*Chapter 202: I Appoint You as Gods (Part 3)*

Atreus was never some "innocent French fry" that could be easily taken down by the enemy. After all, he had seen Odin in person.

Even when facing the God King, Atreus showed no fear.

Especially with his two guardians by his side: As Ares appeared, Diana twisted her waist and subtly raised her right hand, her left hip slightly jutting out in an S-shape, seemingly preparing to strike with her sword. Penthesilea silently lifted the corner of her dress, tying it into a high slit for better movement in the upcoming battle.

Atreus, meanwhile, casually embraced the two women's flexible waists, looking as though he was thoroughly enjoying their company.

With a calm smile on his face, Atreus effortlessly neutralized Ares' oppressive aura.

This was a classic test of sheer willpower. If Atreus’s resolve faltered, there would be no need for negotiations. Ares could directly crush Atreus’s spirit, turning him into a miserable slave.

Gods don't need to negotiate with mortals, just like humans don't bargain with ants.

It’s that simple and brutal.

Looking at the man known as Ludendorff, who was truly Ares in disguise, Atreus smirked.

If Ares wanted to play dress-up, Atreus could play along too.

In this life, Ares didn’t even bother hiding behind the identity of the British general Patrick.

"Are you Reinhard von Lohengramm?"

"Are you General Ludendorff?"

The seemingly meaningless pleasantries actually carried deeper undertones.

Atreus didn’t even use honorifics.

Ordinarily, such disrespect would anger a god, but Ares seemed to be in a good mood.

"Want to talk first?"

"We can talk, or we can skip it."

In the second round of this exchange, Ares was testing, and Atreus’s seemingly cold response only made Ares admire him more.

The underlying message was whether they were going to fight. It seemed like a clash could erupt at any moment, but at what cost?

If a battle of gods broke out, none of the German nobles at the banquet, whether male or female, would survive.

Atreus’s answer was intriguing — he didn’t mind fighting without concern for the civilians, but if Ares wanted to talk, they could. This flexible moral stance actually suited Ares quite well.

Diana and Penthesilea were tense, having long grown accustomed to Atreus taking the lead in such situations. Though unsure of what Atreus was planning, they suppressed their battle instincts.

To the onlookers, it appeared that General Ludendorff highly appreciated this young noble named Reinhard, even going so far as to leave the banquet for a private conversation with him.

The others, unaware of the true situation, could only gaze on with envy.

What a joke!

Atreus had just saved their lives.

In the castle’s side hall, a servant brought out drinks and snacks.

No one touched any of it.

Unlike Atreus, the two Amazon warriors were filled with hostility. Even the guards at the door sensed something was off and considered drawing their guns.

"Sir?"

"Leave! Stay far from this room, and no matter what happens, don’t come near."

Since it was a direct order from the General, the guards had no choice but to obey.

Once all the servants and guards had left, Ares sat down across from Atreus, relaxing. In his appearance as an old man with white hair, Ares exuded the pride befitting a chief god.

"Relax, especially you, Diana, my dear half-sister!" His deep, magnetic voice carried an inexplicable power, even subtly affecting Penthesilea, a woman with divine attributes.

Startled, Penthesilea quickly glanced at the two beside her.

Diana was slightly crouched, with her divine sword and shield drawn from her spatial pouch, ready to strike at any moment.

Atreus, on the other hand, casually took a seat.

Seeing Atreus's expression, Ares laughed, his mysterious laughter resonating with their souls. "That's right, Diana. Learn from your companion. This is how things should be handled."

Atreus’s posture was quite rude, legs spread apart as he sat without a care.

Oddly enough, Ares appreciated this. "Kratos, I’ll call you that for now. I don’t know your real name, but I admire you."

"A name is just a label. As for the admiration of a god of war, I don’t think I deserve it. The last one you favored, Menelaus, is already dead." Atreus replied, mixing softness with firmness.

"No, no, no! Menelaus was a weak, foolish man! I granted him long life, and he achieved nothing with it, wasting it on ruling a boring empire. You’re different. You have potential for war!"

Ares' voice was filled with strong persuasion, and in fact, Atreus’s system, invisible to others, was flashing countless warnings across his retina: [The God of War, Ares, is inciting your (Heart of War), performing a willpower check... Due to Athena's blessing of victory, the difficulty is halved... Check passed...]

Every three sentences from Ares forced Atreus to undergo a willpower check.

In theory, failing any of these checks could result in his soul being drawn towards the God of War.

Atreus felt immensely grateful for visiting Athena’s temple before confronting Ares. Without her blessing, though he might have survived, he was sure it wouldn’t have been this easy.

Diana glanced at Atreus several times, clearly sensing the terrifying, invisible mental clash. She wasn’t sure she could handle it herself. With no other options, she held her sword and shield and slowly moved to the left.

Responding in kind, Penthesilea, holding a lower-tier divine weapon, moved to the right, forming a 120-degree triangular formation around Ares.

Ares… didn’t react.

Perhaps that was the absolute arrogance of someone who had overturned the entire Olympian pantheon.

Compared to Diana, Ares was more interested in Atreus.

When Ares mentioned the word "potential," Atreus sneered, "Potential? The potential to be a dog?"

"No, no, no!" Ares shook his right index finger. "Only fools with no brains become dogs. I think both you and Diana have seen through human nature — even without my provocation, they would wage wars for wealth and power."

"What?!" Diana couldn’t help but spit in disgust.

Ares continued as if uninterrupted, "Humans have always been like this and always will be. Cowardly, cruel, selfish! Capable of the most horrific acts. I've always wanted the gods to see how evil my father’s creation, humanity, truly is. Unfortunately, the gods refused, so I destroyed them. But as for humans, I still hold out a sliver of hope, to see if I can find individuals who transcend their race, to nurture and observe them."

At this point, Ares looked at Atreus and Diana. "I’m very satisfied with Kratos. Join me, both of you. I will appoint you as my subordinate gods!"

(End of Chapter)