*Chapter 212: [Sword of the God of War]*

The Aegean Sea is warm and humid, a classic Mediterranean climate that has nurtured the brilliant Greek civilization.

As an isolated island in the Aegean, the life of the Amazons was quite primitive, still relying on fishing and hunting.

With no external enemies, fishing became the Amazons' main livelihood.

The small patches of green land on the island were used to grow a bit of grain, and flax was grown to make clothing.

Then there were the herbs.

Preserving herbs was no easy task. Even when made into ointments, they would often become damp.

And tonight, the storage room was filled with shouts of "The ointment's damp! The ointment's damp!" Once the ointment got wet, there was nothing to do but toss it.

Perhaps it was the reverse-blowing gale that had been sweeping across Paradise Island that made the ointment dampen so quickly.

There was nothing to be done. Paradise Island was a backward place, and many things were far behind the times.

The only thing that never changed was the people.

The next morning, Hippolyta prepared a light breakfast and a grand lunch. However, her subordinates reported back:

“Report! The God of War hasn't come out.”

Hippolyta rubbed her forehead. Was this a good thing or a bad thing?

Ever since they knew that Ares had died, the fabric consumption on the island had reached ridiculous levels. Many girls were secretly requesting new materials to make new clothes. It was obvious why.

There were thousands of women on the island. Why should some have something others didn’t?

A good man is worth fighting for.

Apart from those like Hippolyta, who were aging and past their prime, there was a whole crowd of young women waiting to snatch the man.

After all, he was the new God of War!

If one of them could win his favor, even just a brief romance, having a child could instantly elevate their status.

And the world was vast. Some young women longed to leave Paradise Island and explore the outside world.

No matter how you looked at it, this young man, known as Kratos to outsiders but Atreus to them, was the best choice.

The only problem was that his inappropriately young aunt and her daughter had teamed up.

Well... this was the Olympian pantheon for you.

One word to describe it: messy.

Compared to her husband, Zeus, who had a one-night-only policy, this wasn’t so outrageous.

With Zeus as the lowest standard, everyone else, aside from him and his brother Poseidon, could be considered moral models.

…

When the first ray of sunlight hit the room, Atreus finally woke up.

By the way, the window faced west.

Atreus reflected on his life: he loved cars. Some were front-wheel drive, others rear-wheel drive, and some were four-wheel drive. Some had an impressive exterior but mediocre interior, while others had great interiors but plain exteriors.

Without a doubt, his favorite series was the Paradise brand. Whether it was the classic Troy or the new Wonder, even though the front-wheel drive wasn’t as powerful, the rear-wheel drive made up for it, almost making it feel like a four-wheel drive. And both the interior and exterior were top-notch.

The best part was that these top-tier cars had a lifespan of thousands of years.

The only small issue was that you had to complete daily tasks to earn reputation. Only after reaching Revered could you officially unlock the car. Plus, you couldn't switch allegiances and become a villain; if your reputation dropped to negative, the car would be repossessed, and it might even turn into a Transformer to beat you up.

Other than that, the so-called Aegean #1 Sparta brand wasn’t bad either. The cars were beautiful, and their looks and artistry were unmatched. As a top-level four-wheel drive, the handling was excellent. You could drive it any way you wanted, with all-terrain capability.

The only downside was that it was fragile. You couldn’t drive it too aggressively, and stepping on the gas too hard was a no-go. Even with an automatic transmission, you had to shift gears gently. And its endurance wasn’t great. After one long trip, it would need several days of maintenance before it could be driven again.

Anyway, with so many cars in his garage, Atreus felt content with life.

For seven days straight, the island was filled with celebrations.

To feel slightly intoxicated, Atreus even secretly lowered his constitution using the system, allowing his body to react to alcohol.

On the eighth day, Hephaestus' gift arrived.

Two divine messengers brought a large sword and placed it before Atreus.

The moment the sword case was opened, a beam of golden light shot out, piercing the sky.

The wave of divine golden energy sent flocks of birds flying, and the Amazon guards outside the temple were so frightened that they all knelt on one knee, offering the highest respect to the god of forging’s new creation.

The style of this sword was not at all Greek.

In the Greek mythological era, Hephaestus’ equipment was typically made of bronze.

But this sword had a silvery-white blade, completely unrelated to bronze.

Through the system, Atreus was astonished to find that the blade contained a significant amount of chromium, one of the hardest metals on Earth, making the blade exceptionally sharp.

The sword resembled a long, closed umbrella. It was wide near the guard and gradually narrowed toward the blade, forming a highly pointed conical shape.

At 1.8 meters long, it was definitely an extended version of a greatsword.

The 40-centimeter handle was made of a brightly colored piece of olive wood. The moment Atreus held it, he knew Athena’s blessing was upon it.

Sure enough, the system notified him: [The sword possesses Athena’s Blessing of the Fog of War: the sword's wielder is surrounded by a fog that clouds enemies' perception. Its effectiveness is proportional to the wielder’s intelligence, perception, and will compared to the enemy’s values.]

This was a very Athena-like strategic touch.

If used correctly, this sword could be a deadly weapon.

Of course, against someone like Thanos, the blessing probably wouldn’t have much effect.

The handle was adorned with a unique guard and hand-guard blade, shaped like the character "出" (meaning "out"), designed to prevent the weapon from breaking in combat.

But the most chilling part was the face embedded in the guard—a metal relief of the God of War, Ares.

Athena's subtle move was right there.

Compared to this, the sword’s sharpness was secondary.

Having Ares' soul, one of the twelve Olympian gods and the former God of War, as the sword’s spirit elevated its status immensely.

Most importantly, the sword had this effect:

Sword of the God of War: A divine sword imbued with fragments of Ares' soul. It can absorb and amplify the power of war to its fullest potential.

A simple statement, but the implications were far from simple.

Sometimes, the simpler something seemed, the bigger the deal it was.

Atreus wasn’t just impressed by the sword’s power but by the fact that it had no negative effects.

Considering Ares' cruel and cunning nature, it wouldn't have been surprising if this weapon came with several downsides or even turned into a cursed sword.

Atreus realized that Athena was quite clever.

By eliminating Ares, he was free of any debt to Olympus. Athena had understood Atreus’s personality—he could be softened but not pressured—so she had given him a big reward, subtly putting him in her debt.

"Heh! Interesting!"

(End of Chapter)