Xue Dili's eyebrow twitched.

This sentence might sound normal in other civilizations, but in Greece, a place indifferent to both vegetarian and meat dishes, it felt a bit like Hell.

Xue Dili didn't expect even he would come.

According to the records, the Golden Apple event occurred precisely at the wedding of this hero Achilles' parents.

Xue Dili had caused trouble at this child's parents' wedding, which by Greek standards made them enemies; yet here the child was, standing before his "enemy," declaring he wanted to form a ship expedition with him and his group.

"What's your reason?" Xue Dili asked.

"To save the world! Captain!" Achilles seemed to be hiding nothing, announcing loudly.

For a moment, the atmosphere was silent.

"I know you disrupted my parents' wedding. My mother mentioned that if it weren't for you, the Golden Apple might have led to even more terrifying consequences, and I just want to save the world, nothing more." The youngster pointed a thumb at himself, like a hot-blooded fool.

The previously tense atmosphere eased, and the heroes present breathed a sigh of relief.

They were aware that the gods were watching them, fearing that this enthusiastic youngster might carelessly spill the beans and let the gods catch wind of their true plan.

"Your martial arts still need some honing, Lord Hector, I trouble you to train this young one." Xue Dili looked toward Hector among the crowd.

He suddenly remembered his special training with the old Undead, but current conditions didn't allow for a jeep and cane; otherwise, he would find a way to give the young Achilles a little jeep shock.

Hector nodded his head.

"Does that mean you agree?" Achilles made no effort to hide the joy on his face.

"If you want to, then come over, but don't regret it later." With that, Xue Dili left the deck.

Achilles was excitedly putting away his spear, confidently smiling at the heroes present.

"Let me spar with you, so you don't die during the trial." Hector decided to give this young hero a bit of a lesson.

After all, earlier, his reckless way of speaking had left everyone present breathless, nearly revealing their true plan to the gods.

The Celestial Thunder sailed in its predetermined direction.

...

The next day, aboard the Celestial Thunder in the Aegean Sea.

The fleet had reached Alypotripa Island, the site of the second trial of the gods.

"The second trial is to enter the Alibotripa Cave and remove the thorns tainted with Netherworld aura, and a compassionate hero... shall bear it upon his back..." Originally carrying out the new twelve trials, Calypso, the Witch's voice, now had a slightly unnatural tone.

The thorns tainted with the Netherworld's aura inflicted agony upon touch, ten times greater than being burned at the stake.

And now, she had to watch the hero she favored carry such thorns until he reached before Zeus, the Heavenly Father.

For some reason, her hand began to tremble.

"Let it begin."

The group walked into the cave connecting to the Netherworld, then wrapped up a large bundle of purple thorns in leather.

One hero was carried out; he had accidentally pricked his arm on the thorns and fell to the ground in pain, convulsing uncontrollably.

This let the other heroes realize how terrifying these thorns were, and they could only wrap them in leather to carry them out.

Xue Dili approached the hero, lightly touched him, and in an instant, the hero, who had been contorted in pain, completely recovered, though he still looked at the purpling thorns with lingering dread.

The agony felt as if it was bone-deep, and no one thought that the hero's will was not strong enough; here were heroes chosen by Athena, each with tales of enduring multiple stab wounds without flinching.

But this hero was instantly undone by the pain from the thorns, making every hero present feel that they wouldn't fare much better.

Only a few heroes possessing abilities to dispel or resist pain looked slightly normal, yet looked at the thorns with a solemn gravity.

As the heroes exchanged glances, Xue Dili stepped forward, intending to grab the bundle of thorns and carry it on his back.

At that moment, all the heroes stared intently at him, while Xue Dili's youthful, handsome face showed a glimmer of pain, but that pain seemed fleeting, as if it had never shown.

"Xediles..." The heroes initially wanted to offer their armor to him, but Xue Dili had already reached out.

The thorns' sharp spines pierced through the thin robe, pricking the skin, turning purple-red blood seeping through the robe.

Despite that, after the initial pain, there seemed to be no further agony, his heart like steel, he returned toward the ship.

At this moment, everyone was stunned, even those heroes who thought they could rely on god-made armor to withstand the pain were moved by the iron will on display.

Calypso covered her mouth, the Witch inexplicably shedding tears from her eyes.

"He will die in the reverence of all," this was a prophecy her mother had given her. The hero, destined to fall, would die amidst universal adoration.

The second trial was thus completed.

...

The Celestial Thunder set sail once more, yet now, the impending shadow of this deadly journey truly hung over the heads of all the heroes.

And at this moment, Typhon, sealed deep within the Netherworld, slowly opened his hundred-headed dragon heads, uttering horrific words.

"On the first day, I grant plague."

Throughout all of Greece, everyone's health seemed to decline drastically on this day, with symptoms like coughing and fever emerging in succession.

The entrance to the doctor's pavilion was crowded with the sick, doctors following Asclepius's guidance wore beaked masks, struggling to test herbs, hoping to stop this plague.

Even the gods above, watching the plague that swept through Greece in just a day and night, appeared somewhat stunned.

Half a year ago, there had been a plague that even the gods on Olympus couldn't resist, only cured by Apollo, and now the entire Greece was pestilence-ridden?

What happened?

While the Greek gods were puzzled, in the Netherworld, outside Typhon's seal, Hades looked indifferent.

Because in just one day, the Nether River could no longer bear the countless souls of the dead, the chief culprit being this mindless Typhon.

"My dear brother, it seems you've already learned a great deal." A melodious voice came from behind.

Hades didn't need to turn around to know who had come; his younger brother, the current King of Gods, Father Zeus!

In fact, he came from the direction of his Queen of the Underworld's room.

'It's not the first time.' Hades slightly clenched his fist.

The fleeting murderous intent was caught by Zeus, but he didn't care; after all, this was Greece, this was the norm, brother, you must learn to adapt.

"Brother, then what is your choice?" Zeus asked the grim-faced Hades, strolling as if leisurely at the Abyss's mouth, where the Titans and Typhon were sealed, "Will you oppose me, or join me, in the Innovation Era!"

"Do I even have a choice?" Hades' raspy and shadowy voice echoed.

"Haha, my dear brother, in the new world, there is still a place for you," Zeus said. "In the new era, the original Abyss will be renamed Hell, and you, my brother, will still be the Lord of Hell; you only need to forsake your original status and appear as 'Lucifer'."

"Lucifer?" Hades repeated the name, 'Lucifer' meaning 'star,' but he didn't understand why the Lord of Hell would be named after a 'star.'

"Heh." Hades sneered.

Zeus left the Netherworld, and when Hades returned to his palace, he saw the now radiant and beautiful Queen of the Underworld.

"You're back so soon?" The Queen seemed puzzled by Hades' behavior, her voluptuous body still slightly arched.

"Hmm?" Hades queried.

"Weren't you just excitedly on top of me? You're really acting strange today?" The Queen's retort fueled Hades' rage.

How could he not guess that Zeus had come disguised as him!

Murderous intent instantly enveloped the entire Netherworld.

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