"Athens, come to think of it, this is my first time here."
Walking on the central avenue leading from the city gate to the palace, Ryan's pace was not hurried.
As dawn approached, there were more people on the street. The news of last night and the rumors spread by some people had spread, and the Athenians, who did not know the truth, began to gather towards the palace.
As time goes by, this number may increase, and even account for the vast majority of the city's population.
Like it or hate it, every Athenian would pay attention to the life and death of the king.
The whole city gradually became noisy with the voices of discussion rising and falling. In this noise, Ryan arrived in front of the palace.
A solemn axis, arranged columns, a standard vertical structure and patio-like lighting, as well as bronze statues tens of meters high.
As the royal palace of Athens, this is indeed a building full of classical atmosphere.
Of course, although the building is here, it is obviously not open to everyone.
Armored knights guarded the place, and even the bronze statues seemed to be some kind of alchemical creation. During this critical period, every entrant was subject to strict scrutiny.
"But I didn't plan on going in through the front door."
With a calm expression, Ryan had never proactively predicted himself. The "future" he came here to verify today was just a fate he had accidentally glimpsed.
Therefore, in theory Ryan could choose to refuse, but over the years, for any vision related to fate that he saw, he was willing to complete it without paying too much of a price.
There is no other reason, it's just that as one of the four pillars of the world, fate has always been the most ethereal, least sense of existence, but omnipresent part.
Ryan wanted to change it, but he just wanted to change it like changing the course of a river, making it flow in the direction he wanted, or at least not the direction it was originally destined to flow.
But no matter whether he could succeed or not, he would never step into the river. After all, if you don't know if there is any danger, the best way is to not touch it.
He stretched out his hand and made a slight movement in the air, and Andrea's aura immediately deceived certain mechanisms.
Taking a step forward, Ryan "walked into" the palace.
…
Clang——
The sword fell to the ground. From the initial astonishment to resistance, and then from resistance to giving up, in the central hall of the palace, this "rebellion" was over in a short period of time.
From the beginning to the end, Andrea actually only killed three people. But many times, not killing people will not solve the problem, and killing people alone will not solve the problem either.
Except for the Count who made provocative remarks, the other two were influential figures in Athens.
But faced with the raised butcher knife, they were no different from others and ended their lives cleanly and efficiently.
For a moment, the crowd quieted down again. Those who were preparing to do something when Andrea swung the first sword stopped moving. The scene before them was beyond their expectations.
Have the clergymen now started to use swords?
"...Your Highness, what do you mean by this?"
Someone in the crowd spoke up.
"As you can see."
The voice was calm, and Andrea felt that she was very calm at the moment.
"I am killing the tyrant's traitors."
"So, Your Highness, have you finished killing now?"
Someone else spoke up, and looking at the person who spoke, Andrea said calmly, "I don't have the final say on this."
"That depends on whether there are others who think that Athens no longer belongs to her king."
His eyes swept across the entire audience. Whether they were willing or not, everyone temporarily obeyed Andrea, who held the weapon of life and death.
I finally breathed a sigh of relief. The biggest trouble was finally solved.
She knew that many of the people present were not on the same page as her, but she couldn't just keep killing them.
On the one hand, it was her first time killing someone and she couldn't do anything so extreme all of a sudden. On the other hand, they hadn't had time to do anything yet. If they only sought momentary satisfaction, it would not only make others fear the new king's cruelty, but would also cause Athens to fall into chaos in a short period of time.
So I should suppress my objections now and deal with them bit by bit later. Thinking of this, Andrea felt that she had lived up to her father's expectations...
"Your Highness, it looks like they have nothing else to say, so what should we do next?"
"What?"
Looking for the voice, Andrea recognized the person who was speaking.
That was the legion commander who had been promoted by Theseus. If she had not killed the rude earl on the spot, the other party would probably have spoken for her.
But what did the other party mean by 'next'?
"It's about dealing with today's events, Your Highness."
With anticipation on his face, the legion commander continued:
"The people need an explanation for what happened last night. The notices sent by the western countries need a response. What happened in Eleusis and how Athens should respond... And how is His Majesty now?"
"…"
There was some silence, and Andrea felt that she could no longer maintain her composure.
Today's events have come one after another, including the death of his father, the warnings and magic weapons he left behind, and the first murder to calm the situation. At least these can be accomplished as long as one is mentally prepared.
But what should she do with the rest? Her response to the Western countries must be rejection. Not to mention that her father is dead, even if he is still alive, he will never accept their "judgment".
Andrea would definitely not agree to conditions such as splitting up Athens, but she had to consider all aspects of such matters. She couldn't just respond with a simple "fight if you want".
As for the matter of Eleusis, her father's death, and the mood of the people, she only knew one direction of these things.
The news of Theseus' death must be made public, but when and how should it be said? The people's emotions also need to be appeased, but how should they be appeased and how should they be made to believe in their own abilities?
These are all problems, and they cannot be solved by simply killing. Unless she has a power that is invincible in heaven and earth, she will have to use appropriate methods to deal with them in the end.
But how should she deal with it? Should she ask these ministers who were just intimidated by her military power?
She felt that this would probably only cause her more trouble...
"…I—huh?!"
After hesitating for a moment and about to say something, Andrea's eyes suddenly lit up and she took back the words she had prepared.
As the whole night passed, the princess finally smiled for the first time.
"Well, I will take care of it. The first thing I have to deal with is the citizens who were attracted by your movements last night."
"I will handle this matter with my...friends. All you need to do is maintain order at the scene. And finally, I don't want to hear any more 'rumors' spreading from nowhere."
"Now, I am going to speak to the citizens of Athens."
Andrea quietly put the blood-stained sword back into the scabbard and looked at the familiar figure who had appeared in the palace at some point.
Unexpectedly, he arrived so quickly. She thought he was still exploring some distant place.
But this is the best, just like that debate, even though she was standing alone on the stage, Andrea felt that she was no longer nervous.
…
The night has passed and the sun is rising.
Unlike previous days, today countless people gathered in front of the royal palace in Athens.
A large amount of noise filled the square, and even when Andrea stood on the stage, the noise showed no signs of stopping.
After all, every Athenian knew the king, but not everyone knew their princess. Even those who knew her only remembered her beauty and her title as a priestess, but didn't know what she was doing here.
Fortunately, this is a mythical world. Even without a loudspeaker, Andrea's voice can easily spread throughout the city.
Even though he was in a high tower outside the city, Hermes could hear the sound.
"You nobles of Athens, you servants of the gods, and all you citizens who now live in Athens:
"Yesterday, the lands of the Panathenaic states were attacked by foreign enemies again since the last king ascended the throne. Our enemies deceived the wise king with conspiracy, ambushed our lands, and launched a rebellion with shameless means."
"They secretly controlled the son of the previous king, enslaved his soul, and made him commit fratricide. In that tragic war, hundreds of brave knights died and tens of thousands of civilians were affected. Corpses were scattered throughout the city of Eleusis, and some were even left without bones."
"Today, the bells of Athens are ringing for this, and all of Athens is weeping for this."
"This is how Eleusis and the Western countries expressed their hatred and dissatisfaction with Athens. We helped them expand their cities and gain wealth, but they repaid our kindness with hatred, spilling blood and fire on our land, and even sacrificing their own people."
"As of last night, the shameless Western countries even issued a criminal notice, trying to wash away their evil deeds; because their gods are not as good as our gods, and their countries are not as good as our countries, so they want to destroy, plunder and divide everything we have."
"This is intolerable and cannot be accepted by any rational and conscientious Athenian. If words can no longer solve the problem, then Athens should solve it in the Athenian way and implement our justice in this world."
"No matter how many resources and lives are consumed, no matter how tortuous the road ahead is, this is the inevitable path. Although killing will bring death, although the goddess has given us a wreath symbolizing peace. But the victorious lord is also watching us, and Athens has never feared the coming of war."
"For a thousand years, or even two thousand years, since the time before the new calendar was recorded and Athens was born, the Western nations have flourished on the most fertile land. But they enslaved their own people, and conspiracy and killing spread among them."
"The gods they believed in had left behind absurd and bloody myths time and again, which brought them pain and also brought about their inherent greed and madness."
"What the Athenians accomplished in 200 years was something they could not do in 2,000 years. The ships sailing on the sea, carrying goods to various countries, were loaded with the fruits of the Athenians' hard work and wisdom, which was what they wanted but could not get. So today, they created such a tragedy, trying to force us to give up everything we have."
"Think of the countries that banish their children to military camps, letting them grow up in battle and forget about shame; think of the countries that regard breast cutting as a ritual and engrave cruelty in their blood."
"This is no longer a simple conflict. It is destined to be a conflict between Athens as a civilization and barbarism, and a manifestation of the wisdom of the goddess. This is a comprehensive war, a war to defend our achievements."
"We must not only wipe out the rebellion in Eleusis, but we must also defeat any country that interferes in this matter. Whoever dares to set foot on the land of Athens with hostility is our enemy!"
"Relying on our faith and God, civilization will defeat barbarism, and wisdom will triumph over brutality."
"God-bless-Athens!"
"We will inherit the legacy of our ancestors and make Athens stand at the top of the world!"
"…"
The next moment, a roar like the sound of a tsunami echoed inside and outside Athens.
There is no doubt that an incident that was originally enough to shake people's hearts turned into a grand oath-taking ceremony.
If the God of Speech was standing here, he would definitely feel very happy... Inside the high tower, Hermes listened to the noise in the distance and tapped the table lightly.
Hermes had met Andrea before, and even after Theseus returned seriously injured, he was ready to clean up the mess for the next king of Athens.
After all, his friend never thought that he would die, so he didn't make many preparations in advance.
"But there are always natural rulers in this world."
"That is to say, there are still gods in this world..."
With some sigh, Hermes looked at his students.
"Solomon, get ready."
"Take what I gave you and the Athenian army to put down the rebellion."
"Yes, teacher."
With a respectful look, Solomon bowed slightly.
"Well, go ahead."
Nodding, Hermes still believed in his student's ability.
Watching his figure disappear before his eyes, the Great Alchemist approached the window.
The experiences in the virtual world were still vivid in his mind. When the Banquet of the Golden Apple appeared, he thought that another Trojan War was about to break out.
But later events told him that Troy would probably never exist, and if it did, it would only be the 'Athenian War' instigated by the 'Anti-Athenian Alliance'.
But then again, it has come to this, what on earth is my cheap sister thinking?
"...wisdom...knowledge...words...magic..."
"I don't understand."
Shaking his head, Hermes gave up these unnecessary speculations.
Just as he never saw Zeus clearly, so did Athena. Instead of thinking about others, think about yourself.
For him, completing the experiment he had prepared for a long time was more important than anything else.
Chapter 405 Cycles and Achievements
As autumn approaches, the weather turns cooler.
Different from the bustling east coast of the continent, on a hill far away in the city of Thebes, the disturbances of the outside world have not approached here.
The tall blond figure looked down from above and could see some cattle leisurely eating the grass that had already turned yellow.
Beside him, another figure stood respectfully, narrating something.
"…"
"Yesterday, the Eleusinian Incident occurred, the gods descended, and the King of Athens fell."
"On the same day, in order to condemn the atrocities of the former Athenian king, the Kingdom of Argos, which believed in the Queen of Heaven, took the lead in denouncing the policies implemented by Athens and proposed to support the former prince Demophon to inherit the throne."
"Her Majesty the Queen intends to form an anti-Athens alliance to dismember the Kingdom of Athens by force."
"The gods have responded, but it will take some time to discuss."
"…"
"In the starry sky, the Titan god Phoebe visited his sister who had been in seclusion for a long time alone not long ago. The reason is unknown and the result is unknown."
"But according to speculation, it is most likely related to the sun and the moon."
"And in the north of the continent..."
"…"
The sound is neither high nor low, but just loud enough to be heard clearly.
Zephyrus talked about the various things that had happened in heaven and on earth recently, and Zeus listened quietly.
The King of Gods would occasionally ask a few questions, and sometimes he would get an answer, and sometimes not.
But he didn't care much about it. He just understood these things.
"So, Demeter didn't actually descend from the sky. Even if she provided the venue, she also provided cover and a series of assistance?"
It was a bit funny, and Zeus couldn't help but confirm it again, and Zephyrus also gave a positive answer.
"Yes, although the Goddess of Agriculture allowed Her Majesty the Queen of Heaven to act in her place, she did not personally participate."
"Oh."
Zeus chuckled, not knowing what to say.
But my sister is really like that, she can do such a thing.
"Where's Hestia? Didn't she come out to mediate?"
"Yes, but I didn't find anyone."
With a respectful expression, Zephyrus responded: "Her Majesty the Queen of Heaven avoided us, and her true body hid in the temple on earth. And Her Majesty Athena..."
After hesitating for a moment, the God of West Wind finally told the truth.
"I don't know where Her Highness Athena is. I have rarely seen her since the Golden Apple Conference ended."
"Because the leaders of both parties were not present, Aphrodite lost face again. Princess Hestia wanted to mediate but couldn't find anyone to mediate. She left the sacred mountain in anger and said she was going to find Princess Rhea to discuss the matter."
"After that, I don't know."
"Mother Goddess?"
His expression changed slightly. He was just wondering where his intelligent daughter had gone, but Zephyrus' last sentence moved Zeus a little.
If there is anyone in this world who is far less powerful than him but can make him give in on some things, then the queen of the previous generation is probably one of them.
Although fate may have played a role in this, it was indeed Rhea who concealed the truth from the second generation of gods, allowing Zeus the opportunity to grow.
Therefore, Zeus treated Rhea with great respect.
"Hestia...that's normal."
"This time the scene may be a bit too big. Maybe in her eyes, if I am not willing to come forward, then the Mother Goddess will have to come forward."
"But unfortunately, you went too late."
If it was just after the Banquet of the Golden Apple, Zeus felt that if Rhea stepped forward, it would be possible to resolve the dispute.
But now that the king of Athens was dead, Eleusis was about to be retaliated. The blood debt had been incurred, and it was not so easy to erase.
"Moreover, in such a short period of time, the power of the world has changed several times. Even the power of many priests has increased. It seems that this change is coming to an end."
"Another change in the world pattern, Primordial God... you are obviously already strong enough!"
As the king of gods, Zeus' understanding of the macro changes in the world becomes more profound as his power increases.
And it is precisely because of this that he can feel Chaos' increasingly powerful "breathing" and internal circulation. Perhaps when this change that began thousands of years ago is over, many places in the world will move to a higher level, and many primitive gods will be among those who benefit the most.
As for what the so-called "breathing" and "internal circulation" are, it is actually easy to explain. According to Zeus' understanding, it is nothing more than a way to grow by gaining strength from the outside or from the inside.
The "breathing" of the world is the manifestation of the world's pursuit of growth "outside".
He can increase his own size quickly and efficiently by absorbing and exhaling external forces, such as devouring the fragments of the Nine Realms, or directly dismembering and dividing an entire world.
But things from the outside world cannot be integrated out of thin air, and the power from the other world also needs to be digested, and this requires internal circulation to solve the problem.
The more complete the world's structure, the clearer the order, and the smoother the exercise of the priesthood, the stronger the internal circulation will naturally be, and the world will be able to more easily turn the food it swallows into a part of itself.
In this process, the power obtained from outside the world will circulate back and forth in the big network woven by the laws of all things, and will be consumed by the world bit by bit. And every part of this cycle can benefit from it.
It's just that the more similar they are, the easier it is to digest, and the more different they are, the harder it is to grow.
Therefore, if a world dominated by "darkness" is swallowed up from outside, then in the whole cycle, the "darkness" of this world will naturally be digested the fastest and gain the most growth, while the others will be far behind.
However, if [Light] is allowed to grow by digesting [Darkness], that would be a rather complicated matter.
Although everything is possible for the entire world, as long as one is willing to pay the price, the opposing sources of power can be forcibly changed.
But this behavior obviously does not have much significance, so the integration of the remains of the Nine Realms initially only strengthened the increase in their corresponding strength.
Of course, the uses of the internal circulation are far more than these, and the world cannot only be promoted by external demands.
Since the beginning of the world, Chaos has continuously created new concepts and new priesthoods, promoted the reproduction and evolution of the gods, and even promoted the prosperity of all spirits. This is essentially another way to enhance itself through the internal circulation of the world.
Zeus was not very clear about many of the mysteries.
His intuition told him that this might be related to why there must be "gods" with personalities, and why intelligent races were born both in the foreign land where the Nine Realms were located and in the world of Chaos.
But intuition is just intuition, and Zeus didn't think much about it. After all, increasing strength in this way is obviously a very long process.
"You still have to rob. How can you develop yourself as well as robbing others' things?"
"I robbed Kronos and became the king of gods. I robbed Odin and obtained the ceremony of promotion. I robbed Typhon and gained greater power."
"If I hadn't robbed him, I wouldn't be where I am today. It's the same now."
All gods can benefit from the strengthening of the world, but in this process, those who are stronger and closer to the power of the other world will undoubtedly gain the most benefits.
But in Zeus's perception, the power that the world breathes in and out, at least so far, is related to the fields of void, space, darkness, etc.
The first two don't matter, they are nothing more than strengthening the spatial structure of the world itself and enhancing the range of radiation of the world's power, but the latter is different.
The gods in this world related to "darkness" are first the two original gods of the underworld, and then the gods of the entire underworld and the lightless celestial bodies in the depths of the starry sky.
Perhaps Pontus, the ancient sea god and symbol of the 'concave surface of the earth', could also gain some benefits, but these had nothing to do with Olympus.
Therefore, the conspiracy between Zeus and the Lord of Darkness has changed from "the other party coming to the door" in the beginning to Zeus himself not wanting to give up.
It is imperative to complete the unification of the world.
"Let's go."
Although Zeus had a lot of thoughts in his mind, he just listened to Zephyrus' words quietly on the surface.
When he had nothing more to say, Zeus nodded and motioned for the other party to follow him down.
"Your Majesty, where is this?"
"This is just an ordinary hill called Cithaeron. But here is an extraordinary person, and he is also my most proud masterpiece so far."
Having said that, Zeus couldn't help but smile.
"When he was born, I foresaw his extraordinaryness. So I wanted him to rule the entire human world and become the common king of all the descendants of gods."
"Many people say that I watched Thebes, founded by Cadmus, suffer many hardships, but in fact I had long planned to send them a monarch who would be famous for all eternity. Unfortunately, all of this was ruined by Hera."
"…"
Standing aside and listening quietly, Zeferos felt speechless.
The 'king' you sent to Thebes does not have the blood of Cadmus, this is a case of usurping the throne.
Moreover, this man is not only your son, but also the child born between you and the princess of Mycenae and your own great-granddaughter. What does this have to do with Thebes?
However, since Zeus said so, Zephyrus naturally agreed and said that he had heard of this story.
Zeus and his great-granddaughter conceived this child. Before the birth, he claimed that his next descendant would achieve extraordinary achievements and become the leader of many gods.
Then Hera secretly used her divine power to allow Zeus's other great-grandson to be born early.
The God of West Wind had known about this for a long time. He thought it was just another trivial conflict between the King of Gods and the Queen of Heaven, but now it seems that there is really something unusual about this child?
"Yes, his talent is beyond your imagination, Zephyrus."
"The strife among men began in Athens, because there lived a king there who claimed to be invincible. Hera tried her best to kill him, but she didn't know that if she had chosen to raise the child, she wouldn't have to worry about the threat from the king at all."
"Although his power is not that strong now, it doesn't matter, because after a little more training, he will become the most outstanding hero in this world."
Going down, Zeus and Zephyrus had already walked down the hill.
With the eyesight of the true bodies of gods, the two easily saw a young man herding in the distance.
The God of West Wind could not see any trace of a strong man from him. He did not know how strong the other party was, but at least from the surface, he did not seem to be a person who was keen on fighting and killing.
If there were no external influence, perhaps the other party could have stayed here to lead horses and herd sheep... However, looking at this scene, Zeferos did not question it.
"He doesn't look like a strong man, right?"
With a faint smile, Zeus seemed to be looking at a priceless treasure or a sharp sword.
But the God of West Wind was sure that this was definitely not the look one gives one's children.
But God is like this. They don't care about the descendants who are not Gods.
"He needs to be tempered, and before tempering himself, he needs a reason to temper himself and a reason to persevere."
"According to my original plan, this should not happen today, but after he has started a family and a career. He will accidentally kill his own child, commit the great sin of fratricide, and then accept God's trial in guilt and despair, and regard obeying my orders as his way of atonement."
"Obeying you is what all human beings should do, Your Majesty, regardless of whether they have committed a crime or not."
Lowering his head slightly, Zeferos' intuition told him that he was about to witness the ruthlessness of the position of "God King" again.
"Hahahahahaha... Everyone can say nice things, but Zephyrus, not everyone is as loyal as you."
Zeus waved his hand slightly, his smile unchanged: "It's a pity that there is not enough time now. I can't wait for him to get married and have children."
"Right now, right now, I need a reason that will make him fight for it and unleash all his potential. So tell me, Zephyrus, is there anything in this world that can be compared to an heir, and is there anything that can replace his son?"
"…"
In silence, Zeferos already had the answer in his heart, but he knew he didn't need to say anything.
And sure enough, Zeus soon solved the mystery.
"Of course it's his parents."
"Parents are closer than brothers and are the closest blood relatives like children."
"But he couldn't have killed me by mistake. Fortunately... my love, the beautiful Alcmene, is still alive."
At the end of his sight, the invisible wind told Zeferos that at the edge of the grassland, an ox cart was heading towards this side.
Alcmene, the princess of Mycenae, the great-granddaughter of Zeus and another of his lovers on earth, was slowly approaching here.
This was probably not her first visit, as she was carrying a food box and some clothes. No doubt, she was here to visit her son, who was banished here because he accidentally injured his teacher when he was young.
But she probably didn't know that this was going to be her death.
"It's an honor."
Still laughing, Zeus's laugh was so gentle, because he felt that it was simply the guidance of fate.
One hero fell, another hero rose. The night before, Theseus of Athens had lost his life, but now his replacement had arrived.
"Alcmene should be honored by this. Zephyrus, you know, although I have many lovers and many people blame me for this, to be honest, my feelings for Hera are real. It's just that compared to this relationship, I don't want to control my desires even more."
"So I hurt her again and again, but I also wanted to make it up to her; so many times, I didn't mind what the fate of these 'toys' was... like this time."
Looking into the distance, Zeus stretched out his hand slightly and moved the strings of his blood.
"Hera is not here, but I can take her place. Let Alcmene make him complete and fulfill the legend of Hercules (the glory of Hera)."
Chapter 406 Parricide
Since the creation of the world, four generations of mankind have been born.
In the first age, mankind enjoyed the most perfect gift.
The star dew falling from the sky, the nectar gushing from the earth, the mixture of material and spirituality, and the blood of the gods, together they created the Golden Age.
Therefore, although the Golden Generation cannot survive death, they are born to be immortal. Moreover, although the conflicts between the bloods of the gods have caused them to lose some of the abilities of the descendants of the gods, they have also made the Golden Humans have no "bloodline source" to exist.
Because the imprints of each god in the divine blood have been erased, only the purest original essence remains.
In the second generation, humans are still born extraordinary.
Without the gifts from the gods and the bounties from nature, the power from several ancient gods of creation still makes them extraordinary.
If there had been no extraordinary path in that era, I'm afraid that the Silver Generation of humans would have produced many strong men, and even some powerful demigods.
Perhaps this is the balance of fate, that humans in the first two eras had the most powerful talents, but no path to move forward.
And it is precisely because of this excessive gift that their spirits are distorted in different directions.
By the third generation, the bronze humans finally came into contact with extraordinary powers for the first time, but they no longer possessed the talents of their ancestors.
For them, the threshold to becoming a legend was already as difficult as ascending to heaven. Even until the flood destroyed the world, no truly native fifth-level legend was born.
"But the fourth generation is different. You know, I personally prefer to call it the 'Heroic Age'."
"Because the people of this era have both increasingly perfected extraordinary paths and outstanding talents, and such people are called heroes by ordinary people."
The 'string' of bloodline was held in the palm of Zeus. He was the original initiator of the spread of the descendants of gods, and he easily grasped the chain in his palm.
Maybe one day in the future, this offspring that he had high hopes for would break it, but it didn't matter, because before that, Zeus would find new shackles.
"These are the descendants of gods. They have the blood of gods in their bodies, so the shackles that mortals find difficult to cross seem so easy for them. However, all the gifts of fate must be paid for. This is a help, but it is also a restriction."
"When the descendants of gods touch the realm of demigods, they either have to completely embrace the gift of their bloodline source, or make greater efforts than ordinary people to try to eliminate this influence that has penetrated deep into their bones. But no matter which one they choose, before this influence is removed, they are destined to be influenced by their ancestors."
"This is the 'Age of Heroes'. Every hero is an outstanding descendant of a god, but their fight on earth is merely an extension of the gods' will. Even if there are a few people who understand and resist unwillingly, it is meaningless."
"After all, everything is always seeking profit. No one is sure that they can reach the top at the beginning of life. When the blood of God is placed in front of you, who would refuse it?"
No one would refuse, least of all Hercules. This god-born with extraordinary talent could strangle poisonous snakes when he was just born, which was a symbol of the activeness of his divine blood.
So when Zeus transmitted the influence along the invisible string, there was almost no hindrance in between.
It was almost visible to the naked eye that the tall young man covered in animal skins in the distance had a dazed look in his eyes.
"Get ready." Zeus said with a smile, "It will be your turn soon."
…
Snap——
Waving a whip, the young Hercules was driving his flock at the foot of the Cithaeron Mountains.
This is his daily work, and also a form of exercise that is unique to him. As for what he does specifically, it is mainly to ensure the safety of the sheep.
The only difference is that it is not to prevent them from being eaten by wild animals, but to prevent yourself from accidentally killing them.
"call--"
"The strength has increased again. It's really troublesome."
Leaning against a rock, Hercules let out a long breath.
Just this morning, he suddenly felt more energetic, but he didn't think it was a good thing.
Because this was not the first time the young man had experienced this, and as expected, this was another time his strength had increased.
This sudden jump in power had happened more than once since he was a child, and it brought Hercules many benefits, but more troubles.
As a baby he accidentally injured a servant in this way, and after he learned to walk he destroyed furniture and books more than once.
When he was a teenager, Hercules subconsciously fought back against his teacher who taught him reading and writing. However, he failed to control his strength and the teacher died on the spot.
Even though a fair judge later found the self-defender not guilty and that his action was a reasonable counterattack against his corrupt teacher, he was still assigned to this remote place to herd sheep.
In order to prevent similar incidents from happening again, Hercules' mother assigned him a task, which was to drive the sheep with a whip but not to hurt them.
To injure but not kill is not difficult for most people. After all, it is not easy to whip a large animal to death. But it is indeed a challenge for Hercules.
Especially after each increase in strength, he had to be cautious, for fear of accidentally making a mistake again.
"Too much power without being able to control it is like suddenly becoming a monarch without knowing how to govern a country."
"At this time, a wise king should learn more and listen more, speak less and act less, while a wise hero should restrain his behavior and seek out capable people to hone his martial arts skills."
"But I can't find anyone who can teach me martial arts, because even if they use brute force, they will probably be beaten to death by me while trying to teach me."
Although still young, Hercules was still very smart. He knew what he wanted, but reality did not give him the conditions.
Years of restraint left the young man with a burning desire in his heart, but he had nowhere to vent it.
On this grassland, only those blind wild beasts can allow him to vent his anger.
"Um?"
With a fierce look in his eyes, Hercules suddenly flipped up from the stone.
In the distance of the flock, at the end of his sight, he vaguely saw three black dots.
That was... that was a wild wolf. Except for the first year after he came here, no wolf had dared to approach him for a long time.
This is probably a wild wolf that migrated from far away and was expelled from the tribe.
"Alright... we're eating wolf meat today."
Hercules picked up the bow and arrow beside him and aimed it from a distance, but he put it down the next moment.
He took out two more arrows and put them on the bow together with the first one.
His heartbeat gradually quickened, even without anyone teaching him. As Hercules concentrated his mind, some silver lightning gradually wrapped around the tip of the arrow.
Vaguely, Hercules discovered that the wild wolves seemed to have seen his movements, but instead of running away, they raised their claws to provoke him.
"A beast is a beast...die."
As soon as he loosened his fingers, three sharp arrows flew into the air.
On the distant grassland, three 'wild wolves' fell to the ground.
But what Hercules found strange was that when the arrows were shot, two of the wolves tried to dodge. This was normal, although they were destined to be unable to dodge, but this instinct was something no one could refuse.
But the last one is different. Why didn't it dodge?
I felt a little strange and an unknown sense of depression.
Feeling irritated, Hercules put down his bow and arrow and shook his head.
Whatever the reason, it was time for him to collect the spoils... How could humans understand the actions of wild beasts?
…
Whoosh——
Whoosh——
Whoosh——
Three arrows were fired at the same time, like a sound, and hit the target at the same time.
Without any professional training or excellent bow and arrow, he was able to reach this point just by his own exploration. Even Zeus could not help but cheer in a low voice.
"good."
"With such talent, perhaps he can master archery skills comparable to Apollo in the human world."
"Perhaps I should ask the Cyclops to build him a bow and arrows. Mortal weapons are not worthy of his strength."
Without even glancing at the three bodies lying on the ground in the distance, Zeus only had eyes for Hercules.
Sure enough, his judgment was correct.
Whether it was Theseus or the offspring who was born to the sea nymph Thetis as predicted after the feast of the golden apple and was "more powerful than his father", they were no more than that.
Perhaps they can surpass Hercules at this moment after various trials or some special opportunities, but this young man is still an unpolished jade, which can shine brightly as long as it is properly carved.
Only such a person can help him do things that he has long wanted to do but cannot do, such as seeing what his good brother Hades is doing secretly, or seeing what is happening in the legendary abyss.
The gods' goal is too big, but if it is a mortal with power comparable to that of the gods, it will be very different.
"Your Majesty, I think you should be careful."
With a hesitant look on his face, Zephyrus standing beside him naturally also saw the talent of Hercules.
But compared to Zeus, he was a little worried.
He already knew what Zeus had called him to do, he was to be Hercules's 'guide' in the future. Because of the advance of time, Zeus' original plan was also disrupted, there would be no king to issue orders to the son of the god king, but a god could also replace this identity.
However, Zephyrus actually did not want to play. After all, if the opponent discovered something in the future, and Hercules grew up and was invincible in the world, wouldn't he be the first to suffer?
But Zeus didn't care about the West Wind's indirect reminder.
"Don't worry, it'll be okay."
"Zeferos, you have to understand one thing. My arrangements for him are definitely much more than you think."
Zeus waved his hand slightly, signaling his loyal servant not to worry, and Zephyrus had no choice but to obey his orders respectfully.
So the two of them continued to stand there, watching Hercules approaching the corpse.
As time passed, the influence of the God King's bloodline gradually faded.
Hercules' gradually becoming confused and incredulous expression was clearly visible in front of the King of Gods, and every change of his emotions was captured by Zeus.
Until one moment, he saw the young man rushing forward like crazy. On this empty grassland, a sudden shrill roar pierced through the clouds and lingered between heaven and earth.
A huge force swept across the grassland in an instant, and the original flock of sheep turned into bloody mist in an instant.
The birds in the sky, the animals on the ground, and all the lives within a thousand miles felt the invisible oppression at that moment. And all of this was due to the crazy and desperate spirit of that young man.
"ah----"
"ah------!"
"No!"
Boom!
The earth was shaking, as if a god was hammering the ground. The physical strength that erupted at this moment made Zeus feel a little frightened.
The power of gods is superior to that of mortals, but their bodies are not necessarily superior. Especially the new generation of gods after the first generation of Titans, whether they are powerful demons or ancient giants, their bodies are far inferior.
But as a mortal, Hercules' body could do this when he was angry. If he could continue to grow, Zeus suspected that he might really be able to wrestle with giants and stand shoulder to shoulder with the Titans.
"Oh, I still underestimated him. I never thought that a half-god-human hybrid, even though he doesn't have divine power, could achieve this with just his physical strength. This is simply a gift from God."
It is a pity that Zeus did not know that in the myths passed down in later generations, there were only two demigod heroes of Chaos, one was called Hercules and the other was called Other.
But at this moment, he was amazed by the young man's extraordinary talent. Such a sharp weapon was perfect beyond imagination.
"Come, Zephyrus."
He stretched out his hand gently, and three spots of light floated from afar and appeared in Zeus's hand.
These are the souls of the three dead people just now, and also the last traces of them left in the world.
As a 'king of gods', although it was the first time for Zeus to do this, he still felt that the birth of his inspiration was so smooth, as if it was helped by God.
"You know what to do."
"...Of course, Your Majesty."
Without changing his expression, the God of West Wind looked at the three souls.
"As the main god of Olympus and the god of wind, I like to transform into an invisible air current and wander between the mountains and the land."
"That's what happened today. I unexpectedly discovered a demigod who couldn't control his own power. In his madness, he committed the great sin of parricide, a crime that no god or human could tolerate."
"A heinous crime can only be erased with equally astonishing achievements. I will arrange some simpler training for him first, so as to stimulate his potential and strength."
"Very good, you always reassure me."
Nodding slightly, the God King also glanced at the soul in his palm.
No one would object to him keeping such a soul, whether as his great-granddaughter or as his lover.
And Alcmene's soul is the new shackles on Hercules.
Chapter 407: The God of War at Falling Star Lake
Transforming into an invisible airflow, the God of Wind created a violent storm in the sky.
He will appear before the young man in a manner befitting a deity, and then arrange for him to suffer and be tested.
Zeus didn't care much about what the previous content was. He allowed Zephyrus to arrange it on his own, as long as it could train Hercules' wisdom and military strength.
After all, in this world, strength is indispensable, while wisdom is the tool to defeat the strong with the weak.
On earth, Zeus was not worried about Hercules' safety, but everything he wanted him to do in the future would not only happen on earth.
"Three."
"The abyss, the underworld, and the legendary depths of the spirit world."
"Find out what I want for me, Hercules...I hope you won't let me down."
A few years ago, before entrusting Hercules with such expectations, Zeus once again went to Mount Nyssa to ask the three goddesses of fate.
Although the three goddesses were unwilling to reveal the trajectory of their fate, they finally compromised slightly in response to the questions from the God King.
They tried to peek into the river of fate and cautiously gave Zeus a chance to ask questions, but fate would only give a 'yes' or 'no' answer.
Thus, Zeus got what he wanted - in the next thirty years, the most powerful demigod in the world would accomplish great things that would shock gods and men, and even at the end of everything, he would win the eternal crown.
The most powerful demigod... After witnessing the power of Hercules with his own eyes, Zeus didn't think there would be a second mortal who could match him, so his confidence became even stronger.
After all, he had personally experienced how terrible it was to be favored by fate, and the gods of all generations knew this very well.
Even the primitive gods are no match for this power.
So looking at the sad and painful young man in the distance looking up at the gods descending from the sky, and looking at Zephyrus speaking righteously, Zeus smiled again.
I think the God of West Wind will handle things well here. Since he pledged his loyalty to me, he has never let me down.
······
The sun rises in the east, illuminating the earth.
In early autumn, Athens welcomed a new king, and changes also took place in Thebes because of Zeus.
The gears of fate seemed to be turning again, and the evil roots that had been buried since the Banquet of the Golden Apple were about to be ignited.
Far away on Mount Olympus, the shattered incarnation of Ares felt the surge of the divine power of "War".
Even though he was seriously injured, this discovery still made him very excited.
Ares knew that his chance had come. Even in the next ten thousand years, there would not be such a good opportunity again.
As the true god who controls war, his presence in the field of [War] has never been as strong as Athena's.
Because just as Phoebe, the goddess of light, never ruled the sun and the moon, Ares is also a god of war who cannot rule victory.
However, all this is not unchangeable. If he can defeat Athena in a war involving humans and gods, just as the goddess of light can suppress the sun god and the moon god, they can both increase their own power in this way and establish their authority within their sphere of power.
Of course, at least the [war] at this time is far inferior to the sun, moon and stars.
Just as Athena was supposed to be born at the beginning of the Third Age, because the victory of the ten-year Titan War shaped her divine duties, and Ares was born after her, he was born because of the tyranny and unjust war between humans and gods.
Compared to the celestial bodies that were born in the First Era, the concept of war is still too young.
"So... Teacher, according to what you said, the God of War is not actually invincible, and the Goddess of Beauty is not the most beautiful in the world?"
In the southeast of the continent, on the shore of Falling Star Lake outside Silver Moon City.
A tall, handsome young man was walking by the lake, holding a spear in his hand. Beside him, a centaur, several times his size, was walking with him.
A longbow hung on the centaur's body, and his eyes occasionally flashed with the wisdom of the years.
Maybe it was a coincidence, or maybe fate always liked to make some important things happen on the same day. Thinking about the news he had just received, the Centaur continued to listen to his student's questions.
"If this is the case, then what do the gods rely on to exercise their authority? If they cannot exercise divine authority to the utmost, then what right do they have to have eternal life?"
"Because they are gods, and gods are born noble."
Chiron responded calmly, his tone neither hurried nor slow.
"This is not some empty talk, nor is it some stubborn and decadent thought, nor is it blind worship - Achilles, this is reality."
"The reality is that God is born to be God, just like you are born to be able to roam the world. No one will question such things, because it is not only meaningless, but also can't change anything."
"Really? Then this world is really unfair."
"And I remember that the church of Silvermoon City said that there is only one God in this world. If that's the case, they are not born noble gods."
Shaking his head, the young man knew that what his teacher said was right, but he still didn't want to accept these 'right' contents.
The capable ones will be promoted and the mediocre ones will be demoted. The capable ones should have more things. If the God of War cannot win every battle, it is better for him to abdicate as soon as possible and let others do the rest.
"Haha, Achilles, you know very well that it's just a name."
"Whether you want to call them angels or gods, it doesn't change their nature. Besides, I remember that you don't seem to believe in their teachings."
With a chuckle, Chiron knew why his student suddenly brought up this today.
According to the news from Athens, a great war broke out in Eleusis last night. The Olympian gods descended in their incarnations to fight the King of Athens.
And the result... despite outnumbering the enemy and conspiracy, the incarnation of the God of War was still shattered.
He didn't know that Hermes also contributed to this. Achilles only knew that the Athenian king he admired died in disgrace, and the gods showed such mediocre abilities.
For a moment, he was inevitably a little unbalanced.
"But now that we're talking about this, Achilles, what do you think is fair?"
Chiron asked with a slight smile.
"Naturally, status is determined by ability. Those with outstanding abilities should hold power and authority, while those with average abilities should not sit in such positions."
Without hesitation, the young man said.
"Really? But abilities are actually innate, just like the authority of the gods. Sorting them by ability also proves that the superiority and inferiority of all things are determined at birth, right?"
"Born?"
The young man was somewhat surprised and puzzled: "My ability is acquired through training and learning, how can it be innate?"
"Of course abilities are innate, Achilles. I wonder if you have ever observed where a person's abilities come from."
Pointing to the distance, there was only dense jungle. But the young man knew that his teacher was referring to Silver Moon City.
"Talent, character, and the environment in which one grows up are the foundations of a person's abilities."
"People with high talents are born to learn quickly, like you. For those who are less talented than you, it will be useless even if they work ten or a hundred times harder. So do you admit this?"
"But some people are determined, while others are lazy. Even if they have the same talents, their achievements will not be the same."
Shaking his head in rebuttal, the young man did not agree with this.
"Yes, but this is the difference caused by personality. But Achilles, do you think personality is not innate? I don't think so."
"From my observations over the years, a person's personality is often made up of two parts: innate blood and acquired influences."
"Blood inheritance will affect you, and acquired education will also affect you. When they are added together, they can create the so-called 'diligent', 'relaxed', 'firm', and 'lazy'. Do you think I am right?"
"…"
He opened his mouth slightly, then closed it again. The young man wanted to continue to refute, after all, the influence of the environment is not innate.
But the next moment, he understood what Chiron meant.
To put it simply, the influence of the environment is the parents and the environment in which one grows up. Although this may not seem innate, it is actually determined at the moment of birth.
Just like he can stand here now, worship Chiron as his teacher, and all the education he has received since childhood, he had it when he was born, and if he didn't have it, he would never have it.
"If that's the case... then are you telling me that everything is fate? From the moment I was born, I was destined to become a certain kind of person, how I would live, and how I would die?"
Taking a deep breath, the young man finally asked.
"If so, would you believe it?"
"I will believe it, but I won't accept it."
Holding the spear tightly in his hand, Achilles spoke word by word: "Everything I have experienced in the past is true, and the efforts I have made are by no means false. No matter who wants to blame all this on 'fate', I will never accept it!"
"So now can you tell me what you are going to say to me?"
"Hahahahaha... Of course, Achilles. I just hope you can put aside your arrogance and not get hung up on so-called 'fairness'."
The Centaur's loud laughter startled a flock of birds in the woods.
"There is nothing fair in this world. Or rather, everything is fair. The innate power of the gods belongs to them, just like your talent. So don't look down on them, or you will pay the price."
"Also, I want to inform you today that you have graduated."
"Um?"
With a look of surprise, the young man looked at his teacher, and Chiron looked back at him.
He saw affirmation and encouragement in his teacher's eyes. Could he become a master?
But it was true. After so many years, his martial arts skills had already surpassed Chiron.
But considering the current time, Achilles couldn't help but ask: "Should I go to Athens? I heard that Her Majesty Artemis has a temple there. Do you want me to protect it and replace King Theseus?"
"No, you can go anywhere. Now that you have graduated, you can do whatever you want."
Chiron smiled and shook his head: "It's just that it's indeed a good place for you to make a name for yourself."
"Then I'll go and take a look."
Nodding, Achilles said: "Take my indestructible body and go see the gods of Olympus."
He knew his origins and destiny. In fact, neither his mother nor his teacher had concealed this from Achilles.
At the Banquet of the Golden Apple, Zeus arranged this ridiculous wedding banquet and married the daughter of Nereus, god of the sea, to a mortal man because he was afraid of the fate of his mother, the sea nymph Thetis, who would give birth to a son more powerful than his father.
Although the birth of Achilles later did confirm this prophecy, Thetis was still upset about it and even stopped staying at sea and came to Silvermoon City.
However, in this legendary city, the sea nymph who bears the fate once again received a prophecy, that is, Achilles will die in the war.
So Thetis, who didn't want to stay in the ancient sea god lineage anymore, chose to find her aunt, the eldest sister of her mother goddess Doris, the ocean goddess, and the ancient lord of the Styx.
She sought help from this ancient and mysterious deity, and she unexpectedly received a response.
Styx allowed Achilles to soak in the essence of the Styx, but what he received was not the favor of the power of "Oath" devolved by the world, but the other side of the Styx.
[Hate], few people remember that Styx is not only a god who witnessed the oath of the gods, but also a river of hatred. It symbolizes the world's original anger towards those who violate the order, and it is based on this that it has the ability to restrain the gods with [Oath].
When he was young, Achilles was picked up by his mother and swam in the river of "Hate". What he got was an indestructible body that even the gods could not harm.
In the original myth, Achilles also had such an experience, and even defeated the true body of the god with it. However, he also had a fatal weakness, that is, his ankle that was once held by his mother was not soaked in the river water.
He died from Apollo's arrow, leaving behind the legend of Achilles' heel.
However, if someone observed Achilles at this time, they would probably be surprised to find that there was no weakness on his body.
I don't know what method Thetis used this time to make Achilles avoid this flaw.
"The prophecy says that I will die in war. Although I don't think this refers to Ares, I still want to experience the power of this god of war."
The young man who was called the God of War by later generations spoke calmly. He also wanted to know what in this world could destroy his indestructible body.
Maybe the God King can do it, or maybe there is some kind of weapon in the world that can target him? Achilles doesn't know.
Whether it is true or not, he will find out by trying it himself.