Chapter 272 Do you want a wife or not? (6.3k)
"So, it was Hecate who gave you this curse?"
After listening to the story, Athena raised her hand and carefully touched the black divine seal on Loen's chest. She pondered for a moment, and there was a look of enlightenment in her eyes.
"Where's the thing she gave you at first? Take it out!"
Loen was slightly stunned, then realized the target Athena was referring to, and a blue-gray serpentine twelve-sided dice appeared in his palm.
The sacred symbols on its ten faces, representing the ten main gods, were already flashing and lighting up, leaving only Zeus's [Lightning] and Hephaestus's [Flame], which were still dim.
Athena stared at the twelve-sided dice and murmured with a complicated expression.
“It’s actually this…”
"Do you know him?"
When Luo En heard this, he was stunned.
"More than that!" Athena snorted coldly and said faintly, "Strictly speaking, it was me who planted this seed!"
The unexpected answer made Luo En's face even more shocked.
Seeing Lorne's confused expression, Athena took a deep breath and then asked.
"You have met Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld. She should have told you about Zagreus, right?"
Lorne came back to his senses and nodded slightly.
Athena took a deep breath and answered while recalling.
"Zagreus died during the Titan Wars, and was cut up and eaten by a group of giants. When I arrived at the scene, I was powerless. I only managed to rescue his divinity and sealed it in a small box to bring to Zeus. Afterwards, I tricked Zeus into swallowing it, hoping that my father god would sow this [seed] into the mortal world during one of his affairs, allowing it to take root and sprout again (the record of the original myth)."
The box that holds Zagreus's divinity?
When Loen heard the key words, he looked at the twelve-sided dice in his hand.
Athena nodded in the affirmative.
"Yes, this should be it. Although the appearance has changed, I sense a similar aura from it."
That makes sense!
Loen looked at the twelve-sided dice in his hand, and many of his doubts were resolved.
No wonder Hecate specially gave him this twelve-sided dice, because this is the seed that preserves Zagreus' divinity!
It is for this reason that this twelve-sided dice will issue a series of oracles, guiding him to directly or indirectly destroy the order of [Destiny] and enhance the divinity of his own [Chance].
"I sowed this seed, hoping to preserve a possibility of fighting against fate in the world, but I didn't expect Hecate to get it first."
Athena stared at Lorne in front of her, feeling quite emotional.
"I never expected that after all these twists and turns, you would come back to me..."
What a bad fate.
Luo En rubbed his numb temples and asked the questions in his mind.
"By the way, why are you so concerned about Zagreus's affairs? Isn't this wrong?"
When Zagros was murdered, Persephone, his biological mother, did not arrive at the scene, but Athena went there first. Isn't this too much of a coincidence?
A more reasonable explanation is that the goddess of wisdom has been paying attention to Zagreus' growth intentionally or unintentionally.
"Because there is still the first half of Zagreus' story." Athena replied unhappily, and asked calmly, "Do you know how I was born?"
"I know." Lorne nodded. "Back then, Zeus devoured the pregnant Metis. Soon after, Zeus had a splitting headache and had to ask the god of fire Hephaestus to split his head. As a result, you were born from Zeus's head."
"In fact, in addition to this, I also brought something out of the body of the father god. The divinity of my brother who had never been born - the god of opportunity, Poros..." Athena paused and added quietly, "Then, Hecate, who governs the underworld, found me."
When Lorne heard this, he immediately thought of the answer: "Zagreus?"
Athena nodded and sighed helplessly: "In the end, this child was wiped out by fate before he could fully grow up. I feel that it would be too conspicuous to leave it in the heavens, so I hope that it can be born in the mortal world and live peacefully."
So, this time it's Semele, the Theban princess, and Dionysus who was supposed to be born?
After hearing this secret, Loen looked at the twelve-sided dice in his hand, which was messed up by the wind.
Three successors were killed one after another because of this thing. There are too many instant death BUFFs.
Moreover, you and Hecate are both the sources of my birth, and are inextricably linked to my growth. How should this be accounted for?
In the abstract sense, a biological sister plus a half-sister is like a mother? And in the traditional sense, a vicious stepmother who comes to steal the show?
After briefly sorting out his complicated emotions, Loen continued to ask, "What is the purpose of collecting the twelve portions of divinity?"
Athena thought about it and gave her own opinion: "The twelve main gods of Olympus represent the order of destiny. The encroachment of these divinities may indicate that it is taking over the original destiny and providing nutrients for the growth of the [accidental divinity] among them?"
"Yeah, that makes sense." Lorne nodded, and then asked again, "Is there any way I can control this thing in my own hands?"
"Let me try..." Athena picked up the twelve-sided dice and tried to use her magic to break the restrictions on it.
However, after a flash of light, Loen suddenly felt his heart contract, a strong feeling of suffocation came from his chest, his soul let out a wail, and his consciousness was gradually swallowed up by darkness.
The discomfort was rapidly increasing, so Luo En raised his hand and shouted: "Stop!"
Athena quickly put down the twelve-sided dice in her hand and helped Lorne, whose forehead was covered with cold sweat, to his seat. A gloomy look gathered on her face. "It seems that this thing has merged with you. There is no way to remove it by force."
Luo En nodded, with a vague guess in his mind.
He is a variable outside of destiny and is not accepted by this world. However, it is precisely because the twelve-sided dice containing [possibility] resides in him that his existence is maintained.
If I forcibly peel it off, I'm afraid I'll be doomed.
"Forced cutting won't work. We can only try another method." Athena thought for a moment and gave an answer, "If you can become the main god and your soul reaches the level of [Immortality], perhaps you will not be restricted by this thing. On the contrary, you can even control this divinity in your own hands."
"Hecate won't give me this opportunity." Loen shook his head, feeling quite helpless. "As long as I complete the collection of the twelve divine powers, steal part of Olympus' destiny, and become the main god, Hecate will definitely take action against me."
"How about avoiding this route?"
"I have tried it. The God of Medicine's immortal medicine is just a concept. I don't know how long it will take to complete it. And according to the current speed of collecting divinity, I am afraid it will not take too long for it to mature."
Loen sighed, feeling depressed about his current situation which was not optimistic.
Although he tried his best to avoid the divine collection work, whether it was the inevitable destiny or the accidental possibility, it was pushing him forward intentionally or unintentionally.
Just like this time when I met Hera, it was simply an outrageous mother opening the door for outrageous things, it was outrageous to the extreme.
Therefore, he suspected that even if he tried to avoid them, he would eventually come into contact with Zeus and Hephaestus because of something.
As strategies were eliminated one by one, Athena narrowed her eyes and a hint of chill appeared on her face.
"Then why don't we just find a way to get rid of that woman?"
If you can't solve the problem, then get rid of the person who caused the problem. This is also a method.
When Loen saw Athena's malicious expression, a hint of tenderness appeared in his eyes, but he asked bluntly.
"Can you beat her?"
“I haven’t tried it, so it’s hard to say.”
"What about the gods of sleep and death?"
“It’s very difficult…”
"Where are the Fates and Zeus?"
“…”
Athena heard the hidden meaning and turned to look at Ron in surprise.
"You mean, if I touch Hecate, they might all take action?"
"That's about right."
Lorne shrugged and further told Athena what he and Pluto had learned in the [True Dream].
"I think I understand. She is the key to completing the unification of the gods and is responsible for keeping those dangerous old gods asleep. So once she gets into trouble, the three goddesses of fate and Zeus will probably intervene."
"Yes, that's it."
"Then is there any way to take away her trump card so that we can control the [Real Dream]?"
"It's a good idea. Pluto and I have tried it, but we can't find the core of that dream world at all."
"You and Pluto?"
Athena frowned slightly, then her eyes flashed and she spoke seriously.
"Tell me again about your experience of entering the dream world. Don't leave anything out."
Seeing that Athena seemed to have thought of something, Loen told her everything that had happened.
After hearing this, Athena held her chin with one hand and muttered to herself.
"That shouldn't be the case. With your strength, it's understandable that you couldn't find anything after only going there once. But as the Lord of the Underworld, Hades went there so many times and still couldn't find any clues about the core from the dream world. Don't you think this is a bit too bizarre?"
"Yeah, it's a bit strange."
After Athena's reminder, Loen also thought of another doubt and murmured in a deep voice.
"Besides, the infiltration seemed to be too easy. Hecate didn't seem to be worried at all that someone would break into the dream world and find out her hidden cards."
"Is it possible that the trump card isn't there at all?"
"It's okay if he's not here once, but is he not here every time?"
"Could it possibly run away?"
run?
In a trance, when the two heard this word, an idea suddenly came to their minds. They looked at each other and said the answer in unison.
"Hecate!"
That’s right, the core that controls the [Real Dream] is not in the Elysian Garden, nor in the [Real Dream], but in Hecate.
To be precise, it might be herself!
When the answer came out, Lorne suddenly understood.
"Possibility! The continuation of the dream is a possibility! Only Hecate herself as the core can support such a huge and orderly [Real Dream]!"
"【Night】 is the mother of dreams, and 【Road】 will guide the direction of dreams and let the sleepers know when to wake up!"
Athena, who also solved the puzzle, chanted out the relevant records.
As the familiar feeling of exhilaration surged through their bodies, the two smiled at each other, as if they had returned together to the stall in Knossos in the past.
It was a chance encounter involving guessing riddles, and also the beginning of their relationship.
After that, it was about supporting each other and doing everything they could together for the survival of Crete.
But after the two arrived in Athens, the external pressure they needed to face together disappeared, and because they each had their own ideas, their originally close relationship gradually became distant as time passed.
Today, mutual honesty has broken down the accumulated barriers and allowed them to regain the feeling of cooperation they once had.
With the biggest mystery solved, Lorne continued to ask questions.
"Now that we have the answer, what should we do next?"
"Since we can't kill her, we can only capture her."
"Capture alive? It seems to be more difficult..."
"Or, use your strengths and charm to make her fall in love with you?"
Athena suggested with a smile, a teasing look on her face.
Luo En was familiar with the character of this old lady. Seeing her smiling so brightly, he would not be easily fooled, so he immediately refused her sternly.
"No thanks, I'll pick one!"
Seeing that Lorne didn't take the bait, Athena shook her head regretfully and gave her own hint.
"Alright, if you want to catch that woman, you probably need two things."
"[Bait] and [Hook]?"
Lorne answered knowingly, then frowned.
"I understand the bait. There are two of them. I and Melinoe can both be used. But what about the hook? It's not easy to trap that woman."
"Have you forgotten? I have the power of the [Labyrinth], plus the 88 Star Palaces I built with my own hands are spread all over the War God Mountain. As long as the sanctuary is closed, this place will be like a closed cage. It is not impossible to trap her."
“It’s not that easy.”
Loen picked up the twelve-sided dice that he had not been able to open and snorted softly.
"That woman is very smart. Not to mention that her sorcery skills are not inferior to yours, she is also a deity with the attribute of "Road". Your "Labyrinth" may not be able to contain her. When she first arrived in Athens, she sneaked into the Ares Mountain to look for me."
Hearing that the other party was so difficult, Athena also had a headache.
But soon, she had a new idea, pointed at Mount Olympus among the stars, and spoke with a smile.
"If the [fish hook] can't lock, how about adding a few [dig nets]?"
"You mean?"
"Hephaestus! We still have a lot of materials left from the Temple of Poseidon. Let him help us build some sturdy nets!"
“Good idea!”
Luo En's eyes lit up when he heard this, and the haze in his heart gradually faded away.
The craftsmanship of the god of craftsmen is impeccable. Even Hera was trapped by him. If he could do it well, Hecate might not be able to avoid being overthrown by them.
However, in this way, he would have to come into contact with the God of Craftsmanship, which would likely accelerate the maturation of the [seed].
Forget it, instead of waiting to die, it’s better to give it a try!
Luo En made up his mind, a fierce look flashed in his eyes, and he spoke in a deep voice.
"Let's go find Hephaestus now!"
However, Athena shook her head, looking helpless.
"I'm afraid not. I've been targeted. I don't dare to go back to Olympus easily recently, for fear that my father God will ask something."
"Zeus?"
Loen was shocked and immediately realized that this was the disaster caused by the rapid development of Ares Mountain, especially since he kept attracting batches of gods to the mountain, which deepened Zeus' suspicion.
At this moment, Athena has been under pressure for so long and is almost unable to withstand the trouble.
Thinking of the sinking Crete in his memory, Loen couldn't help feeling a little worried.
"Isn't it too risky to help me deal with Hecate at this time? What if Zeus pursues the matter..."
"But not really. I'm not the only one giving my father a headache right now."
Sensing the long-lost concern, Athena smiled faintly and waved her hand, her eyes sparkling with gloating.
"Aphrodite has disappeared recently. I don't know where she went to be happy. Ares and Hephaestus have been fighting over this all day long.
Apollo seemed to like visiting the Oceanus Sea very much, and he often went out with Poseidon in pairs;
In addition, thanks to you, the Queen Hera seems to be really interested in you. As soon as she returned to Olympus, she started to contact Poseidon and Apollo..."
Hearing about the recent series of events in Olympus, Loen didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
My goodness, all the mines I buried before seem to be showing signs of exploding.
No wonder Zeus saw Athena's restlessness but did not intervene. It turned out that the situation had become a mess.
If so, does that mean...
Athena seemed to see through Lorne's wandering thoughts and punctured his fantasy with one word.
"Don't be happy too soon. No matter how much they struggle, they will only cause more trouble. My father god has three hundred-armed giants under his command, and the three goddesses of fate behind him. How can they be so easy to deal with?"
"That's right, those who are capable will go first."
Lorne shrugged and raised his hands to his chest as if praying.
It goes without saying that these people who are preparing to rebel cannot even be hidden from Athena, let alone Zeus, and are most likely future cannon fodder.
Rather than expecting them to defeat Zeus, it would be more reliable to hope that I and Athena can work together to turn the tables.
After briefly reviewing the current problems and the corresponding solutions, Athena gave follow-up suggestions.
"I can't help you now, but you can go to the Oceanus Sea to find Thetis. As long as she comes forward, Hephaestus will definitely be willing to help."
Hearing this, Loen couldn't help but feel ashamed.
Well, it seems like every time I look for that sea goddess, nothing good ever happens.
Just as Loen was thinking about what excuse he could use to ease the awkwardness when they met again, he felt a violent tremor somewhere in his chest, accompanied by an intense burning sensation.
He quickly opened his coat and looked at the buzzing bronze elephant emblem of Gorgon in his arms, his face changed slightly.
"Something's happened to Thetis! She's asking me for help!"
Having said that, Loen didn't bother to explain further and immediately jumped out of the great temple, turning into a golden-red stream of light, cutting through the dark night outside the window and falling straight into the Sea of Oceanus shrouded in mist.
Looking at the figure disappearing into the sky, Athena, who was standing in front of the door and staring, felt a sudden shock in her heart for no reason, as if she had a premonition that something bad was about to happen.
He was just going out for a trip, just like usual. This guy was as slippery as a catfish, always taking advantage and never suffering any loss. How could anything happen to him?
Well, I must have overthought it.
Athena comforted herself, but her ten fingers unconsciously crushed a piece of parchment into pieces.
~~
At the same time, a white seagull flew quickly across the sea, as if avoiding some ferocious beast.
Behind it, a young man with long green hair, wearing armor, with a bow and arrow on his waist and a cross javelin in his hand, was riding a majestic black Pegasus and chasing the seagull relentlessly.
This is the revelation of destiny and the perfect match given to him by his father Zeus.
Once he completes this task and captures the goddess, he will be promoted to an immortal god in the future and enjoy the divine favor forever on Mount Olympus.
Seeing the graceful figure gradually getting farther away, the young hero with long green hair took off his longbow, placed a golden arrow engraved with complex spells on the longbow, aimed at the seagull in front of him and slowly pulled the bowstring.
“Whoosh!”
The sharp arrow broke through the air, and the white seagull, which was flapping its wings and flying quickly, had no time to dodge, and its right wing was immediately pierced.
"puff!"
Blood splattered, the seagull's body trembled, and it fell into the sea with a wail, turning into an elegant goddess with long golden hair and wearing a white gauze dress.
——It was none other than Thetis, the ocean nymph famous for her wisdom.
As soon as she fell into the water, she endured the pain and opened her mouth to hum a high-frequency sound.
After a while, a white dolphin heard the news and came, picked her up neatly, and swam quickly to the deep sea with her.
Sensing that the pursuers behind her were gradually getting farther away, Thetis gritted her teeth and struggled to pull out the arrow that had penetrated her right shoulder. She then simply used healing magic to treat the wound, then put her arm around the dolphin's neck with one hand, looked at the dead silent sea, and felt a wave of desolation in her heart.
No matter how careful you are and how often you give in, disaster is bound to happen.
Zeus wanted to marry her to Peleus, the son of Aeacus, and generously gave the young hero Pegasus, a magic bow, a spear, and armor, and instigated him to come to the Sea of Oceanus to harass her.
Thetis clearly refused, but the father god promised nonchalantly that if Peleus succeeded, he would personally arrange a grand wedding, betroth her to Peleus, and grant her the title of god.
Faced with such temptation, the young hero pursued her relentlessly.
Unwilling to surrender, Thetis fled all the way to the deep sea of Oceanus and sought help from her father Nereus, her sister the Queen of the Sea, and her brother-in-law Poseidon.
As a result, no one at sea dared to respond or come forward to stop it.
When the clever Thetis saw the three hundred-armed giants who had been lurking in the primordial ocean wandering off the coast of Oceanus for the first time, she immediately understood the cause and effect.
Apparently, the father god discovered that the sea gods were showing signs of being dishonest, so he used her as an example to scare them, or to force them to submit.
After all, she is the think tank of the sea gods, the daughter of Nereus, and the sister of the Queen of the Sea. She has enough weight and reputation.
But the sad thing is that no matter whether it was her weak father or her thoughtful sister and brother-in-law, even though they saw that she was forced into a desperate situation, no one dared to lend a helping hand and anger Zeus.
And she was destined to be a victim of this game of the strong.
Feeling the divine blood in her body constantly draining away, Thetis looked down at the wound on her shoulder that had not healed for a long time, and her heart sank.
That arrow has extraordinary power, and I will probably be unable to withstand it soon.
The dizziness in her head became stronger and stronger, and the sound behind her was getting closer and closer. Thetis clutched the piece of warm metal in her hand and could no longer hold on. She slipped off the dolphin and floated on the vast sea.
At this moment, Peleus, who had been chasing all the way, saw that the beautiful beauty was no longer able to break free. He couldn't help but show joy on his face, and rode his Pegasus to swoop down towards his target.
"Bang!"
However, as soon as the galloping Pegasus flapped its wings, the horse's head instantly exploded into a ball of flesh, the golden-red light that penetrated the sky fell into the sea, and a pair of arms picked up the unconscious Thetis in the large steaming mist.
(End of this chapter)
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