The Mortal God of Olympus Ch.33 (Patreon)

Chapter 33- A True God

AN: Almost 9.5k. Wrote half of it in one day so definitely won't be up to par. Also unbeta'd so...

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One of the more practical functions of my teleportation device was that it let me break out of its predetermined path at any point I wanted. So as I zapped out of the Underworld—tracing the pathway created by my teleporter—I focused outwards at my surroundings, feeling the surface greeting my senses, but kept going until I reached a suitable distance, before finally escaping the thin tunnel of lightning and leaving the House of Hades behind.

The mortal world welcomed me back around 10,000 feet above the ground, and I took in a deep, grateful breath of the refreshingly clear air—a novelty down in Hades’ realm.

My wings flared out in the next instant, and I took off to the Santa Monica beach in a flash of white and black feathers, acutely aware of what was to come.

As much as I wished to be welcomed by my cute little minions—and enjoy their scrambling around me, wanting to hear all about my talks with Hades—I knew there was another surprise waiting for me.

And unfortunately, it wasn’t Sally.

Well, it wasn’t much of a surprise either really. Not after Hades had caught me up to every bit of the latest update in godly business.

'Or, I suppose Ascendant business now.' I sighed.

I would’ve to ask Zeus about this 'Ophis'. Hades had been stubbornly tight-lipped about the entity, and I certainly did not wish to get caught up in the webs of beings I had no hopes of resisting yet.

Still, with the amount of information the God of Dead had been willing to part, it was easy to arrive upon some pretty damning conclusions.

And one of those conclusions was here to greet me in person…

My eyes quickly spotted my query and in a quick flash—that I doubted any mortals on the beach registered—I landed down beside my favorite minions.

"Hello, little morsels!” I exclaimed loudly, a snicker escaping me at the jump their startled figures gave, including the recently back-from-the-dead Sally.

“Like a charm, every time.”

"Mikael!" Though this time the usual annoyance was missing, and—with the sole exception of Sally, whose gaze held much much more—they turned to me with nothing but relief in their eyes.

Completely understandable. I wouldn’t want to be around an Olympian either…if I was still Tier 4 or 5, that is.

Slowly turning to the cause of their tenseness, I inclined my head. "Ares. You're fucked."

The God of War chuckled, half-seated upon his Harley as he observed our little reunion. "I doubt that, kid. I'd thank you for dealing with that mortal cretin, but I fear it might come off a bit too…disingenuous. What with me having to kill you and all..."

I raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Are you sure you can do that right now? It's fine if you want some rest. Must've taken your tiny brain a lot of effort to come up with such big words."

The god's face puckered down, my domain automatically picking up on his growing desire to snap me in half. "You looking for a beating, brat? And here I thought a smart fellow like you would prefer a quick and painless death."

“You only wish that to avoid getting your cowardly hide whipped.” I chuckled, casually turning to my companions. "This place is gonna erupt soon, so take a ticket straight back to the camp.”

I extended a hand and pulled out a stack of hundred dollar bills from thin air. “Get Chiron up to date. Tell him everything, including the betrayal of our macho friend here. And keep the Ares Cabin under control until I come back; tell Clarisse it’s an order from me.”

Sally must’ve sensed my impatience, for she gave a firm nod, her hand on Percy’s shoulder to stop any complaints from bubbling out of his mouth.

A rumbling roar of engine cut us off as a chuckling Ares parked his bike in the middle of the beach, slowly disembarking. “Yeah sorry but your little friends ain’t going anywhere, kid. Can’t let a couple of pipsqueaks ruin the game now, can I? It’s a shame I’ll have to put the mortal out of commission as well. She looks quite a fies—!?”

His words were cut short by a bolt of lightning. With a foot still over his bike, the wide-eyed god was caught completely off-guard as the crackling white bolt took him in chest—which was suddenly covered by a thin layer of darkness a moment before impact—blasting him backwards almost half a mile through the air, directly into the wavy waters, where he plopped down with an audible drop.

I turned back to Sally and the kids. “Your quest is done, Perce; well done. Anna lite, I’m sure you learned a lot on this journey, but know that it is just the beginning. The war I was warning you all along is now upon us. Go and start preparing the camp and do not trust Luke. I shall deal with him in person."

The two hesitated, sharing a glance.

"Go. Now! Sally, don’t let them do anything stupid. I'll deal with Ares and Olympus, and come right back…do not wait up for me. We've got some very busy days ahead of us."

The power of my Authority cleared their trembling eyes, soothing their nerves and giving them a sense of stability…

….And confidence, it seems, for the next moment two trembling hands wrapped around my waist with a desperate intensity.

“Please, come back.” Annabeth whispered weakly, before quickly backing away, her eyes unwilling to meet fine.

My domain picked up on her desire to stay behind, not wishing to lose the last person she considered a true friend…and so much more.

Perhaps it was unfair to encourage her growing feelings, but I couldn’t help putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, a smile curving up on my face. “I will. You better believe it.”

Her cheeks flushed as she nodded.

"Man, am I sad that I won't be here to see the ass-kicking you're about to deliver." Percy—on the other hand—tried to play it cool, clapping my shoulder.

“Percy!” Sally admonished, eliciting a wince from the boy.

Yet, I could see the frustration in his eyes, his weakness galling at him. Even more, I felt the ever-encompassing desire to help, to do something other than escape like a coward…

I suppressed it down with a flex of my will, pulling on his desire to see to his mother’s safety instead.

“Go.”

Sally hesitated, opening her mouth to speak, her eyes flickering to Percy.

“Thank you.” She finally settled, but I knew she wanted to say much more.

I knew because I felt it…her desire; the gratefulness intermixing with something more…impure.

A shame I had no time for anything right now.

With a last parting smile, I waved my hand, wrapping all three in swirling winds that took them away like cradled babes, their startled yell dying away in the swirling tornado.

‘Drop them at an airport.’ I commanded the winds.

[Quest Completed: A Promise Made, A Promise Kept]

• Abide by your promise to Sally and help Percy survive this quest

Rewards: 

• 10 levels

• +1 to all Combat skills

I smiled. ‘Nice.’

Then, with a deep breath, I turned back to face my adversary—just in time to catch him marching back upon the beach, steam escaping from his figure like an overheated engine.

A misty black chainmail—as if sewn together from the dark shadows—was now covering his chest, the gaping hole that my bolt had left having already healed back. Golden ichor was trickling down through the patchwork of shadows but the wound itself was nowhere to be seen.

A fraction of a second later, a few smoldering traces of flames sealed even that bit of hole shut again.

‘Observe’

Helm of Darkness (Divine): Made of Celestial Bronze and forged by the Elder Cyclopes, the Helm of Darkness allows its user to melt into shadows, pass through physical objects unnoticed, unheard, and untouched, and radiate fear intense enough to drive a being insane or dead.

• 30 points to Spirit

• 20 points to all Physical stats

Currently Bonded to: Hades

‘Hah! Knew it.’

Though I did feel a moment of satisfaction at realizing my new weapon surpassed it completely…

With a face twisted and ugly, the God of War came to stand against me.

"No longer borrowing Zeus’ domain, brat?” There was pure rage in his voice, his growing anger barely suppressed by something bitter. “I told them, you know? You're too dangerous to be kept alive. From a weak demigod barely worth notice to a god, your growth was always too dramatic to not impede in our war efforts. Seems like the little dragon got it through her head. Now I can finally bury you before you piss me off even more.”

He peeled the Helm of Darkness off from his chest; it’s shape shifting into an armband that wrapped around Ares’ wrist.

The God of War looked up with a sneer. "Kronos is already on his way to rising, and he has the support that he didn't the last time. A new age is coming, little brother. An age of War and Blood. Unfortunately, you won't be here to see it."

I smirked, feeling the ichor pumping through my veins. "Oh, I doubt that. Who do you think will beat him back to the basement he came from?"

As if it were a sign from heavens above, dark clouds hid the dying sun behind their cover upon my announcement. The next moment, four majestic wings flared out of my back in all their glory; their white feathers with black and blue stripes creating a stark contrast with the suddenly darkened world.

“You, on the other hand..." One mighty flap pushed me high into the air, the world growing smaller beneath, Stormbreaker—for I certainly wasn’t about to use my newest weapon without practice—materializing in my hand as I looked the God of War down my nose. "...need to pick up a fucking weapon."

Perhaps it was the feat of having already killed a god, perhaps it was the talks with Hades—having gone to Hell and back, perhaps yet it was the awe of facing a God superior to Zeus and earning his approval.

…Or maybe it was just my arrogance intermixing with my opponent's mortal form.

But in that moment, as I looked down on Ares, feeling my power and Authority swirling in the air, I saw no threat.

I saw only prey. A fat frothing prey that needed to be put down.

And I found myself declaring "Or You Shall Be My First Victim in This War."

My power demanded him to submit, to lay his head down and be the victim, the prey, he was fated to be.

A shame the War God didn’t wish to take the easy way out.

His own Authority swirled around him, crushing my commands aside.

“Cute.” He chuckled, high and ugly, face twisting in a sneer. "You think killing Hercules makes you so special, don’t you? I'll show you how little it matters. How little you matter."

“Whatever father might say,” He spread his arms wide, a red sword materializing in one hand, a matching shield in the other. “You’re nothing special.”

Then, a full body Armor covered him from head to toe, all flaring crimson, the same shade of blood as his shield. “You’re undeserving of her admiration. And I will show her…what a weakling you truly are.”

Now the one standing under me wasn’t a prey. It was a warrior. Never have I ever seen Ares actually appearing so godly before. Looking at the hulking warrior clad in battle armor, an ever-changing sword in his hand, and a visible divine aura around his figure, you wouldn’t think him the same failure that mythology made him out to be.

Here stood a god of Olympus; Ares, the God of War.

Slowly, with his own Authority rising, he extended his sword forward, its tip pointing at me. “Now Die.”

Neither of us took our immortal forms—not that mine made much of a difference—as we readied to battle it out on the Santa Monica beach.

‘Observe’

Ares

Race: God

Tier: 8 (True God)

Current Tier: 7 (Minor God)

Level: 750 (Divine Form) [Max]

Current Level: 650 (Mortal Form)

Divine Power: 6,150,000/6,150,000

Stamina: 6,530,000/6,530,000

Health: 6,460,000/6,460,000

Stats

Strength: 665 (765)

Speed: 652 (752)

Dexterity: 655 (755)

Endurance: 653 (753)

Constitution: 645 (745)

Mental: 48

Spirit: 615 (715)

I bared my teeth; not quite a smile nor a snarl.

Just a declaration. “Let’s make this quick then.”

With Stormbreaker in hand—its spear form activated, cocked back to deliver a mid-air sweep—I dived towards the ground at the same time that Ares leapt up with a roaring battle cry.

We moved more than a thousand times faster than sound, tearing the very atmosphere apart in a thunderous clap of splintered air and metal as we clashed in the firmament. My spear slammed against the god’s shield, the blow strong enough to almost whack it aside completely. I could see the beginnings of utter shock splash in his eyes, though that did not stop him from using his upward momentum to thrust his sword for my chest.

A ten-layered barrier of magic materialized around my free hand—deflecting the sword away casually—while my spear suddenly leaped up from its blockage, the displaced shield unable to protect the War God as its edge straight for his bared eyes.

There was no Authority or divinity in our physical attacks; both of us simply testing the waters.

Yet, as we tussled in the air, two battles took place at once between us; one, a mundane battle of sword and spear…and the other; the battle of Divine Authorities.

Whilst in their mortal form, a god’s Authority and domain would still be passively shrouded around them, answering to their beck and call. So even as we wacked against each other with our weapons, the godly might present in the air around us engaged in a struggle.

Our Domains encapsulated us inside a halo of power, two differing forces pushing against each other to gain the upper hand, fighting to lay the greater claim upon the world’s reality. Ares’ aura of war, rage, and destruction, fighting against my aura of Holiness, creation, and desire….I was a tad bit embarrassed to realize that my beauty too was trying to actively influence Ares…

The relief I felt upon realizing that he wasn’t being affected was supreme.

Nonetheless, it was a curious thing for me to witness; my newly unlocked Divinity fighting against an Olympian.

Technically, I should’ve been losing. Ares had millenniums of experience using his Divinity. His aura of War, violence, battlelust, and rage…it should’ve turned my mind into mush, made me an enraged beast, crushed apart my own divinity like it didn’t exist.

The situation was even worse when our Domains were taken into account. I was a new god, having just managed to level up my domain recently. Ares was no doubt above Lvl 5, and it showed in the intensity of his rage and elements, powerful enough to influence me the longer I stayed in his sphere…

Yet, I wasn’t quite losing.

Because his sole advantage against me was easily neutralized by a single message from my system.

[Gamer’s Mind: Activated]

All the growing rage disappeared as if it were never there, and even with his stark advantage in Authority and Domain, Ares found himself unable to capitalize.

‘The aura we produce isn’t just dependent on our domain, but also our Divine Authority.’

And my Level 5 Authority, while equal only to a Minor God, was very much capable of matching an Olympian in their mortal form.

Which is why, I found my divinity paralleling toe-to-toe with Ares’.

‘With a little help from Gamer’s Mind of course.’

The point was, the only area where Ares might’ve been able to take advantage was now denied to him. Because in all the other aspects; from physical to spiritual, I surpassed the War God.

By a sizable margin.

And that was shown in the next moment as Ares jerked back, turning his head a shade to the right, hoping to catch the edge of Stormbreaker on his helmet.

But he was a shade too slow, a touch less dexterous, and the blade caught him on his nose, gracing past the opening of his helmet to leave a deep cut in his nostrils. He let out a startled gasp as ichor trickled down his lips, and his moment of distraction further cost him the battle of the air—my leg snapping out to kick him back down the ground.

Ares predicted my attack, yet there was nothing he could do but tank it upon his armored torso…and he failed. Horribly.

The God of War was blasted down into the ground, his godly enraged yell cut off by the impact that was strong enough to form a 100 meters wide crater where he landed, cursing the beach with a minor rumbling earthquake.

Yet, we were moving so fast that the Earthquake barely spread—apart from the initial formation of crater—the mortals still frozen in time; too slow to witness the damage. Too slow to even move.

The first contact was supposed to be a quick test to get to know their opponents abilities, yet I’d handily put Ares through the grinder. It may not have damaged him much, but it would certainly sting his pride.

I smirked. ‘Mikael 1- Ares 0.’

Unwilling to give him any respite, I charged down immediately, two arrays of Holy spears forming on my shoulders.

The enraged god had barely managed to push himself to his feet when I came blazing down with a shower of holiness and a stab straight for his face.

His shield was up in an instant, feet digging into the ground as he blocked the spear thrust.

Stormbreaker and Ares’ shield met yet again with another deep, rumbling gong, the force created by it cracking the already ruined ground at our feet, melting down the sand and breaking apart the crystalline pieces of glasses already formed by Ares’ earlier meteoric crash.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw the tiny pieces of sand and glass slowly moving through the air, almost frozen—their momentum too slow to match our pace.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite over yet for the War God, as the next second my holy spears fell upon his divine personage, the force behind them pushing Ares deeper into the ground. Even without actively supplying my Holy Domain’s Authority to the Spears, they were passively enhanced by my new status, each strong enough to match a True God’s might.

As Ares could testify, I was sure. Even his Divine Armor was starting to form awkward dents in places, my Holy spears—powered by 752 points of Spirit—hitting the god like missiles.

But I had no time to appreciate their power as the War God's counter strike came in the form of an over-headed swing curving above his shield. I swerved away easily, blocking the second attack—a reverse slash—with the body of my spear, before delivering another full powered kick to his shield, making the god quickly back away.

Then he crouched down suddenly, tensing his muscles, before jumping out of the crater together.

I followed without hesitation.

“How…?” He barked, reminding me of Heracles with his bewildered whine. “You aren’t even an Olympian…!”

Absently I realized the god was actually below Heracles’ level….

Then again, I was comparing a mortal form to a Divine one.

‘At least I’m not running circles around him.’

With a snort, I closed the distance between us, once again engaging him in melee. “You’re an arrogant bastard, Ares. That’s how.”

My spear suddenly broke into two pieces mid-strike, and the War God could only hide behind his shield as two twin blades attacked him with brutal efficiency.

“You knew I’d killed Heracles…” One blade tugged his shield aside, the other slicing at his neck—though failing to cut through the amour. “You knew I was good enough to defeat a god…”

He tried to beat me through techniques, feinting in and out of my strikes, using his shield like another weapon, predicting my attacks accurately….

Unfortunately for him, I was just as good, my divine swordsmanship reading through his moves, and my superior physique helping me maintain pressure.

“Yet, you think you’re above me? Simply because you’re an Olympian?”

He tried to summon wild boars as a distraction, yet they weren’t even capable of being nuisances to me, a simple wave obliterating them into gore and blood.

Then I sliced Stormbreaker through the air and a bolt of Lightning hit him on his torso, blasting him away from me.

Ares simply stood no chance.

Oh he was skilled, no doubt about it. Almost as skilled with a sword as I was with a spear. Yet, he had no answer to my numerous abilities; all powerful enough to dent his Armor—restricting his movements.

Even then, he came roaring at me, his divinity palpitating the air, his rage an all-time high. And I engaged him with a smile.

We moved like lightning upon the Santa Monica beach, our strikes shaking the very earth, our power igniting the very air.

Two gods fought upon the mortal land and all they left behind was destruction.

I did my best to limit our destruction around the Ocean and beach, but it was a hopeless attempt. A single stray Holy Spear was able to obliterate the Santa Monica piers, a bolt of lightning blasted apart the Ferris wheel in the distance: putting into motion an explosion; its flames—carrying splinters of burning steel, charred wood pieces, and melted plastic—moving over a thousand times slower than us, the strands of fire and melted objects visible to my eyes.

I knew some people were fated to die in that explosion. And there was nothing I could do, busy as I was preventing something even worse from happening…

What I could do however, was stop playing around. I knew I was holding back; taking pure joy in putting the arrogant god into the mud, hoping to complete my ‘Embarrass Ares’ quest maybe...

Not only did I surpass him in power, physique, and strategy…I was even more skilled with a blade. The only reason he wasn’t already out of commission yet—in spite of me holding back—was due to his completely unfair Armor.

A shred of credit must also go to his uncanny ability in predicting my strikes a fraction of a microsecond before I acted—likely an ability of his domain, cause I doubted I would ever telegraph my moves so visibly—yet that was easily taken care of by the fact that I never gave him a chance to properly make use of his ability.

But the moment I decided to stop fooling around? It was over.

A crackling globe of lightning storm—made of white and gold currents, and the fiercest of winds—materialized around us, extending over ten meters wide, and able to go further at my will. At level 9, its sheer power melted the sands around us, lapping up the crystalline and molted pieces in its ever-swirling grasp, until we were inside a freak sand storm ‘slash’ tornado that was shredding the very earth we stood upon.

Ares had no defense against it.

The lightning was anywhere and everywhere; there was no escaping it.

So fierce were the winds that he barely managed to stay on his feet, one hand coming to shield his open eyes, the other plunging his sword into the ground in hopes of holding on.

…The same ground that was quickly being granulated into fine powder like a brick inside a shredder. The loose sands of the beach had already been stripped off in a ten meters radius, added into the storm to join the ever increasing party; the hard sandstones were the next to go, rapidly disintegrating the longer my Lightning Storm made its presence be felt upon the world.

And in its midst stood I, eyes closed as my power roared. I knew, should I want to, I could extend my sphere to destroy the entire state of California.

Thankfully, I didn’t need to keep it going until we reached the limestone, as Ares’ end came all too soon.

He did get enough time to form his own sphere of fire, but the winds were strong enough to blow them away like a candle’s flame.

And then the lightning tunneled inside his armor; through his open wide helmet, through the tiny chinks and gaps on his armor that my blades cannot reach, through the ever so minute cracks that my beatings had delivered to the god.

And soon, I found myself standing over a kneeling Ares—mouth frothing, eyes disbelieving, body still spasming from shock—letting off Greek expletives in droves as he panted on the ruined, naked limestone.

A radiant white spear of Holy Power, trembling with my Divine Authority, formed in my hand, Stormbreaker going back to my inventory.

“You’re lucky I can’t kill you, Ares.” My words were drowned out under his howls as I lodged the spear into his arm; the storm having widened the small cracks on his armor. “I still gotta be in the good books of our dear family, you see?”

I let the spear vanish.

“Plus, every hand will be needed in the coming war. I won’t let you get away with a little spanking from your mommy this time. Perhaps you can be my slave? Until the war is over? The God of War, subservient of a Minor God. How ironic.”

Ares trembled beneath me, yet I still didn’t hear the ting! of quest completion.

Frowning, I wondered if I needed to push him even more…

Perhaps torture? Not something I would do to a being I didn’t absolutely loathe—and for all of Ares’ faults, he hadn’t done anything to produce that level of hatred yet—but for the sake of a quest, I may just break that limit.

Suddenly I felt a massive amount of divinity coalescing from the downed figure under me.

The God of War was staring up; the fire in his eyes now bleeding ichor, slowly turning golden. His armor, the visible part of his skin….everything was glowing under a golden hue.

Ares was taking his divine form.

“Are you mad?” I backed away slightly, brain scrambling for an answer. “Do you realize what the fuck you’re doing?”

‘Knock him out. Quickly!’ A part of my mind answered.

But how? A punch to the back of his head? With his armor still on? If every punishment I’ve delivered till now couldn’t send him to sleep, what the hell would that do?

Ares pushed himself to his feet slowly, taking deep growling breaths. “Oh I know, you stupid brat. Olympians cannot take their major form for blah blah things. You tell me…”

Ares stood straight now; all the cracks on his armor disappearing away as his eyes burned with a golden fire. “Do I look like I care?”

Kill him! Now! Before he grows too powerful for you!

And make an enemy of the entire Greek pantheon!?

‘Shit, shit shit…’

Suddenly Ares jerked ahead, his already slow transformation seemingly being interrupted. Time slowed down to a crawl, an unnatural chill spreading through the ruined lands of Santa Monica…

“No…I can’t lose.” Ares growled under his breath, eyes closed and straining. “Not to him…I can take the Helm myself…convince Hades…”

His mutterings breathed in me an uncertain idea…

I took out the Lightning Bolt.

‘Observe’

Master Bolt (Divine): Made of Celestial Bronze and forged by the Elder Cyclopes, the Master Bolt is the singularly most powerful weapon ever created in the Greek Pantheon.

• 30 points to Spirit

• 20 points to all Physical stats

Currently Bonded to: Zeus

The first flickers of disappointment were just beginning to set within me when my vision was blocked by another string of texts…

[Temporary Bond established: Spirit scaling down to User’s Level….]

Master Bolt (Divine): Made of Celestial Bronze and forged by the Elder Cyclopes, the Master Bolt is the singularly most powerful weapon ever created in the Greek Pantheon.

• 150 points to Spirit

• 100 points to all Physical stats

Currently Bonded to: Zeus
Temporarily Boned to: Mikael (User)

I felt the power. It was laughably easy to sense, really. The might of an Elder God gracing the mortal lands…

“No!” Ares bellowed suddenly, his amour glowing golden and flawless in his true Immortal form, charging at me in a mad scramble—speed almost too fast for me to react.

Barely a couple of meters away from me—his sword extended to cut me in half—Ares ate a Lightning Bolt in the face. My hands shook as I held the Master Bolt, its power far surpassing anything I’d ever personally experienced as the beam of pure destructive energy discharged out of it, blasting the Divine figure of Ares dozens of miles across the ocean.

[Temporary Bond broken]

The power left me all just as quickly as it had come, leaving behind a huge emptiness where my heart should be, and a deep surreal feeling of awe.

‘...Holy. Fucking. Shit.’

[Legendary Achievement: Greek Gods ain’t Special]

• Objective: Defeat an Olympian before reaching 16

Rewards: 

• 20 levels

Well, great. Could’ve used some Divine skills level-ups tho…

[Angelic Form Leveled Up: 6-Winged Angel]

I held my breath, eyes widening as I slumped down to my knees. ‘Finally.’

The wings unfurled almost softly, bringing absolutely no pain other than a slight pinch as they broke out of my back.

I closed my eyes, feeling their softness against my skin, furling them around me as if hugging myself.

Sensing a different aura wafting from them, I quickly opened my eyes, gazing down…only to witness a thing of absolute beauty.

The bluish stripes of lightning had turned golden, and each strip of gold, black, and white seemed to produce its own luminosity, glowing faintly under the darkening sky.

“Woah…”

[You have now entered 8th Tier: True God]

For a second I simply stared uncomprehending. Then my heart started beating heavily within my throat, eyes disbelieving and awed. Three years of drought, being stuck as a Tier 6 entity…and in a single freaking month I’d swam past to not only become a God, but now a True God.

What percentile would I stand on, if one made a chart of the strongest people in the world? Who cared; I’m a freaking True God is all that matters.

‘Observe’

Mikael

Race: God/Angel/Devil Hybrid

Tier: 8 (True God)

Level: 704

Divine Power: 5,930,712/37,750,000

Holy Power: 5,780,609/37,750,000

Demonic Power: 6,430,712/37,750,000

Stamina: 5,890,070/35,200,000

Health: 35,200,200/35,200,200

Stats

Strength: 734 (30)

Speed: 744 (30)

Dexterity: 734 (30)

Endurance: 704

Constitution: 724

Mental: 55

Spirit: 755

Points: 62

I chuckled. ‘Oh boy…this war is definitely going to be a fun one. But first…’

With little to no hesitation, I put every point into my Spirit, instantly filling in the gaping wound left behind by the Lightning Bolt’s absence.

With a whoop of cheer I took off into the air, blasting away for Ares’ body.

There was still some work remaining before I could properly enjoy my day’s haul.

------------------------------------

My trip back to New York took a single second.

One. Freakin. Second.

The world slowed down as I zoomed across the earth like a flash of lightning, covering over 2500 miles in a single leap.

I was a hurricane, free and mighty; the power of a True God coursing through my veins, eclipsing nature's beauty beneath my own. A powerful flap from my six majestic glowing wings left entire states behind my wake in tenth of a second, disappearing away into the horizon beneath.

It was only when I’d reached my destination that a realization hit me…

The entire series of events since sending my companions away had taken barely more than a minute. Which meant the kids might still just be boarding the plane yet...

‘Meh, they’ll catch up.’

Even with a Tier 1 passenger, they were both powerful demigods with very few beings who could harm them.

Plus the news within my possession was simply too important to delay further.

Especially considering I had a passenger with me, currently knocked out cold and being dragged through the air like a rag doll, his helmet nowhere to be seen.

I came to a gliding halt above the empire state building, before deciding to save time and simply take the direct route.

With a grunt, I tightened my hold on Ares and hoisted him over my shoulders.

Then, with a powerful leap, I blasted upwards, breaking through the clouds and the mystical shield that separated the mortal skies from the kingdom of Gods.

The Olympus was as it ever was; unchanging. Not that I’d want it to change. As I tore through the winds of the beautiful kingdom; feeling the magic and divinity wafting upon my face like soothing silk, I felt my combined accumulated fatigue of the entire day slowly dying away.

The denizens of Mount Olympus celebrated under the dying lights of the Sun with no worries for tomorrow. Looking at them, you wouldn’t believe a world changing war was in motion; a war that might leave their home destroyed and dismantled.

‘They trust the gods’ I realized mid-flight, having slowed down to ready myself—the anticipation of what was about to come on the forefront of my mind. ‘They trust Zeus to never lose.’

…For Divine beings, they were woefully ignorant.

‘Then again, perhaps like the gods, they’ve achieved true immortality as well, unafraid of death even should Zeus lose.’

My attention was dragged back ahead as a group of beautiful sky nymphs—Aurae, I recalled—tried to surround me, even struggling to keep up as they were. With hair whiter than snow, crystalline blue eyes, and draped in silken doric chiton—unclasped, to bare a substantial part of their cleavage—they looked a sight of pure beauty, defining Olympus’ greatest attributes.

Their winking eyes—that ignored Ares—and graceful bodies welcomed me in their embrace, and it was only with a brief help from Gamer’s Mind did I manage to convince myself to move on; giving them a parting wave and speeding up—their dejected cries ignored.

I soon reached the decapitated peak of mount Olympus—peeking at me through the top of the clouds, multileveled palaces clinging to its side.

The home of the gods.

With Ares dangling in my clutches, I made my way through the horizon, heading straight for the top-most palace, the palace of Zeus.

‘It’s time to shake things up a little.’

------------------------------------

The doors to the Throne room opened on their own, similar to Hades' castle.

Absently I confirmed the suspicion that had been brewing in the back of my mind for quite some time now. 'Hades must've modeled the Underworld after Olympus.'

They were incredibly similar in design; it was simply their nature that differed the most.

My heart was unnaturally calm and unshaken as I stepped forth into the Throne room; even the knowledge that I was facing powerful mythological figures given life, especially known for being a bunch of assholes, could not shake my serenity.

But I knew…if there were any beings upon this planet who could tear my calm heart apart, it would be the Olympians.

The room itself was shrouded beneath tense anticipation, its twelve occupants looking like they'd just finished what could only be termed as a barely civil discussion.

Yet, my presence caught their attention at once, the dozen pairs of eyes turning to me. All of them were in their bigger forms, around a dozen feet or so tall, their powerful divinity sitting upon their shoulders at rest.

“Mikael.” Zeus welcomed me with his trademark grimaced smile, eyes flickering to my query absently. “I believe you’ve brought good news for us?”

I ignored the other gods, focusing ahead. "Father, I come bearing gifts."

I threw Ares down on the floors of Olympus, his face banging on the white marbled tile, bouncing painfully.

Then, extending my hand dramatically, I summoned the glowing cylinder of power—which voluntarily left my hand and into the awaiting grasp of Zeus, who seemed to revel upon the reunion with closed eyes; his eyelids trembling a little as if he was about to cry.

“Thank you.” A soft whisper escaped him.

For the longest of seconds I simply received a stunned silence as response from all the other gods present, their eyes flickering at the bleeding mess of Ares—who'd taken just that time to wake up from his power-nap; groaning and mumbling—to the Lightning Bolt that was thundering with power, and finally to me; who stood in their midst, unimpressed by their most ‘gracious’ personage.

The stunned silence was broken by a sudden and deep laughter. I turned to the god sitting a couple seats left of Zeus—as ugly as I was perfect—clutching his stomach as he bent over his fiery throne, eyes shining with tears as he laughed his heart out.

I smiled. "I take it, you liked my present?"

"You...you bet, lad." Hephaestus tried to control his laughter, huffing. "Come to my forge and I'll show you how much I liked it. Better believe there ain't gonna be a single piece of armor better than yours soon."

The ring of notification came, signaling the quest completion.

Yet, I had more important things to do now.

Reaction to an unexpected situation can reveal a lot about an individual. And as the gods of Olympus finally pushed themselves out of their stupor, I kept a stark track of each and every one—quickly sorting them into friend, foe, or potential friend/foe.

It wasn’t simply about my survival, mind you. Now as a True God, I was much more at ease beneath the combined weight of the judging stares all the divinities currently present in the room were giving me. No, it wasn’t them I feared. It was the upcoming war that worried me.

I'd long wondered how—when the long promised war did break out—will the Olympians act. Would they stumble and fall, not knowing what to do in the face of such an unexpected adversary? After all, the last war they'd fought had been thousands of years ago.

Or would they simply squabble and argue the entire war away, undecided on how to act? They’d grown lax and lazy after all, too overconfident in their status as the ‘Olympians’. What were the chances that Ares was the only bad apple in the bunch?

If the big G was to be believed; they were simply a bunch of unruly children that took pride in their wrongdoings.

And if not, if I was wrong about them, would they act like competent commanders instead? Quickly routing out spies, hunting down monsters, digging the bases of their enemy to weaken them before the final showdown...

I did not know. The only being I trusted completely was Hestia, yet Hell would freeze over before I forced her to participate in a war for my sake. That left Zeus and Hephaestus as my natural Allies, beings who would listen to my council. Perhaps Dionysus as well, if he got his lazy ass to work.

The rest....I was unaware about.

'This will mark the beginning of war for eons to come. I need to select my allies carefully. No way will I be fighting beside a whiny little glory hound like Ares.'

After all, if I was to be immortalized in the pages and history, I wanted my legend to include me hanging around with some actually competent beings.

Thus I made it my business to fill the gaps of my ignorance, eyes carefully observing each of the gods.

They were all seated in a large semicircle, giant white pillars of support behind each of them.

At the helm sat my dearest father of course, his eyes having warmed upon my presence at first, were now closed in ecstasy. To his right sat all the male gods, while the left arc was filled up by the goddesses of Olympus.

The king of gods finally opened his eyes, turning his gaze to my other gift.

His lips pursed up thinly as he eyed the downed War God with regretting yet contemptuous eyes. Even without my story, the king of Gods looked ready to accept that Ares had fucked up somehow.

To his immediate right sat a powerfully built god, sea green eyes staring at me carefully; abstaining from the calls demanding for explanation now.

His sun-crinkled eyes ignored the downed form of Ares completely, fixing me with a passive stare, the beginnings of a frown etched upon his brows.

‘Poseidon, the God of seas.’

And also the god whose lover screamed my name at the top of her voice.

I should’ve been awarded an award for not snickering.

‘Observe’

Poseidon

Race: God

Tier: 9 (Elder God)

Current Tier: 8 (True God)

Level: 890 (Divine Form) [Max]

Current Level: 790 (Mortal Form)

Divine Power: 790,000,000/790,000,000

Stamina: 366,490,000/367,500,000

Health: 397,500,000/397,500,000

Stats

Strength: 796 (896)

Speed: 773 (873)

Dexterity: 788 (888)

Endurance: 800 (900)

Constitution: 795 (895)

Mental: 70

Spirit: 795 (895)

Just slightly above Hades then…though I doubted it would make any difference at their level…or perhaps that slight disparity made all the difference? I was too far away from knowing yet.

‘Still banged his woman though...’

Again, my self-control should be globally commended for keeping a straight face.

Beside Poseidon, Hephaestus was just rubbing the tears out of his eyes, a mechanical hand coming from behind his throne to pass him a golden handkerchief to blow his nose with.

To his right sat a blue-eyed muscular figure, his features beautiful in an elfish way, his brows furrowed in a worried grimace. Though he did take some time to shoot me a small smile.

‘Luke’s father.’

Hermes

Race: God

Tier: 8 (True God)

Current Tier: 7 (Minor God)

Level: 770 (Divine Form) [Max]

Current Level: 670 (Mortal Form)

‘Definitely a powerful god…and the most powerful True God I’ve ever observed.’

‘How would he react when I blow Luke up into pieces?’ I wondered.

All such thoughts escaped my mind when they fell upon the next figure however.

With iPod headphones inside his ears, golden shades propped around his forehead that matched his throne and blonde hairs, the god was giving me a look that made strands of my hair stand up.

I felt a fear like I’ve never known, feeling my skin shiver as the god licked his lips, which turned into a wide smile that matched his desire-filled eyes when he realized he had my attention.

I didn’t need to use my domain to know….this bastard was going to try something.

And I realized it might have something to do with my mist-less face. ‘Oh please god, don’t let him be attracted to me.’

‘Observe’

Apollo

Race: God

Tier: 8 (True God)

Current Tier: 7 (Minor God)

Level: 788 (Divine Form) [Max]

Current Level: 688 (Mortal Form)

….And he was probably the most powerful True God currently present, closest to being an Elder God than any present.

‘Fucking overpowered shitstains. Definitely don’t want him anywhere near me.’

Though I still believed I could take him down, should need arise.

Thankfully, the last one on the male side was Dionysus, who simply gave a bored nod to me, twirling a grape vine between his fingers. He only had a glance of exasperation reserved for Ares.

"Boy, you will explain yourself." Suddenly a commanding tone gonged in the throne room, and my eyes flickered to the left side, at the goddesses section.

Also the only ones who had a problem with my presence it would seem.

And the moment I saw her, dislike—unlike any—grew within my heart. I disliked the cold, judging narrow-eyed stare that her beautiful silver eyes gave me. I disliked the way her full, startlingly red lips twisted in a frown. I disliked the extreme beauty her face sported, rivaling that of Gabriel. I disliked the grace in her perfect figure, the sheer increase of desire my domain picked up…from my own treacherous heart.

I disliked the being named Artemis.

My mouth twisted in a sneer; growing bigger the longer I stared at her judgmental, ever so slightly contemptuous eyes that demanded answers.

Just when I was ready to give her a scathing response, hoping to beat down my second Olympian of the day, another goddess answered in my stead.

“What is there to explain?” The amused voice asked; sweeter than honey, an enchanting melody in her tone, more musical than anything I’d ever heard.

My eyes tracked to the owner of the voice involuntarily.

And she did not disappoint.

If her voice was beautiful, the goddess herself could be considered…well, calling her beautiful would be disgrace indeed, the mere thought putting a distastefully bitter twinge upon my tongue.

Words escaped me as I lost my mind for just a second. Otherworldly beautiful, exceptionally desirable, the prettiest woman I’ve ever laid my eyes on, the most beautiful being I’ve ever seen…they all fell short.

Her beauty was simply incalculable.

The one thing that did describe her the best for me was…’More beautiful than Gabriel.’

And that was enough to fill me up with disbelief.

How could any creature be more beautiful and desirable than Gabriel? It did not make sense!

Well…Aphrodite did not make sense either.

All of those thoughts disappeared however when she turned to me; a tender smile curving up on her face, her glittering eyes giving a wink…

For a moment I almost forgot I was alive.

“It is clear what happened.” Her lips moved, dragging my focus upon those perfect, succulent lips, the words simply passing over my mind like wind. “Ares bit off more than he could chew, challenging a god much above his station…would you not agree, Mikael?”

…..Mikael? That…was my name…

[Gamer’s Mind: Activated]

As if waking up from a dream, I shook my head, realizing my mouth was slightly ajar. I closed it with a click.

Aphrodite was still looking at me with a wide, slightly triumphant smile, her perfect face tilted curiously.

The smile died a slow death when all it received was a frown.

“No.” I dismissed the goddess, turning to address the entire room. “Ares was a traitorous cunt who wished to screw you all over. I dealt with him cause I knew most of you would be too useless to do so.”

Then I glanced at Hephaestus. “Plus I had a quest to embarrass him. Doesn’t get more embarrassing than taking your Divine Form and still being beaten, does it?”

Ares chose that moment to try getting up, suddenly springing to his feet, his mouth opening to speak…

I waved my hands over him and he was slammed down upon the floor, celestial bronze manacles materializing around his wrists, sticking to the ground to keep him imprisoned.

I turned back to the gods. “Any questions?”

“Careful now, my young friend.” Hermes spoke out first. “There is no need for such harshness for family, surely?”

Unfortunately…the rest weren’t as polite in their disagreement.

Only then did the squabbling start…and the finger-pointing, and the enraged calls for my arrest, and the speculations of my presence in the hall, raising questions about my worthiness to step foot upon these holy lands….

‘This is my family?’ I closed my eyes, feeling a sudden urge to summon my lightning storm and rampage around the room. The matter of Ares and Lightning Bolt was completely forgotten under their suspicious, disgruntled, entitled, line of questioning.

The discussion over my fate finally came to an awkward silence when Athena opened her gob.

"I believe his mere existence poses us a security risk.” Called out the Goddess of Wisdom. "He is not one of us, not completely. Even now I know we can all feel the power brewing within him...a power we have long forgotten."

A few gods shuffled uncomfortably, and I was surprised to note Zeus being one of them.

My anger grew, a part of my mind almost disbelieving of the filth being spewed in front of me.

“If the existence of a single being poses you such a risk…” My words rang out in the ensuing silence, a sneer clear for anyone willing to hear. “Then you’ve pretty much failed as the gods of Olympus haven’t you? Perhaps you should give your thrones away…I personally think I’ll make a much better God of Wisdom. At least I won’t turn people into spiders out of sheer jealousy…fucking loser.”

Try me bitch. Give me a reason…a single reason to raze this fucking mockery of council into the ground…

The cold gray eyes turned to me, her lips thinning into a line. “I do not pass judgment. I only point out the risk. Insulting me will not take away the threat you pose to the peace of Olympus.”

I laughed, hollow and drained. After a fucking tiring day of fighting, killing, and grave revelations about a war to come…I was arguing about how my existence was a fucking inconvenience….

The incredulity gave way to rage. The Gamer’s Mind came to suppress them but I pushed it aside, letting the anger flame inside me.

Slowly, I whirled around to face all of them in turn. “Look at you ungrateful cowardly worms, daring to question my presence. Did you forget who rescued all your kids when you couldn’t have cared less!? Who made the cabin for children not born from your worthless loins!? Who found father’s bolt and saw it safely returned!? What have you done in the last decade for your people!? Nothing! Nothing, you useless creatures! How dare you question my worth!?”

I was screaming by the end and the venom in my voice brought down a tense, heavy silence, none of the gods willing to meet my eyes. Not even Athena.

Or so I thought, until I realized…

My power was spread across the room; drowning everyone present under it. My hand held the True Longinus, and the raw might of my spirit could be starkly felt by everyone present.

It was shocking to realize the gods were quietened by my power.

‘I’m above a True God now. My raw power matches an Elder God.’

Shit…

“I must say…” Poseidon’s powerful voice rumbled out, sounding amused of all things. “He does have a point, does he not Athena? What have you done to question him?”

It reeked of mockery, but the Goddess of Wisdom chose not to answer him.

I turned to the front, realizing Zeus and Poseidon were the only two who seemed not to care about my insults and accusations.

‘They don’t think I aimed it at them.’

And they were right. Foolish I may have been to burst out like an enraged teenage, suicidal I wasn’t.

The rant I delivered calmed me a great deal, and with a deep breath, I addressed the original question, cutting through the thick wall of tenseness in the air as I turned to Athena. “And if you were so concerned about the peace of Olympus, you’d be a touch more curious on why I have Ares in shackles and on his knees.”

The gods were only too happy to move on from the subject I'd just touched upon.

'Fucking cowards…'

The whispers broke out all at once, rising in intensity quickly, yet the Lord of the house had finally had enough.

“Silence!” Zeus roared out.

And the gods quietened immediately.

“I have heard your complaints.” Zeus grumbled. “Now I shall hear him speak. Mikael, if you will?"

And thus I did.

It was a short tale; straight to the point with no fucks given. My respect for the gods was an all-time low now. I gave the bare bones of the series of events my quest had gone through; the meeting with Ares, the death of Hercules, the adventure into the Underworld…and finally, the reveal of Khaos Brigade and Kronos' fated arrival.

“Hades also said to inform you he would like an audience.” I finished my tale. “’ I’m almost certain that Ophis is pulling the strings, and if so, we must leave our petty rivalries behind’ were his exact words.”

The name drop of Ophis seemed to finally push the Olympians into the desired solemnity.

‘At least they’re taking the threat seriously.’

Zeus was quiet for a long time and the gods patiently awaited his decision. Ares, still shackled and kneeling, raised his eyes towards the Goddess sitting to the left of Zeus.

Hera.

With a jolt of surprise, I realized Hera hadn’t spilled a single word to me since my arrival. The only time she even talked to me—indirectly, at that—was when I accused her of sending Hercules after me, which she denied with a few choice words and went back to her silence.

Even as drained as I was emotionally, it was still a little disturbing to see. The being who I thought had been torturing me since my arrival in America, the being who I completely expected to go ballistic today, the being who had a ready-made excuse to hate me….had absolutely nothing to say when I finally arrived here.

It was only when I—too curious for my own good—extended my domain’s area over her, picking up on her hidden desires, did I realize an eyes-widening theory…

Something I would’ve surely thought was a dream; too illogical to consider. Yet, it was reality, and I knew I would have to deal with it sooner or later…

Not that I wasn't looking forward to it…

“I have decided.” Zeus announced, breaking the quiet. “We are now at war with the Titans again…and this time they have the support of Ophis. I know not why that being would risk the enmity of other Primordials by breaking laws most ancient…but I do know we have some difficult times ahead. Know that I shall not approach Gaia to fight our wars again. But even should I wish to, we cannot face this threat alone. It is time…for some foreign diplomacy.”

He snapped his fingers and an intricately crafted golden scroll materialized within his hands. “Hermes, you will leave immediately with my message to all the other pantheons. Tell them of our plight; I know most will not accept us with open hands, but some will surely band together before it casts its gaze upon them.”

“Lord Father.” Hermes bowed and flickered away.

“Father, this council exists for a reason.” Athena objected with a frown.

“And it will get all the chances to show its worth.” Zeus answered without looking, turning to the kneeling figure of Ares. “You all will. But first, we have some things to deal with.”

For the first time since my arrival, Hera’s cold façade cracked. “Zeus, please…let me handle him.”

He paid her no mind either.

"Ares, my most worthless son, you have erred for the last time. As the king of Olympus, I strip from you your divinity. Go, live through this war that you've brought upon us as a mortal. Mayhap you may just learn something worthy of a War God."

His Authority flashed supreme, giving me just a glimpse of its enormity, a feeling that would not leave me for years to come.

“No…no, please…No!”

The desperate screams belonged not to Ares—who simply melted through the floors of Olympus to fall upon the mortal world, too stunned to do anything—but from Hera, who went as far as to contest the Authority of her king.

It was of no use, for the King of Gods simply pushed her back to her seat.

I didn’t need to look around the throne room to feel my fellow gods’ shock.

“Father Zeus…” Athena’s voice alone rang in the silence left by Hera’s sobs. “Was it wise to do so at such a time? Useless though he may be, we need a God of War to lead the charge.”

“He would’ve been nothing but a hindrance.” Zeus waved her away, before his eyes fell on me. “Besides, we already have a god that shall lead our charge.”

The implications dropped another bomb of surprise on me, even through my mushy brain. Only the system’s rings of notification told me that I wasn’t dreaming.

“Tell me Mikael, how would you like to be our envoy to the three-factions as a brand new god of Olympus? What did you declare yourself as back then….?

“Ahh, yes…The Mortal God of Olympus.”

------------------------------------

AN: Done. Like I said, I'm taking a 3 days break before I grow worse and my writing suffers even more.

I had a lot of things planned for this; especially for Ares, who def wasn't supposed to go out like a chump, and the godly meeting that was supposed to be more detailed. But...yeah, just wasn't able to. 

Let me know what you thought of the chapter, what scene could've used more fleshing out etc. Also if you see any glaring error, ooc interactions, or just plain rushed.

Appreciate all the support I've received. Seriously. 

That's all for now, see ya lot in the next post. Take care and peace!

P.S: Old A.N, no break needed.