Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: GaeaTiamat
Xie Ning woke from a deep dream.
He didn’t know how long he had slept, but it seemed like a very long dream.
He groggily opened his eyes, and a wave of soft golden light flooded his vision.
Where was this…?
He groaned and furrowed his brow. He felt like he had a severe hangover. Even after being awake for a while, his mind was still blank.
What was I doing before…?
He took a deep breath and struggled to pull at the threads of his memory, barely grasping at a name.
Before…I seemed to be drinking. Drinking with many people…No, I never drink because beer is bitter, baijiu is spicy, and wine is sour. If I had the choice, I’d rather drink cola. Unless the wine turned sweet, I wouldn’t touch it.
Sweet wine?
Wait, the wine I drank was sweet because the cup holding it was special.
But how could I have such a magical cup?
The more he pulled at the thread, the longer it became until it finally revealed a heavy name.
Echidna.
Xie Ning’s eyes suddenly widened.
…Echidna! he shouted in his mind and sat up abruptly. He looked at his hands in shock, then frantically touched himself all over.
I’m still alive? How am I still alive? Wasn’t I poisoned?
Delayed memories surged back and forced Xie Ning to recall the intense pain after being poisoned. His eyes were burned blind, his throat corroded away, and only a faint vitality had protected his life.
It hurt too much. Every second felt like hours of excruciating torture. He’d lost track of time, and only remembered that finally, something cool had passed through his burning lips, flowed through his blocked, pus-filled mouth, and entered his boiling stomach.
Xie Ning lost consciousness after that and woke up here.
So, where am I?
Xie Ning hesitated and looked around. This was definitely not Arima’s underground palace. It was too splendid and magnificent. From the gold-embroidered white carpet to the ruby-studded columns and the colorful walls…every color radiated pure light. Even the shadows cast by the columns were a deep gold.
Am I on Mount Olympus? Xie Ning thought in horror. Where is Echidna, that silly snake?
He knew in his heart that after he suffered such agony, Echidna would not easily let it go. He wouldn’t just cause a commotion; he would turn Olympus upside down! However, Echidna was outnumbered and outmatched. How could an old god contend with the ruling new Gods?
The more he thought about it, the worse things seemed. Xie Ning hurriedly threw off the blanket and jumped off the bed. As soon as he did, he realized something was wrong.
This was bad. Definitely not right.
Even before he was poisoned, when he was healthy he had a normal amount of energy, but now? As soon as he stood on the ground, he felt like his joints and limbs were perpetual motion machines, with endless energy and strength; enough to leap to the heavens.
What was that cold substance? Could Echidna have fed me some godly heart or lung?
Xie Ning was about to shout Echidna’s name, just as he had done in the underground palace. As soon as he called, no matter how far away, Echidna would immediately rush to his side.
However, before he could shout, a blonde, blue-eyed maid in a white dress entered the room. When she saw him standing, she said in surprise, “Oh, you’re awake!”
Xie Ning asked in confusion, “Uh, who are you?”
“I am the naiad of the Lake Trichonida 1 ,” the woman said, looking at Xie Ning with a probing and wary gaze. “Since you are awake, please come with me. I will take you to meet the lord of this place, the Ruler of the Gods, the Father of all living beings in the Heavens.”
In an instant, Xie Ning’s blood seemed to freeze. The maid had already started walking out, so he hurriedly followed her and shouted, “Where is Echidna?”
At the mention of that name, the maid’s shoulders trembled. She avoided Xie Ning’s gaze and whispered, “Stranger, please do not make me answer that question. Seek out a more powerful god and see if they dare answer you.”
Xie Ning’s voice grew sharper as he continued to ask, “But you know what happened, right? Isn’t this Mount Olympus? Where is Echidna? I want to see him. Where is he?!”
Zeus, I’m about to meet Zeus. If Echidna were still here, he wouldn’t let me leave so easily. Xie Ning’s heart was filled with conflicting thoughts and fear. Just as he was about to speak, a gentle voice came from outside.
“Thy loud voice will only make him angrier, and cause him to be even more unreasonable with thee. So if thou cares about him, please be quiet.”
Xie Ning looked at her. Although he didn’t know why the Goddess of Love was being cordial to him, his urgent desire to know Echidna’s whereabouts took precedence. There was no time for politeness or fear. He bluntly asked, “If you think I need to hold my temper, does that mean the truth I want to know will make me angry?”
“Ah, there’s no need to pierce my heart with such sharp words,” Aphrodite said kindly. “Just remember, I am on thy side, Dorus. After all, Love and Beauty have always been unique matters throughout history.”
Following her lead, Xie Ning walked into the golden hall of Olympus. Nyx, the Goddess of Night, never ascended Mount Olympus because the Gods’ radiance was enough to illuminate the night, a scene she could not tolerate.
It was at that moment that he faced such brilliance and brightness.
The Gods’ feast was luxurious and splendid. The fragrant aroma of wine wafted like clouds and mingled with cheerful laughter. From the highest throne, Zeus noticed the unfamiliar young man who was led into the palace by the goddess and he spoke, his voice carrying the authority of thunder, “Ah, child, you have arrived.”
As he spoke, the hall gradually quieted. The Gods had varied expressions, but all were watching Xie Ning—the human beloved by the demon god who had caused a massive rebellion for his sake.
“Yes,” Xie Ning said. Surprisingly, he was exceptionally calm at this moment. “I have come.”
On the way here, he had thought of many possibilities regarding Echidna. What kind of poison had he been afflicted with? To wake up healthy on Mount Olympus, what price had Echidna paid?
The worst possibility he could think of was that Echidna fought to the death with the Gods, lost, and, according to the divine oracle, was killed by a demigod hero. Fortunately, this worst-case scenario had already been dismissed by his hostess. The second-worst possibility was that Echidna lost and was then imprisoned somewhere, most likely the infamous Tartarus.
However, the second possibility didn’t explain why Xie Ning was on Mount Olympus. If Echidna lost, what reason would the Gods have to save him? And if Echidna had won, the Gods wouldn’t be this joyous.
Therefore, only one possible reason emerged: Echidna hadn’t lost to Olympus. He might have fought to a draw or even gained the upper hand, but the gods offered a deal: to cure Xie Ning’s poison in exchange for Echidna’s withdrawal, which was why Xie Ning woke up there.
Zeus pondered and said, “You don’t seem to be amazed or delighted by the Gods’ radiance. Isn’t that the dream vision of every mortal?”
“I’m surprised, but not overly so,” Xie Ning replied. “You’ve long known where I came from. My era is one of information explosion, so I know all about you…I mean, all the Gods’ deeds. Before coming here, I always thought you were anthropomorphic fabrications by ancient humans to explain various natural phenomena.”
His calm, almost indifferent tone angered some of the Gods, who glared at Xie Ning with fiery eyes. Some gods of lakes and seas stood up, and demanded punishment for the human youth.
“Punish him for his crimes!” they clamored. “We shall not forget that it was his ruthless demon lover who harmed many of our divine kin, causing them to lose their lives in poison and fire, as they descended into the endless abyss!”
Xie Ning ignored those gods’ calls, looked at Zeus, and asked, “Where is Echidna?”
When he heard that name and saw the human’s unwavering expression, Zeus frowned in displeasure. He didn’t respond, but the goddess in golden armor beside him spoke with a voice like thunder, full of majesty, “The rebellious Echidna has descended into the dark Tartarus. In exchange, he requested the Gods cure the poison afflicting you.”
Having guessed correctly, Xie Ning felt no joy, only a rising fury.
“I think the problem lies here,” he said softly, as he posed his questions to the Gods. “Why was I poisoned? What poison afflicted me, and who was the culprit? No, don’t tell me it was Philyra; he didn’t have the capability to procure such a deadly poison.”
The hall was silent. The goddess in golden armor smiled slightly and said, “You seem to be questioning the Gods, Dorus. Indeed, you were poisoned as part of a divine strategy, but please understand, it wasn’t a scheme against you. It was a necessary restriction on an ancient demon god for the well-being of all beings.”
Xie Ning slowly clenched his fists. The goddess drew a rainbow before him, showing scenes of devastation, with humans and gods alike wailing in a sea of poison.
“Look at this,” the goddess sternly admonished. “Without control, he would bring great calamity to the earth, sea, and sky! In your era, you should understand the damage disasters cause to the world. As a savage demon god, Echidna would not remain under a human’s control for long.”
“He only wants to be with me. He never intended to become some second-rate villain seeking to destroy the world!” Xie Ning shouted angrily, his heart ablaze. “You pushed him to that point! Your actions force someone to the brink, and when they fight back, you say, ‘See, I knew they’d hit back sooner or later!’”
“We do not trust Echidna, nor do we need to trust you,” said the golden-haired god crowned with a sun halo. “Remember this, human who dares to challenge the Gods. Echidna must descend to Tartarus for the world to know peace. Everything else is trivial.”
Golden-armored Athena shook her head. “Moreover, the Gods have given you generous compensation. Without any trials, you have already gained eternal youth, able to live on the radiant Mount Olympus alongside the immortal gods.”
“What? Am I supposed to say thank you?” Xie Ning’s anger reached its peak, and he laughed.
“You should be grateful,” Hermes said, puzzled. “As the son of Zeus, Heracles endured twelve arduous trials to earn a place on Mount Olympus. And you, living long in Arima’s underground palace, even with Echidna’s efforts to extend your life, wouldn’t outlive a demigod.”
“Instead of this, you should have sent me home! Sent me back to the era I belonged to, then reunited me with my family. Instead you nearly killed me, imprisoned the one I love, and now I get to waste away in an endless life!” Xie Ning shouted, as he trembled. “You are too arrogant, too shameless! With just a flick of your finger, you make someone lose everything they have. Who do you think you are?!”
“Strange,” Athena frowned and pondered. “Compared to the happiness of immortality, the joys of the mundane world are so insignificant. You must know, before one attains glory, they must endure suffering because fate never gives free gifts. You have already endured suffering, so why do you insist on being ungrateful and only focus on trivial matters?”
Xie Ning jumped up and shouted at all the Gods, “What’s so great about immortality? I don’t crave immortality. I already had enough happiness. It was you who took it away and then forced your so-called good things on me, whether I wanted them or not, treating what I had like garbage!”
“Do not presumptuously judge the virtues of Gods, you audacious mortal!” Apollo was extremely angry, his eyes emitting golden light as he roared at Xie Ning, as if ten thousand people were shouting in unison. “If we were not trustworthy Gods, we should make you suffer endless torture like Sisyphus and Tantalus!” 2
“Do as you wish!” Xie Ning was dizzy, unable to see clearly for a moment, and his eardrums hurt intensely as they bled, but he neither retreated nor showed weakness. “You want to send me to Tartarus, right? Come on, do it! Whoever doesn’t send me is a coward!”
“Enough!” Aphrodite stood up, frowning. “I should not be the one who needs to speak. As powerful Gods, it is despicable to quarrel with a weak mortal in such a way.”
She turned to Apollo and said, “Sun God, please calm your anger! Since you have already won a complete victory through your cunning—you have even rivaled the wise Athena—please stop troubling this human youth. Although he has gained immortality, he has no divine office or power. Your grand anger clearly aims to kill him.”
From her position beside Zeus, Hera mockingly said, “In such matters, you have never hidden your favoritism for this youth, Aphrodite.”
“I do not oppose you, but neither has Apollo hidden his own blatant dislike,” said the Goddess of Love. “In my opinion, since Dorus does not want to stay on Mount Olympus and previously lived with the demons in dark Arima, sending him to the underworld to reunite with Echidna would not violate the oath of the Father of the Gods.”
“Thou speaks lightly, Goddess, but that is not how things are done,” Hephaestus said in concern, deigning to speak to his wife on this rare occasion. 3 “Tartarus is surrounded by the River of Fire, then encircled by three dense walls of darkness followed by three immense bronze walls. Each barrier takes a god three years to cross, let alone a human. If this youth is sent there, who could protect him for eighteen years?”
When he heard the God of the Forge’s words, Phoebus Apollo leaned against his seat and let out a clear, long laugh.
A sudden thought occurred to him. He considered the widely praised talent of the youth and deliberately said, “Although he is human, if he can defeat a god at his best skill, it might prove he is valuable enough.”
“Oh, painting!” Dionysus, who was drunk, laughed. “Well, pick up thy brush, brother, and have a contest with the youth! You are the honorable God of the Arts, with the nine Muses singing and dancing under thy command. Pick up thy brush and compete with this human from millennia to come and see if they have skills enough to rival the Gods.”
“Dionysus,” Apollo laughed and shook his head, “your–”
“Okay,” Xie Ning said.
“…What did you say?” Apollo was stunned by being interrupted.
“I said, okay.” Xie Ning turned to him, slowly and firmly. “Let’s have a contest as you said. If I beat you, it shows I am more valuable than you. if I beat you, you must escort me to Tartarus to reunite with Echidna.” Even as he faced the god, Xie Ning asked in a steady voice, “What’s wrong? Are you afraid?”
