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The Record of the Sons of the Greek Gods: Chapter 114 The God Who Loved Me Wounded Me the Deepest?
I am her child.
That's what the goddess always calls me.
Perhaps I became her emotional crutch, or perhaps I was the tool she used to pour out all her hidden love in her loneliness.
There are many reasons, but Bai Zhi is certain that this expression of love is genuine and undeniable.
He wrapped his arm across the goddess's thigh and his other hand around her smooth waist and back.
Bai Zhi carried the goddess to the bed, laid out the bedding, covered her with a light blanket, and sat quietly beside the bed, waiting for the goddess's command.
Bai Zhi felt something was off. According to her own principles, she should have stayed away from the goddess, so why did she choose to stay?
The conflict between his thoughts and instincts made him furrow his brow, unsure how to resolve the knot in his heart.
Hephaestus saw Bai Zhi's troubles and pointed out the key point: "You are still an unfinished product. The body of the artifact has forged the shape and the container, but the energy inside the container is not enough."
Outwardly perfect but inwardly deficient, similar to insufficient nutrition or stunted development, the difference being that it is not a physical deficiency, but a spiritual one.
The enhancement brought by the divine artifact body was too great, far exceeding Bai Zhi's personal capacity to bear it. It was like a pie falling from the sky, but when the pie was too big and too full, she couldn't catch it and ended up injuring herself.
The current Bai Zhi is quite different from when she first arrived at the temple, when she almost burst to death after receiving only the divine blessings of Artemis and Apollo.
The void within the artifact's body exerted an unavoidable influence on his will and physical form.
As a human being, Bai Zhi yearns for perfection.
As a divine artifact, Angelica dahurica yearns for perfection.
Both impulses stem from instinctive desires, and when combined, whether by choice or by circumstance, Bai Zhi will embark on a journey to find the twelve Olympian gods and complete all twelve blessings.
"So, I have no other choice?"
Bai Zhi was stunned for a moment. She planned that after finishing Hermes's task, she would go to find Prometheus, hoping to get from the god of wisdom a way to live a free life like that of mortals.
But before they could even meet Prometheus, their plans were ruined, and their escape route was cut off as well.
The cause of all this was not the gods who wanted to see Bai Zhi make a fool of herself, but Hephaestus, for whom Bai Zhi willingly gave her faith.
The God who loved me, yet hurt me the most?
"Don't worry, my child. The gods' decision is never wrong. What the gods see is the past, the present, and the future. You will eventually embark on the path to becoming a hero, a hero beloved by the gods."
Hephaestus comforted her.
In this era, whether it is humans or gods, due to the gap in time and the atmosphere of the pantheon.
The weight and glory of heroes are unparalleled feats, and also the most ideal achievements of mankind.
Just like parents say, "It's for your own good."
Hephaestus also had high hopes for Angelica to become a hero.
This love, sincere, affectionate, and heavy, felt like shackles weighing down on Bai Zhi.
He was extremely unwilling, yet he simply couldn't bring himself to say 'no' to this love.
The dual contradictions of physiology and psychology, coupled with the inescapable emotional entanglement, made him involuntarily cover his temples.
"Is there no other way? My Goddess, I... I really don't want to become a hero."
With a bitter smile, Bai Zhi revealed her true intentions, but no one offered her any pity.
"I know that the heroes of the gods are too grand for you to comprehend right now, and that you feel fear and rejection because of the unknown. It's alright, I will always be by your side. Even if Lord Hades himself comes, in my little temple, my child, there will always be a place for you."
Hephaestus did not understand this desire to 'live as a mortal.'
It's alright. Bai Zhi is still young and doesn't understand things. As a mature deity, isn't it the mother goddess's responsibility to choose the right future for her innocent child?
/Q*un侕气琉究傘轳“Eh...I understand, Goddess.”
Bai Zhi compromised, just as he had when he regained his memories. Before the gods, he had no power to choose, only the fate of being chosen.
He asked Hephaestus to tell him what other hidden problems the artifact body had.
The goddess didn't hide anything and told Bai Zhi the only question.
The unfinished artifact will instinctively urge Bai Zhi to obtain divine blessings.
Furthermore, as more divine blessings are collected and the artifact's completion progress gets closer to perfection, this instinctive urge will become even stronger.
It is feared that when the final divine blessing is reached, Bai Zhi's impulse will compel him to grant any request of the last (three) temple 0 private master of a god.
In Greek mythology, one could not disobey the gods. If one made a vow to the gods, it had to be fulfilled, even if the result was the complete annihilation of existence.
Hephaestus said with a serious expression, "I can assert that the last god to bless you will be Zeus, and it will only be Zeus."
"Lord Zeus..." Bai Zhi mused, the Greek god...
If Hermes were to receive the blessing beforehand, and if he happened to suggest rescuing Princess Io, who had been transformed into a white cow, he could seize this opportunity to propose a divine blessing to Zeus...
“Abandon your idea, my child.” Hephaestus tapped Bai Zhi’s brow with his finger, interrupting his plan, and said, “It’s useless. Before you successfully obtain the eleven divine blessings, any advice you give to Zeus will only push you into an abyss.”
"Why?" Bai Zhi didn't understand. Divine blessings seemed lofty and powerful, but in reality, they were only a corner of the gods' authority, and probably even less than the authority that demigods inherited from their parent gods.
It wouldn't be to the point of turning Zeus, the chief Greek god, against it, would it?
"You, do you still remember the iterative inheritance of the Greek mythological worldview, the succession of the father to the son?" Hephaestus reminded him.
Using the history of Type-Moon, the battle between the Olympian gods and the Titans is recounted, with Zeus replacing Cronus, the sky god, and obtaining the crown of Cronus, the symbol of dominion.
Using the myth of Kakuzu to describe the war between the Olympian gods and the Titans, Zeus, the youngest child of Cronus, killed Cronus and became the third generation of gods.
"...!!! No way?!" Bai Zhi's pupils suddenly contracted as she realized a certain possibility.
Prometheus brought fire from the gods to humankind before being imprisoned in the Caucasus Mountains and punished by having his liver devoured by an eagle.
Prometheus gave Zeus a prophecy.
Just as Zeus usurped the position of the chief Greek god from Cronus.
Zeus's children, like Zeus himself, will seize the position of the next chief god from their father.
The Chronicle of the Greek Gods and Their Sons: Chapter 115 [The Forge of a Thousand Hammers Will Forge Your Immortal Resilience]
"You inherited the divine blessings of the twelve gods, of which Zeus was an indispensable part, did you know? Among your brothers and sisters, only the most beloved Artemis received Zeus's authority."
Because Zeus knew that Artemis would not become the fourth chief god prophesied to overthrow his rule.
"Therefore, when I received the blessing of Lord Zeus and bore his divine power, in a sense, I became the son of Lord Zeus."
Bai Zhi grinned, "Son of God, he's gotten used to it."
Because of his initial faith, he became Hera's child (a believer).
Because of the divine body forged, he became Hephaestus's child (creation).
And because of divine blessing, he will become the child of the gods, including the chief god Zeus.
"When you become Zeus's child, you will be qualified to become the fourth chief god of the Greek pantheon, even if the qualification is so small, Zeus will still not agree."
He appears to be a peacemaker, and his usual role in the divine assembly is to mediate the conflicts and tempers among the gods. However, he only truly understands the situation when it comes to the position of the chief god.
Among Cronus's many children and siblings, why did Zeus seize the position of chief god? It wasn't just because Zeus possessed the highest authority, but also because among the Greek gods, none could rival him.
The goddess's words made Bai Zhi freeze.
The body, sitting sideways beside the bed, was trembling slightly.
Calm down, calm down a bit.
Combine this with Hephaestus's words.
First, the Greek pantheon's worldview is based on iterative inheritance, with sons succeeding their fathers.
Secondly, I, who must inherit Zeus's divine blessing in the future, possess the unfortunate potential to become the fourth chief god in terms of divinity and status.
Then, Zeus, the chief god so powerful that the other gods dared not disobey him, pre-arranged an unlimited condition that Zeus had to agree to.
Conclusion—I'm finished.
"My Goddess, I've lived my life on thin ice. Do you think I can ever reach the other side?"
“You can do it, my child. You must unite with the eleven main gods besides Zeus. With our help, Zeus will not harm you.” Hephaestus told Bai Zhi the only way out she could think of: “Go, crown yourself with the glory of a hero, and become the common child of the gods under their watchful eyes.”
"You will become an incomparably brilliant star in the Greek cosmology, and the pride of all our gods."
Like Hercules, the great hero of Greek mythology?
In the palace of the chief god, Hephaestus embraced Bai Zhi's head, stroking the child's back with maternal love, and chanting blessings and praises for him.
A haughty fragrance, an incredibly soft blanket, the caresses of a goddess.
Bai Zhi closed her eyes, savoring the moment.
But deep down, he was thinking about the future path, or rather, the possible shortcuts and detours on the fixed path.
With the Bai Zhi Shared Space, he should have had a future full of endless possibilities, but he fell victim to the passage of time.
Perhaps, if I had continued down Jason's path back then, I wouldn't have ended up in such a desperate and dangerous situation.
Oh, gods... I both love and hate them.
The next day——
Bai Zhi opened his eyes, showing no signs of drowsiness or confusion. He hadn't fallen asleep, and neither had the goddess.
Last night, the god and the human nestled together, spending their final moments before parting.
Now, the sun is rising from the horizon.
It's time to leave.
When Bai Zhi arrived at the Temple of Hephaestus, all she had was the lyre given to her by Apollo and the compass borrowed from Hermes.
When Bai Zhi left the Temple of Hephaestus, she also only carried a seven-stringed lyre and a compass.
"Years may pass, but when we meet again, Lord Hephaestus, I hope that one day, when I become the hero you speak of, you will still give me a hug."
Bai Zhi smiled, never mentioning divine blessings. He knew very well that they couldn't be forced. Besides, in order to fight Zeus, he needed the gods' genuine favor, even if it would waste more time. In a sense, only time was fair to him.
Pushing open the temple doors, to everyone's surprise, three maids stood outside.
These were none other than the three who had provided guidance to Bai Zhi yesterday.
"Does Your Majesty have any further instructions?"
Bai Zhi asked in confusion, "The other party didn't say anything before leaving."
"My lady goddess."
The three maids placed their hands on their abdomens and bowed their heads. Bai Zhi turned around thoughtfully and saw Hephaestus in a wheelchair appear a few steps behind her, holding three rings in her hands: one white, one black, and one orange.
“Apollo gave you musical instruments, Artemis gave you skills, Hermes lent you a compass, Hestia gave you a promise, and as your mother goddess, how could I let you leave empty-handed? My love for you is no less than that of any other god.”
The goddess extended her slender, fair arm.
The three rings sparkled in the sunlight.
Bai Zhi didn't take it and asked in confusion, "What are they?"
"These are the life-saving boxes for those three children. They hold the highest authority over them. With these boxes, even if you order the three children to betray me, they will not hesitate."
This gift is certainly very valuable.
Although Bai Zhi suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the three, the reason was that the three were mechanical puppets forged by the god Hephaestus, belonging to a race of demigods, whose strength had long surpassed that of many human heroes.
Atalanta, a famous huntress in Greek mythology, is renowned for shooting the first arrow that struck the bull of Calydon.
His strength is not weak among many heroes.
However, compared to Bai Zhi, who has mastered the method of using divine blessings, she probably couldn't even defeat her in one move.
Hephaestus, in fact, gifted three puppets.
It's more like finding three powerful bodyguards for Bai Zhi: Ling Si^ Zhou Qi, who can warm her bed, serve her, and control everything about her.
Bai Zhi chose to accept it.
Do those three women have names?
"There are still quite a few orders from the gods for weapons and items to be forged."
20demayo