"That..." William slowed his steps and asked Athena, who was following him, "In the myths I'm familiar with, I've never heard of a god named Kratos. Also... your brother isn't still alive, is he?"
"Kratos was a member of Olympus for a very short time, and Zeus didn't want humans to revere him, so of course, you wouldn't know of his existence.
As for whether he's alive or dead...
To be honest, even I can't ascertain it. He might be living under an assumed name somewhere, leading what you humans call a normal life."
Hearing Athena's reply, William shrugged slightly, no longer intending to pursue the matter of Kratos.
Even if that violent 'God of War,' who was prone to slaying gods, was still alive, as long as he wasn't provoked, he probably wouldn't cause any major commotion.
However, William still needed to find time to instruct the agents hidden in Norway to be more vigilant.
Better safe than sorry.
After a pause,
William continued, "Athena, I want to know when you started paying attention to me and to our Umbrella Corporation?"
"Heh heh..." Athena let out a bitter laugh and said, "In fact, among the Greek gods, some died, some left, and only I remained on Earth.
Most of the gods believed that humanity had completely fallen, but I still held hope for you.
As for when I started paying attention to you...
It was earliest when you defeated the Hydra and the Nemean Lion at the Santorini volcano.
Especially witnessing your soldiers bravely fighting against those so-called 'anomalies' truly touched me, the goddess of war.
Otherwise, I wouldn't have appeared in your sight to inform you that Kronos was about to break free from his restraints."
Upon hearing this, William smiled and turned his head, saying, "Hearing you say that, I can finally understand why the Greeks still revere you, Goddess, to this day."
"Heh heh." Athena merely shook her head gently, smiling without a word.
"Boss," Serina reported to William through his earpiece, "All countries have received our alert and are preparing to hold another meeting. The proposed location is Halfa City."
Coincidentally,
William and Athena also walked into the bridge.
Immediately after, he took Serina's chip from his pocket, inserted it into the central console, and commanded,
"Alright, I understand. Then, please take us back to Halfa City."
"Yes."
——————
...
Date: November 14, 2009.
Location: Halfa City Hall.
Narration:
At this time, nearly a day had passed since Umbrella's contact with Athena, who claimed to be a goddess.
After receiving Serina's notification, various countries dispatched their respective officials or generals to jointly discuss countermeasures.
The meeting was held on the East Coast of North America, in Halfa City—the economic and cultural center that had completely replaced New York in status.
This was the first large-scale meeting held by the United Nations due to Umbrella since the "Athabasca Protocol."
It was convened in the city hall, which had tiered seating and enough capacity for two thousand people.
.
William, dressed in a suit, stood at the front of the podium, surveying the representatives from various countries, and said in a deep voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for taking the time to attend this meeting."
As he spoke, the projection screen on the left side of the podium displayed several Safe and Euclid-class containment objects to the attendees.
Finally, a pixelated image of Elizabeth Greene appeared.
He continued, "In the past three years, there have been 252 reported anomalous phenomena worldwide. They were either contained by our Umbrella Corporation or directly neutralized.
(He gestured towards the projection screen) And this one, in just a few days, caused the deaths of six hundred thousand of our human population, classifying it as a Keter-level containment.
The reason I wanted to gather everyone here today is that Umbrella has obtained precise intelligence that...
An Exafanistei-class containment object is about to appear."
!
The expressions of the national representatives varied, but they all clearly showed surprise.
The 049 that caused two thousand deaths was still fresh in their minds.
As high-ranking government officials, they were all more or less aware of the Manhattan lockdown incident concerning Elizabeth Greene.
If it was an Exafanistei-class, the death toll would certainly not be limited to the tens of thousands; millions, tens of millions, or even billions were possible.
"Ahem." William cleared his throat and switched the projection screen to a satellite image of Antarctica.
Relevant data was marked on the left.
Coordinates: 78° S, 163° E.
A mountain peak located southwest of the McMurdo Station.
.
William then said to the crowd, "Fortunately, according to the 'person' who provided the intelligence, this anomaly is still trapped beneath this mountain.
The codename for this anomaly is 'Kronos,' and it will break out of the mountain in six days, releasing an infinite number of imprisoned creatures.
Therefore, relying solely on Umbrella would inevitably be insufficient. So, I need all of you present to dispatch elite troops to cooperate and jointly confront this common enemy of humanity."
Upon hearing this,
The US Secretary of State raised his hand and spoke, "Mr. Russell, 'Kronos' is the Titan King in Greek mythology. Is there any connection to this anomaly?"
William replied with an unchanging expression, "It's not just a simple connection. In a certain sense, it is the Titan race that was defeated by Zeus and other gods in mythology."
"This... Is that true?"
"No way, a god?"
Upon hearing William's affirmation, the vast majority of representatives expressed their disbelief.
After all, the word 'god' was too sensitive for countries with strong religious beliefs.
"Mr. Russell, I believe you wouldn't joke about something that concerns the future of humanity, but I hope you can provide concrete evidence," said the US Secretary of State.
"No problem." William maintained his smile, clapped his hands, and raised his voice, saying,
"Madam Athena, it's time to show us your divine side."
"Click—"
No sooner had he spoken than the large door on the right side of the podium was opened by the Alphas, also dressed in suits.
Athena, in full battle attire, slowly walked into the meeting hall.
Her captivating beauty, gentle smile, and the faint glow emanating from her body made the representatives present feel an urge to prostrate themselves before her.
However, this influence had no effect on the employees of the Umbrella Corporation; they remained in place, diligently maintaining order in the hall.
Athena walked to the open area in front of the podium and the tiered seating, then enlarged herself to a height of ten meters, looking down at everyone from above.
And in an echoing voice, she said, "Mortals, I am Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom and War. Is this proof enough to convince you—?"
"Oh... my goodness..."
"It's really a god..."
Seeing this incredibly shocking scene, the national representatives present were dumbfounded.
Regardless of whether they believed it or not, Athena was here, and humanity's joint confrontation with 'Kronos' was inevitable.
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