Tap--
tread.
At the border between Tartarus and the underworld, subtle fluctuations spread slightly.
The leaping laws enveloped the area, ejecting a black shadow from the void.
In an instant, a slight vibration spread to the entire underworld, and the owner of the Garden of Truth seemed to have noticed the changes here.
But when Hades' gaze fell, he only saw the somewhat restless edge of the abyss.
It seemed spontaneous, but also seemed man-made, Hades couldn't tell.
Just thinking about what happened not long ago, he couldn't help but connect the two together.
"The underworld."
"It's a troubled time..."
The voice was as deep as ever, 'troubled times', which had an extended meaning as well as a literal meaning.
Because it was indeed autumn in the world, and he had never been short of things to do. So beside Hades, Persephone was fiddling with the pomegranates she had planted, instead of staying on Mount Olympus.
A few mint plants were growing tenaciously next to the pomegranates, but the Queen of the Underworld apparently didn't pay any attention to them.
Except for the two people present, no one probably remembered the water nymph who spoke so arrogantly. Even today, Persephone still felt that the guy named Minta was a bit annoying.
Just like... the God King Zeus. His mere existence made her feel sick.
"What's wrong? Are you worried about the changes in the world's power again?"
"I think you're just overthinking it. This kind of thing is something that only a God King should consider."
After trimming the extra branches, Persephone nodded in satisfaction.
Growing more plants in the underworld has always been one of her hobbies.
"If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. If you want to hold up the sky, you should first make yourself the tall one."
"I want to, but it's not something you can accomplish just by thinking about it. I don't want to think about those unnecessary things, but if the city gate catches fire, the fish in the pond will be affected."
Shaking his head, Hades saw Persephone's changing expression and knew that she understood what he meant.
Yes, he was referring to the idyll of truth that had been razed to the ground not long ago for the gods.
If Zeus is like this, who knows what price a small fish like him will pay if the world changes.
"I heard that you brought back Zeus's message this time. What did he say?"
Not wanting to talk about these things anymore, Hades also knew that these things couldn't be rushed.
However, when Persephone returned from Olympus, she reportedly brought Zeus' orders to him...which really made Hades feel a little strange.
Things on earth had nothing to do with him, and he had never intervened, so what was the other party going to do this time?
"Strictly speaking, it was not Zeus's order. Hera came to me privately and told me about it. But after listening to her thoughts, it would be a joke to say that Zeus didn't know about this."
"She wants to attack Athens and raze Athena's sanctuary on earth, the Parthenon, to the ground. Although she has made many preparations, it is not enough, so she wants the gods of the underworld to join in. This is her request."
The Queen of Hell spoke calmly, without a trace of personal emotion: "Do you want to agree?"
"Hera promised that after conquering Athens, part of it would be given to you as a gift. But I think you don't care about the territory of the human world, right?"
"I guess so, but the gods of the underworld?"
With a sneer, Hades thought of those so-called subordinates.
"Hera probably wasn't referring to me, so it was Eris and the others... Heh, she was the one who gave them the golden apple, so aren't they more keen on following Zeus' orders now?"
"Let her communicate with them herself. As long as they are willing, I will not stop them. After all... I can't stop them."
Of course it can be stopped, but that would be equivalent to Hades helping Athena.
However, he didn't want to take care of either his niece or sister.
There are not many things in the world today that really concern Hades, but this war is definitely not one of them.
"Fight, fight, fight until blood flows like a river."
"But as long as you can't defeat Zeus, what good does it matter if you win?"
With Persephone around, Hades still had some knowledge of things on earth. For example, for some unknown reason, it was heard that Zeus seemed to have taken a fancy to a prince named Ganymede.
It is not surprising in itself that a god fell in love with a mortal, especially in the case of Zeus - if it was a princess instead of a prince.
"Hera... I don't know if you regret it after all these years, or have you always regretted it?"
No one knows the answer, not even Hades.
He would go to the entrance of the abyss later to see why this ancient being suddenly became turbulent and even released a lot of power.
…
brush--
The edge of the underworld, the realm without light.
Darkness took shape, and Erebus stepped out of it.
However, compared with his calmness in the past, the Lord of Darkness seemed to be in a bad mood today. In his hands, there was still some power from the abyss.
This was the trouble caused by the sudden disturbance in the abyss just now. Although it was just an instinctive fluctuation, it did cause quite a bit of trouble.
More than a year had passed since the Feast of the Golden Apples, but Erebus's progress had not been smooth.
Since he convinced Poseidon, his next target was the abyss. However, after so much time had passed, he still had no way to go in himself.
There was nothing he could do about it, after all, he was not Zeus. The God King and the original God were different in this respect, and when Tartarus instinctively rejected outsiders, Erebus had no other options.
In desperation, he has been planning to put the matter of the abyss aside for the time being.
There was still a lot that needed to be prepared, and he didn't want to hang himself on a tree - but just when Erebus was about to give up, Tartarus suddenly rioted, causing him to suffer a small loss while he was testing it.
The abyss is still the abyss. Even if there is a termite inside, it is still the strongest among the primordial gods.
"No, it wasn't a riot."
"He just felt threatened, a threat from... outside the world."
"Another Nine Realms, another Mother Tree of Flesh and Blood? Is this the source of the turbulence in the world's power..."
Not only Tartarus felt it, Erebus also had a vague feeling.
Not long ago, the surging and tilted world power seemed to calm down briefly.
For a moment, Erebus even thought that his arrangement would come to nothing, but not long after, the flow of world power started again.
However, along with it came a strange, fleeting gaze, as if looking at him from the void outside the world.
That power was very different from that of the Chaos gods, but it quickly disappeared.
If the abyss had not boiled instantly, Erebus would even have thought it was an illusion.
For a moment, all kinds of changes flashed through Erebus' mind, and he seemed to understand something.
The other world, the returning Nyx, the loss of the world's power, and even the dark source power that gradually began to vibrate slightly in his perception.
The forces related to 'darkness' in the entire Chaos world began to increase little by little, and as the most essential 'darkness', the reaction of the Lightless Realm was the most obvious, so it was noticed at the very beginning.
The power of the entire world may rise again, but Erebus can almost imagine that perhaps a new god is about to be born.
Yes, except for primitive gods who are born great like him, once the positions of gods such as [Light], [Ocean] and [Celestial Bodies] show signs of rising with the growth of the world, I am afraid that the long sword of the world will fall down mercilessly again.
As for what will happen at that time, it is nothing more than the interior of the lightless celestial body being further subdivided, the third god of light may appear, and there will be turmoil within the sea gods. Perhaps another great ocean god system besides the Ocean God system and the Ancient Sea God will be born...
"Of course, maybe nothing will happen. The resistance of this alien world is obviously much stronger than the remains of the Nine Worlds. If the present world is damaged by this, maybe someone can really take this opportunity to break the shackles."
"Then wait for the will of the present world to come to its senses, and then weaken them little by little."
Unless the fate of the present world collapses and the old order is destroyed, Erebus does not think that the world today can give birth to any great divine power other than the God-King.
But this has nothing to do with Erebus. What he is really concerned about is something else. That is, as the power of the dark side of the world increases, he feels that the mental oppression he has suffered has become more severe.
In the level system defined by Ryan himself, Erebus originally had a divine power level of 25, which is also a relative critical point.
The first half of the great divine power ended here, and once he entered the second half, the Lord of Darkness did not know what he would face.
Like Gaia, splitting the sky, mountains and sea in a nearly self-fertile way, or being given new functions by the world but also being imposed with greater shackles, like the three-phase incarnation of Nyx? Whatever it is, Erebus does not want to leave the future to an illusory fate.
Therefore, it is urgent to make changes.
With a raised hand, he used the power of the Lightless Realm to suppress the slight injuries caused by the abyss. Compared with the Mother Tree of Flesh and Blood, Tartarus was stronger, but the two were still on the same level after all.
His long sleeves spread out, and his figure disappeared. The next moment, Erebus had already arrived in the sky of the underworld.
During the last turmoil in the world's power, he met Nyx who had returned from outside the world. But the question is, in this matter, is she the only one who discovered the clues?
Ryan found out, if not, it would be fine, but if he did...
So is he really in the spirit world now as he thought?
Just raise your hand slightly, and the dark moon will appear before your eyes.
The Moon Goddess probably hasn't reacted yet, but Erebus doesn't seem to be bullying the weak at all.
If Ryan was here, then his behavior would be no different from knocking on the door at best, but if he was not here... it would just be an accident. After all, how would I know if you were here or not?
Then, silently, darkness spread, trying to cover up the light that illuminated the underworld.
What Hades would think about this was not within Erebus's consideration. In an instant, time and space trembled slightly, and a tiny shadow was about to cover the lavender moon. However, the next moment, a white finger stretched out from the void and easily smoothed out the black light.
With a slight smile, Erebus took a step back without hesitation and disappeared directly into the sky of the underworld.
In the underworld, no one knew that countless undead souls had escaped a catastrophic disaster.
But Erebus already knew what he wanted to know, so there was no need for him to stay any longer.
"Nyx... I didn't expect this to be true. You're not here."
"Oh, this is the only good news I've gotten recently."
As if feeling the gaze of Nyx, Erebus was in a good mood.
Ryan is not in the spirit world, so where can he go? It can only be in the other world, and he will definitely gain a lot.
After all, judging from the fleeting alien existence just now, if Ryan did not have any powerful trump cards, he would not have the ability to snatch the inheritance of the alien world from the Chaos world in front of such an existence, but would have returned early like Nyx.
His strength has become stronger, which may be a threat, but it is also a good thing for Erebus at the moment. And the fact that he is not here while he is getting stronger is even better.
"After all, Zeus is not stupid. If you were still in Chaos and showed stronger power, he might not dare to be your enemy even with my support."
"This is the best situation now... Three generations of God Kings, in the end, could not escape the fate of 'dying' because of you."
His eyes flickered slightly, and he was one step closer to future "success", but Erebus still didn't really relax.
Although it was possible that Ryan had become stronger, he was not sure how much stronger he had become.
The Lord of Darkness always makes preparations for both scenarios. Compared to the uncontrollable Ryan, he also has another plan hidden in his mind.
How can you secure victory in a game of chess?
That, of course, means stepping outside the chessboard and ensuring that no matter who wins, you are on the side of the winner.
…
Mount Olympus.
Tianhou Shrine.
The fluctuations of world power are clearly visible to some people, but imperceptible to many more.
This was Hera, sitting on her golden throne, not considering anything beyond her ability.
Ever since the Banquet of the Golden Apples, all Hera had thought about day and night was how to wash away her shame.
Hera knew that Zeus was hanging out with Ganymede, but she was in no mood to care about it now, because not long ago, she had finally made the final preparations.
"Aphrodite, you're sure it's going to be okay, right?"
He spoke each word with emphasis. Even though they had not had a good relationship in the past, they could put all that aside temporarily in the face of a bigger enemy.
But compared to the grudge, Hera doubted Aphrodite's ability more.
Maybe it was a stereotype, but at least in her opinion, this so-called goddess of beauty with a high seniority only had one face. If Hera had not been sure that the other party could not tolerate the humiliation of having words carved on her face, she would not have cooperated with her at all.
"You don't need to worry about this. I have made all the necessary preparations for this day."
"Every one of them will pay the price for this!"
The marks on her face had basically disappeared, but Aphrodite still wore a veil.
There is no way... In many cases, the shadow in the heart is much deeper than the actual situation and exists longer.
But the damned people are finally going to die. In today's world, quantity is far more useful than quality.
Chapter 398 Harvest
"I hope everything is as you said, Aphrodite, and remember to prepare your divine incarnation.
"I will prepare mine too. This time, I can only succeed, not fail."
"I also hope that what you prepared is really as useful as you said. As for my affairs, you don't need to worry about them."
Speaking quietly, Aphrodite touched her belt.
"It will work. There will be no other possibility."
"Hit the target with one strike - Athena will never have the chance to intervene, after all, that place is not her territory. Once we succeed, we will ask the kingdoms on earth to form an alliance."
"Athens has their magic and alchemy," Hera sneered and gripped the armrests of the golden throne, "but they are no match for the gods!"
"Metis, Prometheus, Athena... these gods who claim to be wise have always been so arrogant, but history will teach them a lesson."
"...Ah, yes, lessons."
Aphrodite smiled and said, "But Hera, you are still bothered by the existence of Metis."
"Do you need me to lend you my belt? To be honest, instead of worrying about a person who has died somewhere unknown, it is better to take practical actions to make the King of Gods revolve around you, instead of running around the human world every day to hunt for beauties - oh, I almost forgot."
"Your Majesty, the Respected God King, he is not only hunting for beauties now—"
--boom!
A low roar echoed in the temple. When the smoke and dust settled, the goddess of beauty had disappeared, and only Hera was left in the hall.
She gasped for air, which was why she and Aphrodite had always been at odds.
It was not just because the freedom of love and beauty was in conflict with the constraints of marriage, nor was it because of the provocation of the other party's words. In fact, perhaps deep down, Hera had always been a little jealous.
She was jealous of Metis, jealous of her intelligence and her daughter's power. Even though Zeus swallowed her, it was actually because he was afraid that her children would threaten the throne.
She was jealous of Hestia, jealous of her elder sister being independent and powerful, and not dependent on any male god. If the goddess of law had not left Olympus, Themis would actually have been within the scope of her jealousy.
But compared with the former, the two goddesses' gentle and generous or fair and strict personalities made her unable to be jealous. In the end, what remained in her heart was more of envy.
But Aphrodite... had a passionate character and was obsessed with her husband. She was obsessed with her own son, but she could never restrain her husband.
Even if Hera tried to convince herself to accept all this, she couldn't accept it in the end.
"The king of gods is always arrogant. The ancient gods regarded the gods as slaves and never thought that they would dare to resist. Kronos, standing on Mount Odisha, thought that his strength could help him defeat fate, but the result was in vain."
"What about Zeus? Will there be such a day for you? If so, what will be my fate? Like Mother Earth, like Mother Goddess, or... my own fate."
In the King of Gods and the Queen of Heaven, perhaps due to some mysterious influence, they always show some advantages or disadvantages belonging to each sex.
However, even Hera herself could not tell whether her jealousy came from the influence of her position as the Queen of Heaven or her nature.
"If Zeus is always the king of gods, then let us continue to torture each other."
The sadness was only short-lived, and Hera soon recovered her spirits.
She had to concentrate on finishing what she had to do first. As for the future?
She was indispensable in every one of Zeus's love affairs, even if she always played the role of a vicious jealous woman, but she didn't care.
It was so in the past and it will be so in the future. Let those innocent mortals who suffered hate her... She will take it one by one.
······
The sky is bright for a moment, and the world has gone through several years.
In the distant foreign land, perhaps not too long had passed. But in the Chaos world, more than a year had already passed.
This was caused by the destruction of Egypt, and it is a very normal thing.
After all, even when Chaos appeared in the world, there was a time disorder due to Typhon's Rebellion, so it was not surprising that similar things happened in the Egyptian world.
So standing on a high cliff of the Acropolis, when Ryan once again returned to the last guard of the city of Athens, this place was already very different from the last time he came.
More and better guards, materials stored in the warehouse, and even though it looked unchanged, the magic array patterns buried underground were gradually taking shape, which could be sensed with just a slight sense.
They will form a huge rune barrier, covering the entire city, and eventually play a defensive role similar to the Silvermoon City puzzle lock - the only difference is that the latter can be activated all day without pause, because the ubiquitous magic network is the source of its power, and defense is only one part of its function. The former is simply a temporary shield, and no one knows how long it can last.
But no matter what, everything before us proves that Athens had long realized the bad situation and began to prepare for war in secret.
Of course, no matter how prepared they were, these things theoretically had nothing to do with Ryan. The reason why he appeared here at this moment actually had another reason.
However, the brief unity of consciousness caused by the end of the foreign land forced Ryan to stay here temporarily and consider the various impacts that the end of Hemenu might have on him.
"At the end of Egypt, the biggest piece of the puzzle has been completed."
"Divine nature is really straightforward in doing things. Everything is moving in the direction of maximizing benefits. However, this is indeed efficient enough, and the final result is still acceptable."
"As for the gods of Egypt...compared to the current situation where almost all of the Nine Realms are dead, Chaos should accept them. But whether they can still become 'gods' is still uncertain."
Compared with most of Chaos' natural gods, Egypt has many animal gods. However, there are already various similar animals in the world today, and they probably won't be able to inherit the old business.
If they are luckier, they may be able to find a new path like Anubis; if they are averagely unlucky, they may become a divine nature spirit or totem and be worshipped by others; if they are unlucky, it is not surprising that they may be captured and enslaved by the locals.
After all, no matter what, he is a god from another world.
"These will depend on how Chaos' rules are handled, and have little to do with the existence of the world today."
"Perhaps by the time they come into the world with a changed appearance, the Third Era will have already ended."
Silently thinking, the matter of the Egyptian gods can be ignored for the time being. The only one worthy of Ryan's attention is probably Amon Ra.
After all, although he had just briefly experienced the supreme power of the realm of creation with the help of a drop of the source of creation, that power had been exhausted when Amon Ra fled.
Ryan could only judge from experience that he might not be dead - just like he said, the other party was difficult to kill.
Even with the help of Hemenu, he is a being who has truly reached the limit of the great realm and even obtained the characteristics of a higher realm. As long as he is willing enough, he should still have a chance to survive.
After all, Chaos doesn't have much intelligence. Or, if he were so smart, Ryan would have no chance of snatching food from him.
"But whether he is alive or not, he should not have the opportunity to influence my arrangements before the end of the Third Epoch."
"So next, it's the real benefit that the spirit world gets - [the sun]."
At this time, the integration of consciousness had been broken, but Ryan still remembered the feeling that Hemenu's sun gave him.
Unlike Chaos' split powers of Light and Fire, in Hermeneus these were all part of the sun god.
Of course, these are all secondary. The most powerful aspect of this sun is actually its ability to "rebirth" and "rebirth". In fact, this is its most powerful aspect.
In the entire Egyptian culture, history, mythology and even the world, the changes of life and death, the transformation of existence and extinction are the most critical part, and the sun is its representation.
Even in the spiritual world today, the power of death is constantly acting on the essence of the sun, but every time a part of it is "killed", another part is resurrected.
It can be said that if you want to annex it in this way, it will definitely take a long time.
After all, Ryan's goal was not to erase it, but to make it a part of himself. Even a powerful being like Chaos took thousands of years to completely assimilate the remains of the Nine Realms.
If Ryan intends to use this "stupid method" to solve the problem, it will only take him longer.
"If you don't rely on time, you can only wait for the right opportunity."
"Just like the formation of the interface of the four elements, it is an opportunity for me to digest the water, wind and fire source power of Hemenu. The power that would have taken at least dozens or hundreds of years to absorb was refined in an instant, and it actually boosted my strength."
Throughout the Second Age, Ryan had been in the process of "absorbing source power" and "digesting source power". From this, we can see that although eight of the Nine Pillar Gods are only powerful gods, if there is no appropriate opportunity to assist, then this source will definitely not melt in the mouth.
Fortunately, Ryan had already had corresponding ideas about the sun since the day he knew the existence of the Hemenu world. And as Helios was eroded by the mother tree, the balance of fate tilted again.
If nothing unexpected happens, a great-level [Sun] is destined to rise in the world, but the process and way of its rising will probably be beyond everyone's expectations.
"Yes, there is also the Ancient Moon Essence that originally belonged to Thoth, but was replaced by Ra with a magical power that was more suitable for him."
"As the foundation of the spiritual world, the moon cannot be pulled too far away from the sun."
There is no special opportunity to digest this power, but fortunately the spiritual world is no longer what it used to be, and it was not that powerful to begin with, so it should be digested quickly.
However, according to Ryan's judgment, even if this alien moon is added, the concept of Chaos Moon may still not be as good as the Sun.
The sun is the supreme being in the starry sky, and the moon seems to have always been its foil.
Even if he could get Hemenu's moon again, Ryan didn't think its power could be broken through, or even give birth to a moon god of a great realm.
"In addition to the sun and the moon, the legacy that Ra left behind is the history that he himself symbolizes..."
"According to the current situation, the past of this world will eventually become the food of the [Book of Years], which will be completely completed and recast the moment He arrives in Chaos. And the civilization He has evolved over tens of millions of years will become the nourishment of the [Slate of Civilization], and it will even be much stronger than what those who originally believed in God have done over the years.
"Compared to these, the Book of the Dead in La's hand has to stand aside. Although the two powerful divine powers are also valuable, they are actually just better than nothing."
Long ago, [Reincarnation] had reached a limit.
The life and death that constitute it have reached the limit of the great divine power, and only a small critical point is left. But Ryan is also very clear that this point cannot be achieved by the accumulation of quantity, it also requires an opportunity.
This opportunity is not about how much source power related to life and death is piled in, but an event or node that is sufficiently symbolic. It must be related to life and death at the same time, not just one of them.
Fortunately, this problem is not as difficult as imagined, and the answer will be revealed at the end of the Third Age.
Therefore, most of the power in this Book of the Dead was directly thrown into the elemental plane of the fifth layer of the spiritual world, and only the main body remained in the place of reincarnation.
In Ryan's plan, Samsara will refine this Book of the Dead, and then reorganize it in future sublimation, turning it into a magical artifact similar to the Book of Life and Death, recording the lifespan and death time of all spirits - of course, to achieve this, there is a hurdle that cannot be overcome.
That is the three goddesses of fate, Moirai, who weaves fate, arranges fate, and tailors fate.
But this is all later, and there is no need to consider it for now. If the fate of the present world is dismembered, they will naturally die. If the fate of the present world is intact, then it will be difficult for them to die. So this is just a casual arrangement and does not involve any other matters.
The evolution of the artifact of creation also takes some time, and it is not something that can be completed immediately.
"Finally, this is actually the biggest and most direct benefit of this trip to another world."
"Eight Spirits, half of the world."
"Even a tiny fragment of the Absolute Void is more powerful than the Book of the Dead. And the power of the Primordial Water is truly infinite."
"Even if it's just a part of it, I'm afraid I have to digest it thoroughly before I can judge how much it is."
I feel a little emotional. If we rank the eight spirits formed by the four layers of Hemenu's barrier, then [Original Water] is actually the undisputed number one.
Even if it separated the sun and shaped the [Benben Stone] to separate the gods and the human world, it still sat firmly at the core of the four-layer barrier and was the central axis of Hemenu.
In the past, the upper limit of Ryan's evaluation system was Tartarus, so when facing the [Original Water], this system was obviously not enough.
"When I fought Erebus, we were both at about level 25 of Great Power. My so-called advantage was only a superficial one. In a real fight, it was actually difficult to tell who would win."
"But when the inner world of the fifth spiritual world began to be completed, the spiritual symbolism was raised to the level of 26."
"When the sun is completely digested in the future, the part of the Book of the Dead will help the inner world to be further complete. By then, the spiritual symbol will probably be further improved, and perhaps it can barely enter the realm of 27."
"The same is true for the improvement of the [Book of Years] and the [Slate of Civilization], but it is unknown how much of an enhancement they will have. Perhaps the [Code of Creation] will also need to be involved to determine the broken order of the newly integrated Hermeneu, or even... the new order of the world after the end of the Third Era."
"At this point, the process of achieving great divine power is almost over, and the end point can be seen in the distance."
"But all this does not take into account the [Original Water], because I don't know yet how powerful the [Original Water] is, and how much I can draw from it."
Far away in the distant time and space, when the magic sword was inserted into the [Original Water], endless power had already flowed into the fifth level of the spiritual world along the invisible connection.
In each cycle, with the water element interface as the base point, the power of the interfaces of the four elements of earth, water, wind and fire is also constantly expanding.
Of course, the reason why the newly formed cycle can so easily refine and absorb the power of [Original Water] is partly because although it is called "water", it is actually the cornerstone of the birth of the world and the primordial soup.
The power of earth, water, wind and fire can all be drawn from it, but in varying amounts. In this case, as long as it is transformed, it will naturally be balanced quickly.
It can be said that the power of [Original Water] is quite omnipotent to a certain extent, and it is difficult to see its limit.
Ryan even suspected that if the spiritual world drew enough power from the [Original Water], then in the future, the main gods of the four elemental interfaces would be able to touch the great realm with it - at least touch this realm within the spiritual world.
After all, his judgment of [Original Water] was still too superficial, and he could only guess at many things. Even if it weren't for that world-destroying sword, it would be difficult for him to even guess.
"But this also proves that maybe the mother tree is actually stronger than I thought, but it is just under too many shackles."
"No wonder he could partially corrupt the true gods. Even Chaos's sun could not escape."
"But it's good this way. This time, I used the sword of the source of creation to make me see clearly that even if I use external forces, my own strength must be strong enough to maximize its power."
"If I were standing at the pinnacle of great divine power and swung this sword, perhaps my own strength would be insignificant to the realm of creation, but my control over it would be much stronger. Perhaps I could take advantage of the situation and destroy a considerable part of Amon Ra's existence on the spot, instead of just a little bit of it."
Ryan let out a breath, closed his eyes slightly, and opened them again after a while.
The past is the past. Generally speaking, Hemenu is a big treasury, and it has indeed brought him great benefits.
However, there is still a key to realizing all these gains.
That is the world of Chaos, the end of the Third Age.
"It's still quite troublesome. At least before the divine incarnation returns, we can't let Zeus unify the human world directly."
"The Devil Sword's true full power is only one strike. A mere God King is not qualified to take it."
Athens was just at the end of his sight, and Ryan's eyes flickered slightly.
Fighting against Zeus to unify the world is actually an unavoidable topic for Athens. And from the outside, Athens is indeed preparing for war.
But there was one thing Ryan didn't quite understand, that was, from the Banquet of the Golden Apple, he never understood what Athena was going to do.
Is it a fight for interests, a fight for pride, or something else? If you don't consider her as the 'goddess of wisdom', this is actually normal now. But Ryan felt that Athena's response and reaction was still too 'normal'.
She is so normal that she doesn't look like a goddess who has read a script, but rather like her original mythological self.
Well... But then again, curiosity is curiosity. The reason why Ryan returned to Athens now was not because he discovered something, but simply a spiritual intuition.
Because his intuition told him that the scene he had predicted before was about to happen here.
Chapter 399 Blood Feast
Bone rolling...
The wheels rolled, raising clouds of dust.
It's not far, but it's not near either.
When Ryan stood on the cliff of the Acropolis, in the northwest of Athens, a big city was bustling with people.
The main gate of the city was wide open, and a line of carriages passed through. On both sides of the convoy, fully armed soldiers were ready to fight.
The collision and friction between the armor gaps were dull and rhythmic, and the uniform sound of horse hooves hitting the ground seemed to prove the elite of these knights.
On both sides of the city's central avenue, a large number of people cast various glances at this.
Fear, disgust, admiration, indifference... these were scenes that they would rarely see in their lives. Each fully armed knight could fight a hundred people, and ordinary people could not afford to buy a helmet with all their savings.
Under their protection, no one could crash into this luxurious convoy. Of course, all the onlookers knew that these cavalrymen who seemed to be protecting the carriages were just a decoration.
Although the person they were protecting was in the car, he actually didn't need their protection at all.
After all, he was the king from Athens, the most powerful mortal known to all nations on earth. Even if not everyone agreed with this statement, his actual record had not yet been broken.
Theseus, the king of Athens, came here today with his future heir to personally attend the celebration of the city-state.
Not everyone likes him, but on this day, the people of this city are more or less proud of him.
Because the other person's name is so heavy, and the name of his heir to the throne is so familiar.
Demophon, the same name as the ancient prince. The King of Athens gave his heir such a name, and today he brought him here, the meaning is self-evident.
For this was Eleusis, the holy city of the goddess of agriculture on earth.
…
"Why, a little nervous?"
In the semi-enclosed space, the noise from the outside world is isolated.
Theseus sat upright in simple and formal attire.
Looking at his son in front of him, the middle-aged king spoke in a gentle tone.
Demophon, who has the same name as the ancient prince who was killed in the Eleusinian Mysteries in ancient mythology, is also an unforgettable name for this big city located northwest of Athens.
It's not that the hatred is remembered, on the contrary, it was from the death of that prince that the great goddess of agriculture began to favor the city.
In the era before Athens was born, this small city near the East Sea was already on the edge of the human world. But from that day on, it became famous for its prosperous and sophisticated farming technology.
The small town became a big city, and the poor became known to the world. The sufferings of the mortal king in the past have long been forgotten by the people. They only remember the great achievements of the king's other son, Triptolemus, the first pope of the agricultural church.
As for Demophon... the reason people remember him is actually because they think his death brought the attention of the goddess and the various legends brought about by the mysterious Eleusinian mysteries.
Some say that it was his death that perfected a powerful ritual that guaranteed eternal life and a body indestructible even to the gods to anyone who could endure it.
Some people also say that this is actually a sacrificial ceremony to the goddess of agriculture, and no one can succeed - its only function is to attract the attention of the goddess and calm her anger when she is angry, so that she will not vent her anger on mortals.
There are many different rumors, but no matter which one it is, it is indeed widely circulated among the people. Even before this trip, Demophon personally asked Theseus whether this mystery really existed.
Theseus' explanation for this is, 'It is possible in theory, but I don't know in practice.'
After all, he had no in-depth understanding of this so-called ritual, and only knew a few words about it from ancient books.
In this situation, Theseus had no choice but to "believe in God's authority, but not in God's power."
Theoretically, the authority of Princess Hestia and Demeter should be able to do this, but Theseus has never heard of any successful example in all these years.
"…Father, I'm not nervous, I'm just a little worried."
The deep voice called back the king's attention, and the young prince stood straight again.
In the original history, Demophon was also the successor of Theseus and the king of Athens during the Trojan War. However, this time, he probably would not have the opportunity to form an Athenian coalition and implement the Trojan Horse plan to capture the enemy city.
"Actually... Father, I am worried about the situation at home. Many people think that your decision is too hasty."
"Unify the Athenian states, promote alchemy, expand shipping routes, popularize new farming methods, develop forging technology... If you complete one task in a hundred years, you will be remembered in history. If you complete half of the tasks in your long life as a descendant of God, people will still be singing your name thousands of years later."
"Future generations will use 'Theseus' as a synonym for a wise monarch, and the system you left behind will be passed down for generations... But now, not only in the western countries of the continent, but also within the kingdom, a considerable number of people oppose you."
"And now you are in Eleusis again."
Stopping the topic, Demofeng knew that his father understood what he wanted to say.
Before, although Theseus's behavior was radical, he was still somewhat cautious. But in recent years, his behavior has become more and more urgent.
Take the example of alchemists making fertilizers. These by-products discovered in the gaps of studying material transformation can be produced on a large scale without the intervention of any professionals.
But considering that Athens now had enough food to be self-sufficient, Theseus never promoted it on a large scale.
Until recent years, even though the Agricultural Church protested several times, believing that this was an evil creation that blasphemous to God and a symbol of the alchemist's violation of the authority of the Goddess of Agriculture, the King of Athens continued to do as he pleased.
As a result, dissatisfaction from Eleusis grew, and his people began to reject Athenian rule.
You know, hundreds of years ago, this city near Athens no longer called itself a kingdom.
It became part of the Panathenaic states, so for the stability of the kingdom, Theseus had to come here and stabilize its situation.
Whether the form of stability he chooses is the promise of peace or the threat of force.
"hehe..."
With a gentle smile, Theseus did not look like a hero who often fought with humans and gods.
Just like an ordinary middle-aged man, he just shook his head slightly after listening to Demofeng's words.
"I know you're confused, kid, and I understand that too many people have told you how wrong they think my actions are."
"But I hope you understand that the reason I was able to take back the rights of the Athenian states in the past was not because of how clever my plan was, but simply because they could not defeat me."
"The reason why I was able to open up the sea route was not because I was proficient in navigation technology. In the final analysis, it was because I defeated the owners of those places one by one."
"I quickened my pace, not for any other reason, but if a new battle is bound to come, I must ensure that the winner this time is still Athens."
"If you win, you are right. If you lose - no one will speak for you."
"...So you didn't come to Eleusis for negotiations?"
After a moment's silence, Demofeng asked.
"Of course, but only in the way I ask. If they don't accept it - remember your name?"
"So, they'll accept it."
Demophon certainly remembered his own name, and he also knew what Theseus wanted to say.
There are two mainstream folk legends about the Eleusinian Mysteries of the goddess of agriculture. In the first story, it was a gift from the gods to Demophon, but it was interrupted by the foolish royal family, resulting in failure. In the second story, it was a sacrificial ceremony, and Demophon's life was their sacrifice to the goddess, and in the end, it was exchanged for glory and respect.
So Theseus' meaning is very clear. If you are not stupid and are willing to accept my kindness, then the Demophon you brought is a gift.
But if you are unwilling, then Eleusis will be the first sacrifice in this war.
but...
'After all, you are only a mortal with a limited lifespan.'
"If you can defeat one god, can you defeat all gods..."
'Even if it is possible, you will eventually grow old. When you leave this world, will everything built on your strength continue?'
Demophon didn't know the answer, but perhaps finding a way to achieve eternal life could circumvent this problem.
But Theseus had no chance to obtain eternal life by relying on God's grace, because his "divinity" was not given by God in the beginning.
God can grant a mortal immortality through his power, but that mortal will also be affected. Because of his previous contact with God's power, he will no longer be able to climb to the top of the world on his own.
On the other hand, although those demigods who ascended to the human world on their own were more powerful and possessed powers comparable to those of the incarnations of gods in the human world, they could no longer receive the gifts of God and obtain long and eternal life.
This is also a choice. After all, the former was infected by the power of God and was destined to be unable to make further progress on his own. But in this era where mortals cannot become gods, no one cares about this.
This is also why we have never heard of any immortal heroes in the world, because at least so far, this is an unsolvable problem.
'You will grow old, and I...will be crowned king.'
'But when that day comes, can I bear the burden that you can bear?'
Bone rolling...
The carriage continued to move forward, and not far away was the former palace of Eleusis.
The casual conversation in the carriage continued, but Demofeng's heart became heavier.
…
Ding-a-ling…
In the bustling palace, the sound of clear bells rang out. Maids brought dishes to the banquet from both sides with fragrant breezes, and the sound of cups and plates colliding was pleasant and moving.
The distance from Athens to Eleusis is neither short nor far. If Theseus were alone, it would naturally not take long.
However, such an official visit could not be made by only one person, so after more than a day's journey, when Theseus and Demophon entered the palace of Eleusis, it was already evening.
So brighter lights were lit in the kingdom, and in order to welcome the King of Athens who came from afar, the contemporary Grand Duke of Eleusis held a grand banquet to welcome his arrival.
"Demophon, what do you think of their attitude?"
After a brief speech, the guests and hosts took their seats.
Theseus briefly exchanged views with the nobles of Eleusis one by one, and Demophon followed him and listened.
As the future heir to the throne of Athens, he was naturally brought here not only because of his special name, but Theseus was also cultivating his abilities.
So when another noble who came to greet him stepped back, Theseus couldn't help but test him while the next person was not coming forward.
"…Looks very enthusiastic, but is actually a dagger in disguise."
After a moment's silence, Demofeng's tone became somewhat difficult.
He seemed to be thinking carefully, and the people around him couldn't help but stop when they saw the conversation between father and son.
"Most of the nobles of Eleusis are gathered here, but not a single high-ranking priest of the goddess of agriculture is here."
"According to what they say, these priests are busy holding a grand ceremony. It is said that it was on this day long ago when the prince of Eleusis died in the mystery. The goddess summoned Triptolemus and established the first agricultural church."
"This day has since become a festival to celebrate the goddess's arrival, so it makes perfect sense for them to avoid her."
"continue."
Nodding, Theseus smiled even more broadly and motioned for Demophon to continue.
In the past, he always felt that as his successor, although Demofeng was doing well on the professional path, he was not very responsive in many areas. However, he did not expect that he would notice these things today.
It seems that it is right to bring him here to see things in person. The more he is exposed to things, the more he will think about them. This result is really good.
"…So, they are expressing different meanings."
The voice became slower and slower, and Demofeng's eyes swept across the hall.
"The arrival of the nobility indicated their secular obedience to Athens, while the attitude of the clergy proved their spiritual dissatisfaction."
"This also shows that they have gods to rely on."
"Although they are secular nobles, ever since the first Pope of the Agricultural Church came from the royal family of Eleusis, the relationship between the nobles of this ancient city-state and the church has been close and inseparable."
"So maybe they hope you will back down, or maybe they want you to have leverage in future negotiations."
Snap, snap, snap——
Clap gently and cheer for Demofeng's progress.
Theseus really didn't expect that he would be able to give himself such a surprise this time.
From this perspective, if a war breaks out in the future, I can try to hand over the political affairs to him, which will save me a lot of trouble.
However, too much is as bad as too little. Although he was very happy, Theseus still spoke out to correct a mistake.
"That's a good point, but you still missed something."
"For example, the ceremonies held by the clergy are definitely not for celebrating any festivals."
Theseus said calmly, "To intimidate someone, you need to see the real thing."
"If you want others to fear your sword, you don't have to strike it out, but at least you have to dare to draw it out."
"So it was not a festival ceremony, but a divine descent ceremony. Her Highness Demeter might come today, and she will stay here even before I leave."
"What?"
when--
The cup collided with the table, and Demofeng's heartbeat slowed down.
He took a deep breath. God descended... His father actually mentioned God descending?
"Father, if God really descended, wouldn't we be in danger? After all, besides you, there is no one else..."
"It doesn't matter. The Goddess of Agriculture's fighting ability is not as strong as you think. She can't do anything."
Shaking his head slightly, Theseus couldn't help but comfort Demophon as he looked at his slightly changed expression.
He has dealt with many gods and has some experience.
The goddess of agriculture who is in charge of the growth of all things probably has little combat power. Compared with other gods, she is probably not even a little bit inferior.
"Nothing will happen to you. In fact, we may not necessarily fight... Oh? Did you feel it? It's much earlier than I thought. They have already started."
Before he finished speaking, a subtle wave of divine power came from the sky.
And almost instantly, Theseus recognized the source of this power.
This is the ritual of divine descent, which will bring some of the divine power of the gods themselves, which is not allowed to exist in the world today.
So the moment it appears, it starts to degrade.
Lowering it to a level that the world allows, to a state where it can be used, but this also means that if the control is not detailed enough, the divine power will spread.
Therefore, the descent of God is almost impossible to conceal, and any existence that has reached a certain level can detect this fluctuation at a close distance.
The descent of the gods officially began, but Theseus didn't pay much attention to it. He noticed the slightly changing expressions of the people in the field, and it seemed that not everyone knew about this matter.
The most senior people in Eleusis had left at some point, apparently fearing that he would attack them in a fit of rage.
But there is no need to worry about this. I won't do that...
Buzz——
"Um?"
His expression changed slightly, and Theseus keenly discovered that the waves of God's descent were overlapping.
More than just Demeter? This dark force is... a spirit from the underworld.
Legend has it that the daughter of the goddess of agriculture is the queen of the underworld, and now it seems to be true.
But it doesn't matter, he had made such preparations before coming. His trip would not be smooth, but if it was just this, it would not be enough for him to give in.
As time passed, the movement in the sky seemed to be coming to an end.
Theseus couldn't help but become serious when seeing the incarnations of the five gods, even though they were not good at fighting.
In any case, the power of God is actually the pinnacle of the human world. What really affects their strength is that they are unable to exert 100% or even 120% of the power.
Fortunately, this was the limit. There were only five of them, and Theseus thought he could still handle it...
Buzz——
"Ka——"
Theseus crushed the cup subconsciously, his eyes cold.
"Father..."
"Get ready to leave."
He spoke calmly, and although he was aware of the problem, Theseus still did not panic.
The divine descent continued, and several more auras came one after another. But he didn't know why the other party had to do this, after all, it was completely unnecessary.
Coming for him? But that didn't make sense. You have to know that the reason Theseus was not surrounded and killed after defeating the incarnation of the gods was not because of the mercy of the gods.
The descent of gods requires a carrier, and the time of their descent is limited, so in theory, heroes on earth can use procrastination and fighting to solve the problem.
So since Theseus is still willing to fight in such a fair and just battle, instead of acting like an assassin, it is precisely to limit the intensity of the battle to a certain extent.
"Don't worry. Although their numbers have increased a lot, the incarnation of God cannot stray too far from the ceremony. And once the real body dies... they are afraid that they may not be able to return to Olympus."
The auras came one after another, but Theseus didn't think they could stop him in his prime. After all, he wouldn't really wait for them all to come, and the five of them now couldn't stop him.
But if I can leave, those knights I brought with me may not have a chance... Since you did this first, don't blame me.
"The God of Olympus, it really is like this."
"But I still have hundreds of years to live."
Holding the sword at his waist, Theseus said calmly: "Since you can do this, I can do better."
"I will make sure that for the next few hundred years, no gods or spirits will enter the human world."
The sword blade swept across, staining the ground red with blood.
Since the Eleusins were unwilling to talk to him, then they should all die.
Then let yourself experience for yourself the power of the gods joining forces.