chsdbacks Page 62
Page 62
Stheno covered his mouth with one hand, looking slightly surprised, and said:
"Being loved is my duty. I'm used to being interfered with. Ah, but please don't get me wrong, Jason. We've never loved you."
Nearly a thousand years have passed, and things have changed.
The same words, spoken before, evoked almost entirely different feelings in Bai Zhi.
The initial indifference upon hearing it, and now this bittersweet feeling rising from the bottom of my heart.
"Stheno, do you have anything you like or dislike?" He tried to change the subject, not wanting to hurt her feelings any further.
“Things I like? Hmm, Euryale and Medusa…but we’re always separated.” Stheno pressed his index finger to his lips, tilted his head in thought, and then grinned mischievously. “Things I dislike? Right. I won’t say things like, ‘How dare some insignificant human try to get close to me…’ Hmm?”
Unable to admit it, Bai Zhi was moved. He awkwardly looked away, intending to distract himself, but instead found himself drawn to an even more awkward emotion.
Calm down, Bai Zhi. Remember your aversion to the Greek goddesses, and don't get caught up in this inescapable vortex.
Bai Zhi is still trying to persuade him; in these conversations, he feels like he's not himself anymore.
"What's wrong?" Stheno had somehow gotten closer, her little head peeking over. Her incredibly charming face was only a hand's breadth away from his. He could clearly feel the goddess's warmth and the fragrance she exuded, as well as her desire for him to leave the Island of No Return.
"Little Jason, deceiving your own heart is not the behavior of a wise person. Fate has declared your future, and with the gods as witnesses, you cannot escape or hide from it. You may feel pain and suffering, but you must remember that the goddess will bless all your decisions."
The sea became increasingly calm; the scene that should have been filled with waves was now as smooth as a mirror, and the exposed part of the beach gradually increased as the tide receded.
Noticing this detail, Bai Zhi could no longer remain calm.
There's no escaping it, no hiding from it. No one knows better than me that the shackles of fate are like venomous snakes, controlling every action and every move I make. Whenever I have the thought of changing things or trying to settle for whatever comes my way, fate will drag me into the decisions I can't accept and force me onto the path they have laid out for me.
But I hate fate. I want to smash it, crush it, grind it to dust. If fate forces me to change course, I would rather never turn back.
"What I want to do is..."
As Bai Zhi's tone shifted, she reached out and touched Stheno's head.
Pat on the head—
"Hehe... Happy? What a naughty boy. How dare you touch the goddess! What are you trying to do—" Stheno stiffened for a moment, then continued teasingly, "...What is it? Are you that concerned about me? How cute~"
Yes, I care about you a lot.
"..."
A direct approach to defeating the goddess.
“Your choice is not important, what is important is…” Stheno finally shifted her gaze from Bai Zhi to the direction of the sea, her furrowed brows revealing the goddess’s unsettled state of mind: “Your actions are too slow, so slow that the gods can no longer tolerate your procrastination and have begun to actively give you the ‘motivation’ to move forward.”
The decisions of the gods will be an immense terror that humanity can never comprehend.
therefore--
"O perfect goddess of unparalleled wisdom and supreme intelligence, I pray to you and seek a way to break free from the shackles of the gods."
Bai Zhi knelt on the ground, took the goddess's slender hand, placed it on her forehead, felt the warmth, and felt the gamble of entrusting the choice to the other person.
"Ugh. Seriously, where are you touching? You're such a bad person."
Stheno withdrew her hand in embarrassment; she was a goddess, a pure goddess who had never been in contact with a man.
She snorted and turned away angrily toward the temple. Bai Zhi did not leave, her gaze fixed on Stheno's back until he disappeared from sight.
He slowly turned around and looked at the 'god' behind him, whose aura was surging.
The other party made no attempt to conceal their presence. From the moment they appeared until now, their aura has enveloped the entire Isle of No Return without any attempt to hide it. It's likely that Euryale and Medusa, who were waiting in the temple, have already noticed their arrival. Stheno's decision to leave on his own initiative suggests that he intends to let Bai Zhi handle the situation.
It is a choice to stand on the side of the gods, or to go against their wishes and choose to become their 'family'.
Bai Zhi didn't think about it, because her first impression of the other person was... 'blue'.
The vast 'deep blue' that stretches across the ocean, the undeniable 'azure' under the sky, and the 'sea blue' that covers 70% of the planet, evoke the majesty and yearning of a stern father, and the empathy and longing of the lord who gives birth to countless lives.
His tall, muscular body was exposed before Bai Zhi, his wild and unrestrained beard completely absent, which instead gave him an unruly contrast.
Holding the golden trident that controls the ocean, he surveyed Bai Zhi with a majestic and solemn gaze.
Unlike when she was with Athena, at this moment, what appeared before Bai Zhi was the true form of Poseidon.
"Lord Poseidon."
Bai Zhi placed her right hand on her chest, bowed her head, and bent over, offering the most revered respect to the gods.
“You are indeed devout; even at this distance, I can clearly sense your worship and gratitude towards me.”
Poseidon was slightly surprised. His initial understanding of Bai Zhi was that of a greedy believer who prayed to the twelve Olympian gods. It was only after the daily worship and faith that he took a second look at her. It was only after the gods manipulated her several times and she obtained the seed of the fourth generation of gods that he took her seriously.
“I hope we can speak freely. What’s that word? Oh, right, a sense of boundaries. Rather than the seriousness and earnestness between gods and believers, I hope the sense of boundaries between you and me isn’t like this, as if we’re cut off by a cliff right now.”
Poseidon laughed heartily, like an uncle who cared about the growth of the neighbor's child.
"Propriety must not be violated; we should offer everything to the gods." Bai Zhi remained composed, maintaining her dignified demeanor.
The Kingdom of Aeolus is a kingdom that worships Hera and places great importance on etiquette. As a prince, Bai Zhi never misses an etiquette class.
A respectful attitude is something even the most discerning deity cannot find fault with.
But in Poseidon's eyes, it seemed to have taken on a dull hue, and He looked toward the location of the temple.
“That enchanting goddess is called… Stheno, isn’t she?” A fiery glint flashed in Poseidon’s eyes. “I can forgive your offense. Go, offer that goddess to me, and I may even grant you the divine blessings you desire.”
Bai Zhi felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
The Book of the Greek Gods and Their Sons: Chapter 130 No Choice
The Greek gods were great; their power soared to the heavens, spanned the earth and the deep sea, and ruled over the underworld and the human realm.
The Greek gods were cruel; they looked down upon humanity, offering a little favor when pleased, and waging war when angered.
The Greek gods were insurmountable and untouchable.
Bai Zhi had understood this principle long ago and had always suffered from the oppression and frustration of the gods. Until now, this unspeakable impulse was revealed from the reason that had been suppressed.
A hint of malice was detected by the perceptive Poseidon, and the mocking smile on his face instantly froze, turning into seriousness and... terror.
"It's been so many years since the last great flood that wiped out humanity's golden age. This is the first time I've felt such murderous intent from humankind."
Poseidon did nothing; he simply turned his gaze to Angelica dahurica in silence.
An unimaginable, overwhelming pressure pressed down on Bai Zhi.
Muscles, limbs, brain, nerves, and the five senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—seemed to be out of order.
Everything before Bai Zhi's eyes lost its color, except for that pair of supreme, terrifying eyes that occupied her consciousness.
The bright moonlight will protect your growth.
Under the moonlight, nothing can harm you.
The scorching sun will clear away any obstacles in your path.
In the sunlight, nothing is immune to destruction.
The crucible of trials and tribulations will forge your indomitable resilience.
A divinely forged body, immortal and indestructible.
Three wings, radiating red, orange, and silver, tore through the clothes and extended from the back, with three-colored light spots drifting down from the three-meter-long wings.
Poseidon, the sea god, ranks second only to Zeus and Hades among the twelve Olympian gods.
Any hesitation or concealment is simply a lack of understanding of one's own life.
However, Bai Zhi never expected this.
Even when I'm giving it my all, I feel utterly inadequate in the eyes of the gods.
The overwhelming force, like the weight of the entire ocean, pressed down on Bai Zhi before her consciousness could even process it.
The three divine blessings from the gods were completely torn apart and forced back into the Originium at the heart of the body. The once glorious and shining divine radiance now appeared so dim.
The structure of the immortal body was compressed and sealed by the power of the sea god, and the unfinished divine artifact body could not resist the sea god's methods.
The divine consciousness constructed from overwhelming spiritual power is utterly useless before divine might.
Among the many Angelica dahuricas, the Greek Angelica dahurica Jason, whose strength was enough to occupy the top three, was instantly defeated by Poseidon.
Bai Zhi's reliance on all her resources was completely sealed away, but the malice in her heart only grew stronger.
His dark, deep eyes held a defiant defiance of God, even though he was currently as weak as when he had just run away from home.
Yet the will in his eyes remained unyielding.
The applause from the crowd awakened Bai Zhi's consciousness.
“Not bad, you’re only starting to look somewhat decent now. The succession of a pantheon is a battle between life and death. Cowardice and retreat will only allow the enemy to plunder and offend you more. This is the first lesson I’m teaching you.”
Poseidon finally smiled with satisfaction.
Bai Zhi was just one of his many believers, but she was the most special one.
The seed of the supreme god, who holds the power of destiny in the succession of the pantheon, should never be so cowardly as to be manipulated by others.
"You have proven your qualifications. Now, here is my second lesson for you: fists are power, and strength is the foundation for survival. Facing an enemy you absolutely cannot defeat, you, being weak, have no choice. So, you have two choices: either offer me the three sisters of the Invisible Island, or break the fate of the Invisible Island being destroyed by me."
You have no choice but to be chosen!
Because you are too weak.
Poseidon, who was known as the Greek stud alongside Zeus, had a reputation and even lower standards than Zeus. As long as someone possessed charm, Poseidon would take advantage of any beastman, male or female.
Having set his sights on the Gorgon sisters, he intended to possess them, but the position of the lord of the Greek gods also tempted him.
Therefore, Poseidon didn't mind giving up his covetousness of the three goddesses and giving them to his children (believers), since there were plenty of beautiful goddesses and women in the era of Greek mythology.
Of course, all of this is based on Bai Zhi proving that he is not just a figurehead, but a true son of gods and men who can transcend the pantheon, possessing the will to resist and the power to hold everything in check, only then is he qualified to make Poseidon back down.
Now, tell me your answer.
Bai Zhi remained silent.
But sometimes, silence is also an answer.
A smile seemed to appear on his lips as Poseidon turned and transformed into a stream of azure light, merging into the sea.
Left alone, with little strength left, Bai Zhi watched as the tide receded, revealing a large stretch of beach and the corpses of fish, shrimp, and magical beasts crushed to death by divine power.
At sea level, a raging hurricane tornado, reaching to the heavens and earth, whipped up vast swathes of seawater, connecting with the dark clouds in the sky, creating a terrifyingly violent sea tornado. So numerous and densely packed, it enveloped the invisible island from all sides, eliminating any possibility of their escape.
The final, deadly move is that white line at the edge of the sea, a line that drives people to the brink of madness.
Tsunamis are the most devastating disasters that the oceans have ever caused to humankind.
Poseidon's words echoed in my ears, his two choices lingering there.
"To endure hardship and live a life of humiliation, or to break free of your shackles and create a miracle? Choose, son of the gods, face the trials of the sea god, and reveal the answer before me."
But from beginning to end, Angelica dahurica only had one choice.
"The gods have endless methods, and their ideas are similar: power, qualifications, and the iteration of pantheons. You think I can do it, and I must do it."
But I only believe what I see with my own eyes, I only believe what I hold in my hands. Now, they are not the gods I worship, but my family whom I acknowledge. For my family, I can do anything, and I must do anything.
Having made up his mind, Bai Zhi turned and left the receding tide beach; he was going to find the three Gorgon sisters.
The roads on the Island of No Form are irregular; some are paths carved out by Medusa herself, muddy and crisscrossed with stones, which caused Bai Zhi considerable trouble.
His strength and physical abilities were suppressed, and he was panting heavily after only a few kilometers, but he did not stop and continued to move forward.
This was his trial, and also the process by which he solidified his resolve.
To change a person, you must first make them believe, and then destroy their belief. Nothing can save such a loser.
Conversely, the prerequisite for changing a person is to make them believe that they can foresee, prepare for, and endure misfortune, and ultimately overcome it.
There should be no such thing as "fate" in this world; there are only ordinary people making choices at crossroads.
It should be understood that in the midst of a storm, only the conservatives stand firm.
The Chronicles of the Greek Gods and Their Children: Chapter 131 The Blood Transfusion Ritual
We are destined to lose a lot; our experiences and traumas will tear us apart, and these wounds will never heal.
The gods were both protectors and perpetrators to him, after all, when a person gains something, he also takes something else away.
In the past, he received the blessings of the gods and was forced to embark on the path of a hero.