The covenant formed between him and the sea was fundamentally different from any blessing Rovi had ever received from other gods.
This wasn't a god bestowing a blessing upon a mortal, but rather a connection between a human and nature itself.
Just as Poseidon had said, from this moment onward, the ocean was like an extension of Rovi's own body. His form would forever remain pure, untainted by any filth—a roundabout immunity to poison. While not absolute, it was akin to dropping a single drop of poison into a vast ocean; diluted countless times over, its harmful potency became nonexistent.
Thus, Rovi spat out Hydra's venom.
Because it could no longer harm him.
This path had been completely closed off by Poseidon.
Why did you have to overthink things when I didn't even say anything!?
Of course, failure meant little to Rovi—he was already long used to it. But when he thought of Poseidon's final gesture... even though he knew it wasn't actually contempt, but rather an expression of respect, he couldn't help but feel inexplicably annoyed.
In the end, what goes around really does come around.
...
"Why hasn't Mr. Rovi surfaced yet?" The ocean glittered under the moonlight. With Hydra dispersed, the Aegean Sea regained its calm. At its center, the Argo was anchored quietly. Heracles stood at the bow, brows tightly furrowed.
Atalanta remained perched atop the crow's nest, using Artemis's blessing to keenly scan the sea under the moonlight.
That guy... he wouldn't actually be in trouble, would he?
She gritted her sharp teeth, tightening her grip on her bow.
If he dies... what do I do? Wait, no, why would I care if he dies... But still, no matter what, that guy absolutely cannot die!
"If you dare die, even if you run off to the Netherworld, I'll hunt you down and drag you back out myself!"
You're my prey…
We still haven't settled our scores!
At that exact moment, the sea's surface suddenly swelled upwards, like a small bubble breaking. Amid the pale spray, a figure emerged from the waves.
"Cough, cough..." Rovi coughed quietly, stepping lightly on empty air. Walking atop the water, he calmly approached the Argo step by step.
"Mr. Rovi, as expected, you're fine." Heracles broke into a smile. "I figured as much. You're the Sage whose clay tablets alone could impress even Prometheus—how could you fall into danger so easily?"
"It's not that easy for me to die," Rovi murmured, coughing softly. Hearing Heracles mention the tablets again, he added, "Besides, I haven't reclaimed all my tablets yet!"
They're the ultimate dark stain on my history...
"Oh, right—Prometheus seems to have copied many replicas of your tablets, actually…"
"Why didn't you say that earlier!?" Rovi choked instantly.
"You never asked," Heracles blinked innocently.
This brat... definitely did that on purpose!
Rovi covered his forehead, suddenly feeling he needed to visit the Caucasus Mountains again to have a chat with that fire-stealing god.
Yet even as he sighed helplessly, he couldn't suppress a laugh.
Straightforward yet cunning, brave yet understanding limits, serious when seriousness was needed, yet able to curse and joke freely when the moment called for it.
Rovi didn't know what the original Heracles was supposed to be like.
But he thought that this version of the great hero wasn't bad at all.
As he thought this, Rovi turned his head and met the gaze of Atalanta, who had just jumped down from the sails above.
He smiled lightly. "Sorry to disappoint—I'm not dead."
"Who cares if you're dead or not!" Atalanta snapped disdainfully. Yet she couldn't help quietly checking him over. After confirming he wasn't injured, she inexplicably let out a breath of relief.
He's my prey—only I'm allowed to hurt him.
That's how she reassured herself.
"Let's keep going!" Rovi said, turning to Heracles. "This time, I'll steer. Ata, head back up and keep watch over our route. And Heracles—"
"Yes?" Heracles responded immediately.
"You go rest. You've earned it!"
Heracles froze briefly, as if dazed. After a pause, he nodded softly. "Understood."
Resting... seemed like a word he hadn't heard in a very long time.
After all, throughout this journey, he had always been someone others relied on. But perhaps this was good too.
The night gradually faded, and dawn peeked over the distant horizon.
Thus—
The Argo, now crewed by only three, set sail once more.
---
A return voyage of merely three crossed the sea of death where the Phantasmal Beast Hydra dwelled—an ocean not even gods dared traverse. Now they sailed once more across the boundless seas.
Poseidon, god of the sea, drove schools of fish to escort them. Helios, the sun god, illuminated their path ahead. Anemoi, gods of the four winds, filled their sails. Great heroes bearing truly great spirits—their very existence would bring real transformation to those hidden "heroes" who had yet to awaken.
For ahead of them, the true trial had only just begun.
—The Great Voyage of the Argo
---
"Lord Rovi, Lord Rovi..." Hermes's airy voice rang softly by Rovi's ear.
His grip on the ship's wheel tightened slightly. Rovi tilted his head, already accustomed to Hermes's voice by now.
Recently, this messenger god had served as Rovi's eyes and ears, bringing him intelligence.
Though nominally the king of gods' messenger, it wouldn't be an exaggeration now to call him "the Sage's spy."
Thus, Rovi simply asked, "What is it?"
"Hades sent a message from the Netherworld," Hermes whispered. "Cracks have appeared in Tartarus, the abyss imprisoning the Titans. Increasing numbers of Titan-spawned monsters are crawling towards the surface."
"Zeus, King of the Gods, has prophesied that these monsters will ascend Olympus, overthrow the rule of the gods, and lay waste to the lands below."
"Hydra was merely the vanguard."
No wonder the abyssal Hydra appeared on the surface…
"Please take care on your journey—I must now return to Olympus to attend the council of gods!" With these final words, Hermes's voice faded completely.
This was the last message Hermes brought Rovi before the great battle began.
In the end, "the Sage's spy" was merely a teasing nickname.
Rovi lightly tapped the helm, gazing into the distance.
At the edge of his sight, land could already be faintly seen. The world still appeared peaceful, but Rovi knew such tranquility might not last for long.
Because of the impending arrival of the Titans' monstrous brood—
...
"The Titans' spawn will soon crawl forth from the abyss."
Mount Olympus—situated between reality and the Imaginary Number Sea, a divine mountain existing on an exalted plane. Here thunder roared constantly, and Zeus, the King of Gods, stood in human form, emanating an authority that dominated all creation.
Within the grand temple, the radiance of countless gods gleamed like hidden stars in the cosmos.
Zeus spoke: "I have prophesied—the ones who can defeat the Titans' monstrous spawn must have the aid of humanity's strongest heroes."
"I command all of you gods—each of you shall guard your own city-states, and wait for the opportune moment."
---
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
discord.gg/wisetl
patreon.com/wisetl