There were not many people in the team, and even fewer would raise objections.
So after discussing with his two companions, Hercules decided to set sail.
The road to the Eye of the Sea is long and tortuous, and even Oileus, who had been there once, did not dare to guarantee that he could go back and forth safely again.
After all, they used to be able to pass by the kingdoms that believed in the sea god and get supplies and assistance from them, but now, they have to bypass these places.
Hercules did not object to this.
Even though he still had a complicated attitude towards the gods, he had no doubt that the king of gods hated Prometheus.
"Tsk... So this is the power source of this 'ship'?
Inside the 'Sea Whale Boat', several people stepped into it from the entrance one by one.
Unlike the stuffiness imagined, as the entrance behind him closed, Hercules did not feel any discomfort.
There was no difference from the outside world, and even the air was still fresh.
Looking at the furnishings inside, Amon, as a 'studious young man', was the first to express doubts.
"No matter how you look at it, this is just an ordinary furnace."
"So the so-called 'element crystals' you put in before are the fuel for this furnace?"
Approximately located in the middle and rear side of the hull, a structure shaped like a furnace is placed directly in the semi-enclosed space.
It's just that there is no fire in it, and you can't feel the temperature or cold.
"I don't know much about alchemy, but if it's just this primitive 'element furnace', then I can indeed explain your doubts."
"But before that, I have a question for you. "
Stopping in front of the furnace and listening to Amon's question, Orleans couldn't help but sigh at the cycle of fate.
He had asked the same question before, and now, he had to relay this explanation to the new crew members.
"As we all know, the gods possess divine power and can change everything and influence the rules."
"They can turn dead things into living things and turn loess into an oasis, and the origin of wizards is also related to this." " It is
rumored that the original magic power was created by the goddess of the magic network to imitate divine power. Wizards use it to mobilize elements and affect matter and spirit."
"But the question is, magic power or divine power, is their essence a manifestation of matter, or a cycle of spirituality?"
"...It should come from the soul."
After a little thought, Hercules replied.
"I heard that for wizards, meditation is one of their ways to advance."
"So compared to matter, soul is more accurate."
"Really? "
Nodding slightly, Orleans remained noncommittal.
He had thought so before, but this was obviously not the real answer.
"If the essence of magic and elements is spirituality, then why can they create strong winds, bring snow and wind, and even create water in the desert and let wood burn in the ocean?"
"In fact, whether it is divine power or elements, they are not formed by pure matter or spirituality, but are somewhere in between the two."
"They can be easily affected by them, and can also be transformed into corresponding existences under certain conditions."
"...Well, so this 'element furnace'..."
Hercules and Amon expressed their understanding of Orleans' explanation,
but no matter what divine power and magic are, what does it have to do with their problems?
"This is the function of this furnace."
"It burns elements and changes its form."
"Turning elements into wind, so that this enclosed ship can breathe freely without floating; turning elements into water for people to drink and rest."
"It can also bring pure energy to drive the wheel to rotate, so that the whale boat can continue to move forward on the seabed. "
He explained the principle, but Orleans didn't really understand the details.
For example, he still didn't quite understand whether the water element turned into water, or whether it gathered the surrounding water in some form.
But that was all he knew, plus a guess he heard.
"This is the 'Elemental Furnace'. Of course, what we see now is just a primitive version."
"It is said that the real one is not like this, but a device that can not only turn elements into matter, but also turn matter into elements, and even return elements to a more essential energy state, allowing them to transform into each other."
"At that time, water will be soil, and air will be stars."
"As long as sea water and soil are continuously poured into it, endless energy and matter can be brought in."
"...It's really amazing, but it doesn't sound like something that has been realized. Otherwise, Silvermoon City should have ruled the world long ago. "
The studious young man made a joke, and Hercules nodded in agreement.
But at this moment, Amon felt that he was becoming more and more interested in alchemy.
Equivalent exchange is the most fundamental rule of all things in the world.
The arbitrary transformation of energy and matter, even gods can only do part of it, and even if they do, they only know the result but not the reason.
As for the concept of fuzzy information and material energy, it is the power of creation.
To achieve this with the power of mortals, even if it is just a guess, is enough to surprise him.
I don't know who the goddess of the magic net is, and Hermes, the inventor of alchemy, is even more extraordinary...
"Tsk. "
His eyes flickered slightly. As Amon, a survivor of Meng Village, he could only sigh about this.
But as Amon, the Star God, he felt that he could still understand some deeper principles up close.
Of course, Hermes might be a little dangerous. Although he didn't find anything wrong now, he was not in a hurry to do anything.
Now let's do things here first. As for the other side, let's consider it after the strength recovers a little.
·······
Click...
Buzz-
Hua...
As the buckle loosened, the huge box lost its connection with the land.
When the big ship called "Sea Whale Boat" fell into the sea, the originally slightly silent furnace finally lit up with a faint light. On the inner layer of the hull, lines for isolating breath began to take effect, and the energy inside and outside was completely separated.
Only the transmission between matter and matter continued, and the speed and direction of the ship could be changed through the transmission of gears.
Soon, the ship began to move.
It gradually went deeper into the seabed and moved forward hundreds of cubits from the water surface.
No one could have guessed that there was such a ship carrying living people sailing under the sea.
Even the fish that came and went only regarded it as some kind of reef moving in the sea.
And through the light reflected from the layers of mirrors, the crew members on the ship could see the scenery outside.
Even though Heracles had experienced many major events, he was still very curious about this rare scene.
However, novelty was only temporary, and repetitive things would only make people bored.
Even though the air in the hull was still fresh, and the food and water were fresh enough, boredom was inevitable as the days passed.
This was how sailing in the classical era was, and even though Hercules' situation was far better than that of other people of his time, he could not escape it.
Even if he wanted to find an opponent to compete with, it would be difficult to do so in the depths of the sea.
Fortunately, he was not alone. Both Ander's story and the interesting stories of Orleans's travels could relieve some of the boredom, which was somewhat of a comfort.
I don't know how long this kind of day lasted... until one day, just after breakfast, the great hero in the room suddenly heard a beautiful melody.
It cannot be described in words, let alone how "beautiful" it is.
But Hercules knew that if he had to use something to describe the sound of nature, it would probably be this one possibility.
"Orleans, do you hear it?"
He shouted loudly, but there was no response.
However, soon, Hercules found Orleans's position.
In the spacious cabin, Orleans was walking forward with his eyes blank.
His hand was slightly raised, and the position was pointing to the wheel that changed the direction of the ship.
"Orleans, what's wrong with you?"
With a frown on his brows, the great hero strode forward.
He pressed down Orleans's outstretched right hand tightly, but the other party still did not respond.
The blank expression on his face gradually turned into a smile, as if he had seen something beautiful... At this moment, a voice came from behind Hercules.
"Let me do it, the powerful hero."
"Many times, brute force can't solve the problem."
Amon smiled and said.
He held a necklace in his hand, with faint starlight flickering on it.
"Amon, do you know what happened to Orleans?"
"He was bewildered. This is a spiritual bewilderment, but the interesting thing is that it does not rely on mysterious power to accomplish it."
Amon took a few steps forward and hung the necklace around Orleans' neck.
Soon, the starlight on it began to flicker.
"This power is transmitted by the song, but it is not the power that makes the song extraordinary, but the song itself contains power."
"So the defense of this ship did not work - of course, it may also be that he does not understand the true ability of this ship."
"Of course, this is not difficult to solve, because I have the treasure left by the elders of Meng Village. Just like it can help us get in and out of the poisonous swamp, this song can't do anything to it..."
"-Look, he woke up."
As soon as the voice fell, Hercules saw that Oileus' eyes gradually regained clarity.
However, before he could ask a question, Oileus, who seemed to have just woken up from a dream, shouted out an unfamiliar word in surprise.
"Siren, it's a siren!"
"What?"
"Huh-I mean the siren, a demon that confuses passing ships with its singing."
Taking a deep breath, Oileus gradually calmed down.
He realized his current situation, and then explained with some apology: "Sirens, no one knows their origins."
"Since shortly after the calamity of Typhon, their legends have been circulating on the sea."
"It is said that they use their singing to confuse the members of the passing ships, leading them to hit the reefs and huge waves."
"But logically, they should not appear here."
Somewhat puzzled, Oleus continued to explain: "I have met them, on the previous route."
"But at that time, perhaps because of the protection of the gods, they could not do anything, and no one on our ship was in danger in the end... But this time I clearly changed a route, why did I encounter a group of sirens?"
"Maybe it's migration, maybe it's just luck, no matter why, we met them after all."
He spoke calmly. Since he had understood the situation, the great hero was no longer anxious.
The singing in his ears was still beautiful, but he just felt sick.
Sure enough, no matter where he went, there were always demons that harmed people.
"Don't rush to leave, let me go up and take a look."
With a stern look, Hercules picked up the iron rod he brought on the ship.
"Since they want to find me, I'll go take a look."
"If it's really like what you said..."
Although there was no god to test him this time, the hero didn't intend to ignore it.
If he hadn't met them, it would be fine. Since he had met them, he would not let these so-called demons go.
The tides rose and fell on the empty and deserted sea.
The sea water hit the exposed rocks, making waves.
The sea surface under the bright moon was shining silver, and the snow-white waves wrapped some shellfish.
They rushed together and then turned into foam, covering the sea surface with a layer of white hair.
In such silence, the siren with a human body and a fish tail was naked, with only a few shells dotted here and there.
She sang to the moon in the sky, and under that graceful song, even the strongest hero would bend down.
"..."
"...the moon and the sky, the earth and the sea..."
"...Come, our heroes, glorious and wise people."
"Please stop, stop and listen to our song!"
"No ship can pass by the beautiful Siren, because the sea is so dangerous and endless."
"Unless the helmsman listens to our beautiful river bend, let the beautiful song give you joy and wisdom, and accompany you on your safe voyage."
"We know that on the fields of the world, the eternal gods make the heroes of both sides taste the hardships of life. "
We know the false glory cast on piles of bones."
"Come, great hero."
"Our wisdom is like the sun and the moon that shines on the world, and we are well aware of all the wars and loves in the world. "
"…"
The beauty sang under the moon, and the melodious voice echoed on the sea.
If you ignore the fish tail under you, even the greatest artist would probably praise the wonders of creation.
However, there are no spectators here, and the only onlookers are the wind and the waves.
They hovered around this non-human existence, adding a bit of exotic style to the beauty.
Splash...
The singing continued, but at a certain moment, the sea water suddenly surged.
The next moment, the hero holding the iron rod jumped out and looked around.
Obviously, there is nothing more eye-catching in this sea than the singing mermaid.
It was she who confused Orleans... and in addition to this, Hercules had a deeper feeling.
It was a chill, although he couldn't see it, but his intuition told him that something was lingering around the siren.
They exuded a desperate coldness and deep resentment.
"Are you the Siren? "
Although he had made up his mind to get rid of the demon no matter whether the other party was the siren mentioned by Orleans or not, Hercules still asked a question.
If he killed the wrong one... then he would have a chance to find the right one in the future and kill it together.
"...I am."
As if he finally noticed the visitor, the Siren stopped singing.
The melody that seemed to shake the soul stopped, but the voice of the Siren was still moving.
"Then who are you, the hero who slaughters demons?"
It was like irony, but also like praise.
Under the voice of the Siren, even the most vicious words would become gentle.
However, all this seemed so insignificant in front of Hercules.
"Since you are, it couldn't be better."
"You kill people, I kill you, fair and just, as it should be."
Unaffected, the great hero's blood began to boil.
He had nothing to say to the demon... But the next moment, the voice of the Siren made him stop again.
"Fair and just... It may be fair and just for you to kill the Siren. "
But is it fair and just for you to kill Medusa?"
"Medusa?"
Hercules paused. This name was familiar to him.
For the fourth generation of humans, the history of their birth had long been blurred, and only the content related to the gods was passed down.
Their most well-known starting point was the legend of the great hero Perseus.
He was the son of Zeus, and he made many immortal achievements under the guidance of the gods.
He eventually ascended to heaven and became immortal, and his descendants became kings of various countries in the world.
For such a legendary figure, his deeds have long been sung over and over again in the world.
As one of the most famous parts, the death of the Gorgon Medusa is naturally one of them.
"Yes, Medusa."
"It used to be my name, and it belonged to me until Perseus came."
"Even if I don't have the immortal body of my two sisters, as the son of the ancient sea god and the descendant of Phorcys, the Wrath of the Sea, Perseus is not my opponent. "
But he has the help of the gods... They gave him the weapons of the gods, and I am just the embodiment of his legend."
The voice was distant and moving, and the Siren calmly told her story.
No one knew why she was chosen as a sacrifice in the first place, and why she, who was born in a noble family, became a tool for Perseus to establish his power.
Maybe someone wanted to warn the descendants of the ancient sea god, or it could be for some other reason.
In short, one afternoon, wearing an invisible helmet, wearing armor and sword blessed by the god of war, stepping on flying shoes blessed by the god of wind, holding the unbreakable shield of Aequis.
The young Perseus found the place where the three Gorgon sisters lived in seclusion and decided to use their blood to prove his martial arts.
However, two of the three sisters, Stro and Euryale, embraced immortality. Even the artifacts could not kill them, but Medusa did not have it.
So although she possessed the power to turn people to stone, with the help of the gods, she could not escape death in the end.
'Escaped to a deserted place, to the other side of the river Oceanus that surrounds the earth and where it meets the night... Her figure was reflected by Perseus' shield, her head was cut off by a diamond sword and put in a leather bag, and her blood dripped and turned into poisonous snakes in the desert...'
The legend records it like this, praising the fame of the son of Zeus.
But until the moment of her death, Medusa unexpectedly discovered that although she did not have the immortal body of the gods, this also led to the fact that her body and soul were not inseparable.
"So I survived, although in the form of a soul."
"As the daughter of Phorcys, the Wrath of the Sea, even if I die, I will not be as muddled as the souls of mortals."
"My two sisters were heartbroken for my death, but soon they were overjoyed that I was alive again."
"But no one dared to let the news leak out, so we had to visit the river god Ekroes and pretend to be his children. From that day on, I lost the power to turn to stone after reshaping my body, but I also got the name of Siren."
The story of the Siren seemed to reveal a corner of the legend, and the glorious and great Perseus did not seem so righteous.
However, after hearing all this, Hercules remained unmoved.
"Perhaps you have indeed been treated unfairly, but this cannot cover up your crimes."
"Perseus killed you, is that your reason for attacking other mortals?" "...Shouldn't this be right?
" "Besides, I killed them not without reason, but to make them face reality."
Shaking her head slightly, the chill on Siren's body became stronger.
However, she didn't care, and just continued to tell her story.
A descendant of a god who lost his body naturally couldn't easily reshape his body.
Fortunately, the Gorgon sisters had a secret. During the battle of Typhon, they were lucky enough to obtain the blood of the King of All Monsters.
At that time, they were afraid of the horror of the God King, and no one dared to touch this drop of blood left by this great existence, until the gods used the hands of heroes to reach out to them.
With the help of the power of the King of All Monsters, just like the rest of the monsters, Medusa obtained a new body and magical power.
She was reborn with the help of the blood of the gods in the state of soul, so she had the singing that confused the living beings.
And it was from that day that Siren decided to take revenge on Perseus and the gods who caused her to fall to where she is today.
"The gods are so hypocritical, and the so-called heroes are so ridiculous."
"So I targeted the descendants of Perseus and the devout believers of the gods. "
"Every mortal who is lured by my singing, I will awaken them in the end."
"I will give them a chance, as long as they denounce the incompetence of the gods and are willing to give up their beliefs."
"As long as they do this, they can survive. As for those who are unwilling, I will restrain their souls on my left and right, let them feel pain day and night, and then die in despair."
The tone gradually became higher, and the Siren opened her arms.
At this moment, Hercules saw the source of the coldness around her.
Those were tortured souls, and without exception, they were all devout believers of the gods when they were alive.
"If their gods come to save them, it proves that I am wrong."
"But the fact is, hundreds of years have passed, and no one has ever cared about their life or death. "
Things became much clearer at once, and Hercules finally realized a problem.
Since the singing of the Sirens would attract people to approach, and then kill all mortals who approached, then where did the news come from?
Ships protected by the gods would not be lured, just as Oileus and his companions had been.
Since they would not be lured, they would naturally not know what the consequences would be.
And if those who were lured over died, how could they possibly spread the news?
So the truth is that not all mortals died, and some of them betrayed their faith and survived.
But they never wanted the truth to be exposed. Instead, in order to cover it all up, they all created a specious legend.
"Young hero, I can feel your firm will."
"And the reason why I came here is actually a blood connection."
"The power of the King of Monsters guided me here, but I didn't actually notice any trace of you myself. "
The tone gradually became earnest. Regardless of whether it was Siren or Medusa, she had never been a kind person.
However, at the first sight of Hercules, when she sensed the demonic resentment contained in him, Siren knew that she was no match.
Her most powerful strength comes from her singing, but her singing cannot shake the will of the great hero.
So if she wants to escape with her life, she can only let the other party give up the intention to kill her.
"Great hero, do you still insist on your fairness now?"
"The gods on the sacred mountain have never given me these, why bother to cause this trouble?"
The fish tail swayed, revealing a charming figure.
Siren slowly approached Hercules, and her tone became gentler.
"To the gods, there are only chess pieces and ants."
"People like you and demons like me have never been taken seriously by them. "
"…"
After a brief silence, Hercules looked at the banshee in front of him.
If the other party was not lying, then Medusa's death was indeed somewhat innocent.
If he had encountered such a thing in the past, he really didn't know what decision he would make.
However, Medusa is dead, and in front of him, is the Siren.
"Medusa may have suffered injustice, but aren't you creating it?"
"From the moment you impose your will on mortals, you are no longer a victim, but a perpetrator."
"There is nothing wrong with faith itself, and mortals should not die simply because they believe in a god."
"If there is a mistake, it only comes from the gods, not the mortals who believe in them. "
Hercules spoke in a deep voice, speaking to the other party as well as to himself.
These days, Ander told him a lot of stories, and he liked some of the words in them.
The strong wield their swords against the stronger, and the weak wield their swords against the weaker.
If Medusa suppressed and destroyed the gods and their believers together, this would be an indisputable revenge.
But her current actions are nothing more than an excuse for the demon to commit evil.
Of course, this may be because of the divine blood of the king of demons.
It brought new life to Medusa, and in turn affected her soul... But in any case, looking at the changing expression of the Siren, Hercules picked up the iron rod.
"If what you said is true, one day, I will find Perseus to find out the truth of the matter."
"But before that, you should also go to the deserved ending for these thousands of souls. "
The hero's emotions were so complicated as he swung his arms.
The sound of his club spread far and wide.
The surging waves overshadowed the moonlight in the sky.
...
"What an amazing talent, it's as if there are no limits..."
"Hercules, you've gotten stronger again."
The waves gradually subsided, and after a while, the puppet spoke in the hero's pocket, standing on the calm sea.
Although he didn't know how he did it, at this moment, Hercules' power had surpassed the limitations of mortals.
The most important thing was that he still couldn't see the peak of his power.
"Becoming stronger... maybe."
"But compared to this, Ander, do you think the gods are really like this?"
Somewhat bewildered, Hercules once again got rid of a demon created by the King of All Demons, and asked.
"Who knows?"
"You should find the answer to this question yourself."
Ander shook his head slightly. For Hercules, Ander never intended to tell him the result.
After all, people like him will always find what they want by themselves.
After solving the Siren's problem, Hercules buried her body under the reef and only took her larynx with him.
This was not because he had any special hobbies, but because of the Siren's own wishes.
Knowing that she would die, the Siren left her last words.
"You who claim to be fair... you killed me because I killed innocent crew members, but do you really dare to punish the culprits who caused everything?"
"If you dare, then I will admit your justice."
"But if you don't dare, then you are just another hypocritical person who bullies the weak and fears the strong, and thinks you are righteous."
The great hero did not respond to the Siren's last words.
He only took off the Siren's larynx to let it witness his future experiences.
Hearing is false, seeing is true.
Although he had heard about the deeds of the gods from many people, Hercules himself had never seen them once.
This was also one of the purposes of his trip. After all, the creator of the Bronze Age was the god closest to humans.
...
Soon, this episode was skipped.
After the skin of the giant lion of Nomissa and the fangs of Hydra, the great hero also obtained his third collection.
The whale boat set sail again underwater, and the alchemical hull began to move towards the direction of the eye of the sea.
After all, there was no news about the god of wind, so Hercules put aside his worries and focused his energy on this voyage.
The sea monster was just a small episode in this journey. According to Orleans, the dangers on the sea were far more than he had imagined.
However, with the alchemical giant ship sailing on the seabed, they were able to avoid 90% of them.
"But there is still an obstacle that cannot be avoided, the Caucasian Condor."
Silently reading this name, perhaps it was a destined connection, even if Prometheus was not imprisoned on the Caucasus Mountains and had his liver pecked by the condor day and night.
But one day a hundred years ago, this demon with the blood of Typhon crossed the mountains and seas and built his nest in the East China Sea.
Oileus didn't know where its lair was, but he told Hercules that the condor often hovered around the eye of the sea.
The ability it inherited from the king of all monsters was its unparalleled vision. No matter whether it was in the starry sky or the sea, as long as it locked its prey, no one could escape.
"The whale boat can sail underwater, and in theory the condor can't detect its abnormal breath."
"However, there are no living creatures around the eye of the sea, and their only fate is to sink into the bottomless abyss."
"In this case, no matter how normal it looks, it is inevitable that it will be discovered."
"And this time, this ship is not protected by the breath of the gods."
"No problem."
The great hero waved his hand gently, and his voice was calm.
In this sailing ship, his figure was as reassuring as ever.
"This is not a problem. I will solve it. This is why you came with me, isn't it?"
"If it dares to attack us, I will shoot it down as a gift to the fire thief."
······
"Ding——"
"The test paper has been collected..."
"...Testing is starting, please wait..."
The anthropomorphic voice is clear and standard, and the familiar "ding" sound is heard again.
Outside Silver Moon City, Zephyros looked at the bronze ball of light in front of him, and his bird face was full of despair.
It has been a few days since the last "registration". When Hercules was adventuring on the sea, the god of the west wind was also not idle in the southeast of this continent.
But compared with the journey of the great hero, his "adventure" is a little different.
"Ding——"
"Testing is completed."
"This test has 24 questions to answer and 24 questions to answer, with a full score of 120 points."
"After verification by this assistant, participant No. 001 scored 15 points, and the score is - unqualified."
"Please continue to work hard and strive to become a Silver Moon City citizen with qualified intelligence as soon as possible."
"That's all."
Bang——!
With wings flapping on the ground, Zephyros' eyes were red.
Damn it, although he knew he probably wouldn't pass, he expected that he could get at least seven or eight questions right.
In the end, three, only three!
As a god, he had had enough of this humiliation!
"Wait!"
"I object, this is not reasonable, this is absolutely not reasonable, someone is cheating!"
The god of the west wind, who had long forgotten what he was doing, had studied hard for several days and had taken the test for the seventh time, staring at the bronze sphere in front of him.
After failing once, the pale silver machine was replaced.
The only thing left with him was this bronze one.
This must be the inside story, this must be the inside story!
He is one of the twelve main gods of Olympus, how could he not be able to complete such a simple thing!
"I protest, you must have registered wrong, how did I become number 001 again?"
"Did you exchange my paper with someone else? I guessed it a long time ago!"
Zephyros was indignant, as if he was really a student who studied hard for a week but still failed the exam.
However, in front of him, the bronze sphere did not move at all, and explained slowly and calmly:
"Mr. Bird, although it is ridiculous for someone who chooses to cheat in the first exam to protest against others' cheating." "
But considering that you have the right to raise objections, I will answer your questions."
"The specific reason is this-according to the relevant records of Silvermoon City, we have issued a number to every intelligent life that comes to register for the test."
"And based on the number of test failures, we will add special marks to the numbers that are easy to identify."
"But before today, the person with the most re-examinations in Silvermoon City only took five times, and we only prepared six numbers, so..."
Before he finished speaking, Zephyros obviously understood what he meant.
Although the sound of the bronze ball was not loud, it was obviously very insulting.
Just the "cheating" at the beginning made Zeferos regret his rashness, and the following content made him feel ashamed.
Damn, what a rubbish test, no wonder the people of Silvermoon City are so arrogant.
From these hateful test questions, we can see how they are against the gods!
"Dear No. 001, in fact, if you look at it from another angle, this may be a good thing." The sphere ignored the anger of the God of West Wind, and its voice continued to play.
"After all, no matter what, you have broken a record of Silver Moon City for thousands of years, and it will be recorded in the history books of Silver Moon City forever."
"Even if it's just a small record, it's something that ordinary people can't do in their lifetime..."
"Wait, what did you say?!"
Zeferos looked up suddenly with a change of color.
However, the development of things never changes due to personal will, and the bronze sphere will not take care of his emotions.
Or to be more precise, the reaction of the God of West Wind is itself one of the data it collects.
"Ah... What, are you too excited?"
"It's okay, I can understand, but please rest assured."
"The relevant content has been uploaded and recorded by the relevant personnel. Even I can't withdraw it, and there will be no problems in the middle."
"If nothing unexpected happens, your deeds will soon be famous for thousands of years, and will become an indelible monument in the history of Silver Moon City..."
Bang!
His head tilted, and he didn't know whether he was really dizzy or fake.
In short, without any signs, the bird that Zeferos turned into fell to the ground.
However, after a long time, no one wanted to help him up.
After an unknown amount of time, the God of the West Wind finally woke up from the ground, as if waking from a dream.
"Mr. Zero One, are you awake?"
The voice was gentle, but for some reason, Zephyros always felt that he heard some kind of laughter.
But it was probably an illusion. After all, most alchemical tools like this have no emotions and only operate in a fixed way.
He had seen similar things in the Molten Fire Temple of Hephaestus.
Although one was made by God and the other was the so-called finished product of alchemy, they should be similar... But after returning to the God Mountain, Zephyros still planned to learn about similar knowledge with Hephaestus.
"Ahem, sorry, I'm not in a good mood recently."
The God of the West Wind pretended that no one knew about the previous things. Anyway,
it was just a black history of a bird, and he swore that he would never turn into a bird again.
"It doesn't matter. In fact, you have been in a coma for a day."
"Then may I ask, do you want to take the eighth test?"
"..."
Silently, Zephyros' eyes twitched.
If there was a glimmer of hope for success, he would try hard.
However, this strange knowledge was completely beyond his comprehension. If he didn't have someone to teach him, he would never pass it.
"Well... I want to ask."
"Apart from this test, is there any other way to enter Silver Moon City?"
The God of West Wind hesitated and had already given up hope.
If it really didn't work, he could only go to see the God King... However, as long as he thought about his experience in the past few days, and that Zeus would definitely ask him why his actions were blocked, he still wanted to struggle on his own.
"Ah, please wait for me to search... I got it."
In Zephyrus's hopeful eyes, the bronze sphere turned slightly.
After a while, the answer that almost made him burst into tears came from the sphere.
Finally... I have paid so much, if I give up like this, it would be too much of a loss.
The God of West Wind, who didn't know what "sunk cost" was, breathed a sigh of relief. He felt that he saw the hope of a comeback.
"Then please ask..."
"It's very simple."
The bronze sphere shook slightly, and then emitted a dim light.
"It's like this. Since the intelligence test is not up to standard, we have to change direction and conduct a physical test."
"We may test Mr. Bird's body fluids, structure, and test his reactions in various environments."
"If all of the above meet expectations, you can still get a special admission ticket."
"Then, No. 001, are you ready to give up the written test and take the physical test?"
"Of course!"
Gnashing his teeth, Zephyros agreed.
Damn it, why didn't I tell him that there was such a shortcut earlier.
If he had known earlier, how could he have cheated and been caught?
If this thing gets out, the entire Olympus gods will probably become a laughing stock in the world... Thinking of this, the God of West Wind nodded fiercely.
Damn it, if he has the chance, he will sooner or later flatten Silver Moon... Well...
...Forget it.
After thinking for a moment, his reason returned, and Zephyros silently gave up this idea. After all,
it is a sect that believes in the original god. He, the God of West Wind, always respects his predecessors and will not do such an unwise thing.
"Humph, if I have the chance, sooner or later I will steal the information of Silver Moon City and destroy it!"
Zeferos silently made a fierce sound, and looked up at the bronze sphere.
"Lead the way, a mere physical test is nothing to me."
"I hope that once I pass the test, there will be no more trouble waiting for me."
"...Okay, Mr. 001, please follow me."
The light flickered, as if it was also infected by Zeferos' confidence.
The bronze ball of light changed after hearing the words, and then turned into an arrow mark to point the way.
It floated in front of the God of West Wind, guiding him to go deeper into the center of the puzzle lock.
"It's over there, not far away."
"To be honest, a 'tester' who actively cooperates with you...we haven't seen one for many years." It
has indeed been many years.
To be precise, it has never been seen before.
Click -
Time never stops for anyone. In the whole world, Silver Moon City and the East Sea are just tributaries of fate.
Perhaps the meeting between Hercules and Prometheus will be a turning point, but before that, the center of the world is not there.
The next day, when the goddess of dawn danced in the sky, Olympus was still jubilant.
Under the fortress of the Aigario Mountains, countless figures gathered again.
The world of gods and humans is never the same. When the gods focused their attention on Achilles, the war in the world did not stagnate.
With the arrival of the coalition forces of various countries, a bloody battle was about to begin here.
At this moment, in the center of the fortress, a middle-aged man in gorgeous clothes pushed the door open.
He had already visited the owner of this fortress, and in the sense of the world, the king he was loyal to as a "noble".
But only he knew what his purpose was here.
He needed an answer, which could be regarded as solving the doubts in his heart.
"Long time no see, Count Ilos."
"It's been a while since we last met."
Ryan put down the pen in his hand and looked up from the table.
Looking at the uninvited guest, he stretched out his hand and the chair in front of him was pulled out from the table.
"Welcome to come here to fight for Athens, but why did you come to me?"
"You know very well what I'm doing, and you should know who I am." He
spoke in a deep voice and got straight to the point.
There is no doubt that the god of speech appeared here at this moment.
With a serious face, the middle-aged man sat down and looked directly at Ryan across the table.
"You called Chiron, you asked him to come to me and then involved me in this dispute."
"Anyway, should you give me an explanation?"
Yes, if it weren't for Chiron and Achilles, the god of speech should not have come here at this time.
He had thought of many situations. As Zeus's implicit attitude became clearer, Iapetus knew that he would make a choice after all.
It was for this reason that he provided some help to the Centaur.
However, the God of Speech had a good idea. It was just some insignificant hints, which should not be a big deal.
But what he never expected was that the human would actually do such a thing, and was actually able to do such a thing.
He had a chance to escape, but he chose to make a scene in the God Mountain... and as a human, he really opposed the gods to a certain extent. For
a moment, Iapetus didn't know whether he should call him a madman.
Holding a sword, he had the power to rival the Lord God. Even the God of Speech himself had never seen such a thing.
If he hadn't personally experienced the true power of the great divine power, Iapetus asked himself, I'm afraid he would inevitably be inflated if he was in his place.
But people who have seen the world are always different from those who haven't seen it. It didn't take long for the God of Speech to guess the "cause and effect".
The sword of the Lord of the Spirit World? And in the end, that mortal was worthy of the Lord of Darkness to personally leave the underworld and subdue him.
Sure enough, this war in the human world has always been just a superficial phenomenon, and the conflict between the God King and the Primordial God, and between the Primordial God and the Primordial God is the real core.
Mother Earth Gaia is Zeus's first enemy, and the Lord of the Spirit World may be the next one. The gods in the human world are just obstacles that are removed along the way.
The most unfortunate thing is that Iapetus, who has been cautious for an era, just happened to play the role of a pawn at the beginning of this conflict.
"Explanation?"
After coming back to his senses, all kinds of pros and cons flashed through the mind of the God of Speech.
Sitting opposite him, Ryan asked with a smile.
"What explanation do you mean?
" "Did I force you to help Chiron with his plans... or did I force Zeus to imprison, torture, and arrest your children?"
"Well... Your Highness Iapetus, these things have nothing to do with me."
"If you want, Chiron is actually completely impossible to see you. "
"..."
After a brief silence, the God of Speech finally confirmed that the man in front of him had indeed recognized his true identity from the beginning, and not just seen some clues.
However, in comparison, he knew nothing about the other party.
From the first meeting at the competition to now, Iapetus's only impression of Ryan was that the other party seemed to know him very well.
"The explanation I want is very simple, give me a reason, a reason for you to fight against the God King."
"If there is no such reason, then I would rather leave the earth and the sea forever and exile myself to the depths of the starry sky."
"Nothing is eternal, not even Zeus."
"When that time comes, I can still come back."
The tone was serious and the face was solemn.
However, in this world, probably only the goddess of lies can tell whether Iapetus is lying or not, and the rest of the people can't recognize his true thoughts.
But what the God of Speech wants is actually not difficult. Since he wants a reason to fight Zeus, just give him one.
"Remember before and after Zeus entered the abyss at the Golden Apple Banquet?"
Ryan asked with a smile.
"You mean... the abyss? "
His expression changed slightly. At this moment, Iapetus was somewhat surprised.
So that's it... It was Tartarus.
The changes in the underworld were no secret, but no one knew what caused it.
Was it that part of the abyss's thoughts were activated, or was there a forbidden demon like Typhon born in it? But now it seems that the existence inside undoubtedly possesses wisdom.
He even took action long ago and made prior arrangements in the human world.
So, is this a battle between the original gods, the Abyss and the Spirit Lord against the darkness and the God King?
The God King rules the world, and the darkness is involved in the Abyss... So it seems to be true.
From this point of view, although the God King has a geographical advantage in the human world, it seems that there is really no other choice for his embarrassing identity.
"Okay, I accept it."
Exhaling a breath, Iapetus finally made a choice.
The power comparison between the original gods is only known to them.
And since Zeus, the God King, is unwilling to take direct action in the human world first, perhaps it means that he has lost the blessing of the geographical advantage and has no confidence in winning.
Thinking of this, the God of Speech stood up from his seat.
Although the human in front of him did not show strong power, since he was able to come here on behalf of the great man of the abyss, he was enough to get his respect.
"Anyway, I've already joined in, and it's too late to retreat."
"So I'm willing to join you, and as a gift, I will help Athens solve the current difficulties."
"The army outside the city has been wandering for many days, trying to attack the city dozens of times."
"It won't be long before they launch a real general attack."
"Although the Aigario Mountains are natural barriers, it is difficult for Athens alone to stop the coalition forces of various countries."
"Especially since the gods may die at any time, the top priority is to repel the army outside the city first, and then force the coalition forces to split up."
Nodding secretly, Ryan admitted that Iapetus's idea made some sense.
The later military strategy says that if there are ten, surround them; if there are five, attack them; if there are twice as many, fight them; if there are enemies, divide them; if there are fewer, defend them; if they are not weak, avoid them.
Whether it is a battle between individuals or a battle between countries, there has never been a victory of the weak over the strong, only the strong bullying the weak.
The war that seems to be a disparity in numbers is still the case in some parts.
Even in the mobile warfare and guerrilla warfare of the firearms era, the same principle applies.
"However, the coalition forces will not retreat easily. They want to achieve their goal in one battle and show off their power in front of the gods."
"So, Your Highness Iapetus, what is the plan?"
Although he had other plans, Ryan was still willing to give the God of Speech a chance to perform, rather than using his own methods.
As for the reason... it was related to his recent discovery.
"Don't worry about it. Wait a few more days and I will definitely solve this trouble."
Having made the decision, Iapetus quickly got into the state.
He was not unwilling to obey mortals as a god, but was very adaptable.
Seeing that the God of Speech was so confident, Ryan nodded immediately.
"In this case, I will wait for good news."
·······
After sending Iapetus away and reviewing a few documents again, Ryan turned and came to a closed basement.
The only exit was closed, and it was pitch black here.
In the darkness, Ryan took a few steps forward and walked to the center of the basement.
The room was empty, like a sealed coffin.
Only the ground was the center, with something vaguely painted on it.
Walking forward slowly, Ryan gently raised his hand, and a ball of fire flashed on his hand.
Puff -
the fire dissipated and illuminated the ground.
Visible to the naked eye, a complex pattern was intertwined and engraved in blood.
It was like thousands of runes were integrated to outline the most ordinary stroke.
They overlapped each other and went back and forth as one.
And what finally appeared in front of him was a tree stump with only a few remnants left.
"... [Kingdom]..."
Reaching out and touching it lightly, trying to connect with the incomplete rune carving.
However, Ryan's hand passed through the image in front of him without using any extraordinary power.
He knew why, because as the Lord of Spirituality, he had never really touched the essence of [Matter].
And the beginning of this world's [Matter], even to this day, still belongs to her, to the original god bred by Chaos himself.
Even though she had already lost all her branches, even though her trunk had been replaced by something else, the final root was still in her body.
As long as the earth was still connected, Chaos's original [matter] would not have a second source.
"Falling from the sky to the earth, and then ascending from the earth...traveling back and forth three times, gaining the abilities above and below."
"Are all the rules in this world so similar in the end?"
Ryan took a step back and withdrew his hand, no longer making unnecessary attempts.
He let Iapetus solve the problem in his own way, and of course he had his intentions.
This might not be as perfect as his method, and even with other subsequent actions, it might lead to a temporary defeat in the Athenian war, but all this was actually unimportant.
Be it a war among humans or a war among gods.
In the Age of Gods, the human world could be very exciting.
But everyone knows that only those who stand at the top win, and the rest of the followers have the possibility of winning in the end.
Ascending to the gods has never been a specific concept.
Or to be more precise, the word "god" in the word "ascending to the gods" itself has no unique interpretation.
From a narrow perspective, the so-called ascension to the gods is just the process of mortals becoming gods.
No matter what means or methods are used, it can be called ascension to the gods.
However, from a broad perspective, the true meaning of ascension to the gods is not like this. What it really points to should be this transformation itself.
From mortals to gods is "ascending to the gods", and from true gods or incomplete primitive gods to truly complete great divine powers is also "ascending to the gods".
Even taking other paths and becoming the favored of the outer gods, even demons like Typhon, is the same.
And following this path to the end, becoming the creator who is on par with the world, the omnipotent supreme being, can also be called "ascending to the gods".
So whether it is Erebus who tried to open up the world or Ryan who tried to separate humanity and divinity, what they pursued is naturally not the narrow version. After all
, they are gods, so why bother climbing the road again.
Of course, no matter how to understand it, for the gods themselves, since they cannot find objects to learn from and there is no precedent to see, the process of mortals becoming gods has value. It's
just the past. The Lord of Darkness is limited by the present world. Even if the degree of personification is far less than Gaia, it is still not on par with darkness itself.
Therefore, at this point, he puts more energy on how to break free from the shackles, rather than the illusory future.
So in some things, Erebus has never paid much attention.
But unlike him, Ryan, who owns the spiritual world, is the one who really needs to consider this issue.
"'Integrate with the Tao' but not 'transform into the Tao', the wise men of later generations have also thought about this issue..."
"Oh, in fact, if I just stop at the realm of great divine power, I don't need to consider this issue at all."
Walking out of the underground secret room, Ryan closed the door.
Separate from divinity and divide the two.
There is only one reason for Ryan to do this. That is how to make him truly merge with the source power so that rationality will no longer be worn away by this source power.
But in fact, as he said.
If it is just for the coexistence of reason and power, Ryan, who has the spiritual world, does not need to consider these issues at all.
So what if reason cannot bear the source power, it does not affect his ability to exert his own power.
But with the end of Hemenu's journey, Ryan once again confirmed a result.
That is, the truly great power can never be controlled by "people".
Chaos did not manifest in human form, even if he divided the world and the outside world as his two sides, he still couldn't do it.
The Nine Realms were divided into nine, and the giants on the Golden Gallon Chasm were unaware.
Hemenu's power was the weakest, and He was the most strict in dividing himself.
But even if He divided himself into eight parts, he still only manifested briefly in the world with a beast-headed human body in the most ancient creation era.
As for Amon... Although Ryan has never seen him, even if he has seen him, the result will be no different.
If there was no action by Ra, if Hemenu had not died.
Even if another 100,000 years passed, Amon would never be able to break away from the restrictions of the Eight Primordial Gods and walk in the world as an independent life.
It can be seen that no matter where you are, as long as the power is stronger, it is more difficult to maintain sanity.
And the world is like this, so are the gods.
Even in different worlds, the gods with wisdom have made more attempts.
The gods of Chaos benefited from the priesthood bestowed by the world, and the primitive gods used the way of personified gods to circumvent this problem.
The only price is that they are restricted by the world and can never fully exert their power.
The gods of the nine realms took a different approach. They separated the spirit from the flesh.
The gods can die, and the soul can fall into the netherworld. Since then,
the dead gods no longer have the power they had before they died, so as to separate the authority from themselves.
In addition, the gods of Hemenu are the same.
They circumvented this problem with the existence of "Ka" and "Ba", and used the spiritual part to bear the pressure instead of themselves.
And in the end, although the way to open up the interface is better than these three, the peak of the great power is still a chasm that is difficult to cross.
Therefore, it is imperative to separate human nature. Even if the exploration of the road is still difficult, Ryan did not choose to give up.
However, many things cannot be solved by spending time... It was not until the matter of Hemenu was resolved and the system of the three worlds was combined that everything began to take shape.
If Ryan could see another true mortal god-ascending person appear, he would dare to say that his path had finally gotten rid of the darkness and saw some light.
"From heaven to earth, and then from earth to heaven."
"Strictly speaking, I have actually completed it, but it is an incomplete completion."
"And this process has been going on since I came to this world."
Looking back, the structure in his mind became clearer.
It was the first time to become a god from a mortal, giving up the extreme of mortals, falling from 'heaven' to 'earth', and then from mortals to gods, ascending from 'earth'.
Even the moment of opening up the interface was the second time, giving up everything as a god and turning them into nutrients for creation.
When the spiritual world was opened up, it was another reincarnation.
However, unlike the second time, when he got that drop of the original liquid of creation, looking back, Ryan realized why he had always had such a subconscious concern for the path of mortals to gods.
Because his spiritual instinct had long told him that his first reincarnation was incomplete. He
had not reached the pinnacle of mortals, nor had he ascended to the level of a god, but had completed everything through a reincarnation that he himself did not even remember.
If the great gods were the pinnacle, then this would not have any impact.
But if he wanted to continue, then this would be a hurdle he absolutely could not avoid.
Creak—
pushing open the door, Ryan walked out of the room slowly.
The sky brightened, and another day arrived.
"So far, everything is going well."
"As for Erebus...if the remains of Hermeneus are completely integrated into Chaos, he will still remain the same as it is now."
"Then Gaia or Tartarus's today may be his tomorrow."
The soldiers in the city began to change shifts, but most of them were full of hope for the future.
However, Ryan knew that most of them might be destined to die in this war and become insignificant cannon fodder.
After watching for a while, he turned around. There was still something to do today.
As for the army outside the city... wait a minute.
How to deal with it, let's see what Iapetus gave him.
······
Wow—— At dawn, the God of Speech flew out of the fortress in the Aigario Mountains.
Now that he had understood the true inside story of this war, Iapetus completely calmed down.
The battle between the primitive gods may have a winner or loser, but there should not be a real result.
After all, apart from Uranus, even Gaia only lost some face.
"Two choices, start with those mortals, or go find some old friends."
"Hmm..."
After a moment of hesitation, the God of Speech made a decisive choice.
Compared with the latter, the former is easier.
After being in contact with mortals for a long time, Iapetus has more or less a lot of unique experience.
As for how he should solve it...
His figure flashed and he changed his clothes.
At this moment, he no longer looked like a noble, but a knowledgeable sage.
"To deal with these mortals, force is the lowest way."
"Now, it's my turn to perform."
Waiting silently on the cliffs of the mountain outside the fortress, Iapetus witnessed another tentative siege.
With the blessing of the power of the earth, Athens' defense was very solid.
However, the God of Speech could see that this was only because none of the heroes on the coalition side had a chance to fight.
This obviously could not last long. After all, whether for the sake of the gods or for their own reputation, the heroes of the kings of the world would sooner or later take action, and even attack with the help of the gods.
So Iapetus patiently waited until the evening approached. He searched in the camp of the coalition for a while and finally chose one side to follow.
"..."
"... Your Majesty."
In the evening, in the camp of the coalition.
Although it was nominally a coalition, there were conflicts between the countries on the continent.
Although some problems could be temporarily put aside under the will of the gods, in some places, the countries still seemed to be clearly divided.
Sitting in the tent, Priam frowned.
He carefully checked the casualty figures in front of him, and did not even notice the voice of the guards for a while.
"... Your Majesty..."
"... Your Majesty?"
"Hmm?"
He raised his head slightly, awakened from his meditation, and looked at his guards.
It was another meaningless day, with no progress except the loss of hundreds of lives.
But even so, the king still rejected his son Hector's request to fight in broad daylight.
There was no other reason. If there was one, it was that they could not be the first to go. After all,
Athens was not an ordinary small country. Even a powerful hero might fail in front of them.
Without the help of gods and absolute advantage, if something unexpected happened, Priam would never tolerate it.
"...What's the matter?"
The king asked in a low voice. He knew that if there was nothing to be sure about, his guards would not look for him at this time.
As expected, after listening to the guard's story, the king could not help but be speechless for a while.
"Are you saying that there is a scholar from Athens who wants to come to see you?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Kneeling on one knee, the guard nodded and replied.
"Oh, this is interesting."
Although he didn't know what the visitor wanted to do, the king was still interested.
At this time, an Athenian dared to come here.
If there was no suitable reason, Priam would not mind using him to boost the morale of the army.
"Go and call Hector first, and then bring the Athenian to see me."
After thinking for a moment, the king made a decision.
He had to meet, but safety also had to be guaranteed.
Only with Hector present could he feel at ease.
So a moment later, when Iapetus walked into the tent.
Almost immediately, he saw the tall and mighty hero in bronze armor.
"What a warrior!"
He praised loudly, but the praised man was not moved at all.
Instead, in the center of the tent, the voice of King Priam came clearly.
"Hector is certainly a warrior. As my eldest son, he is destined to conquer Athens and establish unparalleled merits."
"So Athenians, are you surrendering to me on behalf of your king? If so, then I accept your surrender."
Priam's momentum was rising without hesitation.
In the dim tent, Hector's weapon flashed with cold light.
However, facing the king's cold tone, the god of speech just laughed three times and answered loudly:
"Hahaha... I thought the king of Troy was a smart man, but I didn't expect him to say such a thing."
"Now it seems that I have come to the wrong place."
"Huh? What do you mean!"
Priam stood up from the table with a bad look in his eyes.
Noticing his father's anger, Hector also stepped forward.
"What do you mean? It's very simple."
Without fear, Iapetus smiled and said: "Your Majesty Priam, I came to see you this time just to save you."
"But I see that Your Majesty is still unaware of his death, which really makes me a little disappointed."