Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality Chapter 592

Chapter 592: Chapter 183: Secret Talks

Mount Olympus, the Golden Palace.

In the grand hall, the singing and dancing continued as Hera sat expressionlessly on the side.

Ares shoved aside the Goddess of Youth, Hebe, who was pouring nectar, and stood by the Divine King, chattering incessantly. He was complaining to Zeus about Athena, recounting how excessively she had wronged him.

“…Father, Athena has gone too far. Do you know how the mortal realm views me now?”

With an unpleasant expression, Ares knew that his experiences were no secret; rather, he had long been the butt of jokes among the gods.

The cause of the matter was simple. It was an old story from many years ago. One of the most famous adventures of the then King of Athens, Theseus, in his youth was winning the heart of the Amazon Queen, Hippolyta.

At that time, Theseus was so handsome and wise that he was not ensnared by the Queen's charms but instead made Hippolyta fall for him. Of course, he ultimately did not take her as his queen and later married the daughter of the King of Crete.

Hippolyta was furious about this and personally led the Amazons across the sea to attack Athens. The outcome was clear; they suffered a crushing defeat in the eastern city of this Earth, resulting in even the War God's strength being widely questioned by mortals.

As the Amazon Queen, favored by the War God and Goddess of Beauty, she not only failed to display her extraordinary charm, making the King of Athens bow beneath her skirt, but she was also attracted to him instead. When Hippolyta resorted to force, she was still met with defeat. The influence of these two events was profound.

Among mortals, there has long been a debate about whether the inner worth brought by knowledge or the outward appearance brought by beauty was more important, with followers of Athena and Aphrodite supporting each side, respectively. In the case of Hippolyta and Theseus's love and hate, it undoubtedly added a strong argument for the former.

Of course, considering that appearance is innate, while knowledge can be acquired through learning, the contradiction between the two had never turned into a zero-sum game. But war was different.

Athena and Ares were the two deities worshipped the most when war broke out among humans. However, when the War God was defeated in a mortal realm by Athens, his faith naturally took a hit.

“…Perhaps you should restrain her a bit, Father. From what I know, Athens never rejects witchcraft, and they even trade with those pagans.”

Through gritted teeth, Ares spoke according to what Aphrodite had instructed him earlier.

Zeus and his good sister had argued about this more than once, though such debates resulted in nothing. Still, bringing it up could significantly stir the Divine King's displeasure.

After speaking, Ares had expected Zeus to say something. According to what Aphrodite told him, even if the Divine King did not want to manage the matter, he would still harbor some additional discontent toward Athena… Yet, no matter how long he waited, until several deities subtly turned their attention toward the throne, he heard nothing.

For Ares, coming to complain because he couldn't win a fight was already embarrassing enough, let alone being watched by others.

Brutality surged in his heart, and under the influence of godhood, Ares's eyes turned a little red…

“What are you thinking?”

Awakening from contemplation, Zeus looked up to see Ares, whose eyes were bloodshot, watching him. Frowning slightly, the Divine King asked somewhat displeased.

“Father God, I…”

“Enough, we'll discuss your matter later. I have something to attend to.”

With a slight wave of his hand, the Divine King did not want to say more to this son he was not particularly fond of. Recalling the familiar aura that had just startled him awake and vanished quickly, Zeus rose from his seat.

The gods' banquets never required continuous presence, and it was not unusual for deities to leave or join midway. Thus, Zeus's actions did not attract attention. He directly left the Golden Palace, leaving Ares, who wanted to say something but was interrupted, in place.

“…Damn it, it's like this again. You never take me to heart. Huff–I am the War God, so why wasn't I given invincible strength?”

Taking a deep breath, Ares had faced such situations before.

By his godhood, fighting was one of the few things he could do, yet there were still many he could not defeat… Suppressing the violent emotions in his heart, the War God looked towards Heavenly Empress Hera.

Had it not been for Aph's reminder, he might not have noticed that the Mother Goddess seemed to have suffered some injury recently. Maybe he should go and offer some comfort.

In any case, Hera still stood by him in many respects.

'Aph is truly a good wife.'

Reflecting on this, Ares realized that fate favored him, at least in this regard.

There had been rumors among the gods that Aph had been seen with other male gods frequently… But how could that be possible? Of course, he was her true love.

'Hmph.'

Just like that upstart cripple, Ares had never paid him any attention.

Halfway up Mount Olympus, at a perilous cliff.

The disturbance of World Power became increasingly apparent, like an opening dug out from a dam. Initially, it was only a slight tilt, but as time went on, the water flow would become more and more torrential.

Yet, at that moment, the gods on the mountain did not feel it, nor could they sense such fluctuations. Perhaps those who had reached the pinnacle of the realm of True Gods and sought ways to advance might be slightly aware, but they could never match the clarity of the Primordial Gods.

The Divine King, however, was an exception, even special. In this regard, Zeus's perception was far clearer than that of Erebus.

As the chosen Divine King of the present world for nearly a millennium, he had long since noticed the abnormal fluctuation of World Power. Though initially unaware of its cause, and given that it occurred right after Typhon, Zeus attributed it to the impact of the Mother Tree.

Only today, when those fluctuations began to surge at an abnormal rate, even causing a chain reaction, did the Divine King finally realize the anomaly.

It was not due to any internal factor but external… Zeus had been pondering this matter earlier. Yet while he noticed it, the Divine King could do nothing in practice. While the “Sovereign” at all places under his rule could be regarded as the main venue to exert greater power, in places not belonging to him, there would naturally be a deep-seated weakening. Thus, even knowing of the existence of the Alien Realm, Zeus could only enrich his knowledge with it.

'However, it seems someone doesn't think so…'

Feeling a stir in his heart, standing on the cliff, Zeus looked towards a nearby shadow.

A thousand years ago, he might not have discovered the presence, but now he could.

“Lord Erebus, it's been so long, and you look as unchanged as ever–the last gift you gave me, I remember it well.”

“A mere reminder, yet from your surprise and embarrassment when facing Typhon, it seems you paid no heed to my warning.”

A voice emanated from the shadows as Erebus stepped out.

He took a moment to observe the towering Mount of the Gods, scanning over the deities whose auras fluctuated between light and dark, then focused his gaze deep into space and time.

“Is that your 'Divine Kingdom,' modeled after the Spirit Realm?”

“Indeed–however, Lord Erebus, Typhon is a thing of the past. Its failure is well-known. As for Asgard, if you're interested, you're welcome to join me for a look.”

“No need; I'm here for business. As for your Divine Domain, it's nothing more than a toy.”

Waving his hand slightly, Erebus expressed no interest in such a Divine Kingdom, especially Olympus's, which he did not care to look at.

Mortals may be unaware, but it was clear to him, this so-called Divine Kingdom in communion with the gods was nearly half a ruse, not even built upon Zeus's powers.

While not entirely fake–the ruin of one of the Nine Realms provided the foundation, and the knowledge learned from Valhalla filled its frame; the omnipresent magic net could extend its power–the souls of devout believers were indeed gathered, and mortals could even engage with ancestors' spirits after significant contributions to the church. However, in other respects, the gods' depictions were somewhat misleading.

For instance, the domain could not grant immortality, and the duration a soul stayed there often depended on their descendants' status among mortals. Most common souls soon returned to Samsara, with only the ancestors of strong and aristocratic personalities able to remain long.

In such a case, the claim of eternal residence in the Divine Kingdom after death was not false, nor did the Spirit Realm react, since over ninety-nine percent of souls would eventually return, albeit after a short delay. Those who personally witnessed spirits return as Holy Spirits naturally held great faith in the church's teachings.

“But that's only because you have no choice; if you could choose, you wouldn't want such complexity.”

Pointing to the recurring souls, Erebus remarked with a smile.

“Who wants a fake if a real one can be made? Moreover, the followers of the Spirit Realm easily claim all at Olympus are fake gods, you imply attacking their human kingdom yet repeatedly fail. You clearly see mortals denigrate and mock you, yet as Divine King, you can do nothing.”

“Despite constant suppression, among mortals, there are still those who doubt your might, who even have your offspring question the gods' power to the point of killing their own sons… then arrogantly challenging the divine.”

Erebus's words were sharp, yet undeniably truthful.

Zeus knew whom he spoke of–Tantalus, the mortal son of his blood. Initially, the Divine King had a fondness for this child, granting him the privilege to feast with the gods and freely move between Olympus and the Mortal Realm.

However, gradually, perhaps due to arrogance, perhaps genuinely influenced by those pagans, Tantalus began to test the authority of the gods over time.

He leaked secrets discussed at divine feasts to mortals. He stole the nectar and food from the mountain, sharing it with mortal friends. He even pilfered sacrifices offered to Zeus by mortals–up to this point, the Divine King had tolerated his behavior, considering it harmless for his offspring to enjoy mortal liberties if he couldn't be a god by birth.

Until that day, when Tantalus invited the gods to his home, he killed his own son, also Zeus's grandson, to prove divine power wrong. He roasted and boiled Pelops, serving it as a dish for the gods.

The gods, of course, noticed it, but since it was the Divine King's family matter, no one pointed it out first; they merely avoided the dish, except for the absent-minded Goddess of Agriculture, who accidentally ate a piece–specifically, her grand-nephew's shoulder bone.

This enraged Zeus, as kin-consumption was the greatest taboo for the Divine King's lineage. He dealt eternal punishment to Tantalus, but this very test remained a thorn in the Divine King's heart.

“So what are you suggesting? As Divine King, I won't defy the iron laws of the present world. If you were to act in the present world, I would have to stop you–this responsibility bestowed upon me by the world will not deviate due to personal preferences.”

His expression fluctuating, Zeus wondered what the Lord of Darkness aimed to achieve with his words.

Provocation? Unlikely. Initially, he had thought the other came due to fluctuations in World Power, hoping the Divine King could assist but now it seemed like a mere attempt to incite dissatisfaction with the Spirit Realm within him.

This need for no incitement, as he was already discontent…

“So, you're asking me to act with you against the Spirit Realm?”

Speaking calmly, the Divine King sensed he grasped the matter's thread.

“But like I said, any primordial deity acting in the present world would face the world's backlash. I, too, would follow suit, this does not vary by whom I dislike more–should all act, I must confront all.”

“Perhaps, but Zeus, isn't everything a matter of priorities and urgency?”

Disregarding Zeus's words, Erebus queried with a smile.

“I only wish to know–given a chance to annihilate mortals who mock you, strengthen your authority, and augment your strength, would you seize it?”

“…What do you intend?”

“It's what you intend.”

Shaking his head slightly, Erebus spoke slowly.

“You must deal with deities disrupting order–this is the world's order, also the order of the Divine King; this is no issue… yet should two deities breach this order before and after, you might choose to confront the first to act. Correct. After all, since you can't defeat all at once, naturally you could rank them, this complies with the rules too.”

“And that's my point; you wish to become the unquestionably reigning Divine King… I can assist you. As for how it all begins, conflict arising due to humanity must naturally start with humanity.”

Chapter end

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