Squeak...
In the Golden Palace, the incarnation of Zeus sat on the throne.
The door opened again, and after the messenger of the God of the Sea, the messenger of Hades also came to the throne of the God King.
Looking down at this pale-skinned and bloodless being, like a corpse, Zeus frowned.
What is this thing, some kind of dead person with thoughts?
Unexpectedly, in addition to the skeletons of the underworld, the connection between Hades and the dead is getting deeper and deeper...
With a light cough, the God King sat upright.
For the sake of Hades's face, he reluctantly allowed this guy to appear in front of him, but that was all.
"Messenger from the underworld, tell me your purpose."
Zeus spoke lightly, releasing a little pressure, hoping that this guy would not bring him any bad news.
"I heard you came to file a complaint, but the affairs of the underworld are all decided by Hades, so why do you have to file a complaint with me?"
"Your Majesty, the reason I want to file a complaint is because the person I want to file a complaint against involves a living being on the ground."
He remained calm, as if he had already died once and was not afraid of death.
The messenger explained calmly, without any ups and downs, like a machine.
"As you know, long ago, two primordial gods were born on both sides of the underworld."
"When the Typhon Rebellion broke out, the source of billions of evil creatures, the Great Mother of Flesh and Blood who devoured all souls, spread her power in the world, so that the [Ancient Evil Flesh and Blood Corridor] was born on the earth, and in the underworld, there were also beings such as [Twisted Shadow], [Crown of Silence], and [Thousand-Faced Soul Eater] that cholera one side."
"Fortunately, the Goddess of Wisdom and the Queen of Heaven separated and suppressed one, His Majesty the King of Hell surrounded and blocked one, and the gods of the spirit world expelled another, so that the underworld was able to be stable."
"However, not long ago, a demigod from the human world came to the underworld."
"After he knocked out Kerperos, who was guarding the gate, I don't know how he caused a group of evil creatures to riot."
"The ancient evil creatures suppressed by the King of Hell showed signs of instability, and the evil spirits sealed by the Queen of Heaven also escaped from the seal. In addition, the [Thousand-Faced Soul Eater] invaded the underworld again, making it difficult for the gods to resist."
"After the battle, the demigod from the human world disappeared, but most of the creatures in the underworld were destroyed."
"The earth was torn apart, the temple collapsed, the moon of the underworld shook, and the laws were unstable!"
"Even His Majesty the King of Hell was terrified by this, and he may not be able to travel in a short time."
"If not for this, His Majesty Hades would not have let me come here to complain to you." "
Great God King Zeus, as the supreme monarch who rules the world, the sea, and the earth, please make a fair judgment for this!"
"The underworld must make this person pay the price to recover the losses suffered by the underworld!"
"..."
On the throne, there was silence.
Every time Zeus heard a word, the corner of his eye twitched a little.
What did you say? What do you mean that the gods are hard to resist?
Aren't the gods of the underworld now obeying my orders according to the orders of the Lord of Darkness? What can you, a commander without troops, resist? Is it that Charon, the guy who can only ferry people, is hard to resist?
And the reappearance of the ancient evil creatures... I don't know how the others came out, but I still know a thing or two about the seal of the [Corridor of Flesh and Blood].
If Hera hadn't looked around casually, causing the blockade imposed by the Queen of Heaven to go wrong, the other party would not have been able to escape.
As for the destruction of the palace of the underworld, that's even more nonsense!
"Ahem, messenger from the underworld, are you sure that the palace of the underworld has been destroyed by that demigod?"
Zeus spoke in a deep voice, feeling that he had been fooled.
The sea gods are fine, their palaces are in the sea.
The laws of the ocean are indeed disordered now, and destruction is justified.
But how could something like this happen in the underworld? Your behavior is a complete lie...
"Yes."
Nodding affirmatively, the messenger also took out a piece of debris.
"That's how it was crushed."
"Even the hardest divine metal can't resist the overwhelming force of that human."
"And what's strange is that it's surrounded by the power of thunder - His Majesty the King of Hell asked me to ask you, do you have any clues about this matter?"
"..."
His face was very interesting, and looking at the bright fragments, Zeus felt very familiar.
Yes, that's right, he had seen it. This was the fragment of the Temple that had "backstabbed" him in the underworld last time. It was also the building that was destroyed by him personally, not by Hercules.
This makes sense... The God King remembered very clearly that after that, Hades, the God of the Underworld, personally went to the outside of Silver Moon City and meditated on the mystery lock of the Goddess of the Magic Net for ten days and ten nights. He didn't know what he had realized.
After returning, he integrated the new building into one.
Relying on the leniency of the laws of the underworld, he used the power of God and the laws of the interface to bless his Temple again, so that it would never collapse.
As far as Zeus knew, in order to prevent the recurrence of natural disasters similar to the battle between great gods, this new Temple of the Underworld could even fly, so no matter how you looked at it, it would not be destroyed by Hercules.
However, it was impossible, but it was a fact that Hades' palace had been destroyed by his power once.
So he nodded stiffly, indicating that he understood.
"Well... Hades has worked so hard, but he was actually frightened by a demigod. This really surprised me."
"Since he wants to relax in the underworld, he doesn't have to rush to see me in Olympus."
"As for the loss of the underworld, I will make up for it--" Just
as the king of gods was about to make a promise, he saw the waiter next to him step forward.
"Your Majesty, we don't have that much divine metal to repair the palace of the underworld."
The waiter whispered and quickly explained the seriousness of the problem.
"The rest of these will be used to repair the temple of Olympus. If you promise them all, the palace of the mountain will have to use mortal objects to make up for the number temporarily."
"..."
Speechless, Zeus suddenly remembered that because he and Gaia had a bad relationship, the minerals on the surface of the earth were not his responsibility.
Hades used to listen to orders but not to announcements, so the minerals deep underground did not belong to him.
Even the ore used to repair the temple was mostly sent by Hades for the sake of his elder sister Hestia.
It's just that Zeus didn't care about this little thing in the past, so he didn't pay attention to it.
"Ahem - I mean, I will make it up to him somewhere else."
Zeus coughed twice and cursed in his heart.
As a great god king, he can't even build a palace for the gods. Is this reasonable?
This is unreasonable!
"As for that demigod, I will take care of it. Is there anything else?"
"No, your majesty."
Bowing, the messenger of the underworld immediately withdrew.
Seeing this, Zeus breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but feel a little fortunate.
Finally gone... Not everything in this world has to be solved by violence, at least the demolition of Hades' house cannot be so simple and crude.
Seeing that the business was finally over, the god king prepared to rest for a while.
But the next moment, a call came late.
"Your majesty, someone else came to see you." "
?"
"Who - is it a messenger from the stars?"
The god king paused for each word and took a deep breath.
He swore that if the other party said "yes", then he would have to wrong the god of the west wind and let the other party's "power out of control" for a while.
Damn it, Hercules hasn't been to the starry sky recently, and you dare to come and complain, you really think he is here to take the blame, right?
"No, Your Majesty."
Fortunately, this is not the case, the waiter's voice came slowly.
"The person who came to see you seems to be the subordinate of Her Majesty the Queen of Heaven, and he said he has a great discovery to tell you." "They claim that this matter concerns the stability of the God Court and the status of the Queen of Gods... I dare not listen to them, so I have to ask you to make the decision yourself."
"Huh?"
"Is that so?" He
was a little surprised. He didn't expect to hear such words.
Zeus thought for a while and motioned for them to come in.
"By the way, let Zephyrus come too."
"It just so happens that now that everything is done, I don't need him to stay in the underworld anymore."
"Just in case, it's better to call him back..."
Zeus rubbed his head with his fingers, feeling a headache.
Things are a bit troublesome, but fortunately the problem is not big.
Some trivial matters will not cause any big waves.
...
"Your Majesty called me?"
On the mountain of gods, the god of the west wind, who had finally been idle for a while, looked at the visitor.
When the wind changed, he changed from a bird back to the form of a god.
In the past one or two years, Zephyrus likes to show himself in the form of a bird.
Anyway, for a true god, the appearance is just an appearance and does not affect him from doing other things.
"Since His Majesty has summoned me, I will set off now."
Flying up, the God of West Wind headed towards the Golden Palace.
Perhaps it was another mission related to Hercules, and he could not think of any other reason.
"Hmm?"
"What are you doing here?"
As soon as he arrived at the gate of the Palace of the God King, Zephyros saw six nymphs and sea fairies gathered there.
They looked disheveled and crying, as if they had suffered some grievance.
But after the experience in Silver Moon City, the God of West Wind had gained a lot of knowledge.
His intuition told him that these elves were pretending to cry, just like Medea actually deceived him.
In response to Zephyros's question, several people looked at each other and then loudly accused.
"Your Highness, there is an unreasonable barbarian who attacked the garden of the Queen of Heaven and took away the golden apples we were guarding..."
"Are you talking about Hercules?"
Zephyrus said with a look of realization:
"It's not your fault. He was ordered by the King of Gods to take the golden apples."
"It's just that I didn't expect that besides Ladon, there would be someone else who dared to stop him... Hehe, Your Majesty will not blame you."
"Ah?"
His eyes widened in shock.
Several people never expected that they would come to such a conclusion.
"But, but... What if he took away a lot of golden apples?"
"A lot?"
A trace of doubt flashed between his eyes, and the God of West Wind said immediately: "It doesn't matter."
"I will go to him and ask him to return the extra golden apples."
"For him, it's not very useful to eat too much of that thing, and the King of Gods won't care if he eats less."
"Ah?"
The sea nymph was dumbfounded again. She didn't expect that the God of West Wind would actually settle accounts with the criminals.
How could this be allowed? Why would he settle accounts with Hercules?
If anything goes wrong, wouldn't they be the ones who are in trouble?
"This... We have found something!"
She spoke loudly. Although the leading sea nymph had already gone in to report to the God King, the orange-dressed nymph gritted her teeth and decided to expose their great discovery.
"After a life-and-death investigation, we found that there is something wrong with that human!"
"He is the illegitimate child of a certain god, and he concealed his noble partner!"
"Ahem... Don't talk nonsense, His Majesty the God King is not-"
"--That is Her Majesty the Queen of Heaven!"
The two looked at each other, and Zephyrus' smile froze on his face.
Huh? What are they talking about, what happened to Hera?
Hera's illegitimate child, Hercules?
"Hiss..."
He took a breath of cold air. The God of the West Wind had seen the original Hercules.
At that time, the other party had not yet gotten rid of the shackles of blood, and the blood from Zeus was clearly visible.
So it is a complete rumor to say that Hercules is the illegitimate son of the Queen of Heaven and someone else. Although it seems to be somewhat reasonable when thinking of the name "Hera's Glory"... What the hell!
"Who else have you talked to about this?"
Zephyrus asked hurriedly, as the divine power was faintly locked around.
"We--"
The nymph opened her mouth slightly and wanted to explain something.
However, the next moment, the pressure from the god of the west wind was directly crushed by a more violent force.
The golden palace shook, mixed with the anger of its owner.
Zeus looked at the sea nymph in front of him and felt that he might be a fool in the eyes of the other party.
"Do I look like a fool?" The king of gods asked.
"I..."
"I really want to know what makes you so disrespectful to me that you dare to despise my intelligence like this."
"I..."
Click--
the sea nymph's neck was twisted, but the other party's life was not cut off.
Zeus knew that unlike the nymphs, some of these sea nymphs were more or less regional gods, and could control a small area, such as waves or vegetation.
The anger that had been accumulated one after another before was about to explode, but there was no place to vent it.
With a blank expression, the God King decided to cut them into pieces...
Buzz -
in an instant, the space suddenly emitted a light sound.
Zeus frowned, and he looked at the place where this strange phenomenon occurred.
The void fluctuated slightly, and then a passage appeared... On the opposite side, he felt an aura similar to the [Well of Samsara], and a familiar yet unfamiliar figure.
Familiar, because that was the offspring he had high hopes for; unfamiliar, of course, since the other party was born, he had never talked to the other party face to face.
Hercules, he actually appeared in the sacred mountain now... After relaxing his emotions, the God King tried to show his due majesty.
"Hercules... my child, you are finally here."
Inside the Golden Palace, the sea nymph with a life force that was difficult to extinguish was thrown aside.
With a long sigh, the God King's tone was leisurely and emotional.
In front of him, there was a sound of footsteps in the space channel.
The previous unhappiness was thrown behind his mind. Although Hercules did cause him a lot of trouble, Zeus thought it was all worth it.
Because in the other party, he saw a miracle that was far beyond his previous imagination, a potential that was much stronger than he had expected.
"The symbol of supporting the sky, the power of demons, the physique that surpasses the gods, the tenacious will... You finally saw through the secret of your bloodline and solved the last puzzle I left for you."
"I know you may have a lot of doubts in your heart, but don't worry, I will respond to you one by one."
"And at the end of everything, I will give you glory beyond the imagination of all mortals."
The low voice echoed in the Golden Palace, making the God of the West Wind outside the palace silent.
Zeus had seen all along how much he valued this human offspring.
Perhaps he was just a chess piece at the beginning, but now...
he had become a key chess piece.
Well, that's right.
Zephyrus knew Zeus very well. In the eyes of the God King, there was nothing that could not be given up except himself.
His wife, his unborn children, his lover in the world, his kingdom, his life, his system...
So Hercules would not be an exception. He was just more important than the others.
Tap--
the footsteps fell.
It takes a long time to enter the world of spirits from the outside world, but it takes very little time to come to the world from the world of spirits.
The scarlet light and shadow seemed to be reflected in his eyes, and the copper stick of inestimable weight was held in his hand.
For the first time in his life, the great hero came to the palace that belonged only to the gods.
On the high seat, the God King was more and more pleased.
Hercules... was very good.
Compared with such strength and talent, the trouble he had caused before was nothing.
Although for the God King himself, this force was insignificant.
But for mortals, this power is unattainable.
And for Zeus, this kind of human who has come to this point with a mortal body is the best representative of his thoughts that he has never told others, and it is also the cornerstone for him to gain stronger power in the future.
"Conferring the gods..."
Zeus' eyes were hot, and he thought of those evil gods believed in by the world.
Through faith, he has grasped the ability to elevate weak gods to powerful ones.
And through Hercules, he will create a big lie to make the world believe that he, the king of gods Zeus, really has the ability to promote a mortal to a true god!
As the master of royal power, Zeus knows very well that the essence of power is the control of living beings, and the essence of controlling living beings is the qualification to distribute benefits.
This benefit can be composed of violence, I have the right to decide whether you can survive; it can also be composed of temptation, which is what the living beings in the world desire, power, longevity, immortality, and the status of being as noble as gods, which is also what he has always pursued.
Although the king of gods cannot do this now, this is just the beginning.
When he completely unified everything in the world, who stipulated that he could not take Asgard as the core and the power of the God King to support him and completely achieve the feat of canonizing the gods?
With the first seemingly real falsehood, he might be able to achieve the seemingly impossible truth.
"Hercules... my best offspring."
With a solemn and majestic face, Zeus looked at Hercules and did not hesitate to be generous:
"Come up, my child, ask me questions, I will answer you one by one."
"The moment you were born, I foresaw your extraordinaryness. One day you will come to the realm of God with your own strength and come to me step by step."
"This is the destiny of the son of the God King, and it is also the blessing I give you."
"Answer... my question?"
The voice was calm, even though he had seen the whistling blood tide in the past images.
But at this moment, Hercules still held a glimmer of hope.
Maybe it was a falsehood, maybe Zeus had been prepared. After all, even if it was for the sake of interests, he didn't have to kill a mortal, right?
"Then I want to know, Your Majesty the God King."
"Since the gods promised mortals eternal life after death, where is my mother now?"
"My arrow pierced her chest. This is the biggest mistake of my life... and now, I am here to fix it."
"Alcmene?"
Zeus smiled when he heard this, and he guessed that he would hear this question.
Yes, it was because of the great sin of parricide that Hercules voluntarily started his trial, even though the mistake was not his intention at all.
And he had already made preparations for this, and arrested the soul of the mortal princess, who was also a descendant of his bloodline, into the kingdom of God.
He had thought that one day in the future, he would resurrect her and turn her into a heroic spirit or even a constellation, so as to end Hercules' sins in the world.
"Don't worry, she's fine. She's in Asgar--"
"!"
Just as he was about to tell the other party's whereabouts, the voice of the God King suddenly stopped.
Alcmene... Kingdom of God?
"Asgard?"
Hercules asked loudly, his spirit lifted:
"What about now?"
"..."
Speechless for a moment, Zeus suddenly remembered.
There are basically only two places where he deposits mortal souls, either the Asgard God Realm or the former Hall of Valor.
And now, both places have problems.
It's not that he didn't prepare in advance, on the contrary, for those souls that he particularly valued, the God King did not intend to sacrifice them casually.
But what he didn't expect was that although his original body was in the human world, he failed to rush back to the God's Court in the first time when Olympus was attacked.
It was as if all the accidents had gathered on him at that moment, forcing Zeus to linger in the void... When he returned to the mountain of gods, it was too late for him to do anything.
In order to prevent those souls from entering the Well of Samsara and becoming evidence that he could not maintain the covenant between gods and humans.
The king of gods had to do it himself, using them as sacrifices to erase the last traces of them left in the world.
"...There is an accident in Asgard now. Let's discuss this issue later. You will find out her whereabouts."
Zeus said, not wanting to get entangled any more.
But in front of him, Hercules did not accept this response.
Taking a step forward and looking at his father on the throne, the great hero was silent for a long time.
The other party's avoidance of the question seemed to have proved something... At a certain moment, he finally asked:
"Okay."
"I'll change the question." "In the name of the God King, in the name of the Oath Keeper, as the ruler of the Heaven, Earth and Sea, please tell me."
"Where were you when I shot that arrow?"
"..."
The God King was silent for a long time, and then he said lightly:
"So... are you questioning me?"
On the throne of the Golden Palace, the original smile gradually faded, and only majesty remained.
Located on the highest mountain in the world, the God King looked at the most outstanding one among his mortal descendants, and invisible pressure spread in the palace.
He can try to show the warmth of a father, or he can not take the troubles caused by the other party to heart... but the premise is that the other party understands his identity.
He is the son of the God King, and he came to this world with a great mission.
For the greater good, why should he take a small problem to heart?
"Hercules... you should know."
"As my offspring, I gave you the blood of the gods, gave you this supreme gift, and gave you glory that surpasses all mortals."
"And all of this is because I have too high expectations of you..."
"So child, I can ignore your small offense, because you are still too young and have never understood the difficulties of the world - but this is not a reason for you to question me and your father."
"You should thank me and respect me, far more than anyone else in the world, not that woman who polluted your noble blood."
"Those who achieve great things do not care about trivial matters."
"Step down, stay in Olympus, and continue to follow the path I have arranged for you. You will eventually become an immortal god and the most important cornerstone of my rule over all spirits."
The voice was calm and distant. Zeus was not as angry as he imagined for Hercules' questioning.
Whether it is humans or gods, most of them are always easily swayed by emotions, but he is not like that.
Even though it is still difficult to forget the figure of Metis, the king of gods has never regretted his behavior.
If he hadn't made the decision back then, perhaps he would have already fallen to the conspiracy of the foreign god king, and how could he be who he is today.
Zeus lowered his head slightly and stretched out a hand.
"The matter of Alcmene was just an accident. I never really wanted to let her die, even for your sake."
"But since the accident has already happened, let it go."
"Come, come to me, I will give you the glory that all living beings in the world can only dream of - from now on, you will be separated from the mortal world and stand shoulder to shoulder with the gods."
"Compared to this, the life and death of a mortal is nothing..."
Huh -
taking a step back, the heavy copper stick brought a sound of wind in the air.
Although Heracles had made all kinds of mental preparations in the past, when he heard such words from his father in person, he still couldn't suppress his emotions.
This is the god king, is this the source of his bloodline?
"...As your offspring, I only feel sad."
The shadow of the stick swayed, and the great hero took a deep breath.
However, standing in front of him, Zeus just frowned slightly and didn't react any more.
Can't understand? This is not surprising, after all, most people in the world are ignorant and trapped in emotions.
But it doesn't matter. When Hercules asked the question, he was already prepared.
He would not treat such a valuable heir too roughly.
Just like Athena, even if she was not so obedient, Zeus was still so tolerant of her.
They need to be disciplined, whether it is a king disciplining his subjects or a father disciplining his children.
So looking at the shadow of the stick swinging towards him, the God King just said lightly:
"Zephyros."
Shua——
The light and shadow flashed, and the God of the West Wind immediately blocked him.
And facing a powerful god who was in the mountain of gods and in the period of full victory, even the bronze pillar that once supported the sky could not suppress the other party's figure.
"Hercules, my child, you are still too weak."
"You think you have made great achievements in the world, but what does this mean in front of the real great man?"
Boom——
The God King walked down from the throne lightly, with a calm demeanor.
The power of the God of West Wind was stirring, but he could not get close.
"Look, this is the gap between us."
"You can't even come to me, and even if I don't want you to, you can't set foot in the Golden Palace... And even so, my child - how much of the power you rely on comes from you?"
"The pillars of heaven, demons, evil things, artifacts... They seem to belong to you, but in fact you are just their user."
"Besides, even when they were alive, they were not my opponents."
"Now that they are dead, what can they do to me?"
Rumble -
the collision in the Golden Palace became more and more intense, and the eyes of the God King became more and more regretful.
What an excellent qualification, but other aspects still need to be polished.
So he stretched out his right hand again, looked at Hercules in front of him, and made his own judgment.
"Stop it, you've gone too far."
"The starry sky, the sea, the underworld, and the countless creatures on earth - you have brought too much trouble to this world, and you rely on my blood and power."
"Hercules, your confidence comes from this."
"But they failed to teach you humility, but gave you arrogance."
"In that case, I will take them back with my own hands to prevent you from making a big mistake."
In the dark, invisible shackles emerged from the void.
Hercules' power was certainly not given by Zeus, but without the relics belonging to the demons and the powerful weapons, the God King would not be unable to seal a human.
So he mobilized the power of Olympus and let them gather in his palm.
You have the pillars of heaven, and I also have the pillars of heaven, and they are far stronger than yours, so how can you resist?
Reaching out and pressing, the God King's voice was cold and detached.
"I gave you the power, and now I take it back with my own hands."
"I will wait for you on the sacred mountain, my child... until you realize your mistakes, until you come back here and swear allegiance to your king."
With a palm, the world turned upside down.
The power of the sacred mountain turned into a shadow, blocking the copper stick and Hercules.
Since you can't see the reality now, let reality teach you.
Frustration is also a part of life.
Falling from the sky, crashing into the earth.
The sound of the wind whistled in my ears, breaking through the layers of clouds.
With my own weapon pressed against my chest, it was like carrying a mountain on my back.
My thoughts gathered on my wrist for a moment, and then shifted away.
Since I became conscious, Hercules has never been so weak.
Because a series of shackles between visible and invisible are wrapped around him, restraining the power that can move mountains.
This is the seal of the God King. It once sealed the giants in the First Age, setting off the beginning of the rebellion of the Earth Mother against the Heavenly Father.
It also sealed the sun in the Second Age, indicating that Kronos had mastered the power of the stars.
And now, it is used on a human being, and naturally it has achieved better results... If the first two were imprisoned, but the God King at least could not do anything about their innate powerful strength, then Hercules is different.
Although his power is strong, he cannot defeat the hundred-armed giant that the gods fear.
In front of the ancient sun god, he could not even compare with the sun.
So the rules locked him up easily, making him as fragile as an ordinary mortal at this moment... So in the depths of his mind, the great hero touched the silver halo.
That was the mark left by the reflection of the artifact [Mirror of Sprel] that sent him to Mount Olympus.
It was because of its existence that Hercules indulged his heart and set foot on the sacred mountain without any preparation - as long as it was there, he could return to the way he came.
Besides, he had a trump card that he had never used, that is, "false immortality".
Ander told him that this was a ritual that could only be violently broken by the original god himself, or by a force of equal rank.
And in the image of that period of history, the true body of the king of gods had long been trapped in Asgard - after he made his despicable sacrifice. He
violated the oath between gods and humans, gave up the morality and honor of being a god, and ultimately failed to win.
When seeing this scene, Hercules felt only shame.
His bloodline actually came from such a god, and the other party was the king of gods.
Bang—
the silver light twisted, and the great hero disappeared along the way he came, falling into the world of all spirits.
But perhaps the rules were set in advance, even the power of the [Mirror of Sprel] did not allow him to return to the starting point, but appeared at the edge of the world of all spirits.
The important place of reincarnation, outsiders are not allowed to enter without permission, this is the established rule... Heracles fell on the brick surface paved with bluestone, and he did not move.
He looked up at the four spiritual moons in the sky, silently digesting everything that had happened before.
"...Hey, you're back?"
With a surprised exclamation, Eros flapped his wings and showed his figure.
Looking at the great hero lying on the ground, she poked him with the tail of the lead arrow, as if to confirm whether this big guy was still alive.
"As you can see, my little prince, I'm back alive."
Without getting up, Hercules looked calm.
Seeing this was a bit unexpected, Eros couldn't help but become more curious.
"Hmm? Aren't you surprised?"
"I know what you're going to do, and I'm waiting for you here in advance!"
"...Maybe it's because I'm too successful."
The great hero spoke calmly and directly:
"This is the center of the spirit world. Before coming here, I had anticipated all kinds of difficulties and dangers."
"But when I walked here, until I held the reflection of the magic mirror, I didn't encounter any obstacles... Ask yourself, there must be some reason for this." "
And now it seems that you, sir, may be one of the reasons."
"..."
Eros frowned slightly, feeling very disappointed.
As a twin of love, she likes active and high emotions the most.
Whether it is fear, hatred, love, anger, astonishment, or something else.
But Hercules' emotions at this moment are too calm, as if he is not a creature who has just experienced a major change... Blinking, Eros looked at the person in front of him more carefully.
After a moment, a look of realization flashed across her face.
"What a powerful seal! Is Zeus so powerful?"
"No, that's not right. It's because the God King is too powerful."
"Humph, but no matter how powerful the God King is, he can't stop me with just a seal... I am the Twins of Love and Desire - Eros!" She
reached out and pressed the great hero's arm. In an instant, the induction that was originally blocked by the rules was connected.
It was like the emotions suppressed under the sea suddenly gushed out, causing the two arrows on her waist to tremble slightly.
As one of the last traces of the original God of Love and Emotion left in the world, the power of the Twins is often comparable to the great power, and even more "absolute" in some aspects.
So when it was easy to break the partition, Eros' eyes curved slightly.
Such strong emotions are her favorite delicacy.
"That's great. As a human being, I will remember you."
Nodding with satisfaction, Eros looked at the great hero.
"I've decided. I'm going to use the arrow I shot at you as a reward!"
"In addition, I'll give you another gift - your anger and hatred."
"After all, I've been displeased with Zeus for a long time, but the power I've accumulated has never been enough."
Taking out the lead arrow from her waist, Eros looked a little more serious.
The arrow of revenge cannot be forced, only the other party can agree.
"So human, how about lending me your hatred?"
"You feel the curse wrapped around this arrow?"
"You are not the first, and you will not be the last."
"I have collected the hatred of more than one creature towards the King of Gods... and you can become one of them."
"... It's up to you."
He sat up with difficulty, feeling a sense of emptiness he had never felt before.
Not caring about what Eros wanted to do, the great hero just silently felt his own state.
He had never been so weak before, as if the power he once had never existed.
"It's useless. You can't break the seal of the God King."
"Even considering that you are just a human, I doubt that other great powers can unlock this seal."
The lead arrow flashed, and the color seemed to become darker.
Satisfied with it, Eros seemed to see what Hercules was thinking, but she just shook her head.
"You are too fragile, I mean compared to the immortal gods."
"Even the ritual in your hand can't withstand the power of two great powers colliding in your body."
"To unlock it, perhaps only your own power is strong enough to do it."
"But to be honest, I can't think of how a human can have such power... Well, you should leave."
Her face suddenly changed. After getting what she wanted, Eros immediately performed a face-changing show. The world of spirits is not a place for this human being to stay, especially now that he has lost his power and cannot move freely here.
Forcing himself to stay is just courting death, so let's go back to where he came from...
With a wave of her hand, an invisible repulsive force emerged, and Eros threw the other party directly to the human world.
As for why it is not the underworld... it is naturally because there is no way for mortals to survive there either.
Although she does not care about the life and death of ordinary humans, the one in front of her is somewhat special.
...
Falling again, falling endlessly.
When he opened his eyes again, Hercules had seen the sunlight.
Standing up from the ground, his weak body recovered a little.
After all, although he lost his power, the great hero is still a warrior with a strong body and extraordinary strength.
If it were not for the sudden loss that made his body unable to adapt, Hercules would not have acted so weak. He
looked around slowly. This was a forest, and there was no trace of any human behavior.
But in a farther place, a huge and unobservable black shadow stood - it was the remains of a mountain, a pillar that once supported the sky.
Even though it has collapsed now, its existence is still unmatched.
"The center of the continent?"
After careful confirmation, the great hero determined that this place was not on the route he had taken before.
But this is normal. After all, with the height of Mount Odisha, even if it is hundreds of thousands of miles away, you can clearly see the immeasurable broken peak.
After determining his position, Hercules couldn't help but feel a little confused for a while.
Now most of the mysteries have been solved, but he has also been sealed by Zeus.
So what should he do next, and how can he defeat his father, the God King of Mount Olympus?
The copper stick that fell with him shook slightly, as if reminding something.
But under the ban of Olympus, it is now just an ordinary weapon.
Perhaps in a way, Zeus is right.
For Hercules, who was born with power far beyond that of ordinary people, he is indeed missing something.
He has never been an ordinary person, although he has tried to understand the thoughts of ordinary people.
He has never been a simple human being, because when he was born, he could strangle the poisonous snakes sent by Hera. This is the same talent as the gods in the sky.
When the gods lose their immortality and power, are they still gods?
The great hero cannot answer this question.
Because when he faces it himself, he seems to have difficulty giving an answer.
And this is the source of Zeus's confidence.
He believes that, like every god, every person who has possessed powerful power, their confidence is placed together with their power.
As long as their power is deprived, one day they will realize their "mistakes" and then bow to the great king of gods.
Bang——
"Huh?"
With a slight change of expression, Hercules looked in the direction where the sound came from.
There, a familiar bronze coffin fell to the ground.
The coffin lid fell off, and the goddess of youth, like Sleeping Beauty, lay quietly here.
At the same time, the great hero seemed to see the figure of Eros.
"This is my reward for you, be happy~ La la la!"
Using the shape of her mouth to imitate the sound, Eros bent her bow and drew her arrow.
The next moment, a golden arrow shot out of the air and hit the chest of the goddess of youth.
The arrow entered the body and dissipated in an instant like a stream of water.
A little bit of light emerged and lingered around the goddess of youth.
The goddess who had experienced many disasters such as the wizard's sneak attack, the mother tree sacrifice, and the evil creature's soul-eating seemed to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Her cheeks gradually became rosy and her breathing became more stable. At
a certain moment, she slowly opened her eyes.
After many days, she finally regained consciousness again.
Looking at this scene, although he could not remember the origin of the golden arrow, Hercules stepped forward and asked:
"Your Highness Hebe, are you okay?"
"..."
"He... Bo..."
"Are you talking about me?"
Looking at the first creature she saw after opening her eyes, the goddess of youth was at a loss.
But for some reason, when she saw the figure in front of her, an inexplicable sense of trust rose from the bottom of her heart.
He is trustworthy, yes, that's it... So her name is Hebe?
"You——?"
In front of the goddess of youth, Hercules also felt incredible when he saw Hebe's strange reaction.
Amnesiac gods... can the power of the River of Oblivion actually work on gods?
Without knowing the cause and effect, Hebe's situation was the result of multiple factors.
The River of Oblivion that penetrates the spiritual world already has some powers related to memory, and the punishment of the laws of the world and the power of sacrifice have severely damaged the body of the goddess of youth.
The existence of the Thousand-Faced Soul Eater has shaken her spirit again, and Eros's golden arrow played the final blow.
So at this moment, Chaos' first innate god with amnesia was born.
Although this may not be permanent, after all, the independence and indestructibility of the spirit of the gods are also protected... but at least it is like this now.
In the dark, even the power of the River of Oblivion has become a little stronger, and a unique divinity has begun to spread in its waters.
"Tsk, I'm so smart."
"Not only did I get the fun I wanted, but I also enhanced the power of the Styx... Now even if someone finds out in the future, no one can blame me!"
Her expression was delighted, but she also didn't expect such a result.
Eros originally just wanted to see how Hercules would deal with the love and desire from someone who had the identities of "half-sister", "god nurtured by Hera", and "daughter of the enemy".
But she never expected that Hebe would lose her memory.
"Well... amnesia is good."
"Sure enough, as smart as I am, Volos can't compare to me at all!"
With a laugh, Eros spread his wings and flew back to the depths of the spirit world.
Today's incident was a bit unexpected, and she had to sort out the Styx first.
Underworld, edge.
Just before and after Hercules met Hebe and the Styx changed.
Holding the harp, Ander returned to the place where he had separated from him before.
He had thrown away the clone of [Crown of Silence] in a simpler way.
That is to directly take this thing containing the breath of the Land of Eternal Night through the portal of the underworld and return to the edge of the separation between Eternal Night and the Moon of the Underworld.
So Kerperus, who had just woken up from his sleep and found that he had lost the mark of the God King, ran into the clone of the ancient evil.
A big battle took place immediately, and Ander withdrew.
But when he returned here, the puppet naturally did not see any trace of Hercules.
Mobilizing his authority, Ander tried to peek into the shadow of the old days.
Although there were many obstacles, he still saw something with the ritual he left on the great hero as an anchor.
For example, Hercules entered the spirit world from here, and for example, he should be in the human world now.
The head was slightly raised, making a little wooden friction sound.
Ander could vaguely sense the location of the ceremony, which should be near Mount Odilus, but far away from where the goddess of the magic network had been.
He nodded silently, as if he had received some answer.
The puppet was about to leave, but the Styx beside him suddenly shook slightly.
The water splashed and bubbles rose from it.
A trace of surprise flashed in his eyes, and Ander watched the changes in the River of Oblivion.
Among the three most important rivers of the underworld, Styx is undoubtedly the first, and Acheron was nothing special, but it has become more and more powerful in recent years.
Unexpectedly, the River of Oblivion today also underwent some changes and did not continue to widen the gap with the former.
"The River of Oblivion... has nothing to do with me."
The figure gradually became blurred, and Ander was ready to leave again.
But at the next moment, he stopped again and turned to look at the gray plain beside him.
"Your Majesty, what a rare guest."
"Your Highness, you got it wrong, this strange prince."
The dust bulged, the flying sand swirled, and then turned into a figure.
Hades shook his head slightly and corrected Ander's statement.
"As the King of the Underworld and the incarnation of the underworld, you are the guest who came to my body."
"In fact, if it weren't for the existence of that human, I would have come here as soon as I sensed your breath."
"But it's not too late now..."
After a moment of silence, Hades invited:
"I wonder if you are willing to join the underworld?"
"Hmm?"
He was stunned when he heard it. Ander had many speculations about the appearance of this King of the Underworld.
After all, when he showed his power in the underworld, he didn't expect to be able to hide it from the god who ruled the underworld.
But as Hades said, he was not very willing to contact Hercules and Dionysus.
It's not surprising that the King of the Underworld doesn't like the son of the King of Gods.
It's just that the other party actually appeared in front of him at the end and invited him, which really surprised him.
"... Your Majesty, King of the Underworld, did you recognize the wrong god?"
With a kind reminder, Ander revealed a little bit of his power essence.
"I am not a congenital god, but an acquired god of faith."
"In the mouths of the Olympian gods, I am the so-called 'evil god' and 'wicked god'."
"As a member of the divine court, it is not a good idea for you to invite me to recruit you?"
"There's nothing wrong with it."
Shaking his head, Hades explained:
"After all, if you were a normal congenital god, you probably wouldn't be willing to join the system of the underworld."
"Precisely because you are a god of faith, I think there is room for cooperation between us."
"You desire faith, but what I desire is the overall growth of the interface. There should be no contradiction between the two."
"How about it, do you want to consider it?"
"I don't think you are in a normal state, and you probably don't care about the environment of the underworld."
"You should also be able to see that in the near future, Zeus's control over the human world will become stronger and stronger. Sooner or later, there will be no place for you there."
"Leaving as soon as possible is also a destined choice."
"..."
Speechless, listening to Hades' words, Ander had to admit that what he said seemed to make some sense.
That's right. If I were an ordinary believer in God, I would probably be frightened by the growing power of the King of Olympus.
In this case, if the secluded Hades asked for recruitment, it might be a good place to go.
"But the underworld is now under the control of the King of Gods. Not to mention the believers in Gods, even you can't protect yourself."
Ander questioned, but Hades didn't care.
"I am naturally prepared for this."
"If you are willing to join the underworld, you will know later."
"But before that, please forgive me for not telling you."
"Well... I understand."
Nodding slightly, Ander did not ask any more questions, but decisively refused.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty Hades, I have no plans to join the underworld yet."
"After all, even if I don't care about other things, as the 'disseminator of drama', the 'first puppeteer', and one of the 'origins of bards', I also have a continuous faith that can at least support the power of Godhead level six or above - this is a level within our faith in God."
"In this case, even if the world is completely occupied by the God King, I can hide in the Kingdom of God without being afraid of his power."
"So if there is nothing else, please allow me to take my leave here."
The voice was calm. Facing Hades, who was more powerful than himself, Ander did not seem to be afraid.
In front of him, Hades, who was rejected, frowned, but did not make any other moves.
"Godhead level six... weaker divine power?"
"Well, in that case, please do as you please."
With a bang, Hades' body exploded and turned into sand all over the sky.
Pluto knew something about the concept of the so-called godhood.
It was something similar to the priesthood of a true god, and it was also the basis of belief in God. Or the so-called priesthood was another kind of "godhood" that originated from the world.
The god in front of him had at least a medium level of divine power, and was also the best among those evil gods. It was a pity that he failed to recruit him.
But he was different from Zeus. He really came here just to try to recruit him.
So since it didn't work, it didn't work.
"In that case, thank you, Your Majesty Pluto."
Seeing this, Ander breathed a sigh of relief. From the heart, Ander didn't want to fight with Pluto, who was one of the best under the great divine power.
He was not afraid because he had long known that his puppet body had many special features.
The reason why it is difficult to be detected is its concealment, its natural affinity with history and space, its compatibility with the magic network, and its resistance and immunity to most forces and even some authorities... Even as its creator became more and more powerful, even if it was his past work, this creation that witnessed the beginning of the belief in God became more and more magical.
But this does not mean that Ander can act recklessly. After all, just like the God King who has many tricks.
As his brother, no one dares to guarantee that Hades does not have two unique trump cards.
"Hades... If there is a chance in the future, I can contact him."
He thought silently, but this is all for the future.
The originally terminated virtualization continued. This time, Ander's departure was not terminated.
Soon, the banks of the Styx, which had just experienced a war not long ago, returned to peace again...
"...Huh? Where are the people?"
After a long time, a stream of light flew from a distance.
Using the trump card left by Zeus to temporarily reseal a small part of the body of the [Flesh and Blood Corridor], Dionysus hurried back here.
The complete ancient evil is no joke. He is almost certain that if Hercules faces the [Thousand-Faced Soul Eater] that was just born that year and has not been blown up several times, the possibility of overturning is definitely not small.
But when Dionysus hurried back, he was dumbfounded that there was no one in front of him.
"Where are the people?"
"Where did everyone go?"
Very speechless, Dionysus searched for a long time on the banks of the Styx, but found nothing.
There are many traces of battles here, and there are also breaths of mixed forces, but there is not even a living person.
Half a day later, sitting on the bank of the Forgotten River.
There is really no one to find, so he can only wait here...
"Look, I found something!"
The tone was excited. Just after checking the changes in the source of the Forgotten River, Eros found Dionysus here.
"A lone god without a priesthood, and the son of the god king Zeus!"
"Well... you are unlucky."
"Come, stand with the skeleton!"
He shot an arrow casually. Although there was no hatred blessing at the level of gods, the power of this arrow was actually average, but Dionysus was really weak.
So he was shot through the chest with almost no resistance.
However, something unexpected happened to Eros. Although Dionysus was indeed affected by the golden arrow, he did not move at all for a while.
It was as if one of him was hit by the arrow, and the other was not hit.
With a frown, Eros was about to go forward to see what happened, but the next moment, Dionysus resumed his actions.
"?"
"How strange, could this be a god without a priesthood?"
Eros shook her head in confusion, not caring about this little thing.
The small wings behind her fluttered slightly, and she continued to fly along the river of the Styx.
At least she had to do something when she came out... For example, she caught the souls that had collapsed from the evil creatures and threw them back into the River of Oblivion.
...
The human world, the West Sea.
Return from where you went down.
For ordinary people, this is not an easy task.
Because the time and space of the entrance to the underworld are so strange that it is difficult to distinguish where you come from and where you go.
But Ander was obviously not one of them, so it didn't take too long for him to get out of the cave not too far from the coast and return to the human world.
He let go of his senses and searched around.
On a reef near the sea, Ander found the thin figure.
Prometheus, he was quietly watching the sea on the shore.
The howling storm and the huge waves over a thousand feet high hit him, and the water drops fell on him.
On the mortal world, the Titan who had been imprisoned for thousands of years walked through this land again.
But he rarely spoke along the way, and more often accompanied silently.
"You are back...but where is Hercules?"
"Of course he went to where he should go."
Ander spoke lightly, his voice calm.
"I don't believe you haven't guessed it, otherwise you wouldn't be waiting here."
"...That's right."
Sighing, the wise man of foresight said slowly:
"In fact, Hercules himself should have guessed it."
"[Book of Purgatory], a book from the Nine Hells."
"It records countless mysteries and can answer most of the confusion in the world, but it can't change its essence."
"This is a book from the home of demons, and the gifts of demons are never for your own wishes."
"So when this tricky road comes to an end, he may get an answer, but that is definitely not the ending he wants."
The sea breeze blew, carrying a bit of salty smell.
But after staying in the eye of the sea for a long time, Prometheus has become accustomed to these.
Floating in the air, the puppet came to his side.
Ender couldn't agree more with the words of the foresight.
"Yes, the devil... is not an easy guy to deal with. They were there at the end of the Bronze Age."
"But although I don't think he can succeed, it's not because of these reasons."
"I simply don't think there is any point in smuggling, so I didn't go with him."
"And the final result also proved my guess."
The puppet's voice paused slightly after rotating its neck.
Looking at the thin figure beside him, he asked the doubts in his heart.
"Your Highness Prometheus, I actually have a question that I have been curious about for a long time."
"In this adventure with Hercules, each of us has our own different purposes."
"I don't know about Amon, but he is dead... at least he looks dead. Dionysus was sent by Zeus to serve his father."
"I hope to enter the spirit world with Hercules to seek the answer I want to find - what about you?"
"Are you embarking on this journey just to repay him for saving you?"
I have never doubted Prometheus, because a god who can really remember every one of his creations is not worthy of doubt.
Ender is just very confused.
"I really want to know... Have you really let go of everything in the Bronze Age?"
Prometheus said he had let it go, but Ender didn't think so.
For thousands of years, the fire thieves have never surrendered to the God King, and it should be the same now.
It's just that he is smarter and more rational, so he has learned to solve problems with methods that can really achieve his goals...
And who else could be the source of this problem except the God King.