The Struggle of Faith

'You don't need to worry about this." Hermes, seeing an opportunity, quickly perked up. With a mysterious expression, he leaned closer to Hebe and whispered, 'Before I came here, I already asked Brother Apollo. He doesn't oppose this, and you don't need to worry about how he will treat you. I'll let you in on a secret: the success of this mission is crucial for Brother Apollo; it's related to the faith in light." Hermes blinked, choosing not to say more. When talking to a smart person, it's best to be brief; after all, in this mythical world, even the wind could become a source of leaks. Faith in light? Hebe, with her keen mind, quickly understood Apollo's intentions. 'So, Brother Apollo sent me to ask for your opinion, Your Highness Hebe." It seemed the other party wanted to cooperate… If that was the case, she had no more concerns. After all, Apollo's power was undeniable. She could simply hold the Staff of Life behind him to give him a buff, letting him work for her. Once the task was accomplished, he could spread the faith in light and establish the Temple of Light as he wished. All she needed was to obtain that mortal body. The stunningly beautiful goddess broke into a charming smile: 'How dare the vile beast lay its hands on the sacred land of the Mother of Gods? As a member of the divine race, I naturally have the obligation to assist His Highness Apollo in eliminating it." '…" This goddess had a remarkable talent for telling lies that even she would admire. Regardless of what the other party was thinking, Hermes, having completed his task, was in a good mood. After bidding farewell to Hebe, he flew off to report to Zeus in his winged sandals. Hebe and Apollo reached a consensus, temporarily setting aside their differences as they arrived above the Temple of Delphi, overlooking the structure. The once magnificent Temple of Delphi was now in ruins; its grand entrance lay shattered, with debris scattered all around, as if some enormous entity had rampaged through. The towering Roman columns in front of the temple were broken in half, and the sacred light that once shone upon them had dimmed, their broken forms silently telling tales of sorrow. The river, once blessed by the gods and flowing down from Mount Olympus, was no longer clear; the waters were murky, and the sands had lost their purity. The gems and gold at the riverbed had lost their luster, and the river was filled with a strong aura of death and destruction, emitting a foul stench that was alarming. 'The situation seems more serious than we imagined." Apollo and Hebe, riding in the chariot of light hidden among the clouds, faced an Abyssal Giant Python, a creature with power comparable to that of the chief gods. A reckless attack would surely end badly for them; they could only assess the current situation before making a decision. 'The body of Delphona is missing, and all the priests and nymphs in the temple have also vanished. They must have met with misfortune." Apollo's eyes shimmered with divine light. As the God of Light with all-seeing vision, the feedback he received informed him that no life remained in the Temple of Delphi, deepening his disdain for this brutal and bloodthirsty beast. 'What a strong aura of death." Hebe frowned as she sensed the atmosphere below. This aura made her, whose life essence now dominated her being, feel extremely uncomfortable. 'I'll see if I can purify it." Hebe drew a thread of energy from the divine river, and the purplish-black demonic aura coiled around her jade-like fingertips. Even a trace of the aura from a god-level beast possessed a consciousness for self-attack. The demonic energy twisted, transforming into a purplish-black serpent that flicked its tongue, its mouth open and glinting with venomous fangs, ready to strike. A shimmering silver light burst forth from the palm of Hebe, pure, peaceful, warm, and full of vitality, as if it had the magical power to attract all living beings of light in the world to draw near. However, this warm divine power was like poison to the demonic serpent born of demonic energy. It struggled and writhed, trying to escape, but the silver light quickly ensnared it. Like snow encountering the blazing sun, the demonic energy, which represented the abyss and death, emitted a sizzling sound as it was entangled by the life-giving divine power. In just a moment, the demonic energy was evaporated, disappearing without a trace. 'The power of purification can cleanse the demonic energy of the Python. Would Your Highness like to try the power of light?" Hebe looked at the tall and handsome god beside her. 'Hmm." Apollo nodded, also drawing a thread of the Python's demonic energy from the polluted divine river. His palm emitted a dazzling golden light, representing the supreme power of the blazing sun, the ultimate temperature that could incinerate everything. The extreme heat burned the demonic energy, causing the blackish-purple aura to twist and emit sharp, piercing sound waves, attempting to resist, but still dissipating into nothingness under the scorching flames. A flicker of surprise crossed Hebe's eyes. As expected of the destined future sun god, his mastery over light and heat was already on par with Helios. 'It seems that the power of light is also effective against the Python, but this is just a trace of demonic energy. The Python's scales possess unparalleled defensive power. It may not be easy to break through this armor and inject divine power into its body," Apollo said, possessing the divine authority of foresight, his eyes able to perceive the near future. '…How to break through this layer of defense is key." Hebe's thoughts shifted, and a glimmer of light flashed in her beautiful purple eyes. 'Your Highness Apollo, before coming here, I consulted with the Mother Goddess regarding the Python." The goddess Hera had a hobby of collecting various monsters as pets, and she was quite knowledgeable about the beasts of the world, including the Python. 'Oh? What did the Mother Goddess say?" 'It is said that the Python was born at the intersection of the abyss and the ocean, and the abyssal aura it was infected with at birth grants it the power of destruction and death. However, it is fundamentally nurtured in the ocean, taking the form of a giant serpent monster, and it possesses many similar traits…" Monsters born in the ocean are generally large, brutal, and bloodthirsty, but they also tend to have concerning intelligence. The Python exhibits some of these characteristics found in oceanic monsters. Moreover, oceanic monsters have another trait: they are highly promiscuous. Their mating often disregards species, resulting in many uniquely shaped monsters. 'Are you suggesting something, Your Highness Hebe?" Apollo raised an eyebrow and asked. 'Although the Python possesses god-level strength, it lacks the intelligence to match it. As long as we adopt the right strategies to weaken its power, killing it shouldn't be a problem." 'Oh? From what Your Highness Hebe says, it seems you have a good idea?" 'Has Your Highness Apollo heard of the beauty stratagem from the Thirty-Six Stratagems?" A dangerous smile appeared on Hebe's stunning face. 'The Thirty-Six Stratagems? The beauty stratagem?" Apollo was taken aback. Although he didn't know what the Thirty-Six Stratagems were, this clever deity quickly understood Hebe's meaning. He immediately felt a sense of respect, and his previously somewhat hostile attitude toward Hebe changed significantly: 'I didn't expect Your Highness to be willing to make such a sacrifice to hunt the beast. You truly are a respectable goddess!" '?" Hebe tilted her head, wondering who said she was the one going. 'Your Highness, I never said that the beauty in the beauty stratagem is me." '?" 'Not you? Then that means…" Apollo's expression changed, and his gaze toward Hebe instantly became dangerous. 'Are you implying…?" 'Of course, as the main force in hunting the beast, you should take on the role of the beauty," Hebe said with a charming laugh, her radiant smile appearing quite provoking in Apollo's eyes. 'Me? Why should it be me? Your Highness is the goddess; the beauty stratagem should be executed by you." 'You are gravely mistaken, Your Highness. First, to lure the Python, we must rely on the love magic of Aphrodite's golden girdle, which I have already borrowed." To borrow this item from her sister-in-law, Hebe had searched many famous mountains and rivers for gems, entrusting Hephaestus to craft it into exquisite jewelry for Aphrodite before she finally relented. 'Since the Python's scales are indestructible, we will attack from within. While it is enchanted, we will have it drink this specially concocted divine wine, which I specifically obtained from my father's horn of abundance." Hebe then produced a jar of exquisite wine. As soon as it appeared, a rich aroma filled the surroundings, and just by smelling it, Apollo felt a slight dizziness. 'Additionally, I've asked Athena for the clothing and a one-time curse potion needed for transformation, which will allow you to become the perfect snake-like enchantress in the monster's eyes." She presented the elegant dress and the dark green cursed potion. The golden-haired, purple-eyed goddess looked at the handsome god, her expression a mix of confusion and reproach. 'I've done so much already; Your Highness only needs to exert a little effort. Is that too much to ask?" '…" Indeed, the children of Hera's lineage had wicked hearts! Hebe changed into convenient hunting attire, her golden hair tied up high. The beautiful goddess was now stirring in a massive golden pot with a silver spoon as tall as she was. 'Sage…" 'Dragon's Breath Flower…" 'Myrtle…" 'Lomandra Root…" One by one, Hebe added the magical ingredients into the cauldron. The potions flashed with various ethereal lights, and as Hebe stirred, they blended together, returning to calmness, transforming into a pool of bright peach-colored liquid, quietly lying in the cauldron.