Chapter 27: 23 Friends, This Is a High Stakes Bet
Upon the Sea of Okeanos, numerous Dragon Tooth soldiers gripped their oars, aligning on both sides of the ship, mechanically and swiftly rowing, while at the stern the Magic Array constructed of Hermes Script conjured a strong wind, forcibly propelling the cedar ship forward.
"Have you lost your way?"
The Goddess of the Underworld Moon, who had somehow stealthily boarded the ship, casually leaned against the gunwale, smilingly reminding him.
"It's not too late to turn back now."
"Turn back? To where? To Aiaia? Relying on that foolish bird?"
Luo En, busy inscribing Hermes Script to build the wind, glanced at Hecate and let out a cold sneer from the corner of his mouth.
"Or perhaps you would step forward and take a bullet for me?"
Indeed, even among demigods, there are disparities.
As the daughter of the Sun God Helios and the Enchantress Perse, Circe had been a demigod for a very long time. Coupled with her status as the beloved disciple of the Witchcraft Goddess Hecate, a few ordinary demigods couldn't pose a threat to her.
The Atlantean Guard stood no chance of assaulting Aiaia and seizing someone from that place.
But if the Imperial Guard were not enough, there were also the ten Kings of Atlantis; if the ten Kings were not enough, there were the temple of Poseidon and Poseidon himself.
In these waters of the Sea of Okeanos, demigods were ultimately too insignificant.
Unless Hecate herself deigned to act...
But based on his knowledge of this woman, the possibility was infinitely close to zero.
As expected.
Hecate reclined beside the cabin, smiling and shaking her head.
"A gambler who sits at the table should take responsibility for their choices."
"Then you're talking rubbish! Since you're aboard, you might as well row a few times in exchange for a ticket!"
Luo En huffed with unsurprising coldness, maliciously thrusting an oar into the hands of the esteemed goddess.
Hecate did not seem to mind the offense, plunging the oar into the water and lazily stirring it while her gaze remained on Luo En, appraising him with a playful look.
"You seem quite concerned about her safety?"
Luo En, who was preoccupied with his own rescue, paused briefly, then without turning his head, spoke indifferently: "I simply don't want to engage in futile actions."
Hecate chuckled meaningfully, then inquired.
"So, from the moment you left the island, you cut off your own retreat?"
"..."
Luo En furrowed his brows but offered no reply, opting instead to increase the magic power output, attempting to widen the gap from the Atlantean Guard encircling them.
"Head west..."
The Goddess of the Underworld Moon, having spoken calmly, dropped the oar she held, clapped her hands clean, and elegantly rose to her feet.
"Take this as a parting piece of advice, perhaps that is where you'll find the help you need..."
The ethereal and pleasing voice of the woman lowered from high to low, fading into invisibility.
And that graceful figure at the gunwale also vanished without a trace.
To trust or not to trust?
Luo En's face wavered hesitantly, but after a brief moment of indecision and contemplation, he made up his mind, steeled his heart, and ordered the Dragon Tooth soldiers to navigate the ship, heading full-force toward the fiery red remnants of the sunset on the sea.
The western sky was streaked with the descent of the setting sun, as the watery night sky stretched over the horizon, spilling onto Aiaia Island.
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As the temperature variation between day and night altered, the Witch of the Eagle who was sprawled under the blankets on the bed, let out a big sneeze. Rubbing her bleary eyes, she woke from a hangover.
"Little piglet? Luo En?"
Circe muttered subconsciously, her muffled voice echoing within the vast treehouse.
Gone where?
The enchantress stretched languidly, slipped barefoot out of bed, and headed to the living room.
The dining table, usually a mess with dishes and cups, was spotless. The kitchen was cleaned thoroughly, with both dinnerware and cookware neatly stacked in their usual, most convenient places.
In the center of the living room, a half-human-tall pink little piglet, made of velvet and stuffed with feathers, was placed on a chair, looking adorably clumsy.
So tiny, so soft!
Circe let out an excited scream, dashed forward, and hugged the pink little piglet into her arms, rubbing it fiercely.
Meanwhile, a papyrus slid from behind the piglet and drifted to the floor.
Circe's gaze swept across the paper and she stood still, absorbed, gazing into the empty living room. Half her face, now immersed in shadow, was buried in the plush toy, her expression obscured. Unconsciously, her teeth clenched tightly on her lower lip.
Outside the window, the deepening night spread, gradually pulling the petite figure into a realm of prolonged darkness and silent solitude.
Bathed in the bright moonlight, the purple-haired goddess sat on a tree branch, overlooking the scene in the courtyard. Her dark, profound eyes shimmered with a hint of compassion as her pursed lips let out a silent sigh.
Although the "Dice of Chance" has turned the "Gears of Inevitability," for you, it is uncertain whether this outcome is for better or worse...
The goddess then shook her head, her face lighting up with a faint, pleased smile.
But at least, this world now holds more possibilities.
Meanwhile, on Olympus.
In front of the flower-filled temple of Aphrodite, a towering figure, radiating with boiling blood, charged into the chamber of the goddess of love and beauty, yelling loudly.
"Aphrodite, my dear, come out! Come out and see me!"
At this moment, the goddess of beauty, who had been napping within the pink canopy, was awakened by the noise. She stretched out her fair arms to lift the curtain, her sleepy eyes narrowing slightly in mild irritation as she looked at her former lover standing before her bed.
"What now?"
"I've done it! I've achieved it again!"
Ares grabbed Aphrodite's hand with excitement and announced.
Then, the goddess, who had just woken from her nap and was clad in light clothing, with a sheer sash barely covering her body, revealed an even more enchanting and captivating figure in the hazy atmosphere.
Ares, his throat going dry, felt a fierce surge of blood rushing uncontrollably to a particular spot, as if a blaze was burning within him.
Suddenly, Aphrodite's brows arched on her previously languid face, her eyes sparkling with a unique luster. Her pink tongue flicked across her moist lips as she began to speak leisurely.
"So, my most valiant King of Warriors, let's see if your sword is still as sharp as it used to be..."
With a joyous murmur, Aphrodite's serpentine waist twisted and turned, her upper body arching backward off the side of the bed, challenging the King of Warriors from below.
Such a sensual scene made Ares lose all restraint. He roared like an enraged bull and charged forward.
A fierce 'war' ensued, as usual, raising the curtain.
However, different from usual times, in a corner beside the temple's avenue, a pair of flame-colored eyes were fixed on the sounds of certain collisions coming from the goddess's chamber. Blood vessels began to thread through those eyes, and two muscular arms clenched tightly, a strong sense of humiliation and rage coalescing on that simple, honest face.
Hermes was right, the damn pair!
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