Chapter 99: Chapter 76: The Horn of Plenty


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    Crete Ind, an inconspicuous part of the ocean, was destined to be renowned for generations in the epics ofter ages.


    Zeus, still an infant, was thrown here, but he didn’t fall to the ground. Instead, he and his swaddling clothes were hung among the branches. This ce was neither heaven, nor earth, nor sea, so the authority of the Divine King could not warn its master or allow him to sense his own bloodline.


    On this isted ind, the young Zeus spent his most vulnerable time. When the infant cried, thunder would sound to cover his voice; when the infant was hungry, Goat Amalthea would feed him her milk, allowing him to draw from the strength left by the Goddess of Wisdom. This tiny ind was protected by the power of the God of the Ocean, and sea monsters could not approach here, nor could birds, and no one could discover Zeus, who grew up on the ind.


    And so, time passed day by day, and decades flew by in an instant. Although he had not yet fully mastered the power befitting a deity, Zeus had grown to adulthood in appearance.


    He had shoulder-length hair that shone like gold. His tall and valiant stature, coupled with his dark eyes, made it hard for any living being not to describe him as handsome.


    But on this day, Goat Amalthea, who had raised Zeus, reached the end of her life. She possessed wisdom due to the unintentionally leftover divine power of Metis, yet she was not endowed with divinity. Perhaps it was fated, as shey down on the ground on the fifth day after Zeus became an adult, facing the end of her own life.


    Thus, before her death, she told Zeus that it was the couple Oceanus and Thaesis, who ruled the oceans, who brought him here. She also shared the importance of wisdom with Zeus and her view of her previous ignorant life after she had gained wisdom.


    “Power can aplish many things, Zeus, but so can wisdom, which is thest thing I can teach you. I am grateful to Goddess Metis for helping me understand the meaning of life. If possible, please peel off my skin and offer it as a gift to the goddess.”


    “As for my horn, please cut it off as well and keep it by your side. With it, it’s as if I am still beside you.”


    “I will, Amalthea, I will always remember you,”


    Kneeling before Goat Amalthea, Zeus solemnly promised: “Your horn will be my most treasured possession. Just as you provided me with milk, it will bring abundance and wealth to all life.”


    The goat died, and Zeus, honoring his promise, peeled off the goatskin and tied the horn around his waist.


    He infused the horn with the divine power of thunder so that the aspect of ‘life’ could be activated. From then on, this horn could endlessly produce food.


    Having organized his belongings, Zeus surveyed the ce where he had grown up. From the stories told by the goat, Zeus learned about the world and the gods. He knew that he was a member of the Deity Race, born with the ability tomand wind and thunder, yet for some reason, he found himself here alone.


    “Amalthea told me that I was brought here by the God and Goddess of the Ocean, Oceanus and Thaesis. Since they ced me here, they must know my origins.”


    “Although I do not know where they are, their daughter must know. Goddess Metis of the Oceanides, the one who granted Amalthea wisdom, as long as I can find her, I think all my questions will be answered.”


    Having made his decision, Zeus resolved to leave the ind. The young deity was confident and brave, resolved to uncover his origins, so he flew into the sky, heading westward from the ind.


    Amalthea had told him that the Golden Humanity had once lived on this ind, and over the years, Zeus had alsoe across traces they left behind. These were lifeforms simr to the gods, but without divine power.


    Thousands of years ago, when humans had not yet perished, the Goddess of Wisdom, Metis, taught them hydrology and imparted knowledge to them on this ind and lived among them. That is how Amalthea came into contact with the goddess’s divine power.


    In her recollections, every time Metis came to Crete, it was from the west. And when she left, she also headed towards the west. So, without knowing where to find her, Zeus decided to go westward, asking every living being he met about Metis.


    The young deity set off, but in ces unknown to him, the moment he stepped off the ind, not only one being turned their gaze upon him. The actions of the Goddesses of the White Oak could be concealed from the uninquiring Divine King, but not from several other deities.


    Or rather, Rhea did not expect her maid to be able to conceal from them. She had anticipated the Mother Earth but had not expected another Primordial God to also cast their gaze upon this event.


    On Earth, Ourea, the god of the mountains, stood beside Mother Earth, gazing in the direction of the East Sea, feeling the pressure of the Divine King drawing ever nearer.


    Although he did not know when Cronus would make his move against him, that did not prevent him from secretly praying that fate would soon mete out its punishment.


    And Gaia, she did not care about the throne of the Divine King, she was just looking forward to a deity who could open the Abyss.


    Even in her heart, she actually did not wish to overthrow her youngest son. She just wanted him to suffer a bit more, to learn how to respect his Mother Goddess.


    Besides, in the Underworld, the Lord of Darkness Erebus, who was indifferent to the affairs of the world, was also paying attention to Zeus.


    The power that Cronus had unleashed earlier was indeed mighty, but it was not enough to warrant his concern. However, the outbreak of the divine war meant that a vast number of creatures on earth would die.


    He had long been anticipating the souls of the Silver Humanity to enter the Spirit Realm.


    Apart from the two Primordial Gods, the couple from the God of the Ocean, entrusted by Rhea with the care of Zeus, had also noticed that Zeus had left Crete Ind and were preparing to search for their daughter.


    The opinions of the two Titan Principal Gods were divided, but they eventually chose to turn a blind eye.


    They were waiting for Zeus to show his strength; if he could make Cronus fail just once with his meager power, then they would be willing to believe that Zeus was the new king destined by fate.


    Meanwhile, in the seventhyer of the Spirit Realm, Laine, feeling the Divine Power rising with every second since theing of the Silver Age, could not help but follow the fluctuations of fate and look toward the small ind in the Eastern Sea of Chaos.


    There were some differences from the mythology recorded, but Laine was not surprised by this. Subsequent records often contradicted each other, and his influence on fate could also potentially affect some minor details.


    “There are some differences, but not many. Indeed, as long as I do not directly intervene, with my current influence on fate, it is not enough to shake the destined trajectory of the changing of the Divine King.”


    “However, is his heading in that direction a coincidence?”


    Gently tapping the armrest of his chair, Laine did not sense the trace of fate. He elevated his perspective, and when he looked down at the East Sea from above, he could clearly see that on Zeus’s journey to find Metis, two other Goddesses were also going to have an unexpected encounter with him.


    In the original trajectory, the three generations of Divine Kings each had different rtionships with them. But now, the oue may not necessarily be the same.


    “The Goddess whom Zeus respects, the Wisdom Metis, and the evaded destiny… Heh, I see.”


    “It is true, in the myths ofter generations, she could indeed be seen as a Goddess symbolizing ‘uncertain fate’. If mere power is not enough to make the Divine King bow, then Heracles and she must have their reasons for treating Zeus differently.”


    With a slight smile, it was probably just a coincidence; after all, no matter how it looked, this encounter would likely not be a good one.


    In the original mythic trajectory, Zeus actually followed the temte of an invincible protagonist. Tremendous talent, an extraordinary background, and formidable enemies. First, Zeus won the favor of his wise wife, rescued his siblings, and then, guided by the Ancient Gods, found the smith who forged Divine Artifacts, creating powerful equipment for himself.


    Then, relying on his appearance, eloquence, and strength, he vastly extended his harem, fathering a host of exceptionally gifted children. His only failure was in the battle against Typhon, whichsted just one day. Soon after, Zeus regained his strength and defeated the King of All Monsters who dared to challenge him.


    In short, in his divine life, victory and sess always seemed to follow him, as if he rarely encountered failure or frustration.


    But for some reason, Laine always felt that Zeus in this world might have to change his temte. Perhaps the path of being invincible might be one of growing stronger through adversity unless he could change his character, in which case he was likely to suffer quite a bit.


    However, while regimes may change, nature is hard to shift, and the observing Laine did not hold much hope for that.