Survival to Godhood 129 Zeus' Stones

"Really?" Alice asked with her eyes as large as saucers. Even with Charmeine guiding her, her master was only a Construct Evolution warrior while Zeus was an existence beyond this world.

"Alice Suzuki walk over to the thunderbolt behind me and touch it. That is my true body and where I will transfer the knowledge to you."

Hiro relaxed a bit after seeing Alice with a smile on her face and then walk over and touch the yellowish-metallic thunderbolt spear in the ground.

Many images flashed before Alice's mind as the information transmitted itself to her. As soon as it finished, Keravnós waved his hand, casting Alice into the winds of the storm. The difference between tossing Erik and Alice being picked up and moved was significantly different.

Seeing his two fellow disciples gone, Hiro stepped forward to give his answer finally.

Outside of the storm, Charmeine waited with the students who had failed to make it through the storm. She looked at them and said, "Don't fret my disciples. Train harder, and we shall return soon to let you try again."

Looking around, she noticed the higher-level warriors hadn't returned yet, and she began to worry. Then four silhouettes came into view surround by a barrier of wind. The four passed through the gate and landed before their master.

"Master, I have failed to obtain the inheritance, but on my return, I saved these fellow disciples drowning," Erik said proudly. He used the storms wind against his fellow disciples to have them tossed into the water, and then he would show up and rescue them. The three looked worse for wear.

One of the disciples, after finally catching his breath, said, "thank you, brother Erik. I felt like I almost died out there."

Erik smiled and replied, "It was nothing difficult, Kris. Any of us disciples would have done the same thing."

Charmeine smiled at seeing how close her disciples were. She looked around and noticed Alice and Hiro were still missing. "Erik, thank for saving your fellow disciple, but did you see Alice and Hiro."

Erik's face twitched, but he said proudly, "The two of them were getting judged by the Storm's Spirit as I left."

"Good. Good. Erik rest until they have returned. I shall present you an artifact Paziel has forged himself."

Erik kneeled and said, "Thank you, master."

As Erik walked away, Alice Suzuki finally returned. Landing softly on the ground like a falling leaf, she looked like this entire trip was a walk in the park.

"Master, I was accepted as a disciple of Zeus, and he passed his techniques onto me."

"Well done, Alice. Are you able to share what you were given?"

"No, master. I had to swear an oath with my soul not to divulge anything I obtained. If I should break it, my mind and soul shall shatter."

Charmeine nodded her head. It was to be expected. In the winged human race, only the royalty could learn the techniques of the gods. Each one had to swear an oath to receive them.

"My child rest until Hiro returns."

Alice nodded her head and went to sit down with the rest of the disciples. She couldn't wait to start training the cultivation technique called Origin of Sky and Thunder. She sat down and started to move mana in a pattern around her and in no time at all everyone, including Erik, could sense the transformation.

Erik clenched his fist and mumbled under his breath, "that power should have been mine."

Everyone seeing Alice start to cultivate, followed suit. Soon the area was quiet again with just Charmeine looking into the storm.

Back in the eye of the storm on the rock, Hiro was ready to give his answer. He stood there, and confidently told the Spirit his response.

"I would punish the man. One injustice does not make another right." At the moment Leo popped into Hiro's mind. Did he want to punish Leo? Wasn't he already punished? These questions were always on his mind after talking to Lucy. Now, he finally understood. Leo paid for his crimes, and now Hiro needed to forgive him.

The Spirit smiled at the man before him. Hiro, who finally came to terms with his internal struggle, replied with the same answer Zeus would always tell Keravnós.

"Hiro, you are now officially a disciple of Zeus. With your bearing and principles, do you wish to attempt to become Zeus' successor? In doing so, if you fail, you will be disabled and never be able to use mana again."

Hiro was startled. He was accepted and even offered to become a disciple, but it came at a steep cost. Standing there, Hiro only took a few moments and looked up at Keravnós.

"I wish to try." Hiro always strived to be stronger. With new dangers from the monsters and enemies of the world, he needed every advantage he could gain.

Keravnós held out two rocks with one considerably larger than the other. The larger charred rock was the size of a pebble while the other was as large as a fist.

"These two stones hold within them Zeus' bloodline. He was a half human/ half titan race, and even his memories are retained in it. The larger rock comes from his skull while this smaller one comes from his leg. It crashed into the ocean, and a sea creature absorbed it. Hermes, Zeus' brother in arms, retrieved it and gave it to me to hold onto."

"What sea creature was it?" Hiro asked. He lost all bearing when this news hit him like a ton of bricks.

"A cephalopod by what you humans call a squid."

"The giant squid..." Hiro could barely keep calm. This rock before him cause the squid to transform into the beast that destroyed his village.

Seeing Hiro zone out, the Spirit asked, "Did something happen with this creature, Hiro?"

"Yes...It killed my family."

The Spirit looked down at the rock and then back at Hiro. "You and this stone are fated. First, try absorbing this stone. If you succeed, then you will become Zeus' successor."

Hiro reached for the pebble-like stone and held it in his hands. He could feel the mana within was chaotic and even had traces of the squids' mana in it.

"Cultivate with it until you absorb it entirely." The Spirit disappeared back into the lightning bolt to give Hiro space to cultivate.

Hiro looked at the rock and thought how could this tiny thing cripple him. He sat down and began to cultivate with the stone that changed his life a long time ago.

Chapter end