Chapter 36: Zeus
Three Gods.
Relying on his memories from his previous life, Luka immediately recognized them: Ares, Athena, and the blacksmith God.
Zeus remained hidden, and being surrounded and ganged up on would be extremely dangerous.
From the moment he saw Diana, Luka instinctively activated his combat reflexes honed over a decade of battles.
No chance for a one-on-one fight?
Then I'll find another way.
Ares roared furiously as he charged back, while Athena raised her spear, aiming at the figure carrying the stone pillar as he soared away. After a moment of hesitation, she couldn't bring herself to throw the spear.
Just as Luka, still holding the pillar, was about to reach the spot where he had entered, the human world, as if divinely prescient, used the energy and spatial data records from opening the portal earlier to tear open another slowly expanding spatial gate.
A pillar of lightning, crackling with divine authority, descended with a faint, almost resigned sigh, instantly obliterating the spatial portal before Luka.
Luka abruptly halted mid-air, the stone pillar still held aloft, and scoffed.
Playing the mysterious act, only to get your hands dirty yourself.
He glanced up at the temple's dome, the origin point of the divine lightning.
"Enough."
The authoritative voice wasn't as loud as thunder, yet it clearly penetrated the entire plaza, even drowning out Ares's furious bellow.
Ares, who was swooping down with a gust of wind, froze mid-action, forcibly halting his momentum and crashing heavily onto the stone floor.
The main doors of the temple slowly opened, and a figure clad in a gilded robe stepped out leisurely.
A faint aura of lightning crackled around him. With each step he took, ephemeral divine patterns flickered across the stone slabs beneath his feet.
The newcomer's face radiated an innate authority, his white hair and beard glowing with divine radiance. His eyes were deep and fathomless. Merely by standing there, he made Athena and the divine blacksmith instinctively bow in respect.
The King of Olympus, Zeus.
Luka sighed inwardly.
Whether it was divine might or the sheer power of his opponent, Luka didn't need to look up to feel the crushing pressure of a mountain looming over an ant.
His combat instincts screamed a frantic warning.
He could almost hear his body and mind shrieking at him: Choose honor, and you'll die swiftly.
Slowly, he lowered the stone pillar he had been holding. The pillar crashed heavily to the ground, sending up a cloud of dust and stone fragments.
His expression remained impassive as he calmly watched Zeus approach.
Zeus stopped ten meters in front of Luka, his gaze sweeping over Luka before settling on Diana, who was bound to the pillar.
Without opening his mouth, a colossal wave of sound surged forth.
"You have stolen a divine treasure and seized the authority of Discord. Do you realize the gravity of your sins?"
Even as his instincts screamed of impending death, Luka's eyes remained indifferent. He even raised a hand to scratch his ear, which had begun to itch from the sonic assault.
"By this world's standards, my sins far exceed this."
"...But the divine realm is not unreasonable."
Zeus raised his hand, and a gentle golden light enveloped Diana, instantly dispelling the enchantment suppressing her vocal cords.
Diana looked at Luka with a complicated expression. Having been imprisoned in the God Realm, she clearly understood the Gods' true motives. For a moment, she was speechless.
"I will spare you divine punishment and allow you to take Diana with you. However, you must first pass seven trials set by the Gods. Succeed in all seven, and the Authority will revert to the God Realm. Your grievances with the God Realm will be wiped clean."
"What does Wonder Woman have to do with this?"
If not for the fact that repeatedly provoking Zeus's pride was akin to dancing on the edge of a cliff, Luka would have mocked him for resorting to kidnapping even his own daughter.
A mocking glint appeared in Zeus's eyes.
"Though the God Realm has withdrawn from the mortal world, we are not ignorant of its affairs. Diana is your mentor. After you obtained the Golden Apple, she not only failed to persuade you to return the divine artifact but tacitly allowed you to keep it. Now that the Authority of Discord is bound to you, she shares in the blame for this transgression."
Having spent over a decade in Viltrum, Luka had grown accustomed to the terse, authoritative communication style of his instructors. He found Zeus's convoluted, verbose pronouncements utterly grating.
"Do you always have to speak in such riddles? You're so much stronger than me. Why not just strike me down with lightning and reclaim the Authority?"
Diana's eyes widened in disbelief. She couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed in Luka these past few days.
Wasn't he such a polite child before?
"Kidnapping Ms. Prince to lure me to the God Realm alone, and then setting up these 'generous' seven trials?"
He raised his gaze to Zeus, the indifference in his eyes fading.
Luka was now certain the old god was plotting something.
"Your Majesty, by destroying the spatial gate and severing my connection to the outside world, you've invited the wrath of the Justice League. They won't stand idly by."
"The Greek Gods once protected Earth, yet now you seek to oppose its current guardians? If you truly need my assistance, why not simply ask? Otherwise, a war on this scale will leave the one behind you grinning from ear to ear."
Ares didn't expect the topic to suddenly shift to him, and he lowered his head a few inches.
To be honest, when Luka mentioned the Justice League's potential intervention, Ares felt a flicker of excitement.
If Olympus went to war with the Justice League, the power he, as the God of War, could instantly absorb would far surpass what ten world wars in the mortal realm could provide.
When that time came, would Zeus still be the one in charge?
Hard to say, hard to say.
A brief silence fell over the plaza. Athena's expression shifted subtly, clearly weighing the pros and cons.
Zeus remained silent for a long moment. The golden patterns on his robe dimmed slightly, his regal bearing softening into a hint of sincerity.
"We do not intend to make enemies of the mortal world. This incident does indeed concern you."
"Your constitution... it's unlike anything we've ever encountered."
Zeus's gaze settled on Luka, his scrutiny undisguised.
"You possess a lifespan comparable to the gods without relying on the Golden Apple. The strength and potential of your physical body far surpass those of ordinary gods, and you can even wield the Authority of Discord without suffering backlash."
Zeus finally revealed his true intentions.
"We wish to assimilate you as a member of the god race. Through a divine power-sharing magic, we would subtly acquire the characteristics of your physique to compensate for the shortcomings of our race."
Luka was stunned halfway through Zeus's explanation, instinctively protesting.
"My physique? Isn't there still Superman on Earth?"
Luka couldn't understand.
"Superman's power surpasses mine by an immeasurable degree. Even if his natural lifespan is slightly shorter than mine, couldn't the Golden Apple of the God Realm extend it to meet your needs?"
Zeus's gaze darkened slightly at this, but he remained silent.
Ares, standing beside him, scoffed coldly, his tone dripping with disdain for Superman.
"The Kryptonian genome is riddled with flaws and vulnerabilities. They rely on yellow solar radiation, fear Kryptonite, and despite their raw power, why would we burden ourselves with such crippling weaknesses?"
Luka ignored Ares's mockery, his gaze fixed intently on Zeus.
Perhaps Zeus's reluctance to mention Superman was a deliberate evasion.
Based on Superman's earlier assessment of Zeus's power, a realization crystallized in Luka's mind.
Even if Zeus was stronger than Superman, the difference couldn't be vast. They might have preferred Superman, but after weighing the risks, they hesitated to act.
"So, this is why you wanted me to come alone?" Luka found the situation absurd and laughable.
"If I agree to join the god race, Ms. Prince can leave immediately, and the God Realm can avoid war with the Justice League. If I refuse, you'll use the Golden Apple incident to condemn me to death by Divine Punishment?"
A hint of approval appeared in Zeus's eyes.
"You're astute. This is not a threat, but a transaction. Join the god race, and you'll gain godhood and boundless divine power. You will stand with us in safeguarding the cosmic order"
"Refuse, and neither you nor Diana will leave Olympus. If the Justice League breaks in, it will only spark a war between the divine realm and the mortal world."
Luka let out a long sigh, closed his eyes, and pretended to be deep in thought.
Zeus's voice urged him after just a few seconds, seemingly unwilling to give him time to consider.
"I've sealed this space. The Justice League won't breach the God Realm anytime soon. There's no need to stall."