Early the next morning, Agiad and Eurypontid, the two brothers, got up early and began to plan how to kill the fierce lion that had been entrenched in the nearby forest for many days.
In this era, the number of various races on the earth was not as large as it would be in the future, so this male lion entrenched in the forest did not have a group of lionesses guarding it; it was all alone.
But this does not mean that it was weaker than later lion prides. This was the Age of Gods. Even the most ordinary lion, if thrown into the post-Christian era, could be called a magical beast. The male lion entrenched in the forest, having grown up in an environment full of Aether since childhood, was over five meters long. Its sharp fangs were enough to crush rocks, and its strong lion claws could easily snap tree trunks, making it a very formidable opponent.
However, even so, under the influence of a certain god's authority, strong first-generation humans like Agiad and Eurypontid did not fear it. Firstly, they were numerous and powerful, and secondly, humans at this time also grew up in an environment full of Aether.
So, Agiad and Eurypontid immediately began preparations. Following Prometheus's teachings, they sharpened wooden sticks to make spears, coated the spearheads with flammable grease, and then took fire, ropes, and stones, embarking on a journey to kill the lion in the adjacent forest.
Having been entangled with that lion for quite some time, Agiad and the others roughly knew its routine. At this time, the lion should still be sleeping in its den. Its den was in a naturally formed cave, which contained various sundries the lion had collected to keep dry, as well as the chewed-up bones of its prey.
The Agiad brothers led their tribesmen stealthily to the front of the lion's cave. Then, the two brothers exchanged glances with the people behind them, and the crowd immediately understood, dispersing to work together, preparing a meticulously planned trap specifically for this lion.
...
Inside the cave, the sleeping male lion suddenly smelled a dangerous, pungent odor.
It had only smelled this scent before in places where those hairless monkeys had been, but those were only faint lingering traces, far less intense than this smell. Moreover, this scent triggered its innate instincts, making it feel danger and fear.
Following its wild animal instincts, the male lion opened its eyes and saw that its den had, at some unknown point, been enveloped in thick smoke.
Startled, it didn't have time to think and immediately dashed out of the den. Smoke filled its vision, there was a huge blaze at the entrance, and the shouts of those hairless monkeys could be heard near the fire. Normally, the male lion would never charge into flames; it would only walk around such dangerous light. But under the pressure of Death, the male lion overcame its fear of fire this time. It lunged forward, and its massive body leaped over the bonfire the humans had lit at the entrance of its den, landing outside the den.
As its four paws touched the ground, the male lion had no time to rejoice before the ground beneath its feet suddenly gave way, revealing a deep pit filled with sharpened wooden stakes.
The lion only managed to let out a miserable howl before it plunged into the pit. The sharp wooden stakes pierced its skin, and under the force of its heavy weight, they deeply embedded themselves into its flesh. As it fell into the trap, nearby, the Agiad brothers, along with a large group of humans, rushed out of the jungle, shouting.
They all held spears made from sharpened wooden sticks, and the grease on the spearheads was ignited. Led by the Agiad brothers, these humans continuously hurled their spears at the male lion in the trap. The spears deeply pierced the unavoidable male lion's body, and the flames on the spearheads ignited its fur, causing the fierce beast to roar miserably.
Finally, after being struck by dozens of spears, the male lion whimpered, tilted its head, and collapsed to the ground. Agiad and Eurypontid, each holding a spear, came before the male lion and fiercely thrust their spears from its eye sockets into its brain, ending its life.
"We succeeded!"
Seeing the male lion's Death, Agiad raised his arm and shouted loudly. The entire tribe of humans cheered, but just then, a man's voice suddenly echoed in Agiad and Eurypontid's ears.
"Well done. You two are truly one in a million warriors. I shall reward you!"
After this voice faded, Agiad and Eurypontid suddenly found that their tribesmen around them had vanished, and they had abruptly arrived in a wonderland filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers.
Before them, an incredibly tall, handsome man dressed in battle armor sat on a divine throne, with a massive demonic hound lying beside him.
Seeing this handsome, red-haired man, Agiad and Eurypontid, after a moment of stunned silence, quickly knelt before him:
"Heavenly God!"
"Rise. There's no need to be so humble before me."
The Heavenly God looked at the two brothers with a smile and introduced himself:
"I am Ares, the God of War. Your courage in facing the male lion, unafraid of a powerful enemy and fighting bravely, has moved me. I shall bless you. You shall become my most favored warriors, brave and fearless, always advancing, never yielding. Victory shall be your desire, your blood shall be my cloak, and the spears in your hands shall be my roar. Upon the corpses of the powerful enemies you slay, I shall host a feast for your souls."
As he spoke, the Heavenly God lightly touched the shoulders of Agiad and Eurypontid with the spear in his hand. After his spear's light touch, the two brothers, Agiad and Eurypontid, immediately felt a surging power filling their bodies.
After bestowing the blessing, Ares put down his spear, looked at them, and asked:
"I ask you, are you willing to become my Ares's warriors and fight for the human race?"
The two brothers exchanged excited glances, then bowed their heads and replied:
"We are willing!"
"Good." Ares, holding his spear, slowly rose from the divine throne. With his movement, the massive divine throne behind him gradually disappeared, revealing the huge Tree Palace behind it, and the open ground in front of the Tree Palace.
Agiad and Eurypontid then saw that on the open ground in front of the Tree Palace, dozens of humans were densely packed, standing in neat rows behind Ares. They were either strong or agile.
"Join the ranks, warriors." Ares pointed his spear behind him: "You will forge the future for humanity."