Chapter 134

It took longer than Athenia expected, but her explanation about what was happening in the heavenly realm was finally over. She'd laid down her true identity as well as her intention to put a stop to the forces of evil so she could talk diplomacy with other gods.

Obviously, the news struck the party like a ton of bricks, but with no concept of time in Athenia's mind realm, eventually, they came to accept her words as the truth.

"And you expect us to trust you after you lied to us for so long?" Raven amongst other members of his group was far beyond pissed about the situation. "You hogged another god's faith from her people, you kept her alive in their mind, and we're supposed to help you keep the lie going?"

Leaning back into the chair with a sigh, Raven glanced across everyone's face painted with scorn. Even Erika who was praising Athenia not long ago was gritting her teeth as though holding the urge to lash out in the goddess's face.

"Give us one reason we should trust you. A reason that doesn't benefit you in any fucking way," the mage expected Athenia to take her time to skim through her options, but the mind of a god worked much faster than a mortal.

"A god never truly dies. Even if the other gods kill me, I'll be around, but I can't say the same for your world.

Because when they start fighting amongst each other they sunder every patch of land where the people don't preach their faith for them but instead of another god," Her face devoid of all emotions, Athenia moved her hand through the air and conjured a screen that reflected the future she foresaw. "See for yourself what happens when faith-hungry creatures are left unchecked."

The sound of screams was the first thing the party noticed, and then as they glanced at the screen their eyes trembled at the sight. A sea of blood of nonbelievers, an army of demons feasting on young women and children, and the brave and devoted? Turned to mere playthings with torture so horrific the horror's mind games paled in comparison.

"That should be enough," brushing the screen away, Athenia took a deep breath and sighed. Leaning forward on the table, her veiled breasts swayed side to side. "As for your doubts about me, I want you to spread my name, Athenia. No longer will I have to rely on my mother's faithful if you can preach my name instead of hers, I will gain power, and with it, I can help you to save your own world."

The offer made her sound like a selfless angel, and yet why did it feel like she was up to more than just helping them? Usurping power from other gods, taking away their faithful, given Raven's ability to change people's mood, and memory, it wouldn't be hard to pull off, but doing so was bound to put them on every god's radar.

"She's still hiding something," Mel chimed in.

"For your own good, some things are best left unknown for mortals," Athenia replied, not making any excuses just being as forward as she could.

"And we should trust you, why?" Aria questioned, leaning forward on the table as well.

"Cause I'm the only god willing to help you!" Slowly but surely, the goddess was losing her temper. The whole interrogation reminded her of her meeting with Pathfinder. Even though she was trying to do right for the people of the world, nobody seemed to have any faith in her judgment or her dubious plans of hers.

"Look!" Dejecting her gaze, she took a deep breath, held it in until her heart calmed, and then finally let it out. "Your world isn't the first, before I was born there was another, the gods simply moved on to a new one after it was destroyed in a holy war I know nothing of.

So don't think that the gods care about the world itself, they would probably mangle my body into the terrain of a new plain if Nerva is crumbled to dust."

Much she'd expected when trying to lay down how the heavens and gods worked, the party had no clue what she was talking about. To them there was no Nerva despite being born off of her soil, the word, her name meant nothing, and the living gods were the extent of their understanding.

'Demi-gods…these guys will be a handful to deal with when they gain divinity.' Already dreading that time, Athenia wanted the meeting to conclude already.

"So? Will you help me gain new followers and use the people's faith in different gods as a bargaining chip, or will you simply do what you've been doing and risk your world falling into chaos," laying down her final offer, Athenia turned her palms to face upwards. Letting her father's nature consume her left arm, it turned completely dark with dark clouds oozing out of her skin.

The other, however, remained much the same, although instead of smoke it oozed bright light. "Take my left hand and I'll help you keep your world and everything you love in it, safe from all threats, be it the heavens, Nerva, or the Infernal.

Or take my right hand, and I'll make it so that you won't even remember starting this journey, your titles will be stripped, and I'll start looking for my new chosen heroes."

There was not much time to think as Athenia was ready to dispose of them in case the party refused to cooperate. After all, what's the value of a handful when the stakes are on a worldly scale?

Their titles much like the hero's couldn't simply be transferred, and even though she'd chosen them for their latent talents, there were bound to be more people on Nerva with just as much potential for growth.

'This feels like a trap…' Sensing exactly what it was, Raven knew that there was no way

that the goddess would just let them go on to live their lives on a farm or something. Like any deals with a trader, especially Linkle as of late, he'd grown far more wary of deals that sounded too good to be true.

"The first sight of you trying to stab us in the back, and we'll turn to another god, I'm sure they'll be more than happy to take over as the ones aiding the hero's party," laying down his own terms, Raven reached forward and shook Athenia's left hand.

"Very well, a deal has been made, and I'll stay true to my end as long as you uphold it from your end," wearing a smile for once since the party had come over, Athenia's heart was bristled with delight. "I look forward to the future where you share heavenly duties with me as first true demi-gods."

With that, pulling her hand away, Athenia snapped her finger to bring Amedith back from the mind prison. Having witnessed how Raven has claimed every woman in his life even his mother, the hero needless to say was in a state of shock, yet his cock was leaking like a low-pressure fountain.

"Now to transfer the title," Athenia muttered before turning to the panting hero who was still mindlessly jerking his cock. "Ugghhh…"

Rolling her eyes at the sight, the goddess snatched his soul out of his body, and his body fell lifeless on the ground.