Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

"It seems, it’s today..." Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"What’s today?"

"Father God, please drink up this cup!"

A voice suddenly arose from beside him, Zeus turned around, and saw it was Hermes, who had delivered the message earlier.

The son he favored the most did not like to address him as ’Your Majesty’, but the Divine King felt quite good about it. If Zeus favored Apollo for being the most outstanding among his children, then his affection for Hermes was simply because he found the long-missed joy of being a father in him.

Although the Divine King himself was well aware that, as the cunning thief and the protector of merchants, no one knew which of Hermes’s words were sincere, he didn’t mind. Because Zeus was also very clear about why his other children were unwilling to be close to him.

So, raising his cup once again, Zeus smiled and drained it in one gulp.

"Nothing, my child, I was just thinking of the message you brought not long ago."

"Since this era began, fewer and fewer True Gods have been born into the world, and only among my offspring, as the Divine King, are there exceptions. The birth of a new Deity is also a rare event."

"It is indeed rare, but all this is your doing, Father God."

"Under your rule, the gods have been restrained, the immortals no longer ravage the earth as they did in the first two eras, and the cities of mortals have grown ever more prosperous."

Placing his right hand over his heart, Hermes said with a smile.

"Perhaps this is the world’s praise for your achievements, a recognition of your accomplishments perhaps."

"Hahahaha... you always have such a way with words."

Zeus laughed heartily amidst his son’s flattery, the slight sense of unreality he had felt before now cast aside by the Divine King.

Yes, just as Hermes had said, the world was no longer like the first two eras. The gods were submissive before the Divine Court, and he was the ruler of the sky and the earth, the king of all kings in the mortal realm.

"So tell me, why have you come? It can’t be just to compliment me with a few words."

The laughter stopped for a moment, and Zeus asked.

He had already decided in his heart that as long as it was not too excessive a request, he would agree to Hermes’s wish... However, contrary to expectation, the young deity did not seek any favor.

"Actually, it’s still about your concerns... Father God, I had only conveyed half of the divine will to the mortal realm when an accident brought me back to the Mount of the Gods. Now, I must continue to fulfill my mission."

"Humans’ perception of time differs from ours," Hermes said with a bow and a smile: "If I delay a few more days, who knows what kind of accident might happen."

"...Yes, you’re right."

After a moment’s thought, Zeus had to admit that Hermes was correct. He waved his hand, signaling that the other could leave on his own accord.

"Then you should go, but it’s a pity. If you’re gone too long, you might miss the scene of the new god bowing in fealty to me."

"That won’t happen, Father God. Your power is so immense, as noble as your character. I imagine that even far away in the mortal realm, I could witness your supreme majesty."

"May your reign be everlasting, King of the gods."

Leaving behind his final words, Hermes’s winged shoes fluttered slightly, and he turned into a streak of light, departing far from the Mount of the Gods.

The gods only glanced at this before returning to their own concerns, for as the messenger of the Divine King, he was always coming and going in a hurry.

Thus Hermes departed on his way, but as he grew farther from the Mount of the Gods, a hint of relief suddenly flashed in the young deity’s eyes.

"Who knows what will happen here in a few days... Better to hide out in the mortal realm for a while."

"After all, I’m not much of a warrior, and anyway, one more or one less of me won’t make a difference."

As the thought flitted through his mind, Hermes identified a direction and dashed towards it at breakneck speed.

No one knew just how terrified Hermes had been when he summoned the "new god’s" shadow and realized he could not control it. It was like a mortal witnessing the stuffed toy at the foot of their bed coming to life and "smiling" at them. In that instant, the young deity was drenched in cold sweat.

Glancing back at Olympus, for some reason, the mighty Mount of the Gods seemed to have become a bit hazy.

Shaking his head, Hermes stopped dwelling on it and once again hastened his pace.

"I’ll stay away for one month... no, a full year. By then, whatever it is should have ended," he thought to himself as he gritted his teeth. Soon, all that was left was a fleeting streak of his light across the sky.

...

As the final minor incident concluded, atop Mount Olympus, the gods remained oblivious to everything. The Sun rose and set, and swiftly, seven days passed by.

Nothing had changed, and no one cared about these brief days. Until today, while the gods were merrily feasting, a violent tremor suddenly emanated from deep beneath the earth.

Mountains quivered, oceans churned, and goblets from the feast spilled onto the ground. The gods looked puzzledly toward the world beyond the mountain, then their gazes converged on the Divine King seated at the head. The violent noise seemed to come from the Underworld, and Hades indeed had not come to Mount Olympus.

This stirred their curiosity, as no one knew what the typically obedient and weak Hades was up to. Yet when they looked up, the gods saw even Zeus with a look of astonishment on his face.

"Your Majesty, what has happened?"

Asked one deity, and Zeus, after observing for a moment, spoke with some uncertainty.

"That is the Law of the Underworld... invading the surface?"

"What?"

Someone exclaimed in alarm, only to be met with skepticism from others.

"Your Majesty, that seems improbable. Even if Hades is the lord of the Underworld, he can’t possibly do that."

Indeed, just as Zeus could not let the laws of the living realm invade the Abyss, theoretically Hades could not do something akin to self-destruction. However, the Divine King, after observing again for a moment, nodded affirmatively.

"I’m not entirely sure myself, but it is so."

"The origins of the Underworld seem to be rebelling, flowing in every direction. If this continues—"

Zeus had been explaining, but in the next instant, he stopped speaking, because he no longer needed to say more.

In silence, the sky darkened. Black rain drifted down, from east to west, from south to north, over oceans and continents, and even between the stars. Endless waters flowed from "high" places, signifying the collision of laws.

The rain carried the power of the Underworld, altering the environment of the living world... or rather, when the essence of death infused the realm of the living, such changes were inevitable.

The gods did not know that this signified the collapse of the Underworld. As its structure crumbled, the laws that formed it did not vanish. They simply attempted to merge into the nearby mortal realm, and the black rain was an external manifestation of this.

But what truly silenced Zeus was not this, but the news that came with the black rain from the primal sea.

Hades had died, along with his final warning.

"It seems like..."

Find adventures at empire

After ’listening’ for a while, Zeus, who had stood up from his throne unintentionally, finally ’heard’ that voice.

Despair, silence, release, and the final admonition from his own brother:

"It’s the Outsider... destruction..."

"He... has already arrived!"