Chapter 04
As the Pegasus chariot slowly descended, it finally came to a smooth stop in front of a palace suspended beneath Mount Olympus.
The dome is inlaid with millions of Alexandrite stones, each of which shines with colorful light under the sun, like a galaxy fallen to earth.
The steps were cast in gold, and on both sides stood black-armored guards holding star-flame halberds. Light gold runes flowed between the lines on their necks, flickering with their breath.
This is both a curse and a blessing from the gods.
The loyal will enjoy long life and good fortune, while the disloyal will suffer from ten kinds of illnesses and pain.
"I'll take you this far; you'll have to make your own way up."
Hermes escorted her to the mountain gate, and Li Jia nodded obediently to express her gratitude. Perhaps out of pity, or perhaps because she was among the twelve Olympian gods, he already knew something.
He looked at her and whispered, "Don't choose red."
Before Li Jia could react, Hermes drove away in his winged chariot.
Li Jia entered the mountain gate and realized that she was the last person on the list of selected people.
“Li Jia Wan Si”.
"The tenth candidate."
As is customary, the guard at the gate took the nameplate from Hermes and loudly announced her arrival.
The group that had been talking suddenly fell silent for a moment, and everyone’s eyes turned to the entrance. A champagne-colored, moonlight-like skirt came into view first, and silver high heels stepped on stardust with each step. The silver chains on her ankles jingled softly with each step, like a duet of silver bells and starlight.
She's so beautiful you can't take your eyes off her.
Li Jia walked into the line with composure, noticing a look of amazement in the eyes of several older people.
A red-haired woman in the group covered her mouth and chuckled: "The Vance family's daughter is truly more beautiful than she's been heard of. But what good is being beautiful? The people gathered here are all useless people abandoned by their families."
"It is my honor to be able to worship the gods."
Li Jia prayed fervently, ignoring her blatantly provocative words.
"Ignorant fool."
The red-haired woman felt powerless, as if she had punched cotton. Her anger was cleverly returned by Li Jia, leaving her unable to vent her frustration. She could only kick the pebbles at her feet viciously to release her displeasure.
Everyone knows that those sent here are people despised by their families.
It has no value whatsoever.
It's of no use.
I can only be the lowest of slaves.
"Quiet!"
An elderly man with white hair came down the steps. He clapped his hands, and two maids carrying dishes came down beside him. Both of them wore veils, so their faces could not be seen. The only thing that was noticeable was their hair color.
Dazzling blonde hair and ocean-blue hair.
The old man cleared his throat and said, "Now that everyone is here, those of you standing here were all sent by your respective families. The God Realm has no need for disloyal people."
"This year's banquet is different from the past. There is no need to attend the banquet to make a selection. These five gods are known for being afraid of trouble. This year, there is only one selection category: to pass through the forbidden area of the sacred mountain alone."
“Each of you will swallow a crystal of oath. Only those who are absolutely submissive may set foot on the sacred mountain. The scenery within the sacred mountain was created by the God and is the thing you fear most in your hearts.”
He paused after speaking.
“The selection of servants and the selection of the Lord are inherently interdependent.”
Leaving behind this ambiguous statement, the old man turned and left.
According to the rules, the ten candidates stood in a row. Standing next to Li Jia was a girl who was much shorter than her, with chestnut-colored seaweed-like long hair and a pair of large amber eyes, making her look like a finely sculpted porcelain doll.
"What's your name? My name is Lina."
The doll spoke in a friendly manner. Realizing that she was talking to her, and seeing that the question was not malicious, Li Jia felt much more relaxed and replied with a smile, "Li Jia Vance, just call me Li Jia."
"Okay, Li Jia, did you also come to the sacred mountain to serve the god like me?"
Lina heard Li Jia's answer earlier and asked quietly.
Li Jia noticed the word "also".
Her eyelashes trembled slightly as she subtly concealed her emotions.
Did she also come with a "purpose"?
While on the Pegasus, Li Jia had already considered that although her chances were only one in ten, she thought that no one would willingly become a slave and be trampled on. Her chances of being selected had greatly increased.
"Which deity would you most like to serve?"
"Or perhaps, which deity do you admire?"
Instead of answering Lina's question, Li Jia posed a question to her, a smile playing on her lips, but her eyes were secretly pondering something.
"Artemis".
"I want to stay by the side of the goddess of the hunt for a long time."
Lina understood the meaning behind her words, her ears flushed red, and her voice was soft and full of sincerity.
fine.
He wasn't the person she wanted to seduce.
Li Jia lowered her guard and returned to normal, saying calmly, "Lina, you will get what you want."
The two maids walked up to them and slowly lifted the tray. On the tray were five pebbles of different colors, about the size of broad beans, with four of each color.
"The colors of the oath ice crystals correspond to different deities."
"Athena is wood-colored, Apollo is gold, Demeter is green, Artemis is blue, and Hera is red."
"You can choose the same god, but the god will not choose you; the choice is yours."
The blue-haired maid's voice was soft and beautiful, like the gentlest spring breeze, clear and clean, as gentle as flowing water.
"Alright, we can begin the selection. Those who are not loyal and willing will not be able to cross the sacred mountain's barrier."
The blonde maid then spoke, and unlike the blue-haired maid's gentle tone, her voice was deep and magnetic, possessing an innate ability to command submission, spreading seduction and a sense of control throughout the body.
"Master, the target has appeared!"
An AI electronic voice rang in Li Jia's mind. Li Jia paused for a few seconds: "Won't they hear you talking to me now?"
The system burst into tears again. This was the best master it had ever had among all the players it had guided. It cared about the system, and it felt wonderful ovo.
"No, Master, only you can hear my voice. You don't need to speak; I can sense what you want to express."
That's good. I don't want to be treated like a monster and roasted on a pedestal.
"…………"
Humble System: My sincerity was misplaced. >∧<
You just said that a target has appeared.
Where is she now?
"Master, please wait a moment. The target of your attack has appeared. We are now merging with the original story."
A flood of information rushed into her mind: her golden hair cascaded down like molten gold silk, reflecting the sunlight with a shimmering, interwoven gold foil sheen; her most captivating feature was her pair of red eyes, deep within which burned a dark red flame, like solidified magma, or like a ruby soaked in blood.
blonde hair and red eyes.
This is useful information that Li Jia obtained.
"It's your turn."
Suddenly, a slender figure appeared within reach, enveloping the girl completely, leaving Li Jia frozen in place.
The immense pressure brought Li Jia to the brink of suffocation.
When did she appear?
The heat emanating from the newcomer lingered around her nose, and she almost cried out, barely suppressing her fear.
No, she can't just collapse like this.
She hasn't chosen her own ending yet.
She was unwilling to accept it.
She cannot die.
Li Jia quickly gathered her thoughts and got into the zone; there was no time for her fears to catch their breath.
She smiled, raised her head, looked directly into those red eyes, swallowed hard, opened her mouth but no words came out.
"now you."
The heat wave burned my nose again.
This time, Li Jia's gaze fell upon the golden-haired maid's vessel. The unchosen red pebble, like her, sat alone in the far right corner.
The pebbles looked as if they were formed from congealed blood, with winding, fine cracks on their surface, as if they might seep out scarlet liquid at any moment, staining your hands dirty.
The colors of the other four are much warmer and more peaceful.
Li Jia lowered her eyes to hide the thoughts in them. Hermes' warning, the strategy system's hints, and various clues intertwined into a tight spider web.
She is not stupid.
Without hesitation, Li Jia picked up the red pebble with her fingertips, as if she were holding an ambitious, beating heart.
Seeing that Li Jia had chosen the red pebble, the red-haired woman curled her lips into a mocking smile: "You ignorant fool, how could you possibly withstand Hera's wrath? Vance family, your ignorance is truly astonishing."
Of the ten people, only Li Jia chose the red pebble.
Li Jia's heart finally settled down, and she was also relieved that this goddess's infamy was so widespread that no one dared to taint her.
Great, no one will compete with her.
The first small step in completing the mission has been successfully taken.
"To be chosen by the Gods would be an honor I could never hope to attain in my lifetime."
Li Jia gazed intently at the veiled woman before him and spoke earnestly, word by word.
She needs to learn to show loyalty.
Cast a long line to catch a big fish.
"interesting."
The blonde maid took in her every move, then bent down and slowly touched her cheek with her wet, warm fingers, stroking her lips, chin, neck, and down to her collarbone.
At the end of her left hand was a pinky ring, made of silver platinum, with rose vines entwined around the band, and a pigeon-blood red gemstone resting on the tip of the vines. The ring's intimate curves brushed against her skin.
Her calloused fingertips, like snake scales, sent chills down her spine.
Li Jia's mind was in complete turmoil. What tricks was this aloof and unapproachable god playing?
I can't figure it out.
Her body trembled uncontrollably; the fear of the unknown made it impossible for her to maintain her composure.
By the time she came to her senses, the blonde maid had already moved in front of Lina.
Lina smiled and picked up the blue pebble, her amber eyes reflecting an expectant light: "I hope the goddess of the hunt will appreciate my devotion."
Once the last candidate's choice was made, the candidates swallowed the stones according to the rules.
Instantly, a bone-chilling cold spread throughout her body, and Li Jia felt as if a fire had ignited in her chest.
At the same time, a five-colored halo appeared at the entrance to the sacred mountain behind the palace, and a staircase woven from thorns and starlight emerged.
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