To seize something, one must first offer something.
If Eros wanted to break through the tangle and contradiction in Styx's heart quickly, he needed to present something powerful enough to shake her.
The moment Eros pulled out the divine essence of Pallas, Styx froze completely.
In a split second, all the thoughts in her mind came to a standstill, then churned into a chaotic mess.
It wasn't because she held some deep obsession toward Pallas. If that were the case, she could have begged Zeus to release Pallas from the Abyss long ago.
But the sudden appearance of a name that had long vanished from her life instantly disrupted her thoughts.
Especially when it appeared in the hands of someone she felt incredibly conflicted about.
Her brain shut down on the spot.
If your current ambiguous lover suddenly took out your ex-husband's ashes...
Anyone would be stunned.
"Where did you get this?"
For the moment, Styx didn't feel joy, only deep confusion and chaos.
"That's a long story," Eros said.
He placed the divine essence on the table and gave a brief summary of what had happened recently.
To prevent Amphitrite from becoming Sea Queen and falling into the hands of that silver-bug Poseidon, Eros had taken the initiative.
But just as he was about to succeed, Typhon suddenly appeared, claiming Poseidon had once violated its wife.
Then Eros accidentally fell into the depths of Tartarus and encountered the Titan god Crius.
Thinking of Styx, he went through much effort and negotiation to trade for Pallas's divine essence from Crius.
After many hardships and a bit of fortune, he finally crawled out of Tartarus and came here to find her.
At a glance, the story seemed reasonable, though it left out quite a few details.
Even knowing how smooth-tongued Eros could be, Styx still felt her heart waver and believed him about seventy to eighty percent.
"No no no!" Hypnos shook her head rapidly, utterly in disbelief.
"That's Tartarus we're talking about! A prison no one can escape. You're just a mere human!"
"You're obviously lying again, making up stories!"
Having been tricked by Eros multiple times, Hypnos had grown a little sharper.
She didn't believe a word he said.
But Styx believed it. After all, she had personally witnessed Pallas being thrown into Tartarus.
Whether Eros had gone there himself or pulled strings to retrieve it didn't really matter.
She wasn't the type to pry into other people's secrets.
More importantly, she was now overwhelmed by a different emotion.
Why would Eros go to such lengths for her?
Originally, his teasing and flirtation, while stirring, hadn't crossed any real lines.
They'd kept things casual, just some playful back-and-forth.
But now, without a word, he'd taken out something like this, and it was hard not to wonder about his true intentions.
We were just having fun, but you want something serious?
For a moment, this forbidden thought surfaced in Styx's mind.
She'd never minded Eros flirting with her sisters, or even herself.
That was just the way things were in Greece. When people saw something beautiful, they boldly pursued it. There was nothing wrong with being genuine.
Not caring also meant she hadn't been deeply moved.
Still, Eros was handsome, sweet-talking, and well-built. Being flirty friends was fine.
Styx thought that as long as nothing unexpected happened, she could uphold her vow and remain chaste.
That is, if Eros hadn't suddenly taken out this divine essence.
Sincerity is always the ultimate trump card.
Even if Eros wasn't exactly sincere, his attitude was.
Styx's heart was now completely in disarray, unsure of what to think.
"Looks like your thoughts are all over the place. I'm pretty tired too, so why don't we take a break for now?" Eros said gently.
He didn't press the advantage, instead choosing to step back.
"Here, you can hold onto this. I did get it for you after all."
"Eh? You're that generous?" Hypnos blinked, then clung to Eros's arm and pouted.
"Then big brother, can I have one too?"
Even though she didn't know what the extra divine essence could be used for, she still wanted it.
Eros gave her a once-over, focusing especially on her mischievous yet adorable face and those legs wrapped in alternating black-and-white silk stockings.
"I could give you one, but only if you visit my room tonight."
Though Hypnos was still a bit naïve, she wasn't clueless about this kind of thing.
Among the three thousand dream gods, there were dreams of that kind too.
"You're shameless! Pervert! Dirty-minded big brother should just go die!" she shouted furiously, letting go of his arm and flying off.
Eros wasn't worried she'd leave. After all, she was still bound by a River Styx oath.
"I'll go get some rest first. Don't try to refuse the gift," he said casually.
He pushed the divine essence toward Styx and went off to find a room to sleep in.
Styx was left alone, staring blankly at the glowing essence in front of her.
Why was he so generous? Why just give it away?
Because he knew that Styx wouldn't keep it.
Even with the divine essence in hand, reviving someone wasn't a simple matter.
Besides, he'd taken it out privately. In other words, it hadn't gone through the official Olympus channels.
Who had authorized Pallas's release? Had it passed through the Twelve Olympians' council? Had the King of Gods approved it?
None of that had happened. Yet he still dared to present it?
Styx wasn't a foolish goddess. After calming down, she'd never keep it. She would eventually return it to him.
Meanwhile, Eros lay casually on a bed in a random room, ready to rest.
Ever since leaving Tartarus, he'd either been soaking in the River Styx or traveling through the Underworld.
All he heard were flames crackling and souls wailing. He really needed a break.
As his eyes closed, his consciousness sank into his inner cosmos.
Even in sleep, Eros could faintly activate the traits of the Alaya System, letting his thoughts drift above the underworld.
Through the microcosmos of mankind, he could vaguely observe the world above.
Wait a minute. Had humans advanced this far? Or had he been in the underworld for longer than he thought?
Looking at the emerging signs of classical civilization, Eros wondered if his perception of time was off.
Then again, maybe Athena and the others had just nudged things forward a little. He stopped worrying and focused on observing the humans.
These new humans were weaker than those of the Golden or Silver Ages, but due to Eros's influence...
They had a stronger desire to explore the world and were born with wisdom.
They began using fire and tools on their own. And while Eros had been busy below, the first signs of kingdoms had started forming.
Looks like Prometheus wouldn't have to steal fire again. Eros would be sure to ask her for a thank-you gift later.
As the one who foresaw the future, she must've known that Eros had unwittingly helped her out.
Eros drifted through various humans' bodies, borrowing their senses to observe the world above.
Though this didn't help strengthen his cosmos...
Once he reached the Eighth Sense, all this experience would let him reach the peak of that realm in no time.
Like grinding to max level in the beta test, just waiting for the official server to raise the cap.
While wandering among mankind, he suddenly saw something strange.
"Hmm?"
He quickly retreated into one person's microcosmos and used her vision.
There, he spotted a familiar figure with silver hair.
What the hell, that's Zeus!
To the girl's eyes, the figure wrapped in lightning was terrifying, inescapable no matter how far she ran.
But to Eros, it was unmistakably Zeus.
The clear sky turned dark. Thunderclouds blocked the girl's vision, and she lost her sense of direction.
This scene... felt familiar.
Eros thought for a moment, then realized what was going on.
The person being chased was Zeus, and the girl he was inhabiting must be Io.
Yes, that Io—the one Hera later caught and Zeus had to hurriedly turn into a little cow before he could seduce her.
What a pity. From Io's perspective, Eros couldn't see her own appearance.
Only from the edges of her vision could he tell she had a great figure.
Didn't expect to see a drama like this while napping.
But Eros hesitated. Should he try to forcibly take over this girl's body with the power of the Eighth Sense?
With his traits as the Progenitor and Pioneer, remote control wasn't impossible.
Still, better to watch the show. Worst case, he'd just make a note of where Hera locked her up later.
Once he returned to the surface, he could go rescue her.
But something felt odd. Zeus was toying with Io, always staying at a teasing distance.
Clearly, she could reach Io in a flash, but kept holding back like a hunter playing with prey.
Of course, it wasn't just Eros who thought this was strange. Zeus herself found it odd.
She'd wasted so much time already. Why hadn't Hera shown up?
By now, Hera should've noticed her sneaking out, right?
What was going on?
And she definitely felt someone watching her, but it wasn't Hera.
Zeus stopped wondering, took one step, and appeared in front of Io, reaching out to grab her.
Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly paused, meeting Io's eyes with a confused look.
Because Eros, watching through Io's eyes, had just locked eyes with her.
"Eros?"
She could see him?
Eros froze. He hesitated, thinking about taking over Io's body to talk to Zeus directly.
But before he could act, the thunderclouds above split apart.
Another familiar presence descended.
The other lead of this story, Hera, had finally arrived.
Io wasn't particularly famous, mainly because the child she bore for Zeus wasn't very notable.
But she might've been the first mortal Zeus tried to cheat with.
Then again, it depended on whether you considered her father, Inachus, a river god or a human king.
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