A Seer in Greece, Part 12

Theron did not hesitate for long before deciding to attend the banquet. He was quite interested in Metis, the goddess of wisdom. After all, she was Zeus's first wife and an important helper in his overthrow of Kronos to become the third-generation God King.

Although this goddess did not meet a particularly good end, being swallowed by Zeus and becoming one with him, she still gave birth within Zeus to the renowned goddess of wisdom and war, Athena.

And gods whose fates could influence the entire world's balance were precisely the kind Theron favored.

However, by the time he arrived at the Ocean with practiced ease, quite a few gods had already gathered there.

Most of them were third-generation gods. Few of the Twelve Titans had come in person, merely sending their offspring in their stead.

What was surprising, however, was that God King Kronos had actually come to the banquet.

Kronos had come purely because Gaia, the Earth Mother Goddess, had rejected him, leaving him depressed. He had not yet figured out how to face the pregnant Rhea and did not want to return to the divine mountain. When the invitation happened to arrive, he simply came to the Ocean.

What he had not expected was to encounter Theron here.

The moment he saw the gentle youth, exactly as he remembered him, Kronos's eyes lit up. He immediately wanted to ask how to deal with his current predicament and request a few more prophecies.

However, seeing the other gods moving about nearby, Kronos ultimately restrained the impulse. He merely greeted Theron with courtesy and politeness, without a trace of the arrogance expected of a God King.

It was not only Kronos. Oceanus, the Ocean God and host of this banquet, also warmly welcomed Theron. He seemed even more enthusiastic than he had been toward the God King, yet Kronos showed no dissatisfaction whatsoever.

As though it was only natural. As though it should have been this way.

Almost none of the third-generation gods present had met Theron before. Seeing the God King and Oceanus treat a being of moderate divine power with such courtesy, they became immensely curious, and whispers even began to rise.

"Mother, who is he?"

A half-grown boy curiously moved closer to his mother. On his young, childish face, the most striking feature was his pair of clear, bright eyes. They seemed able to see through all falsehoods and would never be deceived.

"I do not know who he is, but Prometheus, can you not see his origins?" the boy's mother asked in surprise.

This beautiful mother was Clymene, the Oceanid who had married the Titan god Iapetus.

She and Iapetus had borne four children in total. Because Prometheus was intelligent, he was her favorite child, so she had brought him along on this return to the Ocean.

Born with foresight, Prometheus could always foresee many things that would happen in the future. With this ability, he could also learn the futures of many people.

As a third-generation god herself, Clymene had never met Theron. She simply assumed that a god of moderate divine power could not be particularly powerful, and that Prometheus should have been able to see through him.

That was why she found it surprising when Prometheus said he could not.

Had the Titan god Iapetus been here at this moment, he would certainly have recognized Theron and told his beautiful wife Clymene that divine power did not always represent everything.

For Theron's single sentence interrupting Uranus's all-out curse had been deeply engraved in the memories of every Titan god present at the time.

One had to know that he had not even been as powerful then as he was now.

Unfortunately, Iapetus was not here and had not come to the banquet, so this mother and son were utterly confused.

"I like him," Prometheus softly told his mother. "He has an aura that feels very familiar to me. It makes me unable to resist wanting to get close to him, to approach him."

"Mother, may I go greet him?"

Clymene was even more surprised. She knew that some gods would naturally feel close to one another because of similar divine offices.

But Prometheus's divine office was the exceptionally rare gift of foresight, that was, prophecy. Could this unfamiliar god also possess a similar divine office?

In the end, however, Clymene did not think much of it. She did not believe a god of moderate divine power was someone worth being especially wary of. Her husband was a great Titan god.

Moreover, Prometheus wanted to get close to him and make friends, not offend him, so there was even less reason to care.

With that in mind, she smiled and agreed to Prometheus's request.

Perfect Appearance

Theron saw the newly born Metis in an ornate, exquisite cradle.

She was an exceptionally beautiful and adorable child, with fair, delicate skin, exquisite features, and large, round eyes that glittered like jewels.

She curiously examined the friendly god teasing her, while continuously letting out delighted, tinkling laughter.

Unlike the Twelve Titans, who were born in adult forms, most third-generation gods were born as infants. They needed decades, even hundreds or thousands of years, to grow into their peak state.

A god's appearance generally represented the state of their divine power. Infancy and adolescence meant they still needed to grow. Once they reached their peak state, they became young adults. If their origin was damaged and their strength declined, their appearance would age.

This also meant that Theron's strength had never reached its peak. Since his birth until now, he had always retained the appearance of a youth. He had lived through the era of the first-generation God King, and his strength had risen two ranks from weak divine power to moderate divine power, yet his appearance had not changed at all.

Moreover, he had a feeling that even if he grew to possess powerful divine power, his appearance would likely remain unchanged.

Because he was bound to the fate of this world, he could only reach his true peak once the world itself had truly flourished. For now, it could only be said to be in its initial stages. The road to growth remained long and arduous.

"She really is adorable, isn't she?" Tethys sat beside the cradle, looking at her daughter. Her face was filled with gentle maternal warmth, and the affection in her eyes was undisguised.

Theron nodded and praised her, "She will certainly become a very beloved goddess in the future."

Tethys was immediately even more delighted. As a mother, nothing was more pleasing than hearing her child praised, much less by Theron.

Just as she was about to say a few more words to Theron, a slightly childish voice interrupted their conversation.

"She is so beautiful, but beautiful things are always coveted. In the future, she should be careful of male gods from the land."

Tethys and Theron were both stunned upon hearing the voice. They turned around at the same time and saw a bright-eyed youth who had somehow appeared behind them, smiling brilliantly at them.

"Prometheus, how did you get here? Where is your mother?"

Tethys was surprised at first, but quickly revealed a helpless smile. She was also quite fond of this clever, spirited grandson.

"Mother is outside," Prometheus said. Then, without the slightest reservation, he looked at Theron, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "Grandmother, which revered god is this? I felt close to him from the very first glance. Might I have the honor of getting to know him?"

Tethys was momentarily stunned by his words, but she quickly understood. Foresight and prophecy were subordinate to fate, while Theron was suspected to be the god of fate. It was perfectly normal for Prometheus, a seer, to feel close to him.

She first secretly glanced at Theron. Only when she saw that he was not offended or displeased by Prometheus's sudden arrival, but instead looked intrigued, did she smile and introduce him.

"This is Lord Theron, an ancient being. You mischievous child must show him proper respect."

Tethys did not dare state Theron's divine office outright, so she could only vaguely describe him as an ancient being. However, Prometheus did not care.

The boy hurriedly nodded. Because he was still young, he truly looked like a half-grown child. Theron studied him with interest and did not dislike interacting with him.

As had been said before, Theron was especially fond of those whose fates would affect the entire world's balance.

However, before he could exchange more than a few words with him, God King Kronos and Oceanus came to find him, humbly saying that they had something they wished to ask for his guidance on.

Theron was somewhat surprised, but he did not refuse. Yet as he was about to leave with the two of them, the bold Prometheus asked Tethys if he could come along.

Tethys was in a difficult position. Oceanus had just been about to scold this thoughtless grandson when Theron interrupted with a smile.

"If he wants to go, let him come along," Theron said. "This child and I are somewhat fated to meet."

Since Theron had spoken, Oceanus could not say anything more. He could only have Tethys bring Prometheus along. God King Kronos, meanwhile, said nothing from beginning to end, as though he were merely a passerby watching the show.

Theron soon learned what they wanted his guidance on. It was the remnant body left behind by Uranus, the first-generation God King.

At the time, following Theron's reminder, Oceanus had infused that remnant body with the yin power of the sea and water, completely neutralizing the yang within it and turning the flesh and blood into countless dreamlike bubbles.

But those bubbles had not vanished. After being nourished by the Ocean for several hundred years, they vaguely seemed about to give birth to something.

Since this involved Uranus, Oceanus truly could not set his mind at ease. He wanted Theron to take a look and make sure nothing dangerous would be born from it and threaten the Ocean.

God King Kronos was equally uneasy, which was why he had come along. He also wanted to hear what Theron would say.

Theron merely smiled and said warmly, "Great God King, revered Lord of the Ocean, there is no need to worry. Uranus, the Sky God, has been completely ended. He will never return."

"And this remnant body he left behind will not become anything harmful to the world. Nurtured by yin power, given some more time, it will give birth to a beautiful goddess."

Upon hearing that it would be a goddess, both Kronos and Oceanus relaxed. In the current divine hierarchy, female gods were not qualified to become God Kings and generally would not endanger the world.

"Thank you for your answer, Lord Theron." Oceanus smiled as well, sincerely expressing his gratitude.

"It is nothing. Since I have come here, it can be considered fate. I shall give her a blessing."

As he spoke, Theron looked toward the dreamlike bubbles floating on the sea and sincerely blessed them. "Goddess soon to be born, you will possess the most beautiful appearance in the world. You will be the embodiment of perfection."

The bubbles on the sea gently stirred, seeming to thank Theron for his generous blessing.

Theron smiled, then left with Kronos and Oceanus.

Seeing this, Tethys also prepared to leave with Prometheus, only to hear the half-grown boy ask in confusion, "Why bless only beauty, and not innocence and chastity?"

Tethys found it rather amusing and said helplessly, "Innocence and chastity are things all goddesses naturally possess. They do not need blessings."

Prometheus frowned and quietly argued, "That may be because they do not have the most perfect appearance."

However, Tethys merely took it as childish nonsense and did not take his words to heart.

At this moment, she had not realized the seriousness of the matter at all.

Pleasing the Gods

The banquet hosted by Oceanus soon came to an end, and Theron returned to his own void.

He did not take his chance encounter with Prometheus, the god of foresight, to heart.

No matter what impact this god of foresight might have on the world in the future, he was still far too young. He had been born less than a hundred years ago and was considered an infant among gods.

But precisely because he was still an infant, he developed a favorable desire to get close to Theron due to their similar divine offices. It was entirely instinctive. Once he grew a little older, that instinct would no longer affect him.

However, it still affected him now. Thus, after Prometheus returned to his residence, the first thing he did was seek out his father, the Titan god Iapetus.

He wanted to know about Theron. His brief contact with Theron had made him realize that this god was extraordinary.

His foresight told him that further contact with Theron would bring him many benefits.

Because he was young and could not yet fully master his divine office, Prometheus did not know what those so-called benefits in that vague feeling were. Yet it was precisely the unknown that made it more alluring.

When the Titan god Iapetus heard Prometheus's question, his expression became rather strange.

"You mean that you encountered Lord Theron in the Ocean and felt drawn to him, and your foresight told you that contact with him would be greatly beneficial?"

"Revered Father, I truly have such a feeling." Anticipation appeared on Prometheus's face. "Can you tell me of his origins and background?"

Also because of his foresight, Prometheus knew that his father understood everything, which was why he had specifically come to ask.

The Titan god Iapetus gave his son, who had always been known for his intelligence, a deep look, then fell into hesitation.

He did know about Theron. Like the other Titans, he suspected that Theron was the god of fate rather than the god of prophecy, but there was no evidence. It was only speculation.

Yet there was no doubt about Theron's mystery and power, even if his divine power did not appear remarkable and had remained at merely moderate divine power all these years.

But after personally witnessing him use weak power to interrupt the curse cast with all the Sky God's strength, every Titan god understood one truth: divine power did not always represent everything.

At least, when faced with Uranus's desperate final strike, they, despite possessing powerful divine power at the time, had been unable even to resist it, much less stop it.

Thinking back to a thousand years ago, when Theron first appeared before them, he had possessed only weak divine power. Yet even then, he had already foretold the fall of the first-generation God King.

When everything happened exactly as he had said it would, everyone understood that this was not something prophecy could accomplish. Apprehension and fear naturally arose as well.