Alexander's campaign to destroy the gods continued with caution and precise calculation.
After the fall of Hermes and Iris, two key messenger gods, he was not carried away by victory.
Instead, he took his heroes, like the most experienced hunters, to hunt the relatively isolated gods on the edge of the divine realm.
Some river gods and regional gods quietly disappeared from the territories they guarded.
Each action was carried out cleanly and neatly, under Hercules's leadership, leading an elite squad, leaving as few traces as possible and not absorbing their divinity.
However, apart from "Hermes", who was killed at the very beginning, not a single other Olympian god had fallen.
Alexander was not disappointed by this; on the contrary, he became calmer.
"Hermes himself is known for his speed and cunning among the Twelve Olympians; his frontal combat effectiveness is relatively weak."
He conducted an analysis at the war conference.
"But the other major gods are different."
He counted them off:
"'Hestia' lives deep in the sacred mountain all year round, in a simple place, and hardly ever conflicts with the outside world, so it is difficult for us to find her, and there is no need."
"'Demeter'... She does not know how to kill," Alexander's tone was categorical.
"We are demigods, and our army is mortal! If we kill her, the earth will lose its life force, everything will wither, and famine will first destroy our own foundations. Conquest requires land and people; a dead land is worthless."
"'Aphrodite'." A flicker of fear appeared in Alexander's eyes.
"Her authority is too strange, tied to desire and emotion, and impossible to defend against. Forcibly dealing with her would most likely lead to unpredictable chaos within. And she always has plenty of admirers around her, which could easily escalate into direct conflict."
As for 'Hephaestus'," Alexander even showed a hint of helplessness.
"Do you really think that a male god who governs fire, wields a divine hammer to forge artifacts all day, and even dared to forcibly bind 'Aphrodite', would be a weakling, right? His workshop itself is a fortress, armed to the teeth."
This rational analysis silenced the restless generals.
Killing gods was no easy task; every step had to be weighed in terms of pros and cons, especially since they had not yet fully established themselves and needed the support of the material foundation of this world.
His gaze swept over the generals, and finally Alexander's eyes fell on a detailed report about Kratos.
His eyes became extremely complex, with a slight guilt for the tragic fate and an undisguised desire to use his powerful combat strength, but in the end, it all turned into cold resolve.
"It's time," Alexander said in a deep voice.
"Lead this 'Avenger' to 'Ares'."
This was a trick to drive away the tiger and the wolf.
Kratos harbored infinite hatred for Olympus. Letting these two beings, who fed on battle and rage, fight each other, regardless of who won or lost, could greatly weaken Olympus's combat capabilities, especially to get rid of one of the hardest nuts to crack—"Ares".
"What about 'Athena'?" asked Jason, who was always wary of the goddess of wisdom, no matter which one.
Alexander thought for a moment, and a light flashed in his eyes: "Hold off for now. This goddess of wisdom... I always feel she may not be our enemy. At least, not entirely."
At the same time—on the sacred mountain Olympus.
The news of the disappearance of lesser gods one after another, along with the fact that the rainbow goddess "Iris" had not appeared for many days to report, finally attracted the attention of "Zeus".
In the main hall of the Golden Palace, the God-King stroked his lightning scepter and frowned slightly.
"Where has Iris gone? What giant, with eyes wide shut, dares to kidnap my messenger?" His voice was displeased, but more annoyed by the disturbance.
As for the disappearance of... "Hermes"...
"Hermes?" The God-King raised his eyebrows, and then showed a knowing and somewhat contemptuous smile.
"That slippery boy, I'm afraid he's found another mortal beauty or run off to a corner with some nymph? Don't worry about him; he'll come back when he's had enough fun."
Obviously, the disappearance of "Iris" caused more concern for "Zeus" and most of the Olympian gods, as she was usually commanded on official business.
However, the unpredictable and romantic whereabouts of "Hermes" had long been the norm, and his brief 'disappearance' did not attract enough attention.
Inertial arrogance and neglect of the lives of lesser gods blinded their perception.
Only the goddess of wisdom, "Athena", stood quietly by the temple's pillars, her blue eyes shining with insight.
She noticed something unusual... Fragments of clues were assembling in her shrewd mind, pointing to an incredible possibility.
But she chose to remain silent.
On her beautiful and resolute face, there was no expression; she just gently stroked the spear in her hand.
"Zeus's" order echoed in the Golden Palace with a thunderous radiance: "Have Hermes find out immediately where Iris is! My will must..."
His words were suddenly cut off, his thick brows tightly furrowed, and on his face was the anger of being interrupted.
Only then did he remember that the messenger best suited for errands was not currently in the temple.
"Damn it!" The God-King cursed in a low voice and irritably waved his hand, as if trying to dispel this unpleasant mistake.
His gaze glided over the gods in the hall and finally stopped on the silent figure of wisdom.
"Athena!" He commanded in an indisputable tone.
"Go! Find Iris and find out what really happened. Whoever dares to kidnap my rainbow goddess will face my thunderous wrath!"
"Athena" bowed slightly, her posture elegant and impeccable.
"As you will, Father God."
She raised her head, and in her azure-blue eyes that had seen the world, there were no waves, but her words were not finished.
"However, Iris's disappearance is by no means a simple matter; there may be a threat behind it that even we are unaware of."
She paused for a moment and shifted her gaze to two other gods in the hall.
"I request 'Hephaestus' and 'Artemis' to assist me in this mission."
This choice made the gods glance sideways slightly.
"Hephaestus" sat by his anvil in the corner, wiping his huge forging hammer. Hearing this, he lifted his rough, scarred face, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, which then turned into a low grunt: "...Searching? If it requires breaking down barriers or identifying unusual creations, I can be of use."
And "Artemis", the moon goddess and goddess of the hunt, who always carried a silver bow, straightened up with the sharp expression of a hunter upon receiving the summons.
"Tracking and searching are my areas of expertise," her voice was as sharp as an ice spring in the forest.
"Whoever is causing trouble secretly will find no hiding place from my arrows."
As the mistress of the wild and beasts, she possessed an extraordinarily keen eye for any unusual traces on the earth.
"Zeus" looked at Athena, and then at the two gods she had named. Although he felt it was a bit much, Athena's reasoning was impeccable, and finding Iris as soon as possible was a matter of saving face.
"So be it!" He waved his hand.
"Hephaestus, Artemis, assist Athena. Give me an answer as soon as possible!"
"Athena" bowed again, and the corner of her mouth slid into an imperceptible arc.
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