Chapter 52: Chapter 52: The Dirge of the Gods, The Book of Wisdom, and Uranus's Treasury
The Goddess of Wisdom, Metis.
She is the daughter of Oceanus, the Titan god of the river encircling the world, and Tethys, one of the Titan goddesses of the sea. Metis herself is one of the Oceanids and the primordial goddess of wisdom.
It can be said that Metis and Prometheus played crucial roles in Zeus's effortless victory in the Titanomachy. From start to finish, everything was meticulously planned, giving Zeus the illusion that it was all too easy.
However, after Zeus dealt with Metis and Prometheus, things began to unravel. The realms of the sea, the underworld, and the earth all plunged into chaos.
Even though Zeus possessed the greatest divine power and became the invincible God-King, he was overwhelmed by these countless problems and ultimately had to abandon many of his ambitions.
In the end, it showed that Zeus had not matured enough. He grew into a competent schemer and a God-King but never became a truly wise god.
Returning to Metis, besides aiding Zeus in the Titanomachy, her most significant contributions were her two children. Her firstborn son, Abel, was the Sun God.
Abel was destined to be the God-King of the fourth generation, representing not just any divine position like Sky Emperor, Sea King, or Underworld King, but simply the pure role of a God-King.
In fact, the five God-Kings born so far have represented different divine roles.
Uranus held the position of Sky Emperor, Cronus was the God-King, Hades was the King of the Underworld, Poseidon the Sea King, and Zeus the Sky Emperor. Abel's role was similar to Cronus's as a God-King.
And it didn't stop there. Metis's second child was Athena, the goddess of war, victory, and wisdom, making her the second Goddess of Wisdom. Athena was also born as a God-King, destined to be the ruler of the earth.
This situation was intriguing. The previous ruler of the earth, Gaia, had no interest in the title of God-King, but now Athena was the new ruler of the earth, making things quite interesting.
Metis almost perfectly mirrored Rhea's role, Cronus's wife. According to Cronus's curse, it was natural for Zeus to eliminate Metis.
"Hades," Metis spoke with a smile as Hades pondered Metis's future. "What would it take for you to release Zeus from his binding?"
Hades refocused his thoughts and responded calmly, "Metis, offer me a sufficient price."
"Alright!" Metis smiled, feeling a bit relieved. Truth be told, she wasn't worried about Hades asking for something; her fear was that he might be too enraged to negotiate and would instead decide to extract Zeus's Thunder Law. That would be troublesome.
For deities like Hades and Zeus, born as God-Kings, their essence was vital. If the laws tied to their essence were incomplete, even if they managed to retrieve them later, they wouldn't be able to assimilate them properly, leading to fundamental problems for the gods. That would be a disaster.
With Hades willing to negotiate, it was the best outcome. As for opposing Hades? Metis knew better than anyone how powerful Hades truly was. Engaging in conflict with him would come at too high a cost.
Hades's battle with Iapetos had ended in a draw, with Hades breaching the constraints of his essence through his sheer power. This was not something Zeus, with his impulsive and immature nature, could compare to.
In fact, Metis did not see this setback as entirely negative. Sometimes, it takes experiencing failure to truly grow. Without it, true growth would remain out of reach.
"…"
Zeus remained silent, waiting in quiet anticipation.
Metis raised her hand, producing a vial of potion. She smiled and said, "This is the Dirge of the Gods, a very special elixir. Even the Ancient Gods can be affected by it, as it can weaken divine power by ninety percent for a short duration."
The Dirge of the Gods. As Hades examined the potion, he considered that in the original tales, Zeus likely relied on this very elixir to reclaim his essence and rescue his siblings.
Hades pondered briefly before speaking calmly, "It's not enough."
A single vial of the Dirge of the Gods was insufficient for him to release Zeus. While this elixir could simplify his efforts to reclaim his essence, it alone did not suffice.
"…"
Metis listened to Hades's words, contemplating for a moment. Then she brought out a book, ancient and brimming with endless knowledge.
Smiling, Metis said, "Hades, this is the Book of Wisdom. You surely understand what this represents. It is the second item I offer."
The Book of Wisdom, the Book of Omniscience, the Book of Knowledge, and the Book of Memory.
These four tomes are revered in the mythological world, each considered a divine artifact. The Book of Memory needs no further explanation; it records the memories of all humans and gods, sparing none except the Ancient Gods.
The other three—Book of Wisdom, Book of Knowledge, and Book of Omniscience—each hold different contents. The Book of Wisdom encompasses all the intellect of living beings, the Book of Knowledge contains the sum of all knowledge, and the Book of Omniscience holds the totality of what the dead have ever known.
The Book of Wisdom being in the hands of Metis, the first Goddess of Wisdom, seemed fitting. Now, Metis was willing to offer this divine artifact, demonstrating her sincere intent to negotiate.
Hades looked at the Dirge of the Gods and the Book of Wisdom floating before him. He accepted both divine items and asked, "What is Zeus seeking at the edge of the sky?"
"Uranus's Treasury," Metis answered without hesitation. "During the first Great War of the Gods, the majority of the first God-King Uranus's treasures were taken by the Titan God-King. However, a portion was left behind at the edge of the sky."
"Very well." Hades said no more and released Zeus from his binding.
As soon as the seal was lifted, Zeus, without any hesitation, took Metis and left. He never looked back at Hades, but the thunder in his eyes spoke volumes about his rage and determination.
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