PHASE 24 - GREEK GODS ARE PAIN IN THE ASS!

Now that my way has been cleared, nothing can stop me from going straight to the building’s rooftop. It has about ten floors, so I don’t need to go inside and look for the stairs. I’ll just run for it outside.

“!” I said as I buffed my body with electricity and bolted forward with extreme speed.

I reached the wall of the building within three seconds and maintaining my speed and momentum, I stepped on the said wall and ran upwards. Seventh, eighth, ninth floor past. I managed to climb in a matter of ten seconds. But when I reached the window on the top floor, I didn’t have the time to breach.

Three sets of crimson eyes were waiting for me. My bones froze at this terrifying sight.

The windows exploded with echo. The three Cursed Guardians who had a deathly stare at me blasted the fiber glasses just with their menacing aura, and the shockwave rendered me flying.

“Shit!” I cried.

If I fall from this distance, I’ll end up dead! I was about to freefall but then I heard rocket boosts and a soft hand caught my wrist.

“I got you!” Freya said as she dragged me upward. She’s using her hip boosters to hover in mid-air.

We safely landed on top of the building. Macho Steel and Lord Venus followed, using the horizontal running technique I demonstrated to climb the building.

“Geez, don’t go rushing alone like that!” Freya scolded me like a tiger mom.

“I-I’m sorry.”

I always see Miss Martha as my second mother back when I was in grade school so this scene feels nostalgic. She used to scold me and Amy whenever we do something bad (Like bullying kids on a lower grade level) so nothing is new here. I feel like I'm back in the fourth grade.

Three gigantic silhouettes jumped and landed in front of us. And from the looks and feels of them, they are Cursed Gods.

The god on the left is a bluish-green man filled with deep-sea scales. He has this gigantic fin-blades on his arms and a tall mohawk fin on top of his head. He also has webbed hands and feet, and he’s holding a golden trident. His eyes have sea-blue sclera and crimson irises. I’ve read about him back when we were searching for God Cores. He is the God of Seas, Poseidon.

The god on the right, however, is a familiar one. He has a tattered black cloak made of human skin and boney skeletal armor. He has a half-skull mask covering the upper part of his face, but the crimson glare is visible through the hollow eyes. He’s wielding a demon’s fork. He is the God of Underworld, Hades.

I got scared when I saw him. I escaped from his Underworld Prison, and considering the fact that I’m Aeternos, he should besieging me. But he didn’t seem to recognize me.

I just remembered that I’m trapped in the past. There is no way he can remember me.

The god in the middle is the one whom I’m aiming for. He looks so tall and muscular, a nine-footer man. He is black like charcoal (Screw you, I'm not racist. I'm just describing how this guy looks.) and has golden linings all over his body. There are also golden runes tattooed all over his chest and muscles. He is wearing an ancient greek skirt and he has a giant wristwatch as his belt. I’m quite sure this is Chronos; the God of Time.

“Leon, Ben, and Elswick,” Venus muttered. “They really succumbed to the temptation of the Curse.”

“Dogs of the Black Cross like you will never understand the meaning of true power,” Chronos said. “Power is everything in this world. The Dark Legion shall show you how wrong you all are.”

I can predict their actions using my . I can see that Hades and Poseidon will be attacking first with their projectile. And Chronos will just stand still.

“Let’s go for it!” I shouted to my allies. On my mark, Macho Steel dived forward, to be followed by me, and then the two goddesses beside us.

“!!!” Macho Steel surged forward.

“!!!” I bathed myself with electricity to get in range fast. But then…

“!!!” Chronos shouted. Everything became black and white, and everything froze except for the caster and his allies. Now we’re wide open and cannot move!

“!!!” Poseidon waved his trident, and a water surge came out of nowhere to demolish us!

“!!!” Hades also swung his fork, and flame started to burst from the floor!

After three seconds, time resumed its flow. We didn’t have time to evade, counter, or block the spells because they already made its way to us. We didn’t even have the opportunity to react.

There was a loud burst, followed by thick steam. The impact of the raging fire and water made a sea of boiling hot water that blasted unto us. The pressure of the water pushed us towards the floor, making us fell on our knees.

“Guh.” Macho Steel grunted.

The boiling water we caught head-on made our skin suffer from the first-degree burn. Macho Steel was the one who was heavily injured, but shallow burns wouldn’t stop the fight for him. I got burned on my right arm and left shoulder too, but I’m used to being spilled with hot water. (Tiara used to clumsily spill hot tea on me back when she was my secretary).

As for the goddesses… They used their prana to regenerate their burnt skin. They can keep their skin soft and flawless as long as they want, they are the Goddesses of Beauty after all. Dermatologists would be mad at them.

This is bad. That is what I muttered to myself. Chronos has the ability, same as Yohan. My can’t predict when it will be used because time-related spells can never be seen. I can barely move through that time freeze, but my allies can’t counter it. We’re just lucky that Hades and Poseidon unleashed non-lethal spells.

I gritted my teeth. I don’t know what to do. Three Cursed Gods against two non-battle-type Goddesses with two normal Gate Guardians ain’t gonna cut it. Even if we got reinforcements, Chronos’ ability will still give us a lot of trouble.

A chill went down to my spine as I realized that the environment went black and white again, signaling the use of .

We’re finished.

Or so I thought. Everybody is frozen, even the three Cursed Gods in front of us. It seems like Chronos didn’t cast after all.

A Black Gate opened in front of me and the man whom I hated the most appeared right in front of my face.

“You can’t win this fight if he can stop time.” The Fake Outsider chuckled. “But I have good news for you. I found out that the Dark Legion are keeping a powerful Weapon Gem that can defeat multiple gods. You can find it at the Underground Laboratory of this building, in the Stasis Chambers. You already went there so I presume you already know the way.”

The Stasis Chamber of the Underground Laboratory is where we first fought the cursed Mianette Springfield; one of the New Order Generals of Aeternos… I mean my general in the future. I know the way, but the distance is like miles. I’m on top of the ten-story building, and you want me to go all the way down!?

“The Weapon Gem I’m talking about is named Aether Weapon. I won’t spoil you much more. You’ll just see it for yourself. Good luck.”

Then the Fake Outsider vanished like a bubble. Time resumed its flow.

I already formulated the best plan on my mind.

“Lord Freya, Lord Venus, Macho Steel!” I shouted. “Hold them off. I’ll be back and join you after a few moments.”

The three were awed when they heard me issuing the commands. I kind of forgot that I have no power and authority here because this is not the Aether Crusade. But thankfully, they somehow gave me a chance to talk.

“You’re really an untruthful bastard, aren’t you?” Macho Steel muttered.

“Hey, what are you planning?” Freya asked. “We won’t let you leave the battlefield unless you told us your purpose.”

“I’m going to steal a Weapon Gem for a bit.” I grinned.

“You’re not talking about our secret Weapon Gem, aren’t you?” Chronos joined the conversation. His surprised face is priceless.

"Sayonara amigos!" I laughed.

Without giving them a chance to reply, I jumped down from the rooftop of the building. I stabbed my sword on the wall and used it as a brake so that I can descend slowly.