Open Scheme vs. Open Scheme 1/3

"It's useless..."

Inside the room, Prometheus raised his hand and touched the Sorcery Array that were activated one after another on the table. He sensed the messages from the human race in some remote corner of the earth and gently shook his head.

"Even if you personally capture the Crete bull today and build a palace for the gods, Olympus will still issue an even more demanding oracle tomorrow."

Day after day, year after year, humanity cannot grow and prosper; sooner or later, it will be worn down by excessive sacrifices.

Samael Medusa exchanged a glance, their expressions somber.

Zeus, now possessing the wisdom of Metis, was indeed a formidable opponent.

They had just created humankind on Crete, performed a Great Sacrifice, and then used this as bait to lure them into Olympus, thus accelerating the decline of the divine age.

On the other hand, Zeus used the gods' greed for the power of faith to exert extreme pressure, forcing humanity to continuously undertake excessive service.

Compared to the lives and deaths of humans, the gods are more concerned with harvesting the power of faith to strengthen themselves.

This was also an open strategy, one that the gods could not refuse.

Moreover, to ensure that humanity survived the most difficult early stages of its existence, they had already dispatched the descendants of Chiron the Wise Typhon, and the Nymphs under the command of the Themis, Goddess of Justice, to various parts of the earth years ago to teach humans skills and help them establish order.

However, faced with the gradual, insidious pressure from Olympus, even the race secretly protected by Typhon's offspring and Nymphs was on the verge of collapse due to the heavy sacrifices, suffering from irregular hunger and sustenance.

Now that he has found himself in such a passive situation, Samael has to admit that he underestimated the Greek Gods, and even more so the wisdom of King of Gods Zeus.

"Do we really want to wait until humanity is dragged down and becomes extinct?"

Athena glanced at the industrious creatures busy weaving, drying pottery, and building houses, her cherry lips pressed tightly together as she murmured.

Compared to the gods who relied on their power, this Goddess of Wisdom preferred humankind who knew how to learn humbly and respected knowledge.

"Tonight, I will preside over the Great Sacrifice throughout the entire realm, and pray to all the gods!"

Prometheus pondered for a moment, then seemed to have come up with a solution and laughed heartily.

It's finally here.

Samael frowned, raised his hand and pressed it against the prophet's shoulder, his Serpent Eyes fixed on his friend's gaze.

"Son of Iapetus, do you know the consequences of doing this?"

For years, Prometheus was in the light, while they were in the dark, assisting each other as they traversed the earth, dedicated to guiding humanity and bringing it prosperity and growth.

Through several gatherings and partings, coupled with exchanges on guiding human development, their ideas coincided, leading to a strong friendship between the two kindred spirits.

He really didn't want to watch Prometheus jump into that fire pit.

"From the moment I guided the creation of humankind, I foresaw and accepted my own destiny."

The prophet smiled slightly, seemingly unconcerned, then patted Samael on the shoulder with a distant gaze.

"Alright, my friend, tell the children scattered across the land to get ready."

Seeing that his friend was determined, and knowing his character, Samael said no more, silently got up and left to make the arrangements.

At night, countless campfires are lit in the gathering places of humans.

Prometheus, who was in charge of representing all mankind and presiding over the Great Sacrifice, personally slaughtered a strong bull and cut the offering into two parts.

One pile, covered with dried cowhide and covered with bloody, dirty tripe, looked extremely shriveled and impoverished, but inside were plump pieces of beef and offal;

Another pile, larger in size and covered in snow-white grease and scraps of meat, was filled with useless cow bones, though Samael and the others who had piled it up knew it was all covered in them.

With everything ready, Prometheus took a deep breath, stepped forward to activate the Sorcery Array, connecting it to Olympian Gods, and threw the parchment scroll inscribed with the prayer into the fire to burn.

Boom!

After learning the contents of the prayer, Zeus and the other gods, after a period of contemplation and discussion, gave their approval with a thunderbolt that illuminated the night sky.

Prometheus, meanwhile, stretched out his arms and pointed to the two offerings he had prepared, then solemnly pondered.

"Great King of Gods, in the presence of the ancient Goddess of Oaths, Styx, please choose the form of offerings for the gods from now on, according to your preference."

After a moment, seemingly after scrutiny and consideration, a golden beam of light descended from the clouds and enveloped one of the offerings.

"Rumble..."

In an instant, rolling thunder rumbled and surged through the clouds like a raging dragon, its powerful pressure causing the humans participating in the sacrifice to tremble and almost prostrate themselves on the ground.

"Your King of Gods, humanity has given everything to serve the gods. Are you going to deny your choice, break your oath, and shift the blame onto these innocent believers?"

When the sacrifice was completed, Prometheus stood tall, his obscure and profound Titan Gods rippling and protecting the humans who could not withstand the power of the thunder god. He then posed a question with neither arrogance nor servility.

"Snort!"

A somber groan echoed through the night sky, and eventually the thunder that had been looming over humanity gradually subsided until it vanished completely.

"Alright, the gods have accepted your sacrifices, and this will be the custom from now on."

"Now, Olympus must be in the midst of a feast, so let us begin."

Prometheus smiled and turned around, pointing to the succulent beef hidden under the cowhide behind him, indicating that humans should begin to eat the remaining offering.

The leaders then brought out the remaining fruits, vegetables, game, and grains, lifting the restrictions and allowing the tribesmen to enjoy themselves to the fullest that night.

The scattered human groups, upon seeing this outcome, couldn't help but embrace each other excitedly, cheer with relief, and swarm forward.

My dear, we actually managed to deceive the gods! We have a way to survive!

On Crete, Deuka Yangon looked at his people, who were sitting around the campfire in the camp and enjoying their meal, with disbelief in his eyes. His eyes were filled with joy and satisfaction.

According to the agreement on the parchment, this was not just a simple sacrifice, but a determination of the form of worshiping the gods in the future.

Once, to demonstrate their piety, under the leadership of Prometheus, mankind offered all their harvest to the gods.

Now, they only need to offer ritual sacrifices according to their own abilities.

Even if delicious beef and fruit are offered, after the symbolic sacrifice, humans can still eat and enjoy them.

Even if there isn't enough fruit and meat, stones that look similar can be used as substitutes.

In the future, this sacrificial Rules will continue in the form of an oath, and humanity will finally have a chance to recuperate.

As he approached his home, the rich aroma of beef wafted from the pot. Diuka Yang sniffed, feeling an overwhelming sense of happiness, and couldn't wait to try a few pieces.