The Greece Antagonist

Several days later, on the outskirts of the Sea of Occhanos, Mount Etna.

Due to the nourishment of fertile volcanic ash, the foot and slopes of the mountain were covered with dense vegetation such as chestnut trees, oak trees, pine trees, birch trees, etc., forming a vibrant and verdant shade. However, as the elevation rose and the temperature dropped, the dense forest gradually gave way to sparse shrubbery, and chunks of oddly shaped volcanic rock lay exposed on the earth's surface, creating a distinctive landscape.

And within the open crater at the mountain's peak, billowing smoke and sparks shot up intermittently, mingled with the intense booming of heavy hammers striking.

This was the new forge workshop built by Hephaestus, the god of fire and craftsmanship, which made use of the continuous geothermal flames from Mount Etna to forge weapons and sundries for the gods.

But due to its remote location and Hephaestus's quirky temper, not many were aware of this secret spot, and even fewer had actually visited, given the harsh high-temperature environment.

At this moment, a tall figure, led by two metallic female attendants, stepped into the fiery red lava cave.

Hearing the footsteps behind him, Hephaestus, who was engrossed in his work at the forging table, dropped the hammer in his hand, turned around to look at the expected yet unexpected visitor.

"You're here?"

"Mm."

Luo En nodded and offered a warm smile to the craftsman, scanning his surroundings before asking in a deep voice,

"Where is Thetis?"

"Don't worry, as per your instructions, I've sent her to Athens; she's safe now."

Hephaestus replied offhandedly and then, dragging his lame leg, limped forward to scrutinize Luo En intently before suddenly raising his thick, hairy arm to clap it vigorously on the other's shoulder, his tense cheeks bursting into a hearty laugh.

"Not bad, what a man!"

Hearing the praise, Luo En bore the tingling sensation in half of his body and managed to squeeze out a somewhat misshapen grin, then continued to inquire,

"Is everything prepared? When do we set off?"

"No rush, I heard you make a fine brew, sit down first and have a few drinks with me."

Hephaestus waved his hand and then swept the cluttered table clean, dragging Luo En to sit down.

It was hard to decline such hospitality, especially with a favor to ask, so Luo En composed himself and took a seat, taking out his treasured fairy-brewed spirit to drink with the legendary god of craftsmanship.

After three rounds of drinking and feeling slightly tipsy, Hephaestus stared at Luo En, growing more pleased the longer he looked.

Honestly, due to his own marital frustrations, he didn't have much liking for tall and handsome pretty boys.

But this lad before him not only stepped up at a critical moment to save his foster mother, Thetis, but he also swiftly and decisively killed that blind fool Peleus, eradicating future troubles.

What's more, to Hephaestus's surprise, after making such a mess, the lad didn't just run away; he only asked for some time to prepare and then showed up at Mount Etna as agreed, ready to be led by Hephaestus to Olympus to face his punishment, willing to stand in for Thetis and bear the brunt of His Majesty the King of Gods' fury.

Such accountability, such courage, was far stronger than those gutless gods of the sea.

No, there was absolutely no comparison!

"Bang!"

In high spirits, Hephaestus clapped Luo En's shoulder again, announcing with a loud laugh,

"Lad, I approve of your marriage!"

"Uh..."

Luo En grunted in response, eying the cracked stone stool beneath him with a mix of amusement and distress.

True to a blacksmith, he had great strength and a forthright nature; he never held back whether he liked or disliked something. But at this rate of clapping, who knew if he would fall apart before even reaching Olympus.

And luckily, you only know I wooed your foster mother. If you knew I also slept with your real mother, wouldn't you tear me apart on the spot?

While silently deriding, Luo En began to inquire about the aftermath of Peleus's marriage proposal.

Frank as ever, Hephaestus hid nothing and narrated the subsequent events after Luo En's departure, in full detail.

Lord Bo obviously couldn't withstand the combined efforts of the three Hundred-Handed Giants and ended up being beaten up severely, in a pitiful scene.

Not only was the Sea King himself bruised and battered, losing all face, but the recently united followers of Atlantis also suffered heavy losses, even the newly-built Sea God Temple was reduced to rubble.

Following the public beatdown, the sea gods once again realized the terror of the three Hundred-Handed Giants and, reliving their past nightmares, they all turned into ostriches, blocking their doors and distancing themselves from Poseidon, with "not my problem" practically written on their faces.

After suffering such grievances and seeing his prestige and power dissipate, Poseidon wouldn't let things lie. He had his wife and son carry him to Olympus to bring accusations against the Hundred-Handed Giants before Zeus,

— He wasn't at all acquainted with the murderer of Peleus, and in fact, they were enemies; he had no intention of preventing Thetis from marrying down, so the entire incident had nothing to do with him. Yet trouble came out of the blue while he was just sitting at home eating; he, the mighty Sea King, was ambushed and beaten by the three Hundred-Handed Giants. Is there no cosmic order? Is there no justice?

Thus, His Majesty the King of Gods, epitome of fairness and justice, stepped in to mediate. He comforted his wronged brother while strictly admonishing the three Hundred-Handed Giants, ordering them to roll back to the Primordial Ocean, reflect on their actions behind closed doors, and not to venture out without orders.

Moreover, in order to ease the tension between the two parties, Zeus personally acted as a mediator, arranging for Briareus, the leader of the three Hundred-Handed Giants, to marry one of Poseidon's daughters, thus becoming the son-in-law of the God of the Sea.

Clearly, this so-called punishment was nothing more than a gesture of tough talk followed by a tepid resolution, and even the outcome entailed in the matrimony bore a tinge of insult.

But circumstances can be more compelling than one's wishes, and Poseidon, despite his dissatisfaction, could only grudgingly accept the outcome.

As for the chief culprit who triggered this "misunderstanding," Zeus declared that he would certainly mete out a severe punishment!

Luo En couldn't help but roll his eyes upon hearing this.

That old man was clearly looking for an excuse to put Poseidon in his place and then shifted the blame onto him—still the same old trick of playing both the perpetrator and the arbiter.

Having someone who was an enemy of the old Sea God Nereus' family go propose to Nereus' daughter Thetis, and even sending three Hundred-Handed Giants to provide an escort along the way—how could anyone not see through such an obvious plot?

Of course, it's even more probable that Zeus knew full well but didn't care about the opinions of Poseidon and the other sea gods. All he wanted was an opportunity to dampen the slight resurgence of determination and power that Poseidon had just begun to rally.
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Poor old Poseidon, fallen from grace, and not even considered a contender anymore.

Luo En shook his head in secret, sighing inwardly for the increasingly pathetic Lord Bo, while his eyes twinkled mischievously, a hint of mockery playing on his face.

However, Zeus was also being careless, clearly underestimating the extent of the rebellion, thinking that Poseidon, with his history of insubordination, was the mastermind, up to some sort of petty mischief.

Little did he know that not only Poseidon, but Apollo, Hera, and even Athena had involved themselves, ready to strike.

A rebellion by one-third of the powerful chief gods of Olympus was certainly enough to give His Majesty the King of Gods a run for his money.

Yet, there was still more fuel that he planned to add to the fire, to make the turmoil hit even harder.

"Okay, I've had your wine and I should follow the rules by giving you something in return. Come with me."

While Luo En was mulling over these thoughts, the inebriated Hephaestus stood up from the table and staggered with him toward the volcanic crater used for forging. Pointing down at the flowing red-and-black magma below, he spoke in a grave tone.

"Jump in!"

"?"

Faced with such a preposterous demand out of the blue, Luo En was clearly taken aback.

However, without waiting for his reaction, the impatient Hephaestus grabbed him and tossed him into the churning magma.

Oh no!

Caught off guard, Luo En could only instinctively summon the Divine Incarnations of the "Flame" and the "White Horse" to combat the high temperature radiating from the earth's magma.

"Endure it!"

At that moment, a stern shout came from the mouth of the volcano. Hephaestus had torn off the coarse cloth shirt from his chest, baring his torso, and began vigorously pumping the bellows next to the forge furnace.

Instantly, with the wind fanning the flames and the flames feeding off the wind, the once calm Magma River boiled and roiled, its temperature continuously rising.

Even with the dual protection of "Flame" and "White Horse," the fiery aura all around seemed to penetrate everywhere, unceasingly infiltrating Luo En's limbs and bones, igniting the divine blood within him.

Golden-red divine flames surged out of his pores and apertures. Luo En seemed like a person engulfed in intense combustion, his blood pulsing, his innards burning, waves of piercing pain crashing over him.

What was Hephaestus trying to do? Turn me into a smelted statue?

Just as Luo En's consciousness began to blur from the burning, a clear birdcall came from beneath the boiling magma.

Immediately after, a gigantic bird with feathers partly golden and partly bright red, shaped like an eagle and with a clear, melodious voice burst forth from beneath the magma. It circled the volcano crater a few times and then dove straight into Luo En's chest.

The moment they made contact, an overwhelming surge of heat flooded into Luo En's body, bringing an indescribable sensation of life's rhythm.

Almost simultaneously, Luo En recognized the identity of this divine bird.

The Phoenix, a divine monster with the characteristics of "immortality" and "rebirth." Legend has it that when sensing its impending death, the Phoenix would gather fragrant wood to burn itself, and after three days, it would rise anew from the ashes, like Christ resurrected.

This singular creature is chronicled by the Assyrians, yet similar myths exist around the world: Europe's Phoenix, Russia's Firebird, Egypt's Sunbird, America's Yer, and Arabia's Anka—all these birds possess the trait of reviving from death (with lifespans of 500, 540, 1000, 1461, 1700 and 12994 years respectively) and share a close association with the sun and flames.

Greece also has similar records. The first to mention the Phoenix was the Greek poet Hesiod from the eighth century BC, author of [TheoGraph], and the first to describe the Phoenix in detail was the Greek historian Herodotus.

Clearly, this wondrous creature did indeed exist in the Age of Greek Gods and dwelled within Mount Etna, associated with the God of Craftsmanship, Hephaestus.

Immortal? Rebirth?

A thought crossed Luo En's mind, and he vaguely understood Hephaestus' intent. He immediately cast aside all distractions, closed his eyes, gathered his divinity, and began guiding the power from the Phoenix into the golden wheel behind him.

Seeing the scene unfold before him, the God of Craftsmanship at the volcano's mouth nodded in approval, sipping the ambrosial spirit from his hand and pulling the bellows with even greater enthusiasm.

The explosive roar of the boiling magma mixed with the piercing calls of the bird, echoing continuously in the fiery-red lava cave.