree to your conditions?"
Achilles asked in a deep voice, and the man in black did not get angry, but just smiled and responded to him.
"Reject, hehe... If you really can't even solve a circle I drew casually, then I advise you not to dream of becoming the king of gods."
"If Zeus is here, he will never be trapped so easily."
"If you are helpless even with such a small trick, it is better to give up as soon as possible, so as not to become a laughing stock."
"..."
"...Okay."
After a moment of silence, Achilles finally nodded when he looked at the black circle in front of him.
Although he still thought that this black circle was not simple, it did not affect his desire to try. The
man in black was right. He was once bound by the golden net because his strength at that time was not as good as that of the gods.
He just occupied the geographical advantage of the human world. Once he lost his advantage, he would inevitably be caught in a net.
But now it is different.
Regardless of whether this is a trap or not, Achilles is confident that he can break it with one sword.
"As you wish, in that case, I will give it a try."
"But when I come out, don't make excuses to plead for the God King of Olympus!"
After making the decision, Achilles took a step into the black circle.
With the strongest spear, the strongest shield, and his own martial arts, the young hero believed that nothing could stop him.
Besides, the man in black probably didn't know that the sun was used to break through the darkness and bring light to the earth.
With the artifact in hand, he was fearless.
Swish--
with one step, Achilles disappeared into the black circle.
His figure was no longer visible, and the darkness remained quiet.
Seeing this, the man in black just smiled, and then raised his head to look in the direction of the Golden Palace.
The next moment, the door of the palace slowly opened.
Zeus and a group of gods walked out, as if to welcome his arrival.
"Zeus, what is that circle?"
Hera asked in a low voice, not knowing that her voice was clearly heard by the man in black.
Although Zeus knew this, he just responded generously.
"That is an entrance, and also the window of the realm in the material world."
"And since the mortal walked into this window, it means that he has walked into the other party's country."
The lightless realm is one of the most dangerous places in the world.
Even if he walked in like this, he would probably suffer some pain.
Even if this is just the manifestation of the realm in the material world, it is definitely not something that the mortal can break through.
In this way, his goal has been achieved for the most part.
However...
"I don't know what my beloved daughter is doing now. If she steps into it, will she have the ability to come out?"
There is no answer to this, because logically speaking, the other party should not be able to come out.
With a casual smile, Zeus immediately stepped forward to meet him.
Since the other party has taken action, it means that he has initially shown his inclination.
Only at this point, the alliance between the two can be considered to have real value.
·······
A piece of darkness, a piece of nothingness.
From the moment he stepped into the black circle, Achilles felt that he had lost the perception of all light.
Everything seemed to fade away in the darkness, even himself.
If the power of the Styx flowing through his body was not so real, he would have thought that he had already returned to nothingness.
"What is this place?"
Turning back, Achilles realized the danger in just a moment.
If the void is 'something in nothing, nothing in something', then the darkness here is to turn everything into a secret, so that all existences cannot be connected to each other.
For any individual, all other concepts in this world seem to sink to the bottom of darkness.
Even if you say it yourself, you can't hear the sound coming from it.
Wow -
there is no sound, but the past memory automatically fills in Achilles' mind with the movement of his flying backwards.
It's like a piece of music that you have heard a hundred times, even if you stop it, the melody seems to be still playing.
However, moving in the direction of the memory, Achilles found that he was still in the darkness.
There was no light, no color, as if even time and distance had disappeared.
The young hero couldn't even determine whether he had really moved, or whether all this was just his illusion.
"Good...good, it's really extraordinary!"
He praised in a low voice. The awkward feeling brought by 'speaking' and 'silence' made Achilles feel uncomfortable again.
He had seen the difficulties here, so next, he would break the darkness.
All other senses were lost, but the artifact in his hand was still held in his hand.
With his right hand clenched, Achilles conveyed his will to Levatin.
Since you are the sun, please lift up this darkness and bring warmth and light here!
"..."
"..."
"..."
One moment.
Two moments.
Three moments.
I don't know how long it has been. In the boundless darkness, Achilles is sure that he has really activated the artifact in his hand.
His perception of 'time' may have been blurred, but Levatin's measurement should not be wrong.
However, when he raised his hand and held the sword, and even tried to put it in front of his eyes, Achilles could not feel a trace of light from beginning to end.
If it were not for the real touch, he might feel that he had never had any artifacts, and only eternal peace.
"Enough!"
"I've had enough of your tricks!"
Absolute silence brings absolute irritation, which is a feeling that few people have experienced.
Achilles didn't know that humans in later generations had tried to create a 'silent' area, and then proved with facts that no one could survive in such a place.
He only knew that an unknown restlessness surged from his heart, making him eager to hear or see something. If it was in the outside world, this would be enough to turn the world upside down, but in this darkness, Achilles didn't even know if he had really swung the sword.
Everything was 'empty', and there was 'nothing' in all directions.
This feeling simply drove him crazy. For a moment, Achilles directly chose a direction and flew upward madly.
He didn't know where he was, and whether there was an end here. He just wanted to see something other than darkness.
However, after an unknown amount of time, he finally found nothing.
The artifact in his hand should have burst out with infinite power, but Achilles felt nothing about it.
Everything seemed to be swallowed up, and even the residue was not left.
"Uh--!"
Keep moving forward, mixed with a few loud roars, but the final result is still the same.
Achilles felt that he was on the verge of his limit, and he could no longer hold on.
But at this moment, the young hero seemed to see hope again.
"Wait... is that, what is that?!"
A little light, no, two points of light!
Two tiny and huge light spots appeared there, which were so distinct from the endless darkness.
Achilles was overjoyed. At this moment, he felt that he had never experienced such joy of regaining what he had lost.
In that light spot, he seemed to see his sword and his own figure.
So that's it. The man in black had transferred the light he created.
He thought he would give up, but he didn't expect that he could hold on until now!
No one can make the power of the sun disappear so silently, even ten Ares combined can't do it.
They may win and suppress it by numbers, but after personally experiencing this boundless divine power, Achilles will not believe that anyone can smooth out this power, just like smoothing out the raised collar.
"I won!"
Although he couldn't hear the sound, Achilles still shouted loudly.
He believed that the man in black could hear him, and it was indeed the case.
The next moment, the voice that had been lost for a long time finally returned to his side. The tone, which was as ordinary as it could be, was like a moving piece of music at this moment.
"You won... are you sure?"
"Hey, mortal, I'll give you another chance. Bring light to this darkness. Are you sure you have done it?"
"Of course I am sure!"
Achilles couldn't wait and pointed at the light in the distance.
He didn't want to stay in this dark space anymore, not even for a minute or a second.
"Really..."
The voice was low, and the man in black seemed to be silent for a moment, and then became meaningful.
Achilles felt a little uneasy for some reason, but he didn't take back his words.
"I won, didn't I?"
"Ah, you won - of course not."
"I asked you to create light, didn't I?"
"That's the light I created, but you stole it."
Shaking his finger in the distance, Achilles said affirmatively.
"But I have found it now, and I have seen through your tricks."
"How can you, as a god, break your promise to me?"
"Of course not."
Shaking his head slightly, the man in black asked with a smile.
"I won't break my promise, at least you are not qualified yet. But mortal, do you really see yourself clearly?"
"What?"
There was no response, and there was no need for another response.
Because at this moment, Achilles felt as if he was moving, approaching the two stolen 'lights'.
However, as he got closer and closer, and as the two flashing things grew larger and larger, the young hero suddenly discovered its true nature.
There had never been any 'light' there, and there were only a pair of eyes watching him and the artifact.
·······
Sizzle...
Boom!
With a loud noise, the mountains and rivers stretching for thousands of miles shook slightly.
In front of the man in black, the ball of darkness collapsed instantly.
Obviously, without the maintenance of its master's power, this realm that should not exist in the material world was instantly rejected by the law and returned to where it should be.
"Mortal, it seems that the result is set, you lose."
"Then now, you should go back."
Looking at Achilles who had escaped from the darkness, the man in black said calmly.
"Go back... lose...?"
Just after breaking free from the darkness, his feet stepped back on solid ground.
Achilles silently recited these two words, as if he was facing a great enemy.
He wanted to refute, but he was indeed defeated and had nothing to say.
Moreover, it was only a short period of time, and the power displayed by the opponent made him so afraid.
"Okay, you won, then I won't bother you any more."
Taking a step back, Achilles felt like retreating.
He was ready to leave first, and then take action after finding out the details of the person in front of him.
However, the man in black just shook his head and raised his hand slightly.
"I let you go back, but not to retreat."
"Since you have already lost, you must pay back to the winner."
"Where you came from, then go back there. And you don't have to give back what you have, just... stay."
Looking at Achilles whose face changed drastically, the man in black stretched out his hand and gently pushed.
The next moment, the hero who tried to raise his sword to meet the enemy was pushed back by this palm and hit in the chest.
In an instant, the magic sword Levatin slipped out of his hand, rolled down to the bottom of the sacred mountain, and stuck on a huge rock.
He himself fell down with it, but he did not stop at the same place, but fell endlessly to the human world.
"River of Styx..."
The hand he stretched out was retracted, and the man in black spread out his hand.
A dark power emerged in his palm, making the god who was looking at it feel boundless chill.
Beside the man in black, Zeus, who had seen all this, took a step forward and looked at the fallen mortal with interest.
"Did he return to the human world? Did he return to Silvermoon City?"
"Of course not."
"If he did, how could you be at ease?"
The man in black smiled as he gently shook his wrist, turning the dark power into paper.
The power of the Styx is indeed somewhat unusual.
On Mount Olympus, the light went out and everything returned to peace.
Looking at the 'late' Zeus and the gods, Erebus smiled and pointed out the thoughts of the God King.
Achilles cannot represent the spirit world, even if he holds the sword of Levatin.
But regardless of whether he can actually represent it or not, there is no connection between the two.
Moreover, since Zeus declared in the Golden Palace that he could not take action because he did not want to conflict with the original gods, in other words, if he was willing to take action himself, would he take on this conflict?
Under normal circumstances, it is not necessarily the case, because this is completely Zeus's own opinion, and others will not really agree.
But when Erebus came here with the other two gods, he could no longer say that he was unaware of Zeus' previous attitude.
After all, Zephyrus went to invite them for this reason... Then as the Lord of Darkness who brought them to the God Mountain, he must know the development of the matter in detail.
"Hahahahaha... Your Highness, you are really too kind."
"Your Highness is so sincere, I naturally have no reason not to believe you. There is no such thing as worrying or not worrying."
"This time, the God of West Wind went to the starry sky, saying that he was going to ask for reinforcements, but in fact he just wanted to get in touch with the ancient gods."
"I didn't expect that in the end, not only the God of Skylight and the Goddess of Daylight were invited, but even you were invited as well."
Zeus walked forward with a big laugh, his attitude was very enthusiastic, and his words were even more enthusiastic. It's
just that I don't know if it was intentional, but anyone who is interested can hear that he and the man in black seem to have an agreement long ago.
At this moment, with such an obvious attitude of the God King, even if few people in Olympus have seen this most ancient creator god, the identity of the visitor is still clear.
Excluding the Lord of the Spirit World, excluding Nyx as a woman.
He can make the God of Skylight Aether and the Goddess of Daylight Hemera follow behind him honestly, and even let Zeus treat them equally.
The power just vaguely revealed can easily knock Achilles down.
The power of the Styx had almost no effect on him, and the power of the sun could not even break through the small black circle he drew.
With all these performances, there was only one option for the identity of the visitor.
He was the master of the Lightless Realm, the nominal creator of the Hades gods, and one of the five original gods, Erebus, who was in charge of [Darkness].
"... So that's it..."
Someone secretly exclaimed. When things developed to this point, many things suddenly became "clear".
So that's how it was. In this way, many incomprehensible things recently made sense.
The God King had actually reached an alliance with the original God before anyone noticed, and now the other party came to the God Mountain with a clear carriage.
However, the question is, in this heaven and earth, in all things in the world, what is worthy of the great God King to form an alliance with people, and even deliberately watched mortals make trouble on the God Mountain without punishing them, but waiting for others to solve this problem?
Of course, there is only one answer, the opponent of the God King is related to another original God.
At this moment, whether the gods had figured it out or not, they were all shocked by the appearance of the Lord of Darkness.
He might not be the first primitive god to come to Mount Olympus, but there was indeed no precedent for him to come as an "ally".
"Haha... no matter what, Your Highness has eliminated that rebellious mortal for Olympus, allowing the home of the gods to be peaceful."
"Now that the gods of the starry sky have been invited here, it can be regarded as fulfilling my good intentions."
Seeing the reactions of the gods in his heart, and seeing that Erebus had no intention of explaining, Zeus was even more happy and relieved.
It seems that he thought too much, and the other party did not intend to instigate him to be a pioneer to confront the spirit world.
After all, he is not Gaia... I think the Lord of Darkness would not think that he is so easy to deceive.
"Since all the gods have gathered today, and there are distinguished guests visiting the Golden Palace, I think fate has also arranged something."
"Why not use this as an excuse to hold a banquet to reward all the gods who have helped, and also thank you for your help on behalf of Ares."
Zeus suggested, and then looked at the dilapidated mountains outside the main peak of Olympus.
Now he didn't need to speak, and the gods understood what he meant.
Apollo was the first to come out. He flew into the sky, found the chariot in the rubble, and then pulled the last round of "Noon Sun" to cruise in the sky.
Zephyrus led the three wind gods to blow away the smoke and dust on the sacred mountain, allowing Olympus to return to its original tranquility.
The goddess of youth raised the divine cup, and the light green liquid refreshed the creatures on the sacred mountain; the goddess of life raised it casually, and the mountains and rivers that were poisoned by the power of the sun immediately regained their vitality.
One by one, the gods took action, and the pavilions and towers gradually returned to their original state. The whole Olympus seemed to have become no different from before.
Watching this scene, Erebus nodded slightly despite no emotion in his heart.
Since Zeus wanted this conference, he would give it to him.
With this grand event, both he and the gods of Olympus would be more resolute than ever before.
This was exactly what he wanted, and the Lord of Darkness could not think of a reason to refuse.
So he also raised his hand slightly and wiped away the afterglow of the sun's power that was dissipating near the sacred mountain.
"Since the king of gods has invited me, I won't refuse."
"I have lived in seclusion for a long time... it's okay to join in the fun."
Erebus agreed, and Zeus was naturally overjoyed.
The door of the Golden Palace was opened immediately, and dancing nymphs were invited into the hall one by one.
The melodious music began to hover over the sacred mountain, and fine wine and delicacies were delivered to the top of the mountain for free.
Achilles' turmoil ended, but what happened today was destined to spread to heaven and earth in a very short time after this banquet.
The war on earth was just the beginning, and the fight between humans was brave because there were gods behind them.
The gods' fight would naturally require a bigger backer.
······
Swish -
From the sky to the earth, it takes nine days and nine nights; from the earth to the abyss, it is the same.
After being knocked down from the top of the sacred mountain, Achilles' fall never stopped.
The earth seemed to not exist, and when his body fell to the ground, he continued to fall without stopping. Unknown to him, the God King in the Ninth Heaven was still watching his end.
Although Erebus didn't seem to want to let this mortal go, Zeus never wanted "as if".
He only wanted absolute, as long as he could control the result.
So as long as he didn't see his final whereabouts, Zeus would not feel at ease.
So with the God King's concern, the mortal who wanted to swing his sword at the God King continued to fall into the abyss.
Passing through the complex world below, passing by an increasingly powerful underground kingdom, he continued to fall until a certain moment, as if he had passed through another boundary, and he came to the underworld.
Perhaps because of the power of the original god, Achilles did not appear at the gate of the underworld, but directly appeared in the sky there.
Flashing past the lavender moon, the eyes watching him couldn't help but move slightly.
However, until the end, there was no change at all.
It was as if he didn't notice it, and it was as if he didn't care.
The purple moon hanging in the sky of the underworld exudes a strange power, awakening countless dead people.
Achilles was like a shadow under the moonlight, but his speed of falling was the same as before.
"No matter... or is this sword really irrelevant to the will of the spirit world itself..."
The voice hesitated, but he did not do anything extra.
He just watched the figure continue to fall until he fell into the rushing Styx.
Boom-
Hua...
There was a loud noise, followed by countless waves, and the Styx surrounding the entire underworld seemed to be slightly shaken.
In this shock, Achilles, who had lost his power, seemed to be about to wake up in severe pain.
However, at this moment, a wave hit, causing the hero who was wandering between life and death to fall into a coma again.
Hua...
Hua La La...
The water of the Styx kept rushing, and the eyes above the nine heavens never moved away.
I don't know how long it took, but the owner of the Styx seemed to finally realize this uninvited guest.
The river water surged slightly, and a god with a cold temperament emerged from it.
Styx, the eldest daughter of the ocean god, separated from them early.
As the head of the Styx, she also controls part of the power of the underworld.
Hades was not taken seriously by her, and Zeus, who had sworn to be the "keeper of the oath", had never really been treated differently by her.
Even Zeus, who was toasting to the Lord of Darkness at this moment, wanted to know what she would do when she saw the fallen Achilles?
"Achilles..."
The ethereal and distant voice echoed by the river, and the sound of the waves was like an accompaniment.
Styx looked at the hero rolling in the river, her expression was elusive in the shadows.
No one knew what she was thinking, but for some reason, Zeus relied on his intuition about women.
He felt that the goddess seemed to be somewhat happy to see Achilles fall to this end, even losing the power of the Styx.
In addition to being happy, she also had some regrets.
Intuition cannot be used as evidence, and Zeus didn't understand why.
However, just as he was confused, the water of the Styx began to ripple again.
Styx's figure disappeared in the waves, as if she had never been there.
As for Achilles... he was moving forward amidst the surging waves, floating towards an indescribable place.
"Tartarus..."
The God King looked puzzled, unable to understand Styx's behavior.
But what he could be sure of was that if this human fell into the abyss, no matter what the outcome was, it would probably have nothing to do with the present world. It
was not like he had never been to the abyss before, and the changes there frightened even him.
Whether this human was taken in by the beings inside or directly wiped out depended on his own luck.
In this way, Erebus could be considered to have "killed" him.
Killing a human holding a spiritual artifact, this behavior was probably not superior to the action he was going to take against Silvermoon City.
Thinking in his heart, time passed by minute by minute.
At a certain moment, amid the surging water of the Styx, the pale and quiet figure that seemed to be dead finally fell into the huge mouth of the abyss. It was not
until he saw this scene that Zeus's last worry was completely put down.
Once you enter Tartarus's belly, don't think about getting out again.
"In this way, the matter is perfectly settled."
Zeus nodded slightly, and in the Golden Palace, he raised his glass again.
He was surprised by the cooperation of the Lord of Darkness, but since the other party did not intend to do anything weird, he naturally had to apologize for today's temptation.
He had nothing substantial to give, after all, the other party would not be interested in what he had.
So after thinking about it, Zeus had to express his attitude in other ways.
On Mount Olympus, the banquet for the gods has just begun.
The mountain is particularly glorious because of the most distinguished guest. The gorgeous clouds illuminate the eastern third of the sky.
The fragrance of flowers dances in the air, and the birds in the sky linger.
But at the same time, far away on the southeast edge of the continent, in a town not far from Silver Moon City, two young people finally waited for the day to continue their journey.
"What a long night... This time is much longer than the previous ones."
"Even in the coldest winter, the same situation has never occurred in the extreme north of the continent."
"If it delays any longer, I will even think that the sun has already fallen from the sky, and the world will never see light again."
The primitive sled made of two wooden boards is tied to the rope, and only a slight force is needed to lift heavy objects in the snow.
As he walked forward, Hercules couldn't help but sigh at Amon's ingenuity.
On a winter day that had just snowed, this is undoubtedly a good invention.
Although he was not stingy with his own strength, Hercules would not refuse its help.
"The sun will not fall. If it really goes out, I'm afraid the whole world will fall into turmoil."
Gently shaking his head, the young man following Hercules immediately looked up at the sun that finally rose.
Starlight flickered in his eyes, and the originally huge ball of light finally revealed its true appearance.
A golden chariot... Would it be a divine artifact similar to the [Sun Boat]?
Amon didn't know, but this didn't prevent him from having a little interest in it.
If he was given a chance to choose, in addition to the gods who control time and space or spirituality, the one that interested him most was probably the eternally burning sun.
...
Walking in the town, the two chatted casually.
Today's town seems very active, and the flow of people is more than twice as dense as usual.
Obviously, the sudden long night in the past period of time made everyone feel uncomfortable.
So when the day reappeared, they all came out of the house one after another, releasing their long-suppressed spirits and thanking the gods for their gifts.
Various prayers rang out in the city, and Hercules alone heard more than a dozen.
But there was nothing strange about this. Because the residents here not only had nothing to do with Silvermoon City, but on the contrary, most of them came from the West.
For hundreds of years, ordinary people from the continent who gave up their faith for various reasons gathered here and built their own settlements together.
Silvermoon City rarely paid attention to this, and other kingdoms were even less likely to come here to pursue prisoners.
As a result, over time, the settlement gradually expanded, and this unmanaged town was formed.
"Haha, young man, I know your doubts. But as you can see, this town has no owner."
"It's not that no one has tried to manage it. There are even nobles who have fled and want to bring this place under their rule and pass it down from generation to generation as the God-blood nobles."
"But what is the result? Those powerful clergymen certainly don't care about a group of refugees, but it doesn't mean that they can allow a country that does not believe in their gods to be born in their territory."
"So anyone who tries to do this has already died... I think you won't do this, right?"
Under the guidance of the guards to the center of the town, Hercules finally saw the owner here again. A middle-aged man in his forties was also waiting for his arrival.
It was obvious that although the great hero was not interested in power and status, until now, the famous businessman still had doubts about him.
"You worry too much. Of course I won't do this. I only come here to get what I need."
After a slight silence, Hercules spoke in a deep voice.
He then stretched out his hand and pulled, accompanied by a loud "bang", the great hero pushed the things on the sled behind him down.
The heavy object fell to the ground, and in an instant, the whole manor shook slightly, and the cloth covering the surface was scattered in all directions.
A wild boar that was several people tall rolled out from it, but the middle-aged man was overjoyed when he saw this scene.
"Ah - it seems that you have lived up to your trust. Hero who came from afar, your bravery really amazes me."
"If you say capture alive, you capture alive. From this point of view, you are much more powerful than those knights who bear the curse."
Taking a few steps forward, the middle-aged man circled the huge wild boar.
There were some signs of injury, but the prey was obviously still alive, which was what made the middle-aged man most satisfied.
What he needed was a living Erymanthus boar, not a dead body.
Only living things can be used as sacrifices to the gods.
Only the gods themselves are qualified to decide its life and death.
"You flatter me. There are so many heroes in the world who can do this. Capturing a wild animal is not a feat worth boasting about."
"But anyway, since I have completed your request, will you keep your promise and give me the reward I deserve?"
Hercules did not take credit for it, but just put forward his request again.
In order to travel overseas, he undoubtedly needs a ship.
But even if he came to the territory of Silver Moon City in person, the great hero still didn't know where to find what he wanted.
Fortunately, at this time, Hercules happened to meet the middle-aged man who had just issued a bounty.
He hoped that someone could help him catch the Erymanthus boar without harming its life.
So after showing some force, the two hit it off and quickly made an agreement.
"Of course, hero from afar, no matter where you come from, since you have found a sacrifice for me to offer to the gods, I will naturally not break my oath."
The middle-aged man nodded affirmatively without hesitation.
"If the gift to God has flaws, it will not reflect my piety."
The middle-aged man led the way and invited Hercules to go into the house with him to talk, and the great hero naturally had no reason to refuse.
Soon, in the core of the manor, the middle-aged businessman spread out a map on the table.
"What is this?"
"This is a sea chart."
With a slightly proud look, the middle-aged man spread out a huge sea chart as tall as a person on the table.
There were many marks of different sizes on it, and there were even many marks that Hercules couldn't understand.
"I remember that you were going to prepare for going out to sea, but since you are sailing, you must have a goal."
"Depending on the goal, I will give you different suggestions - so young hero, where do you want to set the end of your adventure?"
"...I heard that there is a huge whirlpool above the East China Sea?" After a moment of silence, Hercules tried to speak.
However, to his surprise, the face of the middle-aged man in front of him changed suddenly.
It was not fear, but just a little bit of fear, but there was also a little shame in the fear.
It seemed that he was lost in memories. It was not until a long time that the middle-aged man looked at the hero in front of him with a complicated expression.
"Is that so... You are also going to that big whirlpool... So the hero who came from afar, are you also going to pursue the legend of the 'Bronze Creator'?"
"So what if I am, so what
if I am not?" "... Not much, no matter where you are going, let me tell you a story."
Shaking his head slightly, the middle-aged man waved his hand and then told his past memories.
...
About thirty years ago, the middle-aged man had not yet come to the town under the jurisdiction of Silver Moon City.
He was a nobleman from Olympia who believed in the almighty king of gods.
Until one day, the still young noble was summoned by the priest of the church.
In the majestic and solemn temple, he took on a task that would take him to the end in front of the statue.
"You mean, the priest of the God King asked you to steer the big ship to the whirlpool of the East China Sea and pretend to fall into it by accident."
"He told you that you would meet an imprisoned god there, and what you need to do is to repay his kindness with the greatest malice, and then repay his kindness with a curse?"
Hearing this, Hercules was shocked. Hearing this, he couldn't believe what he heard.
Is this true?
Although in his heart, the gods are not so bright, the great hero never thought that the king of the gods would do such a thing.
No, this may not be the intention of the God King himself.
After all, gods and humans are often not the same.
"I don't know who this order came from, the monarch of Olympus, or the priest who wanted to please the gods."
"But in the end, the young me took on this task."
Sitting back in the chair, the middle-aged man took a deep breath.
"At that time, I thought I could do well. After all, a god who was identified as a sinner was not worthy of my sympathy."
"But until I personally experienced the despair of falling into endless darkness, and then the hope of being saved in despair, I was shaken for the first time."
"And this is just the beginning. When I saw the prisoner locked in the sea eye, I felt the mistake I made."
"So... you didn't do what the priest said?"
"... No."
After a long silence, he finally uttered this word.
Although the middle-aged man did not give a reason, Hercules still understood.
Fear of power, fear of priests, fear of power, and the influence of past education.
Obviously, even if the middle-aged man at that time felt regretful, he still did what the priest asked.
He finally returned with honor and was rewarded by the priest-but maybe one day later, he, who was no longer young, finally felt repentant.
He finally gave up all his status in Olympia, abandoned his past belief in the God King, and chose to come to Silver Moon City to start over.
"I figured it out at that time. No matter what I choose, it actually makes no difference."
"Repaying kindness with hatred at the request of the priest is showing the evil of mankind to the Creator."
"And even if I give up doing this and end up being executed by the priest after leaving, it will only show him the despair of the 'good' people."
"No matter what I choose, the result has already been determined, so I backed off at that time."
"But now, I regret it again."
"Maybe it would have been a good choice to muster up the courage to die there at that time."
"..."
Hercules was silent, feeling a little confused.
He completed the trial under the guidance of the god of the west wind, but he heard such a rebellious speech here.
Whether it was true or false, he didn't know.
But Hercules' intuition told him that the man in front of him did not lie to him.
"So the sacrifice you want..."
"I have abandoned my past beliefs. Now, I believe in the goddess of the wilderness."
"I hope to offer this wild boar as a sacrifice to her, hoping that the gods can forgive my sins..."
Putting away the sea chart, the middle-aged man suddenly smiled.
"But I have changed my mind now."
"Powerful hero, you may not know that the Erymanthian boar once escaped from the goddess's arrow."
"Its body may seem huge, but its agility is rare in the world."
"You can subdue it without killing it, which has proved your strength-so I decided to go there with you, back to the place that makes me regret."
"My morality is so despicable, my past is so timid... But I still want to try, try to kill my past self.
"So young hero, will you accept my request?"
"Of course."
Nodding affirmatively, although the doubts about the gods have not dissipated, Hercules still decisively stretched out his hand.
"Anyone has the right to regret, I am atonement for my past."
"So tell me your name, my friend who met by chance."
"Although this journey is destined to be not easy, I am willing to go with a friend like you."
"And if you die in the end, I will also take your name with me... From now on, everyone in this world who knows the existence of Hercules will definitely know the deeds you left behind. "