I'll also work hard to conquer the dungeon today.

Chapter 516, page 2.1-31: The Crown: The Treasure of a Lost Dynasty
Mu Yegui had just stepped into the room when he heard a youthful, slightly melancholic voice behind him, "Tomorrow is the annual harvest festival. You've come back just in time. I thought you wouldn't make it."

"Xiao Jiu." She turned around and saw the boy leaning against the door, his long, wine-red hair as messy as ever. He exuded a unique, indistinct aroma of alcohol, rich and sweet, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

"Did you brew new wine?" With her keen sense of smell, she immediately noticed the completely different scent emanating from him.

Dionysus nodded, his narrow, golden phoenix eyes carrying a hint of gloom and indifference. His handsome yet very youthful face showed little smile, and he gradually began to resemble the image of his future self.

"I discovered a golden fruit that contains a forbidden magic. Eating it will temporarily strip one of divinity, so I used it to brew wine, intending to give it to those arrogant gods to drink at tomorrow's harvest festival," Dionysus scoffed disdainfully.

"Do you really hate them?" Mu Yegui picked up the kettle, poured a glass of water, and asked himself.

"I just can't stand their pretentious act, so I'm curious to see just how ridiculous those self-important old folks will become after they lose their pride in their divinity." Dionysus, dressed in a white divine robe, walked up to Mu Yegui, took the water cup from her hand, and drank it all in one gulp.

"One day, Ragnarok will come, and humanity will rule the world." His narrow, golden phoenix eyes held a complex mix of emotions, including an unfathomable gloom. He chuckled softly, a hint of madness in his expression. He loathed the present era, loathed the existence of the gods, and loathed the weakness of humanity.

"Has Xiao Jiu forgotten that he is also a god?" Mu Yegui turned to look at him and asked softly.

"So I hate myself too..." He put the empty ceramic cup back on the table, but it fell to the ground because he was unsteady.

The crisp cracking sound seemed to be telling some unspeakable secret.

Mu Yegui kept his eyes closed and remained silent.

The surroundings were completely silent, even carrying a slightly eerie atmosphere.

"When you're not speaking, I feel inexplicably uneasy. It's strange that I, a god, possess human emotions. Sometimes I don't want to associate with those gods, probably because from the moment I opened my eyes, I've been watching the humans who worship me, watching them grow up, grow old, and die, seeing believers come and go. Watching them suffer, grieve, and pray for divine protection, but alas, I am just a god of wine, unable to cure diseases."

Humanity should rely on itself. Without God, without faith, perhaps they will realize their own potential. It is precisely because of the advanced technology of this era that I am certain humanity can create its own future, and the existence of God is precisely the greatest obstacle to their self-reliance and strength.

Even if one day I lose my divinity, I will not feel the slightest anger. Perhaps, I will be happy to live with my beloved people and create a better future together.

Dionysus is merely a second-level deity among the gods, and he is one of the few who is approachable, kind, and fond of humankind. Precisely because of this divine nature, he is more concerned with how humanity can live better lives.

"Alcohol can bring pleasure and joy, and it can also blind them, but I think it's not necessarily a bad thing. Seeking a sliver of self-comfort amidst suffering, searching for an excuse to live, is self-deception, but at least it's their own choice. All I, a weak god, can offer is this tiny bit of solace..."

Humans are truly too weak, and so is he; he regrets that he cannot offer them more help.

Her cool, silver eyes were fixed on Dionysus. She remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking, "Your shrine has been destroyed." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

Dionysus shuddered. He moved his thin lips, hesitated for a few seconds, and then denied, "No." "If not, why not deny it immediately?" Mu Yegui tilted his head and looked at him softly.

He lowered his eyes and bent down to pick up the shards of the pottery jar that had fallen to the ground.

In the silence, the only sound was the crisp sound of pottery shards hitting the ground as he picked things up. He tightened his grip on the shards slightly, then suddenly sat down on the ground, scattering the shards even more scattered.

“You mentioned pain, sorrow, and prayers for divine protection. I think you probably encountered your followers who came to you asking for healing for the sick, but because you are just a god of wine and have no healing abilities, you were ultimately unable to grant their wishes. So, in a fit of anger, they smashed your shrine. These are all my guesses, but is it true?” Mu Yegui casually brushed the pottery shards off him, sat down beside him, and asked.

Dionysus trembled slightly. The still young and immature god was a child, whether converted to human age or in life, he was an infant, a child who had never experienced suffering.

So much so that when faced with such a situation, he was at a loss and didn't even know what to do.

But his only thought was that he couldn't take his anger out on his people. After losing him, his people might be swallowed up by other gods, so he thought...

Rather than let them suffer, it would be fair to make all the gods disappear.

“I didn’t expect them to do this, but I was truly powerless. Not to mention that I wasn’t at the shrine at the time and could only rely on my intuition during their prayers, the very content of their prayers was beyond my capabilities. I am merely a god of wine, a god of rituals, culture, and revelry, and healing others is not within my power. I could only watch helplessly as they suffered and died, and there was nothing I could do.”

"So you were targeted for revenge, and they smashed your shrine in their anger. Smashing a god's shrine is no different from killing a god. Are all your people fools? Doing these self-destructive things." Mu Yegui frowned. A lot had indeed happened in the three months she was away, so much that she almost couldn't keep up.

So this is when Dionysus lost his divinity?

In the end, it was his own people who hurt him the most...

"Mu Yegui, I have no home anymore." A hoarse voice trembled with tears, and glistening tears welled up in his narrow, golden eyes, sliding down his face and disappearing into the pure white divine robe.

He wailed and cried, like a child who couldn't find his way home, searching for a ray of light in the darkness, running around in fear.

Mu Yegui was silent for a moment, then reached out and hugged him.

All she could offer was a cold hug and silent comfort.

I'm sorry, but her body temperature isn't warm like a human's, so she can't bring him any warmth.

but if……

(End of this chapter)