Chapter 48 Komene

What is going on?!" Herbert felt a storm of confusion rising within him. He exchanged a glance with Apollo, both seeing disbelief in each other's eyes. They had clearly investigated the situation, so why had the beef and offal turned into stark white bones? The gods looked again at the previously scorned scraps on the left side and discovered that beneath the rumen and cowhide lay delicious beef and offal. 'What on earth is happening? Why does it differ from what we perceived…?" A god voiced the question, unable to contain their confusion. '…The cunning prophet." Athena, the goddess with bright eyes, surveyed the scene before her, her divine wisdom illuminating her mind as she quickly pieced together the situation. 'It is Epimetheus; the foolish power of the Afterthought God has clouded the clear minds and eyes of the gods." Only then did the gods notice the inconspicuous figure standing among the crowd, wearing a silly grin on his face. 'Afterthought" Epimetheus, the most foolish of the gods in the divine mountain, symbolized and embodied stupidity. 'Is the power of the Afterthought God capable of being used in such a way?" Athena's expression toward Prometheus was somewhat complex; the wisdom of this god was truly astonishing. He had brought Epimetheus to this sacrificial ceremony. This foolish god, with his muddled mind, had never been able to control his divinity and power well since his birth. His abilities not only affected himself but also unconsciously influenced the beings around him. Previously, for the sake of protection and precaution, Prometheus had kept his brother confined within the temple. Now, he had brazenly brought him out to participate in this sacrificial ceremony. Among the gods, he was the only fool god, which, in a sense, gave him a unique advantage. He possessed almost all the sources of ignorance and didn't have to worry about other gods competing with him, after all, who would want to make themselves foolish? This also resulted in his power being exceptionally strong, even capable of influencing the king of the gods, who possessed the wisdom of Metis, plunging him into chaos without his awareness, blinding him to the truth before him and leading him to make foolish choices. But can you say that Prometheus designed this intentionally? Not really; he merely expressed concern for his brother being bored in the temple all day. It was a rare grand celebration, so he took him out to see the world. Such a touching brotherly bond—how could Zeus dare to engage in conspiracy theories about him? Clever, truly clever! Athena felt she still had much to learn. '…" The sky was thick with dark clouds, and the continuous rumble of thunder echoed ominously. The king of the gods, Zeus, stood amidst the clouds, his expression terrifyingly grim. The howling winds reflected the fury within him; Prometheus's mockery had touched his sore spot. In a fit of rage, the Cloud God raised the thunderbolt in his hand and cast a cold gaze at Prometheus: 'Son of Iapetus, the cunning Titan, it seems you can't help but play your tricks!" 'In the name of the king of gods, because of your mockery, I will withdraw the blessings of the gods upon you. You will no longer possess eternal youth, nor will you be free from illness and disaster. The spark of fire I granted you will also be taken back." With the words of the king of gods, an unseen force descended, stripping away the blessings that the goddess of life, Hebe, had bestowed upon the new humans. Hebe's expression turned somewhat unpleasant. Was this a mistake? What did it mean for you to strip away my blessings while quarreling with Prometheus? The flames that burned fiercely on the ground also detached from their vessels, soaring into the sky, converging into a flicker of fire in the hands of the king of gods, which he then crushed into nothingness. After doing all this, Zeus cast a deep, contemplative glance at Prometheus. Unable to touch you, I'll start with the humans you love the most. Let's see how your most perfect creation falls into a dire situation from now on. Can you still remain so calm and composed as you are today? The master of thunder turned and left, no longer paying attention to the terrified humans below. Accompanying him was the goddess Hera, following in his footsteps. Yet, at the moment she turned, her magnificent purple eyes inadvertently met those deep green eyes for an instant, a flicker of complex thoughts crossing her gaze. With the king and queen of the gods gone, the deities who had witnessed this farcical event exchanged glances, unsure of what to say. After a while, they began to leave the scene one by one, unwilling to linger. To be honest, they felt that Prometheus had gone too far in his mockery of Zeus in order to help humanity. In the hearts of these gods, humans were merely servants, mere tools, and it was utterly ridiculous to infringe upon the interests of their own kin for the sake of humans. In the end, only Hebe and Athena remained at the scene. The two goddesses exchanged a glance, surprised that the other had not yet left. Then, understanding flashed in their minds. They tacitly chose not to ask each other and instead descended from the clouds to stand before Prometheus. The prophet seemed unfazed by the king of gods' anger and punishment. He remained calm and composed, directing the panicked humans to gather the remaining offerings, which, once dried, could sustain humanity for a long time. 'Prince Prometheus." 'Good day, noble and kind goddesses. I apologize for making you witness today's farce," Prometheus said with a cheerful smile as he saw Hebe and Athena approach. 'I believe you have met my brother, the Afterthought, Epimetheus." The foolish god heard his brother calling and came to his side, his somewhat dazed eyes looking at the two uniquely charming goddesses. He smiled foolishly, as if he had seen a beloved toy, and pulled on Prometheus's arm, saying, 'Pretty, brother, want!" '…" The two goddesses instinctively took several steps back. Although Epimetheus was foolish, he still appeared as a robust and tall god. Being eyed by such a towering figure made them feel extremely uncomfortable. They were also worried about being tainted by his foolish divine power again. '…Epimetheus, why don't you go play over there?" Prometheus said, his expression a bit awkward as he hurriedly sent his brother away. Once Epimetheus had left, the two goddesses finally sighed in relief and gathered back around Prometheus. 'Your Highness, your actions today were not particularly wise. While they may have embarrassed that one in front of the gods, given his personality, the deprivation of blessings and the spark of fire today is likely just the beginning," Hebe said, already foreseeing the future for the new humans. It seemed they were about to repeat the old patterns from memory, and the establishment of the cycle's plan needed to be expedited. 'Hebe is right. Since I was born from that one's mind, I have some understanding of his thoughts. The retaliation that the new humans—or rather, you—will face is likely far from over." The bright-eyed goddess Athena, now in an alliance with Prometheus due to her rights over the creation of human females, did not wish to see her ally and the new humans suffer retaliation from the king of gods. 'Thank you for your concern, both goddesses. I am well aware of this matter," Prometheus replied, his expression still calm. 'With the birth of women, the new humans will soon enter the process of free reproduction. The stripping of blessings will allow them to recognize the value of life and the difficulty of survival. Adversity always helps one grow." He then turned to Hebe. 'Thank you for your help this time, Hebe. I have left that item in your temple." As for what that item was, both parties were aware. Hebe nodded and, with a thought, summoned the divine power within the temple to retrieve the artifact. 'Athena, the agreement regarding your rights over the creation of women still stands. This is my insight into the laws of the soul, and I present it to you." Prometheus took out a piece of golden parchment, inscribed with profound divine script. 'From there, it will be up to you and Hebe to collaborate." …What is this sense of finality in handing over affairs? The two goddesses felt something was amiss. 'Prince Prometheus, may I ask what your plans are next?" Hebe asked after a moment of silence, unable to hold back her curiosity. 'Next… well, the other matters are not too concerning, but Zeus reclaiming the spark of fire is indeed a bit troublesome." Prometheus looked up at the sky, an enigmatic light flickering in his deep green eyes. No way… 'Your Highness, I think you should…" Before Hebe could finish her sentence, she saw the god before her place a finger on his lips, signaling her to stop. His handsome face bore an inscrutable expression, and his deep eyes sparkled with hints of light, as if he could faintly see visions of the future. Hebe felt a chill run down her spine; it seemed everything was within this god's calculations… Zeus returned to the throne room in a furious rage, slamming the doors of the temple shut with a wave of his hand, even rejecting his own queen, Hera, from entering. The other gods, aware that he had just been humiliated by Prometheus, understood his anger and wisely retreated to their own temples, not daring to disturb the wrathful king, fearing they might inadvertently get caught up in it.