Chapter 113: Chapter 90 Symbols
With one step, the world dramatically transformed.
Just a moment ago, they were in the Underworld, shrouded by the laws of the living world, but the next moment Zeus and his brothers had come to a dark and sullen world.
The Divine Power within them released automatically, resisting the erosion of the surrounding environment. Even the three deities noticed that their connection with the divine authority was diminishing bit by bit.
Although the Abyss was still far from contending with the living world, it could already interfere to some extent with the connection between godhood and the corresponding laws. Although the process was slow, should they linger in the Abyss for too long, the symbols associated with their deity might become violently uncontrollable.
“No wonder the Abyss is so useful, yet few deities are imprisoned here.”
“Unless there is another True God with intersecting divinity to stabilize it, an uprising of laws is no joking matter.”
After experiencing the environment here, Zeus felt relieved.
On the periphery of the Abyss, the isolation from Divine Authority was very slow. By his estimate, it would not cause any serious consequences for hundreds of years.
And the concern of getting lost before was easy to resolve, for that trace of Divine Authority on him could not only point out the location of the seal but could also guide them back to the living world.
“This way.”
Guided by that trace of Divine Authority, the three deities walked in this distorted world. One second forward, the next they might have to go back. If not for the response from the Authority, Zeus would have even thought they were moving in circles.
Moreover, the dark environment around them remained unchanged, and even after a long time, he couldn’t directly observe any signs of their movement.
“What is this?”
Suddenly, spotting a bizarre symbol floating over from the distant void, Poseidon couldn’t help but inquire.
This was the first thing they saw in the Abyss. Although they couldn’t recognize it, there was no doubt it was a form of text, akin to a primordial script endowed with power. Poseidon could vaguely sense a force within it.
But the problem is this: Texts, being born from a world dominated by Order, is normal, but how could there be text in a chaotic and unordered Abyss?
Even if there were, for whom would it be written?
“Don’t worry about that now, Poseidon, perhaps it is a reflection from the living world. After all, the Abyss is also a part of Chaos World, and even if it exists outside the living world, it inevitably intersects with it. It’s not strange for something similar to appear.”
With a slight frown, Zeus did not know what this was, nor was he interested.
Finding the destination quickly and completing the task given by Mother Earth were the pressing matters.
Moreover, although this journey was troublesome, it might not be without other gains. From Metis, Zeus had learned that the giants mothered by Gaia were of two kinds.
One kind was named Hekatonkheires; they possessed immense strength but were a bit lacking in intelligence. They had inherited the aspect of the earth and strength, and aside from Atlas, the true God of Strength, few deities could compete with them in this arena. If he could rally them to his cause, they would undoubtedly be powerful allies.
And the other kind was named Cyclops. They were one-eyed giants and, compared to their monstrous brothers, resembled the deities more and possessed a similar wisdom. From Gaia, they inherited abilities related to divine artifacts.
Divine Artifacts, another means to quickly enhance one’s power. Although the truly powerful artifacts required stricter materials, Zeus was already prepared.
His godhood itself offered the best material for smithing divine artifacts. Even if it would diminish the power of his godhood, as long as he held the artifact, his combat force would rise.
He would not, like the God of Sun from the legends, craft an artifact meant to serve others. If it were to be, it would be one that only he could use, a weapon to help him destroy all his foes.
Passing by the minor disturbance, the three deities walked in silence. They did not know how long they had been walking—it could have been a minute, an hour, or perhaps even a day, a month. At a certain moment, the disordered scenery in front of them became orderly.
Zeus’s eyes brightened at this. It was the power of the primordial Divine King; his unfathomable Divine Authority had anchored the laws around this prison, making its attributes closer to those of the living world.
“Who goes there?”
A heavy and grand voice came through, somewhat dry from a lack of interaction with life for a long time. Seeing this, Zeus quickly replied loudly:
“I am Zeus, son of Cronus, master of all thunders in the world. I have been invited by Mother Earth Gaia to release you from the Abyss.”
As the voice carried through, soon accompanied by the sound of approaching tremors, Zeus and his brothers saw those legendary giants.
Although he was well-prepared, Zeus couldn’t help but frown. The Cyclops were tolerable, but the latter three were a challenge to his aesthetic.
Fifty heads, a hundred hands, but that wasn’t the main point. You must realize that even the most beautiful lady, when magnified tenfold, would hardly seem the same. Goddesses in mythology may not have such troubles, but these Hekatonkheires did not have divine power to maintain their cleanliness and order.
A twitch in the corner of his eye, yet Zeus still managed a smile. He magnified his own divine body and then met the giants eye to eye.
“Come with me, I can take you out of here, and you will be free from now on.”
After exchanging glances, unlike the Hekatonkheires lacking in wisdom, the Cyclopes were more aware of the preciousness of freedom. Even though the deity before them claimed to be sent by Mother Earth, they still spoke up in turn:
“My name is Thunder.”
“My name is Dian.”
“My name is Pili.”
“We appreciate your kind act, and even though we are at the behest of the Mother Goddess, should we be able to leave this place, we will surely provide you with the corresponding reward.”
“Hahaha, good.”
Zeus hadn’t expected a commitment before he even asked, but the gruesome creatures before him suddenly seemed friendly in his eyes. He laughed heartily, welcoming his new friends.
“That’s excellent, my friends. If possible, I indeed need a little favor from you.”
“I need a Divine Artifact,” he turned his head towards his two brothers, “I think they need one too.”
“Of course, but we will also need materials of sufficient quality.”
The Cyclopes responded in unison.
“Certainly, let’s use my Godhood. Please hide the aspect of ‘Life’ and amplify the aspect of ‘Destruction’, I want it to become my most reliable arm.”
Zeus, having already prepared his response, then turned to his elder brothers:
“What about you, my brothers, what kind of Divine Artifact do you need?”
Not expecting an extra gain from this venture, Hades and Poseidon couldn’t help but feel pleasantly surprised. But the prospect of creating Divine Artifacts from their own Godhood made them hesitate.
“…I’ll use my ‘Tsunami’ Godhood as the material,” hesitating for a moment, Poseidon made his decision first: “Erase the gentle part, and amplify the domain related to the sea, so that one day, it will become a treasure that rules over the oceans.”
Zeus cast a deep glance at Poseidon before turning his gaze to his elder brother. As expected, Hades’s choice was quite ordinary, as if it were made on a whim.
“My requirements for the Divine Artifact are not high—take the part of my Godhood that’s influenced by the two Ancient Gods of the night and craft an artifact that can conceal one’s whereabouts.”
“No problem, we will not disappoint you.”
The three deities’ requests seemed to represent their different aspirations. However, the Cyclopes didn’t care about this; they readily agreed to forge Divine Artifacts for the three brothers as long as they could escape the Abyss.
“Good, let’s hurry and leave this place.”
Although Zeus was somewhat concerned about Poseidon’s choice, he kept it to himself. The sea was the most complex realm of power, and if someone could cause trouble for his foster father, it might not be a bad thing.
Thus, following the faint connection between the Divine King’s power and the mortal realm, Zeus and the others began their return journey.
They had been very cautious on the way in, but the return journey was much faster. However, when the party reached the entrance to the Abyss, Zeus suddenly stopped.
Looking up briefly, he saw the Abyss, unchanged, and for some reason, he felt a premonition that there was something here related to him.
“What’s the matter, Zeus, have you taken a liking to this place?”
On the side, an impatient Poseidon called out loudly. The portal was within reach, and he did not wish to linger any longer.
“It’s nothing, let’s go.”
Shaking his head, perhaps it was just an illusion, Zeus paid no further attention and stepped through the portal dividing the two realms.