328 Poseidons Reques (1/2)

Zero stayed in Poseidon's sea temple for a few days, enjoying the luxury of an esteemed guest while he became the titan's conversation buddy. The titan was very interested in what happened while he was out of touch with the world. Zero didn't keep anything from Poseidon and also admitted that his knowledge was lacking. It didn't take long for the teen to spill the truth about his origins after that and Poseidon didn't know how to react to finding out about Zero's identity.

\”Are you sure you should be telling me this? You should be more careful about who you trust,\” the God of Oceans advised.

Zero shook his head. \”I don't have any reason to see you as a threat. You are very weakened right now and I am very powerful. What difference does it make?\”

Poseidon had no way to refute Zero's harsh facts. In the past, he would have taken it as an insult but now that his time was coming to an end, he could only laugh at the irony.

\”Indeed, what difference does it make? I'm sure you have more important things to do now that you understand the truth about Athena's past. That girl suffered a lot while she was alive, I only hope that she can find peace now that she has departed.\”

Zero frowned. It was true that he no longer needed to remain on Hyacinth but as a doctor, he didn't feel good about leaving a dying man all alone especially when he knew how to revive the dying man. Right now, Zero tried to shift his mentality from a doctor to a businessman. As a business person, there was still much to gain from Poseidon even in his weakened state. Heaven is currently still very weak and lacking in powerful anchors, unlike Hell. Poseidon used to be a Great God so if Zero could find a way to reinstate his rank, the number of prayers he could receive will benefit the plane. The burden on Sedna could be reduced as well and personally, Zero would love to learn more from this ancient titan.

\”How about we make a deal?\” Zero proposed and Poseidon raised his brows in surprise.

\”What kind of deal?\” he asked.

The teen grinned. \”You're Athena's teacher, right? Wouldn't that mean that you surpass her in everything that she knows?\”

The titan knew what Zero was hinting at. \”A good student will always surpass their master,\” he told Zero who agreed.

\”However, your student isn't around and I'm currently looking for a teacher to teach me all about strategy and tactics,\” Zero sighed dramatically before casting a side glance to the blind titan.

However, this teen who appeared before him was like the light at the end of his tunnel. Maybe, this was what he had been holding onto for so long. For the first time since he lost his sight, Poseidon felt a sense of purpose. He might be a great tactician and strategist capable of seeing everything that happened on the battlefield and lead the troops to victory without fail. Despite that, Poseidon was unable to discern right from wrong when it came to matters of the heart, leading to his downfall.

\”I do not teach for free,\” Poseidon smirked. Zero grinned carefreely.

\”I wouldn't dare. Please state your price,\” Zero smiled.

The titan didn't state his price immediately, instead, he wanted to know more about what Zero could do. The young doctor didn't spare any details about his abilities and even boasted that he was able to restore Lucifer's sight. \”I could help you restore your sight too!\”

Poseidon shook his head. More than his sight, there was something else he wanted to do. \”When Athena's regrets are addressed and the curse is lifted, her remaining soul fragments will have to fall somewhere. I want to be able to create a place for her soul where she can truly be happy. If you are the Great One, could you help me create land on this water planet?\”

Zero paused. \”I think there's been some sort of misunderstanding. I'm not the Great One, I'm Zero. The Great One is Solo and unlike him, I don't have the power of creation. What I do have is the power of recreation. I could create land but I would need to absorb some parts of the sea here before I can do that.\”

\”That's fine,\” Poseidon said. In all honesty, there was way too much water on this planet. All he really wanted was to see some land but no matter how much time passed, Hyacinth remained the same as before, filled with nothing but water. The planet was rather dead in a sense, there weren't any movements beneath the oceans that threatened to create land.

Zero found it odd. \”Don't you want to see again?\”

The titan sighed. \”And what good will that do? I've seen enough in my life both the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly. I do not wish to concern myself in the struggles for power any longer. Spending the rest of my time in peace until the end of the world is my only wish and if I can be a little bit more selfish, I ask to accompany my niece whom I've let down in her time of need. I don't wish to regain my sight, it's not important.\”

The teen understood. If this was what made the titan feel better, he would let Poseidon continue living in a dark world as atonement for his past wrongdoings. He was a doctor, he could only heal the body but not the heart or mind. That was up to the individual to decide. Those who did not have the will to live will still find a way to die. Zero couldn't do anything about that.

\”Understood. I will work on creating land on Hyacinth. In return, won't you teach me how to win the war? I will be fighting against myself in the future and it is a battle I cannot lose.\”

The teen then told Poseidon all about his mission and the strange things that happened ever since he had been reawakened from the void. They spent hours, maybe even days, simply just talking and discussing over the points and observations that Zero thought were strange.

At the end of it all, Poseidon sat back and folded his arms with a deep frown. The servants were inching away and only Zero was left in the room. If there was a word to describe the titan's mood after listening to Zero's story, it was conflicted. Before he got to know what the teen did in his childhood period, he thought that Zero was a very promising student. After hearing the stunts that Zero pulled off, he was rather hesitant about teaching Zero about strategy and tactics. This boy was like a wild card. While Solo is trying to destroy the world, Zero isn't doing much better at preserving it. Should he really arm this brat with the knowledge to win his personal battle against his past self?

\”Before I teach you anything, could you answer a question of mine?\”