This was not a conventional ability, nor could it contend with the truly powerful gods.
But this unprecedented sensation of power only made Achilles's heart surge more eagerly, almost wishing to rush out right now and wreak havoc on all sides.
"No, wait a bit longer, I'm not at my limit yet."
"It won't be long, don't rush... soon, you will become one."
Struggling to hold back his thoughts, Achilles placed his hands firmly on the stone box in front of him.
The stone box trembled slightly, as if the contents within it were trying to break free and merge with the sphere of light outside.
But Achilles would not let a sword dictate his actions; a weapon was just a weapon, it would always remain in the hand of the wielder.
The burning of fire continued as the last icy currents coiled around Achilles slowly retracted into his body, shielding him.
Yet at this moment, the young hero no longer felt the searing flames around him.
These powers could no longer affect him; this was truly the unbreakable body.
With heightened nerves, Achilles secretly awaited the completion of his final transformation.
Moments later, it would be time for him to leave this furnace.
Time ticked away, bit by bit. Inside the Temple of the Sun God, Hephaestus gazed at the furnace before him.
The fire burned more fiercely, and the three-colored divine fire seemed to know that the most critical moment had arrived.
At a certain instant, when the silver chariot reached the middle of the road, the God of Craftsmanship suddenly sat upright and reached toward the furnace.
His physical arm began transforming into a state capable of touching the soul, changing its nature under the will of its master.
Yet at that very moment, Hephaestus's expression changed dramatically. He instinctively withdrew his hand, stepping back and pulling a puppet to shield himself.
Three consecutive shocks happened simultaneously, followed by a golden light rising from the furnace, instantly tearing through the barrier of flames. Continue your adventure with My Virtual Library Empire
It was as if a scorching sun rose before him, causing one to squint their eyes shut.
By the time Hephaestus regained his composure, the puppet in front of him had turned to ashes, and the mortal who was supposed to be in the furnace was now standing before him.
"You... how could this be... no, it's that sword!"
His eyes flashing, Hephaestus seemed to have seen something incredible.
A golden-red intertwined divine sword was held in hand, its purple-green crystal scabbard scattered on the ground.
An immense aura surged within the divine sword; at this moment, it felt as if a true god of the sun stood before him.
Before the God of Craftsmanship could speak, Achilles took a step forward.
The tip of the divine sword tilted backward, and the hilt struck hard against Hephaestus's chest.
With just one hit, the originally floating golden throne shattered with a roar, causing the small body to crash onto the floor of the Temple of the Sun God.
Hephaestus had not been without defense, but his efforts were futile in the face of a true high-grade artifact.
Moreover, unlike other divine artifacts, perhaps due to the fusion of the Ancient Sun God's most core authority, even though it carried a strong curse, Laevateinn had something other divine artifacts couldn't match.
And that was, in certain situations, such as when a part of oneself was very close, even the one holding it without divine power could fully wield its power.
"I hate it when someone talks to me from above, especially if that speaker is a god."
Reaching out to sweep aside the smoke, Achilles slowly moved forward.
However, seeing Hephaestus on the ground, he was somewhat surprised for a moment.
"Turns out you're a cripple—I thought you were just too disdainful to share the land with me... heh, please forgive my insolence, after all, imagining gods isn't entirely wrong."
"Where did you get that sword?"
Disregarding Achilles's disrespect, Hephaestus struggled to his feet.
For him, the touch from Achilles with the sword hilt wasn't so terrifying in itself, but upon contact with that sword, it was as if he felt the burning of the grand celestial body.
Few gods could ignore such damage, even though he himself was the god in control of volcanoes and molten lava.
"That's none of your concern, craftsman."
"In fact, I intended to test this twilight-bringing divine sword on you, but you did help me a bit and were the first to witness my rebirth."
"So I'll spare you today, but if you dare block my path again, I won't show mercy next time."
Achilles was never a person of good temper. Even in the original myth, he ruthlessly dragged the corpses of his enemies behind galloping horses out of anger.
However, Chiron's teachings still had an effect, so the young hero swept his gaze across the palace, looking at the suddenly bustling divine mountain.
Just as he left the furnace, a column of light reaching the sky shot to the stars, and the god-sword, having seen the light of day, seemed to respond to the celestial bodies in the sky.
However, the barrier covering the zodiac remained as steady as a mountain, unable to draw the sun from the sky, only causing the calm divine mountain to boil over.
"Mortal, do you know what you're doing?"
With a wave of his hand, the disintegrated throne reverted to its original form, yet Hephaestus discovered that the runes within the golden throne had turned to ashes under the sun's burning.
Having no choice, the God of Craftsmanship placed it aside and looked at the hero about to leave.
"This is Olympus; the Divine King is still here."
"I don't know how, with that sword, you were captured by Ares, but if you flee now, you might still have a slim chance."
"But if you anger the Divine King, you'll surely die."
"Give me that sword, or tell me who forged it, and I can help you leave. It's your only way out."
A smile played at the corner of Achilles's mouth, and he merely shook his head.
"The Divine King is master of the world, ruling over all from the peaks of Mount Olympus... I've long grown tired of hearing about it."
"But as I see it, he isn't that capable. Even the Sea Emperor he appointed to rule the sea can't command the ocean."
"Craftsman, since you're so skilled at forging, stick to that rather than meddling in the wars of warriors."
"Since the Divine King is not eternal but replaceable... why can't the throne revolve to me?"
The Divine King could not defy fate; thus, to conquer fate, one must not be weaker than the Divine King.
So, the young hero no longer spoke with the God of Craftsmanship but began sensing Ares's location.
Since the opponent had once sworn that only one of them could survive, he might as well fulfill that.
Perhaps he would cut off his head and witness the immortality of gods.
Following the trace, Achilles subtly turned his head.
Ares and the Goddess of Love were there, saving him some effort.
Grasping the divine sword Laevateinn, in the next moment, three spheres of light charged undivided toward this place.
However, for reasons unknown, Achilles shifted the sword, choosing only to catch the one symbolizing "Twilight."
"Come now, don't hurry."
"First, let me see your true power."
"If this is all you have, then you'd best return to the box and rest."
Holding the divine sword at an angle, he was no less harsh to his weapon.
Achilles took a step forward, aiming in the distant glow of the hidden mountain peak.
The first step in toppling Mount Olympus was naturally not to strike the Divine King.
Before facing the ultimate adversary, first destroy the mountain where the War God's temple stood.