The divine hall buzzed with restless whispers.
Moments earlier, Zeus had declared the beginning of the Gods' Game—an apocalypse that would turn the mortal world into a battlefield.
But curiosity quickly followed the announcement.
A towering god from a distant pantheon finally spoke.
"And how exactly do you intend to conduct this… game?"
The murmurs quieted.
All eyes turned toward the throne of Olympus.
Zeus sat relaxed upon it, lightning flickering lazily around his fingers. His expression was calm, almost amused.
Then slowly…
He smiled.
A cold, sinister smile.
"I thought someone might ask that."
Zeus rose from his throne, thunder rumbling through the endless sky above the hall.
"For a game of this scale," he said, spreading his arms, "we will need overseers."
He lifted his hand.
"I have chosen five."
The hall fell into attentive silence.
"Five gods who will supervise the game."
His eyes gleamed with dark excitement.
"I call them…"
"The Representatives."
A ripple of curiosity spread across the gathered gods.
Zeus raised one finger.
"First… myself."
Lightning flashed across the heavens, illuminating the King of Olympus.
No one dared object.
"Second…"
From the shadows stepped a graceful yet deadly figure.
"The Goddess of the Hunt."
Artemis appeared silently, her silver bow resting against her shoulder, eyes as sharp as a predator's.
"Third…"
A calm but overwhelming presence filled the hall.
"The Goddess of Wisdom."
Golden light shimmered as Athena stepped forward, her gaze calculating and unreadable.
"Fourth…"
A blur of movement flashed across the hall before landing lightly beside them.
"The swift messenger."
Hermes twirled his staff casually, a mischievous grin on his face.
The gods murmured with approval.
Four powerful representatives.
Then Zeus raised his final finger.
"And the last representative…"
He paused.
"…is the God of Weapons."
From the far end of the hall came the slow sound of uneven footsteps.
A figure limped forward from the shadows.
The master of Olympus' forge.
Hephaestus.
For a moment—
The hall went silent.
Then suddenly—
The laughter began.
Loud. Cruel. Unstoppable.
"You chose HIM?!"
"That twisted blacksmith?"
"Look at his face!"
"Disgusting."
"A crippled embarrassment."
"That crooked body!"
"Ugly brute!"
"Did the forge explode on his face?"
"Careful, he might limp his way out of the game!"
The insults flew across the hall like arrows.
Some gods leaned against pillars, laughing openly.
Others whispered mockingly.
Even a few Olympians hid their smirks.
At the center of the mockery stood Hephaestus.
Silent.
Expressionless.
Zeus chuckled along with the others.
Then he raised his hands casually.
"Oh come now," Zeus said with a mocking grin.
"Every game needs a joker, doesn't it?"
The hall erupted again.
The gods laughed louder than before.
But suddenly—
BOOM.
A thunderbolt exploded from Zeus's hand.
The entire divine hall trembled violently.
Silence returned instantly.
Zeus stepped forward slowly.
His voice was calm now.
But terrifying.
"That's enough."
Not a single god dared speak.
Zeus turned his gaze toward the floating image of the mortal world.
"Let us choose our candidates."
Five glowing lights appeared before the representatives.
"Each representative will choose one human."
"A vassal."
"These vassals will receive a special boon from their representative."
A low murmur passed through the hall.
Zeus continued.
"But there are limits."
"Our interference must remain minimal."
"No overwhelming divine power."
"Only small advantages."
The representatives nodded.
The selection began.
Artemis chose a mortal who lived by instinct and survival.
Athena selected a brilliant strategist whose mind never stopped calculating.
Hermes chose a thief whose speed rivaled the wind.
Zeus himself selected a man burning with ambition and the desire to rule.
Finally—
It was Hephaestus' turn.
Many gods watched with amusement.
Some expecting failure.
Some not even paying attention.
The forge god quietly examined the rules Zeus had set.
Every word.
Every restriction.
Every limit.
And slowly…
He discovered something the others had overlooked.
A loophole.
A faint smile formed on his scarred face.
"Divine weapons are forbidden…"
He murmured quietly.
"But weapons themselves are not."
After all—
He was the God of Weapons.
While the other representatives granted minor blessings—
Sharper instincts.
Faster movement.
Greater intelligence.
Hephaestus gave his chosen vassal something different.
Something simple.
Something terrifying.
A weapon that would change the entire battlefield.
A gun.
Far above him, Zeus raised his hand.
Lightning tore across the heavens.
"The Gods' Game…"
"Begins now."
None of them noticed the dark smile on Hephaestus's face.
None of them saw the hatred burning in his eyes.
As the divine hall slowly faded, the forge god whispered quietly to himself.
A sinister laugh escaping his lips.
"You mocked me…"
"Called me ugly… cripple… monster…"
His voice dropped into a venomous whisper.
"I will bring the destruction you crave…"
His eyes burned with fury.
"…into your own divine halls."
"You bastards."