I Am a Prophet in Greece 39

The Struggle for the King of Gods

He subconsciously wanted to find Theron and beg him to break the curse, but when he turned around, the white figure was nowhere to be seen.

Only then did Zeus recall that he had just driven Theron away! He had actually driven Theron away!!

Remorse, regret, and fear flooded Zeus's heart in an instant. Without a moment's hesitation, he chased after the direction in which Theron had departed.

He arrived at the void, blocked by the barrier once erected by Kronos.

Zeus forcibly suppressed the panic in his heart and spoke in an incomparably respectful voice, "Lord Theron, I have thought it over. At a moment of celebrating victory like this, it feels as though something is missing without you. After all, you are the irreplaceable hero of this battle."

"Therefore, I would like to cordially invite you to attend the celebratory banquet."

Zeus knew his attitude earlier had likely not been friendly, so he hurried to make amends.

However, he did not see that familiar white figure appear. Instead, from within the barrier, in that endless void, a leisurely voice echoed:

"No need. Just as you said, I do not care for crowds."

Zeus: "..."

He had been careless; he had changed his tune too early.

Chapter 66: The Struggle for the King of Gods

"Why didn't you attend the divine banquet? You need to gain more recognition, don't you?"

"Zeus is different from the two foolish kings before him. He won't change his mind easily. Since he has gone back on his word, why didn't you take the opportunity to respond?"

In the void, the eternal night descended quietly, and a voice filled with confusion emerged.

Judging by the tone of the voice, Theron determined that this must be Lady Ananke.

Is she waiting here specifically for me? Is she that impatient to complete the bet?

Theron grumbled inwardly, but on the surface, he replied calmly, "If he tells me to leave, I leave; if he tells me to come, I come—wouldn't I be losing face?"

"Pfft..."

The beautiful goddess couldn't help but laugh. She seemed not to have expected such a reason, and the look she gave Theron held a hint of helplessness.

"This is no time to be stubborn. Do you really want to lose?"

As the Goddess of Fate, Ananke already knew what Theron intended to do.

Fate was not so easily changed. Zeus was the destined Third Generation King of Gods; changing that was too difficult. However, Theron had no intention of becoming the King of Gods anyway.

What was so good about being the King of Gods? He would just be a high-level wage earner for the Chaos World, responsible for the world's well-being, only to be cast aside if the world's development faltered.

Therefore, Theron had never wanted to be the King of Gods from the start.

Everything he had done was essentially to acquire power. He didn't want to be the King of Gods, but he also didn't want to be manipulated by one.

And what power was greater than the power of the world itself?

That was why Theron had always been plotting for the power of this world. Kronos had discovered this, which was why he had been so agitated.

Logically, only a King of Gods supported by the world could obtain the power of creation; other gods could not. But Theron was an exception because he did not belong to this world.

Furthermore, by deceiving the First Generation King of Gods, Uranus, he had obtained the recognition of the King of Gods, forcibly binding himself to the fate of this world. In a sense, he was the world.

However, the Chaos World had been forced into this, so Theron's acquisition of power was theft—it was fleeting. The King of Gods' power was borrowed, which could be held long-term.

Theron wanted to turn his theft into a loan. Since he didn't want to be the King of Gods, he could only make outstanding contributions to the world, such as driving the development of the era or ending the reign of a King of Gods.

That was why he participated in the Final War and dealt with Kronos personally—to farm contributions.

But there was a prerequisite: his actions needed to be recognized. At least the majority of the gods had to acknowledge his contribution for it to count.

Just like Kronos back then, the reason he could become the King of Gods was that the other Titans recognized his contribution, and the world followed suit.

Therefore, attending this divine banquet would be very helpful to him, and it was also related to whether he could change his destiny.

Yet, Theron only smiled and said, "If I am invited so easily, how can my importance be highlighted? And how would I be able to set my conditions?"

Ananke laughed upon hearing this. "Zeus is not a foolish god. He knows that repeated invitations will make you seem important, so he won't invite you a second time."

"Then I shall make him have to invite me," Theron said indifferently. "He may not need me that much right now, but if there is no demand, one can be created."

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Zeus returned to Mount Olympus from the void, looking disheveled.

With the conclusion of the great war, Mount Olympus had become the true divine mountain. At this moment, the Goddess of Wisdom, Metis, had already prepared the celebratory banquet, waiting for the gods to return and celebrate.

After ten years of being together, their relationship was known to all, and her manner of presiding over the banquet was that of a true mistress.

Poseidon and the other gods had already returned to Olympus, and they were puzzled by Zeus's hurried departure.

However, they didn't dwell on it. The joy of victory filled their hearts; after ten years of fighting, they were finally excited to reap the rewards.

When Zeus returned to Olympus, the banquet had already begun. He immediately joined in as if nothing had happened, smiling and exchanging pleasantries with the gods, flattering one another, and celebrating the victory.

The wise Metis, however, keenly sensed the unease hidden beneath Zeus's smile. Taking advantage of the gods' distraction, she quietly came to his side and asked in a low voice:

"Zeus, my beloved, what happened? You don't look happy about the victory. Is it because of that curse?"

The curse from Kronos and Iapetus had been heard by all the gods present. Aside from that, Metis couldn't think of any reason for Zeus to be so downcast.

Zeus glanced at Metis and, after a moment of hesitation, spoke his mind:

"It is because of that mysterious Lord Theron. I seem to have done something wrong."

Zeus recounted how he had cold-shouldered Theron, then went to beg him for help because of the curse, only to be turned away.

He hoped to get Metis's advice. After all, she was the Goddess of Wisdom, possessed wisdom unmatched by others, and was close to him; she would not harm him.

"I don't know how to deal with him now."

Having learned from the lessons of the previous two kings, Zeus's original plan had been to completely marginalize Theron—neither targeting him nor paying him any mind, treating him as if he didn't exist.

But just as he put this into action, he discovered that he still had use for Theron. The curse from Kronos and Iapetus seemed to be something only Theron could undo.

Zeus now only regretted not being patient for a little longer. If he had, the curse might have been broken, and then he could have fallen out with Theron later.

"Zeus, my beloved, your thinking is wrong." Metis shook her head and said in a gentle voice, "Lord Theron is the God of Fate. If you become the new King of Gods, it is impossible to have no contact with him."

"The King of Gods possesses the whole world, but the world does not belong solely to the King of Gods. Lord Theron is inextricably linked to this world. Even if this matter is resolved, what about the next time?"

Hearing this, Zeus understood that Metis was speaking the truth, so he had to calm himself and ask, "Then how should I handle him?"

"The best way to get along should be through cooperation."

The wise Metis said, "The King of Gods builds and develops the world, while Fate provides help and guidance. You should complement each other, not oppose one another."

"Moreover, if we fight against Fate, we are bound to lose. How could Fate ever lose?"

Zeus heard this and wore a thoughtful expression.

Metis's words provided him with a new perspective.

By observing the battle between Theron and Kronos not long ago, Zeus had concluded that Theron was not exceptionally powerful—at most, he was equivalent to an ordinary Titan god.

Such divine power was already considered elite among the gods, but for Zeus, who was born powerful and possessed the power of thunder, it was not much of a threat.

In this situation, Zeus felt there was indeed no need to be overly wary of Theron. If complete marginalization was impossible, winning him over to his side might not be a bad idea.

At the very least, he could still go to him to ask questions and obtain the guidance of Fate, and perhaps the curse could have been broken in time.

Of course, the premise of all this was...

That Theron would not pose a threat to his position as the King of Gods.

Compared to the curse that might or might not come to pass, Zeus was now more concerned about the throne.

Poseidon and Hades—his two brothers might not be willing to give up the authority of the King of Gods, and they might be harboring their own schemes.

Zeus feared that they would join forces with Theron for the sake of the throne; this had to be guarded against.

However, Poseidon and Hades probably hadn't realized they could join forces with Theron, so he could rest easy for now.

After thinking it over, Zeus decided that he could cooperate with Theron, perhaps even have him serve as his advisor, but Theron's presence could not be too prominent; the hierarchy between them had to be clear.

Therefore, he still wouldn't invite him to this banquet. He could wait until the banquet was over and the position of King of Gods was secured before paying him a visit.

With this thought, Zeus made up his mind.

Just as he composed himself and prepared to continue dealing with the gods, an unfriendly voice rang out.

"Prometheus, how dare you show your face here?!" Poseidon's angry voice erupted, drawing the attention of all the gods.

There, on the dais of the temple, Prometheus sat leisurely in his white robes, ignoring Poseidon across from him.

The expressions of the gods changed slightly. Everyone knew that Prometheus was Kronos's absolute confidant, having plotted for him throughout the ten years of war.

Now that Kronos was imprisoned for eternity, how did Prometheus dare to come to Olympus?

Wasn't this suicide?

Just as the gods were about to riot, Zeus quickly stepped out to smooth things over. He smiled and said to the gods, "Everyone, there is no need to be agitated. Allow me to introduce him: the God of Foresight, Prometheus, has actually been our friend all along."

As soon as these words were spoken, all the gods were stunned, save for the very few who knew the truth.

Zeus recounted how Prometheus had been an undercover agent all these years, passing on information and even helping them win the Final War. The expressions of the gods changed dramatically.

Facing the curious and scrutinizing gazes of the gods, Prometheus spoke calmly, "I am a subordinate god to Lord Theron, the God of Fate. Everything I did was merely following the guidance of Fate."

When Zeus heard him mention "Theron," his heart skipped a beat. He suddenly had a very bad premonition, and sure enough, the next moment he heard Prometheus ask:

"Why is it that I do not see Lord Theron at this celebratory banquet?"

The entire temple fell silent.

The smile on Zeus's face became extremely strained. "Lord Theron does not care for crowds and declined my invitation."

The young and handsome God of Foresight looked at the powerful Zeus without fear and said in a righteous tone, "But this victory was achieved under the guidance of Lord Theron. Perhaps we should invite him once more, with sincerity."

Zeus's expression was already very ugly, but he forced himself not to lash out, saying only, "To disturb that noble lord like this, I fear it would be inappropriate."

Just as he was racking his brain to think of how to brush off Prometheus, he heard him change his tune:

"If that is the case, then very well." He seemed very regretful, sighed, and said, "I had wanted to ask him who the next King of Gods recognized by Fate is."

As soon as these words were spoken, Zeus's vision went black. He subconsciously looked at Poseidon and Hades, and sure enough, he saw that one of them looked suddenly enlightened, while the other was lost in thought.

Zeus: "..."

Looking at those expressions, it was clear that as soon as the banquet ended, they would go to find Theron in private!