Taking control of his own fate

Medea sat dazed on the ground. The moment the leaden arrow struck, the god of love's curse had vanished into thin air. Gone with it was her hatred for Jason. Hatred born of love naturally ceased to have any consequence once its cause was gone.

After doing this, Bai Mo felt a rush of exhilaration. Even if it angered Poseidon, even if it made Medea an unstable factor, he still felt exhilarated-utterly exhilarated.

"Boy, don't think that little bit of divine blood gives you leave to do whatever you please. You will pay for your insolence!"

Poseidon immediately struck. A warhorse came galloping out of the towering wave beneath his feet. The instant its hooves hit the ground, the cliff shook violently, as though it would collapse in the next second. Then that terrifying thing charged straight at Bai Mo.

I can't let this thing advance any farther. Bai Mo snatched up his unfinished blade and immediately closed in. The next moment, the warhorse raised its forelegs high and brought them crashing down. Not daring to take it lightly, Bai Mo angled his blade to block. He had expected this defense to knock the horse off balance through the force of the recoil, but the result was far beyond his expectations.

The warhorse's stomp sent tremendous force through his hands. And the horse itself? Aside from a few ripples, nothing changed.

Brute force won't work? This kind of enemy can only be destroyed with concentrated, explosive force. This is trouble.

Even as Bai Mo thought, his combat responses did not slow in the slightest. He activated his power of ice and snow, and frost immediately coated the warhorse. A slash followed, shattering the horse formed from seawater. But in the next instant, countless horses came galloping together like a towering tsunami, trampling surging waves as they charged at Bai Mo.

Anyone who witnessed this divine wrath should have fallen to their knees and begged for mercy. Unfortunately, Bai Mo held not a trace of reverence for the gods. Faced with this stampede of countless horses, he would not entrust his life to any deity. He believed only in himself and his blade.

Unfortunately, the two sides never did collide. A shield fell from the sky, blocking the warhorses' path. The next moment, an eerie purple light burst from it. The galloping horses stopped, turned to stone, and gradually crumbled.

"Enough, Poseidon. Your tastes really are vile. For a deity to bully someone so much weaker is far too disgraceful. Leave before you completely destroy the dignity of the gods!"

An athletic goddess crowned with olive branches landed before Bai Mo. She held a spear in one hand, and with a light wave of the other, summoned the shield into her grasp.

Athena's actions surprised both Poseidon and Hera. This should not have been possible. Though Athena was very friendly toward humanity, her love was different from that of ordinary humans.

Athena's love for humanity was a "greater love," one that could tolerate sacrificing a minority. For humanity's future, she could sacrifice Medea to gain Hera's support. But for a single Bai Ermo?

This man? What qualified him? Simply being a son of Zeus?

What they did not know was that, in Athena's mind, Bai Mo was already more than a so-called son of Zeus. After speaking with Prometheus, Athena's wisdom had told her of a possibility-one that might overturn the entire world.

I've never truly seen Athena in person until now. Why... why would she go so far as to appear to help me?

Bai Mo was filled with suspicion, but now that he had a moment to breathe, he looked at the woman on the ground.

It was hard to imagine that this ugly old woman had once been Medea. Bai Mo slowly held out his hand to her.

"Bai Ermo, can you tell me why?"

Medea's voice had grown calm. She spoke quietly, asking a question no one could answer.

Why had Medea ended up like this?

"Did I... do something wrong? I... didn't do anything."

Had she done anything wrong? She had always kept to herself. She had studied True Magic since childhood and gotten along well with her family. She loved Colchis. She had never offended either the goddess of night or any of the other gods.

Why had this happened to her?

"Bai Ermo, just what did I do for the gods to treat me like this?"

No one in the world could answer that question now. No one could say what Medea had done wrong, because everything about her had been cursed by the god of love and controlled by the gods.

But admitting Medea was innocent would mean the gods were wrong, and that was something the gods would not allow. So Medea had to be wrong. She had to exist as "evil." That was her fate.

But Bai Mo was not of this world. He spoke slowly, his voice quiet but filled with unyielding resolve.

"Medea, you did nothing wrong. The fleet of Colchis isn't far from here. You can summon the chariot of Helios, the first sun god, can't you? You could reach them in half an hour, couldn't you? Go home, Medea."

Bai Mo's words were calm, but he was deeply indignant. How unfair this was to Medea. But could he urge her to seek revenge? Taking revenge on the gods would only leave her dead without a grave. Others held the knife, and they were the fish on the chopping block. That was Medea's situation now, but was Bai Mo's any different? Yet Bai Mo did not fear death. He had no ties or attachments, while many people would shed tears if Medea died.

Even so, if this continues, how much better will my end be than Medea's? Athena definitely has another aim. In the worst case, she already knows about my Magnetic Field Power and only stopped Poseidon because she wants complete control over it. Whatever the case, her actions have already brought me to the gods' attention. It seems my only option is to throw in my lot with Athena. But if I turn to the goddess of wisdom, sooner or later she'll uncover every last one of my secrets.

Think. Is there anything I can do? Think carefully. Don't overlook a single detail. I... do I have any advantage over those gods? I should be strong in the future, but I absolutely can't count on that now. I know the myths well, but events have already gone completely beyond my expectations.

Suddenly, Bai Mo tilted his head toward the sky. He had thought of a way.

But this is too dangerous, practically no different from suicide... no, I'll do it. This is the only way out. I've already been given a second life. Every second is a bonus. But I'm going to live the way I want. Even if I die along the way, I'll have no regrets!

On the ground, Medea slowly shook her head at Bai Mo's words. "My power has already weakened. I no longer have the strength to drive the sun god's chariot, Bai Ermo..."

She still had another way. She still had Bai Mo's Thread of Fate. If she used it to threaten him now, forcing him to risk his life to get her out, there would still be a chance. She would do that, wouldn't she?

She slowly unwound the Thread of Fate from her ring finger and handed it to Bai Mo.

"You..."

Bai Mo stared in astonishment, but Medea smiled. It was a terribly desolate smile, yet it held a quiet stubbornness.

"There's no chance I can ever return home now. The gods won't allow someone like me to live, will they? Bai Ermo, at this point, there's no point in dragging your life down with mine. Take it. I hope you won't meet the same end as me."

Medea untied the Thread of Fate. Incredibly, it flew up by itself and wound around Bai Mo's finger. After wrapping itself around him, it slowly disappeared. The next moment, everything around him changed dramatically.

The earth, the sky, the grass, the people, the gods-everything vanished without a trace.

Gradually, scenery and color began to appear around him.

"What's wrong, my child? Did your mind wander?"

Bai Mo opened his eyes. Everything around him was unfamiliar. He looked around. Birds sang and flowers scented the air, while countless delicacies covered the table. A naked, winged goddess with a voluptuous figure poured wine into his cup.

Beside him, a man whose presence commanded respect without anger was smiling kindly at him.

"My child, you earned the greatest merit in this Gigantomachy. Why are you so distracted at the victory feast? Cheer up! This is a perfect opportunity to make your name!"

"Yes, Father..."

What's going on? My mind had no such intention at all. Why did my mouth speak on its own?

The next moment, the man seemed reassured by Bai Mo's response and turned to leave.

The feast continued, a bewildering whirl. Ares drank freely with him. Hera fussed over him like a mother. Aphrodite practically pressed herself against him, holding a wine cup marked with her kiss to his lips.

The feast continued until, at last, Zeus waved his hand. Images of countless mountains and rivers appeared on the ground. Like a tracking shot in a film, the sights of dozens of countries appeared upon it.

"These are the countries that fell behind in this round of sacrifices. Heh, is anyone interested?"

Demeter acted first. With a sweep of her hand, the land in those countries immediately dried up, leaving not a blade of grass growing.

"How unimaginative."

Poseidon mocked her. The next moment, he moved a finger as well. A coastal city-state was instantly struck by a maritime disaster, while the king who should have directed the response was strangled and bitten to death by a sea serpent Poseidon sent down. His descendants fought over the throne, paralyzing the central government, and countless people perished in the sea.

Enough... enough!

At the sight, Bai Mo roared like a wild beast. The gods all turned their eyes toward him. Fortunately, all these sights ended in an instant.

The scene changed again. He sat before a desk covered in densely packed files, one hand propping up his face. Everything around him was quiet.

What was happening now?

Just as before, Bai Mo could not take any action. He watched the door open and a familiar figure approach him.

Athena?

"Bai Ermo, you should get some rest. I know you're doing all this for humanity's future, but you're being too aggressive. At this rate, those gods will break openly with humanity."

"I know, Athena. But it's been so long. When I was human, I hoped to change those people's plight. Now I've become king of the gods, yet I still haven't managed it. Athena, you know I won't back down. I'll make those gods who oppose me pay."

The next moment, Athena actually placed her hands on his shoulders with some intimacy and slowly began massaging them.

"I know. You always use your immense power to settle everything. I believe in you. But beyond that, we have many other things to worry about, don't we?"

"Oh? The Counter Force? Is that thing causing trouble again? Don't worry about it. Whatever means it has, they mean nothing to me."

"No. Mystery is gradually receding. But Bai Ermo, as long as you, the king of the gods, remain alive and well, the Greek gods will not perish. Yet without faith to sustain us, the power of the rest of us gods has declined terribly. We need sacrifices, my king."

"Mm... that is also... unavoidable..."

Absurd. Don't give me that.

As Bai Mo's mind shook violently, the scene shattered once again. This time, he returned to reality.

"What... was that just now?"

Bai Mo murmured. The Thread of Fate on his finger had vanished. Had what he had just seen... been the possibilities of fate Hecate had mentioned?

Bai Mo did not dwell on it. Now was not the time to think about these things. He scooped Medea into his arms. Wings appeared behind him, and the Garment of the Hawk spread its wings, carrying him high into the sky toward the fleet of Colchis.

Poseidon and Hera both looked at Athena. For a moment, an exceedingly strange atmosphere began to spread.

"Hmph." Athena turned and left. The peacock also flew into the sky. Only Poseidon remained, staring coldly into the distance.