The Greece Antagonist

Five days had passed, and with their search yielding no results, the God of Sleep and the Furies reluctantly returned to Tartarus Hell to suppress the restless souls of sinners, as well as the clamoring Divine Monsters and Titans.

The three great Dream Spirits who had been left to keep watch also withdrew back to Dreamland one after another, leaving only a few members of the Tribe of Dream Spirits to act as sentries.

Clearly, they had given up on pursuing the three escapees.

However, for safety's sake, Luo En stayed two more days. After confirming that it was not a trap, he formally bid farewell to King Minos that night.

As departure was imminent, the Minotaur brought out the last team member from the court's prison, presenting him before the two.

Seeing Sisyphus still deeply asleep on the ground, Luo En couldn't help but be somewhat surprised.

"It's been seven days, and he's still not awake?"

"Awake, he woke up many times, over a dozen times."

"Then why…"

"When awake, we have to knock him out; we can't let him… know… too much…" the Minotaur stuttered, pointing to King Minos beside him, "Father said…" Discover stories with empire

Luo En nodded, naturally understanding King Minos's intentions.

For safety's sake, indeed, they could not let Sisyphus, that old trickster, notice anything about their relationship.

Only…

Luo En looked at the Minotaur's forearm, thicker than Sisyphus's neck, and Sisyphus's head, which had clearly gotten plumper, and solemnly mourned for a few seconds.

Every time he awoke, having to face a fist as large as a casserole and being physically lulled to sleep, especially by the straightforward Minotaur…

What kind of miserable days this poor child had in the temporary prison, Luo En could well imagine.

After briefly exchanging a few words, Luo En picked up the still-unconscious Sisyphus, concealed his figure, and stealthily slipped out of the back door of the Court of Judgment.

It must be said, with the departure of the God of Sleep, the Furies, and the three great Dream Spirits, that so-called defensive line was practically non-existent in Luo En's eyes.

And indeed, it was so. In just a few hours, he and Tethys silently bypassed the patrolling guards, crossed the three-way intersection of the Elysian Fields, and proceeded towards the Elysian Fields.

~~

Guided by the map given by King Minos, Luo En and his companions smoothly reached the outskirts of their destination.

Looking ahead, over the gray expanse shrouded in dead fog of the Infinite Plains, tens of thousands of resentful or unwilling departed souls wandered and clawed in front of a golden barrier constructed densely of Divine Runes, reluctant to leave.

This wall, known as the "Wall of Sighs," was the last barrier separating the Elysian Fields from the Elysian Fields.

Beyond it, even the most insignificant departed soul could attain the life they had long dreamed of.

But more often, they could only look on and sigh, and as this obsession entirely dissipated, the specters would disintegrate into floating ghostfire, ultimately becoming pure dead air.

Over time, the Infinite Plains had early been floating with thousands of unconscious phosphorescence.

"Hum!"

A flame representing purification emerged behind Luo En, who then raised his hand to sketch a series of Runes. Nearby, whether it was the resentful and persistent specters or the unconscious drifting ghostfires, all scurried away in panic, leaving a clear path straight to the Wall of Sighs.

Following this, the two stepped forward to the luminous barrier. Recalling the Spells taught by King Minos, Luo En sketched Runes through the air.

As the last stroke was completed, the brick-like Divine Rune constructions automatically retracted to either side, peeling away like layers of an onion, and revealing the core area of the Elysian Fields.

Finally there!

Tethys breathed a sigh of relief and followed Luo En, who acted as a backbone, moving forward anxiously.

After breaking through a barrier akin to a water film, her senses, previously oppressed by the dead air of the Netherworld, instantly sharpened by several times. The fragrance of the soil, the warmth of the sunshine, the chirping of insects and birds, were all vividly captured, filling her heart with a strong sense of liveliness, cleansing both body and soul.

Meanwhile, Sisyphus, carried over Luo En's shoulder, suddenly opened his eyes. His previously half-dead appearance vanished entirely, like a mouse boosted by adrenaline, he instantly leaped from Luo En's shoulder and crazily dashed towards the river ahead, drinking in big gulps.

The bubbling stream filled with Aether Factor meandered around; taking a scoop to taste, it was clear and refreshing.

After a hearty drink, Sisyphus rubbed his neck, where the soreness gradually faded, and excitedly turned back.

"Old pal, come quick, this is the Water of Life I read about in books, extremely beneficial for nourishing Divinity and the spirit."

Luo En didn't reply, but began to carefully survey their surroundings.

Besides the rich Aether contained in the water sources, the air was dense with magic power that seemed almost fog-like, and the vegetation on the land was unusually lush.

Bushes laden with fruits and heavy grains were seen along roadsides and in the woods, accompanied by the occasional sounds of birds and insects. The wildly growing flowers and plants were pleasantly fragrant, with butterflies fluttering among them.

Compared to the land of Greece, which had already experienced several human extinctions, this place was like a grand garden abundant to the extreme, everywhere blessed with natural provisions.

Such pure Aether filled every space; residents could breathe the air, drink the water, or eat some fruits and grains, which could be directly digested and absorbed by humans, the gods, or even incarnated spirits, sustaining everyday needs and even used for self-improvement.

Beyond that, there were no invasions of cold or heat, no ravages of natural disasters, no wars for territory, and with it being far from the disturbances of the Mortal World, the faces of each resident beamed with a peaceful and content expression. To call it "Blissful Paradise" was indeed not an overstatement.

Luo En and Tethys glanced around and couldn't help but notice each and every soul, indistinguishable from the living.

Their skin was imbued with a healthy luster, each of them maintaining the perfect physiological state.

Clearly, the dense magic power of the Elysian Fields had granted them new bodies.

However, the residents of the Elysian Fields aimlessly wandered or paused to rest; none of them showed any vigilance or surprise at the visit of these outsiders. The welcome smiles that ostensibly stretched their muscles appeared more like painted expressions on puppets' faces, unchanging.

Staring for too long gave one chills.

On closer observation of the residents' eyes, it was clear they had lost focus, making the trio appear as though they were indulged in a beautiful dream.

Something wasn't right...

Luo En lowered his head thoughtfully to the verdant ground. His vision, enhanced by divine power, penetrated the soil layer and astonishingly saw hundreds of spirit veins, flowing like mighty rivers from the Infinite Plains outside the Wall of Sighs, nourishing this small piece of paradise.

Death was not the end; chaos and nothingness were the true origins...

So that was it!

Not all souls could maintain their self-identity after death. A large fraction of those with weaker wills, once withered, turned into pure Aether, filling the vacuum known as the Abyss under the Netherworld, or became nutrients nourishing the Elysian Fields, offering bliss to this paradise.

No wonder the gods loved to incite wars; it wasn't just for the scramble for faith or to assert authority.

More importantly, they could create death continuously, treating the spirit-imbued living beings on the surface as crops to be harvested again and again. They reclaimed the Aether absorbed by all things from the world, controlled the populations of various species, and maintained the undying glory of the gods.

In a way, the gods might actually be the root of unrest and inequality in this world.

"Found it."

As Luo En was pondering internally, Thetis, who was searching through the paradise, pointed toward a silhouette standing in the dense shade not far ahead.

—A towering figure, with features as delicate and beautiful as flowers, dressed in the style of Cyprus Island.

That resident of the Elysian Fields was unmistakably the soul of Adonis.

Only, like the others, he too was dazed, like a thoughtless marionette.

"Hey, stop sleeping, wake up!"

Seeing this, Luo En walked over, grabbed Adonis by the collar and shook him. Seeing no response, he turned to the rune on his back that stored the purifying power of "Flame" and slapped the handsome face fiercely a few times.

The crisp sounds seemed to carry a hint of settling personal scores.

Well, he admitted that he disliked handsome men, especially those more handsome than himself.

"Slap, slap, slap, slap!"

With each slap, a wave of pain coursed through the flesh and burned the soul, bringing the groggy Adonis suddenly to his senses. Holding his swollen cheek, he looked bewilderedly and fearfully at Luo En—the stranger who had attacked him.

"You, you..."

"Good, you're awake, don't be scared..."

Luo En patted his shoulder, squeezing out a gentle smile on his face, softly reassuring.

"We are here on orders from Goddess Aphrodite to fetch you from the Netherworld."

"Goddess Aphrodite?"

At these words, Adonis's eyes lit up, hope and excitement sparkling within them.

"She still thinks of me?"

"Indeed, her love for you is unquestionable."

Luo En nodded, not minding flattering his employer a bit. After soothing Adonis's emotions, he pointed towards the Wall of Sighs ahead.

"We're short on time. If there's nothing else, let's head out."

For some reason, he felt a strange eeriness about this Elysian Fields; an intuition told him not to stay too long.

"Okay, okay!"

Adonis readily agreed, hurriedly following the trio, preparing to leave the place.

However, just as Luo En initiated the spell to open the barrier and led them out in single file, the moment Adonis stepped through the light-formed passage, a black rune swirling with light emerged on Adonis's forehead, searing a scorching mark.

"Ahh!!!"

The pain, as if a red-hot iron rod stirred inside his brain, struck Adonis like a bolt from the blue. His eyes filled with blood, veins bulged on his forehead, and he screamed repeatedly.

Meanwhile, deep within the palace of the Netherworld, a pair of eyes dark as ink slowly opened, radiating a sinister cold light.

An intruder had entered his garden, attempting to take away his possession.

"It seems the house indeed needs some cleaning..."

In a murmuring low voice, a slender figure rose from the throne, drew a long sword from the rack, and moved like the wind through the large silent hall.