Athena! The new ruler of the Earth, the new Earth Goddess, and the fourth God-King. She was destined to be the victor of the Second Holy War—this was beyond doubt!
As for the reason?
Heh...
There was no need for a special reason. When the Underworld decided to let her be the victor, she would naturally win. It was as simple as that.
Even if the Sea Realm and Heaven Realm joined forces, what could they do?
From the Underworld's perspective, they could elevate even a pig to victory, as long as the Underworld intervened.
What's more!
Athena wasn't just anyone; she was an incredibly clever woman. Given this, the outcome was obvious! There was no need for further explanation.
In short.
The result of this Second Holy War had already been sealed. The moment Athena agreed to offer the Earth's Essence as the price, everything had been decided.
Hypnos and Thanatos.
The twin gods respectfully escorted Athena out of the Underworld.
No joke!
Even in this era, or in all their long years of existence, the twin gods had rarely seen such a generous figure. She was practically unheard of!
Athena had offered three-tenths of the Earth's Essence just for the sake of winning the Second Holy War.
A benefactor like this!
They absolutely had to maintain a good relationship with her. Who knew? Maybe in the future, they could reap even greater rewards. Just the thought of it sent a thrill through them.
"Lady of the Earth!"
"Farewell!"
Hypnos and Thanatos bowed deeply, expressing their utmost respect.
If, when Athena had arrived, they had shown respect out of deference to her title as the Lady of the Earth, now, their respect was genuine. They were honoring this great benefactor.
She was, without a doubt, an unparalleled benefactor.
"Mm."
Athena nodded calmly before leaving the far north, ready to return to her realm.
Meanwhile...
The gods were utterly confused!
Huh?
What?
Wait...
Athena came out of the Underworld unscathed? What did she discuss with Hades? What had transpired between Athena and Hades?
At that moment!
The gods were filled with bewilderment. Even Poseidon and Poros had no idea what had happened, nor what the conversation between Athena and Hades had entailed.
But...
There was no need for them to speculate for long.
As Athena returned to the Sanctuary...
"Athena..."
"Your Majesty!"
Metis and Prometheus looked at Athena with deep concern.
To be honest! These two gods of wisdom had been terrified. It wouldn't have been an exaggeration to say they had broken out in cold sweats.
Their little goddess had gone straight into the Underworld—what if something had happened to her?
No joke!
If she had stayed on the surface world, nothing would have happened. But going into the Underworld? That was an entirely different matter. In this vast mythological world, no one dared enter the Underworld lightly.
In their minds, perhaps only the Creator God would have the courage to do so. Any other gods, even Ancient Gods, would face certain death if they ventured into the Underworld.
Yet!
Athena said nothing to explain. There was no need.
Was Athena supposed to tell her mother and her only trusted subordinate that even the Creator God might never escape the Underworld if they ventured in?
Although...
That would be a scenario where both sides suffered immense losses.
But...
Athena did not elaborate further. She calmly said, "There's no need to worry. I have sealed the deal with Hades."
"A deal?"
The two wisdom gods looked at Athena nervously, fearing she might have made a grave mistake or signed some sort of servitude contract. If that were the case, they might as well cry in despair.
They had their own ambitions!
When they realized Zeus was failing, they had placed their hopes on Abel, only for things to turn out the way they did. In the end, all their hopes were pinned on Athena.
But now!
If Athena had become a vassal of Hades, then...
Wouldn't that mean they had become Hades' subordinates as well? That would crush their dreams entirely.
Athena calmly explained, "I traded three-tenths of the Earth's Essence with Hades in exchange for securing victory in the Second Holy War. The authority of creation will belong to our Sanctuary. Prometheus, with this opportunity, you will undoubtedly ascend to God-King. And Mother, you too might have a chance to reach that level."
"This..."
Metis and Prometheus fell silent.
Three-tenths of the Earth's Essence?
This...
It was almost unbelievable!
But!
After a brief moment of thought, Metis and Prometheus quickly grasped the situation.
Wait!
Though it seemed like an unequal trade, losing three-tenths of the Earth's Essence would only delay Athena's ascension to God-King by a few million years.
Time meant nothing to gods.
And under such circumstances...
Well...
If the Underworld gained two God-King-level subordinate gods, things could turn out very differently!
With such a strong foundation, it would be easy to endure those millions of years. In this light, Athena had actually made a profitable deal.
Although...
The loss of the Earth's Essence would take a very long time to recover, the surface world would only experience minor disruptions. It wouldn't be too significant.
At this moment!
The two wisdom gods began to think quickly.
Once their initial worries subsided, their minds settled, and they began to analyze the situation.
The more they thought about it, the more astonished they became.
This...
This...
Athena had done the best possible thing at this stage. In fact, it was the best strategy for the Sanctuary!
Though it would create a gap of millions of years for Athena, if the Sanctuary could gain two God-Kings in the meantime, it would be more than enough!
At that moment.
The eyes of the two wisdom gods sparkled with sharp light—joyous light. This was the kind of master they wanted to serve!
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