Chapter 300: The Poisonous Source Of Civilization
After the God King bestowed this “bounty” upon Prometheus, he no longer glanced at the falling figure, merely saying softly: “Go back.”
‘From this point on, the Mortal World will become tainted.’ He sighed deeply in his heart.
In this scene, the Gods did not dare say another word, all softly responding in agreement, following the God King back to Olympus.
Prometheus’s actions left many Gods completely unable to understand.
Or rather, none of the Male Gods in the entire Iapetus Family seemed normal.
The only one, Prometheus, who once seemed somewhat clever, now appeared to be the stupidest of them all.
As for whether this punishment for Prometheus was too severe?
In truth, no God considered it a severe punishment.
To dare, in front of nearly all the Gods of the Universe, use such clumsy means to deceive and scheme against the supreme God King; openly trample and tarnish the sacred pact the God King had just personally established; in the most vile way, destroy the God King’s Sacred Order…
No matter how great his merits, under this “absolute defiance” grave sin, they were insignificant.
Not striking him down on the spot, along with the humans he cherished, into Tartarus was already the utmost tolerance and mercy from His Majesty the God King.
His Majesty is still too merciful and generous.
Presumably, Clymene’s involvement was likely a factor as well…
His Majesty the God King’s “fatherly love” is truly profound!
At this thought, many Gods looked toward Clymene, who lay unconscious in Metis’s embrace, with gazes full of pity.
What evil had she committed?
How did she end up with such bizarre sons?
Clymene was so beautiful and enchanting, gentle and gracious, the finest and most exemplary Daughter of the Ocean.
How did she have sons with such deranged minds?
It must be Iapetus’s fault!
No!
From now on, absolutely no allowing our own daughters to have any closeness with the Male Gods of the Iapetus Family!
His family definitely has issues!
Huh, strange.
Why didn’t Epimetheus come to the Sacrificial Ceremony this time?
In such a lively occasion, that fool of his should have loved it the most.
Only now did the Gods realize that Epimetheus had not participated in this Sacrifice.
But the Gods did not dwell on it, merely assuming that fool had made some minor mistake, chuckling lightly before each departing.
After all…
Who would care what a fool is doing?
And while Zeus appeared greatly angered, he was not truly furious.
After all, with everything in his grasp, what was there to be angry about?
If he were truly angry, it would not be just this punishment.
If the God King’s rage truly erupted, it would overturn Heaven and Earth, reverse the starry rivers!
He merely sighed silently in his heart.
No matter how many times it repeated, Prometheus would still make this same choice.
He would always, at the critical moment, choose the path that best satisfied immediate desires.
He had not deliberately set a trap for him, nor actively stirred the waves.
Yet Prometheus, still self-assured in his wisdom, made the most erroneous choice.
Though this “choice” might seem “correct” in his eyes.
It was to strive for more living space for his children.
Is deceiving for survival truly a “wrong”?
Perhaps it cannot be simply clarified; perhaps there are no absolutes in this world.
But Prometheus was not without other choices.
If after attempting the choices of “sincerity” and “faithfulness,” the problem remained unsolved.
Then, in desperation, seeking “survival” through “deception” would no longer be wrong.
But he did not.
From the start, he worried that “sincerity” would not yield “success.”
To gain more, for that so-called “more likely success,” from the beginning, he directly chose “deception” and “calculation.”
Thus, from this point on, “deception” would be inescapably etched deeply into the human soul.
“Faithfulness” would become a rare and precious virtue.
Because the God who was one of their creators and their primary teacher had personally abandoned the path of “faithfulness” for them.
Thus, what was left for humans was only “deception.”
The God King’s responsibility would only be granted to those who embody “faithfulness.”
Because that is the “covenant” established by the God King.
Gods shoulder the “responsibility,” humans respond with “faithfulness.”
The gods’ Shelter and doting would only be bestowed upon those who keep their promises.
From this point on, it was predestined that deception would spread among humans.
If Prometheus had chosen “faithfulness,” Zeus would have unhesitatingly granted humans the most generous divine gift.
But Prometheus did not.
He wanted the most and greatest benefits for humans, yet did not want humans to pay any matching price.
Under his greedy and obsessive fixation, he had even forgotten that the moment the God King descended, divine grace had already descended, erasing all existing hunger and pain among humans.
He wanted to “obtain,” but not through “fair exchange,” instead attempting to cheat it directly from the gods’ hands.
He never considered that what gods possess is the gods’; what humans possess is the humans’.
Between the two, exchange and supplication are possible, but never opportunism.
Wanting to obtain without giving. That is called “unearned gain.”
Racking one’s brains, using “deception” and “calculation” to “win big with little,” even attempting paying no price at all. That is called “opportunism.”
From this point on, these two vile traits would also be inscribed into the human soul.
The so-called god of “foresight” had no true “foresight,” nor true “forethought.”
Mortals can never deceive gods.
Mortals, those opportunistic little tricks, before gods, are forever merely laughable ploys.
Mortals also cannot gain “unearned” advantages from gods.
But from their own kind, they can.
Prometheus granted humans many fine virtues, yet also brought them these most corrupting traits.
His so-called “wisdom” and “cleverness,” at moments involving human “profit,” all devolved into “greed.”
But once greed arises, one enters delusion; with a heart of insufficiency, one falls into the boundless Sea of Suffering.
The “desire” seeds in human hearts, amid Zeus’s infinite regret, were personally watered by Prometheus with the toxic sources of “deception,” “calculation,” “greed,” and “opportunism.”
This seed was destined not to bloom fine flowers.
“Wanting everyone to thrive” and “wanting oneself to thrive,” these two starkly different “desires,” would ultimately make human society starkly different.
The poison seeded in racial spirit is far more terrifying than the physical demise of a few, countless times over; it will spread across generations, becoming the foundational disease of civilization.
But Zeus did not stop it all.
Because desire is also the ladder of civilization’s progress.
Civilization’s leaps are often driven by dissatisfaction.
Of course, everything has its measure.
If fundamental morality and faithfulness are first exiled, so-called “progress” is merely barbarism cloaked in splendor.
Thus, Zeus’s Judgment on Prometheus was not mere punishment, but a lesson, a reestablishment of Order.
The cause arising from Prometheus would also use his outcome to warn humans.
Stupidity, greed, deception require paying the price.
And thereby let humans understand: What gods grant is not for theft.
Exchange should be a pure and solemn Ritual, not a trick of opportunism.
But in any case, this “tainted” race of humans no longer deserved the gods’ sole favor.
Gods would not favor a tainted Mortal World.
Brand-new sentient beings would appear in the near future.
At that time, Prometheus would personally taste the bitter fruit he sowed today.
Does the originator lack descendants?
This dramatic change in such a short time dealt a destructive blow to humans, one they could neither bear nor react to.
They had no idea what had happened.
Nor did they understand why these things happened.
Everything had been fine, proceeding smoothly.
The gods’ favor had been right before their eyes.
Yet, just after the Offerings were prepared, suddenly, wind and clouds shifted in Heaven and Earth!
The warm and peaceful auspicious clouds turned into oppressive Dark Clouds.
Even the warmest, most relied-upon Sacred Fire suddenly became explosive and surging, even grotesquely terrifying.
Then, that Sacred Fire, after engulfing and incinerating half the Offerings, actually… all flew into the sky!
From all directions, all their Tribes, all caves, all! Every flame they depended on for survival gathered, forming an endless sea of Flames that ascended to the High Heavens and vanished completely!
The most familiar, most depended-upon Flames disappeared from everyone’s sight just like that!
Biting “cold” descended upon mortal bodies for the first time.
Thin beast hides could no longer block the piercing winter chill.
Humans, just blessed by the God King not long ago, had not yet recovered from that immense surprise and happiness before plunging instantly into deeper bewilderment and despair.
Hadn’t the god… already accepted the Offerings?
Why… this?
And those humans participating in the Sacrifice personally witnessed their most revered, most worshipped god—Prometheus, like a falling meteor, plummeting at extreme speed from the High Heavens!
That speed was extraordinarily fast!
Even until the moment of landing, there was no sign of slowing.
With a “boom,” he crashed onto the distant Earth!
Smashing a terrifying crater into the solid ground!
A violent quake shook all remaining standing living beings to the ground.
