Seeing the situation was unfavorable, Zeus, with a numb scalp, decisively picked up the previously discarded proposal and shouted loudly.
"Let's talk peace first! Everyone, pick up your weapons and prepare for battle! Everything, for Olympus!"
During this time, he did not forget to bring up the name of righteousness to inspire his troops before the battle.
However, there was silence behind him, with no one responding.
He subconsciously turned his head and was shocked to see that the ruins where the defectors had gathered were now completely deserted.
After a brief silence, an angry curse echoed through the sky.
Meanwhile, in a cave somewhere on Olympus.
The rebellious gods sat collapsed together, breathing heavily with lingering fear.
After the great battle with Zeus's forces, they were all injured, some even showing faint signs of damage to their divinity, putting them at a complete disadvantage and in need of a long period of recovery to fully restore themselves.
An unexpected self-destruction by one fellow was also shockingly powerful, not only severely injuring Zeus and three Hundred-Handed Giants but nearly killing them on the spot.
If it weren't for the fact that their opponent had some conscience, saving both Hera and Athena in the process and giving them a heads-up to evacuate through a handshake gesture, they would probably have been buried under the rocks by now.
Although the rocks and magma wouldn't have been enough to do much to them, the Titans and the Typhon Demon Army that were next to appear on stage could have been a different story.
The thought of the overwhelming, locust-like swathes of terrifying specters atop Mount Olympus made Apollo uneasy.
Fortunately, they weren't coming for them...
"How is my sister? Is she alright?"
Apollo, whose mood had slightly calmed, looked across.
"Don't worry, she just fainted."
Athena spoke indifferently, casually setting down Artemis, whose back of the head was swollen, from her shoulder.
Because she hadn't been informed immediately of the message Luo En had passed on, the Goddess of the Hunt, upon seeing her lover self-destruct, immediately exploded in rage, almost wanting to fight Zeus on the spot.
Fortunately, Athena was quick enough to knock Artemis unconscious and take her away while she was off guard.
Of course, while this action was meant well, the swelling on the back of Artemis's head suggested there might be some personal grievances involved.
Relieved that his sister was not in grave danger, Apollo visibly relaxed and turned once again to the team's strategist.
"So, what should we do next?"
Zeus's strength was far beyond their imagination, and that bizarre "divinity" always unexpectedly backstabbed them, making their efforts fall short.
In addition, the Titans and the Typhon Demon Army, who should have been jailed in Tartarus Hell, also joined the fray, making the situation even more confusing.
With the recent upheavals overwhelming him, Apollo could only ask Athena for advice.
After a moment of thought, Athena suggested solemnly.
"Now, with Titans and Typhon's Ethereals swarming outside, we'd be sitting ducks if we went out. Since everyone is severely injured, let's rest for three days and focus on healing."
"But the mountain..."
"Don't worry, he is the 'divine king' of 'Destiny.' Even our combined strength could not pull him down from his throne. Those Ethereals, just beginning to regain some awareness, won't easily change the world."
Athena spoke calmly, her words tinged with a hint of mockery.
"Besides, that's his Olympus, defending his own throne is what he should do. We'd better take care of ourselves first."
Apollo nodded, suppressing the slight sense of duty stirring within him.
Right, heal first. Once stable and slightly recovered, we can deal with this turmoil more effectively.
Satisfied, the gods nodded to each other in agreement, each finding a quiet place to dedicate their time to self-healing and recovery.
However, after the recent upheavals, the atmosphere in the cave was somewhat oppressive.
Seeing this, Hephaestus in the corner cleared his throat softly.
"Actually, about Luo En..."
"Hephaestus, everyone's not in a good mood right now, let's not talk about that," Athena quickly interjected, advising her friend, who, being the compliant God of Craftsmanship, reluctantly swallowed the rest of his words.
Yet, he soon raised his hand again, hesitatingly speak.
"I have something else to say."
Without waiting for Athena to object, Apollo, who had opened his eyes, took the opportunity to ask.
Hephaestus looked around the corner, his gaze sweeping over Athena, Hera, Apollo, Artemis, and Aphrodite in turn, before speaking faintly.
"Have we forgotten someone?"
In an eerie silence, the gods looked at each other, perplexed.
Meanwhile, on the summit.
Struggling to reconstitute his body, Poseidon crawled out of the rubble of the leveled Olympus, and seeing the dense array of Typhon's Demon Army and Titans in the sky, his brain momentarily froze.
Teammates? Where are my teammates? This isn't right!
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
However, before he could ponder too long, a series of thunderbolts exploded around him, attracting the Ethereals who looked at the Sea King with menacing and harsh eyes.
Seeing the familiar figure darting into the clouds above, Poseidon's face, pale from excessive blood loss, quickly darkened to a sooty black, and his furious roar echoed through the sky.