Chapter 35 The Position of the Lord God

"Alright, if others saw the dignified and noble Goddess of Life, the ruler of the Four Seasons, in this state, wouldn't they laugh at you?" Hera said, but her arms, white as lilies, wrapped around Hebe in a gentle embrace. She stroked her daughter's radiant golden hair, her eyes filled with maternal affection. "Let them think what they want; it's not like they could beat me anyway," Hebe muttered. "..." Hera wondered where this violent streak had come from. No, it must be Ares' influence! That troublesome boy! Always out fighting and causing trouble, and now he's corrupted his sister. After their warm conversation, Hera's tone grew serious. The brown-haired goddess looked at Hebe with a grave expression and said, "Zeus plans to elevate Apollo to the rank of chief god. He has gained dominion over the sun, and both his status and power make him worthy of this position. I have no reason to oppose it..." A flicker of sadness crossed Hera's violet eyes, but she quickly composed herself and smiled at Hebe. "But I won't let your father overlook you. Your achievements and status are no less than Apollo's. Your father has promised me that as long as you ascend to the rank of chief god, he will grant you a seat among them. I plan to give you my domain over childbirth. It complements your life domain perfectly, and once you fuse with it, you will surely ascend to the rank of chief god." Even with Hebe's typically reserved emotions, she couldn't help but feel touched by Hera's motherly care. She smiled brightly, her magnificent purple eyes filled with confidence and pride. "Mother, you needn't worry. I will safeguard both your honor and mine! Ascending to the rank of chief god is no great challenge." She stood up, and the exquisite, ornate crown of the Winter Goddess appeared atop her head. Her voice echoed across Mount Olympus. "Omnipresent laws, heed my words. As the Goddess of Winter, I declare that cold, frost, and decay are the true essence of winter. I will grant animals the gift of long, peaceful slumber during winter, to escape the ravages of hunger." The world's primordial energy surged, and the laws of nature evaluated Hebe's declarations, deeming them valid and reasonable. A divine core, pure white with a hint of pale blue mist, appeared before her—this was the divine essence of "Hibernation," representing the power of animal slumber. "I shall grant the vegetation a covering of frost, to shield them from the ravages of cold." The divine essence of "Frost" materialized within the world's energy. "I declare that winter shall have..." With each divine proclamation from the goddess, the world's energy surged anew, and more divine essences were born. Divine roles such as blizzards, hailstorms, and the aurora sparkled with radiant brilliance. Hera, watching from the side, was utterly stunned. She had never imagined that so many divine roles and essences could emerge from a single season of winter. It seemed so effortless that she almost believed she had fallen under Hypnos' power, trapped in a dream. As Hebe spoke, the rules of winter gradually took shape. By the time she finished, winter had fully formed, complete with its own laws and celestial phenomena. The laws of nature acknowledged the achievements of the ruler of the seasons, and the newly birthed divine essences merged into the essence of Winter itself. A powerful surge of divine energy erupted, and an overwhelming sense of authority radiated from Hebe. She had ascended to the rank of chief god! Half a month later... In the temple of Hebe, the Goddess of Life, nymphs with transparent wings flitted busily around the grand hall. They carried flowers, various types of silks, and jewelry crafted from gold, silver, and gems. "Hurry, hurry! Today is the goddess's big day, and nothing can be overlooked!" "Be careful with those jewels—don't damage them." "Euclir, quickly go to the garden and pick more hyacinths. We need them for weaving the goddess's floral crown." Now the head handmaiden of the temple, Aegesa's delicate face was stern, her eyes fixed intently on the nymphs bustling back and forth in the temple. She feared they might not perform their duties with enough care, thus tarnishing the goddess's honor. If anyone dared to let the goddess's glory fade, Aegesa would be the first to protest! "Yes, Sister Aegesa," the nymphs in the temple replied. Their faces were also lit with joy. Today was a grand day, and an unprecedented banquet was about to be held on Mount Olympus! What was the cause for such celebration? The King of the Gods, Zeus, had decided to elevate the newly ascended Sun God Apollo and the ruler of the Four Seasons, Hebe, to the rank of chief gods! When the news broke, Mount Olympus became abuzz with excitement. Two chief god seats were being filled at once, and with Aphrodite having already been honored with the title of chief god upon her birth, now only one chief god seat remained! This made the competition among the gods even fiercer. It is important to note that the rank of a chief god's power and the position of chief god are two entirely different concepts. The rank of a chief god refers to the level of divine power and personal strength a deity possesses. On the other hand, the position of chief god represents a higher form of honor and transcendence. A deity who ascends to this position not only gains the favor of the world and the ability to directly communicate with the laws of nature, but what is even more coveted is that a chief god can, to a certain extent, transcend fate itself. And what is the most fearsome thing in the world? It is the power of fate, held by the Goddess of Night, Nyx, and her three daughters, the Moirai. Nyx governs the fate of all living beings, including opportunities, hardships, certainties, and uncertainties. Her daughters, the Moirai, assist her by managing the life threads of all creatures. Clotho, the youngest sister, spins the thread of life by the banks of the River Styx, Lachesis, the middle sister, determines the length of life, and Atropos, the eldest, cuts the thread, ending life. Their control extends even to the gods. Although gods are beloved by heaven and earth, and Nyx and the Moirai cannot directly determine their fates, they can use their divine powers to influence destiny, guiding a being's life towards the outcomes they desire. The only way to avoid being manipulated by fate is to ascend to the position of chief god. To become a chief god is to mark oneself in the eyes of the laws of the universe. The threads of fate for chief gods are hidden from Nyx and the Moirai, handed over instead to the laws themselves. Unless a chief god commits an offense against the laws or suffers a powerful curse, no other god can influence their destiny. For better or for worse, their fate is now their own. Who would willingly be an insect manipulated by the threads of a spider? Who wouldn't desire that transcendence? In the Temple of Life, Hebe lay on her bed, propping her head up with one hand. In front of her was a round mirror forged of frost, and her jade-like hand glowed with a soft orange light. The divinity of history was activated. A layer of golden sand swept across the mirror's surface, revealing countless fragmented images. Hebe's eyes gleamed with golden light as she searched and observed these scenes. Suddenly, one image caught her attention. It was a battle from the ancient past. Countless towering giants fought and slaughtered one another on the earth, their immense strength stirring up hurricanes with a wave of their hands, collapsing mountains, and shattering the ground with their footsteps, revealing deep canyons. The Titanomachy! The history divinity recorded everything since the birth of light, but history could only be observed, not changed. Thus, this divine essence was useless to Apollo, who had paid little attention to it when trading it with Hebe. But to Hebe, this divine essence was like an inexhaustible treasure trove! It contained countless ancient secrets! Over the past period, she had continuously traced back through history. Although her divine power only allowed her to go as far back as the time of the Titanomachy, she had already uncovered many hidden truths. Watching the battles of the Titans, the first gods to appear in the world and the original masters of the laws, gave her unparalleled insights into the understanding and application of the laws. This brought Hebe many revelations regarding her comprehension of the laws. However, Hebe's primary goal in tracing history was to find a specific deity—a Titan whose powers were key to perfecting her own dominion over life. She had consulted the divine records. Among the gods who wielded the power of life, besides Gaia, the mother of all gods, and Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, there had once been a Titan who held this power as well, one even more powerful and primordial than Demeter. His name was Crius, the God of Growth, the god of growth, harvest, and agriculture. This Titan had perished during the Titanomachy. After his essence dissipated, the domains of harvest and agriculture were passed on to Demeter. Though Demeter could control the bounty and decay of plants, she could not govern the process of their growth, revealing that the divine essence of growth had not passed into her hands. So where was the divine essence of growth now? The light in Hebe's hands glowed brighter. She would need to ask Crius himself. The images in the frost mirror flickered rapidly until a tall male god with dark green curls appeared in the scene. His entire being radiated life energy. Holding a golden staff, he gently tapped it to the ground, and countless massive vines erupted from the earth, entangling the opposing gods, piercing their divine bodies and draining their divine power. The god let out a sigh, and the divine light around him shone even brighter.