Chapter 590 The Third Piece of the Puzzle
Northland.
Mount Nysa.
On the continuous mountain ranges, the traces left by Typhon were still faintly visible.
At the cold and lofty peak, the temple belonging to the three moirai Goddesses faced the cold winds of the Northland.
For the past thousands of years, the three goddesses who wielded Authority over Fate had been exercising their Authority here, weaving the tapestry that depicted all living beings… However, today was different from the past.
On Mount Nysa, there were no longer the busy figures that once were.
Atropos and Lachesis were long gone, and all that remained was the youngest of the three sisters.
Clotho, the weaver of the threads of all living beings, and the only one who had never been afflicted by the poison of Fate.
Her part had always been borne by her two elder sisters.
She only needed to sit on Mount Nysa and fulfill her innate responsibility.
Even today, with Lachesis sealed, she still hadn't been found by the backlash of Fate.
Because unlike Atropos, the goddess who measured Fate had no chance to react; her time was fixed at that moment.
Including herself, she and the poison of Fate were sealed behind that door, so much so that Clotho was completely unaware of her fate…
So, sitting alone on the giant rock at the mountain peak, the maiden-like Clotho turned her back to the center of the earth.
That was where humans were active, and where two Fate Goddesses had gone, but she didn't want to see them.
With a sense of avoidance, Clotho gazed blankly at the cold North Sea.
"Sister… have you found the 'mastermind' you were looking for?"
Her pupils unfocused, the goddess wasn't looking at anything specific, but rather taking everything in with a bewildered gaze.
She didn't know what she should do now, or rather, what she could do…
"…"
"Hmm? What's that?"
A long silence, with only the sound of the wind as companion.
However, at a certain moment, Clotho seemed to discover something.
Even without using her right to observe Fate, she could still feel another huge deviation seemed to be occurring.
Boundless malice came from the void, but this time it was different from usual.
Strands of black aura seemed to be about to penetrate the shadow of Lachesis lingering on Fate, reflecting onto her.
This was originally impossible, because as long as the Fate Goddesses wanted, they could withstand this level of backlash.
Compared to the former Atropos, Lachesis was now far from her maximum capacity, and she had no intention of actively giving up her burden.
So, feeling the boundless sin and bone-deep terror, Clotho knew that something had probably happened to her second sister as well.
She had at least lost her consciousness and was unable to actively perceive the tide of Fate.
Whoosh—!
Turning her head instinctively, the goddess looked to the west.
There, the boiling Fate seemed to be burning, and a towering black shadow pierced the Sky.
The black shadow pressed down, carrying the oppression of the material world, carrying the turbulent flow of the long river of Fate; it carried the weight of a portion of the Sky, smashing from the Western Sky towards the North Sea.
Bang—
No sound came, for the greatest sound is silent, and the greatest form is shapeless.
Clotho's arms trembled as she hugged herself, watching the North Sea being struck, feeling only darkness before her eyes.
In that instant, countless Fates were changed… and this was only the beginning.
"Garden… that garden, Ladon!"
Biting her lower lip, Clotho tried to stand up, but found that her legs couldn't exert any strength at all.
Although at this moment, the backlash of Fate had not truly fallen upon her, she knew.
If this was a War, they had already lost before it even began.
······
Splash splash…
West Sea, the waters near Atlas.
Submerged in the seawater, Epimetheus glanced at the sea god's son falling from the Sky, then chose to continue observing the trajectory of that falling staff.
Simple, direct, without any frills.
This staff carried the weight of a portion of the cosmos. Whether human or God, as long as they did not possess that 'qualification', they would at this moment be like facing a finger descending from the God of Sky.
With one strike, the North Sea trembled, the waves it stirred reached the clouds, and the lingering ripples calmed thousands of miles of sea.
A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, the After-Thinker knew very well that if this attack were aimed at him, it could easily take half his Life.
From now on, throughout the entire human world, counting both the Divine and human realms, perhaps only a handful of existences could fight against this Great Hero, who was still in his mortal body.
And if a little more time passed, and he received the power Atlas lent him, then even if the Gods fully recovered their Divine power, they would probably have to admit defeat.
After all, in terms of combat power, this Titan God who presided over the Divinity of [Power] was already exceptionally strong, and nearly ten thousand years of supporting the Sky and the world's power uplift had made him stand at the peak of powerful Divine power, almost unbeatable.
With his help, neither the hundred-headed dragon Ladon nor the Gods could act ferociously in front of that human.
"Tsk… this is destiny…"
"Pandora, you've held 'Fate' for so long, why can't you be like him?"
Shaking his head with a sigh, Epimetheus's gaze returned, looking again at Triton who had fallen into the sea.
To die at the hands of the witch holding the magic jar, that must be your destined Fate. The Deathyou sought has now come for you.
"I don't know whether it's destiny that created the hero, or if only a hero can bear destiny… Hehehe… forget it, no matter what, I can't be a so-called hero."
"Pandora, go, make good use of Triton's last Life."
"Poseidon is no longer here, and the trident is far from the material world. The Authority he held over [Tsunami], [Storm], and [Earthquake] are all uncontrolled, and the laws are chaotic… And soon, two existences who can use Divine power in the human world will fight fiercely on the sea… This is your best opportunity."
"It's just… alas…"
Sighing again, finally closing his mouth, Epimetheus's gaze drifted over the Sky one last time.
Pandora ignored him with a deathly pale face, yet she was the one Earth Mother truly valued; compared to her, he was merely an afterthought.
Heracles wouldn't even know of his existence, yet he was like the center of this era, even having the qualification to support the Sky.
Even his brother, whom he had always looked down upon, had now escaped his cage and was by the side of this Great Hero of the human world, wondering if there was some new turn of events.
What did this prove?
It proved that sometimes it wasn't that he didn't work hard, but that luck had never been on his side.
If he and Pandora had swapped places, Epimetheus wouldn't have cared about Earth Mother's control. As long as he still had use, he would have a chance to do something, just like his marriage to Pandora, arranged by Zeus.
But unfortunately, when you don't even have use, then you truly can't do anything.
Shaking his head secretly, the After-Thinker was about to turn around and leave this place to Pandora alone, but he suddenly seemed to remember something and looked back at his brother's location.
Prometheus's disguise could fool others, but his style and habits couldn't fool himself… It's just, what was that person next to him doing?
"Zeus's man?"
"It couldn't be that after all this, I still have to rely on His Majesty the God King to break the situation, could it…"
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Epimetheus didn't show it; he merely kept Dionysus's existence in mind.
Everyone has their unique place in the world, and looking back from the perspective of hindsight, many widespread major events might have originated from an insignificant ordinary person.
If there was an opportunity, he might try to make contact with the other party. After all, Zeushimself was impossible to meet, but his subordinates could be attempted.
On one hand, the current God King was no longer his past self; the advanced Zeus was too dangerous and not as easy to understand as Gaia, making him truly difficult to deal with.
On the other hand… it was because of Earth Mother's existence.
It was fine for him to contact other Gods, but contacting Zeus… she would probably go mad again.
······
Bang—
Above the Sky, below the starry Sky.
Gripping the bronze staff in his hand, the Great Hero swung it with the flow.
So casual and natural, without the slightest hesitation. Over the past thousands of years, this SkyPillar had long merged with that slight imagery of supporting the Sky.
And at this moment, as the imagery found its most suitable bearer, the bronze pillar naturally followed suit and recognized its master.
Thus, with one strike, the seas churned and rivers overturned.
In Heracles's palm, the bronze pillar transformed at will, capable of being held in his hand or turning into a Divine pillar spanning thousands of miles of sea.
"It seems I succeeded."
Taking a deep breath, a feeling of genuine joy surged in his heart.
Throughout his journey, the Great Hero had never had a truly suitable weapon, even the bronze sword forged by the God of Craftsmanship seemed to be nothing special.
After all, by his habit, he preferred heavy weapons that could exert power, rather than light weapons that leaned towards skill… It wasn't until today, with the bronze staff in hand, that he truly felt what it meant to be satisfied.
"Lord Atlas."
Flying up, he once again faced the Sky-supporting Giant God.
This time, the Great Hero finally saw some regard in the other's eyes.
"Ancient Titan, as you can see. I have taken up this bronze pillar and felt the weight of 'Sky'."
"Now, am I worthy to stand here and fulfill my agreement with you?"
"Of course."
No longer making things difficult, the Sky-Bearer spoke calmly.
He had no intention of refusing the other party; the so-called test earlier was merely to prove that Heracles was indeed that person.
So, looking at the human before him, as tiny as dust, Atlas withdrew one of his Sky-supporting arms.
The next moment, the Sky trembled violently, as if it had sunk three-tenths towards the northwest.
However, having supported the Sky for nearly ten thousand years, the Titan would not let it collapse so easily.
With a forceful push of his right arm, the downward trend was immediately halted.
Seeing the Sky stabilized, Atlas's left arm then broke off out of thin air, and then gradually disappeared into the air.
"This…"
In the ethereal realm, with the Sky as a transit point.
Heracles only felt a surge of powerful strength pouring into his body, just like when Ender had lent him Divine power.
Mortals could not bear this immense power; even other demigods in the human world would be destroyed by the Divine power of a God.
But when it came to him, despite how violent these borrowed powers were, they could never destroy the Great Hero's body.
"Human, having the symbol of supporting the Sky, the shackles of the present world are open to you."
"But you can ignore it, which doesn't mean the one providing you with power can… So only the Divine power obtained from me will allow you to use it freely in your battle with Ladon."
"This is one of my hands; it contains thirty percent of my power. With it, you can kill Ladonyourself."
"When that demon dies, this power will naturally return to me… But human, you must remember."
Speaking faintly, the Sky-supporting Titan's tone was chilling.
"You have taken my power, so one day in the future, you must take over the firmament for me."
"When you resolve everything, the Sky will be your responsibility."
"Of course, I will."
Speaking in a deep voice, the Great Hero nodded.
"Heracles… a man of his word."
Gripping the bronze staff tightly, the Great Hero once again looked at the island above the North Sea, the garden where Queen Hera planted the golden apple tree.
His intuition told him that once he stepped onto that island, the God King's shackles might no longer bind the King of Ten Thousand Demons' offspring, but would instead allow it to go out to sea and settle the score with him.
Only one of them could survive; this was proven by the demonic remains on the Great Hero's body.
Ladon could not let him go, neither from the perspective of absorbing the remains of its kind nor from the desire for revenge for its kin.
However, as of today, the Great Hero no longer feared it.
"Ender, I won't break the golden apple tree, will I?"
He asked in his mind; if it were the original golden apple tree, Heracles wouldn't worry, but the one planted by the Queen was a replica.
It didn't have the former's nearly indestructible ability, nor its vitality of constantly regenerating by drawing from the spring of Life.
Once broken, it would probably be beyond saving.
"Don't worry, it won't."
"Ladon and it are on the same island, and it hasn't been destroyed yet, which proves that some power must be protecting its safety."
"Just go, and let me witness the power of a Titan God as well."
Shaking his head slightly, the puppet gave its answer.
"Good."
Receiving the affirmative reply, the last bit of hesitation also vanished.
Taking a step forward, Heracles crossed thousands of miles.
The Divine power representing [Power] gathered in the Great Hero's body, and their compatibility was also incredibly high.
In a few steps, the Queen's island was already in sight.
Seemingly sensing the arrival, the hundred-headed giant dragon roared to the Sky, just as before.
However, this time, what awaited it was only the staff's light falling from beyond the Sky.