"The environment here is like a mix of the Netherworld, Hell, and a public restroom at the New York Subway Station."
Albella cursed, squinting her eyes with a cigarette in her mouth.
At this moment, the group had arrived at the foot of what was once Mount Olympus, but now, it was a Death Canyon filled with brownish-yellow miasma.
Withered, charred vines blocked the way forward, and beneath the roadside boulders, one could faintly make out fragments of white bones.
Greek-style multi-faceted pillars were obscured by mushrooms and lichen, collapsing in the mist.
"You forgot one thing; you also have to add Gotham's sewers."
Bo Bo was also surveying the scene, and it looked like a deep brown nightmare; everything seemed unreal, with only the miasma genuinely irritating their noses.
Su Ming was looking at the simple analytical conclusion given by his visor, and the data showed that this brownish-yellow gas was harmful to all red-blooded creatures.
"Albella, prepare protective magic for Bo Bo, The Flash, Zatanna, and yourself; you cannot inhale the air here."
Su Ming immediately arranged for preparations. He and Donna were fine; he had a helmet and a symbiote, while Donna was protected by a divine artifact.
From here, they were about to delve into a valley below the ground level, with chaotic abandoned buildings and twisted-mutated plants overhead.
In such narrow places, the flying ability was not as useful as divine speed.
Although it was not clear where the so-called third magic pillar was located in the mountain, at least a passage through the canyon to the hollowed-out mountain was necessary.
Since they planned to ambush Hecate, sneaking into the village was better, or else he would have flown over to find a place to blast open a tunnel or dig into the mountain.
With the help of divine speed, he now seemed to have arrived earlier than Hecate, and to prevent her from being alerted, there should be no sign of major work when she arrives.
It was one thing looking from the outside, but walking into the mist was another.
Besides these miasmas affecting vision, the most significant impact was the omnipresent stench, similar to the smell in swamps, a mix of decaying plants and animals in the muck.
No one knew how many corpses gathered here initially, but it was evident that the mass grave lay beneath their feet now.
In such an environment, even Barry didn't want to speak. Although magically protected, he still felt a sticky sensation on his skin, as if the foul air was infiltrating his body.
The initial path was quite broad, and despite twisting turns and the absence of light, at least it allowed them to move side by side.
But as they ventured deeper underground, the passage became narrower, with more evident man-made traces.
Not only did torches appear on the walls, but the ground beneath them also turned to stone.
This might have been the ruins of a former palace corridor, now repurposed.
"It seems Olympus dispatched guards here, but I'm unsure how they'd react facing Hecate."
Su Ming now walked at the front of the group, holding a great sword ready and vigilant.
They reached a door, and on this door was a Medusa relief sculpture.
Donna had some opinions about the relief. She felt uneasy, as despite having a divine artifact for protection, no one wished to face Medusa.
Just a gaze would turn anyone into stone, and humans rely heavily on vision in battle.
Su Ming didn't mind; Greek Gods loved playing with mazes, whether behind the door was Medusa, the Minotaur, the Chimera, or the Hydra, he had a way to cope.
Using a monster to guard an ancient seal seemed very reasonable.
However, what lay beyond the door wasn't what they imagined; it was a female warrior clad in golden armor.
She held a shield in one hand and a long spear in another, resting on a monster's corpse.
She wore a fully-covered golden helmet, and her long metallic battle dress dragged the ground, beneath the full armor was a white gown.
Under the torchlight surrounding her, her whole body seemed to radiate golden light.
Within the Greek Pantheon, a woman dressed like this and skilled in the combination of spears and shields was none other than one.
"Goddess Athena, why are you here?"
Donna looked at the woman in surprise, calling out her identity. She stepped closer to greet her and glanced at the monster's corpse on the ground.
Stationing a monster here was because Olympus had learned its lesson from the Primordial.
To prevent any reckless archaeologists from digging up the Primordial, a channel was prepared leading directly to the monster's chamber.
The monster couldn't leave once it grew too large due to the narrow passage.
As mythical creatures, they wouldn't starve, and they could simply sleep here.
If any mortals entered, they'd just eat them and continue sleeping.
But whether confused by slumber, or its mind muddled by the surrounding miasma, Athena got wind and decided to stakeout here, only to be attacked by the monster.
Being Zeus's first daughter, Athena wasn't just any easy target; for her, mythological creatures were merely a warm-up.
Athena didn't intend to remove her helmet, but a melodic voice transmitted under the golden, Greek-style helmet.
"Olympus received Justice League's communication, Hecate is approaching the pillar, naturally, I must stop her."
Su Ming took a few steps forward, examining the monster's corpse, which had three heads: lion, goat, and venomous snake.
In myth, this was known as a Chimera; not having faced it before, its power was unknown.
But judging from the deep grooves on the stone floor, its strength was not to be doubted.
"Isn't it the War God's duty to protect the Divine System?"
Athena chuckled lightly: "If Diana were willing to take responsibility for Olympus, it would indeed be her task."
However, everyone knew, Diana was fed up with the gods; she despised her demigod status, let alone aiding the Pantheon.
"I'll handle Diana's work; you can leave now."
Su Ming made way, signaling Athena she could go home and rest, assuring her he'd handle Hecate, officially concluding the task of protecting Diana.
Though the one being protected was now confined in the Static Prison, it was quite safe after all.
Athena didn't respond; instead, she tapped her shield with the spear, challenging Deathstroke in the Greek fashion.
Clearly, she didn't intend to leave.
"I don't know how you negotiated with Hera, nor why Eris was so generous, but if a mortal seeks a goddess, he must at least possess abilities surpassing those of the gods."
Su Ming sighed, sheathing his great sword, for it was not a good idea to spar with Athena—it had been agreed, after all, not to cause too much commotion.
"Artemis already lost to me, her archery couldn't match my spear technique. I have no deal with Rach, and Eris's claims are baseless. I'm not interested in you three so-called goddesses; you all are but ancient sorcerers."
Before knowing the Witch's Hour, the word goddess sounded intriguing to him.
However, understanding the gods' origins, it's like the princesses having turned into daughters of Master Zhou from the village's east end.
Master Zhou's family loved dressing in bed sheets; they were immortal, seemingly fresh and outlandish at first glance.
But in essence, they were villagers like everyone else, just a bit more cultured.
All once humans, self-proclaimed as gods because of formidable powers; peeling off the divine gilding only revealed the earth underneath.
"Not interested?" Donna asked with wide eyes.
"Not interested!" Bo Bo stroked his chin.
"Not interested..." Albella raised an eyebrow.
"...." Athena simply rushed toward him, her golden spear flashing a sharp light.
Su Ming closed his eyes—not in resignation, but because he already had a plan.
"Barry, lend me some electricity; I need to send the mischievous goddess to Antarctica to cool down."