Through his connection with the many newborn humans on Earth via the small cosmos,
Eros drew forth their latent strength, awakening the dormant energy within them without asking for anything in return.
These humans, still in their infancy and ignorance, gained a near-sixth sense unknowingly.
This newfound power wasn't a straightforward tool—they'd have to understand and explore it themselves before learning how to use it.
Though retaining this power could have sped up his journey through the Underworld,
Eros preferred using the time for a guaranteed return on investment.
[Inherited by the Greeks.]
[You have given humans bone and blood.]
[You taught them wisdom and desire.]
[You bestowed upon them strength and violence.]
[Humanity reveres you, just as they revere Athena.]
[Effect: Every great feat and legend accomplished by humans will grant you a return.]
In other words, Eros was now a stakeholder in humanity, the greatest project in all of Greece.
When the gods would one day swarm down to seize control of human city-states,
Eros would already be receiving dividends in advance.
So, awakening the small cosmos within humans was merely a sure-win investment.
What's more, since the small cosmos all originated from him,
the stronger their power grew, the greater the strength Eros could unleash the next time he called upon borrowed power.
Even within the same realm, just like current strength depends on magnetic flow,
the quality of a small cosmos differed vastly.
Once he finished this, the blazing aura around Eros faded like the sun dimming at dusk,
and his presence returned to its previous state.
As the Alaya consciousness dissipated,
Eros also withdrew from the sage-like state of frightening calm and reason.
He shuddered suddenly, an expression of cold sweat flashing across his face.
Damn, the side effects of this move were intense.
Not that there were any real physical side effects.
It was just that after connecting to all of humanity's small cosmos,
he had almost turned into a true ascetic.
He had held Hera in his arms, entirely unclothed,
and didn't even try to touch her inappropriately.
That was terrifying. He swore he'd use this ability as little as possible.
Eros decided this "Debt King" state where he borrowed the will of all mankind should be locked away as a last resort.
That emotionless, desireless sage mode? Better avoided.
At that moment, Hera stirred in his arms and opened her eyes.
She had reconnected with her true self after leaving Tartarus.
Although she was surprised that Eros had truly broken through the unbreakable laws of Tartarus,
she had now returned to her identity as Queen of the Gods.
If she wished to summon her main body or deal with Eros, it was well within her ability.
But a concern lingered in her heart.
Just as Eros had said, what happened had occurred solely in Tartarus. No third party knew.
If she turned against Eros now, someone was bound to find out-
and if that someone was Zeus, her beloved...
just the thought of Zeus learning the truth, the look in his eyes...
Hera trembled, her nails digging into her pale, jade-like forearm.
No, this absolutely must not happen.
She broke free from Eros's arms, conjured a veil of divine energy to wrap her body,
and covered her face with a light shawl.
Her gaze toward Eros was complicated, as though she wanted to speak but couldn't find the words.
"Relax, I won't use what happened here to threaten you,"
Eros said gently, intuitively reading her mind.
It wasn't that he wasn't tempted to "coerce" this virtuous wife.
He simply knew the game board too well.
Forcing Hera now would gain him nothing. Slow simmering was key.
Sure enough, as expected, a trace of relief flickered in Hera's eyes.
"I hope you mean what you say. For now, I'll let you go. But-"
Her tone turned sharp, her gaze fierce.
"I will never forget what you've done."
"The vow I swore will be fulfilled."
"When you walk the earth again, my vengeance will descend upon you like the wrath of heaven itself."
Eros remained unfazed. With how many divine figures he'd crossed, Hera was hardly the scariest.
He simply smiled. A Hera who didn't retaliate would be as boring as a magical girl who had fallen to darkness.
He was far more interested in watching this overly possessive woman
witness him getting closer and closer to Zeus.
Just imagining it got Eros excited again.
As Hera made her threat, Eros suddenly stepped forward and when she was caught off guard, bit her gently again.
Mm, this queen's lips were both soft and stubborn, utterly delicious.
Hera froze for a moment, her body reacting involuntarily.
The next second, she came to her senses and bit back hard.
"You really must want to die again!"
"Don't be mad, think of it as a keepsake," Eros said cheerfully.
He'd just planted a seed of "hope" for concealment, so naturally Hera's tolerance would grow.
Even if offended again, she could endure it, telling herself she had already gone this far.
Sunk cost fallacy, after all, was the perfect tactic for dealing with Hera.
Hera lashed out in fury, delivering a flurry of blows.
When she realized it had no effect, she gave him a deadly glare.
Then, she transformed into a cuckoo and vanished into the darkness of the Underworld.
And as she departed, the system gave Eros a new prompt:
[Your relationship with Queen Hera has reached 'Friend or Higher (?).']
[You can now use the skill 'Flame-Bearer.']
Nice. That counts as "friend or higher"?
Might as well include "sworn nemesis" too.
[You have obtained the skill [Slap] from Hera.]
???
Seriously, Hera? You're the Queen of the Gods. That's the best you've got?
Eros wanted to complain but didn't know how.
Because, if he remembered right, Hera had indeed done something like that before.
In the Trojan War, she once caught Artemis who had sided with the other camp-
and slapped her so hard she ran crying to Zeus.
Seems you need both the Righteous Punch and the Righteous Slap. That's balance, huh?
Eros stopped worrying about the minor stuff and continued up the river of the Underworld.
There was still some distance to go.
Meanwhile, Hera now back at Olympus as a cuckoo landed outside her window.
Her main self was currently worrying about the dark mood hanging over Olympus.
Thanks to Zeus's foul temper, the whole place felt like a storm cloud.
She hadn't even had time to wonder what her avatar was up to.
"Huh? You came back on your own?"
Reaching out her hand to the bird at her window,
her memories and senses instantly synced.
And just like that, the gloomy atmosphere on Mount Olympus doubled.
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