On Olympus, in the Goddess of Wisdom's temple.
A golden teleportation gate abruptly appeared in the center of the empty temple, and Athena's figure emerged from it, falling somewhat disheveled onto the Goddess of Wisdom's throne.
Her chest heaved, her face flushed, and she didn't even have time to wipe away the suspicious red marks on her face. As soon as she sat down, she pulled out a bronze syringe from her person. Only after confirming that the blood in the syringe was safe did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Hecate and Ares, master and disciple, clearly didn't want to give her the hydra's blood. That Hydra, the silly snake, had no idea what Ares had bewitched her with; now she was completely obedient to her new master, Hecate.
Left with no choice, Athena could only "sell her charms" to Queen of the Underworld Persephone, pleasing the Queen of the Underworld, and only then, by leveraging her influence, could she obtain this hard-won tube of hydra's blood.
Although Persephone currently held no real power in the Underworld, she did possess a certain degree of influence, commonly known as "face," which she had exchanged for relinquishing her authority. While she couldn't interfere in major operations within the Underworld, for minor matters like having Hecate's servant draw a tube of blood, Persephone's influence was enough to make it impossible for Hecate, as the regent of the Underworld, to refuse.
Just as Athena was shaking the tube of hydra's blood, desperately trying to hypnotize herself with the thought, "This isn't a loss," a figure suddenly emerged silently from behind her throne and spoke to her in a reproachful tone:
"Athena, you're too slow. What exactly are you doing? Does it take this long to go to the Underworld to get a bit of blood from Hydra? Chiron has already finished lecturing Heracles."
Upon hearing this, Athena glanced back and saw that the newcomer was Lachesis, the second of The Fates. She then turned back, speaking without looking:
"Hmm, I guessed as much. I wasn't planning to use this tube of blood from the Underworld on Heracles in the first place."
"If you don't use it on Heracles, how will the fate lines of the mighty hero and the centaur be made complete?"
Lachesis came before Athena, frowning as she looked at her:
"Moreover, this poisonous blood can at most cause pain to the main gods, but it cannot kill a main god-level existence. Do you intend to use it against Zeus? You're thinking too much."
"Who said I was going to use it against Zeus?" Athena sighed wistfully, suddenly feeling that conversing with this goddess Lachesis was a waste of her breath: "Orion, isn't he still alive and well?"
"Are you referring to Scorpio?" Lachesis's expression improved slightly, and she continued, following Athena's words: "However, Orion's destined end is still to be shot dead by his lover Artemis and ascend to become the constellation Orion, which is best. You can give him the Scorpio ending if you wish, but if you do, Athena, your standing with us might decrease."
"Don't worry," Athena said, shaking the hydra's blood without looking at Lachesis: "I know what I'm doing."
"In that case, we'll just wait for your news."
Lachesis said, pulling on her hood and slowly disappearing into the Goddess of Wisdom's temple, leaving only her voice echoing in the air:
"Remember, Athena, your opportunities are running out."
Athena silently waited for Lachesis's presence to vanish from her palace before letting out a disdainful "hmph" from her nostrils.
She had thought that The Fates, who controlled the destiny of all things, would be formidable figures, but it turned out they were all at this level. They couldn't even see how many times she and Ares had secretly clashed over the years. If it weren't for the crucial role of the Three Goddesses' authority in her plans, Athena would never bother with these women.
"Ten more years, ten years at most." Athena said softly: "After ten years, you'll be useless, my dear sisters."
...
In Athens, in a secluded small house not far from Athena's temple, Perseus, who was meditating silently, suddenly heard Athena's voice echoing in his mind.
"Perseus."
The moment that voice resounded in his mind, the magical program set within Perseus's body activated on its own. This physical body directly and actively connected to Ares's mind, and in that instant, Athena heard Perseus's reply.
He knelt devoutly on the ground, asking in a humble tone:
"Great Goddess, I am here."
Hearing Perseus's devout and humble words, her mood, which had nearly been ruined by Persephone almost taking her virginity, finally began to improve. She slowly let out a breath and asked softly:
"I remember some time ago, you killed the leader of a nearby tribe that didn't obey Athens' rule for me, right?"
"Yes." Perseus lowered his head: "He dared to disobey Athena's rule; he deserved to die."
"Hmm, that's not the point." Athena said lightly: "The point is, I promised you that once you did twenty things for me, I would make you a great hero in the world comparable to Heracles. Do you still remember that?"
"Of course I remember, Goddess. I dare not forget a single word you've said." Perseus lowered his head.
"You've done very well these past years, and it's about time I fulfilled my promise."
Athena said with a smile:
"I remember, there was once a priestess in my temple who betrayed me. She has now transformed into a powerful demon, entrenched on the Invisible Island overseas, killing many heroes who tried to subdue her. Conveniently, if you can kill her, the name of Perseus will surely spread throughout the world. Take these things first."
As she spoke, several golden lights appeared before Perseus. These golden lights fell to the ground, transforming into several items. Perseus looked down and found a pair of winged flying shoes, a helmet made of dog skin, a dog-skin pouch, and a shield as smooth as a mirror.
Athena introduced them to him:
"These flying shoes are Hermes's shoes; they will allow you to fly freely in the sky. This dog-skin helmet is Hades's Noble Phantasm; wearing it will grant you the ability to become invisible. This dog-skin pouch and shield were made by me. The shield can guide your way, and this dog-skin pouch can help you carry many belongings. At critical moments, it can also be used to reverse a concept once. Use them well."
While controlling Perseus to agree, Ares scanned these "treasures" on the ground through Perseus's eyes, only to find that they were all fakes.
It was understandable; Athena's relationship with Hades had always been poor due to her various past actions, and the King of the Underworld was now in seclusion in a place where no god could find him. Even if Athena wanted to borrow the invisible helmet, she couldn't.
And those flying shoes were Hermes's Noble Phantasm, essential for his existence. Without them, Hermes wouldn't even qualify as a main god. If he had truly been willing to part with those shoes, Ares would have long since taken them; it wouldn't have been Athena's turn.
Therefore, these treasures must have been custom-made by Athena at Hephaestus's workshop on Olympus. The flying shoes and helmet were less effective than their authentic counterparts, and the shield could only be used for scouting. Only the magic on the dog-skin pouch was somewhat useful, serving as a trump card, but it could only be used once.
"Thank you for your generosity, great Goddess."
Ares cursed Athena's stinginess inwardly, but he controlled Perseus, fawning over her profusely:
"I will surely complete the trial you have bestowed upon me and adorn your crown with my achievements."