Chapter 530 Divine Power and Hegemony

Nathan Hawke stood in front of the four demigods, silver-white energy flowing gently around him like water. Although he looked calm, he carried an unrivaled power. His eyes were calm, and his tone was gentle, but full of majesty that could not be ignored.

"Go back and tell Zeus and Apollo," Nathan said calmly, his voice echoing in the air like a low thunder, "Tell them that the Umbrella Group will be the sole ruler of this universe. All star regions and forces, whether mortals or gods, will submit to us. If they don't obey..." Nathan paused slightly, a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, "Then I will go to Olympus myself and solve the problem."

His voice was calm but with a strong sense of confidence and pressure, as if he didn't take ancient gods like Zeus and Apollo seriously at all. At this moment, Nathan was like a high and mighty ruler, completely in control of everything in front of him. He brought not only threats to the four demigods, but also unquestionable facts.

The four demigods stood in front of him, their hearts filled with shock and fear. Jason tightly grasped his sword and looked at Nathan with complicated eyes, as if he still couldn't accept the facts before him. He muttered in a low voice: "You...you really dare to fight Zeus?"

Achilles frowned, lowered his hammer slightly, and his eyes were filled with anxiety and anger: "How dare you challenge the gods? Do you think mortals can really be our enemies?"

Callisto's bowstring trembled slightly in her hand. With a trace of panic and doubt on her face, she whispered to Mephistopheles: "He is too strong. We... are no match for him at all."

Mephistopheles' eyes were filled with anger and helplessness. He clenched his teeth, lowered his head, and said in a deep voice: "We are powerless to resist him. We must convey this message to Lord Zeus."

The four demigods looked at each other, their expressions full of reluctance and helplessness. Although they were descendants of gods, they felt completely powerless in front of a mortal.

Nathan didn't say anything more. His eyes were as calm as before, as if he had expected their reaction. He turned around, facing away from the four demigods, and waved his hand gently, saying calmly, "Go back and tell your masters. I'm waiting for their response."

The four demigods looked at Nathan's back with complicated expressions on their faces. They knew that this mortal was no longer an enemy they could fight. Without saying anything more, they turned around and left, ready to return to Olympus and bring this shocking news back to the gods.

This battle, and their defeat, heralded the establishment of a new order between gods and mortals.

Inside Zeus' palace, the air was filled with a heavy sense of oppression. The gorgeous walls were inlaid with countless sparkling gems, and the brilliant light set off the luxury of the palace. However, the atmosphere at this moment seemed particularly tense.

Zeus half leaned on his golden throne, his expression relaxed, holding a glass of mellow wine in his hand. He glanced at the four demigods in front of him, with a hint of imperceptible amusement in his eyes. Next to him, Apollo had a gloomy face, and his furrowed brows revealed an undisguised anger.

"So, this is your reward?" Zeus raised his wine glass slightly, took a sip, and spoke casually with a hint of pleasure and sarcasm in his tone, "You four can't even deal with a mortal, but instead you are scared and come back in disgrace?" His voice was full of mockery and was particularly harsh.

The four demigods half-knelt on the ground, their heads lowered, and traces of battle still remained on their bodies. Jason clenched his teeth, his face ashamed, and wanted to explain but couldn't. Mephistopheles clenched his fists, his eyes full of helplessness and anger.

Apollo looked at the four demigods coldly, his eyes full of disappointment and dissatisfaction. His fingers tapped the armrests lightly, his voice as cold as a knife: "You so-called 'demigods' usually call yourselves strong, but when it comes to the critical moment, you can't even deal with a mortal? Are you trying to prove your incompetence to us?"

Achilles' face turned pale. He couldn't help but raise his head and defended in a hoarse voice: "Sir, that man's power is far beyond that of ordinary people. He... he is not like an ordinary human at all." There was a hint of trembling in his voice, and it was obvious that he was still frightened.

"Haha, of course he's not an ordinary person." Zeus smiled lazily, with a strange smile on his face, "After all, an ordinary person doesn't have the courage to run to my demigod to show off his strength, let alone threaten to ascend to Olympus. It seems that this mortal named Nathan Hawke is really interesting."

Apollo's eyes flickered, and his face became even gloomier, as if he was suppressing his anger. Without Ares, he could stop being "proper" and whispered, "Father, we can't just sit there and do nothing. He challenged Olympus and our dignity. He must pay for it."

"Price? Haha, you are still as impatient as ever, Apollo." The corners of Zeus' mouth curled up slightly. He gently shook the wine glass in his hand, watching the amber liquid swaying in it. "Just a mortal. Is it necessary to make you so angry? If I remember correctly, there was a half-human named Hercules who was brave enough to fight against the gods. Do you know what happened later?" There was a hint of teasing in his words, as if he was telling some insignificant joke.

"But he is your son." Apollo frowned, his tone full of dissatisfaction and anxiety, "And that Nathan Hawke? Who is he? Why does he dare to provoke us? We are not a being that can be offended by any mortal."

"Oh, Apollo, of course I understand your anger." Zeus smiled, his eyes gleaming with joy, "However, things cannot be solved by anger alone. I want to see how big a storm this guy who claims to be able to 'rule the universe' can cause." His tone was cynical, as if he was indifferent to everything, but there was an unspeakable sense of danger hidden in it.

Apollo took a deep breath, obviously dissatisfied with his father's attitude. He said in a deep voice: "Father, if we don't take action immediately, the whole universe will look down on Olympus. They will think that the majesty of the gods can be easily trampled by mortals."

Zeus suddenly laughed, and the laughter echoed in the hall, which was particularly harsh. He put down the wine glass, stood up, and spread his hands, as if embracing the whole world, "Apollo, my dear son, you are always so eager to prove yourself. Do you think that this little provocation can really shake the majesty of Olympus? We are gods, eternal gods. No matter how arrogant a mortal is, he is just like an ant trying to shake a tree."

His voice instantly became majestic and cold, as if he was declaring an unshakable fact. When the four demigods heard this, the shock and fear in their hearts gradually subsided, but they still had lingering worries in their hearts.

Apollo still had a tense face and said unwillingly: "But he really could cause trouble. We can't wait until he comes to us - we have to act first."

Zeus restrained his smile, stared at the four demigods with eyes as sharp as a hawk, and whispered: "Then you continue to observe him, find his weaknesses, and then decide how to attack. We will not allow anyone to threaten the glory of Olympus, but we will not get angry easily. If he really has the ability to challenge the gods, then let him show it."

"But..." Zeus suddenly changed the subject and smiled meaningfully, "If he really dares to set foot on this mountain, I will personally receive him. Let's see how ignorant he is."

Apollo didn't say anything more, just nodded coldly, his eyes still full of anger and unwillingness. But he also understood that his father's attitude had already made it clear - the upcoming contest might be more complicated than they imagined.

On the desolate land of this remote planet, the sky was overcast and shrouded in darkness. On the ground, the broken buildings and the scorched battlefields exuded a pungent smell of gunpowder. Darkseid stood on the conquered land, with a neatly arranged team of intelligent life behind him, like a fearless iron army. His figure was as tall as a mountain, cold and majestic, and his eyes burning with red light were like the eyes of a demon from the depths of hell.

Ares and his demigod army stood in front of Darkseid, wearing black armor that emitted a cold glow under the gloomy sky. Their faces were cold and resolute, and their eyes were full of fighting spirit. Behind Ares, hundreds of demigod warriors were fully armed, all with calm faces, holding sharp spears and shields, as if ready for a bloody battle at any time.

Darkseid slowly raised his head, his eyes penetrated the haze, staring at Ares, with a hint of disdain and sarcasm in his eyes. His voice was low and grand, like thunder rolling in the valley, "You who call yourself gods dare to try to stop the progress of Umbrella? Ares, I heard that you are the God of War, but unfortunately... your myth is nothing more than an outdated ancient legend." He sneered, his voice full of mockery, "Do you really think that you can challenge the power of Darkseid and Umbrella Group with your group of demigod bastards?"

Ares' eyes were as cold as a knife. He was not shaken by Darkseid's ridicule, but instead showed a disdainful sneer. A sonorous voice rang out on the battlefield, with an unshakable determination: "Darkseid, no matter where the power of your Umbrella spreads, it cannot escape the judgment of God. Every stronghold of yours, every inch of land you touch, will be burned to ashes under my battle axe. You think you can dominate the universe, but you don't know what real power is!"

After hearing this, Darkseid's sneer gradually spread, and finally turned into a loud laugh that shook the world. His laughter was low and full of sarcasm, echoing throughout the battlefield, as if mocking Ares's ignorance and arrogance. "Hahahaha... God's judgment? Ares, do you really think that your weak divine power can compete with me, Darkseid?" He looked at Ares with contempt, with a fierce light flashing in his eyes, "You are right, I will let you see what real power is. The 'God' you speak of is nothing more than a relic of the past, a shadow of the past glory. Your era should have been replaced long ago."

Darkseid's expression became more ferocious, and a scarlet light flashed in his eyes. "I am really surprised that you dare to bring your legion here. It seems that you are indeed prepared... to fight for your own destruction." He raised his hand, and the intelligent legion behind him took a step forward in unison. Their weapons lit up and released deadly energy light, as if they could engulf the entire battlefield at any time.

"I don't need your submission, nor will I accept your challenge." Darkseid's voice became low and cold, as if it came from the depths of hell. "I will destroy you with my own hands and let your divine blood stain this barren land red. Then, I will let the entire universe see how the former 'God' bowed his head in the face of true power."

Ares' eyes flashed with anger. He tightly gripped the battle axe in his hand. His aura surged like a volcano. He responded coldly, "No point in talking any more, Darkseid. Come on, let me see how strong your so-called 'real power' is."

Darkseid's eyes flashed dangerously and the corners of his mouth rose slightly, "As you wish, God of War. I will let you understand the gap between God and the real ruler." He waved his hand gently, and the soldiers of the Intelligent Legion raised their weapons together. Energy began to accumulate, and an unprecedented fierce confrontation was about to begin.