After the ball, Aphrodite, accompanied by the Graces, went to the hot spring to bathe. Her gauzy dress was soaked with spring water, and her shapely figure was barely visible through the veil of water.
Aglaia, the Grace of Enthusiasm, asked with a light laugh, "What's the matter? Has the beautiful goddess of love finally decided to shift her target?"
Aphrodite responded with a light laugh, splashing water. "Once you get what you want, the initial thrill fades. I actually enjoy the pursuit more. If he were to fall for me so easily, I'd lose interest."
Having said that, Aphrodite used her divine power to weave a gauze scarf. This scarf was crafted from the soft grace of a woman, teasing words, and the raw power of lust. It had the ability to arouse impulsive desire in all the male gods. The Graces, their expressions sly, adorned Aphrodite's creation with all things beautiful.
Satisfied, Aphrodite draped the scarf over herself, her already dazzling beauty becoming even more enchanting. She dressed up and then descended gracefully to the earth. At this time, the god of war Ares had just finished a battle. The demons emerging from the cracks in the ground were his perfect opponents.
The thrill and sense of fulfillment from slaying the demons filled Ares. He washed the blood off his body in the lake, his bare upper body covered with dense scars. When Ares was immersed in war, he often displayed a ferocious side. The pain from the wounds excited him and made him fight even more ferociously.
After cleaning himself, Ares stepped out of the lake. His strong body made Aphrodite, who was hiding nearby, feel a ripple in her heart. As Ares put on his armor, ready to leave in search of his next opponent, Aphrodite emerged from her hiding place.
The body of the goddess of love, draped in the gauzy scarf, exuded a soft rose - like fragrance. The power of love and lust, like a gentle drizzle, extinguished the flames of war in Ares and took away his courage and composure.
The god of war angrily accused, "Aphrodite, do you want to stop my war? My rage will destroy you. Go back to your ball and keep dancing. Stay away from me quietly, or I won't be able to control myself from hurting you!"
Aphrodite laughed lightly. The thin scarf on her body fluttered in the wind as she walked gracefully, assuming alluring postures. With each approach, her frowns gradually relaxed. Aphrodite lifted her skirt to reveal her bare ankles and swayed towards Ares. Standing on tiptoe, she leaned close to the god of war's ear and said, "Ares, don't suppress the anger in your heart. Look at me. I want to have your passionate gaze."
"Feel the surging blood in you. Look at me well, so that you won't confuse the fire of love with the fire of rage."
Aphrodite's warm and smooth fingers gently stroked Ares' cheek. A tingling sensation like an electric shock made the god of war tremble uncontrollably. The hot breath from the goddess's mouth reached his mind through his ears, and the fire in Ares' heart spread like wildfire on grass and trees.
The anger faded away silently, and an unprecedented thrill occupied Ares' mind. The young god of war didn't understand where this feeling of weakness came from. He pushed Aphrodite, who was leaning on his shoulder, away in confusion and asked the goddess of love as if he had discovered a new continent, "Aphrodite, what have you done to me?"
The proud Aphrodite couldn't accept Ares' lack of romantic response. She turned angrily and left, leaving Ares with a puzzled frown, standing there dumbfounded.
On Mount Olympus, seeing the indignant look on Aphrodite's face, the Graces knew she had failed again. They used their divine powers to bring joy to Aphrodite, dispelling the gloom on her friend's face.
Under the comfort of the Graces, a smile reappeared on Aphrodite's face. The four goddesses danced wantonly, pushing the atmosphere at the ball to a climax.
The appearance of Eos, the goddess of the dawn, made the displeasure between Aphrodite's brows reappear. By the lake, Eos emerged from a rosy - colored dawn glow. Since the god of the stars Astraeus was imprisoned in the abyss, Eos had lost her spouse. However, she didn't grieve for long and soon turned her eyes to other male gods.
She and Astraeus had many star - gods as their children, but Eos wasn't close to her sons. Apart from introducing them to become the subordinate gods of Zeus, she didn't pay any attention to them.
Having risen to the power of an intermediate - level god, Eos had enough honor. She had once taken care of Cronus and was respected and protected by the god of disaster. Her brothers and sisters were also gods of great power, and she freely enjoyed herself under their protection.
She had been with Poseidon for a while, but the sea god's philandering was unacceptable to her, and their relationship quickly cooled down.
Now she had set her sights on the handsome god of war Ares, but Ares was considered Aphrodite's exclusive property, and he wouldn't let Eos get ahead of her.
Flashes of angry sparks burst from the eyes of the goddess of love. She left the mountain and hid in the clouds. Drawing her bow of jealousy and nocking the arrow of lust, she shot her malice at Eos, who was laughing so happily under the moonlight.
The power of lust turned into invisible arrows and aimed at the goddess of the dawn. Selene, the goddess who drove the moon - chariot to ferry the souls of the dead, dashed down from the night sky. Waving her bow in her hand, she blocked Aphrodite's hidden arrow.
Selene pulled her panicked sister onto the chariot and turned to chase after the fleeing Aphrodite.
The goddess of love escaped under the cover of the clouds, but the fear in her heart was no less than that of Eos. Aphrodite was well aware that if the gods of the radiant group were to investigate, she would be absolutely no match.
Aphrodite returned to Mount Olympus again. When the Graces saw her pale complexion, they crowded around her with concern and asked. Aphrodite, who was in the wrong, could only manage a forced smile to brush off her friends' concern.
Meanwhile, in the temple, Hestia suddenly looked up. The subtle fluctuations of lust didn't escape her eyes. The goddess of winter looked at the moon goddess and the goddess of the dawn who were affected but unaware. She immediately realized that this was the work of Eros. Aphrodite's methods weren't so refined; she had been influenced by the primordial god of love!
Hestia's gaze gradually became dangerous. Styx, the goddess of the River of Fate, emerged from the River of Fate. She wove the threads of fate and separated the divinity from the primordial god of love Eros that still lingered in Aphrodite's body.
The primordial gods trapped in the depths of their origin had very limited influence on the outside world. Everyone started from the same starting point, except Tyche. Styx, who had risen to the power of a great god, could not be stopped by anyone except Phoebe. She could cause as much chaos in the realm of fate as the gods who governed lust.
The ever - worried Aphrodite was still racking her brains for an excuse to deceive Selene when suddenly, a wave of weakness hit her. The power from the primordial god within her womb grew rapidly and, before Aphrodite could even utter a cry of surprise, the child with wings on its back emerged into the radiance. He carried a small bow and a quiver filled with golden and silver arrows. Aphrodite instinctively caught the child, feeling as if she was in a dream.
The divine connection was so real. The child before her was indeed her son. Maternity filled Aphrodite's mind, and she lovingly said her son's name: "Eros."
Eros in the depths of the origin shuddered. He turned his head to look at Tyche, who was standing with Nyx. Tyche responded with a challenging smile.
Eros, who also had the domain of love, sent a powerful surge of divine power to his mother. The power of love surged. Just one more step was needed for his domain of love to break through the limitations of an intermediate - level god and become that of a powerful god.
The adorable little god of love was adored by the Graces. The surging power of love also attracted the attention of the other gods. The gods blessed the newborn, celebrating the prosperity of the divine.
Although Hera, who held the power of childbirth, was not on good terms with Aphrodite, children were innocent. Motherhood made Hera set aside her prejudice against Aphrodite and sincerely offer her blessing.
Ares saw Aphrodite behind his mother. This time, the smile on the goddess's face made him unable to look away for a long time. The radiance of motherly love made Aphrodite look more beautiful than ever before.
Suddenly, Ares had the urge to throw down his sword and embrace Aphrodite. However, the sounds of fighting in his ears and the faint smell of the blood of war made him hesitate, unable to make a decision. In the end, the desire to kill was unable to resist Aphrodite's charm. This was not surprising. Even the two primordial gods of the dark origin couldn't control the influence of love, let alone a young god of war.
The gods returned to the banquet to continue their revelry. Ares, having set aside his desire to fight, returned to Aphrodite's side and embraced her. The lust - stricken war god made the flames of war on earth die out, and love triumphed over war.
The birth of the little god of love made the power of love surge. The fire of lust burned in the hearts of humans. Human settlements grew larger and larger, forming prosperous communities, and city - states began to emerge.
In the growth of love and lust, the power of the goddesses of love and marriage dispelled the curse shadows wandering on the earth. These disasters disappeared under the power of civilization.
At this time, Ares had fallen asleep in Aphrodite's soft arms. The goddess of love indeed had feelings for Ares. The god of war was fierce and cruel, but he was completely obedient to Aphrodite. They had a sweet and wonderful time together.
With the end of the war, Aphrodite was about to be promoted. The power of love further promoted the growth of marriage. The two goddesses who created civilization were promoted to powerful gods on the same day.
This was a rare event on Mount Olympus. Even the gods of the underworld came to Mount Olympus to participate in this celebration.
After all, his promotion benefited from Aphrodite. Hera couldn't very well keep her son away from the goddess of love. She simply pretended not to see them being inseparable all the time. However, Hephaestus, the craftsman god, was both envious and sincerely congratulated his younger brother and the beautiful Aphrodite on becoming partners. He begged Aphrodite to also bestow love upon him.
Although Hephaestus wasn't as handsome as Ares, he could hardly be described as ugly. The craftsman god, who was highly valued by the king of gods, was not an insignificant god. The silent Hephaestus was a suitable husband for a peaceful life.
Thinking of this, Aphrodite whispered to the Graces about the craftsman god's request. Aglaia, the Graces of elegance, appreciated Hephaestus' craftsmanship and readily expressed her willingness to become the craftsman god's partner. The two gods weren't strangers to each other. The goddess Aglaia brought unparalleled elegance and charm to Hephaestus' creations, and Hephaestus could always create works that satisfied the goddesses according to Aglaia's obscure descriptions. They admired each other and were indeed a suitable couple.
To thank Aphrodite, Hephaestus ordered his servants to bring out exquisite ornaments as gifts for the goddess of love. The charming Thalia and the enthusiastic Euphrosyne surrounded Aglaia, teasing the shy craftsman god, but they didn't notice the eyes watching them.
The appearance of the little god of love, Eros, split the power of the primordial god of love. Coupled with Aphrodite's successful promotion to a powerful god, it was enough to keep Eros busy for a while.
In a good mood, Hestia walked into the temple. The goddess noticed the Sleep God Hypnos staring intently at Thalia. She smiled and said, "The Graces are the embodiment of all that is beautiful. Lord of sleep, does the eternal desolation of the underworld make you also yearn for the favor of beauty?"
The black wings of the Sleep God closed. His eyes showed obvious longing and hope. "The underworld echoes with eternal wails and cries. Apart from the banks of the Styx and the flowers of the god of wealth, there are few bright colors."
Then he turned to look at Hestia and asked with interest, "Respected goddess of winter, the Erinnyes, who serve the goddess Tyche with you, have also come to Mount Olympus. Why don't you reminisce with them?"
The great flood had caused a huge increase in the number of souls entering the underworld. The Erinnyes were very busy. They rarely had a chance to rest. Hestia didn't want the maids to feel constrained, so she deliberately avoided them.
"Rest time is so precious. The god of sleep should understand this feeling the most, right?"
The Sleep God, who brought relaxation and rest, shook his head with a wry smile. "We haven't stopped our busy steps for a long time. The souls entering the underworld are almost bursting the underworld. We have to open up more space while dealing with the souls."
One of the culprits, the goddess, shifted the topic in an embarrassed way. "Sleep can also bring beauty to living beings. The breath of sweet dreams will surely attract the attention of the Graces. Your union will bring comfort to the world."
Hestia's encouragement didn't make Hypnos muster up the courage. The Sleep God lowered his head dejectedly and moved his gaze away from the charming goddess Thalia. Tired, he looked at Aphrodite and Hera, who were surrounded by the gods. "How wonderful. New gods are constantly being born. There will surely be a few willing to come to the underworld to develop their divinities."
"I don't think it's very likely. Accepting a divinity in the underworld means losing most of one's freedom. Gods who love pleasure by nature won't go to the lifeless underworld for this. And humans are so afraid of death. How can they sincerely offer their faith to the gods of the underworld?"
Hestia's analysis made sense. Hypnos, who had brought the gods of the underworld to Mount Olympus this time, besides congratulating the two powerful goddesses, also had the intention of recruiting for the underworld. However, as soon as the gods heard that they had to spend a lot of time working in the underworld, they all rejected the Sleep God's invitation.
Hypnos had a long face and looked at Hestia with a look of complaint in his eyes. Suddenly, the Sleep God perked up and stared at Hestia eagerly. "Goddess Hestia, you are very suitable to live in the underworld. Ice and cold are your domains. The souls frozen to death should be under your control."