"I've finally arrived."
Liu Zhi gazed into the distance at the sanctuary on the mountain behind the harbor and let out a long sigh.
He had always known what made Athens special, but after experiencing so many worlds, this was the first time he had set foot on Athenian soil.
From the harbor, he could see the Temple of the Goddess of Wisdom, guarded by twelve palaces. Liu Zhi could clearly sense that Athena was ambitious, too.
But it made sense. Her birth was part of Zeus's legend. Zeus had married Metis, who had repeatedly transformed herself to evade his pursuit.
Gaia had prophesied that after Metis bore her first daughter, she would give birth to a son who would become king of gods and men.
That would simply repeat what Zeus had done before.
If Zeus really died, Athena would arguably have the best chance of becoming king of the Olympian gods.
That was exactly why she dared to build a sanctuary on the surface and establish twelve palaces to guard it.
Of course, Liu Zhi hadn't come here to meet Athena.
After entering Athens, Liu Zhi went into the city and found an ordinary temple of Athena.
Unlike the temple built atop the Sanctuary Mountain, this one stood in the city, where commoners could make offerings and worship. Any resident of Athens could enter and pray.
Liu Zhi hadn't come to pray. He had only come to ask for directions.
Still, he followed Athena's customs and performed the gesture of making an offering.
Liu Zhi personally bought a bull and brought it to the temple of Athena.
He watched as the three white-robed priestesses there slaughtered the bull, butchered all its meat, and laid it on the altar. Only then did he ask his question.
"I'd like to