The world has a multi-level structure, and this is often a universal norm. In most myths, the world is divided into two, with an interface that symbolizes the positive side and an interface that symbolizes the negative side.
Even as mythology continues, this subdivision of the world will continue. Just like the thirty-three heavens in the East and the heaven and hell in the West, this seems to reflect a problem: just as the social structure becomes more complex as human beings develop, the world should be the same. The multi-level structure helps its internal cycle to grow and the stability of the world itself.
So what Ryan did before was actually something similar. He tried to create a circle of [Inner Realm] in the center of the fifth spiritual world. Their composition does not involve faith, but is simply composed of elements: and interfaces like [Seven Hills Heaven], which are constructed by emotions, faith and some elemental energy, are [Outer Realm], nested in the periphery of the fifth spiritual world.
One inside and one outside, the three-dimensional ring anchors the chaotic space and time, allowing this layer of interface to support life activities - even extraordinary life like the celestial race.
However, although all this was well-conceived, it failed at the beginning. Ryan envisioned that there should be six [Inner Realms], [Earth], [Water], [Wind], and [Fire] in four directions, which classified most of the elemental forces in the world. For those that were difficult to classify, they were divided into two pure energy interfaces, [Positive Energy] and [Negative Energy], according to their tendencies, located in the upper and lower directions.
The six levels are in a three-dimensional diamond shape, wrapping the core of the fifth spiritual world, and then supporting the time and space of the interface to correspond to the outer world in the future. In the future, the kingdom of belief in gods and the illusory stars will be mixed in it, forming a complete fifth spiritual world.
However, the idea was good, but when it came to practice, Ryan found that it was completely impractical. Not only was the spiritual world's control over elements other than fire not so complete, but also because the underlying logic of the world was like this.
Just as life and death are not balanced, there are also highs and lows between earth, water, wind and fire. A cycle with a clear gap cannot be constructed unless Ryan can find a way to make the four elements transform into each other and maintain balance, just like the transformation of life and death.
This is not completely impossible. Theoretically, if he changes the position of the four elemental planes and puts them in the fourth spiritual world, then with the help of the complete cycle power of the Well of Samsara, it can maintain stability. But Ryan established the elemental plane in order to improve the fifth spiritual world, so how could he make such a choice?
"Compared to that, it is indeed easier to balance the conversion between positive and negative. Even if we only rely on the natural circulation power emitted by the Well of Samsara, combined with the interface order blessed by the Code of Creation, it should be enough to complete this step."
After a moment of hesitation, Ryan finally gave up the idea of doing it all at once. It seemed that if he wanted to sort out the order of the last two levels of the spiritual world, he still needed to do it bit by bit.
With a pointed finger, the black light in Ryan's palm spread out and fell below him. It was the partial manifestation of the negative energy in the world. At the same time, the negative energy that already existed in the spiritual world also gathered here and began to evolve a small interface composed purely of energy.
The corresponding positive energy came above Ryan. However, compared with those below, it was very scarce.
This is not only because the spiritual world itself is not deeply involved in positive energy, but also because in the world of Chaos, although life is strong and death is weak, overall, the negative is greater than the positive. Even the number of primitive gods clearly shows this: there are two primitive gods, Night and Darkness, in this world, but Day and Light are only born from powerful divine powers, and even the Goddess of Day was conceived by the former's body. The gap between the two sides is self-evident.
Although this innate gap has been partially made up with the development of the world, it still exists. So when the positive and negative energies have completed the convergence, after only a short period of stability, the light ball emitting positive energy began to tremble slightly, as if it was overwhelmed and unable to exist in opposition to the negative energy interface below it.
But this is the inner world of the spirit world after all. Looking at the shaky prototype of the positive energy interface, Ryan used part of the power of reincarnation and the power of the interface as before. And just as he expected, after a few sharp flashes, under the subtle influence of the prototype of the Heaven Mountain in the distance, this new energy interface finally stabilized.
However, judging from the situation, Ryan will need to stay here for a few more years until the power of both sides is brought closer together under the effect of the cycle, and then he can completely let them operate on their own.
"Phew—what a hassle."
He let out a long sigh, but feeling the spiritual symbol becoming more complete, Ryan still felt that all this was very valuable. The spiritual world was the embodiment of his power, and the scope and overall strength of the spiritual world were the manifestation of the expansion of the spiritual symbol in the world. In his estimation, even if there were no other benefits, just the perfection of the remaining few layers of the interface itself, each layer would be enough to bring him a symbol increase equivalent to one level.
The same applies to other planes. If the Lord of the Nine Hells can find a lord with enough "potential" for each layer of the Nine Hells, perfect the mechanism of the natural birth of demons, and even make the main forces of different levels of hell cooperate, then his power can also rise, and then get rid of the current state of being the bottom of the great. However, the foundation and volume of hell are far less than that of the spirit world, so this increase will not be as high as Ryan's.
After finishing the tasks at hand, he finally relaxed. Although he needed to stay here to maintain the stability of the positive and negative energy interface, it was not a very energy-consuming task. Ryan finally had time to pay attention to what had just happened.
Of course, he couldn't have ignored everything that happened in Mother Earth's orchard, but Ryan didn't take the nymph named Mo something seriously.
As the maid of Mother Earth and the guardian of the Golden Apple Garden, her only role is to act as a tool to avoid the arrangements left by Gaia in the Golden Apple Garden. Apart from that, the value of her existence is to serve as a teaching material.
After all, if the other party can backstab Gaia, he can also betray others. Although Ryan is not very afraid of his subordinates' betrayal, instead of keeping such a guy by his side, he is more interested in the original consciousness of the golden apple tree.
Moanda herself did not notice it, and even thought that this was how she reincarnated. But in fact, since she had seen all the processes of the golden apple tree since its birth, why did that consciousness not share her memories, but was still so ignorant and confused? Everything was not without reason, because this interaction at the memory level was unilaterally blocked.
If the memory interaction occurs normally, the newborn consciousness will be infected by Moanda's complex memory and become a similar but somewhat different existence, which is not what Ryan wants to see. So he unilaterally prevented all this, just let the other party's spiritual wisdom wake up, and then let her stay quietly in the body of the golden apple tree, sharing everything Moanda saw and felt, but without being disturbed by the other party's thinking.
In this case, what she can learn from Moanda is her own business. Strictly speaking, the other party is the original consciousness of the golden apple tree, just like a natural god. Ryan can help the other party awaken wisdom and continue the growth interrupted by Gaia, but he is still unable to do anything to her directly.
"But come to think of it, I thought the elf would go find Zeus, and even find me in the end... It was a bit unexpected that he bumped into Erebus."
Shaking his head, Ryan was only slightly surprised, and then he didn't care. The present world instinctively hopes that more intelligent life exists, so it is possible that some obscure influence is exerted.
After all, the original trajectory of fate was predetermined, so the sense of existence in the world seemed quite rigid and inflexible, but when facing the underground world, a place beyond the original destiny, He could still show a little inclination.
Of course, that was still only a small number. The original god still had the possibility of choosing to be personified, but the world itself had no chance to choose. Unless the world was destroyed, a forbidden life like the [Mother Tree of Flesh and Blood] would be born.
"Besides, there is this 'ransom'...just let her stay there."
Looking at the negative energy interface that had just formed, Ryan chose to go with the flow and acquiesce to this point. Anyway, what the other party was doing was exactly what Ryan wanted.
Moanda is indeed very suitable for creating a life species that can reproduce in the underground world. For this underground world that has just appeared, the surface of the spiritual world has not yet covered it. If you want to make life there, someone really needs to work hard.
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Present world, Olympus.
What's happening underground is still in the blind spot of His Majesty the God-King. After all, he hasn't even completely ruled the earth yet.
When lightning flashed across the sky, he hurried back to the sacred mountain. It was not until he returned to this place where the shackles of this world were no longer there that the divine power permeating his body allowed Zeus to regain some confidence.
This was all that could be done with Artemis for now. It would not be too late to deal with it after he completed some of the rituals. Now, he needed to consider another matter.
Apollo, his eldest son, he needed him to grow up as quickly as possible and become the first helper that he could dispatch at will. But if he wanted to do all this perfectly, the King of Gods still needed a "good helper".
"Hera, I don't know if she's still on the sacred mountain. I probably have to look for her... hm?"
As soon as he landed in front of the palace, Zeus was about to summon the god of the west wind to ask about the situation, but he unexpectedly found that the god of the west wind with a helpless look on his face was waiting here with Hera.
In fact, he was already prepared for Hera to ignore his orders and leave in anger to cause trouble for Leto, but now it seems that his queen still knows how to consider the overall situation.
Of course, it is also possible that she realized that things were irreversible. After all, Apollo was already born, and no matter what she did, it was meaningless.
"Hera, my love, why did you think of coming here today?"
His mind was full of thoughts, but his face looked as if he knew nothing, and Zeus just waved his hand.
Seeing this obvious sign, Zephyros hurriedly turned into wind and left, leaving this place to the God King and his wife.
"Why pretend to be ignorant, Zeus? I am more adept at using the divine power of [fertility] than you are. Even if they are not my offspring, it does not mean that I do not know about their birth."
Hera sneered, but she waited until Zephyros left before she spoke. She looked at the God King in front of her, and her mood, which had originally calmed down, became bad again.
If shamelessness is divided into levels, Hera feels that Zeus should be the most powerful primordial god in the world, even on par with the world.
"...Since you know everything, I won't hide it from you. Hera, it's just as you know. Leto gave birth to a child for me, but it can't be undone. The eldest son of the king of gods is no more noble than other gods. He can't inherit anything from me, and you don't have to be angry about it."
As if he didn't hear Hera's sarcasm, Zeus smiled and held Hera's hand despite her objection.
"Leto is far from being comparable to you. You are the most noble woman in the world. I have been willing to share my authority with you before, and soon, I will once again declare that you are higher than the gods and equal to me. This is an honor that belongs only to you."
"What did you say?"
Somewhat surprised, Hera stopped moving her hands. She thought Zeus would say something nice again, but she didn't expect that the other party would actually make such a promise.
"Yes, in fact, this is what I have planned for a long time."
"As I said, there was no distinction between the status of the gods in the Divine Court, even for the sons of the Divine King. Everyone followed the original rules and divided the levels according to their own strength, but this is wrong. It should not be that the gods have status because they have power, but the gods granted status by the Divine King must also have power equal to their status. This is the true embodiment of power."
His expression was solemn, and at least at this moment, Zeus' words came from the heart.
"I will establish twelve main gods who are above all other gods to rule the world with me. And you are the only one who is equal to me."
"...So, you are trying to persuade me to keep quiet in this way? It seems that you really care about Leto."
She said it sarcastically again, but now, Hera was no longer so angry. Zeus was willing to share power with her, and now he was willing to be equal to her. Although she knew that nominal equality did not mean true equality, she still felt the other party's intentions.
And most importantly, Leto is not an ordinary being, nor even a regional god - the Queen of Heaven can still take real revenge on these two, but as a true god, the other party is immortal, and no matter what she does, it will ultimately have nothing to do with the overall situation.
However, in order to prevent the other party from doing it again, Hera was not going to let it go easily. She was about to recount the other party's previous "great achievements", but the next moment, Zeus' words made her think that she had heard it wrong.
"No, I'm not asking you to keep quiet. Quite the contrary, you can send your men to attack Leto and the child in a few years."
Looking at Hera's surprised expression calmly, Zeus said calmly:
"But the attack is only temporary... After that, I want you to send the attacker to Delphi. It hurt my offspring, so it must be killed in front of the temple of the gods. But anyway, you have vented your anger, haven't you?"
Hera was a little speechless. She didn't expect Zeus to make such a decision. Although she also hated Leto before, at this moment, she actually felt a moment of sadness for him.
The wrong choice brought the wrong outcome, this is the tragedy of the goddess of conservation. But it was only a moment, and the goddess quickly came to her senses.
How others behave is their business, and has nothing to do with her. Besides, those who destroy other people's marriages deserve this fate.
"You said it, Zeus, so don't regret it later."
Pulling her hand away, Hera snorted and turned away. But from her steps, it could be seen that she was much happier than when she came.
"Of course, how can she compare to you, Hera? You are the queen of heaven, my only one."
Zeus stood behind her for a while, watching the Queen of Heaven leaving. After a while, Hera disappeared, and he returned to his own temple.
Sitting on his bed, Zeus reached out and took out the scepter of the God King. This artifact inlaid with three gems was still so weak, as if to prove the weak authority of the third generation of God King.
Compared to his own kingship, the God King really didn't care that much about Leto, or rather, the relationship between him and Leto didn't even stem from love, so he didn't have any love for her. But the reason why he made that suggestion today was actually for another reason.
He did not tell Hera the whole story, because she was pregnant with another unborn son of God. If he told her, Hera would definitely ask the God King to leave this opportunity to her child, but Zeus did not want to wait.
As long as Apollo grows up and declares his existence in front of the Delphi Oracle where all gods have power, he will get the power he will give him. When he is welcomed back to the sacred mountain in the most grand way in front of the gods, and marries the most beautiful goddess to him, at that time, even if Apollo originally had resentment towards his father, it will just disappear.
And taking this opportunity, Zeus could also announce his plan to establish twelve main gods, and then directly turn the enthronement ceremony into a part of the ritual, thus achieving half of the [kingship] that belongs to him.
"I really appreciate your efforts... But in this world, it turns out that those who do whatever it takes live the best."
Whispering softly, at this moment, in Zeus' mind, the huge figure that once brought him infinite shadows seemed to shake. The "father" who made him feel extremely desperate in the past seemed not so far away from him.
"Father God... I don't know where you are now. Dead? I don't believe it."
"But no matter where you go, as long as I rule this world, I will find you eventually. When the time comes, I will tell you that I have not only learned the things you taught me very well, but I will also give them back to you."
"And Gaia... Mother of the Gods. You have been present in every succession of the God Kings. Since you are so restless, I will use you as my first stepping stone."
[Royal power] lies in obedience. Be it the twelve main gods or other subordinate gods, no matter what the reason is for them to fear oneself, it can further enhance the power of the King of Gods.
Now, Zeus was no longer afraid of his grandmother's awakening. Perhaps her awakening was actually a good thing.
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Time is like water, and there is nothing to do in the world. So since Apollo and Artemis came into the world, time has passed quickly.
Since the flood destroyed the world and brought devastation to the human race, no one knows how many years have passed on Earth.
To the gods, this was not a very long time, but to humans, it was a long time that could not be ignored. It was enough for newborns to grow up, for them to migrate across mountains and seas, and for mortals to establish new systems in the process.
But this time, there was no Prometheus to guide them, and the gods did not interfere in the process. Except for the believers of the goddess of fire who brought the knowledge of the old era under the will of the gods, the new generation of humans was completely in a state of free growth.
They learned that there were gods in this world, and saw the terrible beasts from the west retreating in front of the holy fire; they marveled at the greatness of nature and worshiped the sun, moon, and rivers. Although the gods had never appeared directly in front of them, many mortals still had faith in and worship of them.
However, this era was not only full of warmth, but also full of primitive conflicts and killings. As they migrated eastward, the humans who had originally gathered together gradually separated, and when they met again, what they encountered was often not friendly communication, but brutal fighting.
When the granaries are full, people know etiquette; when they have enough food and clothing, they know honor and disgrace. However, without the care of the gods of foresight and a suitable place to settle down, the new generation of humans often live in precarious days. They will fight each other for food, and after discovering a suitable plain to live in, they will fight with the human team that discovered it with them. In this process, a special class emerged among humans.
That was the knowledge that Cohen had passed down among humans. It was a way to increase strength by tempering the body, refining blood, and increasing strength. It was brought to humans by Hestia's followers along with the knowledge of the old times, and it also sparked unprecedented sparks in different human tribes during the entire great migration.
In Cohen's hands, it was just a summary of the Golden King's path to becoming stronger. Although he was the founder of the system, he did not actually explore it in depth. Because even Cohen himself was not very clear about how he made the progress in the field below the extraordinary (fifth level).
Or to be more precise, his natural talent as the first golden human made him ignore various problems, and he made rapid progress when no one was paying attention. But when Cohen looked back and wanted to understand, he was already too high up, and it was difficult for him to experience the feeling of ordinary humans making progress step by step.
Except for Cohen, in the hands of bronze humans, it is also just an optional ability. In the past, humans on the Aurora Plain did not fight each other. This method of strengthening oneself could only be used on wild beasts. However, humans at that time did not have the need to explore the outside world. Compared with fighting, they were more keen on gaining experience and avoiding. Therefore, in just a dozen years, this extraordinary road has not brought any real development. It is still rough and basic. Without Cohen, it is even more like a joke.
But now it is different. In the fourth generation of humans, facing the threats during migration and the wars among their own kind, in an environment where the fittest survive, the survival instinct of humans as life is stimulated, and the friction and collision produce different sparks of wisdom. Many of them died in the process, and most of the rest have only achieved a few achievements, but after all, some gifted people have made different achievements, and they have walked their own direction on the original extraordinary road that belongs to humans.
These people, because of their strength, gained support and became leaders of different human teams. After finding a suitable place to live, they completed their transformation from leaders to kings under the support of everyone.
However, in this era, whether it is a king or someone in a high position, responsibility is greater than power. Although they have a status far higher than that of ordinary people, they must also have abilities far superior to others. Even their descendants often need to win their status through force and achievements, rather than being born extraordinary.
As time went by, traces of human beings gradually spread far away. Step by step, they spread human existence all over the east of the earth.
Of course, at the same time, a huge city built with the help of the Goddess of the Magic Network also stood up in the southeast of the earth. A migrating group heading north finally stopped, and even new species began to be born underground.
However, at this time, they had no contact or communication with each other. Perhaps when everything starts, they need to wait for another opportunity to appear.
This opportunity can be called Typhon, the founding of Athens, or the birth of Mycenae. But in short, it will not be far away.
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East China Sea, Lemnos Island.
The sea was rolling, but it became quiet as it approached the island. This was not a normal phenomenon, but it was not surprising to those who saw it, because since more than a decade ago, this island, which originally had unpredictable ocean currents and unpredictable climate, has become smooth and peaceful.
On its surface, the east is a large plain, the west is a rugged rocky land, and there is a towering mountain in the center, with thick smoke billowing from it. Such islands are not uncommon in the sea, but in recent years, there have been traces of human activities here.
They planted seeds there, built cities there, and even had their own objects of worship, which made this originally ordinary island more civilized.
"bite--"
"bite--"
"Bang——"
Sparks flew everywhere, and the hammer and the iron material collided with each other, making a loud noise. In an open space, an ugly and short forger demonstrated his skills, and nearby, hundreds of humans gathered around him.
Unlike the gods, or even the nymphs who served the gods, these humans did not show any mockery or disdain for the forger's appearance. Instead, they all showed reverence and excitement as they learned the forging techniques shown to them by the people in front of them.
This is the ocean. Unlike the land, humans living here have never experienced migration and do not need to face the threat of other lives. Sea beasts do not like land, and the masters of the sea do not want those low-intelligence lives to harm the newly multiplied humans. Therefore, large islands are often occupied by humans alone, who build cities on them, fish or farm.
Of course, while avoiding the threat of other lives, these humans also have to face a more changeable natural climate. Whether it is a storm or a tsunami, it is enough to destroy their homes in an instant, and what is even more terrifying is the volcano standing on the island.
Etna, in some myths, once suppressed the volcano Typhon. Although it may not have this honor in the real mythological world, its horror is still unquestionable for mortals.
Just ten years ago, the people of Lemnos witnessed with their own eyes the gushing magma and the torrent that almost destroyed everything. It was also on that day that this short and ugly man demonstrated his divine power for the first time.
He made the lava flow back and the smoke disappear, and then told mortals his name: Hephaestus, who controls volcanoes and lava. In order to thank the god for his help, the people of Lemnos named their city Hephaestia and built a temple for the god, praying that he could always appease the volcano that brought hot springs and minerals to the island so that it would never erupt again.
From then on, Hephaestus, who was raised by Nereus' daughter, the sea nymph Thetis, often came to the city named after him. Here, he could feel the respect and love of the people, which was completely different from the attitude of the sea gods and nymphs. The respect of mortals also comforted his twisted heart under the mocking and contemptuous eyes.
"bite--"
"Bang——"
"That's all for today. Go back and think about it. I have guests to entertain."
After striking the last blow, Hephaestus looked at the dagger in the fire with some disappointment.
He ignored the high temperature and threw the red-hot dagger aside. This was a failed work, so there was no point in processing it further.
Forging was not his natural divine duty, but it was indeed his hobby, and he was pretty good at it. Perhaps it was because of the changes that Hera had made when she was pregnant with Hephaestus, or perhaps it was some other reason, in short, this gave him an ugly appearance, but also gave him some abilities that were very different from those of a god.
Like the Cyclops, Hephaestus had a natural gift for forging, but he found his creativity limited compared to his skills.
This is also the reason why he teaches humans. Hephaestus finds that many of the opinions put forward by humans may be difficult for them to achieve, but they are valuable inspiration to him.
"As you command, Your Highness. May you live forever."
In the crowd, a person who was obviously of higher status stood up and saluted. With him as the leader, the rest of the people also quickly saluted and left.
After a while, Hephaestus was the only one left in the field. He clapped his hands and finally looked towards the shade of the tree beside him.
There was nothing there, but Hephaestus seemed to be looking at someone, and said in a calm tone:
"Come out, I don't know who you are or what you are here for, but you can come out now. I have lived on Lemnos for more than ten years, and your tricks can't be hidden from me."
No one responded to him for a while. Just when Hephaestus was getting impatient, a light and shadow flashed under the shade of the tree, and a strange figure emerged.
The visitor looked a little embarrassed, as if he had not expected his peeping behavior to be discovered. He manipulated the light to cover his figure and came to this island where gods were said to exist, but he saw the casting process of Hephaestus.
The young god was fascinated for a moment, but he didn't expect that he had already been discovered by the other party, which made him somewhat embarrassed.
At the same time, after he appeared, Hephaestus's expression turned ugly.
He was a handsome blond young man, tall, confident and full of fighting spirit, totally different from Hephaestus. One was born to be in the light, while the other was abandoned at birth. Although he didn't know the other, it didn't stop him from feeling annoyed at the moment.
That's why he prefers to be with humans. After all, Hephaestus is a god, and he can ignore the handsomeness and strength of humans, after all, they will always grow old. But now, the one in front of him is also a god, which makes him subconsciously reject it.
"…I am truly sorry, Your Excellency, but I did not mean to pry. It is just that your skills were so superb that I forgot to show myself."
Apollo apologized sincerely, and he meant what he said. He noticed the change in the other's expression, but the young god thought it was due to his rudeness, so he felt even more embarrassed.
"In fact, I came here because of your reputation. I want to inquire about something."
"Your behavior is not worthy of your appearance, strange god. Stop making excuses. We have nothing to say."
Hephaestus interrupted coldly and rejected the other party's apology without thinking.
Faced with this scene, Apollo frowned slightly, but thinking about the purpose of this trip, he remained patient.
"I apologize again for my actions, but Your Highness Hephaestus, I also hope that you can understand my feelings and listen to me talk about the injustice I have suffered."
"Before I was born, my mother and I were persecuted by the Queen of Heaven. She prevented me from coming to the world, just to let her child come to the world before me. Her plot was shattered, and I finally came to the world, but this made her even more angry. A powerful python was sent by Hera. It guarded the land, so my mother, who had lost her divine power, could only wander on the sea to raise me. Now, I want to find the giant python to prove to the world that the dignity of the Queen of Heaven cannot be violated, but the same is true for Apollo!"
With a serious look, Apollo was prepared to be rejected again, but if that was the case, he would have no choice but to look for someone else who might know about the place.
However, unexpectedly, after listening to Apollo's story, Hephaestus' attitude suddenly changed. He glanced at this strange god and couldn't help but confirm:
"You're saying that you were persecuted by the Queen of Heaven, and now you want to seek justice?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm going to do."
Apollo nodded. He didn't know why the other party's attitude changed. Maybe he was moved by his words, or maybe it was for other reasons. The reason why he chose Hephaestus as the target of questioning was because although he was the adopted son of the daughter of Poseidon, it was rumored that he didn't have a good relationship with the Poseidon.
He did not want the other gods of Olympus to know about his grievances with the Queen of Heaven in advance, so Apollo could not ask many people. As for his mother, Leto, she actually knew where Delphi was, but the goddess asked her son to find the oldest temple on his own.
"This is a test from your father," she told Apollo, and although the young god did not want any test, he agreed.
"Going to trouble the Queen...Interesting, but Apollo, I'm afraid you're not qualified enough."
After taking a look from head to toe, Hephaestus quickly determined that this was a god younger than himself. Whether his divine power was strong or not was still unknown, but how could such a weak divine power possibly fight against Hera? Even though the Queen of Heaven was not as strong as the King of Gods, after sharing some of Zeus' authority, she was still a goddess of extraordinary military power.
"So I came here to seek a message, Your Highness Hephaestus. I want to know the location of Delphi. There, not only is the whereabouts of the giant python, but also a way for me to gain power."
Leto told Apollo that the giant python that once prevented them from approaching the earth now lived on the Delphi Plain, where there were treasures left by his father. Apollo had doubts about the father he had never met, but he still believed the words of the mother goddess.
"It sounds interesting, and since you are going to cause trouble for the Queen... then I can also provide you with help, but in return, you have to agree to one condition of mine."
Hephaestus didn't care whether Apollo succeeded or not, as long as he could cause some trouble to the woman. Since he came here, the Queen of Heaven seemed to have forgotten him. Compared with the contempt of other creatures, this made him feel even more unacceptable.
In response to his request, although Apollo didn't know what grudges there were between the gods in front of him and the Queen of Heaven, he showed a look of joy and solemnly agreed.
"Of course, if you can answer my questions today, I will definitely fulfill my promise when you need it in the future. This is the promise Apollo made to you, and I will definitely do it."
2024-05-15 Author: Deep Blue Waltz Chapter 233 Io disappears at the end of the world After
getting Apollo's promise, Hephaestus did not keep the secret any longer. He described in detail the topography of different places on earth, the location of Olympus, and the Delphic Oracle under Mount Parnassus.
This is what his adoptive mother told him. In fact, Hephaestus himself had never been there, but it was enough for Apollo.
Knowing the destination, the young god thanked the other party solemnly, and then promised again:
"Your Highness Hephaestus, no matter what, I will always remember your help today. When you need me in the future, I will definitely fulfill my promise and do my part."
"I hope so, Apollo, but you can leave now. The earth is far away, and it is not easy to find Delphi based on my description alone."
Nodding, Hephaestus' attitude was still not enthusiastic. Although the two sides temporarily had a common goal, he still didn't want to stay with this handsome and sunny god for too long.
Apollo didn't care about this implicit act of expulsion. After expressing his gratitude, he chose to leave directly.
"Maybe he can succeed?"
"Who knows?"
Looking at where Apollo left, Hephaestus shook his head. He was not optimistic about him, but he also didn't think anything would happen to Apollo. After all, he was an immortal true god.
Hephaestus picked up his forging hammer and began to forge again. His skills were not yet high enough. Compared to the Cyclops, although he had the same talent, he still needed enough time to practice. At least now, he could not use the priesthood as material to forge a real artifact.
Of course, Hephaestus never wanted any artifact. He just hoped that one day he could create a tall and mighty substitute to cover up his ugly and short appearance.
······
On the other side, Apollo left Lemnos and embarked on a journey to find the Temple of Delphi. Just like the heroes of later generations, he met many different people and did many things along the way.
There were injured humans, hospitable river gods, evil monsters, and nymphs chased by ferocious beasts. He used his warm light to heal the wounds of humans, helped the river god get rid of a three-headed giant snake that had been entrenched upstream, killed the demons that coveted his blood, and helped the nymphs get rid of the beasts. In order to repay Apollo's help, the elf born from the ash tree gave him a silver bow.
This is said to be a creation of the giants, with extraordinary power, so Apollo couldn't let it go. With its help, the young god's journey was smoother. With the help of this treasure, more beasts died under his arrows, and many mortals were saved because of him.
As he continued to move forward, the name of "Apollo with the Silver Bow" began to spread among the gods and mortals who survived the flood. Gradually, they all knew that there was a god who could bring light, heal people's injuries, and was willing to help others. He was looking for the Delphic Oracle. He wanted to go there and get rid of a giant snake that did many evil things.
Although no one knew the origin of this god and he never revealed the source of his bloodline, these people or gods all blessed him, hoping that he could get what he wished for.
All of this was seen by Helios who was driving the sun chariot across the sky, and then reported to the king of gods who was paying attention to everything.
He didn't like Apollo - because unlike others, the sun god saw his divine power at a glance, which was the power of "light". Just like he had divided the power of his father, the Titan Hyperion, he had divided the "light" of his mother, Theia.
Although he disliked it, Helios suppressed this subjective emotion because the Mother of Light had been away from the world for a long time and he himself was about to be promoted to a powerful god. He reported to Zeus what Apollo had done on time every day and did not do anything unnecessary.
After all, there was no direct conflict between the two of them at the moment, and the other party was the son of the King of Gods. Helios could not think of any reason for them to be enemies.
"So along the way, he helped many human migrants who had not yet settled down, and restored the health of the disabled and sick. As a result, he was regarded as a patron saint of the migrants and a god who healed the wounded?"
In the evening, standing in front of the Palace of the Gods, Zeus confirmed with Helios who had just finished his shift.
"Yes, sire."
Helios nodded. Perhaps because of his upcoming promotion, he seemed more confident. He looked at Zeus and suggested,
"Should I stop him from contacting humans?"
"He is currently... not far from Olympus. If we let him go on like this, he will probably repeat what happened to Prometheus."
Speaking of this god of foresight, Helios did not mean to say it at first, but then his tone suddenly paused. At this moment, the sun god suddenly remembered the warning he had received from the other party under the whirlpool in the East China Sea.
'You don't need to worry now, but if another god who is qualified to drive the sun chariot is born in the future, then you have to be careful. '... Could this being be Apollo?
He was not the only one who heard this. There were also Crastos and Bia who were escorting Prometheus. Helios didn't know if they had told the God King about this. If so, why did Zeus ask him to report about Apollo?
Without thinking too much, Helios lowered his head slightly and avoided Zeus's gaze. He couldn't figure out the reason behind it, but it didn't stop him from feeling a little uneasy.
"You don't need to worry about Apollo's affairs. His connection with humans is not that deep, and it's far from the level of Prometheus. Since I allow Hestia's followers to contact humans, there is no need to stop Apollo."
Zeus waved his hand and signaled the sun god to leave. As for the reputation left by Apollo in the world, it was actually a good thing for the king of gods.
After all, he is not Poseidon, or any other god, he is the son of the King of Gods. When his identity is revealed in the future, part of all the fame that Apollo has gained will go to Zeus. After all, all this is a "trial" given to him by the King of Gods.
"Come to think of it, this seems to be a good idea?"
His eyes lit up, and as he watched Helios's departing back, Zeus suddenly realized that Apollo's behavior seemed to be able to be further extended.
The other party was at least a god, so even if he was his son, his achievements would not be completely attributed to the God King. After all, among the gods, it was not uncommon for offspring to be stronger than their parents. But if he could have some demigod offspring, or just descendants with divine blood, it would be different.
Moreover, for those humans who already have stable settlements, Zeus has been thinking about how to spread his faith. His previous idea was to direct and perform a divine revelation - a storm suddenly came, heavy rain continued, and mortals were at a loss. At this time, someone who received the "revelation" stood up and believed that everyone should pray to the great King of Thunder, and then he would go through all kinds of hardships, and finally Zeus would bring down miracles and give them the power of magic.
This was the inspiration he got from Hestia's followers. The God King was somewhat envious of the piety of those humans, so he wanted to do it again. All of this came from the humans' own prayers, not his initiative, which was undoubtedly a good idea. But now, the God King suddenly found that he had another way.
It is not only useful, but also very much in line with his heart. It would be a good thing if 'work' and 'hobby' could be mixed into one.
"Perhaps making those human monarchs descendants of my divine blood would be a more permanent solution?"
He glanced at another magnificent palace, which was Hera's shrine. Zeus could already foresee the other party's reaction, but it didn't matter.
Let's give it a try first. If it really works, he will wait until Apollo returns and then really start his plan.
As for what would happen to the first "experimental subject"... that was not something the God King was concerned about. If the other party was a god, he would still need to consider the gods' opinions. But for a mortal, no matter what he did, the gods would at most just think he was a little absurd, and would not have any other thoughts.
...
Zeus's sudden thought is a disaster for mortals, but for the gods, it is just another joke after dinner.
Perhaps it was because Zeus had not yet demonstrated his true power, and gradually, other gods no longer avoided talking about things related to him - such as Metis in the past.
The gods lamented that Hera's offspring had been born. Although he had not grown up yet, his sharp divine duties undoubtedly showed his extraordinaryness. However, Metis was unable to leave children of her own, and even the Oceanid couple did not take her seriously.
- For example, the extramarital affair of the King of Gods and the anger of Queen Hera, this seems to be a cliché, but before it was at least limited to the gods. But what they didn't expect was that this time, Zeus actually turned his attention to mortals.
Near a newly established human city-state, the God King once again did what he does best. Inachus, the monarch of Pislazi, who led his people to open up their homeland through hardships, had a beautiful daughter.
Her name was Io. Although she did not have an extraordinary body and was just a mortal, she had a beauty that moved the gods and a graceful figure. But like everyone recorded in later myths, her appearance did not bring her happiness, but instead brought disaster.
Zeus came to the mortal world and used his power to gather clouds to block Helios's gaze from the sun chariot. Then, on a meadow called Lena, the king of gods successfully made the other party pregnant with his first demigod offspring.
His experiment was successful, and when Zeus' bloodline was nurtured in the bodies of human royals, he felt a slight connection gradually formed. However, this connection was not stable yet, because Io was just a princess, and this was just an ordinary city-state among the new generation of humans. He needed to do more.
He needs to make his offspring the future monarch of this human city-state, and make this offspring with divine blood become the proof of the divine right of kingship. Starting from him, there will be more kings with his blood in the future, and the existence of the God King will penetrate every corner of human society. One day, mortals will even equate "Zeus" with "king", thus completing his great cause.
But even though everything was well thought out, it was just a test after all. Facing the furious Hera, Zeus temporarily chose to take a step back.
Hera would soon know about Apollo's affairs, and before that, Zeus did not want to over-irritate his queen. The king of gods took a step back, and the only one left facing Hera was the helpless mortal princess. From this moment on, Io's painful half-life began.
Zeus used his gradually mastered divine power to transform the princess of Pislach into a cow to avoid Hera's sight. But Io didn't know that Zeus didn't expect this to be hidden from her, he just used this method to ease the anger of the queen of heaven.
If he had just acted nonchalant and told Hera to dispose of the mortal he had chosen, the Queen would have had nowhere to vent her anger. But he tried his best to cover up Io's existence, but was easily discovered by Hera, which gave the Queen a sense of "victory" and allowed her to immerse herself in the identity of the winner, which diluted Zeus's betrayal of her marriage.
For this reason, the king of gods and the queen of heaven started a ridiculous "battle of wits" over the existence of Io. Zeus turned her into a snow-white cow, and Hera pretended not to know. She praised Io's outstanding appearance among the cows, and then asked for her to be taken away, and ordered people to keep a close watch on her. From then on, the original princess ate licorice, drank sewage, and even did not recognize Inachus who came to look for his daughter. She could only immerse herself in pain all day long.
The king of gods was unwilling to accept defeat, so he sent his confidants to kill the guards again and let Io go secretly, allowing her to regain her freedom. However, this was still only part of the "battle of magic", because Zeus even forgot to change the human princess back to human form. So Hera followed closely and caught a gadfly, baptized it with divine blood, and ordered it to chase Io endlessly. So the princess, who still failed to turn back to human form, fled madly and helplessly in the world, but could never escape this unprovoked disaster.
Hera was finally satisfied. She felt that her wisdom had defeated the king of gods and that the mortal had received the punishment he deserved. Zeus also got what he wanted. He successfully appeased his queen and did not cause more turmoil at this critical moment.
As for Io, although she was indeed very beautiful and had once brought him a pleasant night, this did not make the ruthless God King pay even a second attention to her.
There are many mortals, and Io is not special. When Apollo returns to the sacred mountain, Zeus will naturally find the next beautiful woman and fulfill his idea of spreading his bloodline among human kings.
Everything should have gone on like this. Mortals could not influence the eternal gods. Even if the gods were shackled in the present world, humans in the Third Age were still just playthings in the hands of the gods. However, fate was so strange that even the gods who stood above the mortal world could not really peek into its trajectory.
So one day, under the starry night, when the ancient Mother of Night woke up from the petals, she looked out bored.
Then she saw, above the sea, at the edge of the world, a snow-white cow avoiding the gadfly approaching from behind. She leaped forward as she had every time before, trying to gain more distance, but this time something was unusual.
Because with this leap, her figure disappeared out of thin air on the sea, and no trace of her could be seen.
…
brush--
A crack appeared in the void, and behind it was the eternal night and bright stars.
Nyx stepped out, and the vast East China Sea became inexplicably quiet. Behind the changing veil of the black dress, the goddess looked a little surprised.
"So... where did she go?"
Observing the surroundings with interest, Nyx stretched out her hand and twisted the space and time nearby. The laws of the world had a slight reaction to the violent actions of the primordial god, but she didn't care.
The power of the Night Mother surged out, carefully exploring every inch of the void. She wanted to find a time-space tunnel, or some other space, like the interface of the Nine Realms wreckage that had fallen before, but the result disappointed her.
There was nothing here, everything was so normal, as if everything she had seen before was just an illusion.
However, this is impossible. Under the gaze of Nyx, even the existence of the divine power that controls time and space can at least make the Mother of Night realize that all this is man-made and not granted by heaven.
"God-given...?"
The investigation yielded nothing, but Nyx's interest grew. Behind the normal scene in front of her, there must be something unexpected.
No one could disappear silently in front of her. Even in the spirit world, she could only "not enter" instead of "not find". But now, the facts were in front of her. How did the cow that was obviously transformed by a human disappear? Nyx had no idea.
"If you are human, you must have a soul... How interesting."
With a smile on his lips, Nyx stretched out his hand and knocked on the door of the spirit world directly on the sea.
The next moment, a portal opened from the void, but this time, the other side of the door was the fifth spiritual world.
Standing in the chaotic space and time, with the illusory stars as the background, Ryan put down the things in his hands and looked at the rare guest who was walking towards him with some confusion.
(End of this chapter)