It had been exactly 19 years since Apollo arrived on Earth. He found himself reborn in the very same place where he had lived his first life.
These 19 years had been mostly uneventful, marked only by a few minor encounters with women and his academic studies.
As Apollo was renowned for his wisdom and unparalleled handsomeness—being famously known as the most handsome of the gods—such a life was to be expected.
He was currently studying law at Harvard, believing it to be the easiest path to earning money and living a relaxed life. This choice was primarily due to his inability to use his divine powers and his desire to enjoy a peaceful existence.
sigh
"It seems there's no energy today either," Apollo said, disappointed. If given the choice, he would have preferred a world of power over mere wealth.
"Today marks 19 years since I came to this world. It's just a fraction of my previous life as Apollo. It's rather random that the woman who gave birth to me named me the same," he mused, reflecting on his birth.
He had been born in Germany, in the heart of Europe, to a Greek immigrant. His late mother had wished for him to become the most handsome boy as he grew up, hence the name.
Apollo was on vacation back in Munich, Germany, when suddenly, his instincts flared.
His instincts were the only remnants of his divine self, imprinted on his soul and requiring no energy to activate. He immediately sensed that this was not a mere warning but a signal of a significant opportunity.
He gazed out of his window at the sun, his most familiar sight, and observed something invisible impacting the Earth.
Though invisible to others, his instincts could sense the energy.
"This is energy," Apollo muttered absentmindedly.
"It seems I was mistaken once again. Luck indeed favors me. The universe has awakened energy on Earth. This is perfect," Apollo said, joy lighting up his face.
Suddenly, the Earth began to quake.
With his window open, Apollo could hear the people's reactions.
"AN EARTHQUAKE!"
"WTF! WE'RE IN MUNICH! THERE'S NEVER BEEN AN EARTHQUAKE HERE!"
"HELP!"
"HIDE UNDER STURDY STRUCTURES!"
The people were terrified; many had never experienced an earthquake before.
Strangely, despite the quake's magnitude, no buildings were destroyed and no one was injured.
What no one realized at the time was that some animals and plants were rapidly growing. In certain areas—mainly in water or uninhabited regions—secret realms also began to emerge.
Apollo was already aware of the animal mutations; it was common knowledge that all life forms would mutate under energy, as they were all fundamentally the same before the universe.
"It seems I can finally practice! HAHAHAHA!" Apollo exclaimed with glee.
He began channeling Aura into his body, awakening his powers.
He immediately felt the godhood of both Apollo and Heracles within him. His body was now brimming with power, far surpassing that of any mortal being.
He had a punching force of approximately 1,000 kg.
"Immediate breakthrough into the first minor realm of the Aetheris realm, the Ephermis realm. The first stage of Cultivation," Apollo's smile radiated with the energy of the sun.
The first stage of cultivation is the minor realm Ephermis within the Major realm Aetheris. There are several major realms, each containing ten minor realms.
Ephermis is the first minor realm and requires one to gather ambient aura from the air, sensing its flow for the first time. The cultivator must then maintain a stable aura field around their body, like a gentle breeze.
The main challenge is achieving unity between aura intake and stability, which demands extraordinary physical and mental harmony.
Few people naturally awaken to this realm. Most require a spiritual stone, which drops from slain monsters, to advance.
Apollo had no difficulty; he was an exceptional genius with extensive cultivation experience.
"My next goal is Luminis. To achieve it, I need to gather aura more efficiently and guide it into my body and meridians. When this state is achieved, a glimmer will naturally emanate from my body," Apollo recalled the teachings from the gods on Olympus during his childhood.
He began to fervently gather the aura around him. The breakthrough would take some time as he needed to absorb more aura.
Compressing the aura and guiding it into his body and meridians would be relatively easy for him due to his experience.
"It seems I'll need to hunt some beasts. The magic stones they drop are valuable in any place where aura exists, as they aid in cultivation. They will be very useful," Apollo said.
"And I can also help some humans," he added with a smile.
Apollo generally had a fondness for humans—both the original and this current incarnation. This one, however, liked them even more.
Apollo summoned some of the weapons now at his disposal.
"It seems I still can't summon the chariot and a few other weapons. The ones I can summon are significantly weakened, but Heracles' weapons are also here," Apollo said, excited by the few weapons he could call upon. He was proficient with many weapons and loved using them.
"The best are my lyre, Orphion, which helps me calm enemies and achieve harmony. It also aids in cultivation. Another is Solis Arcus, my beloved bow. And the symbol of victory, the Laurel Breath," he said as he put his lyre and bow back into his divine storage and placed the Laurel Breath on his head. It was not only a symbol of victory but also provided extraordinary calmness, a strong healing factor, and significantly slowed aging.
"Let me check Heracles' artifacts. YES! The skin of the Nemean Lion is here!" Apollo exclaimed with excitement upon seeing Heracles' most famous artifact. He immediately secured the skin around his waist, noting its extraordinary protective ability.
"The other artifact I can use is ETHERIUM. This is perfect for now. Finally, I have an artifact made by that troublesome Hephaestus. It is unbreakable and can slice through almost anything at full power. Even though I can only use a primary version, it's enough to break through almost any defense," Apollo said with enthusiasm. This was his first weapon from Hephaestus, with whom he was not on the best terms.
After placing the sword back into his divine storage, Apollo walked out of his apartment.
He could already hear the screams of people fleeing from monsters—mostly pets or wild animals that had appeared in the city.
Without hesitation, Apollo stepped out of the building. He wore the Nemean Lion's skin around his waist and nothing else on his chest, as wearing a shirt would weaken the skin's defenses. On his head, he wore the Laurel Breath, which gave him a majestic appearance.
While this combination might seem awkward or cringe-worthy on most people, it suited Apollo perfectly. It seemed as though he was born to wear it.
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I will put all the realms and the descriptions in the next chapter! Look back on there if you don't know in what realm he is!