Bab 18: Trailers Part 3
Zeus walked out of the temple, covered in water as he looked at Hades. ".... No I will not say what I faced"
Hades, noticing the water dripping off Zeus, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Oh, come on, brother. You don't even need to say anything. The soggy look speaks volumes."
Zeus shot him a glare, clearly not in the mood for teasing. "I said no. And that's final." His tone was sharp, but the slight redness in his cheeks gave away just how uncomfortable he was with whatever trial he had faced.
Poseidon, leaning against a nearby tree, snorted. "Let me guess. Something to do with water? Maybe a reminder that I'm the true ocean god, huh?"
Zeus huffed, adjusting his soaked robes. "You wish." He then turned to Hades. "And you? Have you faced your trial yet, or are you still walking around acting all high and mighty?"
Hades cracked his knuckles with a grin. "I already punched my trial in the face. It was...refreshing."
Zeus rolled his eyes, clearly not in the mood for Hades' cocky attitude. "Of course you did. I swear, if anyone can breeze through these things, it's you."
Before Hades could respond with another quip, Skadi entered the scene, arms crossed and a smirk of her own. "Tch, sounds like you boys had a rough time. Zeus, you look like a drowned rat. And Poseidon, don't think I didn't hear about what you went through. You really should've aimed better."
Poseidon grimaced at the reminder, but Skadi wasn't done. She narrowed her eyes at Zeus. "Let me guess, your trial involved some deep-seated jealousy about Hades being better than you at pretty much everything?"
Zeus clenched his fists, clearly on the verge of snapping. "That's enough from you, Skadi."
But she wasn't backing down. "You gods and your fragile egos. Honestly, it's pathetic." She rolled her eyes before turning her attention to the temple. "I guess it's my turn next, huh? Let's see what this so-called 'trial' has in store for me."
As Skadi marched toward the entrance, her confidence radiating, Poseidon glanced at Hades. "She's really something, isn't she?"
Hades nodded with a chuckle. "She sure knows how to push all the right buttons."
Zeus, still dripping and clearly irritated, muttered under his breath, "I hope her trial gives her a taste of her own medicine."
Poseidon and Hades exchanged glances, their brother's bitterness all too obvious. Hades finally spoke up, his tone softer than before. "Zeus, let it go. We're all going through this together, but it's not a competition. Not anymore."
Zeus sighed heavily, wiping water from his face. "I know. It's just...these trials bring out the worst in us, don't they?"
"Maybe," Poseidon replied, "or maybe they're just showing us what we've been ignoring all this time."
Zeus said nothing, merely staring at the temple entrance where Skadi had disappeared. Despite everything, he knew they all had their demons to face, and no amount of power or title could shield them from their own insecurities.
"Let's just get through this," Zeus finally said, his voice calmer. "No more games, no more rivalry. We're in this together."
Hades smiled, glad to hear his brother say those words. "Agreed. Let's see what Tezcatlipoca has waiting for us next."
With that, the three gods stood side by side, waiting for whatever challenge lay ahead. The trials were far from over, and they knew that unity, not competition, would be the key to surviving them.
Back in the temple, Hestia was making her way through her trial, raising an eyebrow as she saw a twisted version of herself, drenched in blood, talking with joy about killing and destruction.
"Face it, Hestia, you're not just the goddess of family. You're the goddess of war," the figure sneered. "Next to Hades, you're the second strongest. You crave battle just like he does."
Hestia, already at 110% done with it, barely even blinked. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, little shit."
The voice seemed taken aback, trying to recover. "You enjoy the thrill of battle. You'll kill anyone who hurts your family. It's in your blood. You're no better than any of us—"
The voice was cut off by Hestia, who couldn't be more unimpressed. "Yeah, yeah, I enjoy the thrill of fighting. Killing? Nope, but I'll do it if I have to. I spent long enough in Cronus' stomach protecting my siblings, so maybe I do have some anger. What of it?"
Hestia's hair blazed up in fiery yellow, an aura of heat pulsing around her. "So, yeah, I act like a goddess of war when it's needed. Brutality is effective, and I don't have a problem with that." Her eyes glinted with fierce resolve. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect my family, but that doesn't mean I'll lose myself to bloodlust."
The twisted reflection of Hestia stared at her, dumbfounded. It was clear the trial wasn't expecting such an unwavering response. "So, this is where all the emotional maturity in your family went," the figure muttered. "You and Hades are the only ones who know who you really are."
Hestia crossed her arms, looking completely bored. "Congratulations, you figured it out. Now, are we done here?"
The reflection tried to regain its composure, taking one last jab. "You may act all righteous now, but when the time comes, you'll relish the fight. You'll enjoy every moment of it—"
Hestia's fiery aura flared, cutting the reflection off mid-sentence. "I've already told you: I know who I am. I'll fight when necessary, but I don't live for it. Now get out of my way before I burn this entire temple to the ground."
The reflection faltered, then began to dissolve into ash as Hestia's flames engulfed the room. The temple started to shake as her power surged, the stone walls cracking under the pressure.
With one final wave of her hand, Hestia sent the remnants of the reflection scattering into the air. "You're boring me now," she said, walking through the flames that licked harmlessly at her heels.
Outside the temple, the other gods were waiting, clearly finished with their own trials. Zeus, dripping with water, looked at Hades and Poseidon, trying to avoid eye contact.
Hades noticed her first. "Looks like you handled your trial pretty well, sis."
Hestia shrugged, wiping some soot from her shoulder. "It wasn't anything I haven't already faced. A bit of fire and fury, nothing I can't handle."
Poseidon glanced at her with mild concern. "What was yours about?"
"Basically, someone tried to tell me I'm secretly a bloodthirsty killer," Hestia said, completely unbothered. "Like I haven't heard that one before."
Poseidon looked relieved. "Oh, well... mine had something to do with Skadi… I don't want to think about it," he muttered, avoiding eye contact with everyone.
Hades just snorted. "Figures."
Zeus, dripping wet and visibly irritated, emerged from his own temple trial and grumbled, "... No, I will not say what I faced."
Hades raised an eyebrow. "Oh, come on, it couldn't have been that bad."
Zeus just glared at him. "Shut up."
Hestia smirked and teased him lightly. "Let me guess, something about being jealous of Hades?"
Zeus shot her a look. "I said, shut up."
Hestia chuckled and brushed it off. "Alright, alright. We all survived our trials, that's what matters. Let's just get this over with."
Meanwhile, Tezcatlipoca was watching from afar, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "So, this is where all the emotional maturity in your family went, huh? You and Hades really do carry the weight of the group."
Hestia shot him a glance. "Someone has to. Now, are we done here? I'm ready to move on."
Tezcatlipoca grinned. "Not bad, goddess of family. But there's still more ahead. Let's see if you can keep that fire burning through the rest of the trials."
Hestia smirked and cracked her knuckles, the flames around her flaring up once more. "Oh, I'm just getting started."
Hades conjured something from the void and tossed it toward Hestia. "Here you go, sis."
Hestia caught the object with ease, raising an eyebrow as she inspected it. "What is this?"
Hades grinned, leaning against a temple pillar. "Sunglasses. Just made 'em on the spot. Thought they'd suit you."
Hestia, intrigued, slid the sunglasses on and adjusted them. As soon as they settled, a wide grin spread across her face. "This is gonna be really popular in the future... Maybe," she said, striking a pose, "but I love it."
Hades chuckled, the sight reminding him of a future he recalled. In that, Hestia had developed a deep affection for mortal inventions, especially motorcycles and anything stylish, like sunglasses.
Poseidon glanced over, raising an eyebrow. "Sunglasses? Really?"
Hades shrugged. "Hey, it suits her. You'll see. Just wait until she finds motorcycles."
Hestia, already loving the sunglasses, gave Poseidon a playful wink. "Don't knock it until you try it. Besides, Hades is right. Mortal stuff is way more fun than people give it credit for."
Tezcatlipoca, watching from a distance, smirked at their exchange. "Looks like the goddess of family has a little more flair than we thought. Very well, let's see how long you can hold onto that style through the rest of these trials."
Hestia, still adjusting the sunglasses, grinned confidently. "Oh, don't worry. I'll look good no matter what comes next."
In the temple, Demeter stood in silence, waiting for her trial to begin. She looked around, somewhat tense, mentally preparing herself for whatever challenge might come.
Suddenly, a disembodied voice echoed through the temple, sounding confused. "Uh... well, this is awkward... I got nothing for you."
Demeter blinked, her eyes widening in surprise. "What?"
The voice hesitated, clearly caught off guard. "Yeah, I mean, I had something planned, but... it doesn't seem relevant anymore? You're... well, you're just here, and I've got nothing. No emotional turmoil or deep-seated trauma, just... a goddess who loves her work."
Demeter stood there, dumbfounded, her hand on her hip. "So... what now? I came here for a trial, and you don't even have one for me?"
The voice cleared its throat. "Look, we're not all perfect, okay? I'll figure something out next time. Just, uh... consider this a freebie?"
Demeter crossed her arms and smirked. "So I passed by default, is that what you're saying?"
"Essentially, yes."
With an amused chuckle, she shrugged. "Well, that was easier than I expected. Guess I'll just go back to the others, then."
As she turned to leave, the voice muttered, "Seriously, how did I miss this one...?"
The voice, now trying to salvage the situation, chimed in once more. "Ah, how about this: what if you have a daughter in the future and you love her very much, but you don't want to let her go? She falls in love with a man and wants to leave you. What will you do?"
Demeter blinked, then sighed, clearly unimpressed. "Hades and I already had this conversation. And as he said—and I agreed—I can't always protect her. If the man she loves is someone nice and powerful, I'll allow it."
There was a long pause before the voice groaned in defeat. "Seriously? You've already covered this? I was banking on some emotional conflict here!"
Demeter shrugged nonchalantly. "What can I say? I'm a goddess of harvest, not drama. We gods plan for the future, and we talk about these things." She smiled, proud of her maturity.
The voice, now fully deflated, muttered, "Well, this is awkward... guess you passed this trial too."
With a soft laugh, Demeter waved it off. "Better luck next time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be joining the others."
As she walked out, the voice mumbled, "Why is she so reasonable...?"
Demeter walked out of the temple, feeling rather calm after her trial. As she stepped outside, she was greeted by Tezcatlipoca, who raised an eyebrow at her.
"You know," Tezcatlipoca remarked with a slightly amused tone, "people like you make this whole 'temple trials' thing harder than it needs to be. You, your sister Hestia, and your brother Hades... you three have way too much sense for gods."
Demeter chuckled softly, folding her arms. "What can I say? We're used to chaos. After being swallowed by Cronus, you'd think we'd break, but we've learned to keep it together."
Tezcatlipoca smirked. "It's not that you're just calm—it's that you're... annoyingly reasonable. Most gods are more entertaining during their trials."
Demeter shot him a look of mock offense. "Entertaining? You sound like you enjoy watching gods lose their heads."
Tezcatlipoca laughed. "Oh, you'd be surprised. There's a certain charm to seeing gods wrestle with their insecurities. Makes them feel more... human."
Demeter shrugged, smiling. "Well, if you're expecting a breakdown, you won't get one from me. We've already faced worse."
Tezcatlipoca nodded, a slight grin tugging at his lips. "I suppose you gods of Olympus really are a tough bunch." He paused, then added with a playful tone, "But next time, can you at least pretend to struggle? Makes my job more fun."
Demeter gave a mock sigh. "No promises. You'll have to talk to Zeus or Poseidon for that sort of thing."
Tezcatlipoca chuckled and waved her off as she walked past, ready to rejoin the others.
Maits just blinked she had to clean hee hears. "Why do you even ask that"
"Answer the damm quest Sea Nymph"
Maits smacked her head, with whe pawm. "Why fucking yes I am in love with hades, can you blame me he is handosm and I knew him sense we were 10, so why yes I do like him"
"So you do want to marry him, not Zeus?"
Maits blinked. "First of all yes I do better then hades marrying one of his system, and... Zeus... I barely know even when traing in Asgard we just say hi or hello we are more hey we know of Eachother and that is it".
"Ok, also you will find the incest normal thing with god, also Daja vu I feel like I had this conversation with someone else before you".
Maits just shook her head at the absurdity of the situation. "You know, for a trial meant to test me, this is just turning into a weird interrogation about my love life."
The voice chuckled. "It's a trial of truth, Sea Nymph. Sometimes the truth lies in the heart, not just in battles or struggles. Now, don't dodge the question—if Hades proposed, would you say yes?"
Maits crossed her arms, her face slightly flushed. "If he asked? Well, why not? He's kind, powerful, and unlike most gods, he actually listens. But I swear, if you're just setting me up for some twisted test—"
The voice interrupted, amused. "Relax. No tricks. It's just... refreshing to hear gods not drowning in complicated love triangles. And as for Zeus? Good to know you're not interested. Can't blame you there."
Maits narrowed her eyes. "What is this trial even about? My love life or—"
"Truth, Sea Nymph. This trial is about truth. The truth about yourself, about your desires, your relationships." The voice sighed, almost as if bored. "And you passed. Honestly, that was easier than I expected. Maybe the next trial will have more drama..."
Maits smirked and shook her head again, muttering under her breath, "Gods, this trial was ridiculous."
As she began to leave the temple, the voice echoed one final time. "Oh, and if you marry Hades, make sure to invite me to the wedding. I'll bring the chaos."
Maits rolled her eyes and exited, muttering, "Chaos gods and their drama..."
Outside the temple, Tezcatlipoca gave her a nod, his arms crossed. "You handled that better than most. I expected more... fireworks."
Maits looked at him, still annoyed. "What is it with gods and prying into personal lives?"
Tezcatlipoca shrugged. "It's what keeps things entertaining. Besides, it's not like your family is drama-free." He gave her a wink, as if implying that the real fun had yet to begin.
Maits sighed and walked past him, thinking about how crazy things were bound to get, especially with a god of chaos overseeing everything.
Tezcatlipoca then looked at her. "Oh will you look at that"
Maits stopped and looked at him. "I am getting a bad feeling about this"
Tezcatlipoca then looked at Hestia, Poseidon, Hades, Zeus, Demeter and Skadi. "Everyone look at this, your see Nymph firend has become a Goddess of wisedome"
Maits just blinked. "... Huh?"
Tezcatlipoca smirked, watching the confusion spread across Maits' face. "Yes, you heard me right. Your trial has unlocked a new domain for you: Goddess of Wisdom."
Maits blinked several times, completely caught off guard. "Wait... what? Since when?"
Tezcatlipoca chuckled. "Since you passed your trial with such honesty and clarity, without the usual theatrics. It seems the fates had more in store for you than just being a sea nymph."
Hestia raised an eyebrow, adjusting her sunglasses. "Well, that's unexpected. Wisdom, huh? I like it. Suits you."
Poseidon gave a small smile. "Makes sense, you've always been the voice of reason among us."
Hades nodded, clearly impressed. "Wisdom is a powerful domain. Congratulations, Maits."
Zeus, who was still dripping from his own trial, simply shrugged. "Great, another to outshine me. Just what I needed."
Skadi crossed her arms, trying to hide her amusement. "I suppose it's better than some of the other possible domains."
Maits, still in shock, turned to Tezcatlipoca. "But... I didn't do anything special. I just answered a question about my feelings."
Tezcatlipoca grinned mischievously. "Wisdom isn't always about grand gestures or deep philosophical debates. Sometimes, it's just about knowing yourself and the truth. You passed the trial because you were honest and didn't try to hide behind illusions. That's what wisdom truly is."
Maits rubbed her temples, trying to process it all. "So... I'm a goddess now?"
Tezcatlipoca clapped his hands, clearly enjoying the situation. "Indeed! Goddess of Wisdom! Welcome to the club, my dear."
Maits groaned. "Great, just what I needed. More responsibilities."
Hades laughed softly. "You'll get used to it. Being a god comes with its perks."
Tezcatlipoca smirked. "And now you get to deal with all the other gods looking to you for answers. Doesn't that sound fun?"
Maits shot him a glare. "I take back what I said about this trial being easy."
The group chuckled, and Hades placed a hand on her shoulder. "You'll be fine. If anything, this just proves you're more capable than you realize."
Maits sighed. "I guess I'll have to figure out what being a 'Goddess of Wisdom' actually means."
Tezcatlipoca gave her a teasing smile. "Oh, don't worry. You'll have plenty of time to figure it out... and plenty of people to advise."
Maits rolled her eyes. "Just what I needed. Divine wisdom consultations. Fantastic."
To be continued
Hope people like this Ch and give me power stones
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
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