What did you just say?!
Eros stood frozen, his brain short-circuited. Had he misheard her? Was this world really that wild already?
Wait, no. That thunder just now, what the hell was that?
Snapping back to reality, Eros realized that the real problem wasn't what the girl had said. It was that this mysterious, clearly-not-ordinary woman had literally stepped out of a lightning strike.
"Heh, human. You ask who I am?"
The sky growled with thunder, echoing her fury.
"My name is Hera! Daughter of Cronus and the great titaness Rhea! Queen of Olympus!"
That name, so thunderous, so divine, instantly overloaded Eros' already stunned brain.
Holy sh-
This place… this world… it was Greece. But not just any Greece, mythological Greece.
A flood of names raced through his head in a flash: Athena, Artemis, Aphrodite… Helen, Europa.
Wait, what the hell?! Why am I only thinking of goddesses and princesses right now?! Shouldn't I be worrying about how to survive?!
Hera, she said she was Hera, Queen Hera.
Then… Eros slowly looked down at the girl still resting in his arms.
She was Hera's wife?
A chill ran down his spine.
Oh no. No no no. That girl… was Zeus.
Zeus. The Almighty Father. The King of the Gods. The Wielder of Thunder. The Breaker of Fate.
But among all his countless divine titles, one stood out in particular—he and his brother Poseidon were both legendary for being… perverts of mythological proportions.
If Zeus were just your standard divine playboy, fine. He was the king, after all. What's a few affairs here and there?
But no—Zeus's exploits were absurd. He didn't just have countless partners; he was notorious for turning into animals, clouds, rain, or even his own daughter just to seduce someone.
His brother Poseidon wasn't much better. While most gods turned themselves into animals, Poseidon had the innovative twist of turning his targets into animals. A true pioneer of... questionable taste.
Still, none of that mattered right now.
What mattered was, Zeus was, without a doubt, a man. A man with the title of Almighty Father.
Which meant…
Nothing happened! Nothing happened, okay?!
The moment Eros remembered all the infamous stories especially the ones involving young boys and water jugs, he shivered down to his soul.
In most mythologies, being handsome was a blessing.
But here in Greek mythology?
Being too good-looking was a curse.
If it wasn't Apollo that wanted you, it might be Zeus.
If you were lucky, you'd get snatched up by some passing nymph or a minor goddess and become their pet.
And if you were really lucky? Maybe Aphrodite herself would fall for you, and you'd get a night of divine bliss.
But afterwards, her jealous boyfriend Ares might come knocking on your door, ready to rip you apart out of spite.
Eros hadn't pissed off Ares.
Instead, he'd managed to anger someone even more dangerous—Queen Hera herself.
Hera's jealousy and possessiveness were legendary. Few lived to tell the tale after crossing her.
On second thought, maybe it was a good thing Hera showed up when she did. If she hadn't, who knows who would've ended up "on top" just now. That's terrifying.
As Hera observed the storm of emotions shifting on Eros's face, a faint smirk curled her lips.
"So, human… you're not completely ignorant after all."
But her smile lasted only a moment. The next second, it turned to ice.
"Then, prepare to pay for daring to insult the dignity of the Queen of the Gods."
She raised her hand, aiming it directly at Eros. A venomous curse was building in her throat, dark and ancient.
I'm dead. I'm so dead. Zeus, DO SOMETHING!
At this point, Eros didn't care if Zeus shaved his legs or not. He just wanted to live.
"Enough, Hera."
The one who spoke was Zeus, still in the form of the beautiful girl, and she stepped in front of Eros, shielding him.
Relieved, Eros exhaled and looked at the delicate, elegant back standing between him and certain death.
No matter what else you said, this version of Zeus really did hit his weak spot.
But… why Zeus?
Couldn't it have been literally any other goddess?
Even Aphrodite would've been fine. A generous, goddess-like onee-san who loved to spoil people was way better than a divine trap playing the long con.
"ZEUS!"
Hera's roar echoed through the heavens. Thunderclouds rumbled in rage.
Then, the one who had been calling herself Dione, Zeus transformed under the lightning's flash.
Her golden hair turned a brilliant white. Her clothes changed into something even more regal and dazzling.
But other than the outfit and hair color, she looked… exactly the same.
Eros scowled internally.
Old bastard. Still pretending to be a girl to trick people?!
Did he think just changing to white hair would suddenly make him more appealing? Hah! As if that would!
No effect! None! Absolutely zero XP points from me!
Zeus, now glowing faintly in the thunderclouds, seemed unaware of Eros's inner rants. His tone remained calm as he addressed Hera.
"There's no need for that, Hera. Humanity is on the verge of destruction. Soon, the earth will swallow them whole."
"There's no point in cursing him. I only came to see what kind of human could be this… different."
Hera glared at Zeus with venom.
She wanted to yell: If you only wanted to see him, why did you kiss him?!
But it was clear, if Zeus had decided to shield Eros, then there was little she could do.
Accepting this bitter truth, Hera narrowed her eyes and stared directly at Eros.
She memorized every inch of his face, etching it into her mind.
"I'll remember him, Zeus. Don't even think about bringing him to Olympus."
"When the earth is devoured, he'll have nowhere left to run."
And with that ominous warning, she vanished with the clouds.
Eros finally let out a long breath.
That was close. His perfect romantic night almost turned into his tragic funeral.
In Greece, you never knew which came first, romance, or a divine disaster.
With Hera gone, only he and Zeus remained.
Eros began to panic again.
Was this old pervert coming back to finish what he started?!
Seriously, just because he was a little handsome, he wasn't some Ganymede-level beauty! Why was Zeus so obsessed?
What a damn stallion.
But Zeus didn't make any suspicious moves. Instead, he stopped in front of Eros, keeping a respectful distance.
"Darling," Zeus said, "I know you have many questions… and probably a lot of resentment. But don't panic."
"Just wait a little longer. I'll find a way to bring you somewhere safe. Once we're there, I'll explain everything."
It was only then that Eros recalled something important they'd said earlier.
This era… what exactly did they mean by "this era"?
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Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!