"Those who believe in me shall gain eternal life—this is my promise to the faithful."
Bolos responded to Hestia's question without hesitation. He had already made up his mind on this answer long ago.
"But those who do not believe in me shall also have their own path, one that we must not interfere with."
"To preach in the mortal world, to guide all beings onto the path of faith so they may enter paradise and attain eternal life—this must never be done through force. Faith acquired through coercion is not true faith."
"As for those who harm the faithful, there should be punishment, but never at the cost of harming others."
Bolos had long considered how to preach in the future mortal world.
The method used by Yahweh—conquering all through slaughter—was indeed effective, but how much genuine faith could that produce?
Upon walking this path himself, Bolos realized that Yahweh had either strayed or could no longer influence the spread of faith among mortals.
He would not follow that example. From the beginning, he had to establish complete doctrines, rituals, preaching methods, and punishments.
Of course, this wasn't something he could accomplish alone. In the future, it will require collective wisdom and effort from many angels.
"I understand now."
Hestia immediately knelt on one knee and swallowed a leaf of vibrant green.
This familiar act made The Queen of the Seas, Amphitrite, brighten with recognition.
"I, Hestia, in the name of the Foundation, proclaim the Tree of Life as the Supreme Tree. Its master is the Supreme Lord, the Eternal Creator."
"You are the One and the Many, the origin of all, the beginning of creation, and the end of all things."
"No matter what lies ahead, my faith shall never waver!"
Aside from the names and foundation, her prayer was identical to the others.
When Hestia finished her prayer, Bolos gained another Supreme God-level archangel, and the Tree of Life gained a new root—"Foundation."
Bolos said nothing more. He casually summoned the Staff of Life into his hand.
Then, he gently stroked Hestia's head and said warmly, "Do not resist, Hestia. You shall receive my blessing and embark on a great path."
Hestia did not resist at all. Under the control of Polo's Divine Power, she entered the Tree of Life, stepping into the root point belonging to "Foundation."
Foundation—the base of matter, the base of faith. Ever since Bolos realized that Hestia could wield the power of faith without guidance, he had intended her to become the bearer of this root.
Now that his wish was fulfilled, a smile surfaced on his face.
"I wonder... will this Occult System be compatible with Hestia?"
Within the root of "Foundation," the Tree of Life granted the extraordinary traits and advancement methods of the "Visionary" path.
If the "Tyrant" path represented God's omnipotence in the material realm, then the "Visionary" represented God's omnipotence in the spiritual realm.
"Finally, a true god of Sequence 0 will emerge!"
Standing nearby, Amphitrite was even more excited than Bolos.
Amid the carnage among the Bronze Humans, Amphitrite had, over the past few years, completed the rituals for the Tyrant path's Sequence 2 "Calamity" and Sequence 1 "God of Thunder."
At present, she found herself lost, uncertain how to complete the Sequence 0 ritual.
First, she needed hundreds of thousands of followers who submitted to her in fear and devotion.
Second, she had to challenge a true god—a Sequence 0—and survive the confrontation.
Lastly, she had to complete her ascension amid an atmosphere of terror and submission.
In recent years, Amphitrite had grown increasingly severe. Even her siblings now feared her deeply.
She already had hundreds of thousands of terrified followers under her command, including sea monsters and Bronze Humans.
But challenging a Sequence 0 alone was proving difficult.
She had no idea who else in the world had set foot on the same divine path.
She had come to Bolos to seek guidance on this issue.
But all Bolos told her was, "What must come, will come." Then he immediately tried to drag her into wild revelry again.
Bolos even suggested they go to her Divine Temple, finding the island not exciting enough.
It had taken all of Amphitrite's effort to dissuade him from the idea.
She was terrified of being discovered again by her son, Triton.
Since the last time she had been caught by Triton, her son had been especially vigilant, checking on her often.
Amphitrite knew that what Triton wanted to see was whether there were any other gods hidden in her Divine Temple.
After learning that Amphitrite didn't care much for the title of Queen of the Seas, the son of the King and Queen of the Seas began to panic.
He feared that if his mother relinquished the title of Queen of the Seas, he might lose his current status in the seas.
Poseidon had many children. If a new Queen of the Seas arose, her children would surely aim to replace him.
Triton would never allow that to happen!
...
Hestia was different from Amphitrite. As one of the foundational Supreme Gods of the Olympus Divine Realm, she had always been watched by the Fates.
When Hestia entered the Tree of Life, the three goddesses weaving the threads of fate sighed helplessly.
"Again. This is the third time."
They noticed Hestia's fate suddenly branching in a strange way.
On the River of Destiny, it seemed that two Hestias now existed—one still Olympus's most vital Supreme God, and the other appearing on that illusory divine mountain once again.
"Come, let's go tell Zeus."
Since they had discovered it, there was no hiding it. The King of the Gods had to be informed.
"Impossible. Absolutely impossible!"
When Zeus heard the Fates' account, his face was filled with disbelief. "Hestia would never betray Olympus. She values family more than anyone—I know her well!"
"She holds such a high position and possesses such immense strength. I can't think of any reason she would abandon Olympus—her home."
"The King of the Gods," one of the Fates replied calmly, "Fate has revealed it. You must prepare yourself. Still, Hestia's departure isn't a grave issue—her position in Olympus was never meant to be permanent."
"In the future, she will pass that position on to one of your sons."
Zeus fell silent for a moment before speaking coldly: "Even so, that's no excuse for her to turn her back on Olympus."
Suddenly, a thought struck him. He turned to the Fates and asked, "That so-called illusory divine mountain... could it have something to do with Metis's son, Bolos?"
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