Athena hastily put down the twelve-sided die in her hand and supported the sweat-drenched Luo En to his seat, with a gathering gloom on her face, "It seems this object has already fused with you, and there's no way to forcibly remove it."
Luo En nodded, a vague guess forming in his heart.
He was, after all, a variable outside of destiny, not accommodated by this world. Yet it was precisely because this twelve-sided die, embodying [possibility], resided within him that his existence was sustained.
If it were forcibly stripped away, he feared he would meet his demise.
"Forced separation is not possible; we have to try another method." Athena pondered for a moment before providing an answer, "If you can become the Chief God and your soul reaches the level of [immortality], perhaps you won't be restricted by this object, and may even be able to take control of this divinity for yourself."
"Hecate won't give me that opportunity," Luo En shook his head, feeling quite helpless, "As soon as I complete the collection of the twelve divinities and steal some of the fate of Olympus for my ascension to Chief God, Hecate will definitely make her move against me."
"What about taking a different path?"
"I've tried, but the Medicine God's elixir of immortality is just an idea, and who knows how long it would take to complete. Given the current speed of collecting divinity, I fear I would reach maturity far too soon to wait."
Luo En sighed, frustrated by his less than optimistic situation.
Although he tried hard to avoid the task of collecting divinity, both the inevitable thread of fate and the occasional possibility were unintentionally pushing him forward.
It was like his encounter with Hera—absurdly throwing open the doors to the absurd, the very epitome of absurdity.
So, he suspected that even if he intentionally avoided it, he would eventually interact with Zeus and Hephaestus due to some event.
As strategies were eliminated one by one, Athena's eyes narrowed slightly, her face reflecting a faint chill.
"Then, let's just work out a way to get rid of that woman?"
If the problem can't be solved, getting rid of the person causing the problem is also an approach.
Luo En, noticing Athena's decidedly ill-intentioned expression, softened his gaze but asked bluntly.
"Can you win against her?"
"Haven't tried, can't say."
"What about if we add the God of Sleep and the God of Death?"
"It would be very difficult..."
"How about The Three Fates and Zeus?"
Athena, catching the undertone, turned to look at Luo En in surprise.
"Are you saying if I move against Hecate, they might all intervene?"
Luo En shrugged, further explaining the situation he and the Underworld King had learned in the Dream of Truth to Athena.
"I think I understand. She is the key to completing the fusion of divinity, in charge of keeping those dangerous Old Gods asleep, so once she's in trouble, The Three Fates and Zeus will probably intervene."
"Exactly, that's the situation."
"Is there a way to extract her trump card and control the Dream of Truth ourselves?"
"It's a good idea. The Underworld King and I have tried, but we can't find the core of that dream world at all."
"You and the Underworld King?"
Athena furrowed her brows slightly, then her gaze sharpened as she spoke in earnest,
"Tell me again about your experiences entering the dream world, with no detail left out."
Seeing Athena possibly onto something, Luo En immediately recounted the entire sequence of events truthfully.
After listening, Athena supported her chin with one hand, murmuring to herself,
"That doesn't make sense; with your power, it's understandable if you didn't find it after only one visit. But as the Lord of the Netherworld, Hades has been there so many times without a trace of the core in the dream world. Don't you find that too peculiar?"
"Yeah, it's a bit strange."
Reminded by Athena, Luo En also thought of other doubts and muttered quietly,
"Moreover, our infiltration seemed too easy, as if Hecate isn't worried at all about someone breaking into the dream world and uncovering her secrets."
"Is it possible that her trump card isn't there at all?"
"If it's not there once, that's one thing, but every time?"
In a moment of revelation, they heard that word, their minds flashed, they looked at each other, and in unison, they spoke the answer,
Right, the core that controls the Dream of Truth was neither in the Elysian Fields nor within the Dream itself, but carried by Hecate.
To be precise, it was likely Hecate herself!
As the answer escaped their lips, Luo En experienced a moment of clarity.
"Possibility! The continuation of dreams is a form of possibility! Only with Hecate herself as the core could she sustain such an immense and orderly Dream of Truth!"
"[Night] is the mother of dreams, and [The Path] will guide the direction of the dream, letting the sleepers know when to awaken!"
Athena, unraveling the mystery alongside Luo En, also recited the related records.
With a torrent of familiarity surging within them, they exchanged smiles, as if transported back to their initial encounter at the little stall in front of Knossos City.
It was a chance meeting about solving riddles and the beginning of their association.
After that, it was all about mutual support and doing everything possible for the survival of Crete Island.
But as they arrived in Athens, the external pressures they used to face together dissipated, and with differing thoughts of their own, their once close relationship had become somewhat distant due to the erosion of time.
Now, their candidness with each other had broken down the barriers that piled up, allowing them to recapture the sense of collaboration they had shared in the past.