Those time travelers that year

If it weren't for the limitations imposed by mythology, the entire Earth would explode if these mythical gods were to descend. After all, this world cannot accommodate the complete descent of all real gods. However, if this world can't, the distant universe of Toril can!

"Thinking about it that way, this is actually a much better idea..."

"After all, in the far reaches of the Toril universe, the most unreliable ones are those legendary mages."

“One or two of them want to do something big, but they don’t want to pay the price. It’s no wonder that these good-for-nothings have been oppressed by those gods for countless years. In the end, they are just rats in the gutter and will never amount to anything.”

Charles had no intention of changing his stance on elevating legendary mages to power, but he felt that placing all his hopes on them was a reckless gamble. In that case, it was better to hope that when the two worlds collided, the gods of this world could seize the opportunity to break free from mythology and descend upon the Toril multiverse.

Once these deities manage to descend into the Toril multiverse as non-believers, and adapt to the rules of that world, they'll undoubtedly be the kind of gods who don't particularly crave faith. While they might not be the most powerful, their sheer numbers are undeniable! And the sheer number of divine positions is staggering!

Moreover, if the two worlds were to completely overlap and all the rules were aligned, it would be uncertain who would be stronger or weaker!

"No! I should take the initiative and actively push this mythical world to connect with the Toril multiverse, instead of this ordinary world."

"Once the mythical world here connects with the Toril multiverse, with the rules overlapping, the gods in those mythical worlds can completely escape the awkward situation of being between illusion and reality, and directly descend into the Toril multiverse from that dimension."

"It seems I need to find some people in this world who are willing to cooperate with me..."

"And then, the world over there is the same..."

…………

……

...

Athens, Greece.

This city, located at the southern tip of the Balkan Peninsula, is surrounded by mountains on three sides and bordered by the sea on the other, 8 kilometers southwest of the Falcon Bay in the Aegean Sea. To be precise, it should be situated atop the Acropolis in Athens.

In this place that has become a historical site and tourist destination, Charles leisurely followed the surrounding tourists and entered without anyone seeing him.

This is the temple of the ancient Greek goddess Athena, revered as a symbol of ancient Greece and Athenian democracy, and a world-renowned cultural heritage site. Of course, it was already looted during the era when the British Empire roamed the world as pirates, and even longer ago, this place suffered with every shift in European civilization.

After all, Greek mythology has long since come to an end.

Even Rome, which to some extent inherited Greek civilization, was destroyed after turning to Christianity, although their own self-destructive actions played a part in this.

However, in this world, it's clear that the Parthenon, now a ruin and tourist attraction, is not ordinary. At least, upon arriving, Charles discovered traces of magical disguise. A large area is closed to tourists, and there are even Greek magic societies that have set up various illusions and illusions here.

And in those hidden places, supernatural forces exist.

However, Charles didn't think much of that place either; he simply walked in and waited quietly.

Only he could see that within this ruin-like temple, the divine power belonging to the Greek gods still surged, and these remaining divine powers were unusually active.

In this world where mythology has come to an end, even the priests and priests of those gods can no longer receive gifts from the gods they worship. Logically, these remaining divine powers should be completely extinguished until they finally disappear.

However, if the master of these divine powers were to arrive, then things would be different.

Soon, time passed quickly. The sun disappeared from the sky, and then the moon hung high in the sky, shrouding the entire world in darkness. The world after this shroud became silent and still, as if all life had fallen asleep in the darkness.

And the person Ciel was waiting for finally arrived at this moment.

In Xia Er's perception, the residual divine power permeating the temple ruins suddenly surged like boiling water. The surrounding environment began to change; under the influence of this inexplicable power, the remaining roots and broken walls were restored to their original state as if time had reversed.

The weeds disappeared, and the floor tiles became clean again.

The collapsed columns were re-erected, and the damaged roof was repaired.

Finally, with a whoosh, bright flames suddenly ignited in the braziers that had appeared throughout the newly renovated temple, illuminating the entire space. The area where Charles had been waiting had transformed into a large hall, in which stood a colossal, fully armed statue, one hand resting on a shield, the other supporting a winged humanoid creature.

"Athena! Hello!" Turning around, looking at the statue of Athena that appeared behind him, Charles pointed to a corner of the statue, a dark and shadowy spot not illuminated by the flames in the brazier.

"This must be our first formal meeting!"

From that darkness and shadow, a young girl with short silver hair quietly emerged and came to stand in front of Ciel.

"Greetings to you..."

"...Twilight and the dark serpent of the abyss!"

487. Pallas Athena

"You're Athena?!" Ignoring the silver-haired girl's address, Charles glanced at her, then at the statue of Pallas Athena beside her, his expression strange. "...Although I know that the real gods who descend to earth are different from the statues, I didn't expect the difference to be this great."

"I am Pallas Athena, the former protector of this city, Minerva, and also Ergane," the silver-haired little girl, or rather Athena, said softly. "Similarly, I am also an ancient serpent, so it is truly perplexing that you, as the serpent of the abyss, have doubts about my identity."

“Alright! Gods can change their appearance, so it’s normal for you to appear as a little girl, and…” Looking at her outfit, which resembled that of a primary school student, Xia Er paused and said, “…and it’s very down-to-earth.”

"Thank you for your praise, Serpent of the Abyss!" Athena nodded slightly and said, "Then, why would a dark and devourer like yourself appear in my temple, waiting for my appearance?"

"If you're planning to 'eat,' surely that cowardly sun god on Rhodes Island can't satisfy your insatiable appetite?"

“Of course not!” Charles denied.

“But for someone who has already devoured two high-ranking gods and a sun god who inherited an ancient divine title—that’s completely unconvincing!” Athena said. “Of course… if you were to ‘eat’ me, I would still resist to the end, even though my divine wisdom tells me that with my current power, I would only suffer the same fate as that sun god if I were to face you.”

After glancing at Athena a few times, Charles smirked and said, "Sorry, three years minimum, death penalty maximum... I have absolutely no interest in you, no matter what kind of eating you are."

"That's quite embarrassing for me!" Athena responded softly to Charles's words, narrowing her eyes slightly before vanishing from her spot and appearing before him in an instant. "Does this mean that neither my status nor my tastes will be rejected by the greedy serpent of the abyss?!"

"That's right!" Devouring Athena, who doesn't quite fit the mythological image, wouldn't actually bring Ciel any real benefit. Devouring Odin and Surtr would at least provide the former with an Eternal Spear, giving Ciel's bootleg version a conceptual basis, while Surtr would serve as Ciel's identity card in this world.

The sun god of Rhodes Island that followed was a gift, and had nothing to do with Ciel. Even the divine status of the All-Seeing One that had been severed was not something Ciel valued highly.

And what can Athena gain from this? In Sharl's perception, it's utterly useless. In terms of divine power, this goddess of wisdom is nowhere near as powerful as the disobedient Odin or the disobedient Surth, and unlike Helios, she doesn't possess an all-seeing divine title far more precious than that of the sun god.

"That's a real pity!" With a slight upturn of her lips, Athena looked at Charles with a strange gaze. "I never thought that one day I would be so completely unattractive to the opposite sex. This is another 'humiliation' I've suffered since the farce of the Golden Apple."

“Well, I’m really sorry!” Charles said. “...Well then, let’s leave the jokes at that! Athena, as a goddess of wisdom, you should know that I didn’t come to you for these trivial matters.”

“Yes, my wisdom tells me that this body is utterly unappetizing to the serpent of the abyss.” Athena lowered her gaze and said with a smile, “Then, dark serpent of the abyss, why have you come here? What do you seek from me in my temple and holy land?”

"A collaboration!"

“…This is truly strange!” Athena paused, looking at Shar with a questioning tone, and asked, “I do not believe that with my strength and wisdom, I am qualified to cooperate with a more powerful serpent. After all, in my view, a weak serpent in the face of a powerful serpent can only submit or become food for the powerful serpent. Cooperation and mutual benefit are truly unimaginable.”

“Of course…” Charles said, “With your current strength, you are not qualified to be my equal, so I’m just here to say this. Whether you agree or not is up to you.”

"Hehe..." Athena Ling chuckled, took a step back, and looked at Charles. "What would happen if I simply said no?"

"What do you think?" In his dark golden pupils, the twilight flames began to burn. The once vibrant firelight that dispelled darkness and shadow in the temple began to dim, the flames in the brazier seeming to be pressed down, squeezed back into the basin. At the same time, churning darkness and shadow, like indescribable alien creatures, writhing and crushing over him.

A faint sound echoed through the temple, but unfortunately, it was not the chanting of the priests who once sang here; rather, it was a low murmur that could drive humans mad.

In short, Athena's smiling expression changed instantly. She became serious, and her anger was barely concealed. At that moment, Ciel also sensed another power emanating from the small body before him, beginning to disrupt the darkness and shadows.

However, this power is utterly incapable of shaking the control of the abyss.

At this moment, the entire temple belonging to Athena completely slipped from her control. The divine power that originally permeated the entire temple, uniquely hers, was also completely suppressed and instead corrupted by the abyss.

"Enough! Serpent of the Abyss!" Athena, unable to maintain her previous composure, said with a grim face, "Take back your authority! This is the Parthenon, my sacred ground! Even if you want me to do something, you shouldn't use the threat of encroaching on my sacred ground. Otherwise, I will fight you even if it means my death."

"Hey?!" Charles chuckled, leaning closer to Athena and whispering in her ear, "Honestly, in this incomplete state where you've severed a part of yourself... what right do you have to fight me?!"

"you?!"

"You really think that having divine wisdom allows you to perfectly conceal yourself? How laughable!" Charles said sarcastically. "However, I'm just as good at concealing myself, you know? Athena, the goddess of wisdom!"

"You are an unconventional arrival, and coincidentally, so am I!"

"What are you doing..." Athena looked at Sharl's eyes, bewildered, then her words trailed off. "So that's how it is!" She staggered back a few steps, but her gaze remained fixed on Sharl's eyes. Through those dark golden pupils burning with the light of twilight flames, the goddess, possessing the wisdom of a deity, saw hidden behind this figure the black sun beyond, and the even deeper darkness. "You were not born in this world..."

“Bing!” Charles said with a smile, “You got it right!” He then reached out and patted Athena’s head.

488. Threat

Athena in her child form didn't dodge Ciel's pat on the head; in fact, she couldn't. As Ciel reached out, through the corrosive influence of the abyss, he forcibly seized control of the sacred temple that rightfully belonged to her. Although extremely displeased with Ciel's actions, Athena didn't react. She simply pouted, puffed out her cheeks, and glared at him with unfriendly eyes.

Just as Ciel said, even now, as an outcast, Athena is not whole; a part of her had already been severed before her arrival. Unlike other beings who descend to cause trouble or go shopping, her arrival is more about breaking free from the constraints of mythology.

She was currently at her weakest, and if she could, she wouldn't want to appear before Ciel at all. Unfortunately, Ciel had gone directly to the Parthenon, her sacred site as Athena. If she hadn't appeared before Ciel, he would have absolutely razed the entire Parthenon to the ground.

Once the Parthenon is razed to the ground, it will be tantamount to the complete demise of her earthly sanctuary, causing her irreparable and irreparable harm. Unless she breaks free from the shackles of mythology, she cannot ignore the destruction of the Parthenon as long as those shackles remain.

"...Serpent of the abyss from Chaos, what exactly do you intend to do?" The threat from Shar forced the still-recovering goddess to endure the humiliation and suppress her fighting impulse, questioning, "You, who came into this world, have confused the cause and origin woven by Chaos, and defied the destiny and inevitability written by Ananke..."

“You are an enemy of God who should not exist even more than those creations of the Calamity Witch—Campione.”

"Don't say that!" Shal spread his hands, indicating his innocence. "I am an outsider, but similarly..." He leaned his head in front of Athena, "I have brought you, for a rebellious and disobedient god like you who wants to break free from the constraints of mythology—'Truth'!"

"I have no desire to hear the lies and sweet words of this viper. Please leave my sacred place immediately!"

“That won’t do!” Charles refused. “What I’m about to do requires assistance in this world, and among the disobedient gods who have descended, only Athena, the goddess of wisdom, is truly superior—”

Athena: "—Use it!"

“That’s right!” Charles nodded.

“Those who make deals with the devil never come to a good end,” Athena said sarcastically. “For your words are full of poisoned daggers that are hard to guard against, and every word is a thorny path built of lies.”

“Then…” With a swift movement, he drew the flaming sword Levadin, and looking at the girl before him, he issued his final ultimatum: “I don’t like forcing people. Trust my sincere eyes…”

Unfortunately, Athena did not believe the sincerity in Shar's eyes. Instead, she saw the appearance of the flaming sword and leaned back slightly.

The weapon wielded by the Steel Hero is capable of slaying dragons and serpents. Unfortunately, given her current descent into this realm, she happens to be the Earth Mother Goddess, the representative of the dragon and serpent deity. Even though the flaming sword Levadin wasn't made of the same steel used by the Steel Hero to slay dragons and serpents in mythology, its significance in the face of world-ending destiny and the demise of gods makes it a deadly nemesis for all deities still within the realm of the world.

This was a demonic sword capable of instantly incinerating her completely.

Biting her lip, even Athena, the goddess of wisdom, had to admit that she had absolutely no bargaining power when facing Charles. She was utterly powerless to resist anything Charles might want to do to her now.

As for escaping?!

Putting aside the trauma she would suffer if the Parthenon were destroyed, the darkness and shadows that defied her call after the appearance of the Charr have now become 'shackles' preventing her from leaving.

“Then…” Athena said through gritted teeth, “Outsider, what exactly do you want to do!”

"Wouldn't you like to completely break free from the shackles of mythology?" Charles replied with a smile. "Perfect, I have an opportunity for you!"

“As long as I retrieve the ancient serpent, I can still transform into complete non-submission,” Athena replied. “Therefore, I do not need your sweet words.”

“That’s just a god who doesn’t obey, isn’t it?!” Charles said. “Your current power is even less than that of Helios, who doesn’t obey… Moreover, even if you regain your full godhood, can that really free you from the shackles of mythology?”

"what do you mean?"

"Hahahaha, didn't you say that I confused the cause and origin woven by Χρ?νο?, and violated the fate and inevitability written by Αν?γκη... But how do you know that perhaps my arrival is the inevitable reality?" Charles laughed loudly. "Or rather, because of my arrival, the original path and future of this world have already changed, and history may have re-planned another river course."

"You're really arrogant. How can you say you can change Av?γκη's fate and destiny?"

"If you don't believe me, you can come and see for yourself!" Charles replied. "With your divine wisdom, there's no reason you wouldn't see it!"

"Then I shall wait and see just how arrogant and presumptuous the prophecy of the foreign serpent of the abyss truly is."