Chapter 841: 323: Open and Aboveboard

Chapter 841: Chapter 323: Open and Aboveboard

“””

Chaos World, the gods’ sense of time was always quite loose.

A day or a month, several months or a year, to them, it made no difference.

Unless something major happened, besides fulfilling their godhood, almost all deities appeared very casual.

Even the ‘work’ of godhood was only necessary for those like Apollo, who needed to personally wield their power through a Divine Artifact.

Otherwise, for the True Gods who held authority, they had ten thousand ways to solve problems.

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Of course, where there is a norm, there are naturally exceptions.

For example, the God of West Wind, the Divine King’s most loyal subordinate, who ran between the Mortal Realm and the Mount of the Gods.

Having witnessed the Nine-Headed Snake being suppressed, and not having time to give Heracles his next instruction, Zephyrus hurried back to the Mount of the Gods.

And now, just as the trouble caused by Achilles ended, without any time to enjoy a long-awaited feast, he once again set off for the Mortal Realm.

The matters on Olympus were just temporary accidents; Heracles was the one that needed his attention.

Especially since the Divine King had told him he had arranged a companion for that mortal hero.

Although he didn’t know who that person was, since Zeus had mentioned it, Zephyrus naturally dared not slack off.

As the number one subordinate who thought as the Divine King thought and was quick to act on the Divine King’s urgent matters, the God of West Wind never dared to neglect Zeus’s instructions.

“Then the question arises, not to mention where that companion is now, the key issue is… where did Heracles run off to again?”

With a look of helplessness, invisible air currents lingered above a swamp, then took human form.

Zephyrus’s gaze wandered back and forth but found nothing.

This was where the Hydra had been defeated before, and even the wandering winds had brought back a definite answer.

Under this swamp, Hydra was being suppressed in pieces.

Its poison blood flowed continuously, seeping into the earth.

If a toxic swamp appeared elsewhere in the Mortal Realm in the future, perhaps it would be due to the Hydra’s blood surfacing through the earth’s movements.

All of this was done well, even Zephyrus himself couldn’t have done it better in the Mortal Realm.

However, what annoyed him greatly was that the hero who accomplished all this was once again nowhere to be found.

“… Can’t find him again…? Even though I didn’t come in time to find him, doesn’t he know to wait in place for a while?”

“Without a god’s guidance, how could your trial proceed?”

The God of West Wind never expected that not only in the northern jungles but also in the southern wilderness swamps could someone be lost.

By rights, it was an issue with Zeus’s mid-interruption task assignments.

But apparently, the Divine King wouldn’t be wrong, and Zephyrus couldn’t use this as an excuse.

So after complaining in his mind for a moment, Zephyrus adjusted his attitude.

Just finding someone, it was no big deal; it wasn’t the first time anyway.

Moreover, having learned from the last lesson, this time, he had left a contingency plan.

With a slight smile, thinking of this, the God of West Wind was somewhat smug.

Unlike some gods, he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

Among the immortal gods, this was already quite an excellent quality.

With a slight sense, it wasn’t long before Zephyrus linked to the mark he had left in advance.

Positioned to the east, it seemed near the coast.

“In… this direction.”

“But it seems he has stopped. Did he enter a city?”

Making a judgment without hesitation, the God of West Wind immediately turned and headed in the direction of his sense.

In the entire Mortal Realm, there wasn’t a city he couldn’t enter.

Even Athens was a bit troublesome, but as long as he didn’t cause trouble, a mere Divine Artifact without an operator probably wouldn’t notice his presence.

Best to quickly locate the counterpart, arrange tasks… then take the opportunity to rest for a while.

······

Whoosh—

Crossing mountains, leaping over rivers.

Invisible air currents flowed among the clouds, and ant-like creatures wandered below.

After an unknown distance, at a certain moment, Zephyrus finally sensed his mark close at hand.

As expected, Heracles should indeed be ahead, as no one could silently disturb a mark left by another god without being noticed.

“But…”

“But no one told me how he dared to go in there?!”

Transforming from invisible to visible, Zephyrus, suddenly appearing atop a treetop, startled a flock of birds.

Desperately flapping their wings, the birds hastily left the nearby trees, but the God of West Wind had no time to pay attention to these at the moment.

Standing on the tree, with eyes gazing far into the distance, it seemed as if, after just having crossed an invisible barrier, a massive shadow stood at Zephyrus’s field of vision’s end.

Floating mid-air, twelve towers rotating clockwise.

Built upon the earth, a magnificent cluster of structures stood.

There were no outermost city walls, only an avenue and a gateway running through the central axis.

Zephyrus knew why, because these blasphemous Sin People deemed themselves the chosen children, faithful believers protected by the ‘Lord.’

They believed that ‘a city without defense’ meant a truly powerful kingdom didn’t need city walls to repel enemy assaults.

If a kingdom had enemies at its gates, it only proved it was doomed to destruction due to weakness.

And in this world, no kingdom was stronger than they were.

“Silver Moon City, indeed just like that Achilles…”

He murmured softly, the massive city before the God of West Wind only revealing the tip of the iceberg.

Just as before crossing a certain barrier, Zephyrus’s vision held no sight of this city.

Standing outside the city now, he couldn’t see the city’s specific scenes.

According to unreliable rumors, it supposedly was a certain Goddess who had intentionally bestowed the city with the ability to be cloaked by the Mystery Lock.

Because she had heard that Helios, who was the then-master of the Sun Chariot, had a hobby of spying on secrets across the earth whenever he drove the Divine Chariot.

But this had nothing to do with Zephyrus; it was just some visual trickery.

What really troubled him was what his next step should be.

According to the location indicated by his mark, Heracles was right inside this city.

However, the God of West Wind could be sure this city absolutely didn’t welcome the gods of Olympus.

And even if that weren’t considered, just the Mystery Lock covering the plains left Zephyrus feeling powerless.

The Divine King had once told him personally, that under the Great Divine Power, no god was confident enough to defeat the God of Magic Net in the Mortal Realm.

So, fundamentally, entering the city’s interior left him with only one choice.

“The Bronze Gate…”

Gazing into the distance, within the city, the God of West Wind’s vision was all fuzzy.

Yet, there was one clear thing there—a tall bronze-cast archway.

The Bronze Gate, Zephyrus had heard of this name, not only because many spellcasters who had visited Silver Moon City for learning had spread its fame but also because of what this gateway represented.

After all, the outermost portal piercing through Silver Moon City’s central axis was named this way to commemorate the truth of history.

They wrote the Bronze Age’s history on it, recording each god’s and man’s accomplishments and sins.

The Fire Thief Prometheus, the treacherous priest, the Divine King’s cold indifference… even Zephyrus himself appeared on the bronze gate’s mural.

That was real history, though only in the eyes of humans.

It depicted the god’s baseness, as well as humanity’s greed and foolishness.

But even so, the God of West Wind still felt somewhat uncomfortable.

“Heracles… I hope he hasn’t believed these rants.”

“If it really comes to it, I’ll just have to tell him he is indeed the Divine King’s noble son, different from those mortals.”

Hesitating for a moment, Zephyrus was momentarily at a loss.

Without the ability to enter directly, he could only choose to enter Silver Moon City through the proper gateway, then quickly pull Heracles out.

“Next time, next time I’ll definitely remind him not to wander into some places… But then again, there won’t be a next time after all.”

“After all, besides Silver Moon City, only a realm of the original gods can hold me back.”

Shaking his head slightly, Zephyrus thought he might be overthinking.

He then once again became invisible, with gaseous swirls in the sky, transforming into a bird perched on a treetop.

As the proper gateway, The Bronze Gate allows outsiders to enter.

Just that this portal, also the node linking the Mystery Lock’s hub, will automatically identify the identities of those who come close.

It recognizes those whose strength is too immense, then warns the city’s inhabitants beforehand.

But for this part, Zephyrus wasn’t too concerned.

According to the usual experience among the gods, as long as he shifts forms and restrains his Divine Power, no one would discover his identity.

Even Hera had once been deceived by Zeus disguised as a cuckoo, let alone this site being merely an inanimate object.

“Chirp chirp—”

Calling twice, the God of West Wind prepared to soar.

But at this moment, the bird he transformed into suddenly turned its head.

And not far behind him, there was another entirely jet-black bird steadily watching him.

“…”

“Tsk.”

“Such a bold bird.”

After observing for a moment, Zephyrus detected no abnormalities.

After all, there were plenty of birds here in the first place; hadn’t he startled a flock upon his arrival?

Just that this bird was indeed a bit brave, as even when the God of West Wind met its gaze, its eyes gave Zephyrus a mocking feeling.

Being despised by a bird? What would it despise, it couldn’t be the level of my transformation?

That’s impossible, not to mention it’s just a bird.

And speaking of his own skills in hiding and shape-shifting, these were famously formidable.

Whoosh—

Bang!

With a light flap of wings, without bothering with a bird, the God of West Wind calmly unleashed a seemingly gentle yet in truth powerful airflow.

But a moment later, that unknown black bird was reduced to nothing but a pile of feathers.

Its eyes too were ground to dust, no longer able to stare at him.

“Very nice.”

Shaking his head, seeing this scene, Zephyrus felt satisfied.

But now that this unwise bird was dead, he ought to set off.

Staying longer, who knew what Heracles might encounter inside.

Thinking of this, the God of West Wind soon took a light leap, heading directly for the distant bronze archway.

The treetop thus swayed gently, but shortly after, peace returned once more.