"Since it's an official commission, I'll accept it then."
Now that there was a proper reason, Hecate took the divinity from Eros.
But in her heart, she still didn't believe Eros's real intention was just that.
He's so handsome, he must've just made up an excuse to gift this divinity to her.
Despite having wandered through countless worlds and having seen all kinds of beings, Hecate had never met a boy as stunningly beautiful as Eros.
She used to not understand what love was. She never got why Cybele would lose her temper over certain men.
But now she understood. The moment she laid eyes on Eros, she decided, she would have him, no matter the cost.
The most direct and reliable method, naturally, was a love potion.
Just one sip, and Eros would fall in love with her, so deeply he would never look at anyone else again.
As the goddess of magic and witchcraft, Hecate had full confidence in her potion-making skills.
Even the King of Gods might not withstand her potions.
Unfortunately, potions this overpowered weren't easy to craft.
Hecate had spent a ton of time, resources, and effort. After finally brewing one successfully...
Eros asked for it, and she gave it to him.
For the sake of keeping a good image in front of him, she hadn't dared to refuse.
With her "drugging plan" dead in the water, Hecate could only brace herself and try interacting the old-fashioned way, social skills, her weakest area.
Now that she'd taken Perseus's divinity, Hecate already had a plan for how to "cook" it.
A crude fusion would damage her own being, instead, she would forge a new backstory for herself as the child of Perseus.
In a sense, she was the Greek version of someone, madly collecting fathers to boost her background.
At least it was just symbolic adoption, not "sugar daddy" level.
Compared to that, you could say Eros was clinging to wealthy women. His biggest backer in this trip to the Underworld had been none other than... his godmother, Nyx.
"Since I've received your payment, I'll carry out your request. Please give me your hand."
Hecate gathered her courage and reached out.
Eros, clueless, complied.
Hecate held his palm, unable to stop her thoughts from wandering.
So big... so warm... is this the warmth of a man?
Her small hand reflexively squeezed twice before she composed herself and put on a calm expression.
Then she brought her fingers to her lips and, mixing in a warm, sticky liquid, traced a few markings onto his palm.
Crooked, branching lines symbolized choice, and Hecate's blessing was to ensure that choice always stayed in Eros's hands.
"All done," she said as she let go of his hand.
"That's it?" Eros was a bit confused. He didn't feel anything, and aside from the faint divine aura, the lines on his palm didn't seem to do much.
"Of course."
Hecate replied with a straight face.
"But this blessing doesn't last forever. So you'll have to return to the Underworld regularly so I can renew it."
This was a lie.
The blessing might not be permanent, but it would certainly last several years.
She only said that to ensure Eros would keep coming back to her.
Unlike tangible powers like fire, wind, or lightning, the nature of randomness and chance wasn't easy to grasp, so Eros wouldn't know if the blessing had truly worn off.
So he just nodded and agreed.
He could use the Corpse Energy: Netherwave to teleport to the Underworld at any time, no big deal.
"Thank you, Lady Hecate."
Though he still didn't understand why her marking method differed from other goddesses, he didn't dwell on it.
"No need for formalities. Just call me Hecate."
Perhaps it was due to her body's steady maturation, but Hecate seemed calmer now.
She finally showed a natural smile, the kind of expression a predator wears once they've adapted to their hunting ground.
"I'll just call you Eros too, then."
"Of course. It's my honor."
Eros returned the smile, clearly satisfied.
See? He knew it, no goddess could resist his charm.
With a few simple moves, the once-cold goddess now acted like a whole different person.
Their eyes met, her smile was shy, his confident.
"Since that's settled, Eros, why don't you stay a little longer? Let me treat you properly."
She glanced toward the untouched snacks and drinks on the table.
Though she no longer had the love potion, spending more time together would help deepen their connection.
But for Eros, that invitation came with heavy risk.
He glanced around the cluttered room filled with strange magical ingredients.
Nothing here looked remotely edible.
If he stayed, it would be the full dark cuisine experience. He wasn't ready for that.
"No, no, I've got someone waiting outside to escort me to the Underworld's exit."
He used Hypnos as an excuse.
In truth, he'd already accomplished everything he'd come here for,
✔ Secured Hecate's help
✔ Restored his image
✔ Shifted her entire attitude toward him
Rome wasn't built in a day. No matter how charming he was, you couldn't conquer Hecate in a single visit.
This required a longer game. Luckily, the blessing gave him plenty of excuses to return.
Coincidentally, Hecate was thinking the same thing.
With the love potion gone, even if Eros stayed, there wouldn't be any real progress.
She might even expose some of her everyday clumsiness, not worth it.
Better to wait until she had a new love potion ready.
As for now...
"Well, if that's the case, I suppose there's no helping it."
Hecate sounded both disappointed and secretly relieved.
"But next time you visit, stay longer, alright?"
She'd already decided: as soon as he left, she would start collecting ingredients for another love potion.
Eros had no reason to refuse.
But before leaving, a mischievous thought crossed his mind.
"Hey... we're friends now, right?"
He grinned slyly.
"If that's the case, then when friends part or reunite... there should be a warm hug."
He wanted to feel just how much her ever-changing body had transformed.
Hecate paused, maybe because she saw through him, maybe not.
Then she opened her arms and gave him a gentle hug.
Her body, constantly growing and changing, felt like soft dough expanding into his chest, pressing against him ever so slowly.
But the pace was too slow, and the hug was too short.
He couldn't really feel much.
"Well then... I'll look forward to our next meeting, my friend."
She smiled warmly.
[Your relationship with Hecate has reached "Friend" or higher. You may now use the Fire-Kindler skill.]
Huh?
The sudden system notification caught Eros off guard.
Athena had taken two encounters to reach this point. They at least had shared goals and interests.
Why was Hecate so easy?!
Was it because she had no friends, so hearing someone call her "friend" made her short-circuit?
Unable to understand, Eros still chose to use the skill.
[You've obtained the skill: Magic (from Hecate).]
What?!
Wait... that counts as a skill?!
...Actually, yeah. Magic and witchcraft could be learned. Unlike Authority, they weren't divinely exclusive.
Eros took a moment to sense the change, and couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face.
The Fire-Kindler skill had copied all of Hecate's magical knowledge and techniques, without reserve.
He had just achieved his long-awaited dream of becoming a magic powerhouse.
He finally... finally pulled an SSR.
This might be the best possible outcome from the Fire-Kindler skill.
In a sense, it was like a bugged exploit. Hecate, as the goddess of witchcraft and magic, might have been off-limits in terms of divine Authority.
But her knowledge? That could be shared.
And Hecate had wandered many realms, not just Greek witchcraft, but also Egyptian black magic, Near Eastern mysticism, and more.
The breadth and depth of her knowledge made it so Eros could almost claim himself as a half-god of magic and witchcraft.
Hecate noticed him frozen in place and asked,
"Something wrong? Do you need anything else?"
"No, I'm just... really happy."
Eros beamed brightly and waved goodbye.
"Next time I come, I'll bring you gifts from the surface. You can look forward to it."
When he was in a good mood, he treated everyone better, especially those around him.
Once outside, even Hypnos noticed something was off.
Eros was unusually calm and gentle with her, a behavior that usually only followed a really satisfying... meal.
"You were in there for such a short time. Don't tell me... you already did it?"
Hypnos stared, confused.
That couldn't be right, could it? No sounds, no movements... and that was way too fast.
Wait, had Eros overdone it recently? Was he losing his edge?!
"What are you even imagining? Do you always look at me through tinted glasses?"
Eros flicked the back of her exposed thigh under her short skirt, sending her yelping and skipping away.
"Let's go. Take me to the exit. I need to see the sun again."
After staying in the gloomy Underworld for so long...
It was time to bask in the light again, before mold started growing on his body.
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