The area we walked into after spending several minutes exploring the gallery and learning about the Olympians was a grand hallway. It was perhaps the grandest hallway I had ever seen, even in the memories of my servants and worshippers.

The space we were in must have been dozens of feet wide. And it was taller than it was wide, so even when I looked straight upwards I couldn't see a ceiling above me. The walls that surrounded us were decorated with colorful tapestries.

Each of the tapestries depicted Athena, in all sorts of distinct artistic styles. The tapestries hung in the air and the aura they radiated revealed the nature of their suspension as being magical in origin.

The colorful tapestries were oddly back-lit as if some strange force desired for them to be seen. Little else was illuminated in the hallway, and though I could see through much of it some of my followers couldn't. They were quiet though and didn't complain.

I stood just beyond the entrance to this place that we used to get here from the gallery. I was squarely in the middle of the hallway, and I allowed my senses to take in this eerie, empty place.

Aside from Casis my followers spread out and examined different tapestries, idly commenting on them, while they waited for me to coax the dungeon into more conversation.

I don't know what'll happen next. But in all honesty, there's only one path forward isn't there? And this path happens to be the path that leads to me gaining more knowledge anyway. I figured, after a few moments of contemplation. My second thought was more about reminding me what I'd gain from this little adventure.

I suppose I should begin to move us towards and down that path, shouldn't I? I thought, a slight smile on my face.

After a few minutes of silence, wherein my party was free to idly examine expertly made artwork, I responded to the dungeon, finally answering its question from earlier.

[Hello. Yes, I am.] I told it, quite simply and honestly. And then the ground at my feet and the feet of my party began to rumble, shaking unsteadily beneath us.

The rumbling continued for a few seconds. The vibrations of the ground unsettled and surprised my party who reacted to it by crouching close to the ground and digging their feet and fingers into the floor beneath them or taking to the air and thus leaving the ground altogether. It was an odd sight, especially since I was unbothered by the swaying and rotations of the ground beneath us.

The ground at our feet vibrated for just under half a minute before ceasing as suddenly as it began. And then the dungeon began to speak again.

[Hello Althos. Welcome to the Parthenon. You are now truly in the ancient home of the long-deceased goddess Athena.] The dungeon informed me, its tone wistful even in the eerie mechanical accent it possessed.

[Thank you for your... hospitality.] I responded, attempting to be polite and civil while speaking with the dungeon. I heard a faint chuckle emanate from around me as if the dungeon itself were physically chuckling at my attempted politeness.

[You are most welcome, newborn deity.] The dungeon responded, also speaking politely. I cringed at being called that, but I quickly opted not to respond. Patience is key. I told myself, holding back the urge I felt to reply and correct the dungeon.

[This ancient temple is the true form of an echo that yet exists in the world of Athena's birth and life, the planet known as Earth. And here, Athena's power and the devotion of those who swore themselves to her remain ever-present.] The dungeon revealed, its voice soft and distant as if it were recalling far off friends.

And in the wake of its words, the hallway we found ourselves in was suddenly illuminated by intensely bright natural light, as if we were standing in a field in the middle of a clear day. My followers who hadn't been able to see much beyond the illuminated tapestries took a second to visually explore their surroundings once they realized they could see the entirety of our surroundings, while I readied myself to respond to the dungeon.

[Why am I here?] I asked the dungeon, directly but also softly. My voice was quiet as I wondered why I had come to this place.

[We've told you already. You've come here in pursuit of an opportunity. An opportunity to learn.] The dungeon told me, cryptically.

[Okay... what have I come to learn?] I asked, taking a second mid-thought to formulate the ending of what was simultaneously my question and my response to the dungeon.

[You have come here to learn about the past. About the ways of the gods of old. Or... at least the ways of the Olympians. And those ways will be useful to you.] The dungeon told me, hesitating for perhaps the first time since I met it as it said its last sentence.

[I know this. I'm gonna need you to be... a bit more specific.] I told the thing, as ready to hear whatever I was about to hear next.

[Our scan of you revealed something to us. It revealed your enemies. Or at least the ones you are aware of. You cannot defeat them as you are.] The dungeon informed me, causing my eyes to grow wide with shock. I was quiet for a few moments before I gathered my wits about me and responded.

[What do mean I can't defeat my enemies as I am?] I questioned, feeling my pride take a slight blow.

[I defeated Paimon. He was rendered powerless and knocked out of commission. Even now some devils are fleeing his city. Because he was beaten.] I said, aware of the slight defensiveness edging into my voice.

[Paimon isn't your only enemy. But more than that, Paimon is not a foe you can defeat in your present state. At least not permanently. Even if you became an arch-devil, that alone may not be enough to defeat him.] There was an edge of urgency creeping into the dungeon's voice.

[Wait, now you've caused me to have more questions than answers. What do you mean Paimon isn't my only enemy?] I asked, curiosity seeping into my voice. The dungeon sighed.

[We are contained here. We have no way of knowing who is responsible for Paimon's... descent into neutrality and away from lawfulness. But a creature like Paimon doesn't veer away from lawfulness for no reason. Nor does he do it alone. If Paimon's goals are in fact to cease being a devil and become a fear-monger than something powerful and thus far unseen is at least partially responsible for that choice.] The dungeon quietly revealed to me, opening my eyes to the possibility that there were greater, more dangerous forces at work in Infernius than myself or Paimon, a possibility I had only remotely considered in moments of idle thoughts, and not as a serious fear to consider. Until now.

And for a moment I was paralyzed by indecision.

So... a hidden foe, even stronger than Paimon is likely to be lurking in the distance? Paimon, a foe whose mind was beyond my touch, whose memories rebuffed me? And even if I ascend and gain the powers of an archdevil, would that be enough to defeat him?

What can I do to put an end to him, and to learn whether or not he did this alone? What must I do? My thoughts threatened to consume me before the voice of the dungeon roused me from what might have become a downward spiral of uncertainty.

[Althos! You being here means that there is a chance. A chance for you to become something more. If you'll trust us.] The dungeon suggested, its voice ominous. I was quiet and waited for it to expand on its thoughts.

[Paimon is a potent foe. He possesses strange powers and hitherto mysterious connections to creatures that are not devils. You saw what you suspect is an angel in his presence when you first met him. You know for a fact that some giants have served him, at least in the past. Paimon is not a threat to your life, but he may well be a link in a longer, darker, chain of entities. You must gain the power to open his mind and explore what unknown secrets lie hidden within it.] The dungeon explained, revealing little to me I didn't already know.

[And if you wish to gain more power, then you must cement your connection to key places in your life. You must do what Athena did: you must create holy sites.] The dungeon informed me, now revealing something new. I considered this for a second, curiosity infusing me before I asked a question to another source of knowledge.

I sent an old friend a mental message. [Hey M.A., what is a holy site?] I asked while looking at my servants.

They were studying the tapestries and wandering down the hallway. Their travel was slow but not non-existent. I began to follow them, with Casis beside me. The two of us were walking quite leisurely while M.A. readied an answer for me. When she responded, a minute or so after I asked her the question, I was quite interested to see what she had uncovered for me.

[Hello Althos. A holy site is a place of special significance to a deity, so much so that it has been marked by that deity as a place where divine power seeps into it and alters it in ways that synchronize well with that deity's domains, subdomains, and personality. Common holy sites included the places of a deity's birth, the center of their worship, or the places of the births of their children. At the moment you can only make holy sites in the world of your birth, and only from places that weren't once holy sites of other gods or higher beings. That may change as you gain power.] She informed me, her voice pleasant to hear.

I smiled, internally, and readied another question. It took me a matter of moments to do so, all while Casis casually examined our surroundings. In the distance, I could see the exit out of this hallway. The next chamber over seemed to be centered around a statue, a beautiful, platinum statue.

[If I were to create a holy site, what would it be like? What sort of an effect would it have on the site itself?] I wondered, intrigued by the possibility of doing such a thing. This time M.A.'s answer was almost immediate.

[If you were to create a holy site, as it stands right now the site would be one with a nature motif. Even if you made it in a city or other sort of urban environment, the holy site and its immediate surroundings would quickly be filled with vibrant, awoken plant and fungal life devoted to you. And animals would gather there and be devoted to you, though only a quarter of them would be awoken.] She revealed happiness in her voice. I wondered if she was happy at the thought of what she was revealing before she began to speak again.

[Plants, fungi, and animals would slowly accumulate experience until they could evolve. And when they evolved they'd gain classes. Some of them would become clerics of yours, others would become monks or dark-knights. They'd also gain natural abilities that allow them to influence minds, memories, and alignments. These abilities would include power over senses and the usage of their own, significantly weaker, mind-affecting spores.] She said, happiness edging into her voice at the thought of more minions falling under my influence.

As she explained all of this I felt myself beginning to want it. I felt myself beginning to want what I was being told about. Holy sites sound... tempting. I thought, a grin on my face. And then I turned my attention back towards the dungeon.

[Do you know what it takes to make a place into a holy site?] I asked the strange voice that had led me here in the first place. I was met with silence, a silence that lasted a few moments before the same voice from before shattered it.

[Yes we do. It is no small feat, but the act of transforming a site into a holy place, at least for settled places like the forest of your birth, requires the performance of a miracle. And before you ask, a miracle is anything considered miraculous by the people who inhabit the place you seek to transform into a holy site. That is the first step in the creation of a holy site.] The dungeon told me, giving me a second to absorb that information. I stood in quiet contemplation of that before the dungeon continued onwards, evidently ready and eager to help me learn.

[Once something that is recognized as a miracle by the people who live in or around the holy site has been performed the inhabitants of the place may convert to your worship. They'll be presented with a choice to do so via the system, and if enough accept, usually over half of those asked, you'll be asked if you'd like to desecrate the place since you're an evil god. If you say yes you would, the place becomes a holy site, and your energy will infuse it, becoming a part of the creatures living around the site and any future creatures born nearby.] I learned, thanks to the dungeon's excited message.

So that's what it takes huh? I questioned, surprised at how straightforward it sounded.

[That's not as bad as I was expecting.] I confessed, thinking there'd be more to it than that.

As my allies and myself drew closer and closer to the edge of the hallway, even they began to be able to glimpse the empty doorway. And I heard a number of idle remarks about it.

"There's something... shiny, in front of us isn't there?" Tristan asked, her third eye focused on it but the statue's gleaming made it difficult for her to make out precisely what it was.

"How pretty..." Hagitha remarked, her voice uncharacteristically quiet.

"I wonder if there's something I could stab up ahead..." Salifinos muttered, his voice quiet. His eyes were starring straight ahead, coldly. His tail spun around and around as if it were possessed by a creature with a mind far wilder than Salifinos' own was. The other imps all began to cackle wildly at that.

"I can sense something precious ahead of us." Lisabeth said, goosebumps popping into view on her arms and neck. Her eyes were thin slits as she starred in curiosity at something she couldn't quite make out. The young dwarf occasionally sniffed the air, making an audible and strange noise as she attempted to ascertain whatever valuable object laid just at the edge of her ability to sense it. She was almost certainly referring to the statue up in the distant chamber.

I was surprised to hear a familiar, insectile voice make itself audible as we wandered closer to the empty doorway. "I can sense... something in the distance. I don't know if it's what you, sister, sense, but it is... something." Said the Mi-Go, its insectoid, buzzing voice, catching all of us off-guard as we closed the distance that separated us from the bizarre doorway. And then it was Samyaza's turn to speak.

The orb angel's robotic tones filled the air surrounding us once we were close enough to the doorway that we could all see through it and make out the work of art that waited to greet us.

"I am sensing... strong divine energy up ahead." The robot-like angel told us. I stiffened, but I didn't stop. Not even when the dungeon began to speak.

[You are close now. Closer than ever before to the vestige. To the inheritor of Athena's will and might. You have come so far and gained the most superficial knowledge possible, but now every step takes you closer to wisdom. True, lawful wisdom.] The thing whispered, its voice so low and quiet that it felt sinister. But that didn't stop me, it didn't stop us.

"I am... ready to seize another opportunity." I said, trying to get myself into the right head-space to be in the presence of something like me. Or rather, something as like me as possible given the current state of the multiverse.

"I am ready to learn." I whispered, slightly more confidently this time.

"I am ready to meet... something like me!" I said, almost believing it this time.

As we reached the empty doorway and stopped just short of it for the first time, I whispered one more thing. "I am ready to encounter another divine creature of law. Even if this one isn't exactly... alive." I muttered, readying myself for whatever we were about to face that wasn't just a statue in a massive chamber.

When I looked into the chamber myself I felt something I had never truly felt before: the rush of alien divine power surging into me.