Here it comes... the deadly one is coming!
The three golden divine decrees faintly flickered above the bronze altar in his mind, and a strong sense of crisis rose within Lorne.
As mentioned before, the golden divine decrees corresponded to high-difficulty quests that exceeded his current abilities, with dangerous processes involved.
The 1.0 version of the great quests like the Cyclops War and Oceanus Chase almost killed him, and in the end, he barely survived by using the special environment of the Invisible Island to trick the Atlantean Imperial Guards chasing him across most of Oceanus' sea.
Otherwise, his grave would probably already be covered in weeds.
Now, the 2.0 version of the great quest hadn't even officially started, and it had already triggered the involvement of the two of the main gods, Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom and War, and Poseidon, the God of the Sea, with highest combat power.
Just thinking about it makes him realize that this upcoming trouble and danger is likely going to be far more severe than last time.
Moreover...
What do you mean my actions triggered the crisis for the Minos people? Don't blame good people!
Athena and Poseidon fighting, the Atlanteans and Minos fighting each other, what the hell does it have to do with me?
With this inexplicable black hat placed on his head, Lorne felt a bit annoyed and quickly tried to clear his name in his mind.
However, when he thought about what he had done in the Sea of Oceanus and the changes he had brought to Knossos City, he couldn't help but feel guilty and silent.
Alright, maybe there's a little bit of a connection.
A little bit...
Lorne tried hard to distance himself from the titles of "villain in Greek" and "troublemaker of the age of gods," but the brilliant golden divine decrees in his mind were clearly telling him that this matter was indeed linked to him.
Even if he wasn't the main culprit, he was probably the one who lit the fuse.
After so long of getting used to it and with some lingering suspicions in his heart, Lorne began to understand how the golden divine decrees and the great quests were refreshed and ran.
The answer was simple.
While completing his daily and weekly quests, he inevitably introduced the chance contained in the [Dice] into the inevitability of fate, causing a collision that resulted in various degrees of deviation.
Once this deviation from the "fixed fate" reached a certain threshold, it would inevitably provoke a backlash from fate, triggering a series of crises to eliminate him, the "variable."
This, probably, is the cause of the "version great quest."
So, it seems that the trouble right now is unavoidable.
As for how to choose...
Lorne's mind was racing, and his consciousness kept oscillating between the first and second options.
There was no doubt that choosing to side with Poseidon, the God of the Sea, and the mighty Atlanteans, would be the easy mode.
After all, in this case, he could just sit back and watch the situation unfold and still come out as a winner.
But, according to the nature of that die, the simpler it seemed on the surface, the more dangerous it actually was.
Let's not mention his moral integrity and feelings he had for little Medusa and that bastard sea god.
Even if he wasn't bound by any moral constraints or any emotional considerations, and just followed Poseidon's path, all the way to the end, successfully destroying the Minos civilization and obtaining a portion of Athena's divine power...
But then what?
Poseidon, once free, might very well dispose of him as well.
At that point, there wouldn't be an Athena to block the wind for him.
So, the only option was the first one—firmly team up with this dear older sister of his.
That might give him a chance for a happy ending.
As for the third option provided by the die, Lorne simply chose to ignore it.
The malice within those lines was almost overflowing from the altar.
Make a half-god like him directly challenge both Athena and Poseidon, the two main gods?
Even if he was crazy, he wouldn't commit such suicidal behavior.
In the blink of an eye, his thoughts shifted, and in just a moment, he made up his mind. He took a deep breath and looked helplessly at the increasingly grim-faced Athena.
"If there's something I can do, I'll try my best…"
Lorne paused for a moment, then turned to look at the little Medusa, Hestia, and the distant Knossos City, which was slowly being swallowed by the cold mist and nightfall as a rare hint of genuine emotion flickered in his deep eyes.
"After all, I haven't yet made plans to move from the place I've just gotten used to."
Hearing this, Athena's gloomy expression immediately disappeared, and she couldn't help but smile.
"Once we solve this matter, you can stay as long as you like."
Athena felt a sense of relief. Lorne's non-committal answer actually made her feel more at ease.
Saying too much often comes across as perfunctory.
The more cautious the promise, the more it showed that he was seriously considering the matter.
After a brief silence, Lorne looked at Athena and asked a question that had been on his mind.
"Why me? There should be someone stronger than me on the entire island of Crete, like... that King Minos?"
As the future head of the three great judges of the Underworld, the son of Zeus and the goddess Europa, that blood-related older brother of his might not be the most powerful, but he was certainly someone who could take a stand.
"Strength is not only about physical power; it also includes the scale of wisdom."
Athena spoke lightly, her deep gaze directed at the vast night sky, filled with a sharp sense of insight.
"Compared to the former, I trust the latter's strength more. And you, in my opinion, have the qualifications to change the entire situation."
Lorne nodded noncommittally, standing shoulder to shoulder with Athena, looking out at the pitch-black Okeanos Sea, before spoke in a low voice.
"That is to say, in this competition, Crete is at an absolute disadvantage in terms of power. To survive the crisis, we can only rely on our brains, right?"
As he spoke, Lorne raised a hand to rub his forehead and turn his head to look at Athena beside him.
"I kind of regret it now. Can I back out?"
"…"
Athena's enigmatic smile froze for a moment, and her silver teeth ground together as an itch to punch the troublemaker in front of her grew within her.
Alright, she liked smart people, but she didn't like people who were too smart.
"War authority!"
She shot a glare at the mischievous little troublemaker, letting out a cold snort.
"As long as you can ensure the survival of Crete, I will show you the true power of war authority and help you ascend to godhood!"
"Deal!"
Immediately, Lorne wiped the conflicted look off his face, breaking into a wide smile as he high-fived the Goddess of Wisdom in a pact.
The smooth transition only made Athena's face turn darker.
"I have things to do, I need to see King Minos!"
The Goddess of Wisdom threw a stiff sentence before turning and calling for Niki outside, her figure transforming into a streak of light, disappearing into the thick night.
"Good luck, Lady Goddess."
Lorne waved goodbye from the forest, his face full of warm smiles.
After all, if he was lucky enough to save Crete, not only would he be able to use Athena's hand to take advantage of the God of War Ares, whose divine nature aligned with his bloodline, but he could also gain a promise from this Goddess of Wisdom.
Plus, with the Sea God's divine blessing from the Golden Prophecy, it was a triple benefit.
He was practically rolling in profit!
Moreover, this seemed like a new idea.
Who said he could only follow that unlucky dice around for handouts?
As long as he could intensify the conflict between the Twelve Olympian Gods, take the lead, get both sides fighting each other, and muddy the waters, wouldn't he be able to profit from both?
By then, if he wanted to blow up anyone's gold, he could blow up anyone's gold!
The more Lorne thought about it, the more feasible it seemed, and his mood lifted.
However, just as he was about to leave the secluded forest, he suddenly remembered something.
'Wait a minute, if I'm helping defend Crete during the great disaster, shouldn't I get some sort of proof or token?'
Lorne looked at his empty hands, then at the shadow that had long since disappeared into the night sky.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
It seemed he may have overreached.
(End of this chapter)