The Greece Antagonist

The rich nightfall enveloped War God Mountain, bringing with it an air of tranquility and peace.

After emerging from the Great Temple at the summit, Luo En made his way downward along the deserted bluestone path, his gaze drifting occasionally to survey his surroundings.

It wasn't until he successfully reached the foot of the mountain that he finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned towards the dense forest nearby.

"Okay, come out now," he called.

The abrupt sound of flapping wings arose, and a sparrow, its feathers tipped in brown and white, darted from the shadows of the tree tops, landing in front of Luo En. As the blue radiance swirled, it transformed into a blonde-haired, blue-eyed sea goddess with a refined demeanor.

——This was none other than Thetis, skilled in the Art of Transformation, who had previously lingered outside the Great Temple doors.

Recalling the amusing scene she had just witnessed, the Ocean Nymph couldn't help but raise her delicate hand to cover her smirk, a sly hint emerging deep within her serene expression.

"Not bad, you even deceived Athena, acclaimed as the Goddess of Wisdom," she remarked.

"What do you mean deceived?"

Luo En glared at Thetis, defending himself righteously.

"Everything I said was the truth, each word heartfelt!"

"Half-truths, perhaps?"

Thetis smiled teasingly, her gaze mocking, clearly having seen through someone's true nature.

Brilliant deceivers almost never lie, as every word they say could be fact, not fearing validation by others. Their real skill lies in how they compile, organize, and stack these "facts" to transform them into completely different interpretations.

Thus, in the hands of a master of lies, truth is as malleable as dough in the hands of a pastry chef, shaped round or square at will. This art of misdirection is a powerful tool for manipulating hearts.

In this case, someone had just used this tactic successfully, prompting the Goddess of Wisdom to unwittingly pluck her own "feathers."

—— It was true that Sisyphus had been captured, true that he had been marked by Hecate, true that entry into the Netherworld was necessary, and true that a token of trust from King Minos was needed.

—— But, he hadn't mentioned that this token could only be used to mobilize the forces of Crete in the Netherworld.

Seeing that his creditor had arrived, Luo En no longer bothered to hide and flicked his fingers to retrieve the freshly obtained owl feather from the Magic Circle Diagram, humming lightly as he flaunted it before Thetis.

"Ha, take a good look, I did what I promised you," he said.

"Mhm."

Thetis nodded and instinctively reached out to take it, but came up empty.

At that moment, Luo En, with a grin, withdrew his hand and remarked,

"I said you could look at it, but I never said I'd give it to you."

"?"

"The condition was only that I redo 'that task'; it didn't specify that I had to hand over what I obtained to you."

"..."

Hearing the unhurried reply, Thetis involuntarily caught her breath, a wave of irritation rising within her.

Seeing the ocean goddess's frustrated expression, Luo En inwardly rejoiced.

Using the favor owed to him to ask him to pluck Athena's feather was not just about playing a friendly prank; it probably also embodied a desire to trouble him.

Considering the times Thetis had accompanied him through life and death situations and the numerous times she had been duped by him, this harmless mischief didn't bother Luo En at all.

After all, having been repeatedly troubled by Athena both overtly and covertly, it wasn't as if he harbored no grievances at all.

It was simply cooperating with Thetis for a small revenge against the Goddess of Wisdom.

But, while he was willing to execute the plan, handing over leverage to Thetis himself was out of the question.

Both centuries-old foxes, familiar as they were, necessitated a degree of caution.

Who knows if this woman might flaunt that feather in front of Athena, with him ending up suffering the consequences.

As long as the item remained in his hands, the token could be verified, and once he used it in the Netherworld, the deed of plucking Athena's feather would be settled once and for all.

In the future, even if Thetis tried to drag him into trouble, Luo En could easily deflect her.

The bottom line remained, as long as he wasn't caught red-handed, he hadn't done it!

"You have only one favor left owed to me, so I suggest you spend it wisely," Luo En reminded leisurely, as he put the owl feather back into the Magic Circle Diagram, smiling all the while.

Having wasted effort for a while now, and with previous favors used up without gaining much in return other than a seat in the audience, Thetis suddenly felt her teeth itch with annoyance as she frowned lightly at the cunning debtor.

"Rest assured, I won't let you off so easily next time."

Luo En, seemingly oblivious to the deep grudge in her words, smiled and changed the subject.

"What's next? Any plans? Will you continue to stay at War God Mountain for a while?"

"No need. Things in Athens are too expensive. I merely stayed a few days, watched a performance, and it nearly drained my entire fortune. If I stay any longer, I might end up selling myself and owing you instead. Better to take my leave now and go back to the Sea of Okeanos, to continue enjoying my scenery," Thetis said.

She thought of the complex situations and endless troubles in Athens and chose to retreat bravely, not forgetting to slyly denigrate Luo En's scheming nature in the process.

Feeling slightly guilty, Luo En chuckled awkwardly, choosing not to persuade her to stay.

With numerous goddesses gathered on War God Mountain, merely mediating between them and balancing their demands and relationships was enough to be a headache.

Thetis, living solitarily, wisely chose not to get involved and voluntarily exited to return to the Sea of Okeanos for recuperation, effectively lightening Luo En's burden, giving him no reason to stop her.

And, with their parting imminent, Luo En stepped forward, his eyes shimmering mysteriously as he spoke in a hushed tone,

"Thessaly's seven-year sentence is almost over, and I feel there might be major upheaval over the Sea of Okeanos. During this time, you should be extra careful yourself, and if you need help, you can ask me..."

"Mmm."

Thetis nodded subtly, a serious expression flickering in her eyes.

It was due to this very reason she had returned early to her old home in Okeanos to prepare.

The cautionary tale of the Atlantis continent was still vivid in her mind; should her brother-in-law, the Sea King, stir up another tempest, her family might well be the next to shield him.

Since the road ahead was unclear, it might be better to let go, to ensure no regrets lingered.

With this thought, Thetis spread her arms, revealing a radiant smile.

"We're about to part, shouldn't you give me a hug?"

"Of course!"

Upon hearing this, Luo En showed a faint smile and stepped forward to gently embrace the Ocean Goddess.

Under the beautiful moonlight, the two who had journeyed long together held each other quietly, their heartbeats in resonance, their silhouettes merging into one.

A full half an hour later, Thetis reluctantly released her arms and deeply gazed at the troublesome man who had left so many entanglements with her, then tiptoed up.

A moist kiss landed on Luo En's forehead, bringing a wave of tender sensations.

"I really liked the 'gift' you gave earlier, consider this a reward."

Accompanied by a soft whisper, Thetis looked over Luo En's shoulder at the forest immersed in darkness behind him, her lips curving into a pleased smile.

Then, the Ocean Goddess stepped back, her body transforming into the form of a lark, rapidly flapping her wings into the dense night and vanishing in an instant, leaving only a meaningful, crisp chirping echoing around.

"Beware the bald owls, though, they bite hard when angered..."

Luo En paused slightly, just about to speak, but felt a sudden chill behind him.

His body involuntarily stiffened, his neck mechanically turning like a set of rusted gears grinding with a squeak.

The corner of his eye spied toward the back, where the moonlight in the forest was cold and calm, a snow-white owl perching among the lush foliage, solemnly overlooking the ground.

"So this was how you intended to use your token?"

A deep murmur brushed through the woods like a cold wind in deep winter.

Suddenly, the white owl swept from the trees on fluttering wings, the surroundings lighting up with floating shimmering patterns, landing before Luo En and transforming into a silver-haired, purple-eyed goddess. Read new adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

"Gurgle~"

Luo En struggled to swallow a lump in his dry throat, squeezing out a strained smile on his face.

"Actually, it's a misunderstanding."

"Are you done with your last words?"

Athena asked indifferently, casually pulling out the Spear of Victory.

Luo En's heart skipped a beat, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

"I can explain..."

"Mmm, go ahead, I'm listening."

A plucked silver hair slowly drifted down to rest on the spear's tip, splitting instantly into two pieces—Athena nodded in satisfaction.

Cold sweat covered Luo En's forehead even more densely as he hastily made a solemn oath.

"Your token was really meant for descending to the Netherworld! I can swear on the River Styx!"

"Hmm, anything else?"

As Athena nodded absentmindedly, she summoned the Aegis Shield.

Seeing her calm response, Luo En coughed dryly while involuntarily shifting backwards.

"I have to go with Atalanta to enroll in school tomorrow. This child might well be the princess of Arcadia, a matter directly connected to Athens spreading its cultural influence among the states of Greece. It's late now, shall we talk another day?"

"What's the rush, it's still long until dawn."

Athena smiled faintly and paused the Spear of Victory in her hands as the Magic Circle Diagram of the Citadel rose from the ground.

The retreating Luo En stopped in his tracks, observing the enclosing mobile Labyrinth around him, his face contorting into a grimace worse than tears, desperately trying to fight back.

"I'm supposed to go there with Little Medusa, you wouldn't want to disappoint her, right?"

"Speaking of which, you've always taken good care of my Lesser Deity, and quite thoroughly at that..."

Athena murmured meaningfully, the light patterns on her body pulsing synchronously as green-gold armor enveloped her skin.

Watching the golden, gleaming War Goddess approaching, smiling, Luo En in the corner of the Labyrinth took a deep breath, his face filled with tragical resolve.

"May I make one last request?"

"Speak."

"Please, not the face..."

"Buzz!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the Spear of Victory whirled out, thick and large, black and hard, striking directly at Luo En's face.