Greece: I am Zeus!

Chapter 239 Fire!
Prometheus was both surprised and delighted to hear such high praise from the Muse.

Even He, the "prophet and forerunner," never dared to imagine that these mortal spirits He created with His own hands would one day become gods!

To be able to truly coexist alongside these great gods who were born extraordinary.

Even just thinking about it is incredibly challenging, and it brings a divine sense of glory!

He forcefully suppressed the excitement that was about to burst forth from his heart.

However, he couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

“O illustrious Calliope, this is truly an overstatement. How could these children, mere mortals, possibly stand alongside the great gods? It is simply unbelievable.”

"It would be good enough if they could follow His Majesty's supreme will and bring prosperity to the world."

Caliope simply smiled knowingly and said nothing more.

Her silence was not a denial, but rather a way of leaving everything to time and the future.

And that represents "social science," recording and disseminating eternal history—Crio.

With a calm and friendly smile, she said softly, "Let's not keep these newborns lying on the ground any longer. Let them all get up."

“Our great Father God once said that He does not need the gods to easily demonstrate His majesty and dignity through the act of kneeling.”

"Then we, as His daughters, are the same. We also do not need these mortal spirits to kneel down to us at will to show our dignity."

True respect and reverence lie in whether they can truly obey the divine will of our great Father God, not in these trivial superficial forms.

Upon hearing this, Prometheus's expression turned solemn, and he said emphatically, "What the goddess Clio says is true!"

"Our great God-King has brought peace and tranquility to this universe. His Majesty has personally established the most just and benevolent sacred order of justice!"

"His Majesty deeply loves all living beings. He uses a sacred order to restrain all injustice and arbitrariness, and thus bestows upon all living beings the most precious happiness and peace!"

"In the process of guiding humanity to grow, I will certainly teach them with the utmost seriousness, so that they will absolutely obey His Majesty's sacred order!"

"His Majesty's sacred order cannot be transgressed by any living being! His Majesty's benevolence is absolutely not a reason for any living being to violate the just order!"

Caliope also solemnly stated: "The divine and just order of the Father is the only foundation upon which this universe can develop healthily."

"Any civilization that deviates from the sacred and just order will inevitably meet its demise! We will also teach them properly. This is also our duty."

“However,” Caliope’s expression turned into a gentle smile, “the most important thing now is to teach these poor children how to survive on this vast land.”

“That’s right! The beautiful goddess is right!” Epimetheus finally found an opportunity to speak.

Although, no one paid any attention to him.

Prometheus stretched out his large hand and gently waved it downwards.

An invisible, gentle divine force lifted all those who had been crawling on the ground, and they slowly stood up.

"Man" and "god" are the same in terms of physical form.

They are born to look up at the stars, to look at this beautiful world on equal terms, and to seek out all that is beautiful.

Instead of being like those wild beasts, forever forced to crawl in humility.

At this time, humans had no concept of writing or language.

Prometheus, with his powerful divinity, directly connected with the souls of all humanity, transmitting the will to "stand up" directly to the deepest recesses of their souls.

The humans who had stood up were all stunned and stood frozen in place, not daring to move, when faced with this great power that was completely beyond their imagination and understanding.

In their eyes, the instinctive fear still exists.

However, they also felt a sacred aura that was innate and incredibly intimate.

Their anxious hearts were thus greatly calmed down.

Although they were still ignorant, they were filled with endless curiosity and doubt as they quietly watched the great deities who were high above, suspended in mid-air.

At that moment, the desire to "fly" was forever imprinted in the deepest part of the human soul.

After all of humanity has stood up.

Caliope then faced the distant Mount Olympus and began her most sacred prayer.

The other muses, accompanied by her solemn hymns, danced a sacred dance filled with reverence.

A series of sacred music slowly rose from the void.

The beautiful muses' skirts fluttered lightly, each step in sync with the heavenly music, each turn creating tiny yet bright ripples in the air.

The wind blows from the mountains and seas, carrying the warm fragrance of flowers and the ever-changing clouds, and the rosy clouds begin to gather quietly once again.

"In the beginning of chaos, all things were still. O holy and primordial fire, great and warm holy lord!"

"You are the original manifestation of all light and heat! Oh! That blazing and warm flame! The world is warmed by your existence, and filled with endless vitality and hope because of you!"

"Great Hestia! Source of all fires, warm fire! You are the symbol of wisdom and civilization, the symbol of life and vitality, and the gentlest bond to the eternal, supreme god-king, thunder!"

"The sun's rays are your majestic garment; the earth's core is your eternal foundation!"

"The raging wildfire that devours everything needs your tacit approval to burn in this world; the supreme molten flames that forge divine artifacts also need to borrow from you, that indestructible divine essence!"

"Oh—First Flame, Heart of the Universe! Your flame guides the path of all things! It illuminates the long road ahead for all living beings, dispelling the cold, despairing gloom! You are the eternal guardian of all wisdom and civilization!"

"O majestic and sacred great fire! You are the most sacred and eternal symbol of the supreme radiance of Zeus, the great god-king who drives away evil, dispels darkness, disperses poison, creates, heals, purifies, punishes, sacrifices, destroys, reborn, brings life, growth, vitality, power, warmth, burning, light, and heat!"

"Great Lord of Fire—Hestia! Please have mercy on these mortals, so insignificant as dust! Please accept this purest form of reverence from the mortals!"

"Please bestow upon this fragile and insignificant humankind, which sways in the wind, that eternal peace and warmth, and that sacred flame that symbolizes the glory of the divine king!"

As Calliope began to chant this sacred prayer, the great Hestia, far away atop Mount Olympus, immediately offered its most tender response.

Together with the will of the God-King.

Above the Muses, a crimson cloud, like a burning flame, slowly appeared.

Within this crimson cloud, holy lightning of gold, red, and silver-white hues roamed incessantly, bringing the ultimate holiness and majesty to all living beings!

And then there's the most terrifying pressure, the kind that makes you forget to breathe!
Crimson and gold and white overlapped in the high sky, as if the Lord of Fire was spreading his cloak over the heavens, with lightning flashing between the folds of the garment, foreshadowing the most sacred and merciful bestowal.

The instant Caliope finished reciting his hymn, endless lightning and thunder within the crimson clouds began to churn and tumble wildly, like dragons and snakes dancing in chaos!

Hundreds and thousands of dazzling lightning bolts fell like a torrential rain!
The blinding light caused all of humanity to instantly close their eyes tightly!
However, the intense light still easily broke through the thin layer of eyelids, bringing light to those who had lost their sight.

The terrifying, earth-shattering roar and explosion terrified everyone, causing them to once again act on their most primal instincts, prostrating themselves on the ground in fear, trembling like leaves.

It's as if only in this way can one gain a sliver of security.

But in reality, that wasn't the case.

No one gains any sense of security through any action.

This can be clearly seen from the various strange cries and shouts filled with fear emanating from all the people.

These hundreds and thousands of bolts of lightning struck hundreds and thousands of towering trees with perfect precision, turning each tree into a huge, burning, and warm torch!
The benevolent God-King, and the equally loving Lord of Fire, generously bestowed upon these newborn humans the most sacred "Heavenly Fire" in the universe!
Similarly, the merciful ones also maintain this distance very well.

Those enormous torches burning fiercely will only bring endless warmth to these newborn humans, and will never scorch them in the slightest.

Under divine blessing, all the flames will never be extinguished. The flames run along the resin and the rings of the tree, the crackling sound like a great hymn. Warmth spreads among the people, dispelling the damp cold of fear.

The orange-gold light trembled in every pair of pupils. At this moment, following wisdom, the God-King placed tiny suns into their hearts.

This is survival and evolution.

After the clouds dispersed, the world returned to its clear state, leaving only the hundreds of enormous, eternally burning torches to prove that everything that had just happened was not an illusion.

Once again, Prometheus, regaining his senses, forcefully lifted all of humanity from the ground.

This time, He used even more force.

Moreover, as soon as He disperses His divine power, those who have just stood up will immediately fall down uncontrollably again.

Only after repeated, through His forceful lifting, was humanity finally able to stand up, albeit with difficulty.

Everyone looked at the enormous torch, sacred and majestic, bright and blazing, burning fiercely.

They were all in a daze, their eyes filled with the most primal fear and awe from the deepest part of their souls.

And then there's the endless longing that arises after feeling warmth.

At this moment, the awe for thunder and the love for fire were both deeply engraved in the souls of everyone.

And it has become an indelible mark on generations of humankind!

Fire can be hot, but it can also shine; thunder can frighten you, but it can also guide you.

From then on, people dared not treat fire lightly, nor speak recklessly when encountering thunder.

They learned to find warmth in awe and light in order.

The Muses, facing the distant Mount Olympus, bowed deeply. With the most graceful posture, they offered their highest respect, chanting in unison, "Thank you, Supreme Father! Thank you, Lord of Holy Fire!"

The two Prometheus brothers immediately followed, not daring to slack off in the slightest.

They bowed in the same way, offering their most sincere gratitude to the supreme ruler with the utmost reverence.

At this moment, Prometheus was overjoyed.

Although He still couldn't see through His Majesty the God-King's deep and unfathomable thoughts, He understood one thing with absolute clarity.

His Majesty the God-King held unimaginable generosity towards these newborn humans.

This generosity itself is the most valuable attitude and demonstration!
That is enough.

Caliope slowly straightened her tall and graceful divine body, her eyes beneath the golden crown sparkling with brilliant light, and a bright smile playing on her lips.

She looked at Prometheus and said in a clear and resounding voice like a hero's horn: "Revered God of Prophecy, now, the Father has bestowed upon us His most precious gift, and mankind now has the warm protection of the Lord of Fire."

"I believe that the growth and development of humankind, and everything that follows, will grow and flourish along the path of light."

Prometheus nodded emphatically, his divine passion almost uncontrollable, and his voice was filled with power: "It will!"

What Zeus and Hestia bestowed upon them was not ordinary fire, but "heavenly fire" containing divine power!
These hundreds and thousands of torches will never go out, and they need no firewood.

Furthermore, as long as an ash branch is used as a kindling, the torches that are lit will not go out.

As long as one is covered by the warm glow of this flame, peace and protection will naturally follow.

The sacred flames shone generously and holy upon these newborn humans.

Under this warm and ever-burning flame, they will not shiver and die from the bitter cold of the long night, nor will they fall ill and wither from the coolness of the mountains.

All evil spirits and filth dare not approach before this sacred light; all ferocious beasts dwelling in the mountains and forests dare not even look up under its scorching majesty.

This gift has provided a completely safe initial land for the fragile newborn humankind, a place where they can survive and reproduce.

In addition, there were two great Titan deities, "the one who foresaw" and "the one who knew after the fact."

And these nine Muses, who have a broad knowledge of almost everything, every civilization, and every law, and who represent all art, science, and literature in the universe, personally came to be their mentors.

It can be said that the beginning of the human race was a "paradise mode" that couldn't be simpler.

All of this is because
Lord, love the world!
Thus began the eleven great deities' initial enlightenment and teaching of humankind.

The first step is to make them understand and learn how to use "fire".

How to make, maintain, protect, and use fire? When to approach and when to keep away from fire?
It should be understood that fire can warm people's hearts, but it can also burn ignorance.

From revering the destructive power of fire, capable of devouring everything, to learning to utilize its warmth and light, it is a long and crucial process.

Next came how to gather and hunt, and how to use "fire" to cook food to fill one's stomach.

Next, we need to figure out how to make clothes to cover our bodies and how to find shelter from the wind and rain.

The Muses used their divine power to reveal the world and teach them to distinguish which berries were sweet and non-toxic, and which roots and stems could provide sustenance.

The Prometheus brothers taught them how to make rudimentary stone tools and how to hunt prey.

The gears of civilization, though still immature, have begun their solemn and orderly first turn under the gentle push of the gods.

Everything is proceeding in an orderly manner.

This newly born, tiny race is rapidly navigating the most difficult initial stage of ignorance at an unimaginable pace.

Of course, the life of God does not apply to mortals.

Therefore, they never taught humanity any extraordinary methods.

These fragile and insignificant mortals possess almost limitless potential, but currently, their potential primarily stems from the realm of "wisdom."

Their bodies are still fragile, and their souls have not yet been refined.

They cannot, like gods, freely absorb and use the etheric element that forms the basis of ordinary divine power.

Moreover, the authority to use the etheric element is currently not open to mortals.

At this time, the divine network order established by the God-King did not contain any rules related to this.

At this point, the cosmic order, although having passed the initial stage, is far from perfect.

The magnificent "Heavenly Way" and "Divine Network" system is currently somewhat rudimentary in its structure, and many details urgently need to be filled in.

Ordinary mortals, unless blessed by the gods, are truly unable to even perform the most basic spiritual practices.

Because, in the current Divine Network system, these rules don't even exist yet!

Without written laws, there is no basis for techniques.

Only when the gods create a completely new rule within the divine network system, and under certain conditions, can mortals possibly utilize the power manifested in the world.

If even the rules don't exist, then everything is meaningless.

We are still living in a purely divine age.

There are only "gods" and "mortals," and no so-called "extraordinary" has yet emerged in between.

Everything right now is just the beginning.

For humanity, the first things that need to be solved are "survival" and "basic understanding" of the world.

Other paths are still too far away for now.

In the process of human beings learning to survive and develop, the concepts of "unity," "rational" thinking, "planning" foresight, and "collective cooperation" are essential.

Like an invisible brand, it was deeply engraved in their tender yet potential-filled minds.

The great gods, out of loneliness, chose to create intelligent life.

Therefore, all intelligent life inherently carries with it a fear of loneliness.

Similarly, humble humans do not possess the divine power to create everything and change the world.

All they had were their own hands and each other.

In this wild world full of unknowns and crises, only by uniting can they survive and thrive.

Thus, small tribes, bound by affection and blood ties, gradually formed.

Like faint stars in the night sky, they are scattered across this vast land, and with the propagation of life and the accumulation of knowledge, they slowly begin to grow stronger in silence.

At that time, the concept of "death" was not yet clearly defined in the world.

The lifespan of mortal spirits is also extremely long; as long as their bodies can withstand the erosion of time, they can live on indefinitely.

Fortunately, His Majesty the God-King had already established order in the Netherworld.

Otherwise, those beings whose bodies decay and are reduced to mere souls would be left to wander aimlessly in this world until their final demise.

That was truly the second most terrible torment after Tartarus.

However, in any case, everything is developing steadily and positively.

The act of creating humankind was a tremendous undertaking, triggering a magnificent cosmic phenomenon.

However, for the vast majority of gods in the universe, there is nothing particularly worth paying attention to.

This most sacred and greatest moment is only for the newly born race of "human beings".

To the high and mighty gods, this was nothing more than another insignificant species of life in the world.

No matter how grand the creation of them may be, mortals are merely mortals.

Even so, this newborn being is so similar in form to the gods.

However, the gods do not really care about this.

If this was merely a private creation of the Prometheus brothers, then perhaps some arrogant and narrow-minded gods would harbor resentment as a result.

But now, since this matter was created with the participation of the goddess of wisdom, why should the gods offend His Majesty the King of Gods' beloved first wife for such a trivial matter?
Moreover, His Majesty the God-King never expressed any opinion on this matter from beginning to end, and even unleashed divine lightning of creation. In the end, the Muses goddesses personally descended to the mortal realm to help.

That means His Majesty tacitly approved of all of this.

In that case, there's even less reason to meddle or destroy them.

Simply having a similar shape doesn't prove anything.

They are nothing more than insignificant mortals.

Apart from the gods and fairies who were curious out of boredom and might take a liking to this "race that resembles the gods," most of the rest simply watched the situation unfold.

There were also a few far-sighted deities who wanted to make contact with these races that His Majesty the God-King seemed to value highly.

(End of this chapter)