In the blink of an eye, several months passed.
Though Taufik had once declared that he accepted the arrival of the "outer" gods, that didn't mean he allowed them free passage to Earth. The Barrier remained intact, unyielding, a silent guardian forged by his own presence, the new Aboriginal of Earth.
They could come, yes.
But they had to earn it.
Break through it.
It wasn't merely about power, it was about control, about buying time.
Time for humanity to grow.
Time for the Tower-born warriors to sharpen their fangs.
Time for Olympus… to prepare.
When Taufik last met with Zeus, he had left behind more than words. Threats. He had left a task:
"... Gather them"
The gods from the forgotten pantheons. The beings who had ruled ages ago. Those who now knocked on Earth's door.
Taufik didn't want them descending all at once like parasites. He wanted them contained.
Watched. Observed. Managed.
And among all the old gods, Zeus was the one he trusted, for a simple reason:
