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Hearing the words, the Three Fates habitually cast an indifferent glance.
As their gazes fell on the smiling figure before them, their brows could not help but furrow.
"There is... on your body..."
"Hecate's aura..."
"[Contingency] divinity..."
Mature, crisp, and youthful voices came one after another.
The three faces with similar features but appearing as a mature woman, an adult woman, and a young girl respectively all showed serious expressions.
"It was you who liberated them and led them to Olympus."
"No, it was that god-king, who insisted on my death."
Lorne seriously corrected them, then spread his hands and put on an innocent expression.
"The previous Titan giants and Typhon's demon army were all my creditors. They once made a pact with me. Once I died, they could come to claim the promised payment."
"Then why is Hecate's divinity on your body?"
The Fate Goddesses continued to press, the same confusion appearing on their three faces of different ages.
Theoretically, even if those Titan giants and Typhon's demon army made pacts with outsiders, their will and divinity should find it difficult to break through the restrictions of Elysium.
Because Hecate would maintain that true dream and keep them in continued slumber.
But the result was that the entire group of old gods had broken out of prison, nearly causing the entire world to fall apart.
This situation could only mean one thing. Hecate could no longer control that group of prisoners in Tartarus.
Given that they had smelled Hecate's aura on the person before them, the cause of everything was very likely related to the other party.
"I didn't want it either..."
Lorne lifted his outer garment to reveal the Wheel of Hecate on his chest, the expression on his face growing even more helpless.
"But that underworld moon goddess insisted on making a move against me, so I could only resist in self-defense."
Then he paused and looked relieved.
"It seems in the end I won."
"Impossible!"
The Three Fates shook their heads in unison, unable to believe this result.
"Then I must thank our majesty, god-king." Lorne smiled and looked ambiguously toward Zeus ahead.
"He seemed very interested in [contingency] and was willing to put in great effort to help me deal with that goddess.
For this he even specially bestowed a portion of divinity upon me."
As he spoke, the eagle representing [Thunder] behind him spread its wings and let out a low cry.
Sensing that familiar divinity aura, the Three Fates turned their heads in unison and looked faintly at the god-king bearing [Heaven's Mandate] before them.
Having the protection of heaven's mandate was not enough.
Did he also want to covet contingency divinity?
Sweat broke out on Zeus's forehead and he immediately looked angrily at that unfilial son-in-law, who had stabbed him in the back at the critical moment.
"A bunch of nonsense! When did I ever say I was interested in [contingency]!"
"Was it not you who told me to deal with Hecate without restraint?"
"I..."
"Do you dare to swear on the Styx River before the witness of the gods?"
"..."
Zeus was left speechless and had nothing to say.
Fine, he really had hinted at it.
Lorne raised his arm and continued his accusation.
"And in order to control me and make me obey your every command, you carved a divine imprint on my body before you were willing to let me leave the Olympian prison."
"It was clearly you who asked me to do it!"
"Was it also me who asked you to detonate the divine imprint?"
"..."
Zeus was once again rendered speechless and did not know how to refute.
"In order to obtain this contingency divinity, you actually tried to kill me and eliminate the witness. Isn't that too vicious?"
Lorne did not give the other side any time to organize their words or think seriously.
He immediately sneered and mocked.
"But you probably did not expect that I have already merged with this contingency divinity. Even if you kill me, you will never get your hands on it!"
"I am not, I do not have it, do not speak nonsense!"
Faced with this ironclad accusation, Zeus, whose own hands were not clean, could only deny it three times.
Lorne mercilessly countered, "Then do you dare to swear on the Styx River before the witness of the gods that none of this has anything to do with you?"
Zeus had no way to argue.
In his urgency he immediately raised his hand to summon thunder. "Shut up!"
However, facing the gathering thunder might in the sky, Lorne stood unmoved and spoke meaningfully.
"Are you sure you want to kill me?
This time I cannot guarantee that I can still resurrect and continue to restrain my group of creditors..."
Hearing this, Zeus thought of the sky-covering Typhon's demon army and Titan giants and his hand could not help but tremble, his body shivering.
Not only that, the main gods, who had launched the rebellion on the other side also had somewhat unsightly expressions.
The divinity and bodies of the Titans were important materials for completing the world.
For example, Gaia had incarnated as the earth, Uranus as the sky, the old sea god Pontus as the primordial ocean, and the Titan god Oceanus as the Oceanus sea...
The world had been shaped into its current form largely because many of the cornerstones came from those old gods imprisoned in Tartarus.
If they were all released, let alone whether the Olympian gods could withstand their joint assault, just the act of them extracting the divinity and power that originally maintained the world's operation would cause the entire world to turn upside down.
In addition, the contingency divinity on his body that could counter [Heaven's Mandate] would be absorbed by the old gods who were his creditors, giving them the possibility to further exceed the control of fate.
If that happened, everyone present would probably have to accompany him to the grave.
"Have you thought it through?"
Lorne smiled slightly and advised kindly.
"It is very easy to kill me.
My resurrection authority has already been consumed and will probably not recover in the short term.
Now is the best time to make a move, but you all may need to prepare to die together."
Seeing the smiling figure walking over openly, the main gods from both major camps unconsciously took a step back.
The Three Fates looked at the moving human-shaped disaster on the field, feeling troubled and could not help but frown and ask.
"What exactly do you want to do?"
"My demands are very simple..."
Lorne smiled slightly, then looked around at the main gods gathered around and declared proudly.
"Either we all die together, or I set the new rules!"
"Impudent!"
Zeus was furious and he subconsciously raised his hands to summon thunder filling the sky, wanting to punish that transgressor who had offended the god-king's authority.
However, before he could act, the thunderclouds in the sky suddenly dispersed.
Mature, crisp, or youthful voices came through.
"Stand down..."
Zeus's body trembled and he sullenly lowered his arms.
The Three Fates descended from mid-air and arrived before Lorne, examining this astonishingly bold madman, speaking faintly.
"So Hecate's divinity and authority now belong entirely to you?"
"Correct. As long as I am alive, those old gods will continue to slumber."
Lorne smiled and nodded, quietly meeting the gazes of the Three Fates before him.
The Three Fates looked at each other.
After their gazes briefly met, they spoke in unison.
"State your demands..."
Hearing this, Lorne showed a satisfied smile on his face.
To use the weak to control the strong and force the gods to put down their pride and sit at the negotiation table to listen to the voices of the weak, one not only needed chips threatening enough to the gods but also the courage to perish together.
After long planning and one heart-stopping adventure after another, he had finally gathered all the conditions and obtained the qualification to sit at the table and openly gamble with the Three Fates.
And just as Hecate had said, the Three Fates did not care about right or wrong, nor about who the spokesperson of contingency was. They would only prioritize the normal operation of the world.
Therefore, when he held a nuclear weapon capable of subverting the world in his hands and created a logical dead loop where killing him meant everyone died together, the other side would change strategy, adopt a negotiating approach, and seriously listen to his demands.
Confirming that he had finally completed the most difficult move, Lorne slightly calmed his mood.
He turned to look at the rebel main gods' camp and that god-king, and restated his original demands.
"First, you all have fought enough.
This divine war has already caused the living beings on earth to suffer terribly. Since neither side can do anything to the other, let's stop here."
This time, Zeus and the rebel gods looked at each other and both felt somewhat tempted.
Currently Zeus's side had fought three consecutive battles and was exhausted.
Although the rebel gods had rested, with the Three Fates' attitude still unclear they had no certainty of victory.
So making peace now was a condition both sides could barely accept.
However, a cold voice came from the rebel gods.
It was Athena who stood up and stepped forward, solemnly raising an objection.
"Wait. If we reconcile just like this, what if someone wants to settle accounts afterward?"
Hera and the others felt a jolt in their hearts.
Their originally somewhat tempted gazes instantly became vigilant.
Everyone understood Zeus's credibility.
If they did not press the advantage this time, once this god-king recovered to his peak state and settled accounts later, they together would probably not be enough for him to deal with.
Seeing the suspicious gazes fall on him, that god-king Zeus's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
Although his bottom line was a bit low, bringing this kind of thing out in the open was rather impolite.
At this moment, Lorne looked at Athena who had voiced the question with an appreciative gaze.
"Therefore, I have a second demand. After the ceasefire, the gods shall return to their respective holy lands and slumber from then on.
They may only walk on the earth in the form of divided spirits or descended spirits to spread faith.
Their strength must be limited to the god level and below, and they must not easily interfere in the change of royal power in the mortal world."
Although the rebel gods did not directly raise objections, their expressions could not help but turn somewhat unsightly.
Asking them to return to their holy lands to slumber and only walk on the earth in the form of divided or descended spirits while limiting their strength to the god level and below was practically asking them to tie their own hands and feet.
Zeus, hearing such harsh conditions, sneered and questioned.
"On what grounds?"
"On the grounds that I am the shepherd elected by this mortal world. I want to fight for the right of rest and recuperation for the ants in your eyes!"
Lorne responded without politeness, then looked around at the gods before him and snorted coldly.
"The mortal world is the gods' pasture, and humans are the gods' flock.
While they live they provide faith for the gods and expand divine rights. When they die, their pure souls weave beautiful dreams, eliminate the disasters of the old gods, and perfect the laws of the world.
They are the cornerstones of the new world!
For the sake of your respective private desires, you started a divine war that left countless people displaced and nearly brought destruction to one city-state after another. Have you ever heard their pleas? Have you ever cared about their suffering?"
Upon hearing this, some gods fell into deep thought, some showed shame on their faces, and some remained indifferent.
Lorne took in every god's reaction, then spoke calmly.
"Of course, I know that talking to you about this is like playing a lute to a cow. Then let's talk about some substantive issues.
This resurgence of the old gods has already reclaimed quite a bit of divinity and authority.
Next they are very likely to go out of control. In addition, my strength is not as strong as that underworld moon goddess.
If we want these old gods to slumber obediently again and become the cornerstones of the world, we will need even more pure human souls to enter Elysium and jointly weave beautiful dreams.
But if the entire human group lives under the high pressure of the gods, living in constant fear and worry that [divine punishment] will descend, how could they possibly give birth to so many pure souls?
Therefore, for their sake and for your own, you all should slumber for a period of time and leave some room for the flock on the earth to rest and recuperate.
During this process, I will take responsibility for supervision, shepherd the flock for you, and clean up the mess."
Apollo, as the leader of the rebels, thought for a moment and asked in a deep voice.
"How long is the [process] you speak of?"
Lorne thought about it, his eyes flashed, and he gave a definite answer.
"Three hundred years!"
From the end of the Minoan civilization to the beginning of the Trojan War was only two or three hundred years.
Without excessive interference from the gods, there was much he could do in the mortal world.
Apollo and the gods beside him exchanged glances and nodded one after another.
"In that case, we agree."
In this rebellion they had already witnessed Zeus's terror.
Although Lorne's proposal to tie their own hands and feet sounded somewhat unreasonable, thinking about it carefully made it clear which side was the real beneficiary.
Only being able to walk on the earth in the form of divided or descended spirits while limiting strength to the god level and below meant everyone would compete on the same level.
Zeus, this invincible god-king, would also be pulled down to the same level as them, thereby losing the possibility of settling accounts later.
Moreover, even if this god-king refused to give up and always thought about dealing with them, three hundred years of rest and recuperation, developing believers, absorbing the power of faith, and strengthening their own divinity would be enough for them to undergo a qualitative leap in strength.
By then, when the seals were lifted, they might not lack the chance to clash with Zeus.
But while Apollo, Athena, and the others could figure this out, Zeus was not stupid either and naturally opposed it firmly.
"No! Why should this king listen to your commands?"
However, Lorne ignored his protest and smiled as he looked toward the Three Fates.
"It is acceptable..."
After weighing the matter, the
Three Fates nodded faintly and directly ignored the indignant Zeus.
Clearly, someone's earlier provocation had worked, and [Fate] also had a temper.
Seeing this, Zeus's face turned white then green with anger, but he was helpless.
He looked sinisterly at the culprit and wished he could tear him into ten thousand pieces.
Lorne ignored the murderous gaze from the other side and spoke with a smile.
"Then please engrave the contract and return the [World] to the right track.
Let the gods belong to the gods and humans to humans. For the next three hundred years, let each side live in peace!"
Compared to the already dirty Styx River, he trusted the binding power of [Fate Authority] more.
The Three Fates had no objection to this request either.
The youngest sister Clotho moved her ten fingers and used starlight to create a loom, weaving the [Fate] of all things into threads.
The second sister Lachesis then stepped forward and, with the help of the measuring ruler, wove the threads into fabric.
Finally, the eldest sister Atropos acted and used scissors to cut out a unique [pattern].
As that piece of starlight-flowing silk fell from Atropos's hands, an invisible membrane and restraint seemed to appear between the mortal world and the heavenly realm.
After personally setting the new rules, the Three Fates solemnly announced.
"The contract is complete. Gods and humans shall be separated for three hundred years. No one above the god level may emerge. The two realms shall each live in peace. If you have no other demands, then disperse on your own."
Seeing that the matter was already settled, even though Zeus was so angry he could only glare, he was helpless.
The rebel main gods completely relaxed and began to plan how to develop believers and absorb as much power of faith as possible in the coming three hundred years.
The newly recovered Ares and Hermes, who had slipped back at some point, also had flickering eyes and eagerness deep in their pupils.
In the past, Zeus as the father god held absolute sovereignty.
In every major sacrifice, this god-king would exclusively enjoy the largest share of the power of faith, which was what established his powerful foundation.
But after this matter, Olympus would no longer be a single whole.
The twelve main gods would each go their own way, and father god Zeus would find it difficult to issue orders to them as before and take whatever he wanted.
In this way, they could also bypass that father god, descend to their own holy lands, and openly develop believers to absorb more power of faith.
If they could win over more believers, they might not be unable to elevate their own divinity and status among the twelve main gods.
Of course, among the gods the happiest was undoubtedly Poseidon.
By splitting from Zeus, the ocean authority of Oceanus would belong to him alone.
He could develop without restrictions, and the three Hundred-Handed Giants would also be bound by the ruling of the Three Fates and unable to trouble him.
Everything was truly as that kid had said.
His position as ocean overlord had finally returned.
Thinking of that beautiful future, Poseidon on the ground cast an eager and excited gaze toward a certain "trustworthy person."
Looking at the main gods around him with their shifting thoughts and subtle expressions, Zeus's face grew even darker.
Almost every Olympian main god had a basic territory for developing their own faith forces. For example, Apollo's Delphi, Artemis's Arcadia, Athena's Athens and Crete, Ares's Thrace, Hera's Argos, Aphrodite's Cyprus...
But the king of gods Zeus regarded the entire earth as his private property, so he had not deliberately developed holy lands belonging to himself.
Therefore, apart from the now empty Olympian sacred mountain, he did not know for a moment how to continue extending his influence toward the mortal world.
It was all this kid's fault!
Thinking that he, the dignified god-king of Olympus, had been directly stripped bare into a commander without troops by this move of pulling the firewood from under the cauldron, Zeus's heart was filled with humiliation and grief.
His gaze toward the culprit wished it could spray fire.
Just wait. This king will sooner or later tear you, this little bastard, into ten thousand pieces, then lock your soul in Tartarus to suffer eternal torment!
Seeming to sense that malice-filled gaze, Lorne turned his head and returned a brilliant smile.
Then, as if he had thought of something, he knocked on his head and spoke leisurely.
"Oh, right. There is a third matter I forgot to mention. Three days from now I and Thetis will hold a grand wedding.
At that time I invite all of you to come and support us."
Immediately after, Lorne looked at Zeus with a teasing expression on his face.
"Also, you majesty, god-king seems to have promised to be my witness.
Be sure not to be late."
"You..."
Before Zeus could finish a sentence, he was so angry that stars appeared before his eyes.
His face turned purplish and a mouthful of golden-red blood spurted uncontrollably from his mouth, splashing onto the charred ground.
After glancing at that tottering god-king, Lorne smiled and waved goodbye to the gods.
"Then, I still have many things to prepare, so I won't keep you company. Everyone, see you in three days."
As his words fell, a pair of bright golden wings extended behind him, fluttering gracefully, carrying this shepherd elected by the mortal world back to the earth where he once stood.
The long night receded and dawn arrived.
Countless figures in ruins, cities, temples, and other places looked up, facing the faint sunlight, all gazing at that bright morning star streaking across the horizon.
"The gods belong to the gods, humans to humans! From this moment on, this land and the new era belong to yourselves!"
The solemn declaration echoed in the ears of the world, and the inspiring gospel entered the hearts of the lambs.
The people who had waited in anxiety and fear wept with joy.
They embraced each other and burst into deafening cheers, offering the highest praise to the shepherd who had spoken for them.
Yes, the might of the gods stands above order.
But when you proudly raise the scepter high,
From that moment on,
The highest gods have no right to issue commands here!
~~