The Greece Antagonist

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"What's happened? Why are you so cheerful?"

Downstairs, Hestia, who heard the commotion, walked out to the balcony and looked towards Luo En, who stood at the railing laughing heartily, and couldn't help but ask in astonishment.

With a formidable enemy approaching and one piece of bad news after another, the entire Crete Island was shrouded in gloom and despair, and she simply couldn't understand what there was to be happy about.

"It's nothing, just figured out some things," Luo En replied, turning back with a faint smile. Then he stretched his somewhat stiff waist and got up to walk down from the balcony.

"Let's go."

"Where to?"

"To Knossos Palace, I'm going to see King Minos."

Luo En contemplated quietly, his keen eyes staring into the distance at the towering structure in Knossos City that seemed to prop up the sky.

A quarter of an hour later, the swift bronze chariot was headed towards the palace.

The city streets, ravaged by the storm, were slick and sticky with mud and standing water. The sky was filled with thunder and storms, and even at noon, hardly any light could be seen.
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The storms from both the sky and the sea seemed to converge on this city, barreling towards the chariot with unstoppable force.

Seeing the twinkling Runes insignia on the chariot, the Divine Blood Guard stationed at the palace moved aside respectfully, bowing their heads to let it pass, and only when the chariot vanished from sight did they slowly raise their heads and continue their steadfast watch.

As Luo En descended from the halted bronze chariot, before he had even stepped through the palace doors, he heard a commotion of discussions inside.

"King, the sea level along the coast has surged, continually eroding the shores, and has already inundated the outer walls of Nossia and Gidus!"

"The central plains region from Kidonia to Knossos has become a swamp, and most of the grape seedlings and grain crops have been flooded and perished!"

"Knossos's drainage system is also overloaded. Over the past three days, more than 127 houses have collapsed, and there is varying degrees of softening in the city walls on both sides!"

Inside the palace, priests responsible for compiling information from various places and messengers from the city defense forces stationed along the coastal defense line reported one after another on the dire situation.

Lying on his sickbed, King Minos listened attentively. Even though his body and spirit were both on the wane, the authority accumulated from ruling over Crete Island for hundreds of years still bestowed upon him a commanding presence that required no demonstration of anger.

Naturally, no one would concern themselves with the health condition of His Majesty the king.

The situation was very bad.

Fortunately, the geography of Crete Island is complex, the terrain of Knossos City is higher, and the Minosians are also familiar with the dark and changeable weather of the Sea of Okeanos, so the continuous heavy rain and storms at sea have not yet resulted in too severe casualties to this point.

However, even then, with the shipping routes cut off and the tides encroaching step by step, the circumstances Crete Island was facing were still quite grave.

Moreover, unlike the previous beast tide, this time Poseidon himself had intervened.

Just the weather factors such as tide, storm, and heavy rain had nearly crippled the coastal defenses that the Minosians had spent months painstakingly constructing.

"Yesterday me and my friends went up the watchtower and spotted quite a few Sea Beasts near the shore,"

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Fedra, the fourth daughter, couldn't help but interject, eager to display her concern for the country and its people.

"Hmm, today the coastal defense line suffered three waves of attacks by Sea Beasts. Although the numbers were not large, it's a quite dangerous sign," she said.

The second daughter, Ariadne, took the opportunity to step forward and add her own serious, worried thoughts.

However, under the unintentional or deliberate "assistance" of his daughters' remarks, King Minos, who had been barely maintaining his composure, suddenly couldn't catch his breath and began to cough violently.

For a moment, the gazes of the priests and generals towards King Minos shifted from reverence to bewilderment and panic. The atmosphere in the room plummeted to an icy low, becoming oppressive and somber.

Could this war really be won?

After serious consideration, everyone's mood collectively sank into the depths of despair.

Seeing the unsettled expressions on the faces of the priests and generals, sorrow and unwillingness deepened in King Minos's eyes.

Originally, his health was not suitable for making public appearances.

But today, early in the morning, Princess Athena had gone to Olympus again, attempting to seek Father God Zeus for mediation.

So, to soothe the mindset of the priests and generals, he decided to make a brief appearance, fulfilling his duty as King.

However, the situation had turned out to be much worse than he had imagined, almost beyond redemption.

At the same time, because he had been careless and allowed his anger to show, he had revealed his frailty in front of everyone.

"Boom!"

Just as the atmosphere in the palace grew more stifling, a tremor of the ground and the cries of humans came from outside the city.

Several color-changing Lamias, taking advantage of the cover of rain, swam ashore and, with their claws, cut two soldiers who were checking the drainage and a few civilians transporting supplies in half at the waist.

Colorful organs immediately spilled from the severed torsos into the muddy water below, and the blood-curdling screams spread quickly amidst the ghastly spray of bright red blood.

The insatiably greedy serpent women, the Lamias, immediately bent down and started devouring the fresh flesh and blood on the ground.

A few victims who had not yet died watched in horror as their organs were emptied and their flesh torn, emitting horrific screams of agony.

"Another Sea Beast has landed on the island!" Witnessing the bloody scene reflected on the star dish in Princess Ariadne's hands, a look of shock surfaced on everyone's faces.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

At that moment, the somber twang of bowstrings resonated from outside the hall. Three silver arrows shot through the air like shooting stars, then slanted downward, each swiftly splitting into six, creating a small-scale rainfall of arrows that firmly pinned the Lamias feasting on the ground.

Immediately after, a tall figure holding a bow in one hand stepped into the main hall with the cutting cold of a fierce wind, his icy gaze critically surveying the priests and generals in the room.

"What's the panic? Have you not hunted enough Sea Beasts before? Don't tell me the weapons in your hands are only good for starting fires now!"

Anyone caught in his gaze inevitably lowered their heads in shame, embarrassed by their earlier display of panic.

"If the coastal defense line can't be held, then retreat. According to the enemy-tracking signals from the lookout towers, we will stage tiered rearguard actions based on the terrain! If that doesn't work, dispatch more patrols, increase patrol frequency, and make sure there are no dead angles in our surveillance!"

"If you need a warrior who can stand on their own, borrow the Divine Blood Guard. If you need a spellcaster to accompany you, seek out the temple. His Majesty and the Lady Goddess don't need them for protection!"

"Moreover, I remember that Her Holiness controls the divine power that guides navigation. Therefore, there seems to be priestesses in the temple who specialize in celestial magic. Have them conduct the secret rites to disperse this storm as soon as possible."

Although Luo En spoke with great speed, each word was crystal clear.

However, seeing a hint of difficulty on the High Priest's face, he slightly softened his tone and relaxed his demands.

"I know you're short on hands; I'll ask Anna and the rest to help. Even if they cannot disperse the clouds in the sky, weakening these adverse factors to some degree will do. Then sweep the area around Knossos City again to prevent any sea beasts from slipping in…"

Both princesses and a group of generals and priests nodded in agreement.

At the end, Luo En's tone softened as he casually waved his hand with a tranquil air.

"Things haven't reached an irreparable state; why the rush to worry? If we have that sort of time, I'm still looking forward to having you invite me to taste the new brew next year."

Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but crack a smile, recalling the grandeur of the Festival of the God of Wine and their relaxation, a glimmer of anticipation arose in their minds, instantly lifting the gloom from their hearts.

Seeing the improved expressions of the crowd, Luo En spoke again.

"Off you go. Obey the commands, and just do your duty well."

"As you command, Chief Scribe, sir!"

Suddenly, it was as if the crowd had found their backbone. They struck their chests forcefully, answered loudly, and then one by one, they left to carry out their orders.

Since King Minos had been bedridden these past months, they had become accustomed to obeying the Chief Scribe's orders.

And the series of successful experiences and favor from the Goddess also made them believe that under the Chief Scribe's leadership, they would achieve success once more.

As the din inside the hall gradually subsided, King Minos looked at the empty great hall from his couch, his pale face revealing a touch of desolation and bitterness.

He really was old, and there was no denying it.

But immediately, the old man's eyes turned to the figure standing before the hall, and a look of admiration and satisfaction appeared.

At least, his judgment hadn't been wrong. He had chosen the right person.

Luo En looked around, surveying the area. Not seeing Athena, who should have been diligently present, he became somewhat puzzled.

"Where is the Lady Goddess?"

"She's gone to Olympus…"

"Still not giving up?"

Luo En shook his head, holding no hope for Athena's last attempt.

If Zeus truly wished to intervene and administer justice, then he wouldn't be Zeus.

Upon hearing this, King Minos's face grew even more somber, the faint light in his eyes extinguishing as he finally let out a long sigh.

"So, we are doomed to lose?"

"Do you want to win?"

Luo En gazed directly into those aged eyes, speaking in a tempting voice,

"…to decisively defeat Poseidon for once!"

And almost instantly, the sickly King Minos on the couch sat up as if a withered tree had sprung to life in spring, his eyes ablaze with intense desire, nodding without hesitation.

"I do! I dream of it!"

Luo En did not answer directly but instead asked a haunting question.

"But what if the cost is your life?"

"You want my life? Hahaha, take anything I have, as you please!"

King Minos, upon hearing this, not only didn't become angry but instead burst into hearty laughter.

Yet the more he did, the harder it was for Luo En to make a decision. He questioned further.

"Are you sure?"

"What's there to hesitate about!"

King Minos waved his hand vigorously, his eyes burning with passion.

"If I can win once, I am willing to pay any price!"

Then, as if to soothe Luo En in front of him, he patted his gaunt chest with a laugh, half in resignation, half in determination.

"This body of mine was once able to draw a strong bow and wrestle sea beasts barehanded. Now, I need help to even get in and out of bed. I'm almost dead anyway; living a few more days is merely lingering. To exchange the last of my life for a chance to win, to fight for a glimmer of hope for my descendants, I couldn't ask for more!"

Having said that, the old man turned his head, his eyes blazing as he looked towards the figure standing by the bed,

"So, do you have a way to make me win?"

"I only had a thirty percent chance before, but with you, now there's an eighty percent chance of success."

Luo En answered truthfully, then gazed at the man in this world who was his half-brother from a different mother, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

"Don't hesitate, nor have regrets. Do what you want to do, and whether or not you succeed, I thank you!"

The unknowing King Minos, who was oblivious to this blood relationship, patted Luo En on the shoulder, looking at him with genuine and fervent eyes.

"Because not only have you taken up the responsibilities I should have borne, guarding Crete Island in my stead, but you've also allowed me, in my lifetime, to not die on a sickbed, but to confront that enemy of the sea once more!"

Then, the old man raised his emaciated arm, reaching towards the distant sea and sky, his fingers grasping tightly, veins bulging as if gambling against the invisible forces of fate.

"This time, I will win half a move against him!"