In the Oceanic Temple, Ryan bestowed a Divine Office. The next moment, he used the properties of the Spirit World to leave.
Aside from Mount Sinai, the deeper one went into the Spirit World, the more chaotic its spacetime became. Beyond the third layer, one had already entered the depths of the Spirit World. There, taking one step forward might mean moving a thousand miles away in reality.
Although only the first two layers of the Spirit World had currently been fully constructed, that did not stop Ryan from borrowing the properties of its other layers.
In an instant, he arrived above the sea more than a thousand miles away.
This was because the Spirit World's coverage in the mortal world was still too limited. Otherwise, with this method of movement, which Ryan had named Spirit World Shuttle, he could travel between the two sides of the land in a dozen minutes.
"Once living beings are born on the land in the future, and my divine power has accumulated to Level 16 or higher, I can weaken the barrier between the surface of the Spirit World and the mortal world."
"By then, lifeforms with naturally high spiritual sensitivity will be able to see the first layer of the Spirit World directly. Some spirits burdened by deep obsessions or revered through worship will also be able to remain in the shallow layers of the Spirit World and continue living on in another form."
As he pondered silently, Ryan glanced back toward the Oceanic Divine Palace.
Later generations claimed that a considerable part of Zeus's wisdom came from Metis. Yet now, Metis's Divine Office had been bestowed by Ryan.
"Still, that may not be certain. Rather than saying Zeus's wisdom came from Metis, I'm more inclined to believe that he merely borrowed her name."
"Being able to use a god's divine authority just by devouring them—how could there be such a convenient thing? Besides, someone capable of deceiving the Goddess of Wisdom into his grasp could hardly have sweet words inferior to Metis's 'wisdom.'"
Ryan shook his head and headed toward a place near the coast, following the direction in his memories.
After painstakingly digesting eight hundred years of origin energy in the Spirit World, he had finally come out for a trip. Ryan had no intention of returning immediately.
At the very least, he had to go over there and get something.
······"We're here."
Seven days later, after crossing a vast stretch of sea, Ryan arrived above a strange section of ocean.
There was no wind or surf here. The sea was deathly still. Yet when the sunlight shone upon it, it possessed a sacred beauty.
Not far away, a layer of blood foam radiating desire and hatred floated on the surface. It was the source of all the abnormalities in this sea region. Even Pontus himself was unwilling to approach this place.
That was because this was where Uranus's organ had fallen, containing his hatred toward the Titans and Pontus. In the future, Erinyes and Aphrodite would be born here one after another.
And as the birthplace of four gods, once the God King's blood had faded away, this place would also become a sacred sea.
"Who are you? This is the domain of the Lord of the Near Seas. Strange god, state your name."
Suddenly, accompanied by a somewhat strange voice, a half-snake, half-fish monster emerged.
She stared at Ryan in the distance, vigilance in her eyes, but did not attack recklessly. The aura of divine power on him told her that he was at least a god of Intermediate Divine Power.
As one of Pontus's five children, she and her brother and husband, Phorcys, were all half-divine, half-monstrous beings. Together, they had given birth to many sea monsters, the most famous of whom were the three Graeae sisters.
They appeared in the form of old women, yet the three of them shared one eye and one tooth. They each presided over "malice," "ferocity," and "terror." But they were not True Gods. They were merely demigod-like beings who possessed authority and immortality, just like the Ocean Goddesses who had no Divine Office.
"Ceto, Danger of the Sea. I know you."
Ryan did not look at her, much less answer her question.
Compared with Eurybia, Sea Power, and Nereus, Friendliness of the Sea, Ceto and her brother were more like Cyclopes, and were disliked by the gods of Khaos.
There was no helping it. The gods of Khaos had always judged others by their looks.
"But I don't know you, strange god."
"This sea region was turned into a restricted area by the Father God. Every god knows that."
Ceto's expression grew increasingly hostile. Compared with ordinary gods, she was more intensely affected by her instincts.
"That doesn't matter," Ryan said, as an interesting thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.
"What matters is, do you want to change your appearance?"
"To escape your current form—or at least gain another appearance accepted by the gods."
Ceto's increasingly savage face froze.
Ryan's repeated failure to answer her questions had irritated Ceto, who was controlled by her bestial nature to a certain degree. She had intended to follow her instincts and attack Ryan, but his subsequent words immediately brought her back to her senses.
She had claimed more than once that she did not care about her appearance. But when the gods' banquets shut their doors to her, only she knew what she truly felt.
"I want to! I mean, what should I do?"
Her voice suddenly softened. Ryan could tell that although this "softness" remained grating, it was still softer than before.
Without keeping her in suspense, Ryan pointed at the blood foam before him.
"Drink it. Of course, only a small portion."
"If you dare to drink it all, you will only become a host and give birth to four new gods. But if you drink just a few mouthfuls, you may gain an unexpected reward."
Ceto hesitated.
As Danger of the Sea, she knew perfectly well that this was the most "dangerous" place in the entire sea region, and that the source of the danger was the blood before her. She did not know whether she should believe this strange god, but she longed desperately for change.
"Whether you drink it is up to you, but this may be your only chance."
Ryan extended a hand and scooped up a ladleful of the blood before him. Then his figure flashed, and he vanished from the surface of the sea without a sound.
He had come precisely for this. Encountering Ceto had merely been an accident.
"Wait—"
Ceto hurriedly called out. Watching Ryan disappear, she wanted him to explain more clearly.
But Ryan clearly had no time to deal with her. He had only offered the reminder on a whim, treating it as a bit of entertainment.
"Damn it!"
She roared, but under the faint desire stirring in her heart, Ceto still turned her gaze toward the blood foam. After a long while, a struggle appeared on her savage face. In the end, her desire for "beauty" defeated her instincts. She no longer cared about the danger radiating from the blood before her and began gulping it down.
As the blood entered her stomach, her appearance truly began to change. At a certain moment, she stopped drinking and looked at her reflection on the surface of the sea.
A beautiful black-haired goddess appeared there, the wildness in her eyes adding a touch of charm. Yet at that moment, Ceto felt no happiness. Instead, she felt "jealousy" toward those who were truly beautiful.
She knew that she was now a goddess of beauty as well. But hers was "beauty through adornment," a "false beauty in disguise."
At the same time, under the influence of her Divine Office, she understood that the god who truly symbolized love and beauty would be born from this blood foam in the future. Her "adornment" would be meaningless before her, serving only as green leaves to set off a flower.
"Nothing remains eternal and unchanging. One day, I will become true beauty."
"If I can't, then let them all die. As long as no one is more beautiful than me, I'll still be the embodiment of beauty."
Her voice was no longer hoarse, but her pleasing tone spoke cruel words. Ceto gazed at the blood foam on the sea and silently swore an oath.
That future god of love and beauty was her destined enemy.
After staring for a long time, Ceto finally left when the sun set. According to the timing in her memories, she hurried toward a god's palace, where a gathering seemed to be taking place.
The future was still far away. For now, she also wanted to experience the feeling of enjoying a banquet like the other gods.
This time, she would not be rejected again.
Before you continue