The transition from the crushing silence of the abyss to the thin, electric air of the Cloud Gates was enough to make a lesser man's lungs implode. We had left the Pearlescent Maw anchored in the Mediterranean mists, ascending the hidden Stairway of Iris.
Now, we stood at the threshold of the heavens. Below us, the world was a blanket of grey wool; above us, the peaks of Olympus pierced the sky like jagged shards of diamonds. The marble beneath our feet was so white it seemed to generate its own light, and the atmosphere tasted of ozone and nectar.
"I don't like it," Yuna hissed, her shadows huddling close to her ankles as if afraid of the unfiltered sunlight. "It's too bright. It's too clean. It feels like a hospital for people who think they're better than everyone else."
"It's a fortress, Yuna," Medusa said softly. She walked beside me, her long dark hair cascading over her shoulders. Without the serpents and the stone-gaze, she possessed a grace that made even So-Hee look almost mortal. "The Gods don't live here because they love the view. They live here because they fear the ground."
[Location: The Cloud Gates of Olympus.]
[Regional Debuff: Divine Gravity (All stats reduced by 10% for non-divine entities).]
[Notice: The 'Shattered Aegis' is vibrating.]
I carried the broken shield on my back. It felt heavier with every step toward the summit, as if the weapon itself was terrified of meeting its former mistress.
Suddenly, a blur of silver light streaked across our path. It didn't strike; it circled us at a speed that turned the air into a localized hurricane. When the light finally coalesced, a young man was leaning casually against a marble pillar. He wore a traveling cloak of shimmering silk, winged sandals that twitched with a life of their own, and a wide-brimmed hat tilted at a rakish angle.
He held a staff entwined with two living serpents—the Caduceus.
"Whoa, whoa! Slow down, travelers," Hermes said, flashing a grin that was far too white to be sincere. "You're making quite the entrance. The Pervert Hunter, the Ice Queen, a Shadow Cat, and... wait."
His eyes landed on Medusa. His smile didn't falter, but his grip on the Caduceus tightened.
"Medusa? You look... well, you look fantastic. Did you get work done? Because the last time I saw you, you were a bit more... stony."
"The Sovereign freed me, Hermes," Medusa replied, her voice steady. "Though I suppose a thief like you wouldn't understand the concept of giving something back."
Hermes clapped his hands, a sharp, metallic sound. "Ouch. Cold. But listen, Jin-Woo, can I call you Jin-Woo? We have a bit of a scheduling conflict. The Big Man is in a foul mood. Athena is currently throwing a tantrum that's causing thunderstorms in three different time zones. And frankly, nobody wants to see that shield you're carrying."
He stepped toward me, his movements so fast they looked like teleportation. He leaned in, whispering, "How about a deal? You give me the shield, I give you a 'Fast-Pass' back to Earth, and I'll even throw in a bag of Drachmas that never runs out. You could buy a whole continent with that kind of EXP. Why die for a piece of broken metal?"
[Special Event: The Messenger's Bribe.]
[Offer: 10 Billion Gold + Instant Teleportation to Safety.]
[Failure to Comply: Combat with the 'Fastest God'.]
I looked at Hermes. He was charming, he was fast, and he was absolutely terrified of what that shield represented.
"You're a messenger, Hermes," I said, my voice echoing against the gates. "So deliver this message: I didn't come here to trade. I came to collect. And as for your speed..."
I opened the System Store. I had 500 million EXP burning a hole in my pocket.
[Item Purchased: Chronos's Lead Anchor (One-Time Use).]
[Cost: 300 Million EXP.]
[Effect: Forces all entities in a 50-meter radius to operate at 'Human Standard' speed for 5 minutes.]
"Let's see how fast you are when you have to walk like the rest of us," I said, snapping my fingers.
A grey, heavy mist erupted from the ground. Hermes's winged sandals suddenly died, their feathers drooping. The God stumbled, his rakish posture collapsing as the weight of 'Time' slammed into him. He looked at his feet as if they were alien appendages.
"What... what is this?" he gasped, his movements sluggish and labored. "I feel... heavy. I feel slow!"
"It's called reality, Hermes," I said, stepping forward. I didn't use a blade. I used the [Touch of the Conqueror].
I grabbed the Caduceus. The serpents on the staff tried to hiss, but they too were slowed by the anchor. I twisted the staff out of his hand and used it to tilt his hat up so I could look him in the eye.
"You're the god of thieves, but you're a terrible negotiator," I said. "You're trying to buy my silence because the Twelve are scared. They know that once I show Athena her own broken wisdom, the myth of divine perfection is over."
[Hermes Status: Humiliated.]
[EXP Gained: 200 Million (Bonus for 'God-Level Prank').]
So-Hee walked up, her ice-crown glowing in the bright light. "Should I freeze him, Jin-Woo? He'd make a lovely lawn ornament for the gates."
"No," I said, handing the Caduceus to Medusa. She took it with a cold smile, the staff's power resonating with her own ancient mana. "We need him to open the door. Hermes, be a good boy and announce us. Tell them the Pervert Hunter is here to return some lost property."
Hermes, struggling to even stand under the weight of the Chronos Anchor, looked at me with a mix of fury and genuine respect. "You're insane. You're going to walk into the Throne Room and spit in the eye of Zeus?"
"Spit?" I laughed, adjusting the Shattered Aegis on my back. "I'm going to do much more than that. I'm going to make them want me to stay."
I kicked the Great Marble Doors. They didn't budge at first, but with the [Touch of the Conqueror] flowing through my veins, the locks shattered like glass. The doors swung open, revealing a path lined with statues of gold that led straight to the heart of Mount Olympus.
"Let's go," I told my harem. "We have an appointment with Wisdom."