Kronos's Palace

Noah POV

After dealing with the matter regarding Kyler, I was pissed.

Although refusing to display my raw emotions by masking them under [Void Mind], once the technique faded, I felt frustrated.

Kyler had directly challenged my authority, and Prometheus simply watched.

I felt like the entire scene was supposed to be a test.

If it wasn't, Prometheus agreed with Kyler's words, which would be worse.

Leo, as I expected, dealt with the situation calmly, too. He didn't lash out recklessly and glanced at me for permission before acting.

Too bad I refused.

Anyway, once the pegasi regained a stable speed, I didn't vomit. I enjoyed the somewhat scary ride until the carriage slowed.

A few seconds passed, and the carriage came to a halt.

The pegasi let out a sharp roar, indicating that we'd arrived at our destination. Leo was the first to stand up, followed by Jacque, Prometheus, and then me.

Kyler, although bitter about the situation, stayed in place.

It seemed he respected my authority, although it was simply due to Prometheus's glares when the former attempted to stand up.

Seriously, that guard.

It still seemed like a test.

Once we'd exited the carriage, the pegasi bowed to Prometheus in an orderly fashion, respecting his position in Othrys.

I hadn't expected the pegasi to be intelligent. Although, I hadn't expected that pegasi existed.

The Divine Realm was mesmerizing. Much better than Earth.

Although I missed one person on Earth, the pros of the Divine Realm outweighed my attachment to the blue planet.

One pegasus approached us. It shook away the strap that tied it to the carriage.

I prepared a spell, but Prometheus lay a hand on my shoulder. I turned to face him, and he shook his head.

I simply watched as the pegasus approached our group; me in particular.

My eyes narrowed as it extended its snout, sniffing me. I interpreted his actions as permission to stroke its head, but Prometheus pulled my hand away.

"What are you doing?" he asked with his eyes widened.

"Trying to pet it."

"Don't," he replied. "The pegasus smells something unique in you. Pegasi are never to be touched. They are the alphas of all beasts except some. Even Supreme-Rank Gods can't touch them carelessly."

"Why is that?"

"Because they symbolize the Primordial Gods. Pegasi are the symbol of creation and eventual destruction. Also, they, along with a few other species, are powerful enough to pulverize High-Ranked Gods on their own."

A chill ran down my spine, and I suddenly bowed to the pegasus.

The pegasus snorted before letting out what seemed like a pseudo-laugh. I chuckled along with it, but it suddenly halted its display of humor.

After glaring at me for a few seconds, during which I stopped laughing, the pegasus began laughing again.

"It doesn't want you to laugh with it," said Prometheus.

"Obviously," I replied, furrowing my brows.

After the interaction with the pegasi was complete, Prometheus and I, along with the other members of the party, headed down the entrance.

We were currently atop the clouds.

Before us was the peak of Mount Othrys. The entrance was a gate large enough to fit thousands of carriages.

King Kronos's palace was located at the top of Mount Othrys.

It was enormous, but Prometheus reminded me that it was even larger from the inside, as a spatial divinity spell had been cast on it during ancient times.

When I asked what the ancient times were, he said, "Anywhere between fifteen to sixteen trillion years ago."

He also mentioned that the word "ancient" was subjective and that there wasn't an "ancient time" set in stone.

Trillions of years seemed minuscule to these Gods.

Anyway, as he neared the gate, we were greeted by several guards clad in thick armor, and surrounded by divinity.

Their appearances were intimidating, but their expressions were as serene as they could be.

It was like they were in a daze.

I gazed at them with interest as they pushed the door open simply with their raw strength. Prometheus whispered in my ear that they were Mid to High-Rank Gods.

I gasped, wondering how such Gods could be guards. Then again, it was the palace of the King.

"Those who failed," said Prometheus as we entered the palace. "The guards are Gods who are considered disgraces. Real talents are nurtured somewhere else. The only reason the King's palace even needs guards is to offer the disgraces jobs."

"Right, the King is a Cardinal-Rank God. Why would he need guards?"

"Right."

Prometheus nodded, and we continued to navigate through the palace, which seemed like a maze to me.

Finally, we came face-to-face with another door, albeit considerably tinier.

Laced with gold and diamond plating, the door was priceless. The actual metal was made with metal I couldn't discern.

"God's Steel," explained Prometheus, guessing my question.

I nodded, and we entered the conference room or hall.

Immediately, I was bombarded with presences that made me want to shit my pants. Their sheer aura tinted the air in a different hue.

Harsh winds tugged at my clothes, threatening to slice me to minced meat if I made a single hostile or unpredictable move.

It was truly suffocating.

Just when I thought I would pass out, an aura of comfort invigorated my body. I noticed that Prometheus had unleashed his aura, too.

"Thanks," I muttered, and Prometheus nodded.

His aura was able to compete with the others, nullifying the pressure that weighed on me. I breathed a sigh of relief, and so did Leo and Jacque.

It seemed they were affected, too.

As I gazed at the hall, my jaw dropped. The entire hall was covered in a red carpet and lined with what seemed like actual gold.

There were several smaller thrones to the side and a single enormous one in the middle on the opposite side of where we faced.

On the smaller thrones sat the Elder Gods of Othrys, the Supreme-Rank Gods who governed the Godly Society. Prometheus was an Elder God.

In the middle sat the King, Kronos, the Cardinal-Rank God of Time and Death.

As my gaze fell on him, I gulped in reflex. His appearance was traumatizing yet incredibly handsome.

He seemed tyrannical but also like a friendly uncle.

Like a two-faced man.

He was a middle-aged man with a bushy beard. His body was well-built, and his eyes were a light shade of emerald.

With hunched posture, he rested his arm on the armrest.

Dressed in majestic robes, he seemed like the epitome of rulers. A Kingly aura radiated around him.

He seemed bored but also a bit frustrated. However, as soon as his gaze fell on me, a look of disappointment flashed over his face.

He frowned before averting his gaze. He stared at Prometheus, ignoring the indistinct chatter of the Elder Gods of Othrys.

The Elder Gods were chatting away about my identity as a half-breed.

A few lines appeared on Prometheus's forehead, but he didn't react. He simply gazed at the Elder Gods, wordlessly telling them to shut up.

"Welcome, Prometheus," announced Kronos. His voice reverberated across the hall, piercing the ears of everyone present and gathering their attention. "I was almost certain you were going to miss the meeting. I was about to begin without your consent."

Although his words were sarcastic, his tone was solemn, as if there truly was an issue to be discussed.

Was the meeting not solely to discuss me?

I was offended.

Prometheus nodded before leading us to a vacant throne. He stepped atop the stairs before sitting on his throne.

Resting his arm on the armrest and his head on his palm, he spoke. "I am here now, your majesty. I apologize for being late, as I was indulging in a spar against the Prophetic Child."

Prometheus had informed me earlier that Kronos could sense lies, so there was no point in making a false excuse.

Kronos furrowed his brows, thinking about Prometheus's statement before nodding. "Did you emerge victorious?"

"I reduced my strength to that of a mid demigod, and sadly lost," admitted Prometheus.

Suddenly, the other Elder Gods broke into soft laughter. I frowned, but Prometheus didn't display any dramatic change in expression.

Neither did Kronos.

"Quiet," he ordered, and the hall turned silent. Even breaths were distinguishable. He then turned to face Prometheus. "You stated explicitly that the Prophetic Child has managed to defeat you."

Prometheus nodded solemnly before glancing at me.

"Do you mind if I test him?" asked Kronos, to which Prometheus nodded reluctantly. Shivers ran down down my spine as Kronos's gaze fell upon me.

Unlike his first impression of me, in which disappointment was vivid in his expression, he now viewed me as amusing. A smile tugged at his lips as he ordered me to step forward.

Suddenly, the Elder Gods broke into chatter.

"A half-breed? He's the Prophetic Child?"

"Chaos has done the deed with a human?"

"I respect the Primordials, but this is too much. How can a halfling be the Prophetic Child?"

"I say we kill him right now to avoid further disgrace."

"How did Prometheus lose to such a weakling?"

"Prometheus isn't worthy of his title. I say we strip him of it."

"All in favor of stripping Prometheus of his title as an Elder God, raise your hands."

A man with cyan hair was the one who uttered the last words, but no one dared to raise their hands in fear of Kronos, who glared at them.

As I approached Kronos, he spread his divinity.

His emerald eyes turned bright as they stared into my soul, pressuring me with an intangible weight.

"Tell me, child. What do you think of the Gods who say such things to you? What do you have to say in return? Will you cower, or will you strike back?"

As he uttered those words, the room turned silent.

I stared deep into his emerald eyes before taking in a deep breath.

Then, I spoke.