According to Hathaway, the "divine weapon" in Hercules's hands was actually nothing more than a crude shell. The true source of the divine weapon's power was its core, and that core was far beyond what mortal power could create.
"It was a scepter. I think you've already seen descriptions of it elsewhere," Hathaway said from beside the window, speaking of these ancient secrets in a calm voice. "But in reality, the scepter itself was nothing special. It was merely a framework used to contain the true core of the divine weapon. The Olympians obtained an all-powerful core from somewhere, though no one knew where. That core was the essence of the universe's power, possessing enough strength to overturn the entire world. However, Zeus and Athena didn't know how to control it, so they used the simplest method. They combined it with red crystal and enchanted metal, turning it into a weapon."
Hao Ren hadn't expected another "core" to suddenly appear in the story. Unable to suppress his curiosity, he asked, "What did the core look like?"
"I've never seen it." Hathaway shook her head. "It was said that anyone who looked directly at it would be plagued by disaster. That thing was sealed inside the crystal of the scepter. Ever since the scepter was forged, no one had seen what it looked like. Hercules once described it as a mass of pure darkness... but he had only heard that from someone else."
Lily immediately asked, "Was Hercules struck by the divine weapon's backlash because you fought too fiercely back then and caused it to go out of control?"
Hathaway nodded lightly. "Yes, but that wasn't the whole reason. After Olympus fell, Hercules fled with the divine weapon. He encountered countless crises, most of them caused by the Demon Hunters' pursuit.