'You have to be kidding me.'

  'There were three gods.'

  With his memories from his past life, Viktor immediately recognized wall three of them.

  Ares, Athena, and Hephaestus.

  Since Zeus wasn't showing his face, if they all surrounded him at once, it would be super dangerous.

  From the moment he saw Diana, Viktor's battle instincts from over a decade of experience at full power.

  'I have no opportunity for a one-on-one fight. I need to find another way.'

  Viktor thought.

  Ares was shouting angrily and charging back.

  Athena raised her spear and aimed at Viktor holding the stone pilr, flying away in the sky, but after several moments of hesitation, she couldn't bring herself to throw it.

  As Viktor was about to fly back to the spot where he entered while holding the stone pilr, a spatial gate slowly began to open again.

  Suddenly, a huge bolt of lightning, filled with powerful energy, struck down with a small, almost helpless sigh.

  It instantly erased the spatial gate right in front of him.

  Viktor was still holding the stone pilr, stopped suddenly in mid-air, making a sound of frustration.

  'Pying the mysterious game with me, and you end up stepping in personally anyway.'

  He looked up at the top of the temple where the thunder had originated.

  "Enough."

  The voice was full of authority, but it wasn't as loud as thunder and instead resonated clearly through the entire pza, even drowning out Ares' roar.

  Ares, who had been charging forward, suddenly froze in mid-air, stopped, and crashed heavily onto the stone ground.

  The main doors of the temple slowly opened, and a figure in a golden robe stepped out.

  A soft lightning glow surrounded the figure, and strange runes briefly appeared on the stone ground with each step.

  The figure looked calm but powerful, with his white hair and beard glowing with a soft light, and his deep eyes made even Athena and Hephaestus respect him.

  The King of Olympus, Zeus.

  Viktor sighed inwardly.

  He wasn't sure whether it was the divine aura or whether the god before him had simply reached a level of power beyond comprehension, but Viktor didn't even need to look up to feel it.

  The pressure was like a mountain standing before an ant.

  Viktor's battle instincts were screaming in warning.

  Slowly, Viktor lowered the stone pilr. It fell heavily to the ground, making a cloud of dust and stone fragments.

  He still looked emotionless and just quietly watched as Zeus approached.

  Zeus stopped ten meters in front of him, his gaze sweeping over him before briefly gncing at Diana, bound to the stone pilr.

  He didn't open his mouth, but the mighty voice rolled in like a thunderous wave.

  "You stole a treasure that belongs to the gods and took control of the power of strife. Do you understand the weight of your sins?"

  Even as the warning of approaching death rang through his combat instincts, Viktor still looked emotionless and even scratched his ear, which was itching from the loud voice.

  "By this world's standards, I've done far worse than this…"

  "...And yet, the divine realm is not without reason."

  Zeus raised his hand, and a soft golden light fell over Diana, immediately lifting the restriction from her speaking.

  Diana looked at Viktor with a complicated expression.

  It was clear she had understood the gods' true intentions ever since she had been brought to the divine realm and couldn't quite find the words to say.

  "I can spare you from divine punishment and allow you to take Diana with you, but you must first undergo seven trials. If you succeed in all seven, the power will return to the divine realm, and your grievances with us will be forgotten."

  "What does Wonder Woman have to do with this?"

  If not for the fact that provoking Zeus repeatedly would be like dancing on the edge of a cliff, Viktor almost wanted to compin about how they had even gone so far as to kidnap his own daughter.

  Zeus's eyes showed a hint of mockery.

  "Even though the gods have withdrawn from the human world, we are not ignorant of it. Diana is your teacher, and after you took the golden apple, she not only failed to persuade you to return the artifact but also allowed you to take it. Now, the authority of strife is bound to you, and she too has a part in this indulgence."

  Having been used to the brief and authoritative manner of his instructors in Viltrum for over ten years, Viktor found formal speech incredibly uncomfortable.

  "Why do you all have to talk like this? You're so much stronger than I am. Why not just strike me with a thunderbolt and take back the authority?"

  Diana's eyes widened in surprise. She couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed in him over the past few days.

  "You're kidnapping Ms. Prince to force me to go to Olympus by myself and then giving me these 'kind' seven trials?"

  He raised his eyes to Zeus, and his cold gaze faded. Now, Viktor was certain that Zeus was plotting something.

  "Your Majesty, you've destroyed the spatial gate, severing my connection with the outside world. The Justice League will not simply stand by. The Greek pantheon once protected Earth, but now you want to fight against the current protectors of Earth? If you truly need something from me, why not simply say so? Instead of igniting a war this big, the one standing behind you would probably be thrilled."

  Ares hadn't expected the conversation to suddenly turn toward him, and his head lowered a few inches.

  To be honest, when Viktor had mentioned the possibility of the Justice League forcing their way in, Ares had genuinely felt a stir of excitement.

  An Olympian war with the Justice League—Ares, the God of War, could instantly tap into enough power to surpass what anyone on Earth could ever give him.

  Does Zeus still be the one calling the shots then?

  This is hard to say.

  The pza fell into a brief silence. Athena's expression shifted slightly, as she was clearly thinking about the pros and cons.

  Zeus remained silent for a long while.

  The patterns on his robe faded a little, and his presence lost some of its power but became a bit more honest.

  "We do not seek to make enemies of the human world. This incident is indeed connected to you."

  Viktor's eyes showed a hint of surprise.

  "Your body is something we have never encountered before."

  Zeus looked at him, clearly very curious.

  "You don't need to rely on the golden apple, yet you possess a lifespan comparable to that of the gods. Your physical strength and potential far exceed those of ordinary gods, and you can even wield the authority of strife without suffering any backsh."

  Zeus finally spoke honestly.

  "We wish to absorb you into the pantheon, sharing divine power and magic, subtly acquiring your physical traits to fill in the gaps of our own race."

  Viktor was taken aback halfway through and instinctively retorted.

  "My body? Isn't there already a Superman on Earth?"

  He couldn't quite understand.

  "Superman's strength surpasses mine by countless times. Even if his lifespan is somewhat shorter under normal circumstances, with the golden apple to extend it, wouldn't that satisfy your needs?"

  Zeus's gaze darkened slightly at his words but remained silent.

  Ares, on the other hand, snorted coldly, his tone dripping with disdain for Superman.

  "The Kryptonian genes have too many fws and weaknesses. They relied on yellow sunlight for power and were vulnerable to Kryptonite. No matter how strong the power, why would we want to add all those shackles to ourselves?"

  Viktor ignored Ares's mockery and kept his eyes focused on Zeus.

  'Zeus might not want to talk about Superman on purpose, and is trying to avoid it.'

  After thinking about what Superman said earlier about Zeus's strength, Viktor suddenly understood something.

  'Even if Zeus were stronger than Superman, the difference was likely small. They may not have wanted to choose Superman, but after weighing the options, they couldn't act.'

  "So, is this the real reason you sent me here alone?"

  Viktor found the situation ridiculous and ughable.

  "If I agree to join your pantheon, Ms. Prince can leave immediately, and you won't have to fight with the Justice League... but if I refuse... you'll use the golden apple incident to condemn me with divine punishment?"

  Zeus's eyes showed a hint of approval.

  "You're very clever. This is not a threat, it's a deal—join the gods, and you will possess divinity and endless power, standing with us to protect the cosmos, but refuse, and neither you nor Diana will be able to leave Olympus. If the Justice League forces their way in, all it will do is ignite a war between the divine realm and the mortal world."

  Viktor let out a long sigh, closing his eyes as if deep in thought.

  After a second, Zeus's voice quickly followed, urging him as if he didn't want to give him time to consider.

  "I have sealed the entire space. The Justice League won't be able to enter here anytime soon. There is no point in stalling."