The vial broke, and the blood foam of the former Heavenly Father fell into the well water, immediately stirring up a thousand waves.
Deep in the Well of Samsara, the grafted fate and gradually gathered consciousness seemed to have found an object to attach themselves to. They immediately rushed towards the divine blood, merged with it, and transformed.
Then, under the two-colored water, a huge cocoon of light slowly took shape. It greedily absorbed the energy around it, turning it into nutrients for growth, and the life force inside it grew stronger and stronger.
At the same time, as the light cocoon was forming, two streams of light came from nowhere, circling around it. Their auras were connected and transformed, with a tendency to merge into one - they were nothing else but the two sections of the gun barrel of the magic spear [Gungnir].
Once upon a time, Ryan split this spear that absorbed the vitality of the roots of the World Tree into three parts. The middle section inherited the "Oath" part, while the two sides carried the power of "Must Hit".
He threw them into the Well of Samsara in the hope that they could be put to good use and become a divine artifact with extraordinary effects. But now they were obviously affected by the birth of the new god, attracted by it, and became its companions.
As time passed, the light cocoon expanded, and faint heartbeats began to be heard from inside. At the same time, feeling the increasingly strong suction, Ryan poured all kinds of power into it without hesitation.
It was not only pure energy, but also various memories and beliefs related to specific emotions. With their infusion, the aura emitted by the light cocoon became more unique, and even the souls in the distance who had their memories washed away and were waiting for reincarnation were affected by it, causing a little turmoil.
However, those souls were soon suppressed by the guards around them. Although the spiritual beings inspired by the three goddesses of reincarnation were also slightly affected, they still maintained their self-identity under the protection of the divine power and insisted on their due duties.
"Let them back off. This influence will become more and more severe. After a while, your divine power will not be able to protect them."
Seeing this, Ryan gave instructions to Eirene, and the latter immediately took the order and left.
It's not that Ryan can't forcibly stop this special influence, but when it comes to the birth of a new god, it's better to let everything take its course.
Soon, the area around the Well of Samsara became empty. Standing on the wall of the well, Ryan continued to wait for the birth of the gods. The two-colored well water spun faster and faster at the core, and for a moment, it formed a vortex, constantly swallowing everything around it.
Under the accumulation of energy, the light cocoon at the core not only did not grow larger, but became smaller and smaller. At a certain moment, when the absorption of external objects reached its peak, the vortex formed by the well water suddenly stopped for a moment, and then broke apart with a bang, stirring up thousands of feet of waves.
With a crisp sound, the light cocoon shattered. Endless light poured out from it, illuminating every corner of the fourth spiritual world.
The Twins of Love and Desire - Voros/Eros
The new god was born and his true name was known, but just as Ryan had expected, it did not produce any phenomena that would affect the world. In fact, the new god was not powerful, but rather seemed particularly weak.
In the world's concept, the original god has died, and his natural authority has long been shattered. Even if she is reborn, she is destined to be unable to take them back. In addition to the remaining characteristics of the original god, which make some of her powers almost impossible for beings below the great power to be exempted, the new god is just a true god with less than medium power.
But at this moment, looking at the figure jumping out of the light cocoon, Ryan's mouth twitched slightly.
"What's going on? How come there are two of us?"
Although he didn't say it out loud, Ryan still didn't quite understand the logic behind the two gods in front of him, a man and a woman, about eleven or twelve years old, each carrying a 'miniature' bow.
Maybe it was because there was some problem between the fate he manually grafted and the original myth, maybe it was the nature of reincarnation, or maybe it was because there was some problem in the blood foam that shaped their bodies - because the portion he took away not only contained the image of Aphrodite, but also the part of the goddess of vengeance. After all, when Ryan went there, they had not yet been born.
Gods can indeed be born from Uranus' blood, but this is not random, but rather it coincides with a certain opportunity or concept when the blood is spilled. The Furies fit his hatred for his offspring and the Earth Mother, and Aphrodite is, of course, related to his desires.
Ryan even once suspected that the father's fiery desire was influenced by the power of the original gods scattered between heaven and earth, and the reason why the little god of love in the myth was conceived by the goddess of beauty was another manifestation of this influence.
It was under the influence of the original gods that the goddess of beauty was born from the blood of the Father. In turn, the offspring of the goddess of beauty is suspected to have become the vessel of the original gods. The world rejects greatness, and the original myth of Eros has even less presence than other original gods. If it weren't for Ryan's arrival that caused Him to die before He was born, then He might really choose to descend in this way to incarnate and avoid the restrictions of the world.
So in this case, the accident that happened when the new god was born seems reasonable - but the problem Ryan needs to face now is that since there are two gods, who should be more suitable to take back the concept of "Winter"?
Watching the two new gods open their confused eyes, Ryan couldn't help but focus his gaze on the miniature bows behind them.
The crossbow itself was very ordinary. Although it was a rare treasure for ordinary people, it had little effect on truly powerful gods. What really attracted him was the arrows that came with each bow.
One was a golden arrow, the other a leaden arrow, and each of the two new gods held one. And in some higher perspective, conceptual power lingered on it.
This is the final manifestation of the power of the original gods, which makes them have some mysterious power. Ryan can feel that these two arrows cannot be used easily. They need to meet certain conditions before they can be used. But once they are shot, the consequences are unimaginable.
"Well... in that case, let the person concerned make his or her own choice."
He made a decision silently. Since it was difficult for him to choose, he would let others choose. Now, Ryan planned to take these two new gods to know this world first.
Whether in their past as primitive gods or in their present as reborn gods, they have undoubtedly never known this world. Before seeking their own rewards, it would be better for them to first understand the current state of the world.
Moreover, as the Lord of the Spirit World, Ryan had a premonition that these two new gods might not be peaceful guys.
······
······
The human world, the Palace of Eleusis.
It was late at night, and under the brilliant starry night, the palace was dotted with twinkling lights. The weather was getting colder, and a thin layer of frost formed on the roads, making the whole city particularly deserted.
In the residence of the previous king, the old woman in the form of Demeter was sitting at the table, flipping through extremely rare volumes in the kingdom. These crystals of wisdom were undoubtedly of extraordinary value to the human kingdom, and the king obviously did not refuse Meyer's request.
Watching under the light, in fact, for the goddess, most of the contents recorded in the scroll were actually incomprehensible, so she often hurriedly skipped over those related to weaving and casting. Only when it came to the part about planting and agriculture would she show a proud smile and then draw on it with a pen.
Of course, Demeter didn't actually understand agriculture - but as the goddess of growth, she could infer the process from the results.
Although she didn't know why doing this was right or why doing that was wrong, as long as she gently moved the authority, the law would tell her what to do to make the plants grow better.
So she wrote them down, which was also the gift the goddess intended to give to the human king as a reward for him "taking her in". After all, strictly speaking, the king of Eleusis did leave a very good impression on the goddess, so she was willing to give this reward and spread her beliefs at the same time.
The goddess has stayed in this human country for a long time. Unlike Ryan and the three goddesses in charge of [Spring], [Summer] and [Autumn], although the concept of [Winter] was gathered because of Demeter, she herself did not notice it at all.
So the goddess who turned into a mortal waited for the gods' response while still maintaining her flawed role, pretending to be an old woman who was stranded in a foreign land due to an accident and came to the palace to make a living. However, it was obvious that unlike Demeter's casualness, Chrysos, who vaguely sensed the identity of the visitor, did not dare to treat her as an ordinary person.
The promising king did not disturb Demeter's mood, he just acted kind and friendly, and then did what a monarch should do. He obeyed the goddess's wishes and arranged a servant for her - of course, he did not dare to really order this mysterious visitor, so the entire Eleusinian palace became busy because of this without the goddess knowing.
Demeter then discovered that her life was more comfortable than ever before. In fact, if she ignored the material difficulties, this place without Zeus made her feel more at ease.
No matter whether it was a big or small matter, as long as she expressed her opinions, she would quickly be echoed by everyone and then quickly completed. As long as she frowned, kind people would ask about her well-being, fearing that this "foreigner" did not feel the enthusiasm of the Kingdom of Eleusis. For a moment, the goddess, who went by the pseudonym Moir, felt particularly satisfied, and even if she was not worried about the existence of her daughter, she would not want to leave here.
While living here, the goddess even had a strange but reasonable idea. No wonder Prometheus, who was so foresighted, liked to live with humans so much that he even committed such a great crime. This is completely understandable.
Because if mortal maids were happier than gods' servants, then as the creator of bronze humans, Prometheus might have experienced a pleasure that even the gods could not compare to.
So the days passed one by one, and Demeter naturally enjoyed the life of a "mortal maid". Until one night when she was having dinner, she saw the child in the arms of Queen Metaneira, and she once again remembered her daughter who was taken to the underworld.
"King of Eleusis, perhaps I can take care of your son."
"I had a child myself, so I have experience with this."
After dinner, Demeter expressed her thoughts directly, as she had every time in the past.
As expected, Chrysostom suppressed his inner surprise and readily agreed to her request.
The king thought that his efforts would finally be rewarded. Although this was not what he wanted most, he could not control how the suspected divine being would respond.
So Chrysostom handed his infant son Demophon to the goddess. At this moment, he had even decided that his second son would be the future king of Eleusis.
"Thank you very much, Moir."
"Nothing, I like him too."
Taking the prince and looking at the baby's smiling face, Demeter felt that the void in her heart was filled.
In order to protect her daughter from the poison of other gods, she and Persephone had always been apart, but now looking at Demophon in her arms, she felt that she had experienced another kind of happiness. For a moment, the goddess even had an idea.
This was a boy - he would not suffer the same fate as them. He would not be noticed by the gods, and his original parents were just mortals.
Perhaps Demofeng could stay by his side for a long time, just like his own child. And the premise for doing all this is to give him eternal life.
…
"Almost..."
"Two brothers, one will be a mortal king and become a priest who worships me. The other will be my adopted son and live forever with me. Such a gift should be enough to repay them for their hospitality to me."
Demeter put down the book in her hand and looked at the sky outside. It was almost midnight, so she stood up and walked out of the house.
It is not difficult to make a mortal immortal. The goddess can easily do this by separating part of her divinity.
But if she also wants Demofeng to gain additional immortality, that would not be a simple matter.
The previous wars between gods made Demeter realize that just having life was not enough, just like the nymphs who served the gods, many of them died unexpectedly in various accidents.
Therefore, if the goddess did not want to watch her adopted son die in front of her one day in the future, she had to find a way to allow this human prince to obtain a physique as invulnerable as that of the gods.
This is not an easy task, but fortunately Demeter is not only the goddess of fertility, she is also the sister of the god of fire and protection.
The goddess knew that Hestia would not refuse her help, and with the help of the goddess of fire, Demeter could give the child an indestructible body.
So, like she had done every night recently, she left the room and took the baby prince back to her bed.
She placed Demophon on the stove, placed her right hand on his heart, and then whispered the hymn of the Hearth Goddess.
"Immortal of Olympus, Hestia!
Holy Hestia!
I will sing praises to you loudly!
Majestic daughter of Kronos!
Holy goddess!
Daughter of fertile Rhea!
Guardian of the sacred fire!
You are a glorious and pure flame!
You are the guardian of peace!
Oh!
Glorious goddess!
Please listen to my song!
Please give me your power!
Please care for the child in front of me as you care for me!"
The humming ended, and the flames in the furnace in front of Demeter instantly rose.
The nature of fire has been changed, and no mortal rituals are needed. A "prayer" from a god is itself a high-level sacrifice.
In the blazing sacrificial fire, some mysterious power was added to Demophon's body. Every time the flames burned an inch of his flesh and blood, a part of it was given the concept of [protection]. From then on, it would be difficult for the world's power to harm him. This was a blessing from the guardian goddess.
However, this process is destined to be long and dangerous, because although fire contains the power of protection, it does not mean that it is harmless.
The stronger the 'protection' bestowed, the greater the damage it will cause to the recipient. The recipient may even be burned to ashes before he or she gains power. However, the goddess had already thought of this.
Every day, she anointed the baby with holy food containing her own power, and at night, she personally guided this growing power to fight against the flames. In this way, under the interweaving of the power of two powerful gods, harm was avoided and only benefits remained.
Demeter looked at the child in the flames with a smile on her face. The more she looked, the more satisfied she became. From now on, this was her child. And the offspring of the Lord of Fertility naturally deserved such glory.
"Don't worry... Soon, very soon you will be able to enjoy immortality and eternal life... This is the glory and honor you can obtain as my, Demeter's adopted son."
"Your father and brother will grow old, but you will live with me!"
The deep voice echoed in the room, like a complicated spell. At this moment, the goddess was concentrating on guiding the power of the holy food.
Only perfection is worthy of her status...so this child must also be perfect.
Time passed slowly, and several months passed in the blink of an eye.
The weather grew colder, and the situation in the Kingdom of Eleusis became more difficult, but this did not affect Demeter in the palace, and her life remained the same.
Although the food supply was running low, King Chrysostom did not reduce the food for Meyer even though he cut back on his own spending, so the goddess did not notice any particular changes.
In this case, she did not need to worry about anything. Demeter just followed her own rhythm, anointing the little prince with holy food during the day and burning him in sacrificial fire at night.
The flames burned away Demophon's original blood and bones, and the vitality brought by the holy food allowed new ones to continue to grow. The goddess's ceremony went very smoothly. Apart from making her a little tired, there was nothing wrong with it.
This day was no different. The prince fell into a deep sleep while bathing in the flames, without feeling any pain. Beside him, Demeter was concentrating on baptizing his body.
It was a dark night and the palace was silent. The only sound in the house was the crackling of the burning sacrificial fire. Everything was the same as usual.
Until one moment, a knocking sound was heard near the door.
"Dongdong——"
"Boom boom boom—"
"Moir, are you there?"
There was a slight knock on the door, which was very clear in the quiet room.
That was the voice of Queen Metaneira. Her tone was a little nervous and anxious, but she still didn't speak loudly.
She hoped to get some response, but after a long while, there was still no other sound coming from the room.
Demeter, whose mind had long been in the little prince's body, did not notice the visitor at all. She just continued her work. Most of the flesh and bones had been replaced, and there was not much left.
The target of today's sacrificial fire was Demophon's still tender cheeks. The goddess' fingers gently stroked his face, and mysterious changes occurred.
From then on, no worldly power could harm him any more. Even the influence of divine power would be greatly reduced and he could no longer be killed easily.
…
Outside the house, Metaneira was hesitant and worried.
There was a light on in the wooden house in front of her, proving that the people living there were probably still awake. But there was no response to her calls.
The queen did not know the identity of the person in the room, or rather, even her husband, King Chrysos, was only guessing about Meyer's identity. However, as the most powerful warrior in Eleusis, he must be extraordinary to be unaware of the strange existence, so he repeatedly reminded everyone in the palace not to disturb him easily.
Her husband's warning finally made Metaneira realize that Demeter was different, so logically, she should not disturb this mysterious being in the middle of the night, but today was an exception.
Not long ago, the queen woke up from her sleep and suddenly missed her child. She went to the room where Demophon usually stayed to visit her youngest son whom she had not seen for a long time, but it was obvious that there was nothing there.
Just like every night for the past few months, the goddess had taken him away long ago, leaving only the small wooden bed.
Metaneira was a little flustered for a moment, she didn't know where Demophon was now, but she soon remembered that her child was given to the care of the mysterious guest by her husband.
So when the queen hurried over and saw the fire still bright in the house, she felt a little relieved.
Maybe he was just brought to his room by Moir. After all, it was impossible for outsiders to break into the palace, and they didn't have any enemies outside... But having said that, Metaneira still knocked on the door.
Just confirm it, and at worst I can apologize sincerely later... The queen thought so, so she stood in front of the door and knocked on the wooden door again.
"Dongdong——"
"Boom boom boom—"
"Moir, are you there?"
"…"
"…Moir? Is Demophon here with you?"
However, there was no response, as if no one was in the room.
"...Moir, if you are here, and if it is inconvenient for me to come in, please respond."
Metaneira asked again, but there was still no response from inside the house. Apart from the whistling sound of the wind, the only sound that could be vaguely heard under the night sky was the burning fire.
After asking several times and still getting no response, the queen hesitated for a long time. Her longing for her young son finally prevailed, and with the sound of the wooden axis turning, the door was pushed open by the queen.
She walked into the house carefully and looked at the scene inside, and almost immediately she noticed Demeter standing in front of the fireplace.
"Hoo-Moir, you are here."
He breathed a sigh of relief, as long as he hadn't fallen asleep yet. Metaneira took a few steps forward and asked with a smile:
"Moir, why didn't you respond to me just now? I thought—"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"...ah!!!"
In the starlit city of Eleusis, a sharp cry pierced the silence of the palace, and almost the next moment, lights everywhere were lit one after another.
The guards were all awakened, and the few who were still on patrol set off immediately. They didn't know what had happened, but the queen seemed to be in danger. Deep in the palace, Chrysostom stood up from the table after hearing his wife's shrill and desperate voice. The powerful warrior subconsciously drew his bronze sword, but the next moment, he froze in place.
The king, who had already touched the edge of legend, easily determined that the source of the sound was in the palace, or even not far away. And that place was where the existence that seemed to be a god lived.
In an instant, all kinds of emotions flashed through his heart. He wanted to draw his sword and rush forward regardless of everything, but all kinds of old rumors emerged one by one.
Chrysos didn't know why everything turned out like this, and why the queen provoked that mysterious being, but if it was really a god, then the consequence of angering her might very well be the destruction of the entire city-state.
The king began to hesitate, he felt like he was carrying a heavy burden. As the son of the first founder of the city, Chrysos, who followed his father to build the new city, didn't really care about his own life or death. But if his death was not only useless, but would cause a greater disaster, the courage to draw the sword suddenly retreated from his heart.
What's more, he has two sons and four daughters, which makes the king extremely conflicted... However, before he can really make a decision, the next moment, a terrible momentum exploded again from the place where the sound came from.
A huge pressure covered the entire palace, causing the patrolling guards to stop in their tracks... Feeling the aura that he could never resist, the king gritted his teeth and walked in that direction.
Now, he was the only person in the palace who could move freely. Under this terrible oppression, Kleus walked forward. No matter what, he had to know what happened... no matter whether the result was good or bad.
…
"Crackle—"
"…"
"Crackle—"
"…"
In the room, the goddess's hand was on the baby's face. The subtle sound of fuel crackling in the fire seemed to be ringing in my ears all the time, like a melody without rhythm.
But it was always like this, and Demeter had long been accustomed to it. Even when she seemed to hear some other sounds vaguely, she didn't pay much attention to it.
It's just a mortal kingdom. No matter what happens to them, it has nothing to do with the goddess. Now the key for her is to complete the baptism of Demophon.
The happy life she had led in the past made her feel that no one would bother her... It seemed that it would not be long before, at most in a few days, the offspring of this mortal would gain immortality and live with the gods from then on...
"…"
"Crackle—"
"…"
"…"
"...ah!!!"
Suddenly, a sharp cry came from her ears, and the goddess, who had been concentrating, suddenly woke up. The fiery emotion contained in this voice frightened Demeter for a moment, and her subordinates couldn't help but tremble, and then the power to protect the little prince also shrank.
Then the next moment, loud crying sounded in the room.
"Wow--!"
Even if it was only for a moment, the pain caused by the fire still woke the baby from his sleep. He began to cry loudly to express his dissatisfaction, and at the same time, the queen also realized that her child was still alive.
The queen's eyes suddenly widened, as if she had forgotten the threat of the flames. She rushed forward and lifted Demophon from the fire.
When she felt the normal skin of the baby in her arms and heard his loud cry, Metaneira finally breathed a sigh of relief. It was not until this moment that she turned to look at Demeter beside her.
The queen has realized that perhaps the other party is not trying to murder Demophon, but is doing something else that she does not understand.
Maybe this isn't such a bad thing... Thinking of this, she tried to justify her impulse. But when Metaneira raised her head, she was greeted by a pair of cold and indifferent eyes.
At this moment, the queen felt that he was not looking at a person, but at a blade of grass or a stone. She wanted to say something, but he spoke first.
"Mortal, do you know what you have done?"
After coming back to her senses from the previous shock, Demeter's calm voice rang out in the house.
Opposite her, the queen tried to explain in a panic:
"...Moir, I didn't mean it, I just..."
"You have disturbed my ritual, mortal... His face will be forever marked - just like a sinner."
Calm narration, at this moment, boundless anger rose from his heart, but this anger was not for the little prince, but came from another source.
At this moment, Demeter suddenly realized that she didn't seem to like this child that much. She was a little confused and didn't know why she felt this way, but when she said this, looking at Metaneira's reaction in front of her, the goddess suddenly understood something.
There was no trace of disgust on the queen's face when she heard Demeter's words. Although she felt a little regretful, she would not change her feelings towards Demophon because of it. But the goddess would not be like this.
She liked this child, but what she liked was a flawless, perfect offspring that she had nurtured. This was a transfer of her longing for her daughter and a reflection of her jealousy for the son of the protective goddess Leto.
Although Apollo also had no powerful strength and was even forced by Hera to have no way to go to heaven or enter the earth, he was so outstanding. In comparison, Demeter could only let her daughter hide from place to place, and even failed to escape in the end.
Just a mortal...even a prince, but what's so special about him to God?
He just appeared in front of the goddess of abundance at the right time, and then won her love. But he is never irreplaceable, especially at this moment, this masterpiece that should have been perfect has cracks.
The goddess had never experienced the game in the future, so she didn't know how upset and dissatisfied someone who was about to pass the level perfectly would be when faced with a low-level mistake. She only knew that she had invested so much energy before, and now, her desire for destruction was so strong.
"I'm sorry, Moir, I didn't know you were doing this for him—"
"That's enough!"
In front of Demeter, Metaneira wanted to explain, but the goddess didn't want to listen anymore. The queen's voice only made her feel bored. The more she cared for the child, the more the goddess realized that she was the mother and she was not.
So the pretend game ends here... since it is no longer perfect, there is no need for it to exist.
The next moment, the holy power that reached the demigod realm spread out, instantly covering the entire Eleusis. The lights that had just lit up went out in an instant, and looking at the queen who was pressed to the ground, Demeter's appearance began to change.
Age fades away, youth returns. The gorgeous ornaments are put on her body, and the attire of the gods replaces that of mortals. At this moment, the goddess who reveals her true self is so dazzling, so noble and inviolable.
However, in the eyes of Chrysos who finally arrived outside the door, the goddess who showed her true face at this moment was so terrifying. The pressure from the essence of life made him feel terrified, but the king still took a step forward and tried to calm the other party's anger.
"Your Majesty, I—"
"I am Demeter."
The king's voice was interrupted. Looking at the two people in front of him, the goddess' voice was like eternal ice.
"I am the main god of Mount Olympus, the god who controls the growth of all things."
"Foolish mortals...you have made a great mistake."
"I could have granted your beloved son immortality, but now, he is doomed to die!"
In silence, the vitality in the baby's body that was originally used to fight against the sacrificial fire suddenly boiled up. It was originally a treasure that mortals dreamed of, which could make the old return to youth and heal the wounds of the dying. But now, its power was like a deadly poison, taking Demophon's life in an instant.
The baby's cry suddenly stopped, and the queen, who was originally pressed to the ground, suddenly opened her eyes wide. She put her cheek in front of her child, but now, the child was already lifeless.
"No--!"
A shrill voice rang out in the palace again, but this time, the goddess didn't even look at her.
The gift to Demophon was only a thought of hers, so it should also end with a thought. So she looked at the king outside the door, quietly waiting for his reaction.
Facing Demeter's gaze, Chrysos clenched his hands. His wife's reaction made him realize something, and he even put his hand on the sword at his waist, but in the end, the king put his hand down.
He knelt on one knee, right beside the queen, and then expressed to the god in front of him with a trembling voice that he had no second thoughts.
"…Thank you for your grace, goddess. If this is your decision, then this is the best fate for him."
"very good."
Nodding, Demeter's emotions gradually calmed down as her anger was vented. Looking at the king in front of her, she could feel his pain and resentment, but the goddess didn't care.
Not every mortal is as powerful as the man who swung the sword at the Son of God on the day of the flood... Moreover, even if that human was, he was only facing a demigod, and a being like Triton, no matter how bad at fighting, could be easily wiped out by the goddess.
So at this moment, Demeter felt a trace of pity in her heart - she had just caused the consequence herself, and now she felt sorry for it. This seemed contradictory, but it was not.
Human hearts are always so complicated, and the gods of Chaos are no different from humans in this respect. Standing in the house, Demeter thought of many things, including the scene when she first came to the city and was warmly welcomed by the king's daughters, the first time she saw Demophon, and the scene when she was amused by an old servant in the palace with a joke when she thought of her daughter and felt sad, and the happy life in Eleusis these days.
Looking at the queen who had fallen to the ground and lost her voice in despair, Demeter felt a sense of superiority and charity. After all, she was just a mortal.
She had disturbed herself because of her ignorance, and now she was paying the price for it.
So looking at the king in front of her, Demeter spoke slowly:
"Your queen disturbed me, the mortal king, but I mercifully pardoned her crime. And now that the sin is over, your merits should not be erased."
"Starting tomorrow, send your other son to me. Although your second son has no chance to be with God, I will still grant your eldest son the glory closest to the gods."
"…"
His blood seemed to turn cold, and Kleus opened his mouth but could not utter a word for a moment.
He didn't know that Demeter had no intention of doing anything this time, or even really planning to give some rewards, he just thought he was going to lose another child. But in the end, the king just bowed his head slightly.
"Your Highness, thank you...thank you for your gift."
Demeter waved her hand and turned around. Baptizing the prince was exhausting enough, and everything that followed made the goddess even more tired.
So she walked into the house and said to the two people behind her calmly:
"Let's stop here for today... I'm tired, you can leave now."
"…Yes, Your Highness."
The king responded in a low voice, pulled up his dazed wife, and quietly left the room.
He wanted to bury his child...even though he had only been in this world for a single year.
······
The underworld.
The Garden of Truth.
Compared with the ground, the core of this underworld has become a little more lively than before.
Over the years, the cold winter on earth has become more and more severe, and a large number of mortals have died. And because the human race has reproduced so quickly and so violently in recent years, most of the human race actually cannot say that they have much faith in God.
Therefore, according to the agreement between the gods and the earth, a large number of human corpses came to the underworld. The losses caused by Gaia were quickly made up, and even more.
At this moment, in the Palace of Pluto, Hades sat quietly on his throne, enjoying the rare delicacies in the desolate underworld, and beside him, Persephone was also sitting there.
Demeter's worries were justified, as her daughter inherited her beauty and was even more beautiful than before. However, at this moment, contrary to the expectations of many gods, this goddess who had been in the underworld for more than a hundred years did not seem to be forced at all, or to be more precise, she was in a very good mood.
The reason why she was in a good mood was, of course, the cold winter on earth that affected the whole world.
"Um?"
Suddenly, the Hades on the throne let out a sigh. He put down the cup in his hand and looked up.
However, he could not see through the earth, he just vaguely sensed something, that was a faithless newly dead person... But what surprised Hades was that the breath was definitely not from a god, but it probably didn't look like a mortal either.
Beside him, Persephone was not surprised by this. She just tasted a fruit casually, then asked,
"Why, has another powerful mortal died?"
"Then go ahead. I have no interest in carrying a corpse."
Chapter 253 The Awakening of the Demon Mother
In the Pluto's Palace, Persephone and Hades sat opposite each other.
She knew why Hades had raised his head, and she was not very interested in it. Because like other gods on earth, the Seed Goddess did not like the dead souls that exuded death.
As for why Hades is so concerned about this, it is actually easy to understand. The more powerful a life is during life, the stronger its power will be after death, and the faith generated by such a life is often exceptionally amazing.
What determines the purity of faith is piety, but what determines how much is the strength of life itself. For the innate gods with immortal essence, whether the faith is pure or not does not have much impact, so what the gods really care about is actually just the number.
Perhaps the other gods of Olympus do not care too much about those few powerful individuals. After all, human beings are still in a state of barbaric growth. If it were not for the cold winter brought by Demeter, the number of mortals would probably still be growing.
So instead of focusing on the strong ones, it is better to work more on the number. Belief is difficult to force, and the life span of mortals is very limited, so the only way is to cast a wide net, but Pluto is different.
The life span of the undead depends on the soul, the stronger the soul, the longer it lives. Perhaps without the blood of gods, the few legends in the history of the fourth generation of mankind can only live two or three times longer than ordinary people, but the undead of the same level can easily survive for thousands of years, which makes the strength of an individual very cost-effective.
Moreover, Hades had long been fed up with those undead who liked to worship the Dark Moon. These skeletons and souls seemed to naturally favor the existence that gave them new life. Therefore, whenever possible, Hades would rather cultivate those special and powerful beings separately, use his divine power to create a similar environment, and give them new life.
This was indeed very effective in avoiding a lot of trouble. The only downside was that it was not an easy task. Without the corresponding authority, even if the Moon Goddess had not prohibited the birth of ownerless magic from the source, Hades would still need to use tens of millions of times more power to do the same thing.
However, if there were only a few, Hades would be fine. After all, he only needed to pay attention to those who were worthy of his attention. As for the others, the dead were different from the living. These beings who had died once did not have so many desires, and Hades did not rely on worship to gain faith.
Over the years, he has verified his conjecture. As the King of Hell, the awe of these beings born in the underworld for his power and the rules established under his power is a kind of faith in him. So whenever there is a chance, Hades will personally go to the earth.
But this time, in response to Persephone's question, Hades just shook his head.
"It is indeed a powerful aura, but it is not from a mortal. I need to see it myself."
"And...it seems to have something to do with you."
Recalling the fleeting breath just now, Hades was a little unsure. It was a feeling of being stained with the breath of the gods, and even that breath was very familiar.
That's Demeter... Thinking of this, as if he had finally made a decision, he looked at the goddess beside him.
After so many years, he has been able to determine that the other party may not be the most perfect choice, but it must be what he needs. In this case, there is no need to hesitate any longer.
"Pearl... Although the arrival of the cold season is indeed a good thing, the gods will not be patient forever."
"One day, they will no longer be able to tolerate the reduction of human beings, and then, at your mother's request, they will unite to put pressure on me to make you return to the human world."
"But I don't want to go back."
He said calmly, Persephone searched on the table and ate another piece of fruit.
"I can explain it to my mother and she will understand me."
"Maybe... But whether she understands you or not, Zeus will definitely not understand me."
Shaking his head, Hades gave up hope.
Hades saw everything the King of Gods did to Demeter. Obviously, even though he didn't jump up and down like Poseidon, or even come to the desolate underground, Zeus still didn't trust him that much.
Maybe it was just a subconscious check and balance by the God King, or maybe he really saw something. In short, Zeus's behavior had vaguely expressed his attitude, so this time Hades simply acted first and asked for permission later, first snatched the people to the underworld, and then asked the God King to fulfill his promise. Otherwise, he dared to guarantee that something strange would definitely happen in the middle, and it would seem that it had nothing to do with the master of Mount Olympus.
Hades wanted to laugh when he thought of this. Zeus was indeed the 'keeper of oaths' - he would do whatever words the oath contained. And he would do more in the opposite direction in the parts other than the oath.
But perhaps it is precisely such a person who can sit on the throne longer - if he is not a God-King, but a human being.
"God King Zeus, how disgusting."
Taking up a handkerchief to wipe her wet fingers, Persephone raised her head. Her eyes passed through the walls of the temple and looked down at the vast underworld from a higher angle.
As a deity on earth, she didn't really like the dark underworld. But the difference was that now there was no mother forcing her to stay in the narrow valley.
She can stay freely in this vast world, even if it is a bit monotonous now - although reason tells Persephone that this is the decision made by Demeter to protect her, and she can understand her mother's behavior, but letting a girl who is full of curiosity about everything live alone and stay in a secluded valley for a hundred years is a torture.
Moreover, in her opinion, perhaps her mother had a better way to protect her than hiding in a corner and deceiving herself.
Therefore, Persephone hated Zeus, who caused all this, but she was not particularly close to her mother, whom she had only seen a few times. She felt that she was just like her own divine position, a "seed" buried between the cracks of stones and rubble.
Therefore, she did not tell Demeter her whereabouts before, and watched her bring disaster to the world, because she wanted to disgust Zeus and also hoped to force this goddess who obviously held extraordinary power.
She is also the daughter of Kronos. The six brothers and sisters are all powerful gods, but Demeter is so timid. Doesn't she know that the weaker you are, the more you need to expose your thorns, so that others will at least be cautious when picking fruits?
Fortunately, with her disappearance, her mother finally remembered her authority and knew how to protect her by threatening instead of escaping... At this moment, Persephone felt that her approach was still right.
Some people are just like that. You have to push them into a corner before they know how to let others see their threat. There is no doubt that my mother is like that. If she had done this as soon as Zeus took her by force, the gods would have known to give her a little more respect, even if it was superficial.
But thinking of this, the goddess looked at Pluto again.
Demeter did make the gods recognize her again. After all, she had that kind of authority, but she had never mustered up the courage before. But Persephone did not have that.
She was really weak, no matter how much she tried, the result would not be any different. So the only person she could count on was the guy who had captured her.
"So think of a solution, Hades, aren't you the King of the Underworld?"
"Zeus is just your younger brother. As an elder brother, do you have to kowtow and beg for mercy in front of him?"
Looking at her future husband, Persephone said sarcastically.
In front of her, listening to the goddess' words, Hades was not angry. Or rather, he never got angry about these insignificant things.
"If it was just for a momentary gain, Pearl, I would not have given up fighting Zeus for the throne of the king of gods. Besides, the power he has shown has made it difficult for me to see clearly now."
Shaking his head with a puzzled look on his face, Hades drank the wine in the glass again.
The resurrected dead would remember some things from their previous lives, so the craftsmanship of the human world was also circulated in the underworld. Even with the arrival of Persephone, the problem of raw materials was solved.
The goddess opened a garden in the Garden of Truth and used her own power to grow all kinds of crops on the ground. Whether it was the fruits they were eating or the wine they were drinking, the ingredients were all grown by her personally.
"But Pearl, I don't envy him, because I know that there is no power in this world that comes out of thin air."
"The throne of the God King looks very tempting. My grandfather, my father, and even Zeus now, have all gained supreme power because of it. But who knows what the price is?"
"Oh."
With a sneer, Persephone ignored Hades' words.
"By the time he pays the price, you might have been trained into submission?"
"Anyone can talk big, Hades, but the result is that Uranus did whatever he wanted for an epoch, and in front of Kronos, you dare not even raise your voice."
"Tell me your plan... or do you want to tell me that you took so much trouble to bring me to the underworld just to let me play here for a hundred years and then send me back to Olympus?"
Not to be confused, perhaps in some respects Persephone did inherit her father's traits.
Just as she said, since Hades dared to bring her down, he should have a way to make her stay.
"…You're right, Pearl. I can indeed let you stay here—but not permanently."
After a moment of silence, since he had made up his mind, there was no need to hesitate any longer. The years of getting along had allowed Pluto to get to know his future queen more clearly. Although she was never polite when talking to him, she was actually very measured in her actions.
Perhaps, as she said, her impolite words were just a cover for her inner uneasiness...So, facing Persephone's gaze, Hades' face finally became serious. Silently, he mobilized half of the power of the underworld that belonged to him and gathered in his palm.
Gray and black air mixed together. As the boundary where the power of the four original gods collided, the power of the underworld inevitably stained the characteristics of each of them. Heavy, mysterious, and with some distorted order or rules in the shadows. Twelve crystal clear fruits gradually appeared in Hades' palm, and because of their appearance, the face of Hades was even a little pale.
"As you can see, Pearl, I have spent the last hundred years getting to know you. But now, I think you might actually be my Queen."
"So just like Zeus and Hera, I am willing to share my power with you - but only if you are willing to bear the price."
"cost?"
Persephone raised an eyebrow as she stared at the fruit in Hades' palm.
She just asked casually, not even paying much attention. After all, in her opinion, no price would be more annoying than returning to Olympus without any power. In comparison, even the unknown fruit in front of her was more attractive to her.
She had never seen such a plant before. It seemed that it was not naturally generated, but a manifestation of some kind of authority... But it didn't matter. As the goddess of seeds, as long as she ate one, the underworld would be filled with this new plant from today on.
"Yes, the price. The King of Gods is the gathering of the laws of the world, so Hera can share the authority of Zeus, because we, including me, are all part of the world, but the underworld is different."
Nodding slightly, Hades continued to explain:
"Your origin is not naturally one with the underworld, which makes it impossible for me to directly seal you as the Queen of the Underworld. So Pearl, if you want to share my authority, you must first take the initiative to make yourself a part of the underworld."
"At that time, your power will be the same as mine, closely related to the strength of the underworld. Of course, you are not like me. The symbol of my priesthood is naturally part of the underworld, just like I am here. Therefore, I can travel freely to every corner of this world, but if you make such a choice, then from now on you will have to be pulled by the laws of the interface."
"When that time comes, no matter who tries to stop you, no one can stop you from returning to the embrace of the underworld at the corresponding time - not even you."
"I see."
Persephone thought about it for a moment and understood what Hades meant.
"Then your goal is achieved. When my authority becomes part of the underworld, no matter where I am, this interface itself will change. Is that right?"
Hades didn't say anything about this, but his attitude said it all.
"Well, how many can I have?"
Looking at the fruit in Hades' palm again, Persephone asked again.
"At most half, this is the limit you can bear - but I hope you understand that before you eat it, you can still freely decide whether to be above ground or underground. After all, I will not restrict your behavior. But -"
"No buts."
Interrupting Hades, Persephone took the six fruits from his hand and swallowed them in one gulp.
"Seeds also need a place to germinate. I think this place is pretty good."
When the fruit entered her stomach, she didn't feel anything at first, but soon, she felt that she had touched something majestic. She was being wrapped, swallowed, and merged by it, and in the process, she also felt a powerful force flowing into her body, which was gradually grasped in her hand.
This influence is mutual, just because of the difference in size, the Hades has changed less, and Persephone has changed more, but this is just right. After all, the Hades is not the earth after all. A small amount of change is a good thing, but too much may not be.
Changes continued, and the interaction of laws never stopped. As time passed, until a certain moment, the entire underworld suddenly trembled slightly.
Something was completely changed, but it seemed that nothing had happened. Only Hades, the god of the underworld, could clearly feel that a faint vitality was born under the ground of the Garden of Truth.
Just like an unsprouted seed, although very small, but tenacious and pure. And when it appeared, the cycle of the entire underworld instantly rose by more than a level, and even after the surge, it was still slowly increasing. At the same time, the laws of the world seemed to be pleased with this, and its power also tilted down a bit.
Gaia noticed this change, but she had no time to pay attention to it. Other primitive gods also noticed this scene, but after sensing the familiar breath of the present world, they withdrew their gazes.
The direct feedback of the law has basically proved that this is a destined part. Perhaps its process can be changed, but the result can never be changed. It is like the birth of the sun and the moon, and the replacement of the gods. This is the node of the world's self-improvement, and it is also something that is destined to happen.
At the same time, on Mount Olympus, the God King seemed to have noticed something as well. However, he was unable to find the source of the problem as he was only incarnated. After searching for a while without any results, he had to temporarily put aside this inexplicable feeling and summon the God of Wind.
The matter of Demeter has been going on for quite some time. As the King of Gods, it is not convenient for him to show up in person, so he can only ask his loyal subjects to contact her on his behalf.
I believe that he doesn't need to say it directly about this kind of thing. Just pretend to be indifferent and he will understand what I mean.
…
"This is the authority of the underworld..."
In the Pluto's Palace, Persephone, who had eaten six fruits, opened her eyes.
At some point, her golden hair had turned gray, and her eyes had turned pure black. A faint gray mist was surging around her, congratulating the goddess on her rebirth.
"Now, I am the Queen of the Underworld?"
Stretching and feeling her new state, Persephone felt more relaxed than ever before. The cold feeling coming from the depths of her soul not only did not make her feel uncomfortable, but made her feel warm.
Then she turned around and stared at Hades for a long time. After a while, she suddenly asked:
"So Hades, since I am your queen, do you need me to give birth to a prince for you?"
"God doesn't need an heir."
Silently refusing, Hades clenched his fist and the remaining six fruits returned to his body.
The thing he had been worrying about for a long time was finally completed, but Pluto did not forget another thing he had just planned to do.
"I'm going to go see the dead man who gave me a strange aura. Do you want to come with me?"
"You're so boring."
It was a bit disappointing, but over the past hundreds of years, Persephone had realized that the monarch of the underworld might have many reasons for wanting to find the Queen of the Underworld, but that definitely did not include the same reason as Zeus.
So in response to Hades' reaction, the goddess just waved her hand indifferently, then she turned around and looked towards the back of the temple with some amusement.
There was a familiar breath there. It was also the valley where she found herself hiding, and brought Hades driving a bronze chariot.
At first, Persephone was actually a little grateful to her, but then it gradually faded away. Because whenever she was alone with Hades, the nymph always seemed to show her presence, and even when she was alone, she often said something that annoyed the goddess.
For example, she was the best candidate for Hades' wife, and she had done so many things for Hades, Persephone had better not dream of it. Or she laughed at her life experience and past, and other things, as if the nymph had forgotten that no matter how bad she was, she was an immortal god, and she was just dust that was never taken seriously by the gods.
Before, Persephone had difficulty dealing with her. After all, although the goddess' words were never polite, she was still very clear about her identity. However, now, the situation was different.
So the goddess stretched out her hand and gently grabbed the water fairy named Mingta, who fell into her hands.
"Wait, Persephone, what are you going to do?"
It seemed that he had not expected that he would be caught. Mingta's voice was a little flustered, but he soon became confident again.
She didn't believe that the other party would dare to do anything to her. No matter what, she had worked for Hades for so many years, so she immediately explained:
"Your Majesty, I don't want to eavesdrop on your conversation. I just came to give you..."
The sound stopped abruptly. With a single movement of the power in his hand, the annoying voice of the nymph disappeared.
Persephone then clenched her five fingers, intending to completely wipe out this guy who had no self-awareness at all, but at this moment, a pale hand grabbed her wrist.
"What's wrong? Are you reluctant? If so, why didn't you stop me from killing her?"
Without turning around, the Queen of Hades was certain that Hades had just had enough time to stop her. However, the next moment, Hades' response made her laugh.
"You must learn to be calculating, Pearl. From now on, the Underworld also has a part of you."
Releasing his hand, Hades casually pointed and Mingta's body gradually blurred. Soon, only a mint plant remained.
Of course, there was no such plant as 'mint' in this world before. It was only created by Hades. I believe that the special aroma of this plant will at least alert those who use it in the future.
"Also, Pearl, since you killed her, from today on, the things that were originally her responsibility will be handed over to you."
If there was really no one else available, how could Hades tolerate this maid who often acted on her own? Fortunately, it now seems that his Queen of the Underworld should be a very capable person.
As soon as he finished speaking, Hades' body turned into light and flew to the ground. He had been delayed for a long time. Behind Hades, Persephone looked at his back for a while, then turned around, picked up the mint with a smile, and gently raised it.
The next moment, thousands of grass seeds floated in all directions. Seeing this scene, as if remembering something, the goddess used her authority to materialize the nameless fruit she had eaten before.
"If you say so, just call it pomegranate."
He spoke softly, and thus that day, two more plants appeared in the world, the underworld gained a powerful queen, and the King of Hell finally reached the limit of a true god. The next step would be the chasm that was almost impossible to cross by normal means.
As for the dead water fairy...except for the two gods present, just like the mint grass that later spread all over the world, no one remembered her name.
······
Outside the world.
Tartarus.
It may take hundreds of years in the outside world, but here, tens of thousands of years have passed in a hurry.
In the chaotic space and time, everything is so jumpy. However, since the beginning of the Third Age, repeated changes have changed this place, causing strange changes to occur in the abyss that originally had no order.
Layer upon layer of space gradually extended, dividing the interface that was mixed as one. If you even observe its spatial structure, it is surprisingly similar to the three-part division of the Nine Hells. However, in comparison, the environment here is more severe, and the division of the levels is also irregular.
However, there is one thing that the Nine Hells cannot compare to, and that is the number of levels. Under the huge size of Tartarus, thousands of large and small levels have emerged.
Under His unique rules, no one knows how many interfaces there are, because the chaotic instinct of the abyss may never care. In this case, even if a layer of interface born in chaos is far less powerful than the Nine Hells, this simple increase in magnitude cannot significantly enhance the internal circulation of the world like the Nine Hells, but in the face of such a huge number of stacks, He still shows another kind of beauty.
In any case, compared to the complete abyss, the Nine Layers of Hell are still much weaker. After all, as the main part of the outside world, Tartarus still possesses power that even the current Ryan cannot match. If Hell wants to catch up with this gap, it may take even an era to do so.
Of course, there is no life in these new layers, because there are only seven that can truly be called living things in the entire abyss.
And at the bottom of these tens of millions of interfaces, which was originally at the bottom of all worlds, in the chaotic void, six figures thousands of feet high and each with its own unique appearance were floating there. In front of them, an indescribable giant was floating up and down, and it seemed that it had finally shown some signs of waking up.
She wanted to sleep for a while longer, but the changes in the underworld alarmed all the primordial gods, and naturally the abyss. As the beginning of life in the abyss, she was also affected. So the consciousness that had been dormant for an era gradually became active, and with it, the power of Tartarus leaped.
Chapter 254 Demon God
The indescribable core of the abyss. When the changes in the underworld were completed, the impact it brought was also transmitted here in another way.
Something jumped, and then the huge figure at the core of Tartarus shook slightly. But perhaps because she had slept for too long, her own strength had undergone too drastic a change in the process, and even though she was stimulated, her mind woke up little by little.
As for the six different figures... Although they were guarding around their mother body, their consciousness was not yet complete. In other words, before Moya woke up, they would have remained in their current form, because the Demon Mother was the first life that should have appeared in the Abyss.
As time passed, the consciousness in that huge body became more and more active. At a certain moment, she finally regained some ability to think, and the "eyes" in her body slowly opened.
Everything around me suddenly came into view.
…
"So noisy..."
Her consciousness sank into nothingness, and the surroundings seemed dark and boundless. Something was constantly changing herself, but she had no clearer sense of reality while she was sleeping.
I don't know how much time has passed. After all, it's hard to have a concept of time when you're asleep. It wasn't until that strange wave just now came that this confused soul was finally awakened.
However, her consciousness was only slightly awake, not even enough to control her body and strength, let alone to carry past memories and logical thinking. She forgot why she was here, where she was, and even who she was...
Millions of years blurred everything. When everything was over, Moya, who woke up from her deep sleep, was a little uncomfortable for a moment. Her hazy consciousness could not remember everything at the first time.
She just instinctively looked around, observing this twisted and strange place - even though she hadn't recalled the past, Moya still felt that the scene before her might be a little different from her past life.
The stars in the sky twinkled above. They were the remnants of the beginning of creation, impurities that were difficult for the world to digest. Now they were projections of the abyss. The chaotic ocean was churning below. It was the real bottom of the world and the most original existence of the abyss Tartarus. Looking at it, a feeling of closeness and rejection rose from Moya's heart.
The feeling of closeness came from the origin of the body, and the repulsion came from the memory in her subconscious. The former Titan spirit instinctively disliked these things, but no matter what, she just thought about it for a while and let it go, because Moya's attention was soon attracted by the more prominent things around her.
They were six huge, incalculable creatures—that's what her subconscious told her. But Moya's fuzzy mind was a little confused at the moment, because she couldn't feel how they were so big.
Big and small are meaningful only when there is a reference, but at this moment, the core of Tartarus only has Moya and these six. Compared to her, these demons are not considered "big" in any way.
"And... they don't seem to have the same awareness as me."
Moya seemed to have discovered something and was a little surprised. Then the next moment the answer suddenly appeared in her mind.
It seemed that when it came to certain things, she could "know" the answer without thinking. Sensing the inexplicable information, Moya instantly "understood" the whole situation.
Before she woke up, there would never be another being with complete consciousness in the Abyss. She was a special being, not only because she was the first life in the Abyss, but also because of some of her natural qualities. She was immortal, but they were not. So even though the Demon God's gestation had already been completed, it was still stopped because of Moya's sleep.
'I'm special, that's great.'
After getting the answer, Moya's mind put aside her doubts again. A hint of joy rose in her heart, and then she began to observe these six guys more carefully.
In any case, they were the only ones around, so Moya opened his eyes and used his body and consciousness to measure their appearance and strength.
Each of them was different, and the one closest to Moya looked like a giant worm. Its bloated body was covered with branches of various sizes, and at the head, there was a huge human face painted on it, which added a bit of horror.
Just like before, when Moya saw its appearance, the information of this life emerged in her mind. It was the first demon god born in Tartarus, it symbolized the growth and change of the flesh of life in the abyss, and of course, it was also her, the eldest son of the Demon Mother.
'So, I am the mother of demons? And what are demons?'
After a moment of hazy thinking, Moya once again gave up thinking. He continued to look back and observe the other five beings.
The second closest thing to her was a huge "insect", or more precisely, it looked somewhat like an enlarged large fluttering moth, but compared to that kind of weak mortal creature, it was obviously different.
The transparent wings of the fly are dotted with thousands of eyes, not the compound eyes of insects, but the eyes of normal animals. There are densely packed dots all over it, and even if you don't consider the power of them, this scene is enough to scare a person with trypophobia to the point of being unable to control himself.
However, Moya did not react when watching this scene, because the Demon Mother did not feel as powerful as the other five.
With that inexplicable ability to "know", Moya knew that it should symbolize the chaotic spirit of the abyss life, but for some reason, in the perception of the Demon Mother, the power of the demon in front of her seemed a little "empty".
'It doesn't matter. It has nothing to do with me.'
His consciousness fluctuated slightly, and Moya's attention shifted back again.
The third one after that seemed a lot more "normal". At least Moya felt that his subconscious mind had calmed down a bit and was not resisting as violently anymore.
It was a giant with three heads and eight arms. According to the Demon Mother's perception, each of his three heads had different powers. One slowly corroded everything, one efficiently destroyed everything, and the last one in the middle could absorb the opponent's power from the killing to strengthen itself. Each head had its own characteristics, but what they had in common was that they all symbolized the destruction of order by the abyss.
There was nothing special about it. Moya continued to look back, and the fourth and fifth ones came into her sight at the same time.
One of them has dark red skin and thick limbs, huge fleshy wings and long horns, and is burning with endless flames; the other is covered in frost and mist, its body hidden underneath, making it difficult to see the whole picture.
That inexplicable "intuition" told Moya that just as the birth of the third demon god was influenced by a "foreign object" that appeared in the abyss, the same was true for these two demon gods. One of them received the power of a certain fire country, and the other merged with the origin rejected from a fog country. These two powers made them possess more than just the power of the abyss, but also such a special ability.
'Well, that's interesting.'
'There's one last one.'
Moving his gaze back, Moya finally looked at the last demon.
Compared to the first five, the one hiding at the end has no body or image of its own. It is a shadow that changes constantly, sometimes jumping and sometimes silent.
It looked a little different from the previous five, but when doubts arose in his heart, Moya once again "understood" its power. It was chaos and shadow, a manifestation of Chaos's imbalance of power. In this world where the dark side was far greater than the light, it symbolized the shadow of the abyss
. "What a six weird guys, just like the hundred-armed giant, it made people feel sick."
Inexplicable thoughts floated up in Moya's mind, but although she didn't suddenly "know" anything this time, the Demon Mother didn't plan to think about it. Although she didn't remember what the hundred-armed giant was, she thought it was a similar existence that she had seen before.
But then again…
"So, what am I like?"
This time, she was no longer thinking, but actually making a sound. Even though Moya herself didn't know where her vocal organs were, she did make a sound.
The images of the six demons finally aroused the curiosity of the Demon Mother. She wanted to see what she looked like. However, after trying, she found that she couldn't do it.
The conscious mind cannot watch itself, at least Moya, who relies on instinct, cannot do it. So after realizing this, she was somewhat frustrated.
"Then let's wait for them to wake up... When they wake up, let them tell me what I really look like."
Moya did not remain depressed for too long, and soon cheered up again, because she had realized that with her awakening, the six demons surrounding her would finally have their own complete consciousness.
Just like watching them, let them tell you their appearance, Moya thought so. So as she waited, time passed slowly.
There was no standard to measure the distorted time in the abyss, and Moya didn't know how long she had been waiting. Until one moment, she suddenly discovered that the weakest and most peculiar demon god had shown signs of waking up.
The thousands of eyes on its wings trembled slightly, as if they were about to open. So Moya moved his body with difficulty and moved in front of the other party.
"What do I look like?"
At a certain moment, Moya made another sound. She had already realized that the other party's consciousness was complete. And the next moment she asked the question, the demon's eyes opened in an instant. Thousands of rays of light shone from them, releasing their power outwards. This was not intentional, but a sign that the demon did not know how to control it.
But they don't need to be controlled. They have no moral values and don't care if they accidentally hurt others. Just like Moya did before, the newly born demon god instinctively observed the surroundings. Its numerous eyes were the right tool. Then the first thing that came into its eyes was its creator, the mother goddess of all demons in the abyss.
Swoosh——
Thousands of eyes closed instantly, and bloody juice flowed down from their eyelids. On the other side of the demon god, Moya didn't even realize what was happening.
'What's wrong with you? ' she asked.
There was no response. Moya only saw the opponent's wings shaking and retreating backwards. She was about to ask this guy with strange reaction, but the next moment, the Demon Mother was attracted by the blood flowing in the void.
They were like a mirror, reflecting her appearance. Looking at the reflection on the liquid surface, Moya was stunned for a moment.
The 'beauty' seen by the conscious mind and the extreme 'ugliness' understood by the subconscious mind collided with each other, strongly impacting her consciousness. In an instant, this extremely strong stimulation suddenly awakened Moya's memory, and she finally remembered who she was.
But at this moment, she wished she had never thought about it.
"I..."
"I am Mnemosyne... I am the Titan goddess... I am the god of language and innate writing... I am the mother of demons—"
"…"
"--ah!"
A sharp sound resounded through the abyss, and the violent force shook the world. The former Titan finally remembered everything, but the current result was unacceptable to her.
She came to Tartarus to seek power, and she did get what she wanted. However, the price was that she lost everything except power forever.
The abyss was shaking, and the newly descended demon god had not had time to wake up before he was thrown backwards by Moya's power. The demon mother, who had vented her anger, looked at the top of everything, the interface between the abyss and the world, leading to the underworld.
Behind that, is the source of everything.
"L-en-!"
Moya's brief syllables contained a rage that could not be washed away even with all the water in the four seas. If it weren't for that guy who stole his priesthood, how could he have come to this point today.
There were other beings, and those who were unwilling to help her deserved to die - she wanted to go out, to make all the lives in this world feel despair and pain, but before she could start, the power that had made her "understand" before once again sent a will, stopping her actions.
"…"
"Hell... another thief?"
"…"
"Okay... Then I'll deal with it first, and then I'll deal with you!"
At this moment, Moya understood the abyss very well. She understood the anger of having one's power taken away - even though Tartarus did not actually have any anger.
So she turned around, and following some guidance, she saw the world hidden behind the barrier of time and space.
It was very similar to the material world in the past, orderly, harmonious and orderly. Even until now, Moya preferred such a place.
But she is different now...so the Demon Mother screamed again, calling out to the demons she had just shaken out.
Now that she has felt the will of the abyss, at this moment, she only wants to bring complete destruction to this world.
······
Nine Hells, Central Courtyard.
Two 'suns' shone above, reflecting the figures on the floating island. The consciousness of the Ring World Serpent was reflected there, watching everything outside with the master of the Nine Hells.
The six demon gods, the mother of demons, neither they nor the abyss, obviously had no intention of concealing their whereabouts at this moment.
"She seems to be calling your name... Ryan, it sounds like she is really resentful."
Asmodeus drank a cup of tea beside a familiar table and chair. However, unlike his relaxed tone, his expression was extremely solemn.