Chapter 310: The Age of Gods

Alcohol is often said to be the best social lubricant for bringing people closer, and it seems this holds true for gods as well. After several bottles of wine, the previously tense atmosphere between Hecate and Athena completely evaporated. Given the famously open-minded Greek attitudes, Hecate began to recount some of the most shocking stories from her extensive experience and knowledge. These revelations, while undoubtedly fascinating, might have been deemed indecorous from a mortal male perspective. Athena, however, was thoroughly amused, her golden curls bouncing on her shoulders as she laughed freely. The warm light filling the room mingled with the sweet aroma of wine, and even the dust in the air seemed infused with the scent of sunlight.

Solomon, meanwhile, struggled to maintain his composure. If it hadn't been for the small amount of pine resin wine and sweet grape wine he had consumed, he might have fainted from sheer embarrassment at some of the stories. Athena, in her slightly inebriated state, turned her attention to him. She began playfully but firmly criticizing his "peculiar" hobbies—his love for paper-cut characters and schoolgirl idols. Poking him repeatedly with her finger, she almost succeeded in pushing him off his chair.

After finishing her playful scolding, Athena turned back to her drinking companion, Hecate. The two goddesses polished off another bottle of wine before moving on to Hecate's treasured stash of brandy, a fine vintage dating back to Napoleon's era. The pair emptied the bottle at an astonishing pace, then began singing ancient Greek poems:

"Like a hyacinth in the mountains, trampled by shepherds,

But still blooming with purple flowers on the ground."

It felt as though they were recreating a scene from the ancient Olympian feasts of old. Athena, as always, was the most radiant presence, not unlike her role in the mythical banquets atop Mount Olympus. This time, however, she was not surrounded by the clouds and peaks of the gods. Instead of beeswax candles, electric lights illuminated the room; golden apples were replaced by organic fruit; and the incessant hum of a TV supplanted the magical instruments of Olympus. Even the sunlight had to fight its way through the clouds to reach her. Yet, for a fleeting moment, it seemed as though she was wistfully reminiscing about the raucous age of the gods, an era long past.

The revelry carried on from afternoon into the early evening.

As the day turned to dusk, Solomon fetched a pair of blankets from the wardrobe and draped them over the two goddesses. Athena had consumed far too much alcohol; the floor was littered with empty bottles of brandy and wine. She was now sprawled across the table, fast asleep. Turning off the television, Solomon quietly slipped out of the room. The cool Mediterranean breeze greeted him as he walked down a cobblestone path. The black waves crashed against the shore with a salty tang, and the warm yellow lights lining the coastal town shimmered like a Milky Way scattered over the dark sea.

What Solomon didn't realize was that as soon as he closed the door, Hecate and Athena immediately sat up straight, completely sober. Not a hint of drunkenness remained on their faces.

"He's adorable," Hecate remarked with a hint of jealousy. "The children you've mentored in the past were never this gentle. Did you notice how he tiptoed out of the room just now? He truly sees you as his mother."

"That's exactly what worries me," Athena replied, uncharacteristically grave. "His heart is too soft, like a piece of marshmallow. He might be willing to sacrifice himself to slay an enemy, but I'm not sure he could ever harm the innocent. Maybe he could, but I don't know when—or under what circumstances—that day will come."

"Why must you turn your child into a cold-blooded killer, Athena? I've always thought that mindset of yours was flawed. Being a hero doesn't mean you have to do great deeds. Even someone who tells bedtime stories to a helpless little girl can be a hero," Hecate countered. "And marshmallows aren't so bad. I like marshmallows—they're one of humanity's greatest inventions."

"That may be true for others, but Solomon is different," Athena insisted.

"Fair enough." Hecate poured herself another glass of brandy, savoring the rich amber liquid as she closed her eyes. Her forehead wrinkled slightly in thought before smoothing out. "He has the potential for greatness—and ruthlessness," the goddess of magic mused. "Do you think he'll abandon his current life to pursue his true nature?"

"I don't know." Athena pulled the blanket tighter around herself, though she didn't feel the cold. "Maybe he will, maybe he won't."

"Which outcome do you prefer? Or, to put it another way, do you see him as a person who bears the stigmata, or as the stigmata itself? He's not like the children you've mentored in the past. You can't use the same methods on him."

"I don't know. Stop looking at me like that—I really don't know," Athena said hesitantly. "To cast off his humanity and embrace his divinity would mean becoming a natural force, like a law of nature. I don't want him to walk that path. But then again, if he turned out like my father, it wouldn't be so bad… If necessary, I believe he can make the right choice. The Supreme Sorcerer has already taught him well."

"Ugh, those so-called guardians..." Hecate clicked her tongue in distaste. Her gaze seemed to pierce through the walls, focusing on Solomon in the distance. She saw him lift a glass of amber liquid to his lips, sniffing it cautiously before wrinkling his nose in disgust. A moment later, he hesitantly extended his tongue to taste the liquor, only to recoil immediately.

"Bleh! Ugh, how can anyone enjoy this stuff?" Solomon grimaced, shuddering from the aftertaste.

"Looks like he hasn't learned to appreciate the finer pleasures of adulthood yet," Hecate remarked with a sly smile, nudging Athena. "When do you plan on teaching him?"

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong…

"It's the weekend, Solomon! I thought we were going to eat that famous orange peel duck!" complained Wong, the young sorcerer, as he glanced at Solomon, who was wearing a baseball cap and skulking suspiciously through the streets. Wong rubbed his stomach in frustration. "I skipped lunch for this. You only let yourself eat once a week, and now you're hesitating? Are you following someone? I thought we'd finally get a proper day off!"

"Relax, we're still going for the duck. I even brought cash," Solomon reassured him, tugging Wong along as they crept down a narrow alley, avoiding security cameras wherever possible. Despite his best efforts, Solomon still found himself caught by a traffic camera—and a nearby car's dashcam to boot. "Damn it. I'm just trying to avoid being tracked down by a certain artificial intelligence," Solomon muttered, glaring at the traffic camera. "Hey! Don't bother me, got it?"

The camera's indicator light blinked twice, then swiveled slightly, as if in response.

"Why are you talking to a camera?" Wong asked, puzzled. He hadn't yet earned the clearance to attend the senior sorcerers' meetings and thus knew nothing about Finch's AI. Solomon promised to explain everything over dinner, as Wong had endured a week of British food and relentless study materials. He desperately needed the comfort of good food.

Suddenly, Solomon's newly purchased phone buzzed. He pulled it out and read a text message.

"What is it?" Wong asked, craning his neck to peek at the screen.

"Nothing much," Solomon replied, hesitating briefly before showing the message to Wong. "It seems we're not the only ones heading to that restaurant. If we go now, we might run into them."

"Who's 'them'? Another group of sorcerers? There aren't many practitioners in Hong Kong—most are over in Qingcheng Mountain. All you'll find here are fortune tellers."

"There's a certain mystic known as the 'White-Clothed Diviner' at that restaurant. However, the AI's message indicates that…" Solomon paused. "Well, the diviner is just a side character. A team of SHIELD agents has placed an order there, and they've got a lot of people. If we don't hurry, they might buy out everything."

Turning back to the traffic camera, Solomon sighed. "This isn't how you earn my trust, you know that?"

The camera's indicator light blinked again, then nodded as if it understood.

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