Chapter 51 The Fire Stealer, Prometheus

Apollo, the sun god, was the son of the Night Goddess Leto. Naturally, he could not be obstructed by this power that derived from his own mother. With a slight exertion of his divine power, he dispelled the night sky, his teeth clenched in anger. Prometheus had stolen his mother's night sky; if this caused any repercussions for her, he would definitely not let Prometheus off the hook! As the light returned, it was already too late. Prometheus had scattered the fennel stalk containing the spark of thunderfire down to the world. The fennel stalk, imbued with the spark of thunder, fell from the sky with a thunderous crash, and the dazzling sparks were so brilliant and enchanting. They transformed into flickering flames that flew across the Earth, bringing warmth and hope to the new humans suffering from darkness and the ravages of beasts. More importantly, a strange wave spread across the land. The humans on Earth inexplicably felt that their vision had become clearer than ever before. Something seemed different, but they couldn't quite pinpoint what had changed. The spark of the soul had been ignited, and the fire of civilization began to burn brightly. "My lords, it seems you have arrived a moment too late." Prometheus was no longer fleeing; he turned to face the two pursuing deities, wearing his usual calm smile. "…" Prometheus was captured and brought back to the mountain of the gods. The king of the gods was extremely angry about his actions. Dark clouds enveloped Mount Olympus, and thunder and lightning reflected his foul mood. Prometheus's theft of divine fire was of a particularly heinous nature. The king of the gods, Zeus, invoked his divine authority and summoned the eleven existing major gods of Olympus to the main temple. The gods sat on their thrones, while the sinner Prometheus was bound in chains, kneeling at the lower end, awaiting the judgment of the gods. Of course, Hebe was also present. She looked at Prometheus and found that he was only lowering his head and not meeting her gaze. She sighed; it seemed he didn't want her to intervene in this matter. "Prometheus, you have not only mocked the gods but also stolen the spark of fire. This sin is unforgivable! Hephaestus, retrieve all the sparks of fire from the Earth!" The king of the gods sat on his throne and began to pass judgment on Prometheus's crimes, commanding his eldest son, Hephaestus, the god of fire and forging, to reclaim the sparks of fire from the Earth. "Once the sparks are taken back, you will never know who will overthrow your rule." To everyone's surprise, Prometheus lifted his head. In his dark green eyes, the light of wisdom flickered, as if unknown information was swirling within them. This seemingly weak god of wisdom now exuded a disquieting power that made others feel apprehensive. "Even your enemies will know the contents of the prophecy." "You!" Prometheus's words undoubtedly infuriated Zeus. The god of dark clouds had lightning crackling in his hands, and even his eyes began to emit pale sparks. If it weren't for his concern about the prophecy, he might have already struck Prometheus down with a bolt of lightning. "Great Father God, merciful king of the gods, while Prometheus's theft of divine fire is indeed wrong, humanity on Earth has already endured a long period of punishment. They have recognized their mistakes and come to the temples of the gods daily to confess and repent. Why not give them a chance and leave the spark of fire with them?" Prometheus had brought this upon himself, but the humans on Earth were quite innocent. Hebe decided to speak up for them. It was truly a case of gods fighting while mortals suffer; it was not hard to understand why the gods would face twilight. "Hebe is right. Zeus, the humans on Earth have indeed recognized their offenses against the gods. Recently, they have continued to offer sacrifices to the gods even while enduring hunger. If you take back the sparks of fire, how can I, as the goddess of the hearth and family, fulfill my divine duties? I oppose this proposal." The goddess Hestia also spoke up. Prometheus may have wronged you, but why should humanity suffer for his actions? "I also agree. Without the spark of fire, humanity cannot obtain food, and without strong bodies, they have no heart to practice martial arts. The followers of my temple, the goddess of war, have decreased." Ares stood up and spoke loudly. His chiseled features and strong, perfect physique made Aphrodite glance over, her jade-like eyes sparkling with unspoken thoughts. Setting Prometheus aside for the moment, the gods expressed their opinions on the decision to reclaim the sparks of fire. Hebe, Hestia, and Ares voiced their opposition. Apollo, still resentful over Prometheus's theft of the night sky, supported Zeus's decision. Aphrodite claimed the matter did not concern her and abstained. Hephaestus, being honest and reserved, also chose to abstain. Athena did not wish to get involved and likewise abstained. Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and harvest, usually residing on Earth and possessing a gentle and serene temperament, expressed her desire not to participate and abstained as well. Poseidon, the nominal ruler of the oceans and the earth-shaking god, secretly wanted to cast a vote against Zeus to see his arrogant brother humbled. However, under Zeus's oppressive gaze, he backed down and voted in favor of Zeus's decision. Now the situation had formed an awkward tie of three against three, with the crucial deciding vote resting in the hands of the queen of the gods, Hera. All eyes turned to the beautiful and noble goddess with brown hair and purple eyes. Zeus smiled confidently; Hera was his queen, and as they were united, she had no reason not to support his decision. In the gaze of the gods, the esteemed Hera spoke. "I oppose." 'Hera!" Zeus stood up in anger, looking at his queen in disbelief, astonished, confused, and furious at her opposition to his decision. 'Zeus, enough. Don't let this escalate to an irreparable state. Do you really want your enemies to know the contents of the prophecy?" Hera glanced at her furious husband with her purple eyes, unfazed by his rage, and calmly reminded him. '…" Hera's words helped Zeus regain his composure. He cast a heavy gaze over the deities who opposed him, his eyes pausing briefly on Hebe. It seemed his daughter was becoming increasingly disobedient… Though he was angry, the establishment of the twelve major god positions on Olympus was not without significance. The major gods were protected by the laws, and their opinions, even from the king of the gods, could not be disregarded. In significant matters like today's, the major gods had the right to vote on the final outcome. The wisdom of Metis began to exert its influence once again. Zeus felt a shift in his heart, and his expression calmed. He sat back down on his throne and spoke with a measured tone, 'Since this is the decision of the gods, then very well, the sparks of fire shall remain on Earth for humanity to use." 'Prometheus, cunning son of Iapetus." The king of the gods turned his gaze to the kneeling sinner below, his eyes filled with cruel light. 'Your crimes are unforgivable. In the name of the king of the gods, you shall be expelled from the ranks of the gods on the mountain. Hephaestus, the god of fire and forging, will forge chains that seal your divine power. You will be bound upon the distant Caucasus Mountains, and my servant, the divine eagle, will peck at your liver day by day until the end of time." The gods are immortal; as long as it is not a fatal injury, Prometheus's liver, which is pecked out, will grow back the next day, only to be pecked at again by the eagle. This cycle of torment will continue endlessly, day after day. The other gods couldn't help but feel shocked by Zeus's cruelty, raising their assessment of the danger he posed to the highest level. It seemed that this king of the gods was naturally at odds with the gods of wisdom. One couldn't help but wonder who suffered more between Metis and Prometheus, the aunt and nephew. Indeed, Metis and Prometheus's mother, the ocean goddess Clymene, were both daughters of the world-encompassing ocean god Oceanus and the ocean goddess Tethys. By bloodline, Prometheus had to call Metis "aunt." However, Prometheus remained unmoved by Zeus's punishment. His expression was calm, as if he had already accepted his impending fate. This demeanor did not satisfy Zeus. He wanted to retaliate against Prometheus for his previous disrespect and threats. He spoke again, 'Since Prometheus, the guide of humanity, has committed crimes and will be imprisoned for life on the Caucasus Mountains, the humans on Earth will need a new leader. Conveniently, let this task fall to his brother, Epimetheus." Epimetheus? The god of folly? Surely, Zeus couldn't be serious? To let a foolish god lead humanity was absurd; his terrible divine power could influence even the gods, let alone humans. It was clear that Zeus was indirectly punishing humanity. At this moment, Prometheus's emerald green eyes finally turned to Zeus. The gazes of the two gods met in the air, charged with tension. 'You wish to bestow wisdom upon humanity and create civilization. I will use the foolish power of Epimetheus to shroud their souls in a mist of stupidity. Let's see how long this fire of civilization can burn." 'Apollo, take this sinner away and make him face the punishment he deserves!" Upon receiving the command, Apollo rose from his throne, ready to take Prometheus away. However, the silent god suddenly spoke, 'Wisdom that is stolen cannot last long; it will eventually return to where it belongs. Those who desecrate wisdom shall face the retribution of the laws of wisdom!"