Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality-Chapter 656 - 225 Gap

Chapter 656: Chapter 225 Gap

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“It’s finally over, although only temporarily.”

As Andrea stepped out of the venue with the crowd and returned to the Royal City of Athens, Laine severed his connection with her.

“I just don’t know how things turned out on that side… From the beginning, it seems quite a bit of time has passed.”

The journey was short-lived, the process exciting for others, but now it was time to conclude.

Andrea still had to be a princess, while Laine would travel the world. So although the contact wouldn’t be entirely severed, in the coming years, they indeed wouldn’t have many opportunities to meet frequently.

As for when the next meeting would be… Laine divined the future. The result was as he expected, no clear sign; he only saw a scene in destiny.

It was the silhouette of a blood-stained sword, and before her, there seemed to be many people with various expressions.

Some were excited, some reverent, some fearful, some resentful… all these emotions converged like a painting of the floating world.

“So next time we meet, would it be around the time Andrea draws her sword to kill someone?”

“But she’s supposed to be a Godhood Practitioner, right? Are Godhood Practitioners using swords to kill people these days…”

A slight confusion flashed through his mind, and once again Laine felt that prophecy was quite unreliable, especially when the subject of the prophecy was connected to himself.

One could either be trapped precisely in destiny with an accurate prophecy, or receive some ambiguous hints. In this regard, prophecy always struggled to achieve a balance.

“And Athena… hadn’t she read the ‘script’? For some reason, there’s always a feeling that her initiative seems somewhat low in this matter…”

As thoughts swirled, Laine recalled the images before the disconnection, where Artemis warned Theseus.

He wasn’t surprised by the other’s choices, after all, Chaos’s human hero being humble and cautious would be strange to him. Just that Athena, in this matter, gave him the feeling… as if it was the kind of ‘I know you might get into trouble, so I’ll just remind you. I also know you probably won’t listen, so I’ll just go through the motions.’

But no matter how one looked, the ‘procedure’ seemed a bit inexplicable.

“What about over there, Mr. Aiven, what do you mean by what you just said?”

A voice suddenly interrupted Laine’s thoughts.

Following the flow of people, Iapetus, disguised as Count Ilos, was leaving alongside Laine. However, he seemed somewhat tense, occasionally surveying his surroundings.

“Nothing, I wasn’t talking about the one you were hiding from… you saw earlier she wasn’t there anymore.”

Shaking his head slightly, Laine stopped pondering the issue of prophecy: “I was talking about a distant place, a place far more remote than your comprehension of the most distant.”

“Someone very close to me is there, and I’m just a bit worried whether what he’s doing is proceeding smoothly, or if he’ll succeed. It’s so far away, a bit beyond reach.”

“All right, although I don’t know what you’re referring to, I wish you the fulfillment of your desires.”

Realizing it wasn’t something he was concerned about, Iapetus breathed a slight sigh of relief.

At this moment, the gathering finally concluded; the audience who remained on-site didn’t see their champion return, but heard that Andrea would be summoned by the Goddess and thus didn’t return here.

The Golden Apple incident also spread among the crowd, even though the stories circulating among mortals only described the scenario of Andrea delivering the Golden Apple without delving into more of the secrets of divine conflicts, it still sparked lively discussion among the people.

The champion of the tournament choosing the most beautiful Goddess was undoubtedly a story that people of this era found worth relishing.

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However, while laymen enjoyed the spectacle, insiders discerned the deeper meaning. Listening to this story, Iapetus already sensed the impending storm.

In the story, it was merely a simple choice, but in reality, who knew what happened. Now, he only wanted to first inquire about the specifics of the Ocean God’s wedding banquet, to see what exactly happened there.

“The gathering is over, I’ve fulfilled my promise to you. So let’s part ways here.”

Speaking his farewell, Iapetus smiled.

“Of course, please go ahead.”

Nodding in acknowledgment, Laine did not obstruct him.

He watched as Iapetus disappeared into the crowd. He had no idea when the other would return or what he would choose to do.

After all, he was almost certain to return, whether willing or unwilling.

From the moment he helped Andrea achieve victory, he was destined to be unable to escape from this human-divine dispute.

…

Soon, leaving the crowd and weaving through several alleys, Laine returned to the inn where he had been staying.

Compared to before, the number of people coming and going had increased significantly.

With the tournament over, many foreigners had no further reason to linger here.

In the foreseeable future, except for a few individuals, they should all leave the Acropolis of Athens.

“Please wait—Mr. Aiven, please wait!”

“Hmm?”

The voice called from behind, and Laine turned to look back.

He should hardly have known anyone in Athens during these past two days… but the next moment, he understood how the visitor knew him.

“Prince Odysseus, didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I thought you would have returned to your kingdom after the tournament was over.”

“I was planning to leave… My father is not well, the old injuries left from years past are difficult to completely heal even with Divine Arts.”

A flash of regret passed over Odysseus’s face as he apologized, “Mr. Aiven, I must first apologize to you.”

“Because Miss Leah was summoned by the Goddess, she probably won’t return for quite some time. But recalling my gambling debt, I took the liberty to investigate her residence and found out you’re a friend who came to Athens with her.”

“It might be a bit presumptuous, but I hope you can pass along my apology to her.”

Behind Odysseus, numerous guards were unloading boxes.

Judging by their heavy appearance, they were likely filled with gold.

That was the debt owed from the competition, besides which, with sincerity, Odysseus declared:

“Aside from the monetary wager, there’s also the promise I made.”

“Since she won, if we become rivals again elsewhere, I pledge on my honor to concede to her three times, without breaking my word.”

“… I understand, Prince Odysseus, if the opportunity arises, I will convey your sincerity.”

Nodding slightly, Laine decided not to refuse.

Although at the moment it was unlikely these riches could be handed to Andrea, on one hand, she didn’t need them; on the other hand, there wasn’t any issue with Laine keeping them.

The wagering game initially was his idea, so collecting a reward was quite reasonable.

“Since you’re willing to pass it on for me, then I can rest assured.”

With a long exhale, Odysseus appeared as though a weight had been lifted from his mind, but then he hesitated slightly.

Ultimately, he still posed the question:

“Mr. Aiven, forgive my boldness, but I wish to know… where exactly is Miss Leah from?”

“She’s an Athenian, as for her specific background, you’ll have to ask her yourself someday if you get the chance.”

Waving a hand slightly, Laine didn’t intend to further address the other’s question.

Yet receiving this response, Odysseus seemed quite satisfied.

“Thank you for your answer. Should you face trouble in the future, I’ll do my utmost to assist.”

Making this commitment, Odysseus departed, harboring slight regret and hope.

Although unaware of her exact origins, knowing she’s an Athenian sufficed.

Given the level of education dissemination in this era, there were only so many young women in Athens with opportunities for quality education. He could send someone to methodically find her identity in the future.

“Athens… I shall return.”

Internally resolving, Odysseus departed with ease.

Yet at this moment, little could he have imagined that indeed he would return to Athens in the future, albeit in an unforeseen manner.

…

Eastern Continent, Mount Olympus.

At the peak of the Mount of the Gods, the palace doors opened, reflecting a myriad of radiant colors.

Overlooking the Mortal Realm from the summit, nine layers of clouds obscured the view.

The former Mount Othrys had twelve layers of clouds separating it from the Mortal Realm, a number symbolic of perfection in Chaos.

By comparison, Olympus with only nine layers was further from the heavens and a bit closer to the Mortal Realm.

Step—

Stepping out of the palace, the Sky had already turned dark.

Athena calculated the time; Artemis’s side of things should nearly be settled.

“Athena!”

A voice restrained with anger came from behind, but Athena smiled without speaking.

Just before, Zeus had righteously lectured about harmony and kindness among the Gods for a long time, though evidently, neither his two listeners nor the Divine King himself took these words to heart.

However, the final outcome was somewhat surprising; Zeus demanded Hera stay on Olympus for a while to ‘reflect on her mistake of making the first move.’

Logically speaking, what Zeus did wasn’t wrong because Hera indeed was the first deity to act, and his imposed punishment wasn’t unwarranted.

But the problem was, often no one cared about logic; they only cared about attitude.

And Zeus’s ‘faultless’ punishment of Hera was obviously meaningless in calming the incident, instead further igniting Hera’s anger.

“Athena, do you think you’ve won? Although I don’t know how you got Zeus to side with you… don’t think this ends here.”

The voice was low and cold, and though the decision was Zeus’s, Hera’s resentment was more directed at Athena.

The reason wasn’t surprising; it was a common psychological phenomenon. Facing decisions made by someone with greater status, power, and influence, many subconsciously were unwilling to place the main responsibility on that person, regardless of outcome satisfaction.

Step—

Smiling again, Athena remained unresponsive, not slowing her pace.

The Spear of Voktor, transformed into a bracelet, hummed softly on her wrist, but she simply caressed it gently, soothing her Divine Artifact.

Yes, just as the original myths rumored that Athena’s breath gave Wisdom to the Third Generation of Humans.

Although it makes no sense logically, as Athena hadn’t been born when the first two generations of humans began, as the Goddess of Wisdom, she indeed could bestow Wisdom upon external objects, with her companion Divine Artifact being the first example.

“You—”

Ignored time and again, Hera’s chest heaved with intensity.

With continued restraint, she finally calmed herself.

Watching Athena’s figure gradually recede, the Heavenly Empress clenched her fists.

“Just you wait, when Athens turns to ashes, let’s see if you can remain so composed!”

“On that day, I’ll return everything you gave to me one by one.”

The voice scattered in the wind, stirring a little dust. And in the palace behind Hera, Zeus quietly observed the scene.

This was exactly what he wanted… let it begin, he couldn’t wait any longer.

…

Day turned to night, time flowed, and the marriage intertwining the Mortal Realm and Divinity finally came to an end.

The same year, the mistress of the wedding banquet, Thetis, became pregnant with her child. The child, prophesied to surpass his father in strength, was finally named Achilles by her, and she placed great hope on him.

Likewise, this particular year, in the city of Athens, a trade association quietly opened, spreading novel and peculiar items from there.

The Kingdom of Argos issued an announcement to expand its military, and the outcry in Eleusis against alchemical fertilizers grew louder. Around Athens, signs of underground creature activity appeared intermittently.

The entire world seemed like a vast machine, slowly beginning to operate at a faster pace.

But these matters had little to do with Laine; he focused his energy on himself. Until one moonless night, he set down the book he was reading, an intuition arising from within.

On the other side of the world, his other half appeared to finally take a step forward.

That world began to open its first fissure towards him.

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