Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 488: Divine Punishment

Hearing the phrase "International Special Organizations Summit," Yang Chen thought he had misheard and laughed, "What a joke, Master Yun. I've never even heard of such a summit, let alone been invited. Besides, from what you're saying, this sounds like a meeting for underground organizations of various countries. I'm a thorn in the side of many national security organizations; would they really let me attend?"

Yun Miao finally believed that Yang Chen wasn't going to the summit and hesitated before saying, "This summit is unprecedented. It's a gathering of spies, special forces, supernatural organizations, and various official and unofficial entities. It's not strictly for national organizations. I assumed that with your status, someone would have gone to great lengths to invite you. After all, the core topic of this summit should be closely related to you."

Yang Chen, now intrigued, asked, "What do you mean by related to me? I've been back in Yanxia for almost a year and a half. What could be connected to me?"

"The matter of gods," Yun Miao said bluntly.

Yang Chen's smile froze, and after a pause, he asked, "Gods? What gods?" His first thought was that perhaps Ares, the war-crazy god, had grown bored of the Middle East and started causing trouble in Europe, forcing these countries to find a way to deal with him. But that didn't make sense; Ares wasn't one to attack ordinary people, and his interest should be in finding divine stones, not causing destruction.

Yun Miao looked somewhat helpless. "It seems you really know nothing. I was hoping to understand more through you so I could prepare."

"Even though I know nothing, if you tell me what you know, maybe I can help you analyze it," Yang Chen said with a smile.

Yun Miao pondered for a moment and said, "Currently, Europe and the United States are already in a state of panic. Although the news hasn't spread, everyone is on high alert. The reason is somewhat bizarre—a self-proclaimed god named 'Apollo.'"

France, Paris city center, at 55 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, north of the Champs-élysées.

The élysée Palace, the presidential residence. The morning light scattered across the lush green grass, and outside the wide floor-to-ceiling windows of the presidential office, an old sycamore tree dripped with dewdrops on its tender new leaves.

Several uniformed soldiers patrolled with straight backs, their stern expressions contrasting sharply with the elegant surroundings.

This was the core of power in France, a traditional stronghold in Europe. However, the tranquility and peace on the surface didn't truly reflect the hidden turmoil underneath.

"Crash—"

The sound of shattering porcelain came from the presidential office, breaking the morning's silence.

The exquisite white porcelain cup with colorful floral patterns was violently smashed onto the heavy pinewood floor, shattering into pitiful little pieces that rolled a few times before bidding the world a final farewell.

Standing in front of a large mahogany desk was a man dressed in a white shirt, his red tie askew and unattended. His black and gray wavy hair was combed back, and his mature face sported a slight stubble. Though not tall, his broad shoulders exuded an aura of both authority and ruthlessness.

Throwing the priceless porcelain cup had done little to alleviate his anger. It seemed he had not slept well the previous night; his eyes were bloodshot, and his gaze was icy.

"General Depigny, I need a clear explanation. What on earth is going on?!" The man picked up a black letter from the desk. On the envelope was an intricately designed golden sun totem.

The man called Depigny stood trembling near the door. Short in stature, he wore a neatly pressed green military uniform, the stars on his shoulders signifying his high rank.

With brown curly hair and a sickly pale complexion, Depigny's gaunt face contrasted sharply with the stern visage of the man questioning him. Depigny resembled a pitiful dog cowering before its master.

"Mr. President, w-we are closely investigating. We believe we will soon find the source of Apollo's threatening letters," Depigny stammered in French.

"Results?!" The president tore the black letter to shreds and roared, "This is the ninth consecutive day we've received these black sun totem threats! According to the letters, we have at most three weeks before Apollo plans to kill me! And you, the director of our French External Security Agency, the head of the elite Seventh Bureau, a general, are telling me that after more than a week, you expect quick results?!"

Depigny, terrified by the president's outburst, took two steps back, nearly bumping into the office door. His forehead was drenched in sweat, and his legs began to tremble.

"Mr. President, this Apollo is exceptionally cunning and extremely dangerous. It's very difficult to find any slip-ups," Depigny pleaded.

The President's lips twitched slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "Depney, let me tell you, just as I could make you the head of the Seventh Bureau and the leader of France's top organization, I can replace you with someone else. Your performance has been very disappointing!"

Depney's already pale face turned completely colorless. He hurriedly bent down and knelt on the ground, almost crying out, "Mr. President, I promise I won't let you down! Apollo and his 'Domain of the Gods' have destroyed the military bases of NATO, the EU, and Russia. He has effectively declared war on the world. Such arrogant actions will definitely come at a cost! After the world special organizations' secret meeting we are organizing, we will surely unite the forces of various countries to find and destroy 'Domain of the Gods'. I guarantee that the President will not be harmed in any way!"

"Idiot! If Apollo can easily destroy the secret military bases of three different powers, do you think he doesn't know about your secret meeting?! Someone who can easily destroy an entire military base can flatten the élysée Palace just as easily as stepping on an ant! Your answer is as childish as lying to a three-year-old!" the President said angrily.

Depney hurried to explain, "Please rest assured, Mr. President. Although Apollo's 'Domain of the Gods' is formidable, he doesn't dare to appear openly. He only dares to secretly warn the EU countries, which shows he has his fears. He managed to destroy three secret bases by catching the guards off-guard and using non-military special means. Otherwise, he wouldn't have stopped after just three. Once we gather the elite forces and unofficial supernatural organizations from around the world and find the root cause, we will surely defeat him!"

"Hmph," the President grunted, reluctantly accepting the explanation. "I hope you can back up your words with actions."

"Rest assured, Mr. President, I will not disappoint you," Depney finally breathed a sigh of relief and got up from the floor.

The President squinted and said, "During this peak period when distinguished guests and tourists from around the world are flocking to Paris, you better not cause any trouble, or be prepared for the consequences."

Depney quickly agreed, nodding and bowing as he backed out of the hellish office.

In the courtyard, Master Yun Miao's narration was coming to an end. "When that guy calling himself Apollo first appeared, he didn't attract the attention of the European security organizations. After all, some underworld and mercenary organizations recruit followers in the name of gods. They assumed Apollo was just another one of them, and his 'Domain of the Gods' organization was only listed as a low-level terrorist group, without much effort put into dealing with them. However, just last month, Apollo unexpectedly located and completely destroyed three NATO, EU, and Russian military bases within three days, killing half of the stationed soldiers. His destructive power and reconnaissance abilities have escalated to the level of an international super-terrorist organization.

What's more troubling is that according to some soldiers who were lucky enough not to be in the camps, they saw what looked like a meteor shower of flames falling from the sky onto the military bases, causing intense explosions that soon destroyed the entire bases. These were clearly not conventional military weapons.

Because of such bizarre occurrences, many people have started believing that Apollo is indeed the Sun God, and 'Domain of the Gods' has gained many followers. Several underground organizations and cults have revived and begun to affiliate with them."

Yang Chen, hearing this, had a hint of doubt in his eyes and asked, "They shouldn't be doing this purely for destruction, right?"

"Of course not," Master Yun Miao said, her expression serious. "Starting last week, Apollo formally demanded that the EU recognize the legitimacy of 'Domain of the Gods.' He wants the EU constitutions to incorporate the doctrines of 'Domain of the Gods,' and he's also demanding decision-making power in the EU Council."

"What?!" Yang Chen found this hard to believe and burst out laughing. "So, not only does this Apollo want to be a god, but he also wants to rule Europe? Who knows, he might even want to negotiate with the US and China about this in the future!"

"Yes, as absurdly ambitious as it sounds, that's precisely what he's doing," Master Yun Miao sighed. "Apollo has secretly sent a threatening letter to the French President, stating that if the EU does not provide a satisfactory response within a month, he will start a series of 'divine punishments' beginning with the current rotating president of the EU Council, the French President."

"Divine punishments?" Yang Chen couldn't hold back his laughter and laughed heartily, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes. "Even though I've never met this Apollo, I think the guy is probably a fake. I don't know what methods he used to destroy the military bases, but it would be interesting to see it firsthand. I'm very curious about this 'ambitious' guy."

Master Yun Miao frowned in displeasure. "You can still laugh? If he really is Apollo, then..."

Yun Miao couldn't help but worry. She had witnessed the battle between Yang Chen and the god Ares when his divine powers were unsealed. The sheer power to move mountains and fill seas still sent chills down her spine every time she thought about it. Although Yang Chen's appearance didn't intimidate her too much, it didn't mean she could stand up to him with complete confidence.

Yang Chen probably understood why Yun Miao was worried. If it really were Apollo, one of the Twelve Olympian Gods, trying to unify the world, unless the Hongmeng organization intervened again or another god was willing to unseal their powers and battle Apollo for China's sake, the Iron Legion of Huaxia would be powerless.

"While it's not quite a matter of national survival, the current Iron Legion of Huaxia is riddled with holes and can't withstand much more depletion," Yun Miao sighed softly.

Yang Chen asked in confusion, "Why worry about so much? If it comes to it, just don't attend the meeting. Can they really force you to participate in that ridiculous conference?"

Yun Miao frowned. "This conference is officially organized. General Cai has just taken office and is overwhelmed with responsibilities, so he can't make it. I'm already leading a few Dragon Group members, which is a minimal presence. If none of us attend, it would be tantamount to turning against all other global organizations."

Yang Chen shrugged, showing little interest in these official matters. Since Master Yun Miao was still worried, there was nothing more he could say to persuade her.

Feeling there was nothing more to discuss, Master Yun Miao decided to leave. She said, "Take good care of Huilin," and then turned and left gracefully.

Yang Chen was about to go back inside when he saw Christine coming out, looking excited. It was clear from her expression that she had been eavesdropping on the conversation between him and Master Yun Miao from inside the house.