The Greece Antagonist

Several days later, a young bard with golden hair and blue eyes, carrying a pack on his back, arrived outside the city of Thebes.

Gazing at the familiar yet unfamiliar "hometown" before him, Luo En, in his new disguise, was flooded with mixed emotions.

Not long ago, he successfully incited Aphrodite's wrath by orchestrating the death of Adonis.

As a result, War God Ares, under his old flame's frenzied pursuit, skulked back to Olympus, disgraced, and dared not leave his home.

The Sea of Okeanos naturally returned to its former tranquility, and the troubles of Thetis were likewise smoothly resolved.

But to be on the safe side, Luo En didn't turn back to cozy up with the Ocean Goddess, but decisively left the scene of the crime, prepared to lay low in a different city-state for a while, avoiding attention and clearing his name.

Thinking it over, the nearly faded words "hometown" in his memory came to mind.

Thus, he took the opportunity to visit Thebes, and to continue his journey as a wandering bard.

After all, the Goddess of Memory in the Temple of Memory was awaiting his updates, and the nine Muses sitting vigil in their empty abode were waiting for him to redeem them with his manuscripts.

Of course, his current identity was still "Homer."

In fact, under his and the nine Muses' management, this pen name had become not just an individual, but a creative collective, possessing a stack of disguises to facilitate their work in various city-states.

Looking into the roadside pond at his vastly different reflection, and noting the passing townspeople's obliviousness to him, Luo En nodded in satisfaction.

The disguise, a triple-layered concoction of Illusion Technique, Dice of Chance, and Divinity of Memory, was indeed very convenient to use.

After a brief pause to ensure he hadn't left any loose ends, Luo En crossed the overgrown path by the main road and arrived at a barren hill on the outskirts of the city.

The land here was nearly devoid of life, with jagged, scorched stones piling up on the arid, cracked surface, exhibiting signs of something resembling lightning strikes and scorching.

Upon reaching the peak of the desolate hill, the terrain became abruptly steep, with the seaside cliff almost forming a 90-degree angle with the sea's surface, as if cleaved by a heavenly blade.

A few withered, decayed planks were buried in the dark brown soil, and the only few sprouts of verdant young shoots that pierced through brought a fragile glimmer of life to this barren spot.

This place was once the resting palace of Princess of Thebes, Semele, as well as the place where he first arrived in this world.

Standing before the ruins, Luo En stared at the unrecognizable former residence, searching his distant and somewhat fuzzy memories, hoping to find a sense of familiarity nearby.

Unfortunately, he failed.

Having only spent a little over a month in the cradle, he had no deep impression of the flowers and grass of this mountain.

Even after so long, he could barely remember what his mother looked like.

The only impression he had was that she was fairly young, full of longing for love, often enjoyed teasing him, and had given him the nickname "Little Lion."

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"Sorry..."

Luo En shook his head, a bit sheepishly, then leaned over and placed a garland in his hand on the scorched earth.

——It was handwoven by him using grapevines from the fields and a few wildflowers picked along the way up the mountain.

"I have a piece of good news and a piece of bad news," the figure in the wind muttered to the garland on the ground, "The good news is, I'm still alive, and I plan to avenge you, and myself..."

Then, Luo En paused for a moment and continued somewhat helplessly.

"But the bad news is, he's also still alive, and quite comfortable. I heard that he's recently hooked up with the wife of the King of Sparta, Tyndareus."

"——Transforming into a swan to possess Leda, giving birth to twins and the beauty Helen. According to prophecy, this should be the eighth..."

A gust of sea breeze fluttered over, making the garland rustle as if it were lamenting a heartless scoundrel.

Luo En glanced at it and shook his head, muttering to himself.

"Let's not, I can't deal with him right now. That old guy is still quite spry, having just dealt with Poseidon and Apollo together."

The sea breeze intensified, and the quivering of the garland seemed to grow even fiercer.

Seeing this, Luo En could only helplessly raise his hands.

"Alright, alright, I'll find an opportunity to collect some interest for you sooner or later. And I promise you, sooner or later, I'll send him down to keep you company. That okay?"

Under the reassurances of that "devoted son," the garland settled down as if it were satisfied.

A ray of sunlight broke through the clouds and fell upon the mountaintop, making the garland's buds shine brighter and its leaves appear more lush.

The weather cleared up...

Luo En looked up, gave a self-deprecating laugh, then stood up from the ground, brushed the dust and grass clippings off his clothes, and strode down the mountain.

~~

Having consoled his prematurely departed mother, the devoted son seemed to shed a burden from his heart. His steps felt lighter, and he even had the leisure to engage in his old trade as a wandering bard, sitting under the shade of a tree by the roadside with a Lyre in hand, singing Sacred Words to passersby to earn his fare into the city.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"I summon the first-born, of dual gender, who traverses the heavens,

Emerging from the egg, with golden wings resplendent,

Your bellow like that of a Bull, the origin of joyous Divine Race and mortals,

Unforgettable sowing, endless revelry of the world, The First One, Phanes..."

However, the passersby, upon hearing his song, quickly changed their expressions and hastened away.

He hadn't even completed one measure before he found himself in a void of solitude.