"No way!"
"This won't do! It's too weak!"
"Is there no real strong bow?"
In the royal armory of Troy, Atreus was like a troublemaker, snapping several bowstrings in one go.
The accompanying Amazon warrior and the armory official guiding them showed no signs of impatience on their faces. Instead, their expressions were full of growing excitement.
There was no help for it—Troy's enemies could hardly be considered human.
The Greek gods were battling in the sky, and on the ground, the same god-born beings were rampaging.
In this grand divine melee, the power of mortals was truly insignificant.
With Kratos' suit on, Atreus's ridiculous strength of 80 points allowed him to perform feats only the greatest heroes of this era could achieve, such as the legendary ability to "tear apart a lion" with his bare hands.
"Thunk!"
Despite the bow's impressive appearance and the faint divine aura of power attached to it—a masterpiece crafted by the nymphs under the goddess Artemis—it still couldn't withstand Atreus's overwhelming strength.
The bowstring snapped once again.
This time, everyone in the room looked at Atreus with deep respect.
"Great hero! Please follow me," said the armory official.
Following him, the group arrived at a side chamber.
Logically, the best weapons should be located in the core of the armory, but what they found here seemed less important.
As soon as the door to the smaller armory opened, Atreus understood why.
Inside were weapons and armor designed for beings larger than humans.
The official solemnly introduced, "This is a bow of the Cyclopes!"
The name was a bit tricky, so Atreus preferred a simpler term: Cyclops Bow.
There are two generations of Cyclopes: the first generation, children of Uranus and Gaia, known for their craftsmanship and construction skills. They were stubborn and had violent tempers.
They could forge high-quality weapons and were renowned for their immense strength.
The second generation of Cyclopes lived on remote islands, one of the most famous being Polyphemus, son of Poseidon and the sea nymph Thoosa. He famously kidnapped Odysseus and his companions, but was blinded by them in order to escape his cave.
The Cyclops bow before them was clearly crafted by the second generation of Cyclopes.
Even the smallest of these bows was a staggering 1.8 meters long. For Cyclopes, who typically stood five to six meters tall, this bow was like a small cavalry bow for humans. It might have even been made for a younger Cyclops.
Even so, an ordinary person wouldn't be able to carry it, let alone draw it.
This bow was as large as a Trojan soldier's bronze spear.
The bow's body was made from yew, likely from Crete, solid but roughly crafted, and the bowstring appeared to be made from the tendons of some sea creature. Atreus could even sense faint traces of divine power in it.
Ahem! In the seas of Greece, if you encountered a sea monster, it was probably one of Poseidon's offspring, considering the Greek gods didn't believe in reproductive limits.
Using his absurdly long reach and strength eight times greater than a normal person's, Atreus easily drew the bow to its full extent.
"Perfect! I'll take it."
"It's yours, Lord Kratos!" the official said with a smile.
Almost as soon as the official finished speaking, Atreus received a system notification: [Congratulations, Host, for acquiring an epic weapon (Cyclops Bow): Strength requirement: 70, Bow damage: 250-648. Bow comes with special effects (Armor-piercing Lv3), (Divine Penetration Lv5).]
The bow was huge, heavy, and demanding, but apart from actual divine weapons, it was the best Atreus could get his hands on for now.
That day, news spread quickly throughout the city that Atreus had acquired the Cyclops' weapon.
"Did you hear?"
"The portal has finally summoned a great hero."
"A great hero? How strong?"
"He can draw the Cyclops' bow!"
"Whoa—"
Ordinary people couldn't see strength stats, and in this age of god-born beings, it was hard to tell who the real strongmen were just by appearance. After all, the Greeks had an all-star lineup. Troy's strongest hero, Hector, had just died, and another prince, Paris, had been beaten badly by the enemy. Every Trojan felt insecure.
Even knowing that this mysterious Kratos might not be incredibly strong, some were willing to place their hopes in this hero.
But only Atreus knew the vast difference between himself and the top-tier god-born heroes.
After being escorted by a Trojan servant to the temporary residence arranged for him, Atreus politely declined the company of the Amazon warrior who had been following him.
To be honest, the woman wasn't bad—an 80 in terms of looks. It's just that she was over 6 feet tall, and Atreus worried that her six-pack abs might end up hurting him. Aside from that, he had no complaints.
"After the victory, there will be plenty of time to celebrate, won't there?"
With one sentence, she agreed happily.
However, Atreus didn't expect that despite his instructions to the Trojan servants not to allow any visitors, a graceful woman showed up at his room in the middle of the night.
He didn't need to hear the heavy door open—her human footsteps alone couldn't escape Atreus's heightened senses.
As soon as the mysterious woman entered, she saw a pair of cold, cruel eyes glowing in the dark, filled with hostility.
"Forgive me, Lord Kratos. I don't mean to offend, but I have a sensitive identity and can only visit like this at this hour," the woman's voice was extraordinarily pleasant, even more so than the mellifluous voices of Black Canary. It wasn't just beautiful—it carried a sense of nobility and divinity.
However, she had wrapped herself tightly in a thick cloak, her head covered with a heavy black veil.
"Speak," Atreus said bluntly.
"Can you still leave Troy through the portal, Lord Kratos?"
"Why should I answer your question?" Atreus's gaze remained icy.
The woman's body trembled, and she bowed deeply, deliberately drawing attention to her ample chest.
"Troy has been under siege for ten years. Neither I nor the Trojans see any hope. The city's only spiritual pillar, Hector, has just died. You are the first person in ten years to visit this city, a hero who came despite the gods' blockade. I believe my only chance to escape lies with you."
"Interesting. What if I said I could leave?" Atreus suddenly opened his right hand, revealing a mysterious energy orb filled with arcane power.
"Take me with you, and I'm yours. I'll do anything!" The woman, trembling, slowly pulled back her cloak, revealing a stunning body wrapped in two layers of thin white fabric.
The dim lighting made everything appear hazy, like a scene lost in the mist.
Even though he couldn't see clearly, Atreus was certain that she was on the same level as Catwoman, Selina.
No, she was probably even better.
Her faint divine aura concealed many things.
Atreus smirked and revealed her identity: "Sorry, Queen Helen. It's not enough. I have no reason to risk offending the gods, a whole bunch of Greek kings, and even the Trojan royal family to help you escape."
Helen was stunned. Her beautiful blue eyes widened, and she trembled as she whispered, "You... you actually refuse me?"
(End of chapter)