Chapter 61 - Divine Cold War! [3]

With a white tunic and a golden breastplate that covered her chest, torso, and back, a metallic skirt, and leather sandals on her feet, Athena stood tall and commanding.

Her shiny, loose, wavy hair cascaded down her back and chest, her tanned skin glistened even brighter in the sunlight, and her piercing eyes reflected the light. Her appearance proclaimed: she is a god! Coldly observing with her big gray eyes, she nodded.

Athena passed between the Curetes and, reaching the wall, placed her hand on it. The place where she touched emitted an intense pink light before opening a passage into the mountain.

The Curetes, a group of elite men who protected Rhea, Athena, and Zeus, were part of their personal guard. They were so unique and well-trained that they blended into the crowd, posing as harmless civilians.

In the cave, brunette Oread nymphs, dressed in leaves and flowers, tended to the wounds of a gray statue-like figure sitting with her knees bent. Blood gushed from the wounds on her arms.

Other nymphs—Dryads and Hamadryads—dressed in robes made of animal skin, noticed Athena's entrance and crouched in reverence. – Great Divine Highness... – they announced, drawing the attention of everyone in the hiding place.

The Oread nymphs, brunettes like the Dryads and Hamadryads, lived in the forests and had a strong connection with the trees, never leaving them. They were above-average martial artists but were considered shy, except when they were next to the gods, Athena or Artemis.

There were six kinds of nymph species: Naiads, with light blue hair and white tunics; Dryads and Hamadryads, brunettes with dresses and tunics of leaves and flowers; Oreads, lovers of the mountains, always dressed in dresses and tunics made of animal skins; Nereids, with darker blue hair and blue dresses and tunics; Oceanids, white-haired woman's with blue attire; and the blond, beautiful, and elegant Hesperides, who lived and guarded a garden that supposedly had a tree bearing golden apples.

These apples were the treasure of the queen of the gods, capable of curing any disease and raising an individual's cultivation level to the Immortal Realm. The garden was located west of the banks of the Ocean River, and legends said it was guarded by a ferocious dragon or a black and violent Imoogi.

The elder Amalthea, with white hair, brown eyes, and a brown tunic that highlighted her old appearance and posture, was the former nanny of Zeus. She looked at Athena with a motherly smile. – Goddess Athena...

Looking at them with her usual dead face, Athena turned her gaze to the statue. – Any progress with Mentis? – she asked, not leaving room for much conversation.

The old woman looked at the statue and sighed with weariness. – I've never seen such a poison; it can only have come from the Fang family. I've never seen one that resists my Qi injection...

Athena gazed at the statue and thought, "Even Amalthea's milk has no effect. It's the most effective healing ability in the world... She is a divine physician... How?! She pondered, searching for solutions in her brilliant mind.

Looking around, the old woman approached the princess. – And your condition...? – she asked in a low voice.

– I've lost seventy percent of my original power, and my core is losing Qi... – Athena revealed, disabling her shapeshifting ability and returning to her original form. Her light brown hair became white in some parts, her body was covered in black veins, and her skin turned red.

Surprised by Athena's condition, Amalthea's pupils constricted, and she sighed. "How is she still alive?!" she thought of Athena's deplorable state. – Zeus, have mercy... – she sighed, covering her mouth.

Looking at her, Athena said, – No one can know that Mentis is alive, much less that I am in this state! Zeus will want to sleep with me if he finds out I'm weak now, and the other families will take this opportunity to attack me and annihilate the Red Flower clan... – she grunted, clenching her fists. She felt powerless.

Elder Amalthea, looking at her, ran her hand over her forehead and sighed. "You are right, how did Zeus go from a beautiful baby to a wicked man who desires his own daughters...? Maybe it was my fault?" she asked herself.

– No one will know! But what about your husband? The one you exchanged glances with at the Supreme Championship eleven years ago. He had the courage to face Zeus and defeated you once, and you were already one of the strongest gods at the time... Can't he help...? – the elder asked, broaching a sensitive subject for the goddess of war.

Looking at her emotionlessly, Athena used her shapeshifting ability to hide her veins and change her skin tone to tan. – That kid is an anomaly! A monster. He is the worst of my nightmares; if he wins the war, all will be lost! He didn't care about the promise I made about the man who looked into my eyes. When I looked into his eyes, I only saw the desire to kill... – she said, with a vein on her face.

– Athena, think with me, you're smarter than all of us. You're at a disadvantage now, you're poisoned, and you won't be able to fight someone of your level. You need strong allies. And your husband is that ally; pull him to your side and, while you're in that state, use him as a shield against Zeus and the others. When he's no longer needed, you can get rid of him... – Amalthea said, seeing some nymphs drop Qi pills.

Athena looked at her intently. – ... – listening to her suggestion in silence.

Looking at a nymph, Amalthea warned with veins on her face. – Stop wasting medicines! Go do something else, children in women's bodies!! Cough! Cough! – Coughing, she ran her hand over her face. "These nymphs are incompetent..." she thought, looking at Athena.

– Age is catching up with me. I will do my best to discover a cure, as soon as possible... But it would be nice to have the help of your cousin, the Celestial Divine Doctor, the number one in the world... – the old nanny suggested, looking at Athena's expressionless face.

Looking at the white parts of her hair, Athena thought, "This poison is starting to age me; my hair is turning white... The Fang family can't realize that the poison has an effect on a god! But why did they poison me?! What do they gain from it?! I need to find out, but I'm alone in this. Most of the gods haven't even realized that a cold war has started between the gods in the empire," she pondered. – I'm going to leave. Take care of things around here! – she commanded, walking toward the exit.

The elder Amalthea and the nymphs crouched in reverence.

"It's amazing how she was poisoned using the Infinite Poison Hands Art of the Fang clan, but she's still standing strong, looking young, and getting more beautiful every day... She's Zeus's daughter, alright... But she needs her husband's help, but how to convince that monster? It is said that a bloodbath occurred within his capital when he arrived and his habit of decapitating. And there is still the cold war on Olympus... Athena has a lot to think about." Amalthea thought, watching Athena walk out of the opening in the wall.