In the Underworld, the Shorea Flower Sea, Athena's radiant figure appeared on this desolate land.
Her gaze swept across the Shorea Flower Sea, and a look of appreciation flashed in her eyes.
"That Ares fellow, he certainly has good taste in choosing a hiding place."
The news of Ares appearing in the Underworld was, naturally, secretly relayed to Athena by her informants embedded in the Underworld. Besides Rhadamanthus, Athena had left many phantoms as informants in the Underworld. These phantoms not only constantly transmitted information about the Underworld to her but also indirectly served to monitor Rhadamanthus.
However, Athena still hadn't discovered that a different person had taken Rhadamanthus's place inside his armor, because this time, the news of Ares's appearance was simultaneously sent back to her by both her informants in the Underworld and Rhadamanthus.
According to the information from her informants, Ares had appeared in the Shorea Flower Sea and was chasing a maid who was suspected to be Hydra in human form. It seemed that the lost Hydra was most likely also here.
Athena's purpose for this trip was to find Hydra. Like Ares and Hecate, she coveted the deadly venom of Hydra, which could poison anything.
Of course, Athena dared to come here to find Hydra only because Ares's attention was not focused on the Underworld. Ares's energy should still be tied up with the matter concerning Artemis and Orion; otherwise, if Athena encountered him here, putting aside whether she would suffer a loss, she would certainly be disgusted by that man.
According to the information relayed by her informants, Hydra was currently serving as Queen Hecate's servant in the Underworld. At this time, she should be leaving the Shorea Flower Sea to retrieve some supplies from King Hades's palace in the Underworld.
As expected, after Athena searched carefully for a few minutes, she saw the Hydra, humming a song and slithering along, in the Shorea Flower Sea. Her eyes lit up, and then she cast an invisibility spell on herself, quietly following behind Hydra.
Now that Hydra had transformed into human form, she looked much more pleasing to the eye. If one ignored her serpentine lower body, she now looked like a beautiful and lovely young girl, and Athena's current behavior was undoubtedly that of a stalker following a beautiful girl.
Athena followed Hydra all the way, and the two quickly passed through the Fields of Truth and arrived at a Styx River beneath Hades's massive palace. It was there, seeing no one around, that Athena revealed herself and blocked Hydra's path.
"Hydra."
"Ah!"
Seeing Athena suddenly appear before her, Hydra was clearly startled. Her face turned pale, she retreated several steps, and then asked with some fear:
"A-Athena, why have you come looking for me?"
"I've come to pick you up."
Athena smiled and approached Hydra, but saw the Hydra recoil in fear, so she could only stand still, maintaining a harmonious smile, and softly said:
"Have you forgotten? We made a pact. After you were defeated by Heracles, I went there and couldn't find your head. I didn't expect you to come directly to the Underworld and even become Queen Hecate's servant. But it's okay, I'm here now. Come with me, I will give you what I once promised."
Athena extended a hand of friendship to Hydra, but Hydra shook her head and mumbled softly, "I'm doing very well here, I don't want to go with you."
"Why?" Athena asked in confusion. "This is Ares and his teacher's territory. That man deceived your feelings before. Do you still want to stay here as a maid, watching him and his teacher collude in mischief and suffer indignity? Or are you still thinking of him?"
"That man is indeed very annoying, and I'm not thinking of him." Hydra recalled the red tattooed, white-skinned bald man Ares had shown her, who would completely tear her apart in the future ocean, and couldn't help but shrink her neck, a look of terror on her face: "It's that I don't want to go out. The outside world is too dangerous. I just want to live well."
"What danger is there?" Athena said speechlessly. "You are the strongest monster in this world, and I, a main god, stand behind you. What are you afraid of?"
"No, no, no, what am I? I'm just trash." Hydra shook her head repeatedly. "Don't look for me, I'm not going, you leave, Athena."
Next, Athena tried to coax and trick Hydra, but Hydra remained unmoved.
What's wrong with this Hydra?
Athena looked at Hydra's timid and downcast appearance, and began to wonder what kind of bewitching potion Ares had given her.
Of course, she didn't know that this matter concerning Hydra was also related to herself. After all, the bald god who scared Hydra, judging from the current course of events, must also be related to her, but Athena herself didn't know the name and appearance of that person in the future, nor did she know that Ares had already sent that video to Hydra to watch.
One can only say that Kratos is as fierce as a tiger; this kind of fear can only be understood by those who have seen it with their own eyes.
"Alright, since you feel comfortable staying in the Underworld, I won't force you." Seeing Hydra's resolute attitude, Athena finally gave up on the idea of abducting the Hydra. She said to Hydra, "But Hydra, I can't do things for you for free. The giant crab I sent you before also died, causing me to lose a great general. You should compensate me, shouldn't you?"
"Oh." Hydra thought for a moment, then nodded honestly, "I guess I should thank you, but in my current state, what compensation can I give you?"
"I don't need anything from you." Athena said with a smile, "I just need a little bit of your bodily fluid. Blood is fine… if not, saliva will do."
"Oh." Hydra suddenly realized, "You want my poison, right?"
"Smart." Athena gave her a thumbs up and praised her.
"Hehe, of course, Athena, you're so good to me." Hydra said, while reaching behind her back with both hands into a pocket on the backside of her maid dress, pulling out an item similar to a future Japanese child's alarm, and quietly pulling the pin.
"Hmm, I don't need too much, just one tube will do."
Athena was well prepared. Seeing Hydra agree, she pulled out a bronze syringe from her person and then approached Hydra with a smile.
However, just then, from Hades's palace above them, a female voice that terrified Athena suddenly rang out:
"Athena? Athena! I heard you came to see me! Is it true?"
Hydra silently looked up and saw a cloud of dust rapidly approaching from the separate palace where Queen of the Underworld Persephone resided.