Thunder rumbled, the earth trembled, and then gradually subsided, becoming dull and uninteresting.
The army of Snake-Foot Giants surrounding Olympus gradually retreated. This time, the Olympus army successfully pushed their defensive line thirty miles forward, but several lesser gods died in the process.
Zeus once again finished his 1v1 battle with the Giant King Alcyoneus and returned to the God Kings Hall, looking utterly exhausted. Athena quickly ordered Zeus's favorite Page, Ganymede, to step forward and offer the God King a soothing fruit wine, gently rubbing his temples.
However, at this moment, facing his beloved Page, Zeus lacked his usual vigor. He gently patted Ganymede's head, signaling him to withdraw.
Ganymede looked at Zeus with concern but said nothing more, gathering his things and leaving. As he walked out of the God Kings Hall, he bumped into Hades, who was just entering.
Ganymede was startled and quickly stepped aside, not daring to meet the Underworld King's gaze. He bowed slightly to the Underworld King, and Hades merely nodded before entering the God Kings Hall. After seeing the Underworld King walk away, Ganymede fled as if escaping.
Zeus, on his throne, saw his elder brother enter and slowly opened his eyes. He gazed at his brother for a long time, then suddenly asked, with great weariness:
"Hades, tell me… is my reign coming to an end?"
Before Hades could reply, he heard his younger brother suddenly say, as if self-hypnotizing:
"No, how could it be? I am Zeus, the absolutely invincible, omniscient, and omnipotent God of Justice! Those mere Snake-Foot Giants, it's only a matter of time before we defeat them."
Athena, standing nearby, smiled slightly and echoed:
"Precisely so. However, Zeus, your reign still has the potential to be shaken. In fact, before Prometheus was captured, he left behind a… prophecy regarding your rule."
"A prophecy?" Zeus immediately perked up. He eagerly asked, "What kind of prophecy?"
"He prophesied that in the future, your rule would also be overthrown by one of your own children." Athena looked deeply at Zeus and whispered, "This child is the son of a god and a mortal, but possesses power comparable to a god, and he has red tattoos on his body."
"My child… red tattoos?"
Zeus murmured:
"Who could that be?"
Zeus, who was usually promiscuous, finally tasted the bitter fruit at this moment. Because he feared Hera's nagging and was too lazy to take responsibility himself, most of the time, after finishing his business and entering the sage mode, Zeus would typically pull up his pants and deny everything.
So he himself didn't know how many children he had outside. This was also why Ares could casually pick someone and falsely claim them to be Son of Zeus, and Zeus and the other gods didn't suspect a thing.
The gods of Greece believed in prophecies. After all, the current Olympus Divine Court was built upon a prophecy. Even Ares, this "modern person," when he first came here and didn't understand the inside story, was filled with a sense of crisis regarding the prophecies of greek mythology. Therefore, after hearing Athena's words, Zeus began to feel anxious.
"Please don't worry, Zeus."
Athena comforted him:
"Actually, I already have some clues about this matter. This prophesied child is most likely a Spartan."
"Sparta…"
Hades frowned:
"I remember that's Ares's territory."
"The people there do indeed worship Ares." Athena smiled and nodded, "After all, their two great ancestors, the Dorian and Laconia, merged under Ares's guidance to form the current Sparta Kingdom."
"If you do this without informing Ares beforehand, aren't you afraid he'll get angry?"
Hades asked his younger brother:
"Ares's temper isn't very good, and half of the Olympus army is still in his hands."
"Hmph, I am the God King, and his father. What's wrong with me arresting someone in his territory?"
Zeus dismissed Hades's warning. He immediately ordered Athena:
"Athena, investigate this matter. If it's true, then bring him back to me at once. I will imprison him in the Underworld."
"Yes."
Athena glanced at Hades inadvertently. Noticing the displeasure on her uncle's face, she showed a satisfied smile, then turned and walked out of the God Kings Hall.
Hades looked at his departing niece, then at his younger brother. He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but in the end, nothing came out, only a helpless sigh.
However, Hades didn't speak, but Zeus pulled him and said:
"Hades, don't leave yet. I need your help with something."
"What is it?"
Hades frowned and asked:
"If you want me to help you with these ridiculous matters, I won't agree."
"It's not about the prophecy."
Zeus quietly told Hades his request, and after listening, Hades's eyes widened in astonishment, and he questioned:
"What? You want me to spread Plague in the mortal world?"
…
In the Sparta city, on an open ground, two children, about seven or eight years old, were holding wooden weapons, parrying and thrusting, making 'hehe haha' sounds as they sparred.
Not long ago, a new round of Sparta children's selection had been completed. This batch of Sparta children were assigned to various departments within the Sparta city according to their interests and strengths.
Among this batch of children, two young boys stood out in the selection of Sparta warriors with their fierce demeanor and superb combat skills, and were sent to the Sparta warrior camp.
These brothers, who came from the Sparta orphanage, were noticed by the Sparta High Priest due to their excellent performance in the selection ceremony. Therefore, the High Priest, who had not paid attention to specific Sparta affairs for many years, directly took these two brothers into the Ares Temple, deciding to personally teach them various combat skills. These two brothers were the two children currently engaged in practical training on this open ground.
Of these two children, one had his hair completely shaved, leaving a bald head, while the other still had a head of dark, beautiful hair, but had natural red tattoos on his face and body. They were Kratos and Deimos, the brothers entrusted to Atalanta by Ares seven years ago.
Among these brothers, the elder brother, Kratos, held two wooden short swords. He particularly liked this type of bladed weapon. The younger brother, Deimos, held the most standard long spear and shield used by Sparta warriors. At this moment, Kratos was continuously attacking his younger brother, while Deimos calmly held his shield, defending and counterattacking in a very orderly manner.
"Splendid."
Just as the brothers were enjoying their fight, a round of applause suddenly sounded from the side. Kratos and Deimos stopped their movements and looked over in surprise, only to find that a tall and beautiful blonde goddess had appeared on the open ground at some point. She was now looking at the brothers with a loving gaze, clapping her hands and smiling.