"Our army has been defeated."
In the God Kings Hall on Olympus, the main gods listened to the news relayed by Hermes from the front, and none of them had good expressions on their faces.
Zeus's expression was unpredictable; he pondered silently for a moment, then asked:
"Where is Ares?"
"Ares was caught in a pincer attack by the Snake-Footed Giants. His army suffered heavy losses, and seeing that the situation was hopeless, he led the remaining forces to a nearby valley. This valley happened to have a passage to the Underworld, and they escaped along this passage. They are now in the wilderness in front of Hell Gate."
Hermes reported.
"What a waste!"
Demeter, next to him, had a dark expression and cursed angrily:
"He led so many of our troops out, yet he still lost to those Giants, Athena, it was you who made us agree to his terms, what do you have to say?"
"Then what can I do?" Athena blinked and spread her hands, saying, "Who would have thought that my brother would be so useless, losing even with weapons blessed by me?"
"This is truly…" Demeter trembled with rage, especially after hearing that her forces on the front lines were completely annihilated; she didn't know how to express her inner resentment towards Ares.
"Alright, let's end the discussion about Ares here. His decision actually wasn't a major problem; at least he helped us preserve most of Olympus's combat strength."
Athena said:
"The most critical issue right now is still those Giants. Now, Ares has been forced into the Underworld by them, and there is no longer a defensive line between us and the Snake-Footed Giants. Next, the Snake-Footed Giants will inevitably besiege Olympus, but we don't even have enough main gods, let alone an army. Besides Ares, I remember there are other main gods who are not on Olympus, right?"
"How many people are still on the mountain?"
Zeus asked in a deep voice.
Athena replied:
"Hermes, Demeter, myself, and you."
"That's it?"
Zeus's eyes widened in disbelief.
"That's it." Athena nodded.
"Where's Hera?" Zeus spread his hands.
"She went back to visit her family with Hephaestus some time ago."
Athena replied:
"I remember you were quite happy about it then, and you gleefully went out to play for several days."
"…" Zeus was speechless. He certainly remembered that when Hera went back to her family, he genuinely felt that the long-standing restraint on him had finally been lifted.
Although he usually didn't pay much attention to Hera's feelings.
He thought for a moment, then asked:
"What about Apollo and Artemis?"
"Artemis… she, she's in love."
Athena said with some hesitation:
"Apollo went along too, saying he wanted to watch over his older sister, so she wouldn't be easily deceived by men… Apollo, you know how he is."
Apollo, the famous protector of his own in Olympus, and he's an older sister fanatic.
Zeus's face was grim, and he paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, then shouted exasperatedly:
"Where's Hades! Where's Hestia! At a time like this, why aren't they coming to help me!"
"Zeus, please calm your anger."
Athena said softly:
"Goddess Hestia has always been reclusive and has always detested this kind of War. As for Hades… frankly, none of us know where he is right now, and he might not even be paying attention to what's happening outside."
"What a joke, this is a matter of life and death for Olympus…"
Zeus's white beard trembled with anger.
"Does this mean they are content to watch me die and see the Olympus Gods replaced by the Giant Race?"
"That's not necessarily true. Goddess Hestia is, after all, of noble character and has long protected the Gods, and Hades himself possesses very powerful strength. If they were to compromise with the Giant Race…"
Athena did not continue, but Zeus already understood what she was trying to say.
When a divine lineage perishes, its leader will certainly not survive, but those Gods who have power, prestige, and are not so closely related to the Olympus Divine Court, can instead continue to exist.
Just like Helius, God of the Sun, and Selene, the Moon Goddess, these two Gods can actually be considered Titans. They were already powerful deities in Cronus's era, considered relics of the former dynasty, but Cronus was defeated and suppressed in Tartarus, yet they were able to continue serving as Gods on Olympus, and even for a time served as main Gods before Apollo and his sister were born.
The same logic applies to Hestia and Hades. If Hades and Hestia compromise with the Snake-Footed Giants, they might still be able to continue as the King of the Underworld and Goddess of the Hearth in the new era.
"Are we really going to use four main Gods to fight against the powerful thirteen Giants?"
When Ares began fighting the Snake-Footed Giants, Olympus also received intelligence about the Snake-Footed Giants from the front, and with Athena intentionally disclosing all the information she had, there was no doubt among the Olympus Gods about the threat posed by the Snake-Footed Giants.
Zeus clutched his forehead, feeling a headache. Demeter, Hermes, and Athena all looked at him. While Athena and Hermes were one thing, Demeter, for some reason, suddenly felt that her brother and husband had aged considerably.
She still remembered how handsome and mighty Zeus was during the Titan War, and how brave and fearless he was. At that time, he even dared to secretly sneak into the Titans' base by himself to poison their father, Cronus. Yet now, with the Snake-Footed Giants merely at their gates, he already felt powerless.
The Goddess of Agriculture sighed faintly but ultimately said nothing. After all, the key now was how to withstand the threat of the Snake-Footed Giants. She didn't have that ability, nor did the little scoundrel beside her. Now, Olympus could only rely on one God.
"Zeus, leave it to me."
As expected, at this moment, Athena stepped forward. She patted her chest confidently to her father, saying:
"As long as we can hold out for eighteen years, as long as we get through this period, I will have a way to kill these Snake-Footed Giants."
Eighteen years, once a mere flick of a finger for the Gods, now felt incredibly long to Zeus.
He mumbled, then asked:
"You have a way for us to last eighteen years?"
"Of course."
The Goddess of Wisdom smiled confidently and said:
"Besides, I'm the only one you can trust now, aren't I?"