Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The territory of Poseidon was the last bastion of Olympus.
Once sitting high on their thrones with powers that engulfed the entire Mediterranean region, the ancient Greek gods, who ruled generations of dynasties and thousands of city-states, finally ushered in their doomsday. They used to be proud and confident, looking down on the weak and short-lived empire of humankind. They ridiculed the brief life expectancy of the indigenous beings who could only live about forty years. The Olympian beings, with their inherent strength, felt entitled to be called gods. They believed that their rule would last forever. But today, these gods finally realized one thing: they were far from being eternal. They were only a little stronger than humans, and their dynasty could only last a few thousand years longer than that of the mortal world.
Their experience of living high up on the clouds and receiving worship from the mortals was only a flash in the pan.
The sacred army of demon hunters assembled around the temple of Poseidon. With powerful war magic, they bombarded the energy shield over the temple. Scorching flames spread across the rock formation, slowly but steadily melting the alloy protective shell at the base of the temple. The demon hunters had organized an attack about three hours ago but had been unsuccessful. But both warring sides knew that the ultimate outcome of the war spelled doom.
Supported by the powers of the Olympian gods and the remaining energy of the entire sacred mountain, the great shield was indeed strong. It could be considered the most durable shield they had ever created since they descended onto this world. But in the absence of continuous energy supply and downtime, the powerful shield was unsustainable. The Olympian gods looked at the flashes and silver spots raining down on the shield; they knew that the end was near, and they were only delaying the inevitable.
The demon hunters were also aware of that reality. They knew that victory belonged to them. Their prey, who resisted and hid in the temple, had no way of escaping the eventuality. So they did not force their way in but employ attrition warfare to wear down the temple’s protective barrier as well as the will of their enemy. Their prey in the temple would eventually break down and come out of their hiding hole.
Such a situation had happened before.
Above the temple of Poseidon, a half-moon dome acted as the final command center for the Olympian gods. The gods and demigods who were still alive had all gathered there. As a result, the gorgeous ballroom with elaborate decorations seemed a little crowded. Nonetheless, there were no discussions among those gods and demigods. Instead, there was only silence, and no one seemed to want to talk.
There was an empty space in the center of the half-moon hall. Those who were qualified to sit there were four-meter-tall pureblood deities. Their statuesque figures were once a symbol of the strength of Mount Olympus as well as a source of faith and hope for the race and their servants. But now, they all lowered their heads in a dejected manner and were no different from anxious mortals.
Sitting among them was a large golden bed, on which lay a middle-aged figure. His hair and beard were white and long, while his eyes flashed with lightning. His face was still fearsome although he was dying.
His heart had been punctured through and through, leaving a fist-sized wound. Light golden thunder and silvery-white flames danced in the wound as they fought for control over the injury. His heart had been completely destroyed, but the magic kept him alive. Blood rushing out of his broken veins squirmed like a living thing and flowed into similarly broken veins on the other side. Zeus had been relying on this magic to keep himself alive for several days.
Yes, he was Zeus, the king of the gods of Mount Olympus.
“Let me… Let me take a look at the situation outside,” he said in a low voice.
Next to the bed, another figure, whose hair was curly like the ocean waves, nodded. He picked up his trident and waved at the dome three times so that the dome constructed of rocks became transparent like a sea of water.
Two-thirds of the people in the hall looked up in unison, staring at the scene on the other side of the clear seawater. But the other third seemed to be in total despair and cared not about what was happening.
Everyone saw the great shield above the temple of Poseidon through the clear seawater. The shield, which was full of magic energy, was still intact, but it was now 60% dimmer than before. Silvery-white flashes rained down like a meteor shower and produced ripples on the energy shield. The demon hunters had launched an endless attack on the shield.
“Do we still have reinforcements?” Zeus looked at his brother and whispered.
“No more, my brother.” Poseidon’s face was expressionless. The cold god of the sea always had the same expression even before death. “The death of Hades has been confirmed. Hermes’ body dropped from the clouds not long ago, and the sacred army has blocked all entrances and exits. We are now on our own.”
Zeus nodded. He did not look dejected or angry after he heard the news. The god of thunder had apparently accepted reality. He turned his eyes in search of someone in the ballroom.
He found the person he was looking for.
The person looked utterly out of place and seemed indifferent to the current hopeless situation. She was wearing a plain muslin dress, and not a single piece of jewelry was on her. Her wretched appearance alone was enough for her to stick out like a sore thumb among the deities and demigods with golden armor.”
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Among the Olympian gods, who were anxiously awaiting the inevitable, the woman was alone with her head lowered, occasionally muttering to herself. She acted so differently from the others, as though there was a shield surrounding her. She remained in her little world, isolated from everyone else.
Zeus turned to Poseidon. “How is she doing?”
“Miss Ancestor is starting to feel confused again,” Poseidon replied. “She swings between sobriety and stupor. She has gotten worse after helping us ward off the attack on the outside. I am worried; with her condition, it seems like she is on the verge of losing control. We all know what she will become. Once she loses her mind in the temple, I am afraid that the consequences will be much worse than the sacred army’s destruction.”
“She is here to help,” Zeus said slowly. “And she has indeed helped us a lot. But even with her strength, it is impossible to save this situation.”
“Artemis and Demeter have discussed and come to a decision: when Miss Ancestor wakes up again, we will ask her to bring a group of Olympian descendants out of here. We have found a relatively easy way out. As long as Miss Ancestor can to use her power to shroud the descendants, they will be able to evade the eyes of the demon hunters. That way, we will be able to leave behind a few tinders.”
“Have you come up with the list?”
“Here you go.” Poseidon handed over the list to Zeus. “They are all descendants of the genetically-degraded generation. Their scent is weaker, and their appearance is similar to humans. After the fall of Olympus, these descendants can blend in with the human kingdoms.”
“We have already come to this point.” Zeus merely took a gander at the list before he shoved it back to Poseidon. “You decide. As long as there is tinder preserved, it does not matter who. We cannot allow the Olympian bloodline to disappear… Cough cough!”
Zeus coughed a few times, and those in the hall appeared worried. The king of the gods waved them off to dismiss their concern. He then lowered his voice and said, “Has Hercules set off?”
Only Poseidon could hear Zeus. It was a secret.
“He has,” Poseidon replied, also in a low voice, “with the treasure.”
“Good.” Zeus breathed a sigh of relief, and his muscles seemingly relaxed. Zeus looked up at the seawater, which had transformed back into a rocky dome. He sounded like he was sleeptalking. “Eternal dynasty, eternal dynasty…”
*Boom!*
*Boom! Boom!*
Suddenly, massive explosions were heard coming from outside the temple. It did not occur once but in a series. The blasts seemed to be mid-air and scattered across a wide area. Following the explosions, the temple began to shake violently, as the shockwaves had impacted its outer walls.
Poseidon got to his feet and shouted, “What’s happening?”
The hall turned from silence into chaos. “What’s happening? Is our shield broken?”
“The demon hunters are coming in!”
“It’s over! They have breached our defenses!”
“Pick up your weapons and fight!”
“Be quiet!” Poseidon shouted with the might of his spiritual strength, and his voice echoed in the entire hall. His reprimand silenced as well as calmed the deities and demigods. “Perhaps the palace wall is about to collapse, but that will not frighten the Olympians. You two, take some men to check on the situation outside!”
Meanwhile, on a platform outside the temple of Poseidon, the smoke and dust had yet to disperse.
In the area covered with smoke and dust, not a single carbon-based living thing survived.