Azazel glanced over at the looming giant hand, and his eyes bulged out in sheer terror.

"Oh, shit!" he exclaimed, realizing he had no choice but to leap over the Titan's body or risk being squashed by the Behemoth's hand.

Fortunately, the Behemoth's massive body belied its limited intelligence.

Due to the irritation caused by the explosions, it swung its hand to its head so violently that the crystal atop it shattered, freeing the Goddess of Gossip.

Just as magic began to return to the area, in the nick of time, Elena summoned her pet unicorn to whisk Ren and the others to safety, while Iraelyn transformed into a dragon and scooped up Azazel and Pamela onto his back before they could hit the ground.

With the return of magic, it didn't take long for Desira to unleash a devastating fire spell that ensnared the Ice Behemoth in a seething, fiery vortex, instantly reducing it to a molten puddle.

"Hmph!" Desira flipped her hair with a triumphant smirk. "You got lucky that there was no magic before. Don't get too cocky, you big lump of ice."

"Is everyone alright?" Ren inquired anxiously as they landed safely on the ground. "Where's the Goddess of Gossip?"

The group exchanged worried glances, and Vivi spoke up, "I thought she was with you guys?"

Ren let out a weary sigh. "No one saved her?"

Why had they gone to all this trouble when the Goddess ended up perishing in the end?

What kind of outcwould this lead to?

"Don't killjust yet, mortal."

A voice resonated through the air, causing everyone to look around in confusion.

Standing not far from them was Pamela, accompanied by a woman with golden hair, a voluptuous figure, and a mischievous expression that seemed to hold knowledge of their deepest, innermost, darkest embarrassing secrets.

"Where did she cfrom?" Azazel asked, bewildered, as Pamela was no longer in his arms.

One moment she was there, and the next she was standing next to the mature and beautiful lady.

"You've done well, Pamela," the woman said, introducing herself. "My nis Whispera, the Goddess of Gossip."

"Oh, she really is the Goddess of Gossip!" Vivi exclaimed.

"I'm more beautiful," Desira proclaimed with a hint of jealousy.

"She doesn't look strong for a goddess," Iraelyn commented, assessing Whispera with a critical eye.

"I wonder if she really knows all the secrets in the world?" Malifira chimed in, her curiosity piqued.

"Hey, where's Lorelai?" Azazel demanded. "We've saved you, so you better tell us, right now!"

"Alright, hold your horses," Ren interjected, stepping in between them. "First things first."

Ren turned his attention to Pamela and Whispera. "You two know each other?"

Pamela shook her head. "I didn't know at first. It's only when we were near the peak of Whispering Mountain that I recalled the truth about Whispera and me."

"And what's that?" Elena asked, intrigued.

Pamela exchanged a glance with Whispera, and the latter explained, "Long ago, I angered the gods because I spread their secrets to everyone."

"I will be pissed too," Desira scoffed.

Whispera chuckled. "Oh, but I don't just do it randomly. Sharing secrets is something I enjoy, however, I'm not the kind of goddess who goes around telling everyone their secrets. I have my pride, you know."

Desira scoffed again. "What kind of gossiper has pride?"

"This one does," Whispera replied confidently. "Anyway, I don't just randomly tell anyone secrets. You have to ctoand pay for it."

"Souls?"

"No, nothing so crude. I'm not that heartless. For a refined goddess like myself, I only want valuable things."

"Gold."

"Augh . . . how brutish," Whispera stuck out her tongue. "If you want secrets, you have to trade in . . . secrets."

"Ah, is that so . . ." murmured everyone, contemplating the idea.

But Ren redirected the conversation back to the main point. "Stop changing the topic. How do you two know each other?"

"Oh, this little thing?" Whispera chuckled, her laughter echoing softly. "The gods have indeed lockedinside that icy prison and forbade any magic or flight to reach me, to keepsealed within that everlasting ice.

"However, I knew that secret and devised a way to escape," Whispera continued, patting Pamela's head affectionately. "I created Pamela here using s. . . secret means. I made sure that she acquired a lot of luck and fortune so she would find the right gods to free me."

Whispera then shifted her gaze towards Ren and the others, a mischievous glint dancing in her eyes. "Who knew that the ones who would freeare mere mortals? Ohohoho!"

Ren and the others exchanged incredulous glances, their minds swirling with a mixture of disbelief and realization at the unexpected turn of events.

"Wait, wait, wait," Elena interjected, stepping forward with a furrowed brow. "But if you knew what was going to happen, wouldn't it be easier to just escape and hide? Why let yourself be captured and imprisoned?"

Whispera smirked, her expression dripping with amusement. "Good question, and there's a good answer to that." She leaned to the side, placing a finger over her lips as if sharing a secret. "You see, if I were to escape, I'd be constantly on the run and in hiding. That's a life worse than entrapment."

"However," she continued, a glint of cunning in her eyes, "if the gods were confident that I was still held captive in ice and couldn't open my mouth, they would think that I'm no longer a threat to them. And even if I were freed, they would still believe that I'm being held captive, allowingto do whatever I want without suspicion."

"I see," Desira nodded, begrudgingly acknowledging Whispera's strategy. "At least you're smart for a goddess."

"Alright, enough with the games," Ren said firmly, cutting through the banter. "Do you know where we can find Lorelai?"

Whispera cocked her head to the side, deep in thought. "Hmm . . . If I use my powers, I might be able to find out."

"Then . . ." The anticipation was palpable on everyone's faces.

However, Whispera raised her hand, halting their excitement. "What will you trade for this information?" she inquired, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.