Chapter 282: Funeral Rites
The man who spoke was precisely the tribal leader of this tribe.
All the children in the tribe were ones he had watched grow up from a young age. Although he was not the biological father of the children, all the children called him “Father.”
He had long regarded all the children as his own children.
The passing of one child was like a knife brutally thrust into his heart, leaving a wound that could never heal.
However, he was even more clearly aware that he had no time for grief.
When death becomes “easy,” when disaster and pain cannot be salvaged, then they can only try their best to avoid it.
There was more he needed to do.
Prometheus looked toward the earth beneath his feet and said slowly and powerfully: “Dust to dust, earth to earth. You were born from the earth, so after passing, you should naturally return to the earth.”
“Bury his body. Bury it deeply in the soil, return him to his original form, and send him into the embrace of the Mother Goddess of All Things, so that he may rest in peace.”
“The mortal world has its own destination. Let him have no more concerns in this mortal world, so that his soul can begin a new life in the netherworld without burdens or bonds.”
The man bowed deeply in respect and said in an extremely heavy voice: “Great God, thank you for your precious teachings. I will firmly remember your words and never forget them. I will also pass your teachings on to everyone.”
“The living will live well. The dead should also depart cleanly and clearly. We wish them well in another world, that they may also live well.”
Prometheus nodded lightly. He slowly raised his head and gazed up at the sky.
This was a clear sky no different from usual; neither heaven and earth had undergone any changes due to the passing of one insignificant life.
He murmured: “They will… surely they will. No matter in which world, you will all live well.”
Next, Prometheus personally established a set of rituals concerning death for humans.
This set of rituals was not to welcome death, but for a solemn farewell to the deceased, so that the living could have a dignified moment to express their sorrow and regroup.
This set of funeral rites had both formal solemnity and spiritual comfort. Its purpose was not to conceal grief, but to teach the living how to transform pain into the power of remembrance and moving forward.
He called this ritual—funeral rites.
Even with his divine power to help, the mother who had lost her child still could not truly recover from the abyss of pain named “eternal parting.”
Filled with guilt, Prometheus could ultimately only give her a heavy blessing: she would have children again.
Yes, newborns were ultimately different from those who had passed.
But this was not a cold replacement, but proof of life’s continuation.
Humans cannot forever immerse themselves in grief over the past and the departed.
The present and future are far more important.
This was also a cruel and helpless choice.
Life will always continue; the world will not stop its advance for anyone.
The departed were not just that one child.
In these short few days, tens of thousands of people left the world due to various disasters, accidents, and illnesses.
They were gently embraced by the God of Death into his arms and, under the cold light of the Moon of the Underworld, entered the eternal netherworld.
It was not just humans; endless living beings on the earth also began surging into the netherworld after the laws of death were perfected.
Because of this, the netherworld finally had a bit of “vitality.”
Although, compared to the vibrant earth, it was still too barren and desolate.
King of the Underworld Hades had also formally sent a request for aid to the Olympus Gods, asking the gods to send vitality to the netherworld and create plants unique to the netherworld.
So that after perfecting the laws of death, the netherworld could gradually have its own rhythm and breath.
After completing the most crucial puzzle piece of the “death” law, the netherworld finally embarked on its own path of development.
The netherworld would not, and could not, remain eternally dead and desolate.
Due to this sudden large-scale death, the newborn human society also fell into chaos and panic, with grief and alarm enveloping them simultaneously.
The shadow of death spread like an invisible plague through all the tribes.
After the illusion that “we are different from mortal spirits” shattered, what followed was fear and numbness toward everything.
The former laughter and cheers disappeared, replaced by a deathly silence in the face of unknown destiny.
Prometheus had no choice but to use unconventional means, directly implanting the concept of “death” and the process of “funeral rites” into the minds of all tribal leaders with his divine thought; there was no time to rely on humans to spread it slowly themselves.
Death was certainly cruel, but humans must learn to face it.
If they could not face it, then there would only be extinction.
Prometheus stood alone as one god at the peak of a steep small mountain, wind blowing from all directions, fluttering his long robe.
His gaze was steady and profound as he looked down at the human world below, filled with weeping.
Distant wails surged like waves, forming an unceasing sea of suffering pain.
This was not an onlooker gazing, but a creator in pain over losing his child.
It was not just humans who needed to learn to face death and accept death; he too must learn to accept it.
Accept that these children he regarded as treasures would inevitably die one after another before his eyes.
The eternity of gods could not exempt the tearing of the heart; instead, immortality made every parting an indelibly clear, long-lasting memory in his divinity.
At this moment, deep in Prometheus’s divinity, a thought suddenly flashed that stunned him.
He suddenly thought of his foolish younger brother—Epimetheus.
Epimetheus had remained on Olympus since returning there to report, and had not come back.
Could it be that he had really only gone to pursue those newborn Goddesses of Grace?
Or…
Was it actually that he had already foreseen the sorrow of this eternal parting today, and to escape this suffocating pain, he was unwilling to return?
Prometheus smiled bitterly and shook his head lightly, casting this absurd speculation from his mind.
Something even he, the God of Foresight, had not foreseen—how could that foolish younger brother possibly have seen it?
It was absolutely impossible!
That foolish younger brother was simply indulging in the beauty of Olympus and the beauty of the Goddesses of Grace!
It was definitely so!
And at this moment, nine streamers fell from the horizon, nine divine radiances arriving together.
It was the nine Muses.
These goddesses, who were always beaming with bright smiles, now had faces filled with heaviness and grief; their steps were no longer light, carrying an unspeakable sorrow.
From the birth of humans, they had always accompanied and taught them, and deep emotions had long formed between them.
But now, too many familiar faces had forever vanished, never to be seen again.
With the laws of “death” thoroughly perfected, all the gods must also learn to accept death and habituate to this eternal parting.
The lives of mortal spirits were truly too brief compared to the immortal eternity of the divine.
Perhaps, after just a brief deep sleep and awakening, everything once familiar had already changed beyond recognition.
The arrival of the nine Muses was not to share grief with him.
Rather, it was to bring news that made Prometheus’s mood even heavier.
They had received a message from Mother Goddess Mnemosyne: their mission in the mortal world was temporarily complete, and they needed to return to Olympus immediately.
The era of gods teaching humans “hand in hand” had passed.
Regarding this, Prometheus could only accept it.
The cruelty of death had already made him understand that gods should not interfere too much in human life.
Gods can teach humans how to live, but must never live in their place.
After the nine Muses also bid farewell and departed, Prometheus, with an even heavier heart, once again cast his gaze toward the human world.
The vivid colors belonging to the gods were withdrawing more and more from this land.
The only god still remaining among humans was him.
Moreover, he had a premonition that he too would soon leave humans.
Moreover, this time would not be far off.
At this time, human society was filled with wails; every tribe had too many weeping people.
But he was powerless.
He could only watch from afar like this.
His heart felt the same pain as those humans who had lost their closest kin.
He could not help but worry deeply: when he too left humans, and the human tribes were no longer under his shelter, what if they encountered harms they could not resist?
It must be known that in the universe, there were not only benevolent gods; there were always irritable and cruel gods.
But even the weakest god was an existence that humans absolutely could not resist.
Although humans were created in accordance with His Majesty the God King’s demand for a prosperous universe, and were the noblest among mortal spirits.
But mortal spirits were mortal spirits.
To most gods, humans were no different from any other mortal spirits.
Perhaps just passing by casually, an inadvertent action could bring unbearable influence to humans.
What then should be done?
Now humans could live leisurely on the earth without facing harm from any supernatural powers or other gods, mainly because of humans’ extraordinary origins—His Majesty the God King’s command and the personal intervention of many great gods.
After birth, he and the nine Muses had always cared for them, so naturally no one with no eyes would act against humans.
But what after all the gods departed? What if some god, dissatisfied with humans, acted then?
Mortal spirits having higher wisdom was no big deal; it was what His Majesty wanted, and no one dared to question it.
His Majesty demanded the creation of sentient beings also to prevent the gods from being lonely; this was acceptable to the gods.
But! These insignificant mortal spirits actually resemble the gods in form!
This was different; in the eyes of many gods, the very existence of humans was blasphemy.
Once no gods were watching, and His Majesty the God King made no special declaration, there would surely be gods who swept away this eyesore.
As long as humans were not completely destroyed, what did it matter to occasionally be a little willful?
Although His Majesty the God King’s Holy Justice Order protected all living beings, and humans were also valued by His Majesty the God King.
But facing such minor willfulness from gods, how heavy could the punishment be?
To gods, it was utterly insignificant; but to mortal spirits, this minor willfulness was a matter of life and death.
Although His Majesty the God King valued humans, he had never issued any formal declaration. This.
