No, he absolutely couldn't let them meet in private. In that case, it would be better to meet in the open. He couldn't delay winning Theron over any longer!
At that thought, Zeus stood up and said righteously, "Indeed, we shouldn't neglect those who've rendered meritorious service. In that case, I'll go invite him personally."
Chapter 67: Stealing Power
Prometheus's appearance had undoubtedly disrupted Zeus's plans and arrangements.
It left him no choice but to face Theron, even though he still hadn't figured out how to handle him.
But Zeus knew that, one way or another, he had to secure Theron's support before returning to Mount Olympus, leaving no opportunity for Poseidon or Hades.
In short, he would never give up the throne of King of Gods.
The good news was that, at his sincere invitation, Theron had chosen not to avoid him this time and had agreed to travel with him to Mount Olympus.
The bad news was that once this Divine Banquet was over, there would be no chance at all of pushing Theron to the sidelines.
Knowing how blindly the gods revered Theron, and seeing him make his presence felt again, Zeus couldn't help feeling wary.
After a long moment's thought, he spoke first. "Prince Theron, the tyrannical Kronos has been imprisoned forever. Who do you think would be better suited to become the new King of Gods?"
His tone was casual, as if he were simply making conversation.
"I don't know," Theron said with a smile, deliberately pretending not to catch Zeus's hint. "Whoever becomes King of Gods, I'll offer my blessings."
"Your Highness, you jest." Zeus gave a bitter smile. "Please give me some guidance from fate. Tell me who the future King of Gods will be."
"You already have an answer in mind. Why ask me?"
Theron's smile grew more pronounced. "Great Zeus, don't worry. You're so brave and resolute, and you possess every fine quality in the world. Even fate will favor you."
At that, Zeus was overjoyed. But his wariness soon brought him back to his senses, and he asked cautiously, "Prince Theron, do you think I'll become King of Gods?"
"Yes." Theron nodded without hesitation. "I predict that you, great Zeus, will become the new King of Gods, and I'll help you."
Even after hearing such a clear answer, Zeus's gaze still wavered.
He considered his words before speaking. "Prince Theron, forgive my impertinence, but I truly believe you're better suited than I am to become King of Gods."
"You're so wise. You would surely lead this world to become a better place." His tone was utterly sincere, as if he meant every word.
Theron nearly laughed to himself. He had no doubt that if he went along with Zeus's words and showed even the slightest interest in the throne of King of Gods...
Then Zeus would send him to the abyss of Tartarus the very next moment, to keep company with the Titans imprisoned there.
Meeting Zeus's seemingly casual but actually probing gaze, Theron shook his head and said in a calm yet certain voice, "No, I won't become King of Gods, and I can't."
"It's all been ordained. I won't violate my own laws."
When Zeus still seemed unconvinced, Theron simply swore an oath that he would never lay claim to the throne of King of Gods and would never become King of Gods.
Theron's decisive declaration caught Zeus, who was still testing him, off guard.
As soon as the oath was made, the world acknowledged it. Zeus could clearly feel that it had taken effect and could not be changed.
The stone that had been hanging over his heart finally fell, and his smile grew more genuine.
"Prince Theron, you're so wise and astute. You'll always be the Prophet I trust. Please give me more guidance from fate in the years to come."
He meant it from the bottom of his heart.
Theron had been so accommodating. The moment he swore that oath, Zeus immediately put his mind at ease, and his last trace of wariness vanished.
He began to seriously consider Metis's suggestion. If he became King of Gods and had a mighty Prophet like Theron to help him, wouldn't he be invincible forever?
His confidence even soared. He was certain that he would never meet the same shabby end as Uranus and Kronos!
In his good mood, Zeus even brought up the matter of compensation he'd been avoiding.
"Prince Theron, you've helped me so much. Is there anything I can do to repay you? Do you remember the three conditions I promised you? Have you decided what you want?"
Zeus felt that Theron had shown him considerable sincerity, and now it was his turn to do the same. Only if their relationship grew closer could he ask Theron to help break his curse.
At the question, Theron wore a thoughtful expression. After a moment, he said casually, "In that case, acknowledge my achievements. Admit that I made a significant contribution during the Final War, and inform the gods."
"That's my first condition. As for the other two, I'll tell you once I've decided."
His tone was so casual that it seemed he'd simply made up an excuse on the spot to give Zeus one condition to fulfill.
Zeus thought so too, since it would be very easy for him to do.
He'd originally worried that Theron's prominence might threaten his position, but now that Theron had sworn that oath, that concern had vanished as well.
Still, out of caution, he seriously considered what impact acknowledging Theron's achievements might have. But he couldn't think of anything, so he let the matter go.
After all, those things had really happened. It hardly seemed to matter whether he acknowledged them or not.
And so, after reaching a preliminary understanding, the two arrived at Mount Olympus. Zeus formally introduced Theron to everyone, no longer keeping silent about him as he had before.
To repay Theron's sincerity, Zeus not only praised his contributions at length, but also recounted Prometheus's contributions. Poseidon and the others listened in bewilderment.
As Third Generation Gods who had only recently been rescued from Kronos's stomach—and with Zeus deliberately keeping them in the dark—Poseidon and his four siblings were among the least informed about Theron in the world.
Now, hearing Zeus praise him so highly, they all reacted differently.
"What God of Fate? He's nothing special, as far as I can tell." Poseidon, still the most hot-tempered and impatient of them all, spoke first, his voice full of contempt.
But almost as soon as he said it, Zeus rebuked him.
"Poseidon, don't be rude."
Poseidon was about to speak again when Rhea said coldly, "Poseidon, be quiet!"
"Fate must not be blasphemed!" Prometheus said icily. He looked ready to attack Poseidon if he dared say another word, despite the vast difference in their strength.
"Ignorant youngsters are always so naïve." Oceanus didn't look pleased either. The gods of the entire Oceanus Lineage turned cold-faced along with him.
After all, the Oceanus Lineage was the group of gods who revered Theron most blindly.
Seeing their reactions, Poseidon finally realized how serious the situation was. Though still unwilling, he sullenly shut his mouth.
The reserved Hades was much more perceptive. He'd been quietly observing the whole time, and even he looked surprised at the gods' reaction.
As for the other three goddesses—Hestia, Demeter, and Hera—they were simply watching the show.
While all the gods reacted to Poseidon's foolish contempt, Theron, the very person he'd insulted, remained the calmest of them all.
He acted as if he hadn't heard Poseidon's judgment, quietly sipping the Divine Wine before him and offering a few modest remarks only when Zeus praised him at length.
For a while, the atmosphere at the Divine Banquet grew rather strange.
Zeus was actually glad that Poseidon had offended Theron, but he didn't show it. After scolding his foolish brother, he continued to express his gratitude in a sincere voice.
"Without Prince Theron's help, I might never even have been born. Without him, we couldn't have ushered in a new order."
To obtain the throne of King of Gods and break his curse, Zeus was willing to go all out. He did worry that praising Theron so extravagantly might make him too famous, perhaps even stealing the spotlight.
But after thinking it over, he realized that Theron's power was only that of a Titan. He was strong, but posed no threat to him at all. The mystery surrounding him before had been nothing but a bluff.
Now that Theron had sworn an oath, he was no threat whatsoever.
Once Zeus had thought it through, he finally relaxed completely.
What he didn't know was that Theron had indeed been bluffing most of the time in the past, but the age when external strength alone defined one's true power had passed.
As Zeus praised him and the gods acknowledged him, Theron could clearly feel the Chaos World's recognition of him growing stronger.
The only problem was...
The Chaos World seemed capable of recognizing only one god. Any power borrowed by the others was stolen.
Normally, the god recognized would be the King of Gods. But this world had no King of Gods now, and so many gods had recognized Theron, who was already inseparably bound to the world...
As a result, the power of the Chaos World gradually shifted toward Theron. It hadn't fully recognized him yet, but the progress was already considerable.
Most importantly, even before that recognition was complete, the World Will would no longer choose another god.
Because it could choose only one.
Through years of careful preparation and planning, Theron had quietly separated the throne of King of Gods from the world's recognition.
That meant that even if Zeus became King of Gods, he would no longer receive the world's power.
But that wasn't Theron's concern. He'd only said he wouldn't become King of Gods. He'd never said he didn't want the power.
Watching Zeus work so hard to secure recognition for him, Theron gave him a sincere smile and said from the bottom of his heart, "You truly are a generous god. You'll be the most generous King of Gods, too."
Zeus was overjoyed. He understood that Theron was telling him he'd keep his promise and help him become the new King of Gods.
How could he not be happy? He could almost see himself becoming King of Gods!
But Zeus didn't know that the white-robed youth praising him was silently adding another thought:
"You can have the throne. I'll take the power."
Chapter 68: Poseidon's Cunning
The celebratory feast lasted a full month, and it showed no sign of ending anytime soon.
To gods with long lives, time was just a number. All they cared about was whether they'd had enough fun.
Unlike the gods who were sincerely celebrating, Zeus was already thinking about what came next.
He still wasn't King of Gods, and he knew that Poseidon and Hades also had their eyes on the throne.
The curse Uranus had laid on Kronos was that Kronos would be overthrown by his own children.
In the current mythology, goddesses had no right to inherit the throne. So the only candidates for King of Gods in the entire world were the three of them.
Zeus was undoubtedly the strongest of the three. Now that he wielded the Thunder Scepter and commanded the power of lightning, he was already among the mightiest beings in the world.
But Poseidon and Hades were strong too, and they had each obtained a divine weapon from the Cyclopes. One had the Sea God's Trident, and the other had the Invisibility Helmet. Both weapons had greatly increased their power.
If the three of them fought, Zeus believed he could defeat them. But wouldn't that tell the outside gods that Olympus wasn't united?
Besides, he couldn't imprison Poseidon and Hades forever. The Goddess of Time, Rhea, would never agree to that, and it would also interfere with establishing the new order.
Zeus couldn't build the world on his own—not yet, at least.
So he had to make the other two willingly acknowledge him as King of Gods and obey his commands.
With no ideas coming to him, Zeus decided to ask Theron.
He'd just praised Theron lavishly in front of all the gods, fulfilling one of his conditions splendidly, and felt that their relationship had grown closer.
Besides, Theron had already made a prophecy that Zeus would become the new King of Gods. Zeus thought that if he asked, Theron would surely offer suitable advice.
Before you continue