Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

"...Enough, Achilles, do you really think I have no way to deal with you?"

Taking a deep breath and looking at the hero bound on the high platform, Ares finally spoke.

Without waiting for a response, as his voice fell, he took a step forward and then raised his right hand high.

In the next instant, clouds filled the sky above Mount of the Gods, and thunder fire rolled like serpents, carrying the might of annihilation.

Rumors say that throwing a giant rock from Mount of the Gods takes nine days and nine nights to reach the Earth, and from the base to the peak you can see nine cloud layers.

There shouldn't be clouds at the peak of Mount of the Gods, yet under this powerful force, they appeared out of nowhere, enveloping the summit.

In that moment, Achilles, who had been reckless before, seemed to sense some threat and couldn't help but look up at the sky with a serious expression.

Lightning, the authority of The Sky to punish living beings, a great power said to be held only by the Divine King and the Heavenly Empress, was now unexpectedly present here.

Although Achilles always trusted in his undying body, he felt somewhat nervous now.

His teacher had once said that if there was anything in the world that could harm him, it would only be a power related to the Primordial Deities.

And the power of the Divine King was undoubtedly one of them.

"Ha ha ha... Are you finally afraid?!"

Struggling to control the stolen thunder, in this moment, Ares felt the changing gazes of all gods.

However, no matter what, that was a matter for the future.

Just looking at the mortal's expression, he knew this time his fate was inevitable.

"Thunder, aid me!"

With a loud shout, as if dragging down The Sky itself.

After a moment of silence, a purple-red lightning bolt fell from The Sky.

The thunder, filled with the intent of destruction, instantly struck the center of the stone platform, enveloping Achilles in its entirety.

It seemed like just a breath, yet also as if a long time had passed; no one knew how much time elapsed in that moment. Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire

Apart from a few exceptions, almost no one could see exactly what was happening on the platform covered in chains.

They could only feel a cold and constant power that seemed to flicker for an instant, followed by an almost inaudible roar.

"Is he... dead?"

Atop the mountain, Hestia subconsciously asked.

"Of course... he isn't."

After a moment of silence, Hera said expressionlessly.

"Then you..."

"I'm naturally watching."

Speaking faintly, Hera then fell quiet.

Failure, it was true.

Ares wasn't her; even if he could use the stolen thunder through the father-son connection, he couldn't wield the true power of its authority.

But in the brief clash just now, Hera clearly discerned the reality of the Styx River's power.

This power was indeed strong, especially since the connection with the Underworld's origin gave it a quality that was unattainable to most deities.

Yet, this was not the Underworld after all, so there was no need for Zeus to intervene personally; she could handle this mortal herself.

As long as she used the authority of the Heavenly Empress to cut off Mount of the Gods' link to the Underworld, she could whittle away the Styx River's power with "Arrows of Thunder"... however, Hera didn't plan to do so, at least not now.

After all, that fool Ares, for a woman who never regarded him, dared to steal the strength of his Mother Goddess.

"Bitch, after dealing with Athena, you're next!"

She didn't say it out loud, but Hera's eyes already looked dangerous.

Aphrodite... you won't keep gloating forever.

...

"Is he dead?"

Upon a chair adorned with flowers and gemstones, Aphrodite posed the same question.

Yet no one present could answer her.

Time passed minute by minute, and only when the lingering thunder that filled the area finally dispersed, could the gods see the scene within.

There was no ash, no dismembered limbs—only Achilles' mocking smile.

"Divine King...,"

"Is this all?"

"Ha ha ha ha ha..."

His unrestrained laughter echoed across the sky. In that moment, any illusion of the so-called Divine King's power instantly shattered.

Achilles had always believed in Zeus' immense strength, only to find it was nothing special after all.

The thunder said to be capable of destroying the Earth proved utterly ineffective against his undying body!

Crack—

Crack, crack, crack—

With force in his arms, the chains began to strain and nearly snap.

Even though these were chains specially prepared to bind deities, they became fragile under the alternating heat of lightning and the chill of the Styx River.

Watching this scene, Aphrodite, who had contained her anger all day, could no longer hold back.

She stood up fiercely, her angry gaze fixed in Ares' direction.

Indeed, this guy could never do anything right... Fortunately, she had long been aware of that!

"Aph, listen to me, I discussed this with the Mother Goddess—"

"Enough, I don't need her to cleanse the insult I've received!"

Cutting him off harshly, Aphrodite turned away, locking eyes with Hephaestus, who was watching the spectacle from the side.

The God of Craftsmanship felt no embarrassment, responding with a smile instead.

"Hephaestus, I've agreed to your request. Now it is time for you to start what you promised me."

"Of course, no problem. However, to ensure a flawless process, I believe a little assistance might be needed."

Nodding in agreement, Hephaestus tapped the armrest lightly.

The hovering golden seat lifted his diminutive form into the air and landed beside Ares.

"I wonder if you could share a portion of this thunderous power you've... borrowed?"

"I've controlled many flames, but I have yet to use the Divine King's thunder fire."

"You, when did you..."

Taken aback and at a loss, Ares had no idea when Aphrodite and the God of Craftsmanship struck this 'agreement.'

But before he could speak further, the Goddess of Beauty shot him a sideways glance.

"Give it to him, since you're of no use, I must seek help from another."

"I... Alright."

Gritting his teeth, Ares reluctantly nodded in agreement.

"But Aph, you have to tell me what you're planning to do."

"It's simple."

Aphrodite remained silent, but Hephaestus volunteered an explanation.

"You see, you couldn't capture this mortal, but my golden net did."

"So naturally, she thought to let me handle the problem you couldn't solve."

"As for the method... It's not my idea, but her request."

"Aphrodite believes that since the Styx is a river of the Underworld, its power should be countered by that of the heavens."

"If a single day's power is inadequate, then the long-lasting strength of a deity will oppose it."

"So she asked me to take action, borrowing the God of Sun's temple as the venue, using the fire from the divine chariot to temper this mortal's flesh... of course, if we can add thunder fire to the mix, it would be perfect."

"What makes us gods is our authority and eternal life."

"Should one day fail, we try ten days; if ten days are not enough, then a hundred days."

"Unless the power of Styx from the far Underworld can continue to deplete in this manner, one day, this mortal will be refined by me."

"His body will be forged into an object, his soul entrapped within... henceforth for ten thousand years, until the very end of eternity."