Greece: I am Zeus!

Chapter 205 Surrender Your Authority

Despite his deep reluctance, Phoebe bowed deeply to Zeus and whispered, "Thank you for your forgiveness, forgiving Zeus."

Zeus simply smiled and said, "My purpose in seeing you again this time is very simple."

“If you are willing to confess your sins, acknowledge the corruption and errors of the old order, and relinquish your authority over the laws, I am willing to forgive you, release you from Tartarus, and allow you to live in a better world.”

Upon hearing Zeus's words, the expressions of Coeus and his wife immediately changed, becoming extremely ugly!

Their brows were furrowed tightly, and they couldn't utter a single word.

They forcibly suppressed their anger and quickly considered Zeus's condition.

Before they could even think, a roar filled with boundless rage came from the side: "Shut up! You shameless little thief!"

"You're dreaming! Absolutely impossible!"

"You want our power?! Never, ever!"

Cronus has also recovered.

In fact, He wasn't much slower than Coeus and his wife.

This incredibly cunning ancient god-king, even though his heart was filled with the rage to destroy everything, did not immediately turn against him after recovering. Instead, he secretly tried to break the seal.

He tried everything he could to see if he could break through the thunder seal set up by his rebellious son and allow his divinity to return to the laws.

However, the outcome was inevitable.

Like countless other failures, this time it ended in failure as well.

But even in failure, He was not in a hurry. He wanted to know what this rebellious son's purpose was, which is why He pretended that He had not recovered.

But upon hearing that Zeus actually wanted the power of the laws they held, He could no longer tolerate it!

To the God of all laws, they are the embodiment of the laws!
There is no difference between taking their laws and authority and taking their lives.

Since we've already entered Tartarus, what could be more terrifying?
Having already given up all hope, Cronus immediately roared in anger!
"Zeus! You despicable and shameless thief! You are insatiable and utterly shameless!"

"Hahaha! So what if you become the God-King by relying on that shameless sneak attack? Without our authority, even if you sit on the throne of the God-King, can you really control this world?"

"Without my 'creation,' 'growth,' and 'harvest,' without Iapetus's 'weaving of death' and 'recurrence,' how could your rule last long!"

"I'm waiting for you! I'm waiting for you! Waiting for you to be overthrown by the new God-King!"

"By then, who will still be in Tartarus remains to be seen! Hahaha—"

Upon hearing this, Zeus simply sighed softly and said nothing more.

The ancient god-kings, trapped in endless void and chaos, had no idea what the current order of the universe was like.

He had no idea how invincible he was now.

He still views himself with the narrow-minded perspective of the past, completely unaware of how many updates and iterations have been made.

Zeus simply turned his gaze to Iapetus, who had recovered but remained silent.

He said softly, “Your son, Prometheus, the revered weaver of death, is now by my side, serving as my advisor.”

"I have entrusted the task of creating life in the universe and making the universe more prosperous to Him and Epimetheus."

"Atlas, on the other hand, is receiving instruction from Oceanus. And I have bestowed upon His children the honors they deserve."

“Only your incorrigible second son, Menotius. In order to save you, he even tried to kidnap my beloved goddess and force me to release you. Now, he has been banished to Tartarus.”

Iapetus let out a deep sigh, and even his immortal and indestructible divine body was shrouded in a sense of melancholy due to the passing of time.

He spoke slowly, his voice hoarse and weary: "Honorable Son of Cronus, thank you for your tolerance and generosity."

"As for Menotius, it is only natural that he should be punished for his wrongdoings, and there is nothing to say about it. Everyone must bear the consequences of their actions, whether or not they can ultimately bear them."

Zeus nodded slightly, his gaze calmly sweeping over the four ancient Titans: "My purpose is very simple, and you can also consider this a deal. As long as you are willing to publicly acknowledge the errors of the old order and voluntarily relinquish the power of the laws you each wield, I can pardon your sins."

Zeus looked at Iapetus and continued, "This also includes your foolish son Menotius. A million years from now, I can release him as well." Upon hearing this, the expressions of Coeus and his wife immediately became uncertain. Clearly, even they could not easily make a decision when faced with this choice concerning the very essence of the laws.

Iapetus remained silent, only casting his deep gaze quietly upon Cronus.

Without the slightest hesitation, Cronus roared, "Absolutely impossible! You need not say another word!"

He let out a disdainful snort and sneered, "What can you do now? Nothing more than send us back to that endless Tartarus once again! But I will never let you achieve your ultimate goal!"

Zeus seemed not to hear His roar, but turned his gaze to Coeus and Phoebe, and asked in a calm tone, "Honorable Coeus, and Phoebe, what are your thoughts?"

Coeus and Phoebus's expressions grew increasingly grim. Even though they once possessed wisdom unparalleled in their time, they found it difficult to make a decision at this moment.

Everything else is negotiable, but we must ask them to hand over the source of the laws.
What difference is there between this and taking their lives?

Just then, Cronus shouted angrily from the side, "Coeus, my brother! Don't believe anything this traitor says!"

How credible is the 'forgiveness' He speaks of?

"Even if it's true, what will happen when we lose everything? Won't we be powerless to resist? If this traitor then goes back on his word, won't we still be left with no choice but to endure his cruelty?"

"Rather than placing our hopes on His mercy and ultimately being slaughtered, it's better not to follow His will now! At worst, we'll just stay in Tartarus and wait for Him!"

"One day, He will surely be overthrown by a new God-King! As long as we persevere, we will eventually gain true freedom!"

Cronus's words immediately struck Coeus and his wife as extremely reasonable.

Yes, they're holding on for now. Zeus doesn't seem to have a better way to deal with them. Perhaps in the long years to come, a turning point will really appear.

But if you hand everything over now, you'll truly be putting your life, death, honor, and disgrace in the other party's hands, leaving you at their mercy.

What if this new God-King doesn't keep his promise?
Even if He keeps His promise, once He loses all authority, any god in the universe could probably bully Him at will, or even easily destroy Him completely.

If I'm just barely clinging to life, I might as well be dead!

But this is Tartarus.
Even Coeus felt a deep-seated fear and pain when he thought of Tartarus, and his divine body trembled uncontrollably.

The choice we face is, in reality, no choice at all.

Either you continue to endure the most terrible torment in the world, waiting for a glimmer of hope that may appear after an unknown period of time; or you gamble on a vague and uncertain end that may lead to your complete annihilation.

Coeus and Phoebus exchanged another glance, the two gods gritting their teeth, and finally made up their minds—they couldn't hand it over!

However, just as they were about to speak, Iapetus, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke.

He spoke in a calm and even tone: “Dear Coeus and Phoebus, perhaps you should be more cautious when faced with the most important choice. Please think it over carefully; it is best not to make the same wrong decision a second time.”

Coeus was startled. His eyes met those of his wife again. Although they did not say a word, their feelings were perfectly clear to each other.

They couldn't understand why Iapetus would utter such ambiguous words.

However, Iapetus's words always carried great weight.

And so, they fell into deep thought once again.

Zeus turned his gaze to Iapetus and said slowly, "Honorable Cycler, if your children could possess the same wisdom as you, I believe their lives would be much happier than they are now."

“The children you and Clymene conceived should not have been like this.”

"So, what's your choice?"

Iapetus smiled slightly. Although his heroic and resolute face was still gloomy and his divinity was also listless, he had a calm and composed demeanor.

He said softly, “Honorable son of Cronus, thank you for your praise, but I am truly unworthy of it. I am merely a god who is too stubborn.”

“And a stubborn god, regardless of right or wrong, will not easily change his choices. I once swore to be forever loyal to His Majesty King Cronus. And so it is now. His Majesty Cronus’s decision is my decision.”

Zeus nodded upon hearing this and said no more.

(End of this chapter)