Chapter 225: Eros, he is PUAing you (4.2k)
A few days later, on the way to Cyprus, Lorne heard news from the Kingdom of Corinth.
Their king and city builder Sisyphus, despite facing death three times, still returned safely from the underworld. He was welcomed by his subjects and was honored as "the most resourceful hero in the world" by the Corinthians who loved tricks and cleverness.
Now, Sisyphus, who has gained enough reputation, is holding a banquet in the palace to celebrate his new life. During this period, he boasted to the participants about how he had come up with a series of ingenious tricks to escape from the strict supervision of the god of sleep, play tricks with the vicious three-headed dog of hell, and cleverly take the golden branch from the garden of the queen of the underworld. Finally, with the help of Charon, the god of the underworld, he returned to the human world...
As a person involved, Loen didn't mind that Sisyphus made him and Thetis invisible in the story and stole all the limelight.
On the contrary, the more the old liar brags and the higher the profile, the more it suits his interests.
After all, with such a windproof wall in front to help resist damage, all the troubles he had caused in the underworld could be easily blamed on Sisyphus.
Even if the old liar fell over and was caught by Hecate or other underworld gods who were wandering on the ground, and thrown back into Tartarus to be punished, Loen would not be afraid.
Because, on the one hand, he and Thetis were fully disguised throughout the whole process, and Sisyphus could not see through their true faces with his level of skill; on the other hand, the two were cautious enough and basically did not leave any indicative identity information. They also liked to knock people out and then have secret talks. Sisyphus was unconscious even longer than he was awake.
Therefore, even if Sisyphus was caught and didn't keep his mouth shut, they could trace the matter back to Adonis, and would naturally assume that they were thugs who came specifically to rescue the Prince of Cyprus.
In this way, the blame naturally shifted to Aphrodite.
The weight of a plant-based deity and an Olympian god, both in size and length, is enough to take the blame.
Perfect!
Loen reviewed every detail of the entire trip to the underworld again. After confirming that there were no fatal omissions, he gathered his thoughts with satisfaction and walked out of the dense forest for rest.
The outline of the Cyprus city-state comes into view ahead, and with the breeze comes the scent of fields and fragrant petals; the bay stretches to the distant mountains and gradually turns into a beautiful arc; the golden sunlight at sunrise is gorgeous and dizzying, and the foam in the Paphos sea is piled up layer by layer.
After experiencing a series of twists and turns in the underworld, seeing this beautiful natural scenery again made Loen feel as if he was in another world.
Well, it's almost here.
Calculating the time, Thetis, Echidna and the others are about the same time, so they need to notify Medusa and the other three to leave the city in advance to pick them up.
Loen thought for a moment, then casually took out a Gorgon emblem, activated the resonance interaction ritual, contacted the three Medusa sisters at Mount Wargod, and explained the situation.
Upon hearing that her mother had come back to life and was about to arrive in Athens, Medusa was overjoyed and felt extremely attached to and grateful to Lorne.
But Stheno and Euryale were not in a good mood, still brooding over the old grudges of being stabbed in the buttocks and being spanked in the buttocks.
- Because a bastard pulled up his pants and ran away, the culprit who drugged the two of them was found out by Hestia, and then the angry goddess of the hearth beat them for several days in a row, which eventually resulted in them being unable to get out of bed for half a month.
"It was Asclepius who prepared the medicine for you, and it was this guy who betrayed you. If you have any problems, go to him. What does it have to do with me?"
Hearing the two female ghosts' unreasonable pursuit of responsibility, Loen immediately frowned and complained for himself.
However, as soon as the words were spoken, the atmosphere on the other side froze instantly. Stheno and Euryale opened their mouths, wanting to say something but stopping. Medusa on the side also pursed her lips tightly, with a tangled expression.
Seeing this reaction, Luo En's mind raced and his expression changed slightly.
"Anything happened to Asclepius?"
Although it is a question, the tone is affirmative.
Facing Lorne's scrutinizing gaze, Medusa, who was not good at lying, was the first to give in. She pursed her cherry lips and responded in a low voice.
"He died while you were away..."
"How did he die? Tell me in detail!" Loen asked.
Although Loen had expected the result based on the reactions of Medusa and the other two, the unexpected change still made him feel heavy-hearted.
As the man on the other side told him everything about the God of Medicine after he left, Loen's expression gradually became uncertain.
The stubborn donkey still did not listen to him and ended the research and use of the elixir of life.
Even though all samples of the elixir were taken away and the blood of Gorgon was severely lacking, he still did not extinguish his passion for medicine. Instead, he changed his mindset and began to experiment with common herbs to find substitutes that could produce the same effects.
It has to be said that this future god of medicine is indeed gifted.
After constant attempts and efforts, although he failed to completely replicate the original [Immortality Elixir], he used ordinary herbs to produce a [Imitation Drug] with slightly inferior effects.
Basically, as long as the injured person still has a breath, drinking a bottle can pull him back from the gates of hell.
Although the efficacy is slightly inferior, this thing can be mass-produced!
What’s even worse is that Asclepius was a restless person and often went out to travel to various city-states to diagnose and treat difficult and complicated diseases.
After this and that, it is inevitable to use the [Immortality Elixir].
When Asclepius successfully rescued the dying Glaucus, the fourth son of King Minos, during a riot, such a taboo thing attracted the attention of the god king Zeus who was passing by.
Later, after a conversation, the great god Zeus became furious at Asclepius's violation of the order of life and death, declaring that this threatened the "immortality" that only gods possessed, so he summoned thunder to kill his grandson.
After listening to Maydosa's narration, Lorne pressed the throbbing veins on his forehead and cursed inwardly.
This idiot! He must be talking nonsense!
What does it mean to threaten the "immortality" that only gods possess? Even the real [Immortality Elixir] couldn't do it, let alone the [Imitation Elixir] that Asclepius had at the time, which was far less effective.
Asclepius probably didn't recognize the identity of the King of Olympus, as he was able to make that old scoundrel Zeus do it himself. He was so excited that he also told others about his idea of developing an advanced version of the [Immortality Potion] through the [Golden Apple].
Hearing about the ambitions of his good grandson, Zeus could no longer sit still and of course immediately sent Asclepius to the west.
I thought that by going to the underworld with great difficulty, I could save this kid's life, but in the end, I couldn't stop him from committing suicide.
This stubborn temper is exactly the same as his father Apollo!
At this point, Lorne rubbed his sore brows, sighed softly, and continued asking.
"And then? Did Artemis, Athena, and Hestia step in to deal with it?"
"Yes, after what happened, they climbed up to the Great Temple on Mount Olympus together, hoping to save at least the soul of Asclepius."
Medusa nodded in response, but her mood became even lower.
"But, the soul of Asclepius disappeared..."
Luo En was slightly stunned when he heard this: "Disappear?"
"You believe Zeus's lies?"
"That's right! It was obviously his ruthless actions that caused Asclepius to lose even his soul! This old guy is so cold-blooded!"
Stheno and Euryale on the opposite side couldn't help but interrupt and speak up for Asclepius, who had a good relationship with them.
Listening to the two people's accusations, Loen gradually frowned.
Whether according to the original mythological trajectory or based on the current situation, it is not in Zeus's interest to let Asclepius be reduced to ashes and create an image of his own cruelty.
First, destroy Asclepius' body in the name of divine justice, and then take advantage of the gods' pleas to upgrade his soul into stars to embellish his divine power in the sky. In this way, the power of a doctor will be controlled in his own hands. This is more in line with Zeus's interests and is also his usual routine.
This is how the legendary "Ophiuchus" came about.
But now Asclepius' soul disappeared out of thin air, neither entering the underworld nor falling into the hands of Zeus.
"Disappear, disappear..."
Luo En chewed the two words in his mouth over and over again, his eyes thoughtful, and a faint light quietly appeared in the depths of his eyes.
"Okay, I understand! Go outside the city first to pick up the Snake Mother and Thetis and take them to the Ares Mountain. Then help me keep an eye on the scene of Asclepius' death. Don't let outsiders get close before I go back."
"Um!"
Although Medusa didn't understand, she still adhered to Lorne's usual attitude of obedience and nodded seriously. Then, at Lorne's signal, she cut off the communication, took her two sisters, and left the city.
As the light and shadow in front of him dissipated, Loen threw the slightly hot Gorgon emblem into the magic circle, looking far away in the direction of Athens with his eyes slightly narrowed.
I hope things turn out as I thought and there will be a turn for the better.
However, the trouble in Athens was already a foregone conclusion, and there was no point in saying more. The most urgent task was to find a way to make up for the losses.
It’s such a hard job, someone has to cover the cost, right?
Loen took out the golden holy grail carrying the soul of Adonis from the magic circle, and cast his flickering eyes towards the Royal City of Cyprus in front of him.
~~
"What? Asclepius is dead?!"
In the palace filled with flowers, the god of love standing beside the bed showed an expression of surprise and regret on his face.
"How unfortunate..."
"Shouldn't you have known this earlier than me?"
Loen bluntly exposed Aphrodite's superficial sympathy and sneered.
"Or, after witnessing the thunderous wrath of His Majesty the God King, do you want to sever your ties with Asclepius and the elixir of immortality?"
"That's not the case!"
Aphrodite shook her head repeatedly to deny it, and explained with embarrassment and helplessness.
"I only recently learned about what happened to Asclepius. I wanted to help him, but the tragedy had already happened, and Zeus destroyed his soul. What can I do as a little woman who can't even decide my own marriage and love?"
As she spoke, the goddess of love seemed to be touched by the sad past, and she looked like she was about to cry. It was hard to blame her, and people just wanted to hold her in their arms and comfort her with soft words.
"Maybe..." Loen responded calmly to the pitiful god of love, unmoved, and then snorted coldly with a gloomy face, "It has come to this. It is an indisputable fact that Asclepius died because of you and Adonis!"
"I understand this. I will compensate you!" Aphrodite made a promise solemnly, looking at the messenger who returned from the underworld with burning eyes, "As long as you can get my Adonis back, I will do anything!"
He has the scent of his lover.
Moreover, the fact that he was able to successfully return from the underworld and bring charges against the criminals here proved that the purpose of this adventure was most likely successful.
But at this moment, Loen looked angry.
"Compensation? What compensation can you give me? Asclepius is not only my beloved relative, but also the chosen one of the gods I summoned for Lady Hestia! Can you afford it?"
"The God of Hearth and the God of Medicine?" Aphrodite was slightly stunned, with a look of surprise on her face.
"Medicine and food have the same origin. I originally planned to use Asclepius's medical talent to expand Lady Hestia's authority. This way, not only can I help my friends, but Lady Hestia may also look at me differently! But because of your matter..."
At this point, Loen's statement came to an abrupt halt, and he turned around in anger.
"Forget it, there's nothing to say! Our deal ends here!"
"don't want!"
Seeing that her lover's only lifeline was about to leave, Aphrodite quickly grabbed Loen's arm with a pleading look on her face.
"I'll pay! I'll pay you back!"
Then, the god of love looked back at Adonis who was lying unconscious with his eyes closed in the flower bed, made up his mind, pointed outside the door, and spoke through gritted teeth.
"I can let you choose one of the three Graces under my command to replace Asclepius and become Hestia's subordinate!"
"Forget it, Asclepius has just died, and I haven't lived long enough."
Lorne shook his head, unmoved, and continued to pretend to leave.
"Three! From now on, the three of them will obey your orders!"
Seeing that the other side seemed determined not to get involved in this mess, Aphrodite, who was at the end of her rope, simply put all her chips on the line.
"With the baptism of the Holy Pool of Paphos and the power of the Three Graces to help you, I guarantee that even if Hestia's heart is made of stone, she will be attracted to you!"
Luo En, who was walking towards the door, finally stopped and turned back with gritted teeth.
"Let's fight. If you can help, then help! The worst that can happen is that you will be punished by His Majesty the Divine King!"
As he said this, Lorne fiercely took out the Holy Grail and unsealed Adonis' soul with a tragic look on his face.
"There's nothing we can do. We are the same kind of people..."
As the transparent and handsome figure of her lover Adonis fell into the body of the flower bed, their souls and bodies merged with each other and life was brewed again. Aphrodite looked at the incomparably tall and majestic figure in front of the door, her heart was completely filled with emotion, and she stammered and repeated again and again the only word she could think of at the moment.
"Thank you, thank you..."
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
