Chapter 49 Concept of Reincarnation

Ah, anyway, the lifespan of the gods is nearly eternal. Zeus's anger will dissipate in a century or two; it's not a big deal. The gates of the Hall of the King of Gods were tightly shut, and the god with distinct knuckles and dark clouds looming over him covered his face with his hand, as if his anger had not yet subsided. 'Haha… Hahaha!" A broken laugh escaped through the gaps between the fingers of the king of the gods. Then, he lowered his hand, and the fragmented laughter transformed into a hearty laugh, as if some monumental joy had occurred. 'Prometheus, the wisest of the gods, your cunning is indeed extraordinary, but that does not mean you can easily fool all the gods. You are too proud and too confident; this pride and confidence will make you pay the price you deserve." Zeus raised his head, a strange dark blue light flickering on his forehead. A divine power of clarity, wisdom, and strategy surrounded him, providing him with a continuous flow of wisdom. The foolish divine power of Epimetheus was indeed powerful. At first, Zeus was genuinely deceived, believing that this prophet had finally changed his ways, set aside his pride, and expressed submission to him. But Prometheus underestimated a god: the first-generation goddess Metis, the ancient daughter of Oceanus, the god of the ocean, and Tethys, the goddess of the ocean, the primordial goddess of wisdom. Although Athena took part of her origin when she was born, the source of wisdom that remained within Zeus allowed him to break through the deception of Epimetheus's foolish divine power just before he chose the sacrificial offering, seeing the true nature of that offering. After the initial anger, a wave of ecstasy surged in Zeus's heart as a scheme formed in his mind. He continued to pretend to be deceived and chose the seemingly golden offering on the right, which was rotten inside. After the truth was revealed, he flew into a rage and stripped humanity of its blessings and the spark of fire. Without strong bodies and the source of fire, how could humanity survive on a land filled with beasts? How could they endure the cold winter? Prometheus would not give up the spark of fire, nor would he abandon his thunderous fire. What he needed to do now was simply set the trap and wait for the prey to walk into it. Regardless of whether the other party succeeded or failed, he was destined to judge their crimes and impose divine punishment on the new humanity on Earth. The warnings of the Moirai and the ever-growing wisdom of this generation of humans made him feel a sense of threat. What Zeus desired was the annihilation of this generation of humanity. He was an extremely cautious king of the gods. Since he knew where the source of the threat lay, he would extinguish it before the danger truly erupted—just as he had devoured Metis in the past. Afterward, he would create a new batch of humans. They would not need strong bodies or eternal youth, nor excessively wise souls. They only needed to be able to survive, to reproduce, and to hold the gods in reverence, providing them with a continuous source of faith... Hebe bid farewell to Prometheus and returned to her Temple of Life. The intrigues among the gods made her feel somewhat weary. She even faintly sensed that Prometheus, who appeared to care deeply for humanity, might not be as great and selfless as he seemed. Unable to see through him clearly, she decided not to concern herself further. If she couldn't understand it, then she wouldn't think about it anymore. Since Prometheus had his own plans, she would no longer meddle. The most important thing now was to seize the opportunity to take control of the cycle of life and death. "Pacus." The golden-haired, purple-eyed goddess closed her eyes and called out to her half-soul from the depths of her heart. In the Underworld, the black-haired god, who was in his own divine hall contemplating the laws of the universe, felt a shift in his expression. He closed his dark golden eyes, and his consciousness arrived in a strange space to meet his main body. "My lord, have you called me because the time is ripe?" "Exactly, Pacus. A disaster is brewing; another calamity is about to arrive. Within a hundred years, humanity on Earth will undergo another iteration. It is time to act. Go find the Master of Guests; this matter is of great importance. Try to get the Mistress of the Underworld to personally intervene." "I understand." After severing the connection with his main body, Pacus stood up, his dark golden wings unfurling from his back. He traversed the vast Fields of Truth and arrived at the Hall of Hades, stepping inside. In the Hall of Hades, the black-haired king of the Underworld sat on the skeletal throne. In front of him, a massive stone table was piled high with scrolls as tall as mountains, and there were no gods seated on the surrounding thrones. The gods of the Underworld were not as leisurely as those on Mount Olympus. Having experienced several calamities, the Underworld was filled with many restless souls. With more souls came more issues. Not to mention that Hades was currently buried in administrative duties, even the other Underworld gods were too busy to spare a moment. That was why when Thanatos captured Pacus, he was so overjoyed and wanted to make him his subordinate to share the burden. "The master of souls and wealth, the esteemed Master of Guests, I have an extremely important matter to discuss with you concerning the advancement of the Underworld." The god of the Underworld, adorned with dark golden wings, approached Hades and spoke softly. Upon hearing this, Hades's expression shifted. He set aside his complicated affairs and raised his head. Pacus mentioned the advancement of the Underworld, which made him take it seriously. The black-haired king of the Underworld had a thoughtful and scrutinizing look in his emerald eyes as he assessed the usually low-key god of Underworld Radiance, who rarely showed his true self. He hadn't expected Pacus to drop such a heavy bombshell upon visiting. "Merciful Radiance, Pacus, speak. What is this important matter that concerns the advancement of the Underworld?" Pacus's hand glimmered with divine light as a scroll made of golden sheepskin appeared in his grasp. As he handed the scroll to Hades, he continued: "The number of souls in the Underworld is increasing, and Elysium can no longer accommodate more souls. New souls of the deceased humans and beasts are constantly drifting through the Fields of Truth, creating a chaotic situation that is difficult to manage. More importantly, for every batch of beings that die, the Earth must expend a portion of its primal energy to create new souls. This is undoubtedly a tremendous drain on the world." "My proposal can repurpose the souls in the Underworld. Firstly, it can alleviate the workload of the Underworld gods; secondly, it can save a significant amount of primal energy for the world, bringing an opportunity for the Underworld to advance." Hades took the scroll and opened it, reading through the contents at a glance. It was a concept—a plan to repurpose the "waste" of souls in the Underworld. From the guidance of the deceased to their entry into the Underworld, the judgment of good and evil, the mechanisms of punishment and reward, and finally, their reincarnation into the world as new life—every detail was meticulously laid out, refreshing and astonishing. This concept was called "Reincarnation." The green-eyed king of the Underworld's eyes sparkled with brilliance. Having held a high position for many years, he naturally understood the value of this scroll. Pacus was not exaggerating; if these measures could be implemented, the Underworld could truly welcome the long-awaited advancement that had been brewing but was always out of reach! "Thanatos!" Hades directly invoked his authority as the king of the Underworld to summon this son of Nyx, his most capable assistant in the Underworld. A deity with pure white wings, incongruous with the Underworld, appeared in the Hall of Hades. His pink-purple eyes looked at Hades with a hint of confusion, unsure why the king of the Underworld had summoned him so urgently. "Thanatos, please take this scroll to your mother, the black-winged Nyx. She will understand after she reads it," Hades said, handing the scroll to Thanatos. "Yes, great lord of the Underworld." Seeing Hades's seriousness, Thanatos nodded, took the scroll, and spread his white wings, flying toward Tartarus, where both his mother and father resided, alongside their brother, the god of the Abyss. Thanatos moved swiftly, and in no time, a pitch-black curtain of night appeared in the Hall of Hades. From within emerged a goddess draped in a black starry veil. She was extraordinarily beautiful, embodying a tranquility, wisdom, and mysterious beauty unique to the night, radiating an indescribable nobility. Without needing excessive adornment, she stood there, and everyone around her couldn't help but feel a sense of submission and awe. One of the four original gods of the present world, the embodiment of night, the mother of fate, the supreme goddess Nyx. "Supreme goddess, welcome to your presence," Hades said, standing to greet the true ruler of the Underworld. "Hades, long time no see. Thanks to your governance, the Underworld has not descended into chaos; you have done well," the supreme primordial goddess said. She did not exhibit the arrogance of a higher being; instead, she was very approachable, her gentle words like a breath of spring, leaving others both surprised and honored. "It is my duty." In response to Nyx's praise, Hades merely smiled and acknowledged it. "Back to the point, Hades, was this concept of 'Reincarnation' proposed by you?" After the polite pleasantries, Nyx directly got to the point. This matter concerned the world of Chaos, and the time of the primordial gods was precious; she did not want to waste it on useless socializing. "Your Majesty Nyx, this proposal was put forth by the God of Light and Death of the Underworld, the son of the Earth and the Abyss, Pacus," Hades said, introducing the god with the ebony wings to the primordial goddess.