Several dayster, on the lush deserted ind.
The rosy twilight bathed the ind, and the sea breeze brushed gently.
In the sleeping chamber, Thetis let out a soft murmur, awakening from her slumber, stretching her limbs within the confines of a giant mshell.
The stiffness of her divine power and the weakness of her body jolted her to the realization of her predicament, prompting her to sit up and open her eyes to assess herself and her surroundings.
Thankfully, nothing was amiss.
Her neatly dressed attire, the familiar furnishings of the room, and theck of any trace of an outsider''s presence, allowed the Ocean Goddess to breathe a sigh of relief. Her tense body rxed against the mshell, and a trace of fondness grew inside her for a certain figure who annoyed yet amused her.
That little rascal, though flippant in his ways, at least had some integrity, truly not taking advantage of one in a vulnerable state.
It wasn''t in vain that she had taken the risk to save him.
"Awake? Would you like toe out and eat something?"
Just as Thetis was lost in thought, a gentle inquiry drifted in from outside the hall.
The Ocean Goddess looked up at the wall and door where several Hermes Script symbols formed eye shapes, giving her a feeling of being subtly spied upon. Her face stiffened, and she instinctively pulled her slightly low neckline higher, criticizing inwardly.
Alright, there is a line, but not by much…
On the open ground before the great hall, Luo En, hearing the door being pulled open, looked up and saw the graceful figure approaching him. He reached for a rabbit, grilled to a golden crisp on the fire, and smiled as he offered it to her.
"Here, I just made this; try it."
Thetis pursed her lips, sat down after bending her knees, and epted the other''s gesture of goodwill, cing it in her mouth ready to make a symbolic taste.
However, as the savory strands of meat touched her pte, the Ocean Goddess widened her mouth and decisively picked up the pace of her eating.
Not bad, worthy of being a Lesser Deity under the Goddess of the Hearth, Hestia.
Moreover, having slept for so many days, she was truly hungry.
"To prevent any idents, I left a few protective spells inside your sleeping chamber, my apologies for the intrusion."
"Hmm," Thetis nodded slightly, neither approving nor disapproving.
"Seeing you awake safely puts my mind at ease. I must also thank you for your assistance earlier."
"No need for thanks, helping you was also helping myself," Thetis responded after swallowing a piece of the rabbit meat, looking up at Luo En in front of the fire with anguid expression.
"If you and the others could just visit my father''s and sister''s homes less often in the future, I would be extremely grateful."
Hearing this remark tinged with a hint of grievance, Luo En couldn''t help but feel a bit embarrassed. Stay tuned with empire
It seems the wool he had sheared before was a bit too much; the Queen of the Sea and the old man of the sea probablyined quite a bit in Thetis''s ear.
Butints aside, it was better than having a knife in the back.
Given the Ocean Goddess''s demeanor and actions, she clearly intended to represent her father''s and sister''s family, showing a desire to make amends with Crete Ind.
After all, the powerful Poseidon of the oceanic gods was still incarcerated, Antis had already sunk, the three-headed giant with a hundred arms was squatting permanently at the doorstep of the sea deities, and the recent Gigantes rebellion in Thessaly hadn''t been reassuring, raising concerns.
The Queen of the Sea''s family, now holed up at home, and the old man of the sea, were likely as skittish as scared birds, fearful this could be a signal from Zeus to make a move against them.
And in such uncertain times, it was even more important not to give others a handle to use against them.
Otherwise, the slightest misstep could bring a disaster upon the Sea of Okeanos.
For instance, if something were to happen to her—a Lesser Deity closely linked to the Chief Gods—while at sea, the Queen of the Sea''s family and the old man of the sea, already at odds with Crete Ind, would undoubtedly be the prime suspects.
By then, no amount of talking could clear their names.
No wonder this woman, even after saving him, appeared so detached and cool.
Was she coerced into it after all?
Luo En momentarily didn''t know whether tough or cry, then a sincere smile spread across his face.
"Next time, you could visit the human city-states along the coast, my treat; I promise you will be well taken care of."
Seeing the person opposite had understood her intention, Thetis''s expression also rxed quite a bit, and she nodded slightly.
Honestly, because her father was a peacemaker and a lover of routine, she also didn''t want to make enemies with the other deities.
So, if there were things she could help with, she would help.
It was best if everyone minded their own business and continued to lead their peaceful lives.
Besides, the taste of this roast meat and mushroom soup was really good...
Thetis put down the skewer in her hand, sipping the savory thick soup from her bowl, feeling utterlyfortable in body and mind.
However, just as she was preparing to focus on enjoying this peaceful time, the night sky, which had already darkened, started showingrge swathes of strange crimson. Dark red lightning struck down towards the sea surface, whipping up a raging ether storm.
What''s going on?N?v(el)B\\jnn
Thetis, who had been drinking soup, couldn''t help but twitch her eyelid and looked up toward the strange phenomenon, waves of confusion rising in her heart.
Ssh~ Ssh~~!
In the sound of water that rose and fell, the exceptionally active schools of fish began a frenzied tearing at each other, with the fierce-looking Sea Beasts surfacing, charging at one another.
Influenced by the scent of blood in the water, the creatures became excessively frantic, engaging in a desperate, bloody skirmish as if they were Soldiers who had drunk their courage for the battlefield, unleashing the enraged will forced upon them onto their foes.
"Come out! Show yourself, you scum of the sea!"
The tempestuous roars echoed louder than thest as a burly figure holding the Golden Sword stood at the center of the blood-colored storm, furiously shing at the sea surface.
With each rune on the sword''s body shimmering and shifting, ribbons of blood-colored light fell sharply like Sharp Swords, the surging Magic Power creating rainbow-like streams of light upon contact with the air.
It was breathtakingly beautiful, yet extremely dangerous!
The surrounding seawater boiled over, and the inds in its path began copsing one after the other.
The intense tremors also reached the feet of the two individuals.
— Sword of the War God!
Seeing this scene, Thetis''s face changed dramatically.
— It''s Ares!
Why would he cause trouble in the Sea of Okeanos?
Suddenly, the Ocean Goddess seemed to recall something, abruptly standing up and intently staring at a particr figure opposite her.
"What have you done?"
"What? Isn''t he looking for you?"
Luo En blinked, pretending to be clueless and innocent, hoping to bluff his way through.
"One can disguise their appearance, one can mislead with false origins..."
Clearly, as a sage among the Ocean Nymphs, Thetis was not as easily deceived as Hestia.
"You seem to possess some sort of blessing from the ocean, and your injuries, were they caused by the Divinity of war?"
The Ocean Goddess, recalling the scene from their first encounter and looking at the wildly raging Warrior King in the heart of the blood-colored storm, trembled slightly in her voice.
"So, what exactly have you done to him?"
"Uh, we had a small... altercation," Luo En reluctantly admitted when he saw he couldn''t keep the truth hidden any longer.
"And then?"
"I identally killed his incarnation..."
Upon hearing this, Thetis felt darkness before her eyes and nearly fainted.
Disaster!
Why did I, on a whim, pick up this cmity and bring it home?
In this moment, the Ocean Goddess realized she''d inadvertently gotten herself entangled in a massive problem and, looking at the culprit before her, her guts twisted with regret.