Through countless rounds of polishing and… intense training, Eros had continued to evolve at every moment.
After the trials with Hera, Styx, Hades, and Persephone, his power and technique had improved at an extraordinary rate.
Amphitrite had originally believed that, now empowered with a divine role, she could finally reclaim some lost pride.
What she didn't expect… was that Eros had advanced far faster than she had.
It wasn't until she poured out all the longing and desire built up over their time apart that she finally collapsed into a deep sleep.
Tears clung to the corners of her eyes, probably from emotional overload during the more "intense" parts of the session.
Eros rolled off the bed, his hand touching a wet, slick surface.
Typical of the Abyssal Capital, everything here always felt like it had a thin film of water.
Even the sea goddesses themselves often had that same effect, their skin shimmering with a moist glow.
It made their bodies slippery and impossible to grip firmly, like those oiled-up scenes from very specific kinds of films.
Eros loved this particular trait. After all, it wasn't sticky, just smooth.
After indulging in the taste of Amphitrite once more, Eros felt spiritually and physically satisfied.
Yes, there were plenty of other choices on the journey here.
Cecrops. Hephaestus' priestess. But could any of them compare to the taste of a goddess?
Once you've had the good stuff, your standards just go up.
So now… Eros was in that rare state of clarity known as post-nut enlightenment.
And unless he got overly stimulated again, it was the perfect time for rational thought.
That was the core of Eros' time utilization philosophy:
Three days of indulgence, five minutes of accelerated cognition, efficient as hell. Even Zeus would approve.
Why waste time with endless council meetings when five minutes in Sage Mode could get more done?
Since Amphitrite had no interest in fighting Poseidon for the sea, Eros had no reason to actively oppose her either.
But simply giving the divine office back was also… out of the question.
And that was the problem.
Lady Ananke just had to have it both ways, Poseidon must be Sea King, Amphitrite must be Sea Queen.
Which left Eros stuck right in the middle.
Poseidon would never accept a consort she couldn't control.
But Eros couldn't possibly hand over Amphitrite either.
Trying to farm fate for benefits was hard. Ananke was so high-maintenance.
Eros rubbed his temples. Nothing good came to mind.
Maybe taming Poseidon was the best route, but the difficulty there was astronomical.
Not to mention the danger… Poseidon was the rowdiest, most chaotic creature in all the sea.
Her personality was more like a perverted poodle, but Eros preferred to classify her as a particularly manic husky.
She was wild, untameable, always bouncing off the walls, with selective memory and sharp instincts.
Even Zeus and Hades had thrown up their hands dealing with her. They didn't even try to comment anymore.
That told you everything you needed to know.
Oceanus? Didn't even bother. Checked out completely.
So what was Eros supposed to do against this sea-salted gremlin?
For the first time in a while, Eros truly felt a bit stumped.
He now understood what it felt like to be a villain in a story, forced to face a protagonist chosen by fate.
Can't kill them. Can't reason with them. Can't ignore them.
Ananke, what were you thinking? Making that thing the Sea God?
Was this the helplessness that came with standing against the ocean?
No matter how much you insulted, struck, or dominated her, Poseidon always came back unscathed.
If nothing else, she had one talent: being utterly shameless. And that, in this world, made her unbeatable.
Was there truly nothing that Poseidon cared about?
Eros scratched his head in frustration. His five minutes were up. He was done thinking.
Screw it. Whatever happens, happens.
If things got really bad, he could just beat Poseidon half to death and toss her back into convalescence.
That would at least buy some time before she started causing trouble again.
With that, Eros stood, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and declared one simple goal:
Time to find something fun to recharge the soul.
And what better place to start than Eurynome?
That aquatic goddess still owed him a little "thank you gift."
And Eros was very curious what form that gratitude would take.
As he stepped outside, he noticed something…
The air around the Abyssal Capital felt even tenser than before.
Was it just his imagination?
First, he swung by the lower tier to check on Prometheus and Cecrops, confirmed, still living their best lives.
Then he made his way toward Eurynome's palace.
Oceanus had three thousand children. Some were true-born, others were like Eurynome, created through rank reduction.
Regardless of origin, Oceanus treated them all equally.
Their city was built as a majestic cluster of divine palaces, layered atop one another like a mountainous staircase.
Last time, Eros had been dragged around from one party to the next, barely able to keep track of where he was or who he was inside of.
This time, he walked calmly through the watery streets, politely rejecting the flirtatious glances and open invitations thrown his way.
He'd just eaten. Now was not the time for reliving old glories.
Still… every smiling goddess brought back memories. Fond ones.
Ah… the Silver District of the Sea, no wonder Zeus spoke of it so wistfully.
Eventually, he arrived at Eurynome's palace. Like all the others, it didn't look especially different from the outside.
"Goddess Eurynome, I've come to visit."
He knocked.
There were no nymph maids here, probably because Eurynome rarely stayed home.
When no answer came, Eros simply walked in.
It's not like he'd ever accidentally walk in on her bathing or changing.
And even if he did, she wouldn't care.
Come on, was she even wearing clothes when she first showed up?
Thinking back on her glorious creator-goddess aura, Eros nearly salivated on the spot.
Those divine curves, always pressed together, imagine how much sweat would gather between them. That had to taste heavenly.
Even the least sacred fluid from an ocean goddess was a divine elixir on the mortal plane.
Each goddess had her own distinct flavor, Eros had even tried blending them into cocktails before.
Unfortunately, he never had enough samples. And not enough time.
Thinking all these totally pure thoughts, Eros walked into the main hall.
Floating seaweed gently swept across the palace like silk ribbons.
And there, on the ornate throne, was Eurynome, now back in her mermaid form.
Only… her top half wasn't covered by shells anymore.
It was a string bikini. A very familiar one.
Thin straps pulled taut, barely holding up her ample offerings, ready to snap at any second.
But what surprised Eros wasn't her outfit.
It was the other goddess seated across from her.
Clearly also one of the ocean's divine daughters, judging by the fact she was wearing his fashion line.
Tight shorts, thigh-high boots, cropped jacket, long hair tied up, all very modern, clean, and sharp.
But Eros didn't recognize her.
"Well… seems like I came at a bad time."
He said that, even as he shamelessly sat down next to them.
Clearly, the two had been mid-conversation. His entrance had cut things short.
Eurynome stared at him with a speechless expression.
Most people would've backed off and waited outside. But Eros? He just plopped down.
And why did he have to sit so close?! There was plenty of space!
Still, she recited the obligatory line:
"No. You've come at just the right time."
"Allow me to introduce her, this is Thetis, leader of the Nereids. You could say she's the acting governor of the Abyssal Capital right now."
Eurynome gestured toward her guest.
And after a moment of thought, Eros remembered the name.
Thetis, mother of Achilles. One of the wisest and most respected of the sea goddesses.
She was also one of the few who'd managed to walk away unscathed from a divine love triangle involving both Zeus and Poseidon.
How?
Because she'd made a prophecy, and passed it to Zeus via Prometheus.
"The child of Thetis shall surpass his father."
That single prophecy scared Zeus and Poseidon into giving her away to a mortal hero rather than risk fathering someone stronger than themselves.
Although honestly? Eros was still skeptical about that story.
The all-powerful Zeus… and Thetis was supposed to birth someone stronger than him?
What are we doing here?
What's next, you're gonna tell me she's the Virgin Mary or something?