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Chapter 168: Zeus Transformed into a Giant Eagle and the Goddess
Chapter 168: Zeus Transformed into a Giant Eagle and the Goddess
The next day, Sisyphus and Qin Muye were standing on the city wall, enjoying the view and chatting intermittently.
Previously, Sisyphus maintained the demeanor of a king, but now he spoke to Qin Muye as an elder, offering advice on management and political strategy. However, Qin Muye was more interested in the books in his hands, which were treasures of the Corinthian Kingdom, containing a wealth of history.
Reading them was quite a challenge, as they were written in a poetic style, hence the term "epic," a poetic form of history. The texts were heavily embellished with beautiful and ornate language, more akin to praise than a true historical record. This made it quite a headache for Qin Muye.
Occasionally, Sisyphus would offer some explanations, as he was a renowned philosopher with extensive knowledge, which was why he was able to marry the goddess Merope. Thus, he was quite adept at addressing Qin Muye's questions.
As they were chatting, a sudden eagle's cry echoed through the air. They saw a giant eagle carrying a white-robed maiden alight on a distant rock.
Upon seeing this, Sisyphus immediately pulled Qin Muye to one side, to avoid being noticed by the giant eagle.
"What's going on?" Qin Muye thought the eagle was about to feed, and he was worried they might be caught in the crossfire.
But Sisyphus looked grave. "It's Zeus!"
"???" Qin Muye was taken aback. The eagle was Zeus?
"Looks like he's abducted another goddess and is busy with her now," Sisyphus explained.
Qin Muye cautiously glanced over. Indeed, Zeus was busy, and it was quite a spectacle. Zeus had not transformed back into his divine form but was conducting his business as a giant eagle.
It was a testament to the goddess's resilience that she could endure such a predicament.
Qin Muye was genuinely surprised, but upon reflection, Zeus had done similar things before. In his vague memories from his past life, Zeus had transformed into a bull and a swan for similar purposes. A giant eagle was no different, just another form.
"I have a small question. As the king of the gods, why didn't he notice us being so close?" Qin Muye asked, puzzled.
With Zeus's formidable power, even without any mental scanning, his powerful senses should have detected them hiding nearby. Moreover, the rock where the eagle had landed was not far from Corinth, so it wasn't as if he couldn't see them.
"Why would he notice us? The Corinthian Kingdom is under divine protection. Zeus can destroy Corinth, but he cannot invade it."
"Moreover, Zeus is known for his impatience. Once his lust is aroused, he doesn't care where he is."
"More importantly, why would he care about us?"
Sisyphus explained.
Qin Muye realized that Zeus's actions were strategic, not out of fear but because it was to his advantage. In fact, Zeus didn't care about them at all.
No deity could look Zeus in the eye as an equal, not even Hades or Gaia, who were under his rule as the king of the gods.
Though the old generation of gods had spread across various regions, none dared to openly challenge Zeus's rule, only engaging in minor acts of defiance.
This clearly demonstrated that Zeus's power was so overwhelming that he didn't need to hide anything. Hera, the queen of the gods, dared to harm his illegitimate children and lovers but never dared to interrupt him when he was with them.
"So, is he here to show off?" Qin Muye asked, somewhat puzzled.
"I don't know; I can't fathom the thoughts of the king of the gods," Sisyphus replied.
He didn't believe that the king of the gods would come to Corinth to show off, as that would be too undignified. More likely, it was a case of Zeus being driven by his desires, which, while undignified, was consistent with his character.
To be honest, Qin Muye was a bit envious of Zeus, but not because of his numerous wives and mistresses. He envied Zeus's absolute power, which allowed him to do as he pleased. Anyone else who dared to act like that would likely be killed.
Such behavior was akin to openly kidnapping a noble's child and then conducting his business right at the door.
With another eagle's cry, Zeus seemed to be finished. He then took the white-robed goddess and flew away from the rock, heading into the distance.
"What’s going on? Is it over?" Qin Muye asked.
"Nothing of the sort. A deity is chasing after them. I don’t know which one, but we’re really unlucky," Sisyphus sighed.
Usually, it would be either the fiance or the father, given that Zeus liked to play some risky games.
Soon, Sisyphus recognized who it was.
"It’s the river god Asopus. It seems the goddess must be his youngest daughter, Aphia. He has many daughters, but they all mysteriously disappeared. Now, only the last one remains."
"No wonder he’s chasing after them. Unfortunately, since it’s Zeus who took his daughter, he probably won’t be able to get her back."
Sisyphus’s tone carried a hint of sympathy. He wondered which lecherous gods had taken the other daughters.
Qin Muye felt a chill run down his spine. Were the Titans really this arrogant?
Oh, he was now one of them, and if he secured his position, he could be just as arrogant in the future.
'Why do I feel like my script has a major issue? The normal script should be me leading the oppressed gods to overthrow Zeus, becoming a dragon slayer. But why did I end up sitting in the dragon’s seat right away?'
It was the same in the previous world. As a priest, he should have taken on the duty of destroying Hell, but he ended up becoming the Lord of Hell.
Truly, the protagonist had turned into the antagonist.
'Or perhaps the protagonist’s aura is lost, and I’m directly thrust into the role of the antagonist?'
Hades, the King of the Underworld, was almost always the antagonist, not the hero, in any story.
Now that he was following Hades, he was definitely on the side of the antagonist, especially since he wanted to befriend Typhon, Gaia, and other former ministers.
'If I keep going down this path, should I start worrying about a hero suddenly appearing to kill me one day?'
He had done plenty of despicable things, and his minions had done even more, mostly on his orders. Not becoming the antagonist would be a violation of natural law.
The thought made his face turn green, but he quickly adjusted his expression.
"So, what are you going to do next? Tell the river god Asopus that it was Zeus who took her?" Qin Muye asked.
"I need to think about it. After all, this is a matter that will offend Zeus," Sisyphus replied.
This situation had its pros and cons. One wrong move could invite Zeus’s retribution, and it would be a public retribution.
Everyone knew Zeus was lecherous, and few dared to challenge him on this front.
But as he looked at the river god Asopus, a certain idea flickered in Sisyphus’s eyes.
Qin Muye wanted to suggest just letting it go, as it was too dangerous, but he ultimately kept silent.
Sisyphus must have some plan, and it wouldn’t be good for him to speak out of turn.
Qin Muye didn’t actually know the river god Asopus, but from Sisyphus’s words, he understood that the river god would not rest until he found his daughter.
Naturally, Qin Muye didn’t think about persuading him. One shouldn’t advise others to act virtuously without understanding their suffering.
If this were to happen to Qin Muye, he wouldn’t give up either.
But Zeus...
"Ah, forget it. I won’t disturb you, Sisyphus. It seems you have a plan. I’ll leave now," Qin Muye said. He had no intention of getting involved. Sympathy aside, the risk was too great. Challenging Zeus in his lustful state would probably cost him more than ten lives.
He had Hades as his protector, but that didn’t mean Zeus couldn’t find other ways to make his life miserable.
It was better to be low-key and avoid trouble.
So, he decided to mind his own business and let others tend to their own affairs.
After leaving, Qin Muye felt a bit uneasy.
'Not strong enough. If my territory were strong enough, I wouldn’t even care about Zeus, let alone Chaos.'
Back at his place, he naturally found a spot to continue reading. What else could he do? This incident made him want to run away.
His mage tower was the safest place. Just a simple outing to enjoy the scenery had led to this. If it were appropriate to summon his minions, he would have found a place to hide and stay still.
(End of Chapter)
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