The Greece Antagonist

"How did you know?"

Surprise flickered in Asclepius's eyes, but he promptly corrected with seriousness.

"Actually, it can hardly be considered true immortality, but it can deceive the eyes of Death for a short time, reviving those whose souls have not yet left their bodies. During this process, the corpse must meet a variety of conditions. For example, the time elapsed after death, the state of the corpse, and so on..."

As he spoke, the future Medicine God took out two vials of blood samples he had received the night before from Stheno and Euryale, shaking his head with regret.

"Unfortunately, the Blood of Gorgon I have can only grant a mortal the immortality of deities. If I could obtain the legendary Golden Apple which contains 'Immortality Divinity,' perhaps I could further improve this concoction. To achieve true resurrection."

"You want to change it more? Get in here!"

Luo En's scalp tingled, and without further ado, he dragged Asclepius from outside the door into the small dark room, laying down a multitude of defensive charms layer upon layer before turning around with a darkened expression to glare at this future Medicine God.

"Do you have any idea what kind of disaster is upon you?"

"What?"

"The boundary between life and death is not a realm mere mortals should meddle with. Your actions have already trampled on the laws of the Netherworld!"

"I am a physician, it is my duty to save the dying and heal the wounded..."

Asclepius frowned and replied earnestly.

However, before he could finish, Luo En rudely interrupted Asclepius's defense.

"What of it? Why should only deities be immortal, and only the Chief Gods be undying? Have you never wondered why?"

"..." Asclepius looked lost.

"Because the gods' authority is born from fear and strengthened by awe. Death is the ultimate punishment for life and their most critical weapon. By allowing mortals to no longer fear such an outcome, the gods whose beliefs are shaken will sooner or later find you!"

Luo En warned with a cold voice, while seriously inquiring about the specifics of the Elixir of Immortality.

Compared to the various bottles and jars in the infirmary, these were the real dangers!

If they didn't take advantage of the chaos in the Netherworld to erase this threat quickly, once this bomb was detonated, the aftermath was unimaginable.

Soon, under Asclepius's candid response, Luo En's wishful thinking was gradually extinguished.

The Elixir of Immortality wasn't something that had just appeared; Asclepius had created a prototype three months ago.

At that time, he had narrowly escaped Ares's pursuit on Cyprus Island and fled to Athens, where, introduced by Chiron, he entered the Academy of Athens and became a medical teacher.

During this period, Asclepius happened to go out and was lost in thought treating diseases, when a venomous snake quietly coiled around his staff. He killed the snake out of reflex, but then another venomous snake appeared, carrying a herb in its mouth, which revived the first dead snake.

This extraordinary phenomenon sparked the idea of creating an Elixir of Immortality in him.

So, upon his return to Athens, Asclepius asked Medusa, the Serpent Goddess in the Great Temple, for a sample of the divine Blood of Gorgon.

When Medusa learned that Asclepius intended to use it to formulate a new medicine to cure and save people, she agreed decisively.

After a period of patient research, this innately talented future Medicine God actually concocted a Magic Potion that could bring mortals back from the dead!

So far, he had used more than thirty doses of the Elixir of Immortality.

Though it saved more than thirty lives, it also left a considerable risk.

Such a large-scale reversal of life and death would have been nearly impossible to conceal if the Netherworld hadn't been in turmoil and the God of Death abducted by Sisyphus.

With this in mind, Luo En shuddered, his gaze shifting toward the direction of the city-state of Corinth with a brooding shimmer.

Perhaps, trouble had already visited...

The imbalance of life and death in the Netherworld was likely not just due to the God of Death's abduction but also the systemic BUG caused by the misuse of the Elixir of Immortality.

That's why Hades had authorized Hecate to take action personally, rising to the surface to investigate the specific causes.

And the Goddess of the Underworld Moon, heading straight from the sea to Athens, might not only be intending to capture Circe to take her place but was also likely drawn by the imbalance of life and death on this land.

However, Luo En, in an effort to save Circe, had sold out Sisyphus first, letting the culprit behind the abduction of the God of Death take the bullet meant for Asclepius, the one who developed the Elixir of Immortality.

But the luck might not last much longer.

With more than thirty doses of the Elixir of Immortality scattered, not drawing any attention was nearly impossible.

Once Sisyphus was thrown into the Netherworld to push boulders and Death God Thanatos returned to his post, the unusual scenario in Athens would soon be detected through the "Loom of Fate's" death list, and Asclepius, who violated the taboo, would be pinpointed.

And the final outcome was Zeus himself striking Asclepius down with a thunderbolt!

Now, the problem was serious...

Anticipating the chain of consequences, Luo En was racked with a headache. He immediately extended his hand with a grim expression.

"The Potion? Hand over everything you have!"

"Sorry, I cannot comply, I still need them to save people."

Asclepius shook his head in refusal, guarding his satchel warily.

Seeing Asclepius react this way, Luo En, frustrated and angry, stepped forward with a dark scowl.

"Then I'll destroy them!"

"It's no use, the recipe is in my mind. As long as I have the ingredients and my hands and feet, I can still concoct the new Elixir of Immortality and use it to heal the sick and save lives."

"Have you lost your mind?"

"I am a physician; healing the sick and saving lives is my duty..."

Asclepius answered earnestly, his calm gaze remaining untroubled by the dilemma of life and death.

"If I must choose between my professional ethics and the will of the gods, I would rather defy the latter."

That near obstinate stubbornness reminded Luo En of Apollo, who had openly defied Zeus in the Great Temple.

Both father and son had that same unrepentant mule-like stubbornness in their bones!

"If you're worried about getting Athens involved, I'll leave."

Asclepius picked up his satchel, and proceeded to gather the various bottles and jars from the shelf.

Luo En snatched the satchel from his great-nephew with a frown and a cold snort.

"Hold it right there! Where else can you go but here?"

"Cyprus..."

Asclepius pointed at the satchel and answered truthfully.

"Inside is an invitation from the royal family. Their prince, Adonis, passed away some days ago for certain reasons, but there are those who cannot accept this and wish to employ my services to diagnose him, to bring him back from the dead. In fact, this was one of the reasons I developed the 'Elixir of Immortality'."

"Can you resurrect him?"

"It's hard to say; he has been dead for too long, his soul has left the body. Even if someone has preserved his intact shell through special means, resurrection is still very difficult. Not to mention, the current Elixir of Immortality is not perfect. Rekindling a dead deity is even more difficult."

Asclepius shook his head and honestly responded.

"But, they should be willing to harbor me."

After listening intently, Luo En's eyes glistened with thought, and he retrieved the invitation from the satchel, tucking it into his own bosom, before extending his hand forward.

"The Elixir of Immortality, give it here. I'm going to make a trip to Cyprus."

Seeing Luo En's strange action, Asclepius frowned slightly and hesitated.

At that moment, Luo En did not waste words, his form twisted, turning into an old man in plain clothes with blind eyes.

"It's you!"

As soon as he saw the figure before him, Asclepius couldn't help but show a hint of surprise.

The man before him was none other than Homer, the blind poet who had shielded him from an assassination on Cyprus Island.

Based on past trust, Asclepius no longer hesitated and handed a portion of the Elixir of Immortality to his savior. Explore more at empire

Luo En accepted the Elixir of Immortality and immediately wrote a letter with the pen and paper at hand, tossing it to Asclepius.

"Say goodbye for me, and hand this to Hestia to see if she can help."

"You're not going yourself..."

Asclepius had wanted to ask, but upon recalling the recent kitchen tragedy, he immediately understood and tactfully kept silent.

Then, Luo En gazed solemnly at Asclepius for a long time, hesitated for a moment, and finally extended his left hand forward, reaching into the Magic Circle Diagram and drew forth the Golden Holy Grail. His right hand hovered above the Holy Grail as he clenched his fist, piercing his palm, and a stream of golden blood dripped into the Holy Grail.

At the same time, a halo appeared behind him, with grapevines laced with greenery entwining and reaching into the Golden Great Cup.

Soon, the purplish-red nectar brimmed within the Golden Great Cup, its lush aroma filling the medical room, emanating an intoxicating fragrance.

Having done all this, Luo En raised the cup, "Drink, this wine is my blood. By this, I forge a covenant with you and will do my best to ensure your safety."

Without doubt, Asclepius took up the Golden Cup and drank heartily in one gulp.

After drinking, a sweet intoxication surged through his limbs, and within his veins seemed to kindle a deep connection.

"Excellent wine!"

Asclepius exclaimed with genuine admiration and promptly returned the Golden Cup.

Luo En traced several Hermes Scripts with his finger, sealing the Holy Grail away, and after giving Asclepius a glance, he snorted displeasedly.

"Don't get too happy too soon. To be honest, this method is just my idea. I've never tried it before, so I don't know if it can save your life."

Despite his words, Asclepius heard a sincere concern and bowed deeply toward the man before him.

"Regardless, thank you..."

"No need for thanks; I'm not helping you for nothing. We're both getting what we need," Luo En said expressionlessly, waving his hand away. He then snatched Asclepius's bag of Elixir of Immortality while the latter was unprepared, and turned to dash out of the medical office.

"Remember! Don't even think about your 'Elixir of Immortality' until I return!"

Watching his life-saving benefactor who had pilfered his belongings speed away, and seeing the Goddess of the Hearth storming the medical office with two kitchen knives from the mountaintop cabin, Asclepius held the farewell letter in his hand, speechless.

Why did he feel like he had been swindled?