Just moments earlier...


    "What did you just say? A potion that temporarily strips someone of their power?"


    In the vast courtyard of the pce, a middle-aged man with ck horns atop his head stared at Athena, his expression filled with doubt.


    Athena gave a slight nod, her expression calm andposed as she said, "Yes, ancestor. I need that potion. Do you have it? If so, please give it to me—it''s essential."


    The middle-aged man fell silent, lowering his gaze as though weighed down by a dilemma.


    After a moment, he regained hisposure and looked at Athena, his expression growing increasingly serious.


    "I do have such a potion," he replied with a slight nod, "but before I give it to you, I want to know what you intend to do with it. Is someone giving you trouble? Or is there something threatening you that requires this potion?"


    Given Athena''s status as the Dragon Empress and theck of powerful beings from hidden races on the surface, he firmly believed that no one could possibly threaten her.


    Hence, he was truly very curious as to why his granddaughter would need such a potion.


    Upon hearing her ancestor''s question, a faint, knowing smile curled on her lips as she yfully twirled her hair.


    "It''s to win over your future grandson-inw, ancestor," Athena said, her cheeks flushing with a rosy hue.


    The dragon ancestor was momentarily taken aback as he processed her words, and once their meaning sank in, his eyes widened in shock.


    Staring at his granddaughter in disbelief, he opened his mouth to speak but quickly held back, letting out a quiet sigh instead.


    After a brief silence, he hesitantly asked, "Are you sure you want to use such a method to win him over? Won''t that make him resent you? If it backfires, the consequences could be severe—not just for you, but for the entire dragon race."


    Although he had made a pact with the First Demon Emperor, Amon Crimson, and the First Hero of Mankind, Luminus Troya, to bind his granddaughter in an engagement to the Fate One, he had no intention of interfering in their rtionship, preferring to let them grow close naturally.


    However, if his granddaughter resorted to such drastic measures with the Fated One, he felt it necessary to step in and advise her.


    Otherwise, he feared that not only would the Fated One refuse to be his grandson-inw, but he could also be an enemy to both him and the entire dragon race—an extremely dangerous oue.


    Still smiling, Athena shook her head and replied, "It''s alright, ancestor. There''s no need to worry. I''ll make sure everything goes smoothly, and I''ll bring him to meet youter."


    Her confidence only deepened the dragon ancestor''s hesitation, but as he looked at her assured expression, he couldn''t help but set aside his doubts.


    "Alright, I won''t interfere in your affairs," he said with a small sigh.


    Reaching into his robe, he pulled out a tiny bottle containing a clear white liquid.


    The dragon ancestor observed the bottle for a moment—a wave of nostalgia washing over him—before passing it to Athena.


    "This potion temporarily suppresses one''s abilities. It can affect even the three heroes of humanity, or the Fated One," he exined calmly. "However, its effects are short-livedsting only about two hours. So, use it wisely."


    Athena epted the potion with her sparkling red eyes, quickly stowing it in the pocket of her gown and bowing her head respectfully.


    "Thank you, ancestor! With this, I can finally catch Leon, and I''ll make sure to give you a great-grandson as soon as possible," she said with excitement.


    The dragon ancestor''s mouth twitched slightly, feeling a pang of guilt toward Leon.


    He didn''t say anything more and gave a small nod, waving his hand dismissively.


    "Alright, you may go now," he said with a note of resignation in his voice.


    Athena nodded, her enthusiasm still evident on her beautiful face, and quickly vanished from sight, leaving the dragon ancestor alone.


    As he watched her departure, the dragon ancestor sighed softly and gazed up at the bright morning sky.


    "The Fated One, I hope you don''t hold this against me. Instead, me my granddaughter, who loves you so dearly."


    ...


    Meanwhile...


    In avish yet somewhat confined room, Leony unconscious on the bed.


    His handsome face was etched with pain, as though he were trapped in an inescapable nightmare.


    After what felt like an eternity, Leon''s eyelids twitched before slowly opening.


    At that moment, a dark and unfamiliar scene came into view, leaving him momentarily stunned.


    "Where am I?" Leon inquired, his handsome face still showing signs of confusion.


    The silence of the room and theck of anyone nearby left him without an answer.


    He slowly attempted to sit up, but a sudden, sharp pain in his head made him wince.


    "My head hurts so much... What''s happening?" Leon muttered, clutching his throbbing forehead.


    He tried to recall the events leading up to this moment, but the intense pain made it difficult to think clearly.


    As the pain subsided, his memory of the previous incident came rushing back, causing his eyes to widen in horror.


    "Is this all caused by Athena?" He wondered anxiously within himself.


    Aside from Athena, he could think of no other possible suspects. The memory of the smelly woman''s words before he lost consciousness sent a chill down his spine.


    "Damn... I was so careless! If only I had been more cautious, I wouldn''t have fallen into her trap," Leon muttered regretfully.


    At the time of the exchange with Athena—when he freed her from his technique in exchange for the ck token she gave him—he hadn''t realized he was falling into a trap set by her.


    Given her devious nature, the helplessness she disyed was likely just an act designed to lower his guard.


    Reflecting on this, Leon felt an intense urge to p his past self for being so naive and careless.


    Quickly snapping out of his reverie, Leon nced around and realized the room waspletely unfamiliar.


    "Did Athena kidnap me?" The thought left him momentarily stunned before he snapped to attention.


    Considering he had refused to go with Athena, it seemed entirely possible that she had taken matters into her own hands and abducted him from the inner pce.


    ''That woman is really insane. She does whatever she pleases,'' Leon muttered, a helpless expression crossing his face.


    Despite everything, he wasn''t particrly worried. After all, he was no longer the old Leon—he was the new Leon!


    With both holy power and the power of chaos coursing through him, there was nothing in this world—least of all Athena—that could intimidate him.


    Even if he had to face the dragon ancestor himself, he was confident he could hold his own.


    With that confidence, a crooked smile spread across his lips, giving the impression that he was mocking Athena.


    "Athena, you''re truly foolish! Do you really think kidnapping me means I can''t escape? You''ve clearly forgotten my power as the sword hero and the Fate One," Leon mocked, crossing his arms over his chest.


    "Oh? Is that so? Do you really think I''m that foolish?"


    At that moment, an enchanting female voice echoed from the doorway, and the crooked smile on Leon''s lips instantly frozen.


    With stiff, robotic movements, he turned his gaze toward the door and saw Athena, draped in a sheer red nightgown that entuated her wless, curvaceous figure, standing casually with a yful smile curling on her lips.


    Seeing her, Leon felt his heart skip a beat, and cold sweat began to form on his forehead.


    "A-Athena, what are you doing here? And... how long have you been standing there?" He asked nervously, attempting to maintain a calm expression to hide his growing panic.


    Athena didn''t answer his question; instead, she smiled and slowly approached him.


    With each step, her slender waist swayed gracefully, and her huge breasts bounced slightly, creating a mesmerizing effect that would leave any man seeing her breathless.


    "You don''t need to know that, Leon," Athena said, stopping beside the bed.


    She then sat on the edge of the bed with a smile and asked, "Now, care to exin why you called me stupid?"


    Leon was momentarily taken aback by her question but soon managed a confident smile.


    "Isn''t it obvious? You kidnapped me, yet youpletely underestimated my strength as the sword hero and the fate one," Leon said casually, opening his right hand.


    *Boom!*


    Suddenly, purplish-ck chaos energy erupted from his body, causing the entire room to shake violently.


    The surrounding space began to warp, unable to bear the force of the explosion, instilling a profound sense of dread in anyone who witnessed it.


    With a confident smile on his lips, Leon red provocatively at Athena, poised to speak, but then something he never anticipated happened.


    *Whoosh!*


    The immense chaos power suddenly exploded and then dissipated, leaving Leon in stunned disbelief.


    "What the—" Before he could finish his sentence, his appearance slowly returned to normal, deepening his shock.


    "This..." Leon touched his face in disbelief.


    He tried to ess the power of chaos and the holy power within him, but to no avail—he couldn''t sense either!


    Fear and horror began to creep in, just as Athena''s voice cut through the silence.


    "So, do you still think I''m stupid, Leon?"


    --------------


    A/N: Apparently, I misced the title. The title in the previous chapter is more suitable for this chapter. So, I apologize!