Greek Mythology: The Spiritual Dominator

Strange laws, a strange environment, and even a strange self, all these are telling Zeus that he is now in a special state.

He was pulled into a thought, repeating an experience that the owner of the thought had the deepest memory of. Now, he has lost his body and is attached to the owner of his thoughts with pure consciousness, and nothing that does not belong to him can be brought in.

Consciously observing the surroundings, Zeus just watched 'himself' moving forward. As expected, the danger he had sensed before was probably here, and his spirit was running at an unprecedented high speed. He tried to get rid of the current state, but undoubtedly failed, because the power to maintain this residual thought did not seem to come from its original owner, but was mixed with other higher sources.

Under normal circumstances, a powerful god like Zeus would not easily fall into other people's thoughts. Even if he touches a great existence, since they are already 'dead' in a sense, it is impossible for him to fall into it without any resistance just with the remaining thoughts, but here it is different.

Although Zeus still doesn't know the name and origin of this place, the authority of the God King from the real world still makes him keenly aware of the incompatibility between this place and the entire Chaos. This is not even the difference between the real world, the abyss and the spiritual world, but the difference between the real world and the abyss and the spiritual world. It's a bigger gap. The transformation of the nine kingdoms is still in progress. Although Chaos has broken through the barrier of world power, the progress of his 'digestion' is not that fast. So much so that there is still a little power from another world left in this broken interface.

Now, with Can Nian and Zeus as the medium, Khaos collided with the remaining power of the Nine Realms. World-class power has reappeared in the past, giving this residual memory real power. However, in this past, there is an unprecedented unknown threat to Zeus.

Because no matter what the result is, Asgard will become the first interface among the nine kingdoms to be completely swallowed due to this change, but Zeus is different. As 'himself' continued to advance, the warnings Zeus received became more and more intense. His intuition told him that danger was ahead, and he could no longer escape.

Zeus already had some vague guesses about this. The god of Chaos is immortal, but no one knows whether this is the case when facing the world itself.

"Crash-"

The originally distant sound of water flowing was getting closer and closer. Judging from the sound, it seemed to be a spring lake. As 'Zeus' approached, the surrounding trees became sparse.

This is a misty forest, surrounding the Fountain of Wisdom. The magical trees block the view of those who come. At a certain moment, when the last tree blocking the way was passed, Zeus's consciousness finally followed the line of sight of the body and saw the whole place.

There is a small lake right in front of you, with clear water rolling endlessly. In the center of it, there is a spring gurgling with pure water. Under the light, the pale golden mist evaporated and floated into the air, and on the top of the spring pool, there was a root hanging down from a high place.

The steaming mist is attracted by it, continuously nourishing the sacred tree that runs through the nine realms, giving it vitality and strength. And looking at all this, a thought emerged out of thin air, and Zeus instantly knew the reason why he came here.

His name is Odin, and like Zeus, they are both god-kings who have just established the Divine Court and become the leader of the gods. And they all face the same dilemma - without a deep foundation, without unrivaled power, their royal power is always facing the threat of being shaken.

So 'Odin' came here, to this country ruled by the giants, the great enemies of the gods. He came here to seek help from the fountain of wisdom and the revelation that the world gave to the God-King. But although the spring was right in front of him, he still had a hurdle to overcome.

Under the reflection of Yggdrasil's roots, there is a vague silhouette of a huge figure. Gazing intently, Zeus clearly saw Mimir sitting solemnly beside the Fountain of Wisdom.

At the same time, Mimir also noticed the arrival of ‘Odin’.

"Outsiders, are you also coveting God-given wisdom?"

A loud voice sounded, and Mimir obviously recognized the identity of 'Odin' at this moment, but the giant's tone didn't seem to care. The young wise giant Mimir is so arrogant. As the guardian of the Fountain of Wisdom, he has no respect at all even when facing the God King of the Nine Realms.

Because this is Jotunheim, the country of giants. Even if the God King tries to use force to achieve his goals, he will never be able to escape intact.

"Yes, respected guardian. I have heard of the name of the Fountain of Wisdom, and that is why I came here."

"I hope to get a cup of spring water to gain enlightenment from wisdom. If you can fulfill my wish, I promise in the name of the God King that I will give you corresponding rewards."

In 'Odin's' mind, Zeus heard 'himself' say this, but in the face of the God King's request, the giant opposite refused to agree. He just looked at 'Odin' and smiled casually.

"Outsiders, no matter what your status is, how noble your status is, and what kind of power you have, you must follow my rules here, because without the consent of the guardian, the spring water will not take effect on you. .”

What Mimir said is not entirely correct. What really determines whether the spring water is effective or not is the spring pool itself and the World Tree. Whatever you gain, you will lose. Only by achieving an equal replacement can you gain the enlightenment of wisdom.

It's just that as a guardian, Mimir can decide whether to agree to this deal, which is why he is confident.

"Before this, many people wanted a cup of spring water, but as soon as they heard the price of a cup of spring water, they were too scared to ask for it. As the king of Asgard, I don't know if you will be like them. Woolen cloth?"

"I already know this," opposite Mimir, 'Odin' said calmly: "I am willing to give all the gold in 'Asgard' as the price for the spring water."

Gold is a symbol of wealth, not just the metal itself. Obviously, in order to gain the power to consolidate the king's power, 'Odin' is willing to give up all his wealth. However, in front of him, Mimir just smiled and shook his head.

"What's the use of wealth? They are just the most ordinary items. Only artifacts like [Gangnir] are real treasures, but I think it is definitely not within the scope of your promise."

"Then I can give you my right hand, the hand that holds the magic gun. It is part of my power. I think it is comparable to the water of the Fountain of Wisdom."

Frowning, 'Odin' proposed again, but in front of him, Mimir also smiled and refused again:

"No, this is not enough. Your hands only represent your power, but you cannot get anything from me with your power. Your powerful force can only be effective on others, but in front of me, it has no effect. usefulness."

".So, Mimir, what do you want?"

After a moment of silence, even Zeus, who existed as an ideological being, could see the giant's difficulty, and Cannian's original owner naturally felt it more clearly. But thinking about his purpose, he still asked.

"I want your right eye."

Mimir said this, pointing to the head of 'Odin'. At this moment, the giant smiled happily, because even the god-king of Asgard must abide by his rules.

"Your sharp right eye is the real treasure equivalent to the spring of wisdom. If you want to 'see' the revelation of wisdom, you must use eyes to observe the world in exchange. Only with it can you get the spring water. the wisdom in.”

'Odin' fell silent, as did the consciousness of the real Zeus in his mind. He knew that this exchange was irreversible, because the object of the exchange was not Mimir, but the Fountain of Wisdom and Yggdrasil.

Losing one eye permanently and sitting on the throne with one eye, just when Zeus thought 'Odin' was about to give up, he heard 'himself' speak again.

"So be it, Mimir. I agree to your terms, if this is what you ask for as a guardian. I will pay with my eyes, and you will pay an equal price."

"Of course you'll get the spring water."

Not paying attention to the other party's tone, Mimir thought that 'Odin' was talking about spring water, so he nodded happily. The next moment, a force acted on 'Odin' and the spring in front of him.

Now, no one stopped him, but Zeus suddenly discovered that this power seemed to be linked to more than just 'Odin'.

Even he was confined inside. However, this power seems to be somewhat impossible to use. After all, Zeus has no 'eyes' at this moment.

"Heh, it seems that this method works no matter where it is."

He laughed secretly. This was not the first time that Zeus used this kind of literal loophole to avoid paying the price.

Just like Cronus once ordered the sky, earth and sea not to protect his children, so the young Zeus was hung on a branch. Now, because he has no ‘eyes’, he cannot pay the price.

"Step aside."

While Zeus was thinking, the outside world continued. Sensing the conclusion of the contract, 'Odin's' voice also became cold and hard, but Mimir just shrugged and left the spring.

He doesn't need to watch here, because the process of obtaining wisdom varies from person to person, and no one knows how long 'Odin' will stay here. He just needs to wait in the direction of departure and then wait and admire the heroic appearance of the one-eyed king.

The giant left, and his tall figure quickly disappeared into the mysterious mist of the misty forest. Under the roots of the World Tree, facing the empty spring pool alone, 'Odin' was silent for a long time, until at a certain moment, he suddenly raised the weapon in his hand, and then stabbed himself mercilessly.

'laugh--'

The skin was broken open and blood flowed out, but 'Odin' seemed not to notice it. He stepped forward, picked up a handful of spring water, and drank it all.

"Here I will be, reborn."

The voice was calm, and the next moment, 'Odin''s body floated into the air. Up and down are reversed, and his past self and his future self are overlapping. 'Odin' hung upside down, hanging himself upside down from the hanging roots of the World Tree, staring at the surface of the spring in the cold wind.

At the same time, as the blood slid down, one of Odin's eyeballs fell off and fell straight into the water, leaving only an empty eye socket, confirming what had happened. When the 'sacrifice' is offered, the ceremony begins.

The corners of 'Odin's' mouth raised slightly, and time was distorted at this moment. The rotation of the sun and the moon moves at an unimaginable speed, and the will of the world is focused on it. Hanging upside down on the tree, dedicating his eyes to the world and dedicating himself to himself, at this moment, wisdom seems to be really close to the God King here.

But in 'Odin's' mind, Zeus's spirit shook crazily.

······

"Stop, I told you to stop!"

The furious roar resounded in his mind, but it could not hide the panic in Zeus's voice. Along the way just now, he had been sitting back and watching everything happen, even if the power of exchange acted on him, he was indifferent to it.

Because Zeus could feel that at this moment, as a mass of thoughts that existed and did not exist, he could not lose his eyes. So he just watched quietly, and then looked forward to what kind of 'wisdom' this foreign 'god king' had gained. And just as he thought, when Odin stabbed himself and permanently lost his right eye, although Zeus also felt the pain, he did not lose his limbs at the same time.

Even at this moment, when the 'wisdom' from the world approached, Zeus was extremely surprised. Because at this moment, he seemed to also feel the coming of Chaos' will.

As Ryan once suspected, the real object of this self-sacrifice is actually the world itself. The person who made the sacrifice was Odin, but the person who accepted the sacrifice was the God-King. The present self sacrifices to the future self, and Odin, as the god, sacrifices to the world's representative, and what is finally obtained is the rune text that contains the secret of the root of the world.

However, the runes are the response given by the nine realms to Odin. In the lingering thoughts of the intertwined power of the two realms, what Chaos gave to Zeus is anything but that.

The world is approaching, and the gift is about to arrive. Even after nearly a hundred years as the God King, Zeus is receiving revelation from the world itself for the first time. He waited expectantly until he suddenly realized that something seemed not quite right.

Because he himself seems to be dissipating.

Perhaps the essence of the process of wisdom enlightenment is an exchange, but the object of exchange is both oneself and the world itself. But at this moment, there are two consciousnesses in Odin's body. Odin offered his right eye as promised, but Zeus offered nothing.

A loophole in words can deceive another god, and it can also deceive a contract, but it cannot deceive itself, let alone the exchange itself. If you want something, you have to give something. Zeus has not given anything, so he should not get anything in return. If this is a ceremony held by him, it will only end immediately. Although he can't get what he wants, he still can't get anything in return. Nothing will be lost, but the current situation is different.

Because in the same body, there is another existence that paid the price.

Therefore, the wills of the worlds mixed together will equally come to the God-King who is also mixed together. The remnants of the nine realms will reappear in the past, and Chaos will give Zeus an alternative revelation. The only difference is that when the two come into contact, Khaos will charge an additional 'price'.

As for what the 'price' is. If Zeus still has a body, he will randomly lose a limb, which is equivalent to 'Odin'. But now he has no limbs, and everything he has is mixed together, so there is only one price he can pay.

"——It's all mine, everything except my 'existence', this is a conspiracy!"

Consciousness was tumbling, and Zeus finally realized the seriousness of the problem. If he cannot find a suitable 'sacrifice' immediately, then his existence itself will become a 'sacrifice', and no one knows what the outcome of the 'sacrifice' offered to the world will be. If Zeus still had his own body at this moment, he could have sacrificed part of his body like Odin, but at this moment he was just a ball of consciousness.

He cannot separate his consciousness because he does not have such ability. So now, the will of the world that is constantly 'approaching' is not only not a gift, but is like a life-threatening guillotine.

"Calm down, I am the God King."

Forcing himself to calm down, Zeus used all his wisdom to think of a solution, but found nothing. He now finally knows what the danger is, which comes from the residual thought itself - its owner has long since died, and it has lost the concept of existence. When this illusory 'dream' ends, that is when it dissipates. For a moment, the arrival of Zeus changed everything.

If he really dedicated himself to the world, then the 'existence' that originally belonged to him would be vacant. This remnant that should have died long ago may gain an anchor point and use it as a medium to become the new 'Zeus'.

But there is no point in knowing that this is a killing plot set up by another God King Cannian who has lived longer, has more experience, and also has [wisdom]. Faced with all this, Zeus was helpless, not even Metis's wisdom——

"—Metis?"

His mind suddenly stopped. For a moment, Zeus thought a lot. But sensing the will of the world getting closer and closer, he had no time to think too much.

The fatal sense of crisis pressed over him like a huge shadow, making it almost impossible for the God King to breathe. At a certain moment, Zeus finally made the most 'correct' decision.

After being swallowed by him, Metis became a part of him. She is his wisdom, so it is naturally mixed with Zeus's consciousness at the moment. Zeus cannot divide himself without corresponding authority, but he can free the prisoners.

So at this moment, Metis, who had been swallowed by him for a hundred years and sunk in eternal sleep, was finally released by him. At the first moment of waking up, Metis was used as a 'sacrifice' to Zeus, and was presented to the world as his 'wisdom'.

Silently, this goddess who lost most of her power due to the birth of her daughter disappeared. No one knows where she went as a gift to the world.

And deep in Zeus's consciousness, the only thing she left behind was a piece of leather, which floated and fell on the body of the goddess who was about to be born.

The next moment, the sheepskin from Amoni, the goat that had raised him, which Zeus had used as a reason to approach Metis, became a shield. It will become a natural artifact, accompanying the birth of the goddess of victory and wisdom.

"Haha. So you have been carrying this sheepskin with you? Hahaha. It's really ridiculous."

I don’t know who I am laughing at, but the world will not stop because of this. When the will of Chaos was 'close at hand', Zeus suppressed his emotions and rushed towards the gift of the world. At this moment, having offered the 'sacrifice', he was no longer afraid of this power.

Odin sacrificed himself to seek 'wisdom', and he sacrificed 'wisdom' to achieve himself, hanging upside down in his body on the tree. Across the distance in time and space, the two god-kings made completely opposite actions, but they I also got what I wanted.

Odin once obtained the [Rune Runes] that explained the world, and at this moment, Zeus also obtained the true meaning of kingship.

For a moment, it seemed like an eternity. He seemed to have transcended time and destiny, seeing the past and the future. In front of Zeus's eyes, the scene of the first God-King ascending to the throne was clearly visible. He also saw another 'self'. In his original destiny, an extremely powerful self who was surrendered by all the gods seemed to be facing him. Talk to him now. In the dark, Zeus suddenly understood something.

Relying on pure faith can never achieve great divine power. True greatness requires complete symbolism, and faith itself does not have this capability.

"So I need to build one. Metis, thank you again for your contribution to my royal power."

Consciousness condensed into form, Zeus sensed the information in his mind and couldn't help but laugh loudly.

He finally found what he wanted and what he had been pursuing. Although it could not immediately give him unparalleled power, the existence of this path itself had made him no longer confused.

"Maybe it should have a name."

This road had no name, but now Zeus was going to give it one.

"It is presented in the form of a ritual, but it does not use runes and materials as a ritual. It can involve everything in the world, but it is only for the achievement of the God King himself."

"In that case, let's call it [The Grand Ceremony of Royal Power]."

Speaking softly, Zeus slowly raised his head.

Opposite him, the other 'self' was slowly dissipating.