Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

It is neither arrogance nor a failure to comprehend the strength of his opponent.

On the contrary, as the deity who once transformed herself to seduce Theseus, Aphrodite was acutely aware of his strength.

Excellent martial skills, firm will, strong beliefs— from the standpoint of mortals, Theseus was indeed very powerful; he had even reached the pinnacle that a mortal could normally attain under ordinary circumstances.

For such a man, those deities with similar powers who lived in luxury seemingly should have been unable to defeat him in the Mortal Realm—yet the Goddess of Beauty also knew very well from the mortal perspective that true invincibility did not exist here.

In the past, as the King of Athens, Theseus reclaimed the autonomous states internally, crushed the rebelling Aristocrats who had turned to other deities, and centralized the power into his own hands. Externally, he displayed undeniable dominance; even the incarnations of the gods had been defeated by his hand.

In the eyes of Humanity, Theseus appeared to have no rivals. But in truth, his continuous victories were not because nothing could limit him; it was merely because the deities were constrained. And these were not only restrictions of the divine Law but also the age-old rules among them.

Not only did the Goddess of Beauty know this, but Theseus himself was aware of it too, having never faced the siege of several deities at once, nor had anyone used underhanded tactics against him.

In such cases, much like in later video games, where the max level in a competitive game is only fifteen, as the game reaches the late phase, and everyone's level and equipment hit the ceiling, victory is often decided by awareness and skill.

Therefore, not to mention if their strengths are equal, if one side has significantly lower "soft power", even granting them an extra piece of Divine Armor (Divine Artifact) wouldn't help them defeat a professional.

But conversely, even if you are a world-class expert, if there is a huge disadvantage in numbers, it is impossible for one person to triumph over ten in an all-out attack.

This is determined by the upper limits of strength, and it is also the current state of the Mortal Realm. Regardless of whether or not someone can continue to improve their strength without becoming a True God, blending the distinct categories of Demigod and True God, for now, there is no such person in the Mortal Realm.

Thus previously, as the King of Athens, Theseus moved freely, never facing a united front of deities against a single human.

After all, despite their conflicts with Athena, the relations between Goddesses of Beauty and Hera were not necessarily much better.

Until this unexpected divine war when conflicts escalated, those old unwritten rules naturally ceased to exist.

'Just right, Hippolyta must still harbor resentment over the past affair…'

Upon leaving the nameless island, Aphrodite mused to herself.

There are more than one strong individual among mortals; Theseus just happens to be the strongest one alive. Besides him, the strength of the Amazon Queen is also first-class in the contemporary world.

Having been a deity for many years, who doesn't have a few commendable devotees? Since Theseus is blind to the charms of Hippolyta... and my own unparalleled beauty, it serves him right to pay the price for it.
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Swish—

A silvery light flashed across the sea, like a White Deer leaping through the forest.

As the Golden Apple found its owner and the Divine King departed, All Gods who attended the banquet also left one after another.

Artemis did the same, mindful of Athena's instructions and eager to explore the wild power newly acquired from Keto, the graceful 'White Deer' leaped swiftly across the sea surface.

Soon, a vast city began to emerge at the horizon's edge. On a hill outside the city, there was also a tall spire.

Atop the spire, something resembling a lightning rod was clear and translucent, sparkling even without Light shining upon it.

Often, this tower served as a beacon for ships from Athens navigating through fog. Indeed, this peculiar Light had exceptional penetrative power, and even thick fog could not obscure its radiance.

Whoosh—

"Finally arrived, come down... Andrea, you're really hard to find,"

"I even sent down divine oracles for people to search for you, and I seldom do such things. But now, it seems you've been living quite a good life."

In a flash of silver light, a figure finally appeared in front of the Royal Palace of Athens.

Artemis then stretched, displaying her body full of vitality.

"Your Highness, my apologies... I've already sent word that I was safe after being rescued, it's just that I didn't want to come back myself, and then I ended up at that grand event..."

"I know, which is why I slowed the search for you afterward. Of course, you were pretty good at hiding... I'm actually more interested in the one who saved you. Upsetting Hera's plans, that woman's vengeful heart is rather heavy."

"Hmm... but in the end, this is your problem, better left for you to tell your father,"

With a casual wave of her hand, she interrupted Andrea's explanation. Artemis tilted her head slightly, her gaze towards the Royal Palace somewhat teasing.

"Is that so, King of Athens? After all, this is family business— but I must remind you, while I'm not Athena, as the Master of the Wilderness, I'm certainly one of the most potent fighting deities among All Gods, and in tracking trails, I'm possibly even better."