Chapter 47 Sacrifice

Prometheus only smiled and said nothing in response. Hebe felt helpless; all she could do was remind him of a few things. Ultimately, the outcome depended on Prometheus's own decisions. As the goddess's projection dissipated, it transformed into glimmers of morning light and vanished. Prometheus picked up his staff and looked up at the vast sky beyond the temple, a cold smile curling at the corners of his mouth. Indeed, Lady Hebe had good intentions, but she underestimated the wrath and pride of an ancient deity who had existed since the time of the Titans. From the very beginning, he had intended to take revenge on Zeus… In the divine hall of life within the sacred mountain, Hebe opened her eyes. She thought for a moment; even with the help of the golden staff, raising a thousand bulls would still be a bit challenging for humanity. Moreover, winter had already set in on the earth, making the actions and efficiency of living beings sluggish during this season. …Forget it, after all, I was once human in my past life, and now I am their creator in this life. If I can lend a hand, then I will. 'In the name of the life goddess Hebe, my faithful followers, your devotion has moved me. For the coming year, you will not need to provide me with sacrifices of cattle and sheep. Flowers and prayers will be the best offerings to me." The goddess's voice resonated throughout the temples on earth. The new humans received the goddess's pardon, their faces filled with gratitude as they fervently praised her grace. A continuous stream of faith flowed into the sacred mountain, collected by Hebe in her staff of life. Such a thing is possible? This rushing faith left the gods dumbfounded once again. This faith came too easily, didn't it? 'In the name of Hestia, the guardian of the home, I exempt my followers from sacrifices of cattle and sheep for the coming year…" Following Hebe, Hestia, the eldest daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and the sister of Zeus, the king of the gods, also spoke up. Hestia held a special position on the sacred mountain; having grown weary of the advances of male gods, she chose to channel her love into selfless affection for the beings on earth, swearing an oath by the River Styx to exist as a maiden goddess. She was one of the few true gods on the sacred mountain who cared for humanity, not viewing them as mere servants. Upon hearing the news that Zeus demanded a thousand bulls as sacrifices from humanity, she had already felt discontent. Although she wished to help humanity, she was powerless against the iron decree of the king of the gods. However, Hebe's declaration undoubtedly inspired her. If I cannot directly help humanity, then I will lighten their burden from the side. I'm in a good mood today, so I exempt my followers from their offerings. This concerns the faith of the gods themselves, and even Zeus wouldn't dare interfere. Now, you can't control me. This goddess was truly bold, too; she couldn't even be bothered to find an excuse like Hebe did and directly announced her decision, showing no regard for her brother, the king of the gods. 'In the name of the goddess of wisdom and craftsmanship, my faithful followers, for the coming year, please offer me green olives as sacrifices…" After Hestia, Athena also spoke up. This wise goddess was willing to offend her father in order to make her declaration. Firstly, Prometheus had promised her the right to create human women, and if Zeus's actions led to a sharp decrease in the human population, it would be her who felt the pain! Secondly, the immense faith was simply too enticing. Sorry, Father, but let's not be in contact for a while; I'm afraid humanity might misunderstand. 'In the name of the sun god…" 'In the name of the sea king…" … Within the sacred mountain and on the earth, the declarations of the gods echoed one after another. Among these gods, some truly cared for humanity, while others were dissatisfied that Zeus only mentioned his own name when demanding sacrifices. More than that, many were drawn to the vast faith that humanity provided. Watching the faith flowing into their divine essences, the growing divine power made the gods squint with pleasure; when would they ever have the opportunity to gain so much faith? There was no choice; this wave relied entirely on the support of their peers. Great king of the gods, Zeus, I'm sorry, but sacrificing one god brings happiness to countless families. In the throne room, Zeus's expression was as dark as the bottom of a pot. These rebellious gods would eventually pay for their actions! As spring turned to autumn and the seasons cycled, a year was, for the eternal gods, sometimes just a period of deep slumber. On this day, the gods, unusually in sync, set aside their work or pleasures and gathered on the radiant Olympus. This was because today marked the day when humanity would show their devout faith to Zeus, the king of the gods. They would offer a thousand bulls as sacrifices to this great ruler. The sacrifice of a thousand bulls was an unprecedented spectacle, and regardless of their motivations, the gods were unwilling to miss this grand event. Zeus, adorned in luxurious attire and wearing a crown made of olive branches atop his dazzling golden hair, held the symbol of his power—lightning—in his left hand. He led the gods to the designated location at Comene, where he had arranged to meet Prometheus. At this moment, Prometheus, the creator and protector of humanity, was already waiting at the altar in Comene, where the new humans were carrying the pre-split bulls. As the tall figure of Zeus, the king of the gods wielding lightning, appeared in the sky over Comene, the new humans placed the offerings they were carrying before the gods. The thousand bulls were divided into two sides. The offerings on the left appeared slightly smaller, consisting of less desirable parts such as the cows' rumens and hides, which looked rather shabby and unappealing. Seeing the offerings on the left, Zeus frowned, clearly dissatisfied. He then turned his gaze to the offerings on the right, which looked much more appealing. The rich fat glistened enticingly, appearing succulent and juicy. Zeus was undoubtedly very pleased and tempted by these offerings, and he couldn't help but smile. 'Oh, son of Iapetus, the most esteemed of gods, my dear friend, your division seems a bit biased. Humanity could certainly keep some more delicious parts for themselves." While saying this, Zeus had already made his choice regarding the offerings. Would he ever select anything from the left? That was out of the question. As the supreme ruler and king of the gods, how could the quality of the offerings he enjoyed be lower than what humanity kept for themselves? 'Great king Zeus, please choose one portion as your sacrifice, while the remaining portion will be a generous gift to the humans on earth after the ceremony," Hebe said, standing beside Zeus, her expression peculiar as she observed the scene before her. The eyes of the gods could see everything, but no matter how she looked, the offerings on the left were indeed a chaotic assortment of scraps, while the right side featured the perfect cuts of succulent beef and nutritious entrails. 'Prince Apollo, which portion do you think should be chosen?" To verify her observations, Hebe even asked her old rival, Apollo. Hebe's sudden inquiry caught Apollo off guard. The handsome sun god raised an eyebrow; he seemed to remember that his relationship with this goddess was not particularly good. …Forget it. Since she sincerely asked the question, he would reluctantly give her an answer. 'If it were me, I would naturally choose the offerings on the right. Only such succulent and juicy beef and entrails would be worthy of noble gods," the radiant sun god Apollo replied, his tone filled with pride and certainty. Hebe nodded, choosing not to speak further. Even Apollo's all-seeing eye could not discern any issues, indicating that her advice to Prometheus had indeed been heeded—humans would use genuine materials to honor Zeus. This was good; at least the prophet would not incur Zeus's wrath and be locked in that high mountain, tormented day and night by the divine eagle, unable to gain freedom. 'Then, my friend, I will choose this portion on the right as my sacrifice. Humanity, your devotion has been felt. I will bestow upon you the fire taken from the sun, for you to keep warm, cook food, and protect your homes." Zeus selected the offering, laughed heartily, and announced, as he took a flame from Apollo's chariot of the sun and placed it into a branch of the sacred tree, bestowing it upon humanity. '…" Prometheus smiled faintly. Even though Zeus had unilaterally altered the agreed-upon terms, he remained unfazed. The prophet turned to the humans and instructed them to carry the offerings from the right to the altar. He then personally took the burning branch of fire and ignited the offerings, presenting them to the king of the gods who had chosen them. The flames of the sun blazed brightly, quickly enveloping the offerings on the altar, licking at the rich fat and releasing an enticing aroma that filled the air. 'Ah!!!" Suddenly, a god let out a gasp. In the altar, after the rich fat had burned away, what was revealed was a pure white cow bone, devoid of any meat!