"Enough, you shut up."
Aphrodite spoke coldly as she walked quickly inward. Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire
She had been here before, more than once.
Soon, in the depths of the temple, she and Ares saw the presence of Hephaestus.
"So, you encountered a mortal with an undying body?"
Even in his own palace, perhaps foreseeing the visitors, Hephaestus's true form remained hidden.
The high golden throne lifted him up, just slightly taller than Ares.
"Yes, as you can see, he struck me with a sword."
Without hiding her injuries, Aphrodite knew that although she was always 'beautiful' as the Goddess of Beauty, perhaps in Hephaestus's eyes, she was 'most beautiful' at that moment.
"Hmm... I understand."
Sure enough, Aphrodite saw a fleeting look of amazement in the God of Craftsmanship's eyes, indicating her request was settled.
After a brief thought, Hephaestus slightly raised his hand, signaling an attendant to fetch a large golden net from the storeroom.
The net shimmered, looking extremely magnificent.
But for some reason, Ares felt an inexplicable sense of aversion the moment he saw it.
"As you can see, it's a net."
Hephaestus spoke plainly, "Even if you fall into this net, it won't be easy to escape, even if you're on Mount of the Gods."
"Hah, how could I fall into the net."
Startled, Ares acted disdainful.
He thought he found the reason for his aversion to the net, as it could pose a threat to him. A real masterpiece of casting... Yet, Ares didn't know he had a deeper connection to the golden net than he realized.
In the original myth, Ares wasn't Aphrodite's husband; on the contrary, it was Hephaestus.
Nonetheless, they still ended up together.
So, to catch them in the act, the God of Craftsmanship made this great net to trap the naked Goddess of Beauty and War God, then summoned all the deities of Mount Olympus to witness—it would be hard for ordinary people to understand his mindset.
"With this, even an unbreakable body is useless."
"Because you don't need to kill him, just trap him."
"An unbreakable body isn't an invincible force; it's not as challenging to handle as imagined. A bit of strategic thinking can offer many solutions."
Still gazing at Aphrodite, Hephaestus introduced his divine artifact.
But just as Ares moved to take it, he withdrew his hand.
Facing the War God's query, Hephaestus looked puzzled.
"You're not planning to take my possession for free, are you? Indeed, I need to do something about Athens, as the Heavenly Empress instructed, but it doesn't mean I should handle the mess you've left."
Interrupting Ares once more, Aphrodite smiled slightly, making the entire temple bloom with flowers.
"So, Hephaestus, what do you want?"
He spoke calmly, then continued as Ares's face turned furious.
"I want you to be my 'model.'"
"I mean, I want to make a figure based on your likeness."
A hint of obsession flashed in his eyes, as Hephaestus slowly said, "People only know perfection as art but are unaware that imperfection also holds beauty. And the right degree of imperfection is the beauty within beauty."
"Previously, I only had the idea but didn't know how to express it until today when I saw you, esteemed Goddess of Beauty."
"You, as you are now, are the true beauty."
Involuntarily straightening up, the short God of Craftsmanship's eyes shone brightly.
"I want to create a life-size figure of you, with only slight modifications—of course, I promise you, unless the Mount of the Gods collapses and the divine court no longer stands, I will never let it reach the outside world."
"It will be the pinnacle of art... As for her name, I'm thinking of naming her 'The Broken-armed Aphrodite.'"