Those time travelers that year

So, Liliana Kranjcar was sent to work as a courier. And so, carrying a specially treated suitcase with multiple layers of sealing—the effects of which probably wouldn't last a week—she arrived at the Westin Excelsior Hotel in Rome, this place where the big spenders were burning through their money.

Suppressing her grief, Liliana forced a blank expression and walked towards Villa La Cupola Suite.

Charles Gretel was waiting for her audience. Of course, Liliana could despise those bastard rich dogs, but she would never dare to speak in front of him. Let alone living in Villa La Cupola Suite like a mortal rich dog, even if he chose to live in Quirinal Palace directly, the Bronze Black Cross would have to use their connections to clear the Italian president out.

At least this person only paid to stay in the expensive Villa LaCupola Suite, which is fine. Even the expenses were reimbursed directly from the Italian budget by these magic societies. It's much better than some husky that suddenly had the idea to stay in the Papal Palace in the Vatican to see if any seraphim would come to say hello...

"[Bronze Black Cross] Knight, Liliana Kranichal..." Upon arriving at her destination, Liliana didn't immediately knock or enter. Instead, she took a deep breath, knelt down, and bowed. "I request an audience..."

Come in!

Charles's voice entered Liliana's mind directly. After receiving permission, the female knight said softly, "Excuse me!" Then, carrying the briefcase she was holding, she walked in respectfully.

Inside the room, Ciel sat on the sofa, nonchalantly using the room's high-end equipment, playing Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.

"No matter how many times I play it, I still think the Ezio trilogy is much better than the later Ubisoft money-grabbing stuff!" Charles exclaimed.

Then, at that moment, Liliana saw a bored, short-haired silver-haired girl sitting next to her say impatiently, "Then why don't you just buy that mortal company?"

"No way! That's too time-consuming..."

The moment Liliana entered, her gaze inevitably fell upon the little girl with short silver hair. At that moment, she felt a chill run down her spine as the dangerous item inside the suitcase suddenly began to rage, relentlessly attacking the seal. Similarly, her own 'spiritual vision' activated uncontrollably, its target the little girl with short silver hair.

"Quiet!" As if sensing something, Charles glanced at Liliana, who was already in a state of 'spiritual vision', turned his gaze away, saved the game, and then exited before speaking, interrupting Liliana from her 'spiritual vision'.

"What an audacious maid!" At this moment, Athena, standing to the side, scrutinized Liliana with a half-smile. Had Sharl not interrupted the 'spiritual vision,' Athena would likely have used it to transmit the concept of death, instantly obliterating this reckless human. "Mortal…who allowed you to look directly at a god?" For Liliana, the invisible pressure that followed Athena's words turned her face pale, and she immediately knelt down again.

495. The Stone of Gorgon

"Please forgive my offense, Your Highness!" From her 'spiritual vision' and the mutated divine artifact in the briefcase, Liliana immediately understood who the silver-haired little girl in front of her was! She was a disobedient god, a deity who could obliterate her with a single glance if she wished.

Even the entire city of Rome would suffer an irreparable disaster.

If such a disaster, which would kill many people, were to happen, she would be a sinner. So, this female knight, who had always maintained a serious and meticulous demeanor, hurriedly apologized.

"Hmph!" Athena snorted coldly, but she knew that in this era, she no longer possessed the power she once had in Athens or Rome, second only to Zeus, the king of the gods. Furthermore, the girl before her, who seemed to have the potential of a witch, was not her follower but a priestess. After Charles interrupted her, Athena knew the matter should come to an end. "Considering you retrieved my serpent, I forgive your offense this time, mortal!" Having retrieved her serpent, Athena believed she could accept a mortal's minor offense.

In particular, she sensed that the aura, though mostly obscured, still emanated a feeling of warmth and familiarity emanating from the suitcase, and Athena put the girl's matter aside.

Eyes fixed on the briefcase, and in the next instant, under the influence of divine power, the silver-white steel briefcase was instantly covered in a layer of ash. The briefcase, along with the seals inside created by top human magicians, instantly became part of the stone.

The next moment, the stone shattered into pebbles, revealing a black obsidian badge about the size of a fist, with a lifelike portrait of Medusa engraved on it.

The Stone of Gorgon.

"The ancient serpent that belongs to me!" Although she tried her best to hide it, Athena could not hide the excitement in her voice. It was a part of her that was missing. As long as this part returned to her, she would immediately become a complete disobedient god, instead of being in the current state where her divine power, authority, and even herself were severely restricted and weakened.

Athena, impatient, waved her small hand in mid-air, and the Gorgon Stone, forged from obsidian, flew up and landed in her hand. Liliana trembled slightly, but said nothing, instead lowering her body even further.

Heaven knows why her own society possessed such a troublesome object. This practically useless antique, kept by her society for many years, had somehow managed to attract the special descent of a disobedient god. If it weren't for Charles being there, this highly renowned goddess might have vented her fury directly on the [Bronze Black Cross].

So at times like this, Liliana still felt it was best to pretend she knew nothing and hadn't seen anything.

“Finally…” Athena reached out and grasped the Gorgon Stone in her hand, saying excitedly, “Finally, after countless years, the ancient serpent has finally returned to me.”

"Hey! Stop right there?!" At this moment, Charles interrupted, "You don't want to rely on this broken stone to finish yourself off right now, do you?!"

"This is not some broken stone!" Athena glared at her, pouting and saying unhappily, "This is a snake that I lost and abandoned in ancient times."

“Whether it’s yours or not, I think you’d better not test my patience!” Charles said. “Or do you think you can beat me to get this thing back?”

“Tch, petty fellow…” Athena said disdainfully. “I am not so foolish as to doubt my own wisdom.” She glanced at Liliana, whose head was bowed low. “Rest assured, mortal… Although I have retrieved my serpent, I will not bring trouble to this land. Not only because of my pact with this ‘monster,’ but also because I have long ago been the protector of this land and this city.”

"I have not fallen so low that even if I were to disobey, I would vent my discontent on the lands and cities I once protected, and I would never take my anger out on you mortals. Going back to the time of my reign, your ancestors were the people under my protection."

"Thank you for your generosity, Your Highness!" A divine promise finally calmed Liliana's anxious heart. So what if this former goddess of wisdom was now disobedient? As long as she didn't harm her, it was none of her concern. This was a point on which other Italian societies wholeheartedly agreed.

"Alright! That's all for you, you can leave now!" Charles said. "Oh, by the way, Liliana..."

"Yes!"

“In a few days, I’ll take this guy to Sardinia. Could you please get me the presidential suites at the Cala di Volpe Hotel in Sardinia—I need the two best ones…”

Athena: "One room!"

"...Alright! Anyway, it'll save money, so we'll just have one!" Looking at Athena's smug expression, Charles was once again certain that body shape definitely affected the upper limit of these gods' intelligence, especially female gods. "Also, please don't tell anyone about what happened, including that insignificant council."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Liliana bowed deeply, reminding herself to forget everything that had happened and seen that day after she finished everything. No, that wasn't safe enough. She would go back and use hypnotic magic to force herself to erase all these memories.

"Let's go!"

"Then, Your Majesty, I shall take my leave..." Hearing that she could leave, the young woman quickly took her leave and withdrew from the hotel. She was unaware that at that moment, her fate had already been altered. Not only her, but also her rival and best friend, Erica, had. Whether this was a good thing or not, perhaps it truly was.

“Poor girl!” Athena commented. “I must say, those scheming fellows were very cunning; even I, from that other timeline, fell for their tricks, let alone a girl with the potential to become a high priestess.” Athena glanced at Sharl. “If it weren’t for your interference, fate would most likely have taken a turn for that other timeline…”

“What’s so strange?” Charles shrugged. “It’s all predetermined, it’s order. Unfortunately, although I’m not on the chaotic side, I at least come from it… Someone like me, when I was still a mortal, couldn’t interfere with the correction of fate, but now it’s different, even if I do nothing…”

"The chaotic information I bring with me will disrupt the course of the world!"

"After all, I am—Cthulhu!"

496. Girl—you're so weak!

Even if his code of conduct and methods have nothing to do with chaos and silliness, it cannot be denied that Charles is indeed an evil god. Since joining this industry, he has been able to directly influence the predetermined fate of a world if he wants to, without being hindered by the correction of fate.

Back in the Type-Moon era, even though Ciel killed Director Ken, under the correction of fate, Father Kirei's father still died, only this time at the hands of Kirei, but still by gunfire. However, in this world, Ciel not only foresaw the future in advance, but also forcefully suppressed the core of future changes at their source.

The whole thing was nothing more than the street dance crew going on a paid vacation, wreaking havoc on half of someone else's territory, and slaughtering their way through nine streets. That character who would be at the end of some future timeline tragically ended up in the hospital after accomplishing nothing, and might even have to become a TJ (a derogatory term for a prostitute/professional).

Similarly, this event not only wreaked havoc on the underworld of that country among the Muggles, but also affected the fates of many people far away in Europe. Like Liliana of the Bronze Black Cross, one of Europe's most renowned geniuses. Not only her, but also Erica of the Red Copper Black Cross, and even the god Gnevia, and so on.

Charles doesn't care about such influences. He only wants to do two things right now. One is to farm the world's wild bosses like crazy and accumulate enough divinity and divine essence. The second is to find those wild bosses who are willing to cooperate and trick them into becoming NPCs on his side. Of course, they can choose not to cooperate, but Charles won't mind sending them on their way.

For Athena, reclaiming her own serpent and disrupting predetermined fate was exactly what she needed. Although Av?γκη's fate and inevitability were an unavoidable issue for her, it didn't mean she couldn't find a way to break this 'prophecy'! At least, Av?γκη's fate and inevitability couldn't affect Ciel as Cthulhu, which gave Athena enough time. Once she left this world, Av?γκη's fate and inevitability would crumble on their own.

"If I, as one of the most influential causes and effects, can break free from the shackles of fate, then under the butterfly effect, the pitiful fate that the girl and her friend would have had will be changed!" Athena said. "On this point, I must express my sincere gratitude to you, Serpent of the Abyss!"

"No need!" Charles replied calmly. "Just make sure you don't die too quickly in that world and become a free kill for those guys over there."

"What an insensitive fellow!" Athena complained. "Can't you even understand my feelings about being 'rescued by a hero'?"

"No! By the way, I'm not a hero, but a clean and efficient evil god who doesn't waste words. When I encounter a hero, I'll just stab him to death and burn or eat his soul in the process."

"How boring!"

"These boring guys will fill the entire void once you transcend your own world. Someone like me is one of the few normal beings."

"And what about the abnormal ones?"

"A CEO who's obsessed with VR, an overly hospitable central bubble server, whose mind is only on sex and procreating the unlucky guy who recently failed, and a silver-haired guy with a cowlick on his head who loves to fool people all day long..."

After a pause, Charles continued, "There's also the jellyfish that likes to be a seafood platter, the adorable yellow-clad girl who's been tricked countless times, the penguin that likes to cling to someone's leg... and the sleepwalker who's been diving for ages, and so on."

Athena: "...Something doesn't sound quite right?!"

“That’s reality…” Ciel said, spreading his hands. “So I’m one of the few whose moral standards are still above average.”

——————————Divider Line——————————

Ciel was absolutely certain that he still possessed integrity.

So let's stop talking about this.

After obtaining the Gorgon Stone, Athena needs to fuse it to reclaim the power she once lost. Of course, given the passive aura of a disobedient god, this situation will almost certainly result in a cutscene.

To avoid being affected by the cutscenes, Ciel directly created a completely new alternate dimension, modified its rules, and threw Athena into it. Here, it wouldn't affect the outside world.

"What a brutal guy, planning to 'imprison' this charming goddess so soon?" Athena, in her child form, was carried into this alternate dimension by Charles, who was holding the Gorgon Stone by the back of her clothes, like a cat.

“I think your mind may have been disturbed by unknown factors!” Xia Er said seriously. “Do you need me to introduce you to a doctor? It’s not far. I reckon there’s an alternate version of him in this world. He’s a doctor at the Fourth People’s Hospital of Linyi City in China.”

“No need!” Athena tilted her head and said, “...My divine wisdom tells me that the guy is not a good person! At least, under the influence of my divine wisdom, I saw a bolt of lightning carrying malice.”

"Then shut up and fuse with your own thing first." With that, Charles threw Athena to the ground.

"Tsk..." Athena patted her clothes, stood up nonchalantly, and then, after moving a short distance away from Sharl, excitedly picked up the Gorgon Stone. Soon, as Athena's divine power resonated with the power remaining within the Gorgon Stone, Athena and the stone began to emit a purple aura.

"I sing, I sing the song of the ancient goddess who once ruled heaven and earth and darkness..." Athena murmured solemnly, holding the Gorgon Stone in both hands.

"A lament for the queen who was slain as a taboo snake."

"My name is Athena."

"She was once the Earth Mother Goddess who nurtured all things, the Lord of the Underworld who ruled over darkness, and the Queen who knew the wisdom of the heavens."

"Athena hereby swears—to restore her ancient form!"

As she chanted, darkness and shadows enveloped her body, quickly engulfing Athena completely. As the Gorgon Stone vanished in a purple light, Athena's appearance and body began to change.

The body that was originally twelve or thirteen years old has grown up and transformed into the appearance of a teenage girl. The down-to-earth elementary school uniform she used to wear has been transformed into a white Greek-style robe, and her short hair has become waist-length hair. She wears a wreath woven from olive branches on her head.

"Finally, I have finally returned to the ancient, triune goddess state!" The goddess, who had grown from a loli into a young woman, laughed happily. "I, Athena, have finally fully returned!"

"I don't mean to discourage you..." But just then, Charles retorted, "But honestly... in your current state, it would be better if you simply used the divine power of Victory and Wisdom to descend—"

"At least that way, you won't have the weaknesses of the sun and fire..."

"Girl—you're so weak!"

497. The Contest (Part 1)

"You!!!" Athena, who was in the middle of her excitement, was suddenly doused with cold water by Ciel's interruption and shouted angrily, "...Is it not even acceptable for me to be in this position?!"

"Hmm..." Charles looked at you and replied seriously, "In terms of appearance, you're much better now than you were in your previous child form. However, after fusing with the Gorgon Stone, your resistance to the sun and fire isn't as high as before!"

"Sigh!" Charles sighed. "You know, almost all the really capable guys on Faerûn are involved in divine offices related to the sun or light. Are you just going to be a sitting duck and deliver yourself to the enemy?!"

"Not to mention, although the most troublesome GM and official cheats won't make a move, there is still a sun god who is above the power of powerful gods. That Pelo is not an unlucky guy like Helios."

"Honestly, I, as a member of the Triune Godhood, transformed into a non-conformist precisely to break free from the shackles of mythology..." But clearly, Ciel's words greatly displeased Athena. Now in her youthful form, Athena walked up to Ciel, sulking. Previously, in her childlike state, Ciel had handled her like a cat, and now, with Ciel's sarcastic remarks, even for the sake of her dignity as a goddess, Athena felt she should make a proper statement. "What do you mean by mocking me like this?!"

"Sigh!" Looking at the silver-haired girl with a classical Greek style standing before him, Charles sighed deeply and covered his face with his hands. Once again, Charles confirmed that the age and appearance of these goddesses did affect their intelligence. In her previous child form, her intelligence had already shown a low-age curve, and now, as a teenager, she had entered her rebellious phase.

"Foolish woman!"

"Didn't I explain this to you before?!" Charles said helplessly, "In that world, those gods who draw power from the Force of the World through faith are not scary... They are just a group of guys who look powerful but are actually riddled with holes."

"However, what is terrifying about that world are those ancient gods who have merged with the world's Force and even created a completely new Force themselves."

“Especially that sun god Pelo, he’s not at the level of Losanda. He’s most likely a great god whose power surpasses even that of powerful gods. Do you know what level that is? With your current status as the triune earth mother goddess, you would be killed by Pelo in a single move.”

"Hmph! It's not that easy..." However, Athena clearly had a different opinion. "I admit that this posture is indeed lacking, but that doesn't mean that I will definitely be defeated after I adapt to that world."