At first, it had only been a suspicion. But now Matthias was certain that someone had deliberately set him up and shifted the blame to drag him into this mess."Hmph. You people from Dragonmarsh talk out of both sides of your mouth," Zeus said coldly. "Every word out of your mouth is a lie. I'm done believing a damn thing you say."The supposed connection between Logan and Matthias had come from the Hall of Gods' internal investigation. Compared to anything a Dragonmarsh official might say, Zeus naturally trusted his own people more. And with the badge as evidence, it was hard to argue."Whatever grudge you've got against Logan, it has nothing to do with me," Matthias said in a low voice. "I'm telling you, this is all part of someone else's plan. They want us at each other's throats so they can sit back and enjoy the fallout."Now that he knew it was a setup, he was much calmer. He needed to get through to Zeus before this exploded into war. Of course, he didn't want to take the fa

At the peak of Embercrest Hill, inside a quiet old temple, Grace stepped out of the hidden chamber just as a female guard rushed in."Your Highness, we've got a situation. A powerful intruder is breaking through the outer gates," she reported"Who is it?" Grace asked calmly, as if she'd expected this would happen."Judging from their appearance, they look like elite fighters from the Hall of Gods, or royal gods," the female guard replied gravely.The defensive and offensive formations around Embercrest Hill didn't stand a chance. Both shattered on impact, as if they'd never been there. Only someone at the royal god-level could force their way in like that."They got here faster than I expected," Grace muttered, eyebrows knitting with concern.She hadn't left the temple, but she already knew who it was. At a time like this, the only ones who'd come to Embercrest Hill were Zeus and Hera.Grace had been keeping tabs on the situation in Oakvale. At first, she'd figured Nathaniel's

What caught Zeus off guard wasn't just how sturdy the golden steeple was, but it swallowed his attacks whole. The lightning sphere he'd thrown had almost all its energy sucked up by the steeple, leaving nothing behind—not even a scorch mark.This method of neutralizing power was far more sophisticated than simply blocking it head-on. It was clear now that the golden steeple was a rare divine artifact, and breaking through it would be no easy task.Still, the more resistance he encountered, the more certain Zeus became that Logan was hiding somewhere inside the temple. He believed that Hall of Gods' potential threat, Logan, could be wiped out for good once the golden steeple was broken.The middle-aged monk stepped forward and said firmly, "The Adamantine Body Art protects the Seven Shards Steeple. No matter how you attack, you won't be able to break through it. Please stop wasting your energy and leave the mountain now."Zeus sneered. "You really think there's a fortress out there

After a full night of relentless attacks, Zeus and Hera were drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. But the moment they saw a crack forming at the top of the golden steeple, their spirits surged.Zeus let out a sharp laugh. "It's finally cracking! I was starting to think this thing really was indestructible."Since becoming a royal god of the Hall of Gods, he had never pushed himself this hard. He had spent the entire night blasting the steeple without pause. It had drained him, but at least, the effort was paying off."This thing's tough. It held up longer than I expected," Hera said as she stopped to catch her breath. Though she hadn't used as much energy as Zeus, she was equally worn out. Still, she could tell the end was finally in sight."Now's our chance. Let's hit it together, both of us," he said.Despite their exhaustion, he knew they couldn't afford to hold back. Only by breaking the steeple could they finally relax."Okay. Let's do this."Hera took a deep breath

"A bunch of weaklings like you dare challenge the wrath of god?" Zeus sneered. "Then, die where you stand."He raised his hand and conjured a sphere of lightning, then hurled it into the sky. Thunder cracked as bolts of blue lightning rained down on the monks below."Leave them alone!" came a shout, the voice crisp and clear.At that instant, a golden octagram array appeared above the monks' heads like a giant mirror. It blocked all the blue lightning bolts, then shattered with a deep, echoing crack.Grace had conjured the array. Though she blocked the strike to protect the monks, the effort had drained her energy."Oh? I didn't expect to find a master among you." Zeus raised an eyebrow, visibly surprised.Even though that was just a casual strike, it wasn't something a typical grandmaster martial artist could've blocked, especially not someone so young."Greetings, Lord Zeus, Lady Hera. I am the Princess of Ariella. What could've provoked such wrath? Surely, we can talk this th