Greece: I am Zeus!

Chapter 236 Man, Birth (Thanks to dear reader Arrietty for her support!)
This feeling inexplicably weighed down His excited thoughts, and a vague sense of foreboding made His mood heavy as well.

The prophetic god suddenly realized that a not-so-thick dark cloud had appeared above his head at some unknown time.

Is it going to rain?

He thought to himself, and subconsciously, suddenly looked in the direction of Olympus.

However, Mount Olympus was still shrouded in an endless sea of ​​golden clouds.

The sacred and solemn radiance continued to illuminate the entire world, without any sign of abnormality.

Only then did He feel relieved.

'His Majesty must still be captivated by the tenderness of Eurynome. Now that the goddess of wisdom has agreed, there are no further problems! This is the perfect opportunity; we must seize it!'

Even though Prometheus was still troubled by this inexplicable feeling, he remained unmoved.

The pre-arranged plan will never be halted because of this.

Regardless, He will resolutely carry out the planned things!
The established plans will not be abandoned.

After Prometheus said "I am sure," Metis stretched out his arms.

Suddenly, she revealed her new divine body of wisdom after achieving "supreme wisdom"!

As Metis gently stretched out his arms, a silent murmur of creation, seemingly originating from the very beginning of the universe, quietly resounded in the deepest spiritual depths of all beings in the universe.

There was no sound, yet the "meaning" was directly awakened.

The divine body of "wisdom" reigns supreme over the world at this moment!
This is a supreme and sacred body that cannot be measured by any material scale!
Its height is almost equal to that of heaven and earth!
Her silhouette blurred the boundary between heaven and earth, making the entire vast starry sky the backdrop for her magnificent divine robes.

The billions of bright stars were merely subtle, shimmering embellishments on her robes.

The vast, slowly flowing galaxy that stretched across the sky transformed into the cosmic shawl that draped over her shoulders.

However, this vast and boundless existence does not appear to have any terrifying or oppressive feeling, nor does it harm the world at all, as if it is independent of the material world.

It even gives the feeling that the whole world has become broader and deeper.

Metis's intelligent divine body, its face and figure, have not changed much, and it remains extremely beautiful.

However, in essence, it is no longer any material existence.

Her original form of "wisdom" has been deeply integrated with Zeus's divine origin and has undergone numerous evolutions, making it completely different from its original form.

Her current divine body of wisdom is formed from the convergence of the supreme divine light of wisdom, which is endless, immeasurable, boundless, unobstructed, pure in all dharmas, and without limit or form. All forms come together, and the mind is clear and bright.

That is the radiance of "understanding," "thinking," and "wisdom" themselves, not intense, but clear.

Cool, clear, pure, sparkling, absolutely flawless.

It is the ultimate crystallization of the purest order and the most fundamental laws in this universe.

The most spectacular feature is the enormous "Wheel of Truth" behind her head, which is constantly and slowly rotating.

This colorful and dazzling halo is larger than any star.

It was not the seven colors as commonly understood, but a chaotic yet harmonious halo that encompassed all the colors of this world, both known and unknowable.

Within that halo, countless profound runes and axioms, representing the ultimate mysteries of the universe, roam like fish and stars, constantly arising, ceasing, and changing.

They constantly collide and merge with each other, giving rise to new and more profound mysteries.

It is a "living fossil" of all thought since the birth of the universe; it is the ultimate condensation of all wisdom in all civilizations.

When her gaze descends from the sky, it is not a simple "gazing," but rather the most thorough "insight"!
Under this gaze, all pretense, all chaos, all confusion, melt away like thin ice in winter under the warm spring sun.

Endless, gentle light cascaded down from this boundless and magnificent divine body.

That radiance was so warm, so clear, carrying a powerful, enlightening force capable of penetrating the very soul.

This light does not bring scorching heat to the world, but rather brings "clarity" to all things!
Wisdom and thought have selflessly permeated the deepest part of the spirituality of all beings with spiritual life.

May those who are lost see the way forward; and may those who are confused find the answers.

She inspired every living being to sprout a tender bud of wisdom from the depths of their own hearts, a bud yearning to grow and to understand.

She brought inner peace and clear wisdom to all life.

She stood quietly between heaven and earth, without uttering a single word.

However, the whole world has already understood her existence—"I think, therefore all things are."

After a long while, having spread the radiance of "wisdom" throughout the world, the sacred and majestic voice of the goddess of wisdom finally resounded between heaven and earth.

"O revered Mother Goddess of all things, you are the source of all existence in this universe. All existence is due to your grace."

“I, Metis, the goddess of wisdom and first wife of Zeus, the supreme god-king, hereby implore you to bestow your blessing upon the son of Iapetus.”

"Great Mother Goddess of All Things, please help them create great life that can bring true prosperity to this universe!"

The instant Metis uttered his words, the land before Prometheus and Epimetheus seemed to suddenly come alive.

Suddenly, it began to grow vigorously, full of endless vitality!
A large mass of "Creative Soil" radiating ten-colored light, the most precious material source in the universe capable of creating everything, appeared out of thin air before them.

At the same time, the dark cloud on the horizon finally broke its silence and began to drizzle.

The gentle, fine rain fell, soaking the "land of creation" and slowly merging into it.

The blessing of Zhu Yun, high in the sky, was quietly sealed into the life that was about to be born.

It has created the primordial essence that gives rise to everything.

Metis looked down at the two gods and spoke slowly in a sacred, majestic, and supreme tone, seemingly devoid of any emotion:

"Son of Iapetus, the supreme king of all gods, the god above gods, the ruler of the universe—the great Zeus, commands you to create together the life that will bring prosperity to the world."

"Now, you may begin."

The two gods responded in agreement.

They exchanged a glance, and all other thoughts vanished in that instant. The exchange of glances cleared away all selfishness and distractions.

Subsequently, it also manifested its own unique divine body of law!
This is the second time since their birth into the universe that they have simultaneously manifested their divine bodies together.

The first time was when they were conceived and appeared.

That was a time before all things were divided.

The void between heaven and earth seemed to be divided in two by an invisible, intangible, and absolutely vertical straight line.

On one side of this straight line, countless stars appear out of thin air in the void.

In the silence, reason was born, and a starry sea of ​​future possibilities, shining with star trails and axioms, was formed.

They are like a giant, intricate star chart, slowly rotating in a cold and unquestionable trajectory.

All civilizations yet to be born, all miracles yet to be imagined, all causes and choices yet to unfold.
All the blueprints for the future are constantly being developed and shining on this boundless star map.

A divine body, imbued with absolute rationality and a cool, radiant glow, calmly emerged from this vision of the future.

He is the god of prophecy and foresight—Prometheus.

His divine body was pure and bright, precise yet illusory, its dazzling radiance illuminating everything.

This is a tapestry woven together by endless, magnificent, and free imagination, by countless "future possibilities" transformed into dazzling crystals and pure light, and by incomparably cool and absolute rationality.

Its structure is perfect, its lines are distinct, and it is full of the most extreme design ideas and all-seeing foresight. It is a translucent crystal divine body that is as perfect and rational as mathematics.

His eyes always reflected the ever-changing scenes of what was to come.

It is full of calculations, planning and weighing of "things that will not happen".

As Prometheus revealed his divine form, on the other side of this straight line, an illusory fire began to burn in the void, creating a sea of ​​ancient experience flowing with molten gold and icy essence.

All the civilizations that have long since vanished, all the deeds that have been forgotten, all the loves, hates, joys and sorrows that once occurred.
All the embers of the past are constantly churning and shining in this vast sea of ​​light.

A divine body, brimming with boundless power and heat, slowly rose from the ashes of the past.

He is Epimetheus, the god who only realized things after they happened.

His body was heavy and solid.

This is forged from the cold soil and hard rock formed by countless "fait accompli" and the incomparably fiery experience.

Its muscles are bulging, its lines are rugged, and it is full of the most primal creative impulse and an undying passion.

His eyes always reflected only the scene that had just happened.

It is filled with regret, ecstasy and reminiscence for what has already happened.

His skin was covered with countless scars.

His entire body was covered with the deep cracks left by each failed attempt; and the new marks added after each correction of mistakes.

Those are all the past scars and glories of the universe since its birth!

These two great deities stood back to back, their backs joined, and finally merged into one at the center of the world. Their two faces faced "future" and "past" respectively.

They became two different faces of the same deity, facing the "future" and the "past".

The sacred connection between the backs of the two deities is neither matter nor energy.

Instead, it was a rift that mortals could not look directly at, both dazzling and ethereal.

That is—"now".

After they appeared simultaneously and merged completely together, the vertical, invisible straight line began to slowly change.

The sky did not split as a result; nor did the earth tremble.

Everything in reality seems unchanged.

Only that one vertical line, which originally divided the void in two, was slowly bent into a huge and eternally flowing complete circle by an invisible, gentle yet resolute and irresistible great force.

At this moment, the "god of foresight and enlightenment" descended upon the world!
If we compare the original divine bodies of Prometheus and Epimetheus to the intelligent divine body of Metis, their size would be no different from that of ants.

But now that they are united as one, an unimaginable and enormous change has immediately occurred!

This deity is so large that, even compared to the wise divine body of Metis, it is equivalent to a child!
This deity is the dialectical unity of "creation" and "reflection", "thinking" and "action", "imagination" and "reality", "reason" and "sensibility".

It is the "arrow of time's manifestation" that appears simultaneously at both ends; it is the arrow and the target that appear together.

It is also the most authentic and eternal embodiment of the great act of "thought" in this universe.

Prometheus cast his well-thought-out "seed of planning" and his vision for the future onto the earth called "reality".

Most of the seeds break in reality, but a few take root and sprout, which is the courageous and forward-looking attempt!
Epimetheus, on the earth of "reality," collects the "broken fruits" that have grown from the "seeds of planning," and refines them to create the "foundation of growth."

This is the profound reflection and correction filled with experience!

Those "foundation stones of growth" that have been reforged by valuable experience, though no longer perfect, are now more resilient and will slowly rise along the trajectory of this circle.

And eventually flowed back to Prometheus's feet, becoming an indispensable new understanding and foresight for Him when conceiving the next, more perfect "seed of planning".

They were, in fact, a god.

It is a great deity that was bound to separate during the development of the "dual" universe!
They are the sons of the “Cyclic Ones”.

It is the two indispensable spokes that enable the great chariot of "civilization" to keep rolling forward.

It is also the eternal embodiment of "knowledge" and "action" in the unity of opposites!

Prometheus represents the thinking, rationality, foresight, vision, transcendence, new cognition, design, and planning of civilization.

Epimetheus represents the ignorance, experimentation, experience, reflection, limitations, action, humility, and awe of civilization.

Civilization is essentially about using our current understanding to think about, envision, and construct our future.

Then, they will act bravely, reflect on their mistakes, summarize valuable experiences, and ultimately gain a completely new understanding.

Afterwards, they will correct their mistakes and continue to design and plan for a better future.

This creates a virtuous cycle that continues endlessly, ultimately driving the entire civilization to progress.

The two are both opposed and unified, contradictory yet symbiotic.

Without any one of these links, civilization will inevitably face its ultimate demise.

Only through mutual integration and balance can civilization have a future!
This is the true meaning of "foresight" versus "hindsight"!
The great deity has once again achieved His brief yet complete unified whole.

They stood back to back, with Prometheus reaching out his hands towards the future, grasping the primordial essence on the ground, bestowed by the Mother Goddess herself and imbued with sweet rain, capable of creating everything.

Then He began His most insane, most arrogant, and most anticipated great creation.

Meanwhile, Epimetheus, facing the past, simultaneously reached out his hand, reaching towards the vast world.

He took all the opposing yet symbiotic qualities in the spirit of all life that his two brother gods had previously created—"good" and "evil," "good" and "bad," "pure" and "turbid," "true" and "false," "righteous" and "wicked"—and kneaded and fused them all together!
The audacious Prometheus strictly followed the image of the gods, applying the sacred "divine form" template!
After countless ingenious modifications and deductions, He created the first mortal being resembling a deity—"human."

That was a man.

"Humans" possess a noble image that is almost identical to that of gods!
He has a physique that allows him to walk upright and have a straight spine!

Therefore, he was born to look up at the vast starry sky, instead of being like a wild beast, forever only able to look at the earth beneath his feet.

Although the form has been sculpted, it is still just a cold, lifeless, inanimate object, merely a small clay figure.

Prometheus did not stop what he was doing; he gently blew a breath onto the clay figure's head.

That most sublime "reason" was thus bestowed upon Him and deeply integrated into the mind of "man".

Epimetheus finally kneaded all those opposing yet symbiotic qualities into a chaotic, formless sphere of light.

He took the clay figure from Prometheus's hands, and with a flick of his fingertips, he had already cut open its chest.

He threw that chaotic sphere of light into it.

Then, He breathed into the chest of the clay figure.

The dissected chest instantly healed.

Stripped of all the characteristics of spiritual beings, that precious "sensibility" also remained eternally within the "human" body with this breath, forever beating in that burning heart!

From this point on, "emotion" and "reason" will coexist forever.

And it is forever imprinted in the nature of "human beings".

They will encourage and challenge each other, and they will also enhance each other's glory, for eternity.

The goddess of wisdom simply watched silently as Prometheus committed this most audacious and presumptuous act.

His desire to create truly intelligent life is not a mistake.

However, He did this most daring, most presumptuous, and most insane thing.

Mortal spirits are resembling gods!

However, Metis's exquisite face remained completely unchanged.

Because this is the will of the beloved god-king, the greatest god—Zeus!

When Prometheus's pleading and expectant gaze fell upon her, she, with the supreme honor and authority of the first wife of the god-king, poured her most precious "spirituality" into this clay sculpture.

At the same time, it forged a resilient soul to protect this still thin and fragile "spirituality".

The "human" finally came back to life.

However, the eyes of this newborn life were still filled with confusion and ignorance.

Metis looked at the still bewildered little boy and gently parted his lips.

A wisp of pure energy, brimming with boundless vitality and life force, was exhaled from her mouth, completely enveloping the newborn.

"The wisdom of freedom," "the potential for growth," and "the exploration of thought" were thus introduced into the body of "human beings."

This "person," whose eyes were originally filled with confusion, underwent a dramatic change at this moment!

He already possesses the ability to "observe" and "think".

He possessed the wisdom to grow freely.

This newly created being, apart from lacking the immortal "divinity," is no different from a true god.

At that very moment, a sudden change occurred!

Suddenly, from the highest Mount Olympus, a golden lightning bolt, the swiftest and most magnificent, flew down!

This bolt of lightning, piercing through endless time and space, struck this newborn man squarely!
He immediately cleaved his bones and blood, spirit and soul, in two completely!
With a contradictory sob filled with pain and the joy of new life, the separated bones, blood, and soul, enveloped by holy lightning, were scattered onto the remaining source of creation.

Meanwhile, atop Mount Olympus, Dione, the goddess symbolizing the ultimate yin of the universe, hurled a ball of "pure yin water," containing her divine essence, towards the mass of primordial matter mixed with the bones, blood, and soul of men.

And so, the first woman was born from that primordial substance.

The God-King used thunder as a scale to differentiate Yin and Yang, thus enabling the "One" to proliferate.

The goddess Dione, on the other hand, bestowed upon "woman" the virtues peculiar to femininity.

Beneath that sacred golden lightning, the first man, who had suffered a "severe injury," was also rapidly recovering in the sacred cleansing of the lightning that created it.

His fractured bones, blood, spirit, and soul recovered rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Thus, among the mortal beings in this world, the truly intelligent race finally appeared!

Furthermore, both the "yin" and "yang" attributes already exist simultaneously.

Prometheus remained silent.

He fully understood that everything he had done was under the tacit approval, or even arrangement, of the supreme god-king.

(End of this chapter)