"He will be our ace."
Hera's voice rang out, and while many of them thought it not to be a good decision, some even visibly displeased—an example being Apollo—no one objected as they could see Zeus nodding in agreement.
While Hera did have a... reputation within their ranks, she was known to carry Olympus at heart. She had only become vindictive due to Zeus's countless escapades.
Some even felt she was pitiful, especially as Zeus's actions constantly undermined her divinity. But she was a queen and occupied that role well. Her words held power, and even arrogant Zeus had to listen to her in certain matters, such as this one.
There were also others who were satisfied with her decision. The games they had these mortals play for them, for a chance to touch upon divinity, had already become predictable and redundant.
It was inevitable when every faction had gods who could read fate, and many more who could subtly tamper with it.
That was why sole singularity existences were so special. The universe created only a single version of them. There were no clones, variations, or animations of them that were them.
They existed in a single instance of time... The present, which meant that they did not exist in the future nor in the past. Only the present.
In essence, if one could go back in time or looked back into the past, one wouldn't find said person (the sole singularity of existence), and if one looked into the future, they weren't there either.
This was why fate reading was ineffective against them and around them. As just like everyone else, their fate and karma begin to tangle with others, making the future look distorted and every attempt to read or manipulate the future inaccurate.
Nolan's presence in the mortal sphere, promised exactly just that. Unpredictability, and with his talent and potential...
Olympus was about to just get a one-up on every pantheon for several mortal lifetimes.
The benefits far outweighed the risks. Especially when the risks were just the Norse gods, who were already rivals with them.
The gods quietly settled as they all accepted the directive, regardless of whether they appreciated it or not.
The silence lasted for a second, before a single point of light descended from the skies and settled on Nolan's forehead.
[DING!]
[SYSTEM ACTIVATION AND SOUL SYNCHRONIZATION]
[10%... 20%... 30%... 4... 98%... 100%]
[GOD STREAM SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
Panels of purple celestial light began to arrange themselves in Nolan's retina.
"That would be our way and method of contacting you. Entertain us well, mortal."
The voice pulled his attention away from the absurd sight that seemed to be right in front of his eyes, and not there at the same time, disappearing the moment his attention away from it.
The gods began to leave one after the other, the "meeting" seemingly done, and they steadily vanished from their positions after giving him a lingering glance.
He didn't get the chance to fully digest everything, including the system he had received, nor was he able to ask questions, and they were already leaving.
It was as though, to them, his opinion was highly insignificant. It didn't matter what reservations he had, he'd have to do their bidding one way or the other.
One materialized in front of him, his posture completely relaxed and quite theatrical as though he were performing for an audience.
"You're quite the good seedling. Be sure to make us proud down there. We'll be cheering you on from up here."
His smile broke out into a wide grin at the end of his sentence. And Nolan found himself having a hard time deciding if the god was just being condescending or teasing the simmering furry sitting in his heart like a dormant volcano.
Then he left as well.
Before long, it was just Nolan, Hera, Hecate and Zeus left.
"I'll be taking him for some preparations before he is sent down."
"Hmmm," Zeus nodded absentmindedly, before he voiced his thoughts aloud.
"There is another him down there."
Hecate remained silent for a full second before answering.
"A cheap imitation."
"True," he replied.
"I believe it might be the universe trying to duplicate existences with the quirks of being a sole singularity. It feels almost like him... Almost," Hera pointed out, giving her own insight into the discovery.
"The only difference is that it feels... hollow." She continued.
Nolan noticed her expression shift imperceptibly after the pause.
He had noticed his perception as well as his own power grow into something monstrous and disbelieving after his cultivation session.
"Mmm," Zeus hummed in acceptance. "The universe has been getting restless, and the birth of mortals with peerless talents has seen an upsurge in recent times. Including that profane bloodline. A new age is coming, and something is on the horizon."
There was a beat of silence as they let his words sink in, Nolan included, as his words carried information. Knowledge was power, and information was currency.
"Well, if you will excuse me," Hecate broke the silence. "I'll like to take my disciple for some preparations before he is sent down."
Zeus waved his hand in dismissal, while Hera's expression darkened slightly.
Nolan's body shimmered faintly before he vanished together with Hecate.
However, he glanced back one more time, just before they vanished completely, ignoring the intense look in Hera's eyes that he wasn't ready to start decoding, and taking in the full weight of Zeus's essence.
His aura was the most powerful and the heaviest Nolan had felt since he stepped into this divine plane, and he measured himself against it.
His little cultivation session and the awakening of his bloodline and constitution had given him so much strength that he was left in a daze, feeling as though he was high afterwards.
But this increased strength had helped him understand the gap between himself and these gods slightly better. It was an impossible chasm, but it was one he was determined to cross.
This humiliation today, he would return it.
One day he would sit upon their heads, deciding on their lives and deaths on a whim or as he saw fit.
That he swore.