Zeus's Bewilderment
It was only natural for Zeus to look utterly baffled. He'd shown up all smug, expecting praise for the warrior he'd empowered, only to hear cheers for Hestia instead.
The other gods were visibly struggling to keep their emotions in check. They were barely holding back laughter.
In the presence of the supreme god, no one could openly show their feelings. Everyone was putting up a desperate fight.
Realizing I'd suddenly thrown all these spectator gods into crisis mode, a surge of mischief exploded within me. Take that, you bastards.
"Hestia Goddess! I love you!"
I bellowed even louder, and finally, someone dropped out of the world's greatest laugh-holding contest.
The messenger god Hermes had caused the incident. This cheerful Olympus busybody seemed weak when it came to holding back laughter.
Zeus had strutted in arrogantly, like "Behold my champion," but the guy was only calling for Hestia. And now he was declaring love? Hermes just couldn't hold it in.
The atmosphere suddenly turned icy.
If this kept up, I'd be next on Zeus's shit list. Time to smooth things over quick.
"Iris, god of the rainbow, forever! Apollo, god of the sun, forever! Athena, goddess of wisdom, forever!"
By rapidly cheering for the other gods as if the initial Hestia shout was no big deal, even the standoffish Idomeneus looked bewildered.
"Why not cheer for all twelve Olympians while you're at it?"
I replied with feigned innocence, as if I'd had a reason from the start. "Don't you get why I'm cheering for them? None of them walk the path of heresy like your patron Boreas!"
"What?"
"With so many glorious beings on Olympus, how dare you serve a god who revels in cannibalism and act proud? I shout their exalted names to teach you shame!"
It sounded like stern admonishment at first glance, but really, it was just damage control for calling out Hestia first.
"But the glory of this battle today, I dedicate to our revered supreme god Zeus! O Zeus, in your name, I shall punish evil!"
I cried out fervently, like a method actor in full swing.
Lightning cracked across the stormy night sky, creating a perfectly dramatic backdrop.
Seemed like I'd patched things up. But Idomeneus, scolded out of nowhere by my excuse, flew into a rage. In his werewolf-like form, he bared his fangs and growled.
"Grrr! Let's see if that mighty Zeus of yours saves you!"
Enraged, Idomeneus swung his scythe-like hand, unleashing a blade of pitch-black wind.
I dodged to the side just in time—snip! A chunk of my hair floated away. The ground was gouged long where the wind passed; no joke, that power.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoooosh!
Idomeneus unleashed those powerful strikes in rapid succession. Any ordinary hero would've been dismembered without resistance, but to me, it looked downright monotonous.
And why not? I'd trained under the "Cursed Hero," the world's greatest warrior, getting my ass handed to me. Compared to that sky-piercing master's attacks, this was nothing.
Playing the part of someone struggling, I decided to dig a trap.
"Kuh!"
With a feigned look of barely dodging, I snatched up a nearby bronze shield. The attack came immediately.
Clang! The wind blade slammed into the shield with a deafening crash.
Thanks to Heracles' Jewel, it was easy to block, but I flinched dramatically for show.
Claaang! Clang! Clang!
As the wind blades kept coming, I retreated as if I couldn't hold out. Truth was, the shield was the one that couldn't take it. Sure enough, after a few more hits, it shattered under the onslaught.
And that's when Idomeneus lunged like a whirlwind.
"I'll carve the flesh from your bones!"
Pumped up, he didn't suspect a trap at all. Charging at blinding speed, he slashed wildly with his scythe-hand.
But I'd endured even Artemis's Arrow by channeling divinity. My specialty was transforming my body's divine structure into cotton-like padding for max defense.
Those ferocious slashes that could've shredded anyone were useless against me.
"What the—?!"
His noisy swings did nothing to my skin, and Idomeneus visibly panicked. Instead of explaining, I grabbed his throat with my left hand and slammed him into the ground.
Boom!
The earth shook as his body burrowed in. I didn't stop, hammering him repeatedly like I meant to pulverize him completely. Blood sprayed everywhere.
Whoooosh!
But he had tricks left. Regaining his wits, Idomeneus turned his body to wind and slipped free. When he reformed moments later, he was drenched in blood.
No way he'd emerge unscathed after I'd smashed him relentlessly with Heracles' strength.
"Peleus! You won't die easy after all! I'll sweep you away with everything I've got!"
Realizing close combat offered no hope, Idomeneus unleashed his full power. Terrifying winds began whipping around us.
Whiiiiiir!
It was like a hurricane devouring everything. A vortex swirled up around Idomeneus.
"Aaaah!"
"Save me!"
Dozens of people got caught in the wind and hurled skyward. Horses, tents, crates, weapons—everything nearby flew up. He meant to rip it all to shreds indiscriminately.
Perfect. Time for my big swing.
"Huuuuh."
I exhaled lowly and drew out my divinity. Betting this clash would decide it, I poured everything into Zeus's Sword.
Crackle! Zzzap!
Fierce lightning wrapped the blade. The surging thunder was so intense, if this strike failed, it'd swallow me instead.
But that wasn't the only problem. Something utterly unexpected happened.
Flash!
In the stormy, cloud-choked sky, as I channeled power—suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck Zeus's Sword dead-on.
The bolt's energy flowed through my body into the ground but pooled entirely in the blade. An immense light made everything around vanish for a moment.
"Peleus!"
"Idomeneus!"
We collided with all our might. Shredding winds against incinerating thunder. The cataclysmic forces devastated the area.
Kabooom!
A bolt pierced straight through the wind and slammed down right before my eyes. The massive thunder from Zeus's Sword tore through Idomeneus's body and drilled into the earth.
"Gaaaaah!"
Idomeneus screamed, trying to hold out. But flames engulfed him, splitting him from shoulder to navel.
The thunder's power was overwhelming; parts of his flesh exploded.
"How dare you reduce me to this! Gaaaaah!"
Still breathing? His vitality was absurdly tenacious. But even that had limits.
Writhing in his wretched state, he lunged at me—but his movements grew erratic, like a broken machine.
"Me! Kill...! Graaah! King of Crete! Guuuuh!"
Incoherent ravings spilled as his body staggered directionless. Lower body intact, upper split in half—grotesque indeed.
I had gotten weather help, sure. The sudden bolt let me unleash unprecedented power. But even with a sliver of divine might, Idomeneus was never my match.
—Peleus, you've truly grown strong.
The Secret Book sounded impressed. I was honestly a bit surprised myself. I knew I'd made huge strides training in Python's cave, but overwhelming a monster who'd crushed multiple heroes? Didn't see that coming.
"I'll end it. This spectacle's too pathetic to watch."
For a king of a nation, it was a pitiful end. The price of abandoning the human path, perhaps. A lesson to learn and remember.
I raised Zeus's Sword to sever his neck.
"Farewell. To Hades' realm."
As I swung down—suddenly, a sinister aura welled up in Idomeneus's body. Something chilling and ominous possessed him.
"Kuh!"
Instinct screamed danger; I leaped back. Thick malice coalesced into form.
The dying Idomeneus spoke. But it wasn't his voice—something else.
With my experience meeting gods, I clocked it instantly: a transcendent being.
"No way—Boreas, god of the north wind?"
By causality, he was the only one who could show now. As a god, he could split his consciousness while fighting Iris overhead and still confront me.
Probably here to warn or threaten me.
"That so?"
"Not news to me. Just feels meh hearing it again."
Boreas, possessing Idomeneus's body, radiated ominous energy. Like he'd swallow me whole any second.
But instead of fear, I felt puzzled.
—Secret Book.
—Speak.
—Weird, right? If I were Boreas, I wouldn't chat with the guy who smashed my apostle. If talking at all, I'd rip off a limb first.
—True. With your smart mouth, you'd do exactly that. Gods don't forgive human insolence. So if he's forcing talk he doesn't want... what does he want?
—Stalling for time?
As doubt rose, something caught my eye. Between Idomeneus's split body, something emerged—a black pearl the size of a candy drop.
—That... no way?
Different shape, but familiar. A fragment of the Burning Nameless One's divinity—red scale-like.
The Secret Book confirmed, voice excited.
—Peleus. Definitely a divine fragment. He must've given one to Idomeneus when appointing him apostle.
Answer found. Boreas was pretending to talk to stall while preserving his endangered fragment.
Now I got his position. Never dreamed Idomeneus would flop this hard. Gave him the fragment to crush heroes, but I wrecked expectations. Victory? Nah—now panicking if he could even recover it.
Rumble! Boom!
Looking up, the rainbow lights and thunderhead battling afar drew closer. Boreas fighting while heading this way.
Seemed physical means or proximity needed for recovery.
—Jackpot.
Plenty of time. Iris had him pinned. If she knew, she'd cling till he couldn't retrieve it.
—Tricky power. High chance you can't handle it.
I smirked inwardly at the Secret Book.
—Even if I choke, I wanna eat it first.
Divinity was prime. Even unabsorbable, it'd be useful somehow.
If blind to the situation, his threat might scare. No matter how strong, can't fight a god.
But not now. Greed blinded someone despite the threat.
"Not mercy—greed."
"Means 'bon appétit,' dumbass."
I reached out and yanked the exposed Boreas fragment from the split corpse.
As Boreas panicked, I did the unthinkable.
I straight-up swallowed the candy-sized divinity.
Felt like it wouldn't digest easy. So only one thing to say to Boreas.
"Urk!"