Join my pantheon:@ Patreon.com/Lazyauthor444
——
Above the sky, where the moonlight stood high, Aetherion floated in the air, gazing down at the destruction that had unfolded from the battle.
He looked around, noticing that vast areas had been ruined—decimated even—for kilometers in every direction.
It had truly been a destructive battle, the kind that could've ravaged the world itself had it taken place in reality.
Honestly, it would have been a real disaster if they were in the real world.
Or maybe not… as the earth was basically impossible to destroy as it was Gaia a primordials body.
But still thankfully, thanks to Aetherion's Parallel Expansion, all that damage would vanish.
'I'm really glad I created this technique,'
he thought.
His allies would agree.
If he hadn't made it, he didn't even want to imagine what Gaia would have said.
No—she could probably heal the damage in a few minutes, maybe even faster.
That wasn't the issue.
The real problem was Kronos.
If Aetherion had unleashed this kind of divine power on Earth, Kronos and his subordinates would have sensed it immediately.
The Parallel Expansion not only protected the world but also masked Aetherion's overflowing divine energy.
He knew that if someone equal to or stronger than him existed within the expansion, they could destroy the dimension by going all out.
But these two?
They weren't even close to his level.
Thanks to them, though, he now had a clearer idea of how powerful he had become.
He believed he was at least on par with the Twelve Great Titans—perhaps even as strong or stronger than Kronos' Four Generals of the North, South, East, and West—the pillars of his army.
And he wasn't alone in this.
His mother, Rhea, and Themis were undoubtedly at that level too.
Those two hadn't been slacking.
In fact, thanks to Aetherion's influence, they had trained almost as intensely as he had.
Especially Themis—she had become a true monster.
With her unique eyes and powerful domains, she was no joke.
In fact, Aetherion considered her one of their most dangerous wildcards in the coming war against Kronos.
Aetherion shook his head, turning his gaze toward the two defeated major gods.
Their divine forms had begun to shrink, returning to their normal sizes.
They were no longer in their divine height.
Thanks to his tree-based technique that absorbed vitality and life force, they were now too weak to move—perfect for capture.
'I should bring them back to the island,'
he thought, referring to the sanctuary he created 15 years ago—a place where he'd been gathering allies for the last five years.
That island would serve as their prison.
He needed to hand these two over to Metis, his trusted right hand.
With her unmatched intellect and strategic mind, she would know exactly what to do.
He also had to report to her that the hunt had gone well.
Truly, having Metis on their side was a blessing.
"Alright, let's get going,"
he said aloud.
He clapped his hands, deactivating the Parallel Expansion.
Then, opening a portal, he gathered his captured enemies and stepped through the gate he had created—leaving behind the former battlefield of destruction, now back to normal as if nothing had happened and walking steadily toward the next phase of the war.
***
Out from the portal, Aetherion looked around.
The room was cluttered with various weapons scattered across the space—some mounted on the walls, others lying on the floor.
Swords, axes, spears, bows, and even more exotic tools of war filled the area.
But that wasn't all.
On several large tables, potion sets were laid out.
Some glowed with a dangerous red light, others shimmered with a mysterious purple hue, and a few emitted a soft green glow—likely health potions.
Each vial pulsed faintly, hinting at their potency.
And finally, when Aetherion glanced further into the room, he noticed the back of a woman with stunning dark‑blue hair that reached just above her large well shaped ass.
He stepped toward her, and as he did, the woman turned around.
Aetherion was greeted by her ruby‑red eyes.
Despite her breathtaking beauty, she looked exhausted.
Her hair was slightly disheveled, as though she had been working nonstop for weeks… which could be true.
"Hello, Metis,"
Aetherion said with a laugh and a warm smile, raising his hand in greeting.
Metis looked at him—still tired, hair a mess—and returned a small smile.
"Yeah… hello, Aetherion. It's been quite a while,"
she replied in her usual calm tone, though the fatigue and tiredness in her voice was obvious.
"So, how did it go?"
Aetherion grinned, lips curling into a confident smile.
"Well, you know me—of course I won! I managed to capture almost them all. I 'accidentally' kill some of them. "
he said proudly and mischievously, flexing his arm and showing off his muscles.
Metis chuckled and slapped his shoulder lightly.
"Don't get too cocky, idiot,"
she said, lifting her head to look at him properly.
Aetherion suddenly realized something—he was noticeably taller than when they first met.
Back then, they had been about the same height, but now he stood a full head above her.
He looked down at her and smiled.
"Anyway," he continued, "I wanted to inform you that the prisoners have been secured. They can't move at all."
"Good," Metis replied. "I'll get someone to extract as much information as possible from them—if they have anything useful to say, that is. If not I use their blood and body to craft some weapons and potions."
Her tone grew more confident as she spoke, wisdom practically radiating from her expression.
Aetherion also noticed that Metis seemed quite excited about crafting new weapons and potions using the deities' blood — something she had done before, multiple times in fact.
Thanks to him and his former hunts.
She found their blood and even their bodies to be terrifyingly useful materials.
And they didn't feel bad about it — after all, even with some torture before death, their enemies would resurrect somewhere in a few decades or centuries.
Aetherion simply smirked at that, turning around with a small grin still playing on his lips, casting a glance back at her over his shoulder.
"Look at you, all proud,~"
he teased.
Metis rolled her eyes, but before Aetherion could turn to leave, she suddenly stopped him.
"Wait."
Aetherion halted and raised an eyebrow.
Metis seemed to hesitate, thinking about something, before turning away and walking toward her workbench.
As she moved, Aetherion noticed the sway of her hips and the enticing curve of her body.
He immediately forced himself to look away.
'No. I can't let lust distract me,'
he thought.
Aetherion remained composed, because as the Titan of Life—and the bearer of the Life Domain—he had the ability to control his desires.
He could see the emotions of others and regulate not only theirs, but his own as well.
He can also affect people's sensitivity—making them more sensitive to external stimuli, either by increasing the pain they feel or, if he chooses, heightening pleasurable sensations.
In other words, he has the ability to amplify a person's sensitivity, whether for punishment or pleasure, depending on his intent.
But he chooses simply too suppressed the lust he felt toward most things, refusing to act like an idiot, like Poseidon, or allow it to distract him from training, like Zeus—and even Hades, who, despite being silent and brooding, still found himself drawn to women he fancied.
Aetherion didn't really understand why it happened.
Maybe it was simply because they were Greek, and their physical forms seemed to exude a more primal kind of lust.
He didn't even feel this way when he was human, which made the shift even more strange.
Regardless, he knew he had to control it carefully.
He didn't want to act like a reckless fool—or worse, like a forceful brute.
All he cared about now was becoming stronger—strong enough to defeat Kronos.
His desires could wait until the war was over.
Strength was his goal, not temptation.
Metis returned holding a scarf and held it out to him shyly.
"Here. This is for you,"
she said.
Aetherion blinked and examined it.
The scarf was dark green, beautifully crafted, decorated with golden star‑shaped patterns.
When he placed it around his neck, the scarf shifted on its own, forming into a hood that rested over his head, matching perfectly with his clothing.
Before he could even ask, Metis explained proudly:
"This will help you attune even more to nature. I made it myself. With it, you'll be nearly impossible to detect in forests—or anywhere close to nature. It's perfect for stealth."
Aetherion's star‑shaped pupils gleamed brightly as happiness erupted across his face.
"Metis!"
he exclaimed, and without thinking, he pulled her into a hug—lifting her slightly off the ground.
He genuinely loved the gift.
Anything that improved his hunts and allowed him to strike down Kronos's forces more efficiently was invaluable.
When he finally set her down, he failed to notice Metis's flushed cheeks and lowered gaze, her body stiff from embarrassment, though a tiny smile lingered on her face.
"Thank you," he said sincerely. "I really like it! I'll test it out right now!"
Before she could say anything more, Aetherion rushed out of the room, eager to try the gift.
Left behind in her workshop, Metis stared at the door he had exited through.
Her fingers touched her lips for a moment, and a quiet smile appeared.
"…Idiot,"
she whispered fondly, though her heart raced from the memory of his arms around her.
——
Author note:
I need to focus on an upcoming exam next week, so unfortunately I won't be able to upload any chapters during that time.
Join my pantheon:@ Patreon.com/Lazyauthor444