I felt a warm sensation spreading all over my body, a stark contrast to the agony of being burned alive by Liphiel’s men. The sudden change puzzled me, and as my eyes fluttered open, I found myself staring at a white expanse.
No, it wasn’t a ceiling. Everything around me seemed to be bathed in an ethereal white glow. I sat up, holding my throbbing head, trying to make sense of my surroundings.
“You are awake, finally?” A melodious voice rang out, sounding almost divine.
I turned toward the source of the voice and fell silent. Standing before me was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, surpassing even Khione in beauty. She had long, flowing pink hair that reached her curvy waist and captivating pink eyes that looked at me with genuine excitement.
She wore a white dress reminiscent of ancient Greek attire, clinging tightly to her voluptuous body. My eyes couldn’t help but wander to her ample breasts, which seemed on the verge of spilling out. If I had a real body, I would have probably gotten an erection, but my form seemed transparent for some reason.
More pressing was the intense desire I felt to take her right then and there, a desire that was undoubtedly influenced by her presence.
“Who are you?” I asked, narrowing my gaze at her.
Her pink eyes sparkled with exhilaration as a blush appeared on her cheeks. “Finally, we meet, Nathan Parker. I have been observing you for quite a while, you know?” she said with a smile.
“You didn’t answer my question. Am I dead?” I asked, looking around at the endless white space. It felt like a place people might be brought to after dying.
“You don’t remember? You should have died. Or at least, from anyone else’s perspective, you were as good as dead,” she said, her voice a melodic blend of amusement and allure. “But I pulled you back from the brink at the last possible moment. Right now, your body is undergoing treatment.
Whether you ultimately survive depends on your willpower, but I have no doubt about your strength.” Her smile, both sexy and enigmatic, played on her pink, plump lips.
“Who are you?” I demanded, struggling to piece together my fragmented thoughts.
“Aphrodite,” she answered simply, her voice carrying the weight of her name’s significance.
The name struck a chord deep within me. “The Goddess of Beauty and Love?” I asked, needing confirmation.
“Indeed,” she grinned, clearly pleased that I recognized her.
Though my knowledge of her came from Earth’s mythology, I knew things in this world often diverged from the tales I knew. Still, the name Aphrodite carried immense power.
“So you saved me? Don’t expect me to thank you with blind gratitude. What do you want from me?” I retorted, my tone icy.
Aphrodite’s smile widened at my coldness. “You sound and look so different from the Nate I had observed,” she said, her pink eyes glinting with curiosity, her cheeks flushing slightly. “Is this your true self?”
The searing pain I had endured, worse than being burned alive, and the death by those I despised had stripped away any pretense. My hatred for the Divine Knights and the Gods of Light had reached its peak.
“If I wanted to harm you, Nate, I would have done so long ago. You would be dead already. I harbor no ill will toward you. I’m just intrigued by the man who managed to subdue the unyielding Khione.”
At the mention of Khione, I narrowed my eyes.
“You were aware of this? Then the fact that she isn’t answering me—you’re behind it?” I asked, my tone dripping with icy disdain.
“Indeed. I’m keeping her away from everyone’s attention for now. It’s for both your sake and hers. People in Olympus have started to doubt Khione. One of them, in particular, has made a connection between you and her, and she is none other than the Queen Goddess of Olympus,” Aphrodite said with a resigned sigh.
Queen Goddess of Olympus? She must mean Hera.
Khione had warned me about Hera’s dangerous influence. The fact that a goddess of her stature had started suspecting our connection was troubling.
“So what? Now that I’m presumed dead, you can just release her?” I asked, bitterness lacing my words.
I assumed Aphrodite was keeping me somewhere while treating me, but I wasn’t sure where. In any case, I was certain I was no longer in the Empire of Light.
Aphrodite shook her head. “Unfortunately, Hera isn’t the only problem. Another god is after Khione, and he’s far more problematic.”
“What? Who’s after Khione?” I asked, my concern deepening.
“Poseidon. He’s been chasing Khione for thousands of years, and this time, she couldn’t escape him. She managed to delay him for a few months, but that time has run out. As a friend, I couldn’t let Khione fall into his grasp, so I took her into my custody,” Aphrodite said, puffing out her chest with a sense of pride.
And she didn’t tell me anything? I wasn’t aware of such a deal, though I knew something was wrong. Did she think she could handle it alone? Did she really believe I would let anyone touch her? Khione was my woman.
“I suppose now your curiosity has been satiated. Just send me back to Earth,” I said to her, my voice edged with irritation.
Aphrodite giggled, a sound both charming and slightly mocking. “I can see right through you from miles away, Nate. You want to kill Poseidon, force me to release Khione, and then wipe out all the worshippers of the Gods of Light.”
“If you know it, then all the better,” I replied, disinterested.
“But you are already on Earth. You have been summoned by the Demons as their Hero,” she revealed, her grin widening.
“What?” I asked, caught off guard.
Aphrodite’s smile grew even more mischievous. “I think this position suits you more than being the Hero of the Humans, Nate. But taking on Poseidon in your current state, I highly advise against it, regardless of whatever Forbidden Skill you have in your possession.”
She had observed me well enough, that was certain. Her knowledge of my ambitions and abilities was unnervingly accurate.
“But summoned as the Hero for the Demons?” I mused aloud, the idea taking root in my mind. It seemed far more interesting than my previous summoning.