Banquet

Following Earth Mother Gaia, Ryan headed toward a Divine Mountain in the center of the continent.

The world was different now from before. With the sun, celestial bodies, and diverse weather, Khaos was beginning to resemble a true world.

Perhaps because he was walking upon the "true form" Gaia had possessed at her birth, Ryan did not feel the distance at all.

Under her guidance, he could cross thousands of rivers and mountains in a single step.

Although there were neither "thousands of rivers" nor "thousands of mountains" yet, Urea's Mountain God offspring and the Three Thousand Ocean Gods had yet to be born, and the land still appeared utterly desolate.

After less than half a day, the Divine Mountain soon came into view in the distance.

"His Highness Ryan."

Ever since Ryan had agreed to come, Gaia had seemed troubled along the way.

Only when they arrived at this place, where the gods had been born not long ago, did she finally speak.

"This is where the God King will rule the world in the future."

Gaia looked at the towering Mount Othrys, where her third son, Urea, had been born.

"This is the highest mountain on the earth, the place closest to the sky."

"My King will deign to rule over all living things on the earth here, in his capacity as Lord of the Sky."

"That is truly a magnificent undertaking."

Ryan expressed his reverence, though his tone sounded as if he had known this all along. "As the world's first God King, only a place like this could match the authority of the Sky Father."

"Yes." Gaia frowned, but still continued, "He will rule over all things in the world until eternity."

Clearly, the Sky Father and Earth Mother were still deeply in love at this point. There was not the slightest trace of the bloodshed and hostility that would come later.

"Let us go. Because of the birth of my twelve children, this place is filled with chaotic divine power."

"Please stay behind me, so that you do not encounter anything unpleasant."

Ryan nodded slightly and followed her advice, as if he had not noticed the subtle change in Earth Mother's attitude.

He followed behind Gaia as the two of them began climbing the Divine Mountain.

As the place where Earth Mother had lived for years, the Divine Mountain was unlike the bare, rocky land outside. Primitive vegetation had already begun spreading here.

Along the way, Ryan saw many strange flowers and exotic fruits whose names he did not know. They were newly created under the Divine Office of plants.

Perhaps in a few more years, with the help of the God of Meteorology, the vegetation here would spread across the world, adding a touch of green to the barren earth.

But that was a matter for the future. Soon, under Gaia's guidance, Ryan arrived at the summit of the Divine Mountain.

"We have arrived." Earth Mother stopped and spoke to Ryan behind her.

Ryan nodded slightly, stepped forward, and began examining the surroundings.

The mountaintop was vast and flat, without the slightest trace of man-made structures. Compared to Mount Olympus in the myths of later generations, this place was like a desolate hilltop.

Ryan was not surprised. After all, to the Lord of the Sky, the sky itself was his palace.

When Ryan stepped onto the Peak of Divine Mountain and observed the surroundings, thirteen gods with different appearances simultaneously turned their gazes toward him.

Although none of them used divine power, Ryan still felt somewhat uncomfortable.

There was nothing he could do about it. Primitive gods did not yet know how to restrain their auras, and simply being near them was oppressive.

"I pay my respects to you, Your Majesty."

Ryan stopped looking around and bowed slightly to the male god in the center, expressing his respect.

This was not his first time seeing Uranus.

Unlike the young man he had seen last time, Uranus was now a tall and imposing middle-aged man.

This was the result of the combined influence of Paternal Authority and the God King's Throne. The appearances of gods changed with their authorities, and also with their strength. This was common knowledge among the gods.

Faced with the respects of an unfamiliar god, the Twelve Titans were somewhat puzzled. After all, they could sense how weak Ryan's divine power was.

They looked toward their father, waiting for his response.

Then they saw their imposing father extend both hands toward the god before him, welcoming him without reservation.

"I am delighted that you were able to come, respected Seer, God of Prophecy."

Uranus's voice was wild and powerful, perfectly matching his Divine Office.

"Until today, I never imagined that you could truly see Fate. Please forgive my previous misunderstanding."

"Please take a seat, His Highness Ryan. You ought to sit with us."

"It is my honor."

Facing the differing gazes of the fourteen gods, Ryan chose a place on the mountaintop and sat down.

This was a birthday feast, as well as a banquet celebrating Uranus's ascension as God King.

When the twelve new gods were born, the world had automatically placed a crown upon his head.

Once everyone had arrived, Gaia drew over the fruits of the mountain's plants to serve as food for the banquet.

The God King sat in the very center, while the others sat in rows on either side. Only Earth Mother sat beside him.

When the banquet began, the Sky Father spent most of his time speaking to his newly born children, only occasionally exchanging a few words with Ryan.

He told his children his thoughts, instructing them on how to show respect to him as their father and how to help him fulfill the office of God King.

Perhaps because of the influence of Paternal Authority, his twelve children mumbled timidly and said nothing, merely responding to the God King's demands.

It tastes pretty good.

After tasting an unknown purple fruit, Ryan quietly watched everything unfold.

He knew why he had been invited and had his own thoughts about it. But before that, he only wanted to eat two more fruits.

After all, the plants on the Divine Mountain were the ancestors of their kind, among the first plants in the Khaos world.

These fruits were quite beneficial even to gods. At least for Ryan, they could help him reach the limit permitted by his Divine Office more quickly.

Time passed swiftly. Gods did not care about the passage of time.

When day and night had alternated for the third time, Uranus finally stopped his lecture.

He turned and looked at Ryan, who was sitting to the side—the god who had foretold the birth of his twelve children.

Although he still did not quite understand how such weak divine power could glimpse Fate, since the facts were undeniable, he did not mind asking Ryan a few questions.

Especially since he had heard every word of what Ryan had said at the foot of the mountain.

Raising his cup, Uranus spoke to Ryan again after three days had passed.

"His Highness Ryan."

"Before this, when we first met, you foretold the birth of my twelve children."

"Fate is truly powerful." The Sky Father sighed in a resonant voice. "Only a wise god like you could perceive the path it has destined."

"The constants of Fate are held in the hands of Lady of the Night." Ryan smiled as he raised his cup and clinked it against Uranus's from afar before draining it in one gulp.

"I merely happened to glimpse a part of it by chance."

It was not wine, merely the juice of plants, but under the influence of divine power, it was still exceptionally delicious.

"Then, respected His Highness Ryan, I have a question I would like to ask you."

Uranus paid no attention to Ryan's modesty. He seemed merely curious about the power of Prophecy. "I hope you can use the power of Prophecy to tell me."

"In Khaos, in the future of this world, will I be the eternal God King, ruling the sky, the earth, and the sea?"

The banquet seemed to fall suddenly silent. The Twelve Titans stared at Ryan with strange expressions, while Earth Mother's eyes were filled with worry.

Faced with Uranus's seemingly casual question, Ryan smiled faintly.

He did not hurry to answer. Instead, he set down his cup and began explaining the essence of all Prophecy.