Zhang Ling truly admired her Master now. "How did his mind even work? To pair these two existences, which are polar opposites, together like this?"

Looking at the tall, somewhat slender young man before her—who had already adopted the moniker "God of War"—Zhang Ling glanced again at the Andromeda Cloth box beside her.

Seeing the strange look on Bentos's face, she could vaguely guess what the young man was thinking. The Andromeda Cloth was notoriously a very bothersome shade of pink.

"You want me to wear this?"

Bentos stared back and forth between the woman, whose features were also hidden beneath a cloak, and the large, pink metallic statue. He felt the person opposite him must be joking.

"No, I am not joking." "At least... that is what he commanded!" She pointed toward Ye Wen, sitting silently nearby. Ye Wen perfectly fit his current role: taciturn, resembling a scheming villain, radiating an aura that was both eerie and cold.

Yet, this didn't stop Bentos from challenging the idea. "This hunk of pink metal is supposed to make me stronger?"

"Of course."

Finally, Ye Wen spoke. "This pink item is legendary armor, said to be obtainable only by those chosen by the Goddess Athena, and every one of those chosen possessed power far beyond common imagination."

"Furthermore, do not underestimate this Cloth. If you can adapt to its considerable weight without possessing the matching power, your body will become far stronger than that of an ordinary man!"

"Oh? That good?" Bentos was skeptical. Such an unassuming object supposedly held so many benefits? "If it's truly that great, why don't you wear it? I think this style might suit the 'young lady' over here?"

Zhang Ling delivered a response in her characteristically flat tone, one that left Bentos utterly speechless: "For me, this Cloth has almost no function."

However, Bentos found that hard to believe. "You mean to tell me that..."

His disbelief was understandable. While Olympus boasted many powerful goddesses, it didn't necessarily imply a high status for women. The matter with Zaisilia alone had made that clear to Ye Wen. In this world, the dominance remained with men, evident even in the slave trade: female slaves were always the most sought-after commodities, while strong male slaves, though they had buyers, were nowhere near the same market level as young, beautiful female slaves—even during wartime.

Therefore, Bentos questioning the strength of the woman before him was perfectly normal. Unfortunately for him, Zhang Ling used her actions to make the young man swallow the rest of his words.

He barely registered what happened. A flash of light crossed his vision, and a massive boulder near him, taller than he was, cleanly split into two pieces—the cut surface being startlingly smooth.

"Alright... I get it." Seeing that Bentos finally understood, Ye Wen saw no need for further explanation. The rest was best left to Zhang Ling. Taking the young man along, Ye Wen resumed their journey.

This time, he was trailed by a figure perpetually clad in pink armor (the initial anime version of the Andromeda Cloth, the one that almost completely encased the body during the assault on the Twelve Temples). Following Ye Wen’s preferences, both the Pegasus and Andromeda Cloth styles chosen were from the anime, as the initial manga designs were frankly too ugly (featuring only knee guards and breastplates, with no leg armor).

During these years, Ye Wen had also learned that the Shu Shan Sect had long since forged the Cosmo's Five Heroes' Cloths. The Pegasus Cloth was kept at the Sanctuary, awaiting the reincarnation of Zeus.

Zhang Ling had brought the Andromeda Cloth back during her last visit. As for the Dragon and Cygnus Cloths—their ownership left Ye Wen speechless. The Phoenix Cloth, however, was tossed into storage.

It was unexpected that the Andromeda Cloth would be put to use here. While slightly surprising, it didn't matter to him. As for Bentos’s own feelings? He couldn't be bothered to care much; as long as the young man could master the use of the chain—a weapon notoriously difficult to handle—as instructed.

Though the Andromeda Chain possessed a form of consciousness, that was predicated on the user being recognized by the Andromeda Cloth, possessing a Cosmo capable of resonating with it. Bentos understood nothing of the Cosmo. Ye Wen had forcibly fitted him with the Cloth, a situation similar to what Yuwentuo had experienced.

This meant that for Bentos, the Andromeda Cloth offered no enhancement; instead, it felt like being crushed by a huge block of iron. Furthermore, the soft, yielding nature of the chain was deeply uncomfortable. A casual swing, due to his inability to properly gauge his strength, resulted in the chain not following the expected trajectory, possibly even whipping back and striking him.

It was at this point that the Cloth’s benefit manifested: when the chain struck him, Bentos didn't sustain injury, as most of the kinetic impact was absorbed by the armor. Even if the Andromeda Cloth didn't acknowledge him as its master, it was fundamentally armor and provided some protection.

Witnessing this, both Bentos and Zhang Ling understood why Ye Wen insisted he wear the Cloth for training—it was a safeguard against self-injury during practice.

Consequently, in the days that followed, Bentos ceased his complaints and devoted himself entirely to practice. He now desperately wished to master the chains quickly so he could shed this ridiculously embarrassing pink armor, which even featured a slight, awkward protrusion in the chest area.

He was particularly frustrated by the woman—whose face remained unseen but who never hesitated to mock him with playful taunts during every training session.

That damned woman! She must be so ugly she dares not show her face, hence the constant cloak!

Bentos silently cursed her while striving to adapt to the ever-increasing intensity of the training. Underneath, almost without his own notice, his body underwent seismic changes monthly.

It wasn't until half a year later that Bentos discovered with shock he could no longer put on the Andromeda Cloth. His waist and abdomen had bulked up with significant muscle mass. The Cloth’s size had been set according to his dimensions when he first wore it. Now, with his drastically altered physique, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fit the armor pieces onto his frame.

This realization did not bring despair; rather, it filled him with exhilaration. "I can finally get rid of this awful pink armor!"

Indeed, ever since taking Bentos on, Ye Wen had stopped deliberately seeking out remote locations. Instead, he intentionally moved towards populated towns, heading wherever crowds were densest. Consequently, a legend began circulating along the western frontier of the Olympian influence: "There is a towering oddity who favors wearing pink armor!"

Finally being unable to wear it filled Bentos with excitement. Moreover, he finally noticed the transformation in his own body. The skinny frame he once possessed was gone, replaced by the physique of a standard strongman, dense with powerful muscle.

His height had also increased, a fact he inferred from his trouser legs seeming too short. Pants that once fit perfectly now resembled cropped trousers—the only explanation being an increase in stature.

Ye Wen surveyed him for a moment, his tone satisfied, seemingly confirming his own assessment. "Not bad. Now you finally look somewhat like a warrior!"

Even the little cat, whom Bentos found perpetually astonishing, adopted a serious expression, stroking its chin and nodding, as if highly pleased with his current appearance.

In truth, Ye Wen was satisfied with Bentos's progress in such a short time. When they met, he was merely a lanky pole over six feet tall. Now, he was a burly man exceeding two meters in height, covered in robust muscle. In just over half a year, Bentos was practically unrecognizable.

Of course, Ye Wen’s training regime and the ample food supply were contributors to his rapid strengthening, but even so, the speed was remarkable.

At this rate, Bentos’s height and muscle mass could continue to grow, potentially making him look like the image Ye Wen held in his memory. He'd still need to shave that head of hair and get some tattoos.

"However, even if you can't wear the Cloth, you cannot abandon practice with the chain. If you can thoroughly master the chain in the next six months, I will give you a gift..."

Ye Wen had long prepared the gift; it was only a matter of timing. Bentos, unaware, became highly enthusiastic, promising to master the chain techniques in the shortest time possible.

In reality, those six months had allowed him to nearly master the weapon. While he couldn't wield it with the effortless control of someone possessing a Cosmo, the power he could exert was far superior to an ordinary person using an iron chain, as he could already employ several techniques.

Unfortunately, Ye Wen never made goals easy to achieve. Thus, Ye Wen maliciously activated the innate abilities of the Nebula Chain. If Bentos wasn't careful, the chain's accompanying lightning could deliver an electrifying shock that would leave him reeling.

Watching Bentos writhe, paralyzed by accidental contact with the electricity time and again, Zhang Ling felt a sudden pity for the young man—to be targeted by her Master was truly grim fortune.

Recalling how she herself had inexplicably boarded this ship years ago, only to inexplicably end up with the long black hair, sailor uniform, and glasses look, and still being unable to change even decades later—even having grown accustomed to the style—Zhang Ling felt she could perfectly predict Bentos's future fate: becoming the true Bentos.

However, the frequent shocks produced an unexpected side effect: Bentos’s hair, once completely scorched, never grew back. This saved Ye Wen the trouble of finding an excuse to order the young man to shave his head.

Traveling further north, the villages became increasingly sparse. Bentos once raised an objection: "If we continue north, we will leave the areas protected by the Olympian Gods. Furthermore, it is an extremely cold region, not fit for human entry!"

"Human?" Ye Wen chuckled. Bentos likely hadn't realized that in this small party, only he could perhaps still qualify as human; the rest did not.

Even Bentos himself was drifting further from the definition of 'human' after nearly a year of relentless training. Kratos now stood nearly 2.1 meters tall, his robust musculature exposed without concealment, wearing only a simple breastplate fragment and a battle skirt made of black bear hide.

The breastplate was one Ye Wen had used previously. The battle skirt was Bentos's trophy from a face-to-face combat with a black bear—a small test Ye Wen had arranged for him. Though Zhang Ling insisted it was merely "an interlude caused by the Master suddenly craving bear paw," Ye Wen vehemently denied this.

In addition, Bentos had the Nebula Chain wrapped around his forearms and carried the Andromeda Cloth box on his back, piled high with miscellaneous supplies. In essence, Bentos served as a walking, human transport unit. Though the others didn't require him for such tasks, Ye Wen decided: "You need long-term load-bearing to maintain muscle and strength training!"

Furthermore, a basket lined thickly with fur was suspended beneath the Cloth box. Garfield, the little cat, slept soundly within, eyes closed, covered by an equally thick layer of fur, only its round head exposed.

Thus, Ye Wen and Zhang Ling maintained their mysterious, strange personas. This odd procession stepped into the region of perpetual snow and wind. Bentos was amazed to find that despite his minimal covering, he completely ignored the intense cold and the biting wind that felt sharp enough to flay the flesh.

"Have I become this strong already?"

Attributing the change to his massive musculature seemed a plausible explanation, but Ye Wen knew Bentos's transformation extended beyond the physical. His inner self was also undergoing fundamental shifts—during a year of extreme training, the young man had unknowingly awakened his Cosmo.

The Nebula Chain could now exert some true power under his command. Though the Andromeda Cloth still refused to acknowledge him as its master, Bentos’s sheer strength forced the chain to obey him to a certain extent.

Ye Wen remembered the look on the young man's face a few days prior when he proudly came to boast that the chain had become extremely obedient.

"A seed was planted, and the harvest is far richer than anticipated!"

Bentos's awakening of the Cosmo was partly due to his training methods mirroring Cosmo cultivation techniques, and partly due to being constantly surrounded by the Andromeda Cloth, which inevitably influenced him. Ye Wen had briefly considered if Athena had secretly interfered, but upon reflection, the goddess should have more pressing concerns elsewhere. Given the distance and Ye Wen's presence, if she could work such magic without his awareness, he would have no reason to linger here; he should return home to his wife immediately.

Therefore, Ye Wen felt comfortable nurturing Bentos. He even considered arranging several trials for him. If successful, Bentos could certainly grow into a highly effective spike embedded deep within the Olympian forces—a dangerous spike, capable of exploding later and throwing those around him into chaos.

About five days after Ye Wen and the others entered the snowy expanse known as the Land of Oblivion, a howling blizzard nearly swallowed them whole. Even people standing directly in front of him were completely obscured, a sight that momentarily panicked Bentos, though Ye Wen remained unconcerned.

Having already closed his eyes, Ye Wen observed his surroundings using his divine sense, making the snowstorms irrelevant. Even Zhang Ling possessed her own means to overcome such predicaments.

"Great Cosmos Power... Hmph... Activate."

The crisp sound was swallowed by the blizzard; only Ye Wen heard it. But the utterance prompted Ye Wen to murmur to his disciple, "Must you shout your abilities out loud?"

Although Zhang Ling maintained her placid tone, a hint of exasperation surfaced. "Yes... though I agree it sounds rather foolish!"

"It's fine. Next time, just whisper it. It doesn't matter if your comrades hear it!"

As for Bentos, Ye Wen waved his hand, summoning one of the chains, and used it to gently lead the young man forward, ensuring he wouldn't lose his way in the storm.

After walking through the blizzard for a day and a night, Bentos, whose body was now burning with Cosmo, was astonished to find that the snowstorm which had caused him such agony had vanished.

When he looked up, brushing the snowflakes from his eyebrows, he noticed a beautiful woman hovering in the air before him—a woman with pure white wings, clad in magnificent armor, holding a child in her arms.

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