The Greece Antagonist

Crete Island.

As an outpost where the land stretched toward the ocean, it witnessed the glory of the Minoan civilization, welcomed prosperity, and also experienced a crushing defeat in the war with the Kingdom of Atlantis, submerged beneath huge waves.

As time passed, the scars of war gradually faded, and the island, after a century of changes, had slowly recovered its vitality.

However, at this moment, the Sea of Okeanos, once a sworn enemy in the distance, had lost its former silence and tranquility.

Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and fierce thunderbolts snaked downward, piercing the sea's surface like sharp spears, continuously stirring the water.

The blood-red setting sun cast sinister afterglow on the sea, as if the ocean itself was bleeding. Countless fish, Sea Beasts, and those of Divine Blood lineage didn't even have the chance to scream before they were struck dead on the spot by the thunderbolts.

With the surging seawater, a strange red tide raised massive waves, flipping the horrifying corpses over, nearly covering the surface of the sea.

Flee!

Accompanied by the instinct to survive, this single thought etched itself into their minds.

Countless fish, Sea Beasts, and those of Divine Blood lineage from the Sea of Okeanos, carried by the huge waves, fled in panic, trying to reach the nearby deserted islands and land, escaping the unusually dangerous sea.

However, by the time the herds of sea creatures reached the nearest Crete Island, they were entirely stunned to find that this land, once hostile to the sea, had also become unrecognizable.

The raging rivers had long since dried up, their beds broken apart, revealing dark voids, while the fertile land on the plains dissolved inch by inch in the onslaught of the red and black Aether Storm.

Sandstorms raged, all greenery and vitality ceased to exist, and from the gaping fissures in the earth, wild torrents burst forth. Panic-stricken animals and Magic Beasts flooded into the ruins of Knossos City, gathering around the towering Great Temple.

Moments later, the entire Crete Island had become an expanse of water, and the only remaining Great Temple, like an isolated island floating atop the deep sea, saw the few fortunate animals and Magic Beasts that managed to take refuge there trembling at the sudden apocalyptic disaster.

Puh, puh, puh, puh!

But soon, the four corners of the temple's high platform were leveled by a new Aether Storm, and the hundred-odd animals and Magic Beasts on the outskirts exploded into clouds of blood mist, crushed into a pulp, while statues of owls about to take flight turned to dust.

The scene before them also drove the animals and Magic Beasts to despair; they frantically squeezed into the Great Temple, hoping for some divine protection.

But the Great Temple had long since fallen into decay, and the Great Mother Goddess had long since departed.

The spark of belief no longer existed, the deities no longer watched over this land, and no miracle that the beasts desired would occur.

As the crimson Aether Storm swept through mercilessly, the temple's bricks and stones were disassembled, inch by inch, and the exposed beasts instantly dissolved in the terrible halo.

Their futile struggles only prolonged their dying breaths by a few minutes.

Meanwhile, in Athens.

The old and weak, who had retreated to corners of valleys and walls, were brimming with despair in their eyes, and within that despair, was a gathering of prayers.

Above their heads, the sky's barrier was thinly luminous, the twinkling stars obscuring the Sun's brilliance, clearly visible, meteorites fell from the Star Sea, fiercely burning as they struck Greece in various places, bringing intense explosions and tremors...

In front of them, the Acropolis of Athens was littered with horrific marks, already riddled with holes, with a third of the walls and areas collapsed and succumbed.

And the scene outside the city was even more horrifying to behold.

The wilderness, a visage scarred;

Buildings, belching thick smoke;

Brick walls, torn asunder, collapsing...

Crimson Aether Storms swept through, and the sporadic resistance soon crumbled with creaking noises, becoming playthings in the giants' grasp, ripped to shreds.

Through the dense smoke and flames filling the sky, looking into the distance, the land seemed as fragile as cardboard, crisscrossed with miles of fissures, their depths unseen...

Mount Etna and other volcanoes erupted in fury, their ash scattering into the sky, dark-red lava spilling forth unchecked, melting all life in its path...

Thessaly, Sparta, Mycenae, and other coastal cities have been inundated by the flood, submerged in a vast ocean, with frenzied Sea Beasts charging ashore, sparking turmoil...

Thebe, Arcadia, Calydon, and other forest-covered regions witnessed hordes of Magic Beasts fleeing their habitats, rushing towards human cities, venting their fear and panic through destruction and slaughter...

Gazing upon the apocalyptic scene and the colliding forces in the sky, frail humanity could only shiver behind the Citadels or surge into the Temples, praying for the rapid end of this divine retribution that resembled the wrath of the gods.

Oh, the gods, please quell your anger, have mercy on us.

However, the phenomenon in the sky grew increasingly intense, and the miracle never occurred.

Instead, what this plea attracted was an even deeper despair.

"Life is a thing destined to end, a pilgrimage of accumulated pain, with ancient eyes and fragile limbs, existence will inevitably lead to nothingness, birth is but for destruction, how sorrowful, how laughable…"

In Thebes, among the lambs cowering behind tall walls, a mocking voice with a nasal tone echoed through the crowd.

The sadness of being weak, the pain of being separated from loved ones, the powerlessness of one's own birth, aging, illness, and death… all sorts of misfortunes and grievances grew in people's hearts.

In this atmosphere of despairing tragedy, a goddess with red hair cascading over her shoulders and a pair of black wings fluttering behind her, walked as if through poppy fields, lifting her skirt elegantly, seeming to relish the scent of strife, chaos, and bloodshed in the air.

This was once the Holy Land of the Goddess Harmonia, where harmony prevailed. Now, there was only rampant fear.

"Beg for mercy! Whisper your fears!"
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The figure that had the visage of a goddess but acted with the malice of a demon, stood blasphemously atop the head of a statue in the Temple, looking down at the throngs below, speaking thus,

"It's time to drown in this boundless sea of suffering!"

In an instant, The Blasphemer's tempting lips curled into a sinister smile, her malicious gaze peering down, myriad tendrils of crimson mist rising from carcasses, from debris, from the living, wafting upwards.

Suddenly, a chilling and malevolent oppression filled the air, the surging red-black blood fog, at times cohesive, at times dispersed, suspended overheard.

In the center, within what seemed to be a blood clot shaped like an embryo, ominous and savage eyes peered out, surveying the trembling lambs in the city. Misshapen arms extended from the blood fog, flailing about; the malice, turmoil, and unrest seeping into souls were nearly suffocating.

"Come, embrace your… one true salvation!"

The Goddess Eris murmured tauntingly, a malicious smile on her pretty face, her slender fingertips lifted high, as the overwhelming scarlet blood fog, like scalding lava, was on the verge of pouring down!

Having tired of playing with those grotesque creatures from the Primordial Ocean, she planned to stir up an interesting conflict in this city-state, where she had failed to cause trouble several times before, in the Holy Land of her old adversary, the Goddess Harmonia.

And facing the malice of the deities, the feeble lambs trembled with despair in their eyes.

"Buzz! "

At that moment, a majestic and obscure hum emanated from the statue beneath Eris's feet. As if flames of gold ignited fiercely, the sacred blaze burned away the blood fog of discord, delivering heart-wrenching pain to the spiteful goddess. It penetrated her flesh and struck her soul.

"Agh!"

Eris screamed, sensing a familiar presence, and felt a mix of sorrow and fury.

"It's you again!"

In response, the image of an arm holding a golden chalice tipped to pour appeared in the sky.

The rich crimson wine rained down, dissipating the blood fog gathered within Thebes.

Almost immediately, strands of green vines exploded into growth upon the ground, and bunches of purple grapes burst open, filling the air with a thick fragrance of wine.

It intoxicated and calmed the onlookers.

Conversely, to Eris, the wine from the golden chalice was like poison, like sulfuric acid—every drop that fell on her brought screams of burning torment.

Quickly, the bruised and battered goddess of strife fled amidst the shower of wine, leaving behind a spiteful threat after her screaming retreat:

"You just wait, this isn't over!"

Are we, are we safe?

The survivors of Thebes gazed blankly at the statue in the temple, noting its peculiar shape surrounded by the heads of various animals: goats, the Great Whale, bulls, wild boar, white horses, and eagles...

He had horns on his head, his hands were entwined with grapevines, and his feet resembled the hind legs of a goat.

In a daze, they remembered the name of this deity.

—Lord of Delight, Dionysus, the God of Wine.

In this land, he had borne censure, endured exile, but still he responded with kindness to their prayers, blessing the living and protecting feeble lambs from harm.

"Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!"

At the same time, several flares like furnace fire lit up on the altars dedicated to Dionysus in various city-states. The golden halos formed impenetrable barriers, warding off magic beasts from the wilds, giant waves from the sea, and storms from the sky, allowing the terrified lambs a moment to breathe.

But the catastrophe in the sky continued, the fury of the gods had not subsided, and a strong unease still weighed heavy on their hearts.

Prayer became the only thing they could do.

Lord of Delight, please bestow your mercy upon this troubled world once more, grant us the Paradise of joy and relaxation.

The helpless lambs knelt together, pleading in unison.

The voice of one person, the voices of millions.

The ancient words of consecration echoed among the crowds.

"Our revered king,

may your name be sanctified.

May your kingdom come,

may your will be done on earth,

as it is in heaven.

Our daily bread,

give to us today.

Our joyful wine,

let us feast on it today;

lead humanity not into temptation,

but deliver them from evil.

May majesty, joy, and feast, accompany you;

divine wisdom, divine power, and divine love, be with you;

the kingdom, the power, and the glory, all belong to you.

—From eternity past, to the present, and forevermore!"

The seekers of salvation chanted at the altar's fires, sacrificing themselves as fuel, uniting their flames into light, converging towards the peak of War God Mountain and illuminating the dark night.

In the square above, the Lord of Delight holding a golden chalice bathed in the golden torrent of faith, listening to the countless prayers whispering in his ear.

His divine power and status were crafted by the faith of the people.

Now, the time had come for him to settle the score.

Luo En smiled wryly, emptying the remaining wine in the Golden Holy Grail in one gulp.

Stairways of stardust sprouted under his feet, leading directly to the stormy heights of Mount Olympus.

Amidst the calls of the lambs and the watchful eyes of the War God Mountain's deities, the bringer of joy and peace rose to his feet and strode resolutely toward the final battleground.

—If humanity uses their bodies as fuel, their united flames as light, to hold torches for me;

—Then I shall forge a new Paradise here!