Absurd Purpose

Joking.

Three gods.

With the memories from his past life, he recognized them instantly.

Ares, Athena, and the blacksmith.

Zeus wouldn't show himself, and getting surrounded and ganged up on would be dangerous.

The moment Shane saw Diana, he unleashed the combat instincts honed over a decade.

No chance for a one-on-one fight.

He'd have to think of another way.

Ares was roaring and charging back, Athena raised her spear, aiming at the figure carrying the stone pillar away into the air. After some hesitation, she still couldn't bring herself to throw it.

Just as Shane, holding the stone pillar, was about to fly back to where he came from, the human world, as if by divine calculation, used the energy and spatial data from opening the Divine Realm's gate moments before to tear open another spatial gate that was slowly expanding.

A pillar of lightning, crackling with heavenly might, descended with a sigh of helplessness.

It instantly erased the spatial gate before Shane.

Shane, holding the stone pillar, abruptly stopped in mid-air, scoffing.

Playing games with him, resorting to a personal appearance in the end.

Shane looked up at the dome of the temple, the origin point of the divine lightning.

"Enough."

The majestic voice, though lacking the thunder's roar, pierced the entire plaza, even drowning out Ares's bellow.

Ares, who was diving down with the wind, froze mid-air, stopping himself forcefully and crashing heavily onto the stone floor.

The main gate of the temple slowly opened, and a figure clad in a golden robe stepped out.

A faint halo of lightning surrounded him. With each step, divine patterns flashed momentarily on the stone slabs beneath his feet.

The newcomer's face exuded an imposing authority. His white hair and beard radiated a divine glow, his eyes deep. Just standing there caused Athena and the Divine Realm blacksmith to instinctively bow their heads in greeting.

Olympus's King of Gods, Zeus.

Shane sighed inwardly.

He wasn't sure if it was divine might or the sheer power of the other party, but Shane didn't even need to look up to feel the pressure of a mountain standing before an ant.

His combat instincts were screaming warnings.

Shane felt as if his body and brain were shrieking, warning him that choosing honor would lead to a swift death.

He slowly lowered the stone pillar he was holding. It landed heavily, kicking up dust and debris.

His expression remained indifferent as he watched Zeus approach.

Zeus stopped ten meters in front of him, his gaze sweeping over Shane, then resting on Diana, who was bound to the stone pillar.

Without speaking, a grand wave of sound washed over them.

"Stealing Divine Treasure, seizing the Authority of Discord, do you know the depth of your sins?"

Even as the death warnings blared through his instincts, Shane's eyes remained indifferent. He even raised a hand to pick at his ear, which felt itchy from the sonic wave.

"By this world's standards, my sins go far beyond that."

"...But the Divine Realm is not unreasonable."

Zeus raised his hand, and a soft golden light fell upon Diana, instantly dispelling the restriction on her vocal cords.

Diana looked at Shane with complex emotions. Clearly, since her arrival in the Divine Realm, she had known the gods' true intentions, and she couldn't speak for a moment.

"I can waive your Divine Punishment and let you take Diana, but you must first undergo seven divine trials. If you pass all seven, all authority will return to the Divine Realm, and your grievances with the Divine Realm will be settled."

"What does Wonder Woman have to do with this?"

If he hadn't considered that repeatedly provoking Zeus was akin to dancing on the edge of a cliff, Shane would have complained about the god kidnapping his own daughter.

A mocking glint appeared in Zeus's eyes.

"Though the Divine Realm has withdrawn from the mortal world, it is not ignorant of it. Diana is your teacher. After you obtained the Golden Apple, she not only failed to persuade you to return the artifact but even tacitly allowed you to take it. Now that the Authority of Discord is bound to you, she also bears responsibility for her leniency."

Having grown accustomed to the concise expressions of the equally stern instructors in Viltrum for over a decade, Shane found this kind of verbose language extremely uncomfortable.

"Do you guys always have to talk in such roundabout ways? You're so much stronger than me, couldn't you just strike me down with lightning and take back the authority?"

Diana's eyes widened. She felt like something had changed about Shane in the past few days.

Wasn't he a polite child before?

"You tied up Teacher Prince, brought me alone to the Divine Realm, and now you're offering such 'lenient' seven trials?"

He looked up at Zeus, the indifference in his eyes fading.

Now Shane was certain that this old man Zeus was scheming something.

"Your Majesty, King of Gods, you destroyed the spatial gate and cut off my connection to the outside world. The Justice League will not stand idly by."

"The Greek gods once protected Earth, and now they intend to become enemies with the current guardian of Earth? If you truly needed my help, why didn't you just ask? Otherwise, starting a war of this magnitude will surely bring a smile to the face of the one behind you."

Ares didn't expect the topic to suddenly turn to him, lowering his head a few inches.

To be honest, when Shane mentioned the Justice League could barge in at any moment, he had indeed been tempted.

A war between Olympus and the Justice League would allow him, the God of War, to absorb power instantly, far more than ten world wars on Earth combined.

Would Zeus still be in charge then?

Hard to say, hard to say.

The plaza fell into a brief silence. Athena's expression shifted slightly, clearly weighing the pros and cons.

Zeus remained silent for a long time, the patterns on his gilded robe dimming slightly. His majesty faded a bit, replaced by a touch of honesty.

"We have no intention of being enemies with the mortal world, and this incident does indeed concern you."

A flicker of surprise flashed in Shane's eyes.

"Your physique is something we've never encountered before."

Zeus's gaze fell upon him, filled with undisguised scrutiny.

"Without relying on the Golden Apple, you possess a lifespan comparable to the gods, your physical strength and potential far exceed ordinary deities, and you can even be compatible with the Authority of Discord without backlash."

Zeus finally spoke frankly.

"We wish to recruit you as a member of the divine race, to share magic through Divine Power and subtly acquire the characteristics of your physique to compensate for the shortcomings of the gods."

Shane was already stunned halfway through, instinctively retorting.

"My physique? Isn't there also Superman on Earth?"

Shane couldn't understand.

"Superman's strength is countless times greater than mine. Even if his lifespan is shorter than mine under normal circumstances, with the Golden Apple from the Divine Realm to extend his life, wouldn't that satisfy your needs?"

Upon hearing this, Zeus's eyes darkened slightly, but he didn't answer.

Ares, however, snorted coldly, his tone filled with disdain for Superman.

"The Kryptonian gene has too many flaws and weaknesses. It relies on yellow sun radiation and fears Kryptonite. No matter how strong his power, why would we burden ourselves with a pile of shackles?"

Shane ignored Ares's mockery, his gaze fixed on Zeus.

Perhaps Zeus's reluctance to mention Superman was a deliberate avoidance.

Combined with Superman's previous assessment of Zeus's strength, a thought formed in his mind.

Even if Zeus was stronger than Superman, the gap was definitely limited. They might not have wanted to choose Superman, but they were hesitant to act after weighing the options.

"So, this is the reason you asked me to come alone?"

Shane found it absurd and laughable.

"If I agree to join the divine race, Teacher Prince can leave immediately, and the Divine Realm can avoid a war with the Justice League. If I refuse, you can use the Golden Apple incident to sentence me to death with Divine Punishment?"

A flicker of approval flashed in Zeus's eyes.

"You are very smart. This is not a threat, it's a transaction—join the divine race, and you will possess Godhood and endless Divine Power, and together we will guard the cosmic order."

"Refuse, and neither you nor Diana can leave Olympus. If the Justice League barges in, it will only trigger a war between the Divine Realm and the mortal world."

Shane sighed deeply and closed his eyes, feigning contemplation.

Within seconds, Zeus's voice began to urge him, seemingly unwilling to give him time to consider.

"I have suppressed this space. The Justice League will not be able to enter the Divine Realm anytime soon, so you don't need to stall intentionally."