The helicopter ride from the airport to the heart of Athens was a masterclass in suppressed violence. Yuna spent the entire flight sharpening her katanas with a whetstone that shrieked like a dying soul, her eyes never leaving Elena's throat. So-Hee, meanwhile, had frozen the cabin's air to the point that the pilot's breath was coming out as jagged ice shards.
Elena, however, sat cross-legged, unbothered. She was humming a Greek hymn that sounded suspiciously like a siren's call.
"We are entering the 'Ares Sector'," Elena shouted over the rotors. She pointed down. Below us, the historic district of Plaka looked like a war zone. Smoke rose from ruined cafes, and the streets were filled with men—and only men—wrestling, shouting, and smashing marble statues for sport.
"It's a testosterone-fueled nightmare," So-Hee remarked, her lip curling in disgust. "Don't they have anything better to do than flex?"
"They are 'The Iron Phalanx'," Elena explained. "Followers of Ares who believe that power is only found in the struggle. They've banned 'feminine distractions' from the Acropolis. No women, no art, no mercy. Only the belt keeps them from killing each other entirely."
The helicopter hovered a few hundred yards from the base of the Parthenon. Even from here, I could feel it. A heavy, crimson pressure that made my Level 99 skin prickle. It was the [Absolute Aggression] field. It didn't just feel like gravity; it felt like a physical urge to punch something.
"If we land, the field will crush us," I said, checking my system.
[Warning: High Aggression Zone.]
[Any entity harboring 'Combat Intent' will be subjected to 50x Gravity.]
"Then don't harbor combat intent," I muttered.
I stood up and opened the side door. The wind of the Ares Sector smelled like sweat, cheap bronze, and burning wood.
"So-Hee, stay with the chopper. If the field starts to pull you down, fly back. Yuna... you have to stay too."
"What?!" Yuna leaped up, her shadows flaring. "Jin-Woo, no! I'm not letting you go into a den of sweaty brutes alone!"
"Yuna, look at you," I said, pointing to her trembling hands. "You're literally vibrating with the urge to murder that priestess. The moment you step into that field, you'll be crushed into a pancake. Your love is too violent for this mission."
Yuna bit her lip, her eyes tearing up with a mix of fury and frustration. She knew I was right. Her entire power set was based on lethal, shadow-based aggression.
"I'll be fine," I promised, leaning in to kiss her forehead. "I'm going to use a different kind of 'energy'."
I jumped.
I didn't use a [Flash Step]. I didn't use a [Mana Burst]. I simply let myself fall, relaxing every muscle in my body. I thought about nothing but the feeling of the silk sheets in the Lotte Tower and the scent of So-Hee's perfume.
[Combat Intent: 0%.]
[System Status: 'Chilled Out'.]
I landed on the ancient stone steps of the Propylaea with the grace of a falling feather. Ahead of me stood two giants. They were easily seven feet tall, wearing nothing but leather loincloths and bronze greaves. Their muscles were so overdeveloped they looked like bags of walnuts.
"Halt, traveler!" one of them bellowed, his voice cracking the stone. He raised a massive bronze spear. "Only those of pure martial spirit may enter the Temple of the Butcher!"
He stepped forward, his spear-tip inches from my chest. I didn't flinch. I didn't even reach for a weapon. Instead, I gave him a slow, languid smile and adjusted my [Cloak of Partial Invisibility] to show off my abs.
"Martial spirit?" I asked, my voice smooth and rhythmic. "Is that what we're calling it these days? You guys look... tense. Very tense."
The giant blinked. He was prepared for an assassin, a rival, or a god. He was not prepared for a handsome man in a translucent cloak telling him he looked "tense."
[Skill Activated: Indecent Aura (Passive).]
[Effect: Aggression is being re-contextualized as 'Curiosity'.]
"What... what is this magic?" the second guard grunted, his grip on his shield faltering. "Why do I feel the sudden urge to... to put down my shield and talk about my feelings?"
"It's not magic, big guy," I said, walking past him. I actually patted his massive shoulder as I went. "It's just a lack of balance. You spend all day lifting rocks and shouting. When was the last time someone just... appreciated those lats?"
The guard turned bright red. "My... my lats? You noticed?"
"Hard not to," I called back over my shoulder as I ascended toward the Parthenon.
The further I went, the more "Meatheads" I encountered. The [Absolute Aggression] field was trying to trigger my fight-or-flight response, but I was countered it with pure, unadulterated [Bishonen Energy] purchased from the shop for 200 million EXP.
By the time I reached the main altar of the Parthenon, I had a following. A dozen massive, scarred warriors were walking behind me, their spears lowered, looking at me with a mix of confusion and burgeoning admiration.
"He's so... shiny," one whispered.
"Look at his skin. It's like he's never been hit by a mace in his life. How is that possible?"
In the center of the ruined temple, resting on a pedestal made of human skulls, was the [Belt of Irresistible Grace]. It glowed with a soft, golden light that seemed to pulse in time with a heartbeat.
Standing in front of it was the leader of the Phalanx. Leonidas the Second. He was a Rank-A+ Tank, covered in scars, holding a flail that looked like it could shatter a mountain.
"You," Leonidas growled, though even his voice lacked the usual murderous edge. "The priestess sent a boy-toy to steal our glory?"
"I'm not here for glory, Leonidas," I said, stopping a few feet from him. The crimson field was screaming now, trying to force me to strike him. I fought it back with a thought of So-Hee's lace bodysuit. "I'm here for the belt. And honestly? It doesn't match your outfit. Bronze and skulls? Very 400 BC. The belt is... delicate. It's elegant."
Leonidas looked at the belt, then at his own blood-stained hands. "The God of War demands we hold it! It represents the... the..."
"The grace of the kill?" I suggested. "Or maybe it represents the beauty of a body in peak condition? Like yours."
I stepped closer, right into his personal space. I could smell the leather and the ancient dust. I reached out and traced one of the scars on his chest.
"This one," I whispered. "A hydra? Or just a very big cat?"
Leonidas shivered. The flail hit the floor with a heavy thud. The Phalanx guards behind me gasped. Their leader, the man who had eaten raw wolf heart for breakfast, was blushing.
"It was... a manticore," Leonidas stammered.
"Impressive," I said. "But you know what's more impressive? Knowing when to stop fighting and start... living."
I reached past him. My fingers closed around the golden buckle of the belt.
[Objective Achieved: 'Belt of Irresistible Grace' Acquired.]
[Notice: The Aggression Field has been 'Subverted'.]
The crimson pressure vanished instantly. The air became sweet and cool. But the silence that followed was heavy. Leonidas looked at me, then at the belt in my hand, then at his men.
"Wait," Leonidas said, his voice regaining some strength. "You... you can't just take it. We have to... we have to test you! In the old way!"
I sighed. "And what's the old way? A duel to the death?"
"No," Leonidas said, a strange, frantic light in his eyes. "A test of... of endurance! A feast! And... and wrestling! Naked wrestling!"
I looked at the system.
[New Sub-Quest: The Spartan After-Party.]
[Reward: 500 Million EXP.]
I looked back at the helicopter, where Yuna was probably screaming and trying to break the glass. Then I looked at the twelve muscle-bound giants waiting for my answer.
"Fine," I said, unbuckling my cloak. "But I'm warning you... I have a Level 99 'Stamina' stat. You guys might want to stretch first."
From the shadows of the temple, I heard a faint, celestial giggle.
[The Goddess of Beauty is 'Extremely Entertained'.]
[The God of Chastity has 'Disconnected' in disgust.]