How-not to be an Olympian God!

On the inconspicuous coastline of the Mekong Delta, large waves washed ashore a small temple.

The temple was ravaged, seemingly by the passing of time.

In front of the temple, the debris of a signboard vaguely drew into the shape of a divine dragon eating an apple.

Though this seemed like an ancient ruin, it was completely intact just a few hours ago.

Then, a winged monster from nightmares emerged on this ordinary afternoon and left the building in such a state.

Around the nearby villages, a legend about a ghost that gave retribution to evil warlords started spreading like wildfire, and the tyrannous, albeit superstitious local warlords changed their means, as a way to escape this divine retribution.

Meanwhile, the monster that caused such an uproar was flying nonchalantly above the shores.

'My flying speed is too slow...' Alex lamented.

Earlier, he, fortunately, stumbled upon a passing sailboat and received directional hints from the members on deck.

However, without the inexhaustible chariot or the swift dragon, going all the way back to Qin was going to be extremely time-consuming and troublesome.

Still, Alex persevered and flew at his breakneck speed for the entire afternoon.

The scenery below him was fascinating and beautiful, but he couldn't bring himself to halt, or he would start to feel the brunt of his fatigue.

As he progressed more north, the climate changed in a promising way.

The extremely lush and humid rainforests turned into somewhat milder landscapes and scenes, that resembled the coast of the East Sea more and more.

'I'm still a long way from there though,' Alex clicked his tongue in frustration.

Soon enough, the silhouette of urban scenery appeared on the horizon.

On the western side of the horizon, the sun had reduced to a mere orange slit.

Alex was breathing heavily, and his face was red.

He had done nothing but fly for the entire day, and his small reserves of faith energy didn't keep up with his energy expenditure.

He had gained a number of followers who provided him with a steady stream of faith energy every day, but he didn't have enough yet to keep this consumption level at all times.

'Let's rest for the night...' Alex observed the colorful city that was approaching his vision.

The city seemed sprawling and lively.

'If I have to stay here, I should at least observe their culture,' Alex shrugged and landed on a sandy shore on the outskirts of the immense city.

He walked for the rest of his trip.

As he moved from sandy soil to moist and earthy soil, a strange sensation took his attention.

From his feet, he felt a minute and small tremor from the ground.

A small chunk of dirt close to him slightly cracked under the force of the vibrations.

However, this phenomenon was completely undetectable a few seconds later.

"An earthquake?" Alex muttered.

Nam Viet was close to the Ring of Fire, the most geologically active place on the planet, so Alex didn't find the small earthquake unusual.

He soon forgot about it and made his way through the trees, and into the city.

It was as lively as the scenery from outside indicated.

There were many gorgeous and symmetrical buildings in the East Asian architectural style.

However, they had a unique blend of colors that painted the city into a beautiful mosaic.

'Is there a celebration going?' Alex found that it was too lively, and the people engaged in a strange ritual.

Over a small fire, people held talisman-like papers and put them up to the blaze.

The paper consummated very fast, and when they let it go, the paper instantly burned away into gas and black ash.

There were many such fires, and everyone had a different number of bundles of paper that they burned away.

Suddenly, a food vendor called to him, "Mister! You've chosen a great time to visit Hue! Tonight's Trung Nuyen, I'm offering samples of free food for good luck and fortune!"

Alex nodded and approached the food stall.

The vendor had a boiling pot of broth with many vegetables and tender meats simmering inside and giving out a divine fragrance.

On the side, a few bundles of thin rice paper, sliced meat, and raw vegetables were presented.

"Serve yourself a spring roll! The first one is fully free!"

Alex thanked the man and took a roll of rice paper.

Then, he placed some fresh lettuce, some cucumber slices, and vermicelli noodles on top.

He took one slice of juicy meat from the boiling hot spot and also added it as a filling.

Then, he wrapped the rice paper and enjoyed it.

The contrast in texture between the different fillings was divine, and joy replaced Alex's worries.

Food was the universal pleasure of humanity, and even of gods.

"What's Trung Nguyen?" After swiftly gobbling down the spring rolls as if they were his problems, he asked the man with curiosity.

"Wandering Souls Day? We celebrate the coming of our ancestor's souls tonight, and burn away the paper for good fortune for us and for them!" The man kindly explained the celebrations to him.

Alex thanked the man and left to visit the rest of the city, and hopefully, find a place where he could rest tonight.

As he didn't know the city, he easily lost himself in the twisting alleyways and canals, and when he thought he finally made it back onto the main street, it turned out to be...

'The beach...' 

There weren't many people around, and it was a peaceful retreat from the ongoing festival.

However, Alex noticed that the shoreline was rather far away.

And, when he looked at it, the shoreline seemed to recede further and further away.

It was a slow and gradual process, but it was definitely happening.

"Why is the shoreline rece-

A look of terror and realization appeared on Alex's face as he recalled a phenomenon he completely ignored.

Looking around, the land the city was built on was very flat.

If he was right about it, a disaster was soon making its way for the hugely populated city, and the casualties would be nothing to scoff at.