"Is it over?!"
Hercules blushed, veins bulging across his body. Hearing Wanda's slightly serious warning, he subconsciously became nervous.
"Hoohu"
"I can't lose!"
"I am the son of Zeus, the King of Gods! Hercules, the God of Strength!!"
Hercules encouraged himself, rallying his spirits. When he raised his head, his confidence returned. It seemed that the injuries and pain he'd endured had no effect on him.
But in reality, Wanda's moves had already drained him.
However, Hercules had reasons why he couldn't lose.
Losing to a human mage who had only been connected to the magic net for two years seemed impossible.
"Great King of Gods, please lend me your strength! Let me defeat all enemies before me!" Hercules cried out, charging again.
It seemed that doing so would raise his strength.
But Zeus did not grant him power.
The only result was that Hercules felt a surge of fighting spirit, but in his weakened state, having been injured, his attempt to turn the tide seemed impossible.
As Wanda had said, it was over.
Terrifying gravity suddenly descended upon the round platform.
Unprepared, Hercules was crushed by the force and knelt on the ground.
His unyielding will helped him recover quickly from the sudden attack, and he wanted to continue to fight back.
For Hercules, a few dozen times of gravity might slow him down, but it wouldn't defeat him. What finished the battle was the follow-up attack.
Dozens of magical chains entangled and sealed him. One by one, they wrapped around him.
The entire round platform turned into a cage, imprisoning Hercules.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break free from so many shackles without assistance.
Wanda transformed into a sword in his hand, approached the defeated hero, and stabbed him in the head.
"You lose!"
The scene seemed to freeze.
Wanda's delicate and quiet voice contrasted sharply with Hercules' mighty form.
The legendary hero, Hercules, was defeated by a little girl who had only just connected to the magic net. And in such a humiliating manner!
The gods watched in stunned silence, their thoughts a whirlpool.
A single thought almost crossed their minds: If a little human girl can do this, wouldn't it be even easier to replace me?
Many of the gods had been too scared to face Hercules, yet here he was, looking weak. Still, his strength was enough to shame many of the main gods!
After a brief silence, many gods began to murmur.
Some checked the contract again, confirming there was nothing missing before signing decisively.
Others wondered if they could create their own magic net.
This was especially true for the kings of gods and gods of law.
Everyone was a god of magic—there was no reason they couldn't create a magic net as well, right?
In terms of qualifications, wisdom, and background, they were no worse than anyone else!
If they could create their own magic net, they too could use it to enhance their strength and rise to the level of god kings—or even above.
And they wouldn't be at the mercy of Aaron.
Wouldn't it be nice to control their own domain?
From his golden throne, Zeus saw the reaction of the gods. He glared at Hercules, who had brought shame to the Olympian gods, before shouting angrily:
"Stop this! This farce should end!"
"Human, you should leave! This is not your place. You are not a god, and you are not qualified to continue performing on stage."
Zeus controlled the lowering of the golden throne, his tone filled with disdain for Wanda's human identity.
"Zeus!"
"Don't forget what we just agreed upon. Whoever wins this competition is eligible to sit here."
"The facts have proven that the human beings you disdain are more qualified than some gods!"
Aaron was not one to stay silent, flying onto the stage to continue exposing Zeus' vulnerabilities.
"You!!!"
Zeus did not expect Aaron to dare challenge his authority over a mortal.
He felt humiliated, enraged.
"God of Magic, I am the host of this sacred meeting. Without my permission, you cannot come to the stage!"
"Really? I think it's time for the gods to voice their opinions."
Aaron ignored Zeus and allowed the gods to speak freely.
Under Zeus' increasingly displeased gaze, the gods sided with Aaron.
"Zeus, this topic concerns the magic net, which should be managed by the Celestial Master of Magic. After this subject is concluded, we can discuss other matters."
"I agree. Hercules has lost, and it's been proven that the human companions of the God of Magic are qualified to sit here. They are part of the gods!"
"If you have doubts, ask Odin. I believe he holds more authority in this matter."
"Yes, let the God of Magic speak!"
Although some gods objected to Aaron's actions, more voices rose against Zeus.
Normally, they respected Zeus, and they had enjoyed seeing his dramatic entrances. They would often let him host.
But now, Aaron could offer them power.
What was Zeus? Get out of the way—this was their chance to gain strength!
In the face of such interests, the entire arena turned in Aaron's favor.
Zeus was furious, wanting to smash something, but reason held him back.
He didn't want to provoke the gods.
Even as a god king, he could not stand against so many gods.
With no other choice, Zeus reluctantly stepped down from the golden throne.
He descended gracefully, still wearing his small white skirt, elegant as always.
He walked a few steps and stood in front of Aaron, his gaze lingering for a moment.
This man is so handsome!
He's even taller than me!
Zeus' mind wandered, but he quickly snapped back to reality, looking up at Aaron and warning in a low voice:
"Little god from Asgard, though you have a slight advantage today, remember this is my territory. Don't challenge Zeus in my own domain!"
"Don't talk about Odin either! Or you'll see just how powerful Zeus can be!"
"You won't like the consequences, understand?"
"And if you keep this up, soon you'll be excluded from the groups, socials, and parties."
Zeus wanted to regain some pride in private, but Aaron had no intention of backing down.
"Is it powerful? Not necessarily," Aaron responded casually. "Why don't you go play with the God Slayer?"
"Recently, a madman called the Butcher God has been causing chaos throughout the universe."
"He kills, wounds, loots, and causes destruction wherever he goes. He's already destroyed many planets and regions, and killed many gods."
"He's a walking disaster."
"I might even know where he is now, but I wonder if our King of Gods has the courage to face him and eliminate the threat."
Zeus didn't want to discuss it further, but Aaron was relentless.
"Low-level gods? Like the Sun God Rapp?"
"You could go kill him. That way, you'll add another 'savior' title to your name."
Aaron teased.
"Well, I admit I was scared," Zeus replied, his face darkening.
"Ger has the Black Death Sword. He has a way to kill us all—that's not good."
"Don't look at me like that. Even other gods think the same. That sword is the nemesis of gods."
"Stop talking about it. I don't want to cause panic. It's not good for you or me."
"At least in Almighty City, we're safe."
After Zeus spoke, he no longer wished to argue.
Aaron, it seemed, had come here only to challenge him—and he did so with pinpoint accuracy.
This feeling was deeply unpleasant.
As Hercules passed by, Zeus attempted to use his divine power to pull him aside.
It didn't work.
This surprised him.
He glanced at Wanda, wondering how powerful human magic could really be.
Wanda ignored Zeus and, upon receiving a nod from Aaron, released her hold on Hercules, allowing him to fall.
"Father... I..."
"Shut up! Do you know how much humiliation I've suffered because of your failure?"
"Hercules, you've disappointed me!"
"Under the eyes of the gods, you lost to a little girl, a mage. You've disgraced the gods and made the Olympian gods the laughing stock of the pantheon."
"I declare that from this moment, you are no longer welcome at the sacred meeting."
"Get out of Almighty City!"
"Go back to the mortal world and reflect on your actions!"
"Get out!" Zeus shouted, not waiting for an explanation. He ordered the golden guard to escort Hercules out of the city.
The gods largely ignored the scene.
They would usually find amusement in these kinds of spectacles, but now they had no interest.
Their attention was now on Aaron, who walked up to the golden throne.
Several goddesses who had once surrounded Zeus were now entranced by Aaron's strength, height, and handsomeness. They forgot about Zeus entirely.
Aaron, however, had no interest in them. They were just low-level goddesses, after all.
If he wanted someone better, he had Enchantress, Dark Phoenix, Valkyrie, Spider Queen, or the stunning Scarlet Witch.
Even Jane and Daisy, Bobby were more appealing.
The low-level goddesses couldn't even compare.
Aaron ignored their flirtations, instead surveying the gods, who were visibly excited.
At this point, some of the gods had already connected to the magic net, while others were still hesitant.
"Anyone with questions about the magic net, feel free to ask. I will answer them now," Aaron declared loudly.
After a brief silence, a goddess stood up, her golden helmet and winged arms marking her as Isis, the Egyptian goddess of magic.
Her reputation among the gods was solid, and her strength was at the main god level.
Aaron considered the particularities of the Egyptian pantheon and wondered where the Moon God Khonsu was.
But for now, his focus was on Isis, the god of magic.
"Aaron, the God of Magic, I want to ask: What is your goal in offering these advances?" she asked.
As the god of magic in Egypt, Isis had also studied the magic net recently.
However, just the magic net contract alone caused her to flinch.
This was something she couldn't create.
The very existence of this network meant that its creator's power had already surpassed the level of a main god.
Pure magic alone could never achieve this!
In other words, Aaron didn't break free from the shackles of the main gods to become the king of gods because of the magic net; rather, the magic net was created after he ascended to that status!
Yet, the magic net only served to make him stronger.
This was Isis's assessment. With her understanding of magic, she was certain that creating such a network was beyond her capability.
A project that spans the entire universe is not something an ordinary god like her could achieve.
"Definitely. As long as you can provide me with something that piques my interest, I can offer some magic power in return, and I can also exchange other magical powers. Believe me, you'll be very interested," Isis said.
She nodded, sat back on her throne, and continued to study the magic net.
After she sat down, another god quickly rose.
It was the god of G, Ronan.
"I understand your concerns. Whether it's you or your people, they can master magic, provided they aren't so foolish as to not even understand the magic net," he said.
Before Ronan could continue, Aaron, like a prophet foretelling the end, interrupted.
The Cronans, a race of stone beings, were an extremely unique species in the universe. Thor's close friend Kilgor was one such Cronan.
Given their nature, Ronan would understandably be concerned.
If the Cronan people couldn't link to the magic net to harness magical power, they'd have to find another way.
Soon after, other gods began to rise and ask questions.
This left Zeus, who had been marginalized, extremely displeased.
Clearly, he was no longer the center of attention!
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