Lord of Prayer

「Fifteen minutes later.」

“S-stop hitting me… I admit you’re the most beautiful goddess…”

In a magnificent Ancient Greek palace, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, Aphrodite, was being held by the collar, her voice a mournful plea for mercy. Her stunning face—the very one that had earned the endless praise and adoration of the Olympian gods—was now a mess of black and blue. Her eyelids were swollen shut, and even her pleas were muffled and indistinct. In her miserable state, not a trace of the peerless beauty remained.

Nearby, Celestial Queen Hera and the Goddess of War and Wisdom Athena were similarly battered and bruised, lying on the ground on the verge of death.

Li Xiye lowered her raised fist and released her grip on Aphrodite’s collar, letting her crumple to the ground. The goddess cradled her injured face and whimpered pathetically.

These three Goddesses were trial phantoms created by the Pantheon, based on their mythological counterparts. Although they possessed the corresponding abilities from the myths, they certainly weren’t too powerful. If every one of them were Tier Four or Tier Five, the trials would be impossible.

The strongest among them was undoubtedly the Goddess of War and Wisdom, Athena; it took Li Xiye a full ten minutes to take her down. And after the fight, Li Xiye felt nothing but utter disappointment.

“Is that all?”

She looked at Athena, who was panting on the ground, and asked with bewilderment, “The Goddess of War and Wisdom… is this really all you’ve got?”

Athena’s heart was filled with bitterness. ’I’ve been beaten this badly, what could I possibly say?’ She could only pretend not to have heard.

’I’ve never seen someone so violent…’

Even the War God Ares, or Heracles the Mighty who completed his twelve legendary labors, would pale in comparison to her.

It wasn’t just the gap in Power and martial skill, but also that terrifying will—one that placed the self above all existence and could even twist reality…

She clearly wasn’t an Uncrowned, yet she could influence the Rules at will. This “Heart Over Matter” willpower was the very source of Li Xiye’s overwhelming strength.

’Simply terrifying.’

Athena silently closed her eyes.

The bodies of the three Goddesses gradually dissolved into light and dissipated. In the center of the grand hall, a Light Gate leading to the next trial materialized.

Li Xiye walked straight through it.

「Observation Hall」

“This… How is this possible…” several Priests murmured, their faces etched with disbelief.

“They’re merely three trial phantoms. How could they possibly stop her?” The High Priest glanced at the other Priests. “You all need more training. Not a single one of you could discern the ’Tyrant’s’ realm.”

Heart Over Matter.

In layman’s terms, it’s the principle of ’I think, therefore it is…’

By relying on this terrifying personal will, combined with her own Extraordinary Abilities, Li Xiye could already influence the laws and Rules of reality, despite not yet having reached Tier Four.

This was the power of the Tyrant!

“The Saint chose Athena,” a Priest said, pointing to another light screen.

The screen projected a scene from the trial: a handsome, golden-haired man presented the Golden Apple to Athena, causing clear displeasure—and even a trace of venomous resentment—to appear on the faces of Hera and Aphrodite.

Meanwhile, Athena, holding the Golden Apple that symbolized her new title of “most beautiful Goddess,” shot the other two a gloating look.

“As promised, I shall bestow upon you wisdom and Power.” Athena raised her hand, placing a blessing upon the Saint.

This was how the Golden Apple trial was supposed to go.

The three Goddesses represented three different choices.

Hera represented supreme authority, Athena represented peerless martial skill and wisdom, and Aphrodite represented personal desire.

The challenger’s choice would affect the direction of the trials to come.

In fact, Li Xiye clearing the trial through violence was also a valid method, and it would likewise affect the path of the subsequent trials.

After passing through the Light Gate, Li Xiye found herself at the entrance to a zoo.

A piece of paper, a list of visitor rules, slowly drifted down from the air.

Li Xiye reached out and caught it. She raised an eyebrow as she read the words printed on it.

[██ City Zoo Visitor Rules.

Dear Visitor, welcome to our city’s largest zoo. Before entering the park, you must abide by the following rules to ensure your own safety. Failure to do so will be at your own risk.

1. There are no rabbits in this zoo. If you see a rabbit on the path, flee immediately or seek help from a staff member in a black uniform.

2. The Tiger Enclosure has only one path. If you discover a second path, and a Lion Enclosure has appeared beside it, take the path by the Tiger Enclosure and leave this area as soon as possible.

3. There are only four tigers in the Tiger Enclosure. If you count more than four, immediately find a staff member in a red uniform and report it to them.

4. Zebras are animals with black and white stripes, not any other color. If you notice anything abnormal about them, please call the hotline listed at the bottom of this leaflet. Remain where you are and do not move. A staff member in a blue uniform will arrive in five minutes to escort you from the park.

5. Do not feed the goats. The goats will not ask you to feed them.

6. Do not buy hot dogs from the vending machines.

7. If you hear laughter, leave your current area immediately.

8. Apes cannot speak. If you encounter an ape that speaks, immediately seek help from a staff member in a red uniform.

9. Due to renovations, the elephants will be housed in the Bear Enclosure for a period of time. If you find bears in the Bear Enclosure instead of elephants, proceed to the Tiger Enclosure immediately.

10. Remember that you are human.

11. …

12. …

…

As long as you abide by the rules above, you are guaranteed a pleasant visit.

We hope you eventually leave the zoo safely.]

’The “rules of horror” genre that was so popular a while ago?’

Li Xiye laughed. “So the Pantheon is keeping up with the times, huh? A trial like this is truly unprecedented. This must be the first time they’ve tried something like it.”