The reason Zeus had come in such a rush was because the Fates had warned him: if he didn't act quickly, the goddess bearing the destiny of the first King of the Gods might turn her back on Mount Olympus and ally herself with his enemies.
At present, there were quite a few beings in the world whom Zeus considered enemies.
His brothers Hades and Poseidon were enemies. The abyssal Tartarus was an enemy. The previous two Kings of the Gods, now missing after losing their Authority, were enemies.
Even his grandmother Gaia and the secluded Lady of the Night might be enemies.
With the Fates speaking so firmly, Zeus couldn't help but wonder—exactly which enemy were they referring to?
"Hard to say. Destiny only gave us a warning, but it was obscured by the shadow of a great tree. We couldn't discern which Divine Being it was," the Fates replied.
Zeus frowned at the Fates in displeasure, but there was little he could do.
Even on Mount Olympus, though he could punish Hera, there were a few goddesses even Zeus dared not offend.
The Lady of Justice Themis and her six daughters were undoubtedly among them.
"So now that we've found this goddess, should we bring her out?" Zeus asked.
He had already seen the massive white shell and sensed a Supreme God within.
"No need," the Fates replied. "Have the Horae stay and wait here. When she is born, they will escort her directly to Mount Olympus. Just ensure she doesn't leave."
The Horae nodded. "We will wait here patiently."
"Since we're already at sea, come with me to visit the ancient sea god Pontus," Zeus said.
Before younger gods like Athena and Apollo had come of age, the Fates and Horae had already become the primary fighting force of Mount Olympus.
Previously, at the Divine Temple, Zeus had spoken at length with the sea goddess Tethys, who had raised his crippled son.
Tethys had come at the command of Pontus, the ancient sea god, to request Zeus's mediation in maritime disputes.
Zeus saw this as an opportunity to assert his divine authority over the seas and add pressure on Poseidon, forcing him into submission under Olympus's rule.
Thus, Zeus and his six daughters traveled to the chaotic sea—the realm of the ancient sea god Pontus.
Pontus, one of Gaia's children and younger brother to Uranus, the first King of the Gods, was the primordial sea itself.
His power had already surpassed that of a Supreme God, and he had created his own divine realm.
Despite this, Pontus warmly welcomed Zeus, bringing along his five children and many descendants.
These five children were: Nereus, Friend of the Sea; Thaumas, Marvel of the Sea; Phorcys, Wrath of the Sea; Ceto, Peril of the Sea; and Eurybia, Power of the Sea.
None were born of his union with the ancient Queen of the Seas, Thalassa—they were all born of Pontus and his mother, Gaia.
Long ago, Thalassa and Pontus had gone their separate ways. Thalassa took her children and lived in a remote part of the sea, secluded from the world.
Zeus had no interest in these family matters. His purpose was to mediate the conflict at sea.
After meeting with Pontus, the King of the Gods journeyed with him to the realm of Oceanus, the Lord of the Ocean.
Zeus declared that, as King of the Gods, he was deeply concerned by the long-standing strife at sea, which had disturbed both the Divine Beings and mortals of the seas.
He urged Pontus and Oceanus to establish clear boundaries and cease their disputes.
Oceanus, whose strength was inferior to Pontus, had only managed to deter him through the sheer number of his offspring.
Now, with Zeus siding with Pontus, Oceanus had no choice but to accept the arrangement.
The two parties divided the ocean: Pontus's faction would govern the more chaotic seas, while Oceanus's faction would rule over the calmer waters.
However, both were confined to the open ocean—coastal regions would be under the direct rule of the Olympus Divine Realm.
Soon after Zeus departed from the sea goddesses, Poseidon finally bowed his proud head before his younger brother. He agreed to become one of the twelve Supreme Gods of Olympus and was granted direct rule over the coastal seas.
Of course, Poseidon retained his nominal title as King of the Seas and retained the right to punish any unruly Divine Beings at sea.
"Poseidon has submitted. Now how do I make Hades submit?"
At the Divine Temple atop Mount Olympus, Zeus began pondering how to deal with his eldest brother, ruler of the Underworld.
Compared to the impulsive and irritable Poseidon, Zeus was clearly more wary of the calm and brooding Hades.
From the moment he had rescued Hades—thanks to the wisdom of the Goddess of Wisdom, Metis—Zeus had sensed that Hades would be his greatest rival.
That feeling only intensified after Zeus forcibly took Demeter, Hades's beloved second sister, for himself. Since then, the brothers had maintained only a surface-level civility.
Because of this, Zeus had to consider how to make Hades yield as completely as Poseidon had.
Unfortunately, Zeus's own wisdom was lacking.
He thought of Athena, hoping that his daughter—who had inherited the wisdom of Metis—would mature quickly and become a powerful ally.
And when he thought of Athena, he inevitably thought of her half-brother, the thorn in his heart—Bolos.
"Until my throne is completely secure, it's not yet time to act against him. Otherwise, I risk angering Themis, Hestia, and Hera."
The fact that these three goddesses—whom he respected most—were all willing to oppose him for the sake of one damn youngster only fueled Zeus's murderous rage further.
…
Meanwhile, Bolos—listed on Zeus's future kill list—had completely put aside thoughts of overthrowing Zeus and taking Hera.
He was now walking among mortals, immersing himself in the atmosphere of this ancient fantasy society, and embarking on a new path of cultivation.
This new system was called the Tree of Life system, but Bolos preferred to call it the Faith System.
Faith was rooted inward; belief was directed outward.
Whether it was firm internal faith or spreading belief to the masses, it all stemmed from conviction.
Out of caution toward the Fates, Bolos didn't immediately promote beliefs in a god or creator that surpassed the current era.
Instead, he presented himself as the God of Opportunity and Creation, building temples and preaching to the people.
However, Bolos quickly discovered that spreading Divine Beings' faith in this era was far more difficult than he had imagined.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。