Chapter 808: 300: The Strong Deserve Respect - Part 2

Chapter 808: Chapter 300: The Strong Deserve Respect – Part 2

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No one could influence it unless Prometheus retrieved it himself or its true master allowed it.

Otherwise, even though Apollo was the Principal God of Olympus, he had no way to handle it, much less borrow its power.

Therefore, in helplessness, Apollo had to give up recovering his dignity, watching the demon wander in the Northern Lands, leaving behind only an ambiguous prophecy.

The one to slay the Nomas Lion would surely be a force from humans.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t kill this demon, but the God of Sun foresaw the future; this was a test left for the mortal hero.

...

For the moment, the troubles Apollo encountered were resolved.

Of course, from the final result, it seemed his ‘prophecy’ was indeed fulfilled.

Heracles killed the giant lion as a human, and perhaps later mortals might thus believe that the God of Sun also possessed the ability to foresee destiny.

However, although the Nomas Lion was now slain, Apollo faced yet another hero with an undying body.

Behind every undying one lay certain powerful forces at work, forces even deities found hard to defy.

He knew the flaw of the former well, but what was the latter’s vulnerability?

“Hmm?”

“Ares, so it was you… you finally came.”

Watching Achilles still fighting among the mortal army formations, yet faintly charging towards him, Apollo first frowned and then his expression relaxed.

As a deity, avoiding a mortal’s challenge was not considered honorable, but if he couldn’t break the undying body, Apollo indeed had no way to handle him.

Thankfully, since Ares had arrived, he was no longer needed here.

“You must have heard too, ‘War God Achilles,’ this mortal calls himself by that infamous name… Since you are here now, leave it to you to handle.”

“Being the genuine War God, you shouldn’t be unable to deal with even him, right?”

Speaking indifferently, Apollo put away the silver bow in his hand.

“Hmph, Apollo, I don’t need you to remind me of my own matters.”

With an unfriendly expression, Ares descended from nearby atop his bronze chariot.

Strictly speaking, Ares and Apollo had no grievances, but the War God couldn’t tolerate Aphrodite’s sometimes admiring glances toward Apollo, yet he couldn’t bear to reprimand the Goddess of Beauty.

As for Apollo… if Ares openly rebuked Aphrodite, he actually wouldn’t defend the Goddess of Beauty, but if Ares merely misdirected his anger, Apollo wouldn’t tolerate it either.

Thus, over time, the relationship between the two had soured.

Although it hadn’t escalated into major conflicts, verbal disputes were never few.

“Very well, Achilles is it, I’ll remember you; not even Athens’ Theseus is as arrogant as you.”

“Since you want to be a War God, let me send you to the abyss to achieve it then!”

Ignoring Apollo, Ares’s final shout echoed across the sky, sending birds in the mountains and forests scattering in panic.

With a loud call, the War God summoned his bronze chariot and its four divine horses, then charged towards the battlefield of the mortal realm.

Not everyone in this world had the right to challenge a deity… If he tolerated this, he truly would have no need for the mantle of War God.

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Clang—

Bang—!

As spear collided with bronze sword, the latter was immediately repelled.

On the west side of the camp, Achilles, having fought who knows how long, finally regarded the opponent who had just received one of his strikes.

Having defeated the King of Mycenae in just two moves outside the camp, Achilles found no resistance as he moved along.

Those who dared block him either died abruptly or were gravely injured.

Despite having a military guard, few could withstand his second strike.

Of course, two fists couldn’t fend off a hundred hands; under the suppression of sovereign order, even a demigod hero couldn’t move freely among hundreds of thousands alone, and Achilles wasn’t without failures.

Yet before his unbreakable body, no matter the means employed, it was all but a joke.

“Who are you?”

Vaguely sensing a powerful presence approaching, Achilles wasn’t in a rush.

Since a god had come knocking, he wouldn’t mind this little time.

As for the one who had withstood his strike without harm earlier, despite the aid of military formations, they clearly weren’t ordinary.

“I am Odysseus, King of Ithaca— mighty hero, you shouldn’t be an Athenian, right?”

With his arm slightly trembling, Odysseus was inwardly startled.

He wasn’t one to boast of his martial prowess, but it depended on who he compared himself to.

However, in merely a brief confrontation, Odysseus realized that Agamemnon’s loss was not undeserved.

Even knowing the other’s unbreakable body beforehand, he might only withstand a dozen rounds before defeat.

As for himself, he was even less of a match.

“Odysseus?”

“I’ve heard of you… but whether I’m an Athenian or not, what does it matter to you?”

Nodding slightly, Achilles slowed his steps.

His gaze swept around, and upon noticing him halt, the soldiers nearby dared not venture forward easily.

“Athenians, though rebellious, hold respect for All Gods, and they themselves are devout followers of the Goddess of Wisdom.”

“But your earlier words showed no sign of reverence towards deities.”

“That’s because they have no reason to revere. Once I’ve bested Ares, who the War God is won’t be certain!”

Smirking with disdain, Achilles replied casually.

“The deities were born immortal, how could you possibly compare to them?”

Observing the spear-wielding brute stop, Odysseus felt relieved.

He wasn’t as strong martial-wise, yet since the foe wasn’t an Athenian, perhaps he could persuade him with words.

“Achilles, I’ve heard the Celestial God and Mother Earth were born with the world; without them, there wouldn’t be the world today. Then the Titans Deities perfected all things and All Spirits; with them came mountains, rivers and seas, the Sun, Moon, and Stars.”

“Such creation, how could you compare to it? No matter the strength you possess, how can you match the deities?”

Odysseus’s words were known truths; even Ares, who was rushing over from afar, softened upon hearing them.

Although not directed at himself, as a member of the Deity Race, how could they be compared by mere mortals?

Yet hearing this, Achilles was all the more disdainful.

“Oh, is this your so-called reasoning?”

“Then let me ask you— according to your reasoning, what should be the crime for theft?”

“Naturally, the crime should depend on the value of the stolen item and the identity of the person from whom it was stolen.”

Odysseus replied.

“Is that so… but as I see it, perhaps not.”

Spinning his spear, Achilles laughed loudly.

“I’ve heard that mortals who steal aristocrat’s swords and horses are executed under national law, yet a deity who stole the throne of the Divine Court could become a sovereign King ruling the world; this is the logic of strength over rules.”

“I believe that positions in this world are not fixed, nor is the destiny of all things bound by norms; they’re just waiting for the competent to seize them, and I am that competent one!”

“Come— Ares, I know you’ve arrived, aren’t you the famed War God?”

“Let’s fight here, between you and I; if you win, so be it. If you cannot, then the seat of War God, why not let me have it?”

His voice shook the heavens, causing the clouds to scatter in waves.

Even with all his reasoning, Odysseus couldn’t argue with such a madman.

But now, it wasn’t up to him to resolve this; as Achilles’s ominous words fell, Odysseus heard a furious roar.

“Arrogant mortal— I must kill you!”

Hair bristling with rage, Ares was now livid beyond measure.

If such a madman were left alive, how could he still have the face to sit in Olympus’s Golden Palace?

“Kill!”

Leaping forth from his bronze chariot, Ares brandished his sword.

“You must die, and not just you, but all your kinsfolk, everyone related to you!”

“In the name of the War God, I swear, between the two of us, only one shall remain!”

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