Chapter 299: I Grant You To Remain In The Mortal World Forever
Even so, the gods would not go so far as to take out their anger on those innocent mortals.
However, it would be absolutely impossible for humans to easily receive the gods’ shelter and bounty as they had just moments ago.
Mortals in the mortal world could not understand the surging undercurrents in the clouds, but the dispersal of the auspicious clouds and the most terrifying thunderclap were enough to make them tremble in fear.
All the gazes of the gods were now fixed intently on Zeus and Prometheus.
His Majesty the God King was generally not angry in daily life, because almost no living being dared to make Him angry.
His Majesty the God King did not hold grudges either, because He settled them on the spot.
His Majesty the God King was generally not prone to outbursts either, but if He truly lost His temper…
That was a terrifying matter that no god dared to imagine.
Fooling ghosts is possible.
But trying to fool the God King…
That would truly be purely seeking death.
Its outcome would even be more terrifying than death.
The God King’s anger was the most indescribable ultimate great terror in the universe.
There was no other.
Clymene’s heart was already filled with cold despair, her pair of ice-blue beautiful eyes pitifully gazing at Zeus, wanting to speak for her son, but the words shrank back at her lips, not daring to say a single word more.
She knew very well that saying one more word now would make the punishment one degree heavier.
The air seemed to have been squeezed nearly solid by the God King’s invisible majesty.
The gods were silent, all sounds ceased.
The entire sky dome held its breath, awaiting that final verdict.
Zeus merely gazed silently at Prometheus.
He said nothing, did nothing, but that invisible, universe-like heavy terrifying pressure had already bent Prometheus’s waist so it could no longer straighten.
His pure and mighty divine body was drenched in sweat before he knew it.
An indescribable great terror enveloped all of His divinity.
Unprecedented fear completely enveloped Him.
This was Prometheus, truly facing the infinite terror of the God King’s majesty for the first time.
But in this extremely oppressive silence, just as the gods thought they would witness the thunder’s wrath…
Zeus suddenly chuckled softly.
He spoke softly: “Prometheus ah Prometheus, son of Iapetus, my loyal subject, my dear… old comrade.”
“I truly do not know what I did to make you so unjust toward me, toward the gods.”
The God King’s lips curved slightly, that smile full of undisguised sarcasm: “How clever you are, and how cunning.”
“Look, how courageous you are! This courage of yours even makes me sigh in admiration.”
“Your violent brother Atlas, your arrogant and reckless brother Menoetius, Their ‘courage’, in my view, is nowhere near yours.”
At this point, Zeus suddenly laughed heartily, then abruptly stopped.
At the same time, atop the sacrifice ground below, the sacred fire stacked on the ash branches suddenly burst into flames!
The roaring flames turned into living fire streams, instantly pouncing toward the pile of glistening offerings.
The fat melted rapidly in the blaze, soaking into the dry bones below, and then those bones crackled and shattered in the flames.
A wisp of green smoke symbolizing “offering” rose with the wind, slowly dispersing between heaven and earth.
Below, humans who had fallen into bewilderment and immense inexplicable fear due to the sudden change in wind and clouds and the dispersal of auspicious clouds, upon seeing the offerings ignited and consumed by the sacred fire, not knowing anything, fell into tranquility and joy again.
In their simple cognition: ‘With the gods here, with the universe’s Master God King here, with our merciful Creator and teacher here, what could happen?’
‘Look, haven’t the gods already enjoyed the offerings?’
‘The gods have accepted the offerings, so this sacrificial ceremony is perfectly concluded! Next, the gods should bestow blessings, right?’
Everything happening in heaven, they were completely unaware of.
And in heaven, Zeus chuckled softly: “Mortals’ offerings, I accept them.”
“From now on, all offerings in mortal spirits’ sacrifices to the gods shall be burned with sacred fire, sending their pure essence into the gods’ embrace.”
The God King thus established the final decree on sacrifice.
Originally, if prayed with sincerity, after the ritual, the gods would not mind returning everything and granting more.
But now, the gods’ portion would no longer return to mortal spirits.
Then, His calm golden pupils turned toward Prometheus.
He spoke slowly in a tone so flat it horrified the gods:
“Today’s ritual has already concluded perfectly.”
“Prometheus ah, you did very well, very well.”
“Previously, I had not truly rewarded you for your merit in creating humans.”
“Moreover, today you labored to bring about the perfect conclusion of this ‘Divine-Mortal Covenant’, earning another great merit.”
“It’s time to bestow a reward upon you. Otherwise, wouldn’t the gods of the universe think me an unfair king?”
The God King’s expression showed no coldness; His tone was even gentler than before.
But the words He spoke next were enough to plunge Prometheus into the abyss of despair in an instant.
He smiled lightly and said: “Let’s bestow the rewards together today.”
“Since you love humans so much, I grant you—to remain in the mortal world forever.”
“This way, you can always accompany the humans you like. This must be what you want most.”
“Oh, and also. Since you love humans so much, how could you bear to have them use their already scarce and meager food to sacrifice to you?”
“Then I grant you further—from this day forth, no living being in the universe may sacrifice to you.”
“You may not erect any divine palace in the mortal world; may not raise any statue; you may no longer use divine power to shelter any living being.”
“No living being may have faith in you, nor may you accept any faith.”
As the God King’s words fell, the roaring sacrificial fires atop the earth suddenly all surged upward!
All the flames, as if pulled by an invisible hand, converged in the air into a leaping colossal fire dragon!
But that was not all.
Not just the sacrificial fires of the sacrifice ground!
At this moment, across the entire earth, every cave, every forest, every campfire, every cluster of flame cherished and relied upon by mortals…
No matter their origin…
All trembled violently and surged upward in the same instant, responding to the God King’s call, rushing into the sky, merging into this roaring fire dragon, transforming into a sea of fire!
This endless flame, a colossal sea of fire spanning heaven and earth, flew beyond the ninth heaven amid the mortals’ stunned gazes.
The Master of Fire Hestia gently beckoned, reclaiming the endless flames into her palm.
In the past, at the birth of humans, the sacred fire jointly bestowed by the Warmth of Fire Hestia and God King Zeus—the fire that could dispel cold, ward off evil, banish gloom, neutralize poison, create, heal, purify, sacrifice…
That warmly burning, brightly blazing, transcendent divine sacred fire, utterly different from mortal fire, symbolizing God King Zeus’s sacredness and light…
From now on, would no longer favor humans.
Not to mention this sacred divine gift flame; now, there was not a single spark of fire left anywhere on the entire earth.
The mortal world suddenly grew cold.
Yes, the Divine-Mortal Covenant had been established.
The etiquette of sacrifice had also been set.
However, the “fire source” essential for offering sacrifices had been completely severed.
People could no longer offer sacrifices to the gods.
Thus, they could no longer receive the gods’ protection.
This was not the gods failing to honor the pact.
Rather, humans’ representative first tarnished this pact with deception and arrogance.
Humans unable to offer sacrifices could not blame the gods for not granting blessings and protection.
The God King did not breach the pact, nor would He.
But the Divine-Mortal Covenant was now in name only.
Prometheus stared dazedly at all this, his divine body swaying violently, darkness and collapse overwhelming his divinity.
Only now did He truly realize the terrifying, stupid, colossal mistake He had made!
“Your Majesty—!”
He was just about to speak, to beg, to salvage, to admit wrong, to plead with a thousand words…
Before the words fell, a thunderbolt containing endless majesty streaked across the sky with irresistible speed, carrying the power of unchallengeable order, smashing Him ruthlessly into the mortal world!
Under this invincible thunder, He fell like a plummeting meteor toward the earth.
The God King’s word was law.
Since He had said He could “remain in the mortal world forever,” He could no longer set foot in heaven by a single step.
From this day forth, paradise’s gates would be forever closed to Him; the paths to the Divine Kingdom forever sealed!
Even the netherworld would forever bar His entry!
The Heavenly Dao Order’s divine network would prohibit His use; the sacred aetherial atmosphere would no longer tolerate His breath!
He would be forever trapped in the mortal world, forever bound to the earth.
His body would never leave this earth!
Clymene had silently fainted in Metis’s embrace.
At this moment, she truly could no longer bear this heavy strike.
Her divinity fell into a dizzying deep sleep.
For her now, this was even a kind of happiness.
Her divine life was always full of such ups and downs…
She had finally just harvested a little happiness and sweetness, yet her unworthy son always brought her successive destructive harm and strikes.
She was even truly beginning to suspect whether the problem lay with her. Why were her children always like this?
