Greece: I am Zeus!

Chapter 305 The Day the Fire Occurred
In such a moment of upheaval, revealing all the cruel truths (the departure of the gods, the disappearance of the fire, and the sin of Prometheus) would only lead to the instant collapse of the tribe.

At the dawn of human civilization, these leaders had already intuitively realized that deception is indeed a very effective tactic in many situations.

These leaders and elites, who had just received the blessings of the gods, barely managed to prop up the crumbling backbone of their respective tribes upon their return.

However, the meager "comfort" they brought back was far less than the overwhelming fear and despair brought about by the "loss of the flame."

If it's simply losing the flame, but gaining the protection of the gods in return, then that's not so terrible.

But now, they can't even perform the sacrificial rites.

This means that they can no longer receive God's protection.

This is more than just despairing.
This is utter despair.

Those few who could barely remain calm were doing their utmost to restore order to the tribe.

However, this is extremely difficult.

Furthermore, the timeframe was too tight and too short.

The ritual begins at the moment the sun rises.

By the time they had exhausted all their strength and rushed back to their respective tribes, evening had already arrived.

Many leaders were keenly aware of the seriousness of the situation.

Their hearts were burning with anxiety. Faced with their chaotic, crying, and even self-destructive tribesmen, many leaders had no choice but to take tough measures, even some rather cruel ones.

Using "violence" to forcibly establish "order".

All this was so that everyone could calm down as quickly as possible.

Even if you can't regain your composure, you must obey orders!

We must prepare for this "first real night" as soon as possible.

No one knows what dangers await on the first night without the sacred flame.

However, no one of insight dared to ignore the seriousness of this matter and its deadly danger.

They used all the knowledge they knew and did their utmost to make final preparations for facing danger.

On this day, following "deception," "falsehood," and "opportunism," humanity has learned to use "coercive" means against its own kind, with whom it was once intimately connected.

Now, this is naturally a helpless choice made out of necessity for the survival of all the people.

But once this door of "necessary evil" is opened, will it be so easy to close again?
But the loss of the flame is not all bad.

The warm fire has departed, but many people, in their panic, have ignited a fire of calm and reason.

This is an instinct of human communities.

Learning to unite, sharing responsibilities, and maximizing resource utilization—these principles have become new life-saving rules in critical moments.

However, the bad habits sown will not easily disappear; in fact, they may even penetrate deeper into civilization in order to survive.

In the short term, in order to survive, some leaders had to resort to harsher measures internally: forced rationing, rigid obedience, and even the threat of sacrifice to maintain order.

These measures may bring order, but they also foster injustice and indifference.

Deception and coercion are two parallel dark currents that are quietly seeping into the fabric of human society.

On the first night after the sacred fire was extinguished.

Amidst humanity's uncontrollable tension, bewilderment, and bone-chilling fear of the unknown, they calmly... weathered the storm.

Aside from the disturbances from some nocturnal animals that one would normally never dare to approach, nothing too unusual happened that night.

Ironically, the most casualties that night were caused by people injuring each other in the chaos and stampedes.

The next day, when the sun rose as usual, and the long-awaited light pierced the darkness, and the warm sunlight shone on them, all the survivors breathed a long sigh of relief, as if they had been reborn.

However, the leaders and elites of each tribe dared not slacken their efforts in the slightest.

They suppressed their fear and confusion and began to restore order to the extremely depressed mood of their respective tribes.

Even the most urgent matter of going out to find food, which was a matter of life and death, was temporarily abandoned.

Everything needs to be put aside for now; everything can only proceed after everyone's hearts have been calmed down.

After a day of tireless effort, the various tribes managed to barely restore the most basic order.

Under the leaders' strict orders, the tribespeople gathered together, becoming more cautious in the face of the unknown dangers that might appear at any moment.

Many smaller tribes have already begun to merge with each other quite consciously.

The sacred flame has been lost; they can only rely on the warmth of their fellow countrymen, embracing each other more tightly, to obtain that meager comfort.

However, the real terror and despair were only just beginning as time went by.

This is not subject to human will.

Many minor deities in the mortal realm are secretly watching this "divine-mortal pact".

They had all heard His Majesty the God-King's proclamation, and they would never dare to disobey it.

However, they soon discovered the "secret".

After His Majesty the God-King made his proclamation, there was no further word. Humanity, it seems, received no protection whatsoever.

Instead, they lost the sacred flame that countless gods both coveted and feared!

And Prometheus, the powerful Titan who had always protected humanity, also fell like a meteor and disappeared.

At this moment, all human tribes no longer had the glorious protection of any great god.

They didn't know exactly what was happening high in the sky.

But they could keenly sense that the human race seemed to have... lost the favor of the many great gods of Olympus.

This naturally includes evil gods, wicked gods, violent gods, and all sorts of strange and powerful beings.

They may have bad tempers and peculiar tastes, but that doesn't mean they're brainless.

They are also genuine divine beings, possessing true high spiritual wisdom.

However, most of them are still observing the situation until the specific direction of things becomes clear.

But those beings that are not very intelligent, or whose spirituality is inherently chaotic, are... different.

All they knew was that the human tribes no longer possessed that sacred aura that instilled fear in them from the depths of their souls; nor did they possess that burning presence that they dared not even glance at.

That area, which was once an absolute forbidden zone, is now freely accessible.

The humans in that forbidden zone... are now nothing more than pieces of delicious flesh and blood, exuding the fragrance of "wisdom".

Naturally, those dangerous beings lurking in the darkness began to wander over; those dangerous predators, attracted by the tempting aroma, also came one after another.

In this dangerous and wild world, there are many powerful creatures. Without the sacred flame, they suffer not only from cold and hunger, but also from the danger that comes with the loss of protection.

On the second night.

When darkness falls again, many powerful nocturnal predators regard humans as no different from ordinary prey.

They entered the realm of human life in a grand and blatant manner.

Casualties began to truly appear.

At the same time, many humans who had become unable to be contained by the divine flame due to the anomaly began to either become terrifying, dangerous, or... rapidly lose their lives.

However, relying on the robust physique of the first generation of humans, their sheer numbers and willpower, and the precious knowledge taught by the gods, humanity still managed to barely survive the night.

This night was not pleasant.

However, it cannot yet be described as utter despair.

Another, more pressing issue has forced humanity to disperse once again.

That is—food.

For this grand sacrificial ceremony, humanity was already on the verge of starvation, and many of its people had already died of starvation.

Almost all tribes now have no food reserves.

There can be no more delay in going out hunting and gathering.

But in the past, whether going out hunting or gathering, every small team needed an inextinguishable torch made of ash branches.

This small torch, though unable to directly harm its prey, can largely prevent attacks from powerful beasts and dangerous creatures.

But things are different now.

Without the protection of the flames, the "divine aura" that once enveloped humanity has also vanished.

Then they are no different from any other mortal spirit on this land.

The dangers of hunting increased exponentially.

Even when going out to collect materials, one must always be careful and watch out for any danger that might suddenly pounce out of the grass or forest.

Obtaining food became more difficult; casualties also increased and became more severe.

On the third night, the cries of weeping only increased, not decreased, in all the human tribes.

The desperate cries completely shattered his daytime composure.

When humans were truly left to face this wild world alone with only their fragile bodies, they instantly understood what true "pain" and "hardship" really meant.

For the first time, humanity truly understood the cost of "survival".

For the first time, I truly understood the cruelty of "facing the world independently."

Danger is everywhere, and injuries and fatalities are ever-present.

Death struck with a frenzied speed beyond their imagination.

The loss in just a few days has exceeded all their previous understanding.

The fragility of humanity, the fragility of life... This cold reality, for the first time, has made everyone aware of it so deeply and so cruelly.

Countless people knelt on the ground, praying to the cold, dark sky and the myriad gods.

They cried out the names of all the gods they knew, pleading for forgiveness from them in the most humble and subservient manner.

(End of this chapter)