Chapter 3: Athena
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Blue Star, East African Rift Valley.
The forbidden being sensed it was being watched and turned its gaze toward the source. The alien flagship in outer space could not withstand the scrutiny of this forbidden entity and was instantly pulverized.
Yet the forbidden being did not relent. Instead, it looked further, piercing through the universe to a certain abyss beyond space, where the god of spacetime resided, surrounded by countless radiant spheres of light.
“An illusory tower built upon the fear and curiosity of intelligent life towards the unknown, a divine race born from the delusions of terror these beings harbor. This is a warning—restrain your hands. This universe’s stage does not script a grand spectacle for you.”
Having spoken words only comprehensible to the god of spacetime, the forbidden being withdrew its gaze, utterly indifferent to the tremors of the abyss.
As for the alien fleet lingering in outer space, its fate had already been sealed by the forbidden being.
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Within Blue Star.
Oceans, continents, archipelagos—warfire engulfed the entire planet.
Ordinary civilians were guided by security forces into air-raid shelters for refuge.
Blue Star’s sixth-generation fighter jets and unmanned attack drones clashed with alien flying vessels in the skies, while aliens who landed on the ground were met with torrents of saturated firepower from steel battalions.
On the ocean battlefront, Blue Star’s aircraft carrier strike groups and deep-sea submarines attacked alien warships anchored on the surface.
The Russian Federation deployed plasma radiation cannons, the United States fielded super-electromagnetic railguns, and the Dragon Nation unleashed annihilation-class laser cannons, all relentlessly striking the alien forces.
The latest microwave weapons developed independently by Russia, the United States, and the Dragon Nation swept through alien combatants, while their newest hypersonic missiles were delivered like express parcels to three-kilometer-class alien warships.
Scenes reminiscent of sci-fi war epics unfolded across the globe.
France and the United Kingdom coordinated with the United States in combat, Russia and the Dragon Nation allied to resist the enemy, while other nations focused on self-preservation.
The sky was filled with dazzling fireworks and meteoric streaks racing at breakneck speeds.
Whether in bright daylight or pitch-black nights, a roaring symphony played on!
Cities, mountains, and plains echoed with ceaseless thunderous blasts. Skyscrapers that stood firm one moment crumbled into rubble the next. Forest fires raged unchecked, and the earth was scarred with countless giant craters.
Those who failed to seek shelter, along with unprotected animals, easily perished beneath the bombardment.
Among Blue Star’s shining stars on the battlefield were legendary figures who had reappeared in the world, and warriors inheriting mythic legacies, standing on the frontlines alongside Blue Star’s armies against the aliens.
Against the fierce onslaught of the alien fleet, Blue Star’s people displayed remarkable tenacity, aided by a decade of rapid military technological advancement. Not only had they adapted to swift combat readiness, their weaponry was no longer far behind. Moreover, the resurgence of mythic legends had greatly bolstered their morale.
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Dragon Nation, Demon City.
Amidst the ruins, Luo Qingxian slowly regained consciousness.
She had been chatting with Mu Changge at home when a sudden dizziness overtook them. Then, the entire neighborhood was engulfed by a force cast by an alien priest—an eerie power that quickly caused the neighborhood’s skyscrapers to collapse.
In the critical moment, Mu Changge pulled Luo Qingxian to shelter behind a wall, and the two were soon concealed beneath the rubble of the crumbling building.
Luo Qingxian opened her eyes and immediately felt a pounding headache, her vision blurred by a sticky liquid.
It took her a while to realize that Mu Changge was protecting her beneath him, but she was utterly powerless, her consciousness hazy, feeling as though she might slip back into unconsciousness at any moment.
“Am I going to die like this?”
“If so, wasn’t Changge’s protection all in vain?”
Determined not to perish so easily, Luo Qingxian clung to her last hope and struggled to silently recite the spirit-summoning rituals taught at school.
...
After an unknown span of time, Luo Qingxian found herself immersed in darkness. At the other end of this darkness, a beam of light beckoned her.
At the light’s end stood a rectangular temple bathed in white divine radiance. Majestic and imposing, it was supported by forty-six towering white pillars, flawless and gleaming, with countless exquisite reliefs adorning its walls.
Inside the temple was a colossal divine throne, upon which sat a peerless beauty radiating golden godly light—the queen of this temple!
The stunning goddess scrutinized Luo Qingxian emerging from the darkness. After a moment, she gracefully rose from her throne and approached her with elegant steps.
Gently cradling Luo Qingxian’s petite form, the goddess murmured, “How strange… Why does the origin home star summon a deity to manifest at this moment?”
“Could it be? Is the origin star attempting to save itself? What on earth is happening in the human world now?”
After a moment of contemplation, the goddess softly said to Luo Qingxian, “Little girl, forgive me.”
Then, the goddess’s soft lips pressed against Luo Qingxian’s, and immediately her entire body glowed, transforming into particles of light that merged with Luo Qingxian’s fragile form.
“Luo Qingxian” opened her eyes, her aura undergoing a profound transformation. She now carried the aloof, pure, and cold elegance of a divine maiden. If her original face had been youthful and adorable, her new visage radiated an untouchable beauty. Her short black hair had turned into moonlit silver strands that shimmered softly, and her pupils, deep as the night, held an allure beyond mortal comprehension—this captivating beauty seemed fit only for the heavens.
“Boom!”
A pillar of divine light shot skyward. Within it, a petite and graceful maiden strode forth. Her beautiful white hair, mesmerizing eyes, dignified temperament, and the invisible force that barred others from truly understanding her all marked her as extraordinary.
“In the past, I was Athena—Pallas Athena, one of the twelve Olympian gods.”
“Now, I am also Luo Qingxian. Remember this!”
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Having declared her existence to heaven and earth, the maiden looked toward Mu Changge still trapped amid the ruins, her pupils narrowing.
“What is this boy? I cannot see through him.”
“An ordinary human, yet why does a mist of obscurity block my sight?”
The maiden fell silent for a moment, then sighed, “Perhaps this is fate.”
She gently brushed away the rubble and gracefully knelt, resting Mu Changge’s head on her legs, which were wrapped in black silk, softly pressing her cherry-colored lips to his.
In the blink of an eye, the maiden’s divine power healed all of Mu Changge’s wounds and flawlessly restored his torn clothes.
This was a miracle!
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[Character Profile]
Athena (Pallas Athena, Luo Qingxian)
Originating from Greek mythology, one of the twelve Olympian gods, her true form is a winged serpent.
She commands owls and snakes as her messengers and wields the olive tree, a symbol of peace.
Having inherited the powers of her mother Metis, she calls herself the Goddess of Wisdom and the Ocean Goddess. She also inherited the authority of her father Zeus, embodying the goddess of sky, thunder, and storm clouds.
Influenced by ancient Greek beliefs, she further acquired dominion over war, victory, peace, art, and justice. She also holds titles as Earth Mother Goddess, Mother of Heroes, Goddess of the Underworld (from the serpent goddess lineage), and Goddess of Night (from the owl goddess lineage).
She once defeated Poseidon, Ares, Aphrodite, and Hades, possessing divine power second only to Zeus.
She proudly claims supremacy as the strongest goddess across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Among global mythologies, she ranks among the top-tier deities (extraordinary, supreme, first-class...).
Her divine artifacts include: the Thunder Spear, Winged Scepter, Scythe of Death, and the Aegis Shield.
Appearance: Short white hair imbued with the shimmering glow of the silver moon; eyes like black onyx; petite, childlike stature.