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——
As Prometheus continued to chuckle in amusement, the corners of his lips curling into a smile, Metis simply observed him.
His demeanor.
His posture.
And most importantly…
His eyes.
Something about them caught her attention.
Although Prometheus appeared amused by her words, his eyes told an entirely different story.
They were cold.
Calculating.
Almost indifferent.
It was as though he didn't particularly care about Metis's opinion of him, nor did he seem concerned about what she might be thinking.
Finally, Prometheus answered.
"That is merely your own interpretation, Metis. I am simply observing for the time being. I will act when I am truly needed."
His voice remained quiet, carrying a faint hint of amusement.
Metis regarded him with a slightly amused expression of her own.
"You say that, and yet we've only fought one battle so far. We needed you and your intellect from the very beginning, when this war first started."
Silence settled over the room.
Epimetheus, who had been quietly observing the exchange between his brother and Metis, tilted his head in confusion.
He looked from one to the other, seemingly unsure why the atmosphere had become so tense.
Neither Metis nor Prometheus paid him much attention.
Epimetheus had always been a rather innocent and somewhat childish deity.
Although he could be surprisingly intelligent at times, he still possessed a gentle outlook on the world, one that seemed almost out of place among beings as calculating as Metis and Prometheus.
Eventually, Prometheus shook his head.
"Did we not win our first battle?"
Metis remained silent.
Prometheus continued.
"Had I interfered, perhaps I could have contributed something that none of you could have anticipated."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"But the fact remains that you won the battle without my involvement."
He looked directly into Metis's eyes.
"At this stage of the war, you do not need me. Nor should you become dependent on my judgment."
His smile widened ever so slightly.
"When the time comes that my assistance is truly necessary, I will act."
Metis stared at him for a moment.
Then—
She scoffed.
"I'll hold you to those words, Prometheus."
Deep in her heart, she did not know why, but she did not believe in Prometheus' words at all.
In fact, the man hasn't even tried to build companionship with anyone on this island, only focusing on himself and his brother, nothing more, nothing less.
He has not contributed anything, nor has he recruited any allies for them.
But she doesn't mention that.
Instead, she would hold him to the words he just uttered.
Prometheus merely smiled in response.
Before either of them could continue, several flashes of divine light suddenly illuminated the meeting room.
One after another, teleportation portals opened, and several familiar figures emerged.
The first to speak was Zeus.
"Metis! You called a meeting?"
His booming voice echoed throughout the chamber.
He looked particularly annoyed.
Metis glanced at him.
Her sharp eyes immediately noticed several faint marks upon his neck.
Hickeys.
She stared for a brief moment.
Then decided it wasn't worth commenting on.
"Yes," she answered calmly. "We need to prepare our next move."
Zeus sighed.
"Does it really have to be right now?"
"Seriously," Poseidon grumbled beside him. "Couldn't this have waited a little longer?"
"Be quiet, both of you."
A gentle yet firm voice interrupted them.
Hestia.
She looked at her brothers with a calm expression.
"We are not on vacation. We still have a war to win, and that means we need to prepare properly."
Her warm eyes and soothing presence seemed to calm the atmosphere around her.
Even Zeus and Poseidon found themselves unable to argue.
"Tch. Fine," Poseidon muttered.
Zeus merely shrugged.
The two brothers finally took their seats.
More immortals followed.
Styx arrived alongside her children, while Asteria, Rhea and Themis quietly entered and settled into their own seats.
Not long afterward, Helios, Selene, and Eos appeared.
"Hahaha! Greetings, everyone!"
Helios's brightly laughter filled the room as he entered with his usual radiant smile.
He greeted several familiar faces before taking his seat.
Selene followed with a small, amused smile, while Eos offered everyone a gentle greeting.
Gradually, a few more important deities arrived.
Some Gods.
Some Titans.
Powerful immortals.
The leaders and important figures of the rebellion gathered around the enormous round table.
Before long, nearly every seat was occupied.
Nearly.
Two remained empty.
And their absence had not gone unnoticed.
Eventually, someone spoke.
"Where are Aetherion and Hera?"
The question came from Hades.
The God of the Dead sat calmly in his chair, his expression composed as he glanced toward the two empty seats.
Metis answered without hesitation.
"Your brother seems to have become completely absorbed in his training. Apparently, he hasn't received the message about today's meeting."
She paused briefly.
"So I asked Hera to retrieve him."
For a moment, silence followed.
Then several expressions of understanding appeared around the table.
Of course.
Aetherion.
Everyone knew what he was like.
Whether they were his family, friends, or allies, they all understood one simple fact about him.
The man was a training freak.
Once he became interested in developing a new ability or mastering one of his Domains, almost nothing could distract him.
He could spend months training without noticing how much time had passed.
Perhaps even years.
If no one interrupted him, there was no telling when he would finally emerge.
Hades slowly shook his head.
"I see."
A quiet chuckle escaped his lips.
"Just like him. Always."
He couldn't help but find the situation amusing.
Not far away, Helios leaned back in his chair.
"Tch. If he keeps training like that, he'll leave me further and further behind."
Despite his words, there was no genuine resentment in his voice.
Quite the opposite.
A glimmer of excitement appeared in his golden eyes.
Determination.
Ambition.
The desire to surpass the man he considered his rival.
Helios smiled.
'Just you wait, Aetherion. I won't let you leave me behind so easily.'
Zeus suddenly burst into laughter.
"HAHAHA! That brother of ours really needs to learn how to enjoy life a little more!"
He spread his arms dramatically.
"There are so many beautiful things in this world! Why spend all your time training?"
As he spoke, his gaze wandered toward several of the beautiful women seated around the table.
Poseidon immediately nodded in agreement.
"Exactly! He really should learn to relax more often."
His eyes also wandered toward the women in the room.
Several of the goddesses merely rolled their eyes.
Hestia sighed.
Hades quietly shook his head.
And Metis…
Metis decided to ignore them.
As the conversation continued, several others began sharing their own experiences with Aetherion's seemingly endless obsession with training.
Some laughed.
Others complained.
A few simply nodded in agreement.
Then—
BANG!
The doors to the grand meeting room suddenly burst open.
Every head turned.
Standing in the doorway were two familiar figures.
Aetherion.
And Hera.
However…
Something was clearly wrong.
Aetherion himself appeared perfectly fine.
His golden hair with forest green streaks remained as beautiful as ever, and his skin was completely flawless.
Not a single scratch could be seen upon his body.
His clothes, however…
That was an entirely different story.
They were a disaster.
Torn in some areas.
And shredded in others.
Ripped apart in several places.
It looked as though some ferocious beast had attempted to tear him limb from limb.
And standing beside him…
Was Hera.
Her beautiful face was twisted into an expression of pure annoyance.
Her royal-purple eyes burned with barely restrained fury as she glared at Aetherion while holding his arm.
If looks could kill…
Aetherion would have died several times over.
The contrast between the two was almost comical.
Aetherion looked exhausted.
Hera looked ready to commit murder.
For several seconds, the entire meeting room fell silent.
Everyone stared.
Some looked bewildered.
Others struggled to suppress their laughter.
And a few…
Already had a fairly good idea of what had happened.
Aetherion glanced around the room.
Then, as though nothing unusual had occurred, he offered everyone an awkward bashful smile.
"Apologies for being late."
Silence.
The gathered deities continued staring at him.
Then their eyes slowly shifted toward Hera.
And finally…
Back to Aetherion.