The Greece Antagonist

At night, Mingyue rose into the sky, its chilly ghostly light sprinkling over the courtyard.

Accompanying the creaking sound of the door opening and closing, Thetis inside the room hurriedly stuffed a book into her pillow, and then rose as if nothing happened to ask.

"You're back?"

Luo En nodded lightly, walked into the room, glanced at the cover of the book with "[Holy Verses]" on it, and was somewhat surprised, "So, you like this one too?"

With a light cough, Thetis answered indifferently, "Just something to pass the time."

"Oh..." Luo En drew out his words, his gaze flicking over frequently creased pages, revealing a subtle smile in his eyes, "To occupy your precious time, it seems you think quite highly of this book."

"It's okay..." Thetis caught a glimpse of her teammate, whose expression was somewhat mocking, and unabashedly picked up the [Holy Verses] and waved it, humming lightly, "If it weren't for the author updating too slowly, its thickness is just right for propping up a table leg."

However, in the midst of speaking, a sheet of parchment fluttered from the pages due to her overly vigorous actions, with several lines of graceful handwritten text that suddenly caught Luo En's eye.

"Noble son of God! You shine like the sun,

Walking to the sea, belting out a song towards the tide,

Pouring the sound of joy into this sacred abyss,

In your heart's place of tranquility, there, away from the tumult of ships,

Hidden beneath the waves, in peaceful caverns dwell.

There lives the blue Thetis, the Ocean Goddess, she who safeguards you.

She is a dear friend to poetry and wine, a wise nymph,

Who once tenderly lifted Dionysus from peril on the jutting rocks.

With the tender song of the waves, she opens her arms to the weary..."

With the swiftness of an arrow, Thetis stepped forward and scooped up the parchment from the ground, swiftly inserted it back into the book, and stuffed it under the pillow, her movements seamless as water, executed without any pause.

But even without finishing it, Luo En was already well aware of most of the remaining content of the poem.

Because, he had written the poem himself.

Of course, more precisely, it was a shameful plagiarism and manipulation of the nineteenth century Romantic poet Holderlin's poem "Achilles", which he used as a template.

Doing so was actually to record, into the [Holy Verses], the confrontation between Lycurgus, the king of Thracians, and Dionysus on Cyprus Island, entering a literary embellishment in his favor.

After all, the original verse content about the clash between the two in the future "Iliad" depicted him as rather devalued.

"Because he opposed the gods, once he cast

The mad Dionysus's nurses down from sacred Mount Nysa,

They were slain by bloodthirsty Lycurgus with his sharp spear,

Dionysus plunged into the waves to escape, Thetis took frightened him into her bosom.

The shouts of mortals still made him tremble..."

However, because he added too much private intention and also wanted to beautify his heinous act of bringing disaster upon a decent family, Luo En inadvertently skewed the style of the poem, making his encounter with Thetis seem a bit amorous.

At the time, considering he needed to draw the Ocean Goddess into their alliance, it was convenient to keep some ambiguously entangled matters on paper to prevent her from betraying halfway through the journey.

Luo En simply compounded the error, incorporating this poem praising their "friendship" into the mix.

But as time went by and they went through numerous trials, their relationship had already solidified and a subtle chemical reaction had occurred.

Accordingly, the original sinister intention behind this poem seemed to taste more and more off the more it was pondered.

On the surface, it praised friendship, but beneath that—was it perhaps a declaration of love?

The answer popped into Luo En's head, and he couldn't help but feel nauseated.

He now seemed to understand why Thetis was willing to risk bringing him to the Netherworld to find Adonis's spirit.

"Cough, let's talk business," Thetis cleared her throat to break the silence in the room, and then cautiously approached the door. Peering through the crack to the pitch-black courtyard to ensure no one was there, she gently closed the door, set up a ward, and then turned to look at her companion: "How's it outside? What's the situation?"

"Not great, the roads outside are sealed off, and the God of Sleep and The Furies are in charge of leading the team." Luo En tactfully averted his gaze, spread his hands, and informed Thetis of the situation.

But then, upon seeing Thetis furrow her brows, he quickly changed his tone: "However, the good news is, I've located where Adonis is and found an exit from the Netherworld. Once this blows over and the guard outside relaxes, we can sneak out."

"Hmm, the Netherworld holds countless Titans, Divine Monsters, and sinful spirits; they can't afford to stop for too long for just one or two people," Thetis said, nodding and letting out a sigh of relief as she made a rational analysis.

"So, we just need to hide here for a while and watch how things unfold, right?"

"Exactly."

"Okay, I understand. You go rest for now."

Luo En stood in the room, coughing before speaking.

"There's only one spare room, and this is what King Minos hurriedly prepared for us to take cover in..."

"What about Sisyphus?"

"He's locked up in the temporary jail at the Court of Judgment."

"..."

Thetis had no response to that, her face turning slightly red with a hesitant glance.

Seeing that she had misunderstood, Luo En quickly spoke up: "Don't worry, I'll sleep on the floor, and you take the bed. It's just roughing it for a few days to save our lives; I absolutely won't disturb you."

Reassured by his promise, Thetis notably relaxed and took the initiative to take out a blanket, making a temporary bed for her reliable ally.

As the night deepened, Thetis on the bed tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and occasionally glanced towards the floor beneath her.

Bathed in the moonlight, that face had brows sharp as swords, a straight nose, and eyes closed in tranquility and grace, giving off an air of scholarly elegance. The soft and delicate facial contours, under the mask of handsome and refined features, revealed a rebellious and untamed spirit that was heart-stirringly attractive.

But...

After observing for a long time, Thetis heaved a deep sigh.

"What's wrong? Something on your mind?" The deep and mellow voice echoed in the bedroom; Luo En, with his eyes closed, asked.

Clearly, he was still somewhat vigilant against the outside world and had not fallen asleep completely.

That just now?

Thetis realized that her every move had been clearly perceived by the guy next to her, and her beautiful face couldn't help but turn a shade of embarrassed red.

Luo En, lying on the floor, opened his eyes with a smile and turned to look at the side of the bed.

"If you can't sleep, why not tell me what's troubling you?"

Those two purple eyes in the darkness, like a pair of crystal-clear gems.

"There is something..." Thetis nodded, but then her tone shifted abruptly, "But you can't help me with it."

"How can you know without trying?" Luo En retorted with a smile, softly promising, "Don't worry, as soon as we get out of the Netherworld, tell me whatever troubles need resolving swiftly, and I will lend you my full support."

As he spoke, Luo En winked, his tone playful.

"After all, I still owe you three favors that haven't been settled."

However, the gloom on Thetis's face didn't lighten in the slightest because of Luo En's lighthearted words, instead it deepened.

"If that trouble is…"

Her voice trailed off abruptly, Thetis bit her lip, turning her head away in discouragement. Your next journey awaits at empire

"Forget it, let's sleep early."

"Alright! I will clear your troubles, no matter who the other party is!"

Accompanied by a resounding musing by his ear, the figure lying on the ground raised a hand, pointing upwards.

"…I swear by the name of the river Styx!"

Hearing that solemn promise, a series of ripples coursed through Thetis's otherwise still heart, her face visibly moved.

Seeing the ally's gloom dissipating significantly, a faint smile played on Luo En's eyes.

The only thing that could trouble this Ocean Goddess was Zeus's coveting and jealousy.

Even burdened with the prophecy that "her own son would surpass his father," she was not safe, and marriage might well be beyond her control.

That's why, upon seeing that "love poem," Thetis could not help but frown.

For Luo En, facing Zeus was sooner or later inevitable.

Whether it's one sheep or two, he'd have to deal with them.

Since he couldn't avoid it, he might as well use this opportunity to gain Thetis's favor, making the Ocean Goddess, who had been of great help to him lately, feel at ease.

Thinking this, Luo En stretched languorously and closed his eyes cheerfully.

"Feeling relieved now? Can I go to sleep then?"

"Mm..."

Thetis nodded slightly, no longer resisting the drowsiness in her mind, and peacefully entered Dreamland.

This time, she slept incredibly soundly, with an added sense of comfort.

The next day, Luo En, having finished drinking with King Minos as usual, entered the bedroom only to find his place on the floor had been inexplicably tidied away.

"Come up and sleep here." Thetis, who had gone to bed earlier, closed her book, pointed to the freed-up space beside her, and initiated the offer.

"Uh, that's not quite appropriate," Luo En questioned instinctively before adding, "I mean, for you..."

Thetis shook her head, answering earnestly, "Only if you rest well and maintain your best physical and mental strength, can you lead me to a safe escape."

"That seems to make sense!" Swayed by the sincere advice of the Ocean Goddess, Luo En thought it over and then complied amiably, slipping into the soft and warm bedding.

Of course, the bedding was split in two.

As Luo En lay down beside her, Thetis suddenly felt overcome by sleep, closed her eyes peacefully, and quickly drifted off, a satisfied and relaxed smile spreading across her beautiful face.

It seemed that since that night, the man beside her always gave her a wonderful sense of security, significantly improving her sleep quality.

But Luo En's experience was not so lovely.

In fact, it could be described as torture.

For Thetis was a terrible sleeper, wrapping around him like an octopus with a blanket, her arms entwining tighter and tighter, her smile growing thicker, treating him like a human-shaped pillow.

This is trouble...

Luo En's eyes widened as he looked at the rafters above and lamented, waiting for daybreak.

He had thought this torturous experience would continue indefinitely, but one day, when drinking as usual, Luo En noticed King Minos casually entering an empty bedroom and then coming out with two bottles of fine wine.

Luo En couldn't help but ask, "No one in there?"

"That's right."

"I thought there was only one room?"

"I could open eight or ten, and they'd come with complimentary changes."

King Minos glanced across, inquiring casually.

"So, do you want one?"

After a moment of hesitation, Luo En shook his head and declined, "No, I'll stay in the original room."

King Minos nodded gently, then extended two fingers.

"Twenty jars of Ambrosial Honey Wine, remember to pay me back later."

"What? Why? Didn't you say lodgings were complimentary?"

"Opening two rooms is complimentary, for one room I charge you twenty jars."

The old man sipped from his cup and looked meaningfully at the scribe.

"Sly old fox…" Luo En cursed under his breath, immediately realizing he had been trapped.

"Or, what about marrying my two daughters in Athens, and I'll give you forty jars?"

"Drink your wine!"

Luo En didn't respond, painfully extracting twenty jars of Ambrosial Honey Wine from his own small storeroom and decisively sealing the deal.

King Minos lifted the filled cup with a sigh of resignation.

This young man clearly wasn't a paragon of virtue, so why was he reluctant to graze near his burrow? The Ocean Nymph sleeping in the same bed in the house felt the same, and so did those in Athens...

It seemed he needed to encourage them to be more proactive.

After all, the throne of Crete remained vacant.

As the old father mused beneath the earth, the two princesses on Mount War God sneezed in unison.