The journey home from Purgatory Planet was nothing worth elaborating on. After a bout of hyperspace travel, Hao Ren and the others returned to Earth, which they had been away from for many days.
They did not hurry home. Instead, they first brought Odin and Mimir's Skull to Asgard.
The Shadow Council had already been established, and the ten-thousand-year war between Demon Hunters and the Others had officially ended. Now that the new order was quietly taking shape, the Others in Athens could finally relax a little instead of living furtively in the shadows as they had in the past. Their "freedom" was still limited, but the changes were obvious. The most apparent one was that the reception area and entrance to Athens Sanctuary were no longer restricted to the "Shadow Sanctuary" guarded by Hesperis. Some of the Others' businesses in the human world had now become gathering places for them as well.
In Athens's bustling commercial district stood a striking modern skyscraper. Its owner—at least, its nominal owner—was a venerable family with a long-standing reputation. Their business empire spanned several countries, yet they had always kept a low profile. Despite amassing enormous wealth, not a single member of the family had entered politics or stepped onto the public stage, because the family had an ancient rule: any excessive or conspicuous public exposure was strictly forbidden. Outsiders found it difficult to understand how such a reclusive family had managed to survive and prosper to this day, but the family itself knew the reason: they had a backer beyond anyone's imagination.
Standing on the observation deck atop the skyscraper, Odin stared absently at this prosperous yet unfamiliar world, his brow slightly furrowed as he wondered what. Vivian interrupted his thoughts. "What do you think of Earth now that you've returned?"
"If