Chapter 52 Gifts

He uttered divine words, casting a curse. An invisible force descended upon Zeus, a response from the laws of wisdom to Prometheus's words, punishing Zeus, who had consumed the goddess of wisdom, Metis. Zeus's expression changed drastically. A dark blue light flickered on his forehead, trembling as if trying to escape from this usurper. And the direction it sought to flee was towards Athena! The goddess, clad in armor and with shining eyes, suddenly changed her expression. She looked at her father, the god, in confusion and found him gazing back at her, his eyes seemingly harboring a hint of murderous intent. Athena's heart raced with alarm. She stood up and directly declared to the laws, 'In the name of the goddess of wisdom, Athena, I voluntarily relinquish the inheritance from my mother." As her words were spoken, the divine light flickering on Zeus's forehead gradually ceased its struggle, forcibly suppressed by Zeus's divine power, preventing it from escaping. 'Well done, my daughter. Your loyalty pleases me," Zeus said, looking at his daughter, who understood the situation well, nodding in satisfaction. Athena forced a strained smile as she returned to her throne, her back already drenched in sweat. The goddess of life, Hebe, silently observed the farce, secretly amazed that this drama was truly unfolding as expected! She cast a glance at Athena, her purple eyes flashing with contemplation. It seemed this goddess was not as trusted by Zeus as she had imagined; perhaps... there was room for development. 'Shut his mouth and take him away!" Zeus roared, his gaze toward Prometheus filled with deep murderous intent and apprehension. Prometheus smirked disdainfully. So what if he was suppressed? The punishments of the laws were not limited to this. Enjoy the aid of wisdom while you can; soon enough, you will learn what it means to be outsmarted by your own cleverness. Apollo took Prometheus away, and the main hall of the gods fell into silence again. The gods, who had just witnessed the spectacle, exchanged glances, unsure of what to say. The atmosphere grew tense. 'Hephaestus!" Zeus suddenly spoke. 'Great king of the gods, what is your command?" The ancient-looking, limping god stood up and respectfully inquired, wary of his father, fearing that he might incur his wrath and be cast down from the mountain. 'After you forge the chains to bind Prometheus, I want you to create one more thing: a perfect human woman, whose beauty rivals that of the gods and possesses an irresistible charm for all men. I want to present her as a gift to humanity on Earth to celebrate their newfound right to use fire." A warm smile graced Zeus's face, but no deity would genuinely believe that it was a 'gift." Prometheus would be imprisoned for life on the Caucasus Mountains, while humanity would be led by his brother, the ignorant Epimetheus. But this foolish god had no idea what was going on. Compared to his knowledgeable brother, who taught humanity to observe the rising and setting of the sun, numbers and symbols, and the skills of animal husbandry, Epimetheus's arrival brought no help. Instead, he unknowingly influenced them with his own divine power. Humanity became less intelligent than before; they no longer acted with precision and often made foolish mistakes. If the blessings of the goddess of life, Hebe, had not been stripped away, their bodies would have remained forever youthful and vigorous, and the vibrant flame of civilization within their souls would have helped them resist Epimetheus's influence. But with the blessings taken away, humanity began to experience sickness and aging. This decline made them unable to withstand the power of ignorance. The forces of wisdom and ignorance pulled against each other within humanity, forming a duality that made humans contradictory beings. The pace of civilization was temporarily slowed down. Zeus's maneuver was indeed clever; at this point, it seemed that Prometheus was at a disadvantage in the clash between the two gods. The incident of stealing fire appeared to have come to a conclusion, but the gods knew that the matter was far from over. Zeus harbored a deep-seated hatred for Prometheus, and along with his creations, this generation of humanity would likely face dire consequences as well. Not only did he appoint Epimetheus to lead them, but the great king of the gods also began preparing a "gift" for humanity. Hephaestus had a decent friendship with Prometheus, but having received Zeus's orders, he was reluctant yet had no choice but to comply. The craftsmanship of the god of fire and forging was exceptional. Moreover, his marriage to Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, brought him endless inspiration. Despite the circumstances of their union, her influence infused Hephaestus's creations with an indescribable charm. With the spirit of a craftsman, Hephaestus took each of his works seriously. He spent a great deal of time meticulously shaping a perfect female form from the finest clay. Once the form was completed, Hephaestus brought it to the main hall of the gods. At the moment the curtain was drawn back, the gods couldn't help but gasp in admiration at her beauty. Aphrodite pouted, dissatisfied that Hephaestus had crafted the sculpture so perfectly that it nearly rivaled her own beauty—wasn't that a bit excessive? However, lost in pride over his creation, the god of fire and forging paid no mind to his wife's feelings. He stood tall, accepting the praise and accolades from the other gods. Zeus looked at the creation and nodded in satisfaction. He turned to his two daughters, Hebe and Athena. 'Hebe, my daughter who governs life, it is now your turn to bestow life upon this sculpture." Hebe remained silent. She stepped forward, and golden-green divine light radiated from her hands. This was a process she had performed countless times before, and doing it again would not take much time. The sculpture was soon given life; its clay skin transformed into flesh and blood, becoming vibrant and full of vitality, her chest gently rising and falling, her breath pure and endearing. 'Athena, you possess the understanding of Prometheus regarding the laws of the soul. Now, you shall bestow a soul upon this first woman of humanity." Zeus's blue eyes narrowed slightly, and Athena understood the implication behind his gaze. The creation of a human female was still in her hands, but she had not expected to be in such a situation. Athena granted the young woman a soul but did not awaken her immediately, for there was still the next step arranged by Zeus. Seeing that the girl now possessed life and a soul, Zeus stood up and addressed the gods, 'Gods, bestow your blessings upon this young woman. As the first woman among humanity, she deserves this honor." "Do you want this blessing or not?" No matter what the gods thought in their hearts, they still stepped forward one after another to offer their blessings. Hephaestus crafted a magnificent golden robe for the human woman using golden threads and star sand, accentuating her perfect figure and delicate skin. Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, bestowed upon her the magic of love, granting her an irresistible charm that could drive men mad. Athena, the goddess of wisdom and craftsmanship, placed a crown of flowers upon her head, beautified her, and granted her exceptional skills. Hermes, the messenger of the gods and the god of insight and eloquence, gifted her with outstanding eloquence and social abilities. Apollo, who governed both the sun and the arts, endowed her with artistic talent, allowing her to possess a naturally beautiful singing voice and captivating dance moves. Hera, the queen of the gods, granted her the self-esteem that a woman should have. ... As the blessings from the gods poured in, this human woman gradually became vibrant and exuded an unparalleled charm, causing all the male gods present to be unable to resist their feelings for her. At this moment, Zeus also offered his blessing, granting Pandora an unparalleled curiosity to explore the world. ... Hebe couldn't help but narrow her eyes. She had some understanding of the laws of the soul and could see that Athena had not intentionally granted this human woman any wisdom when bestowing her soul. This human woman could be said to possess instinct over reason. Now that Zeus had given her an uncontrollable curiosity, she would likely soon bring forth the magical box containing all calamities. Just then, it was Hebe's turn to bestow a blessing. The gods thought she would grant her something like eternal youth, but Hebe did not. She simply spoke softly, "There are many dangers lurking on Earth. I give you a sense of alertness to perceive crises; trust your instincts and take care of yourself." Upon hearing Hebe's words, Zeus narrowed his eyes at her. No matter how beautifully she spoke, he could still discern the underlying meaning—she was guarding against him. This rebellious daughter had repeatedly opposed him for the sake of those foolish humans on Earth, offending his authority. Did she think that becoming the chief god would allow her to rest easy? Once he had the opportunity, he would find plenty of ways to deal with her! The gods had nearly all offered their blessings, and the young woman was awakened. She opened her eyes, her dark hair framing her emerald green gaze like fresh spring leaves, filled with curiosity about the world. That youthful vitality made her even more alluring.