blogombal Page 56
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Hephaestus wasn't so bored as to name the tools he casually crafted.
"Since the goddess has given you to me, I will bestow names upon you. From now on, you will be called Irori, you will be called Yaya, and you will be called Komurasaki."
Bai Zhi pointed to the gentle, white-haired mature woman, the proud, black-haired girl with long straight hair, and the orange-haired, twin-tailed loli, and gave them names one by one.
finally--
Come here, my child, let me hold you again.
Bai Zhi obediently walked in and knelt on one knee to make it easier for the goddess to move around.
Hephaestus wrapped his arms around Bai Zhi's neck, pulling him into his embrace once more.
I thought it would be a similar embrace, filled with the motherly love of a goddess.
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But this time it was different.
Soft lips kissed between the eyebrows.
The goddess said, "The furnace of a thousand hammers will forge your immortal resilience."
The Book of the Sons of the Greek Gods: Chapter 116 Hermes
Greek era.
A dense thicket of green vegetation covered a vast expanse of plains, with abundant, dark wild berries covering the branches. Sounds emanated from the sparse undergrowth, where the vertical pupils of wild beasts concealed their presence, awaiting the arrival of their prey, or perhaps facing their own demise.
The jungle is a gift from nature, with abundant wild fruits and precious herbs everywhere.
Opportunities and dangers coexist.
Poisonous miasma, hallucinogenic floral scents, predatory beasts, and vegetation are the deepest nightmares of speculators who dream of making a fortune from the jungle.
With a rustling sound, the wild beasts turned their gaze toward the source of the sound, but their pupils contracted sharply in an instant, and they turned and fled with low groans, even before they had seen the owner of the sound.
The instincts of wild beasts are the only way for these beasts, who are only slightly stronger than ordinary people, to survive on the land of the gods without being hunted by hunters.
Amidst the rustling sounds, Bai Zhi, dressed in a plain white robe, walked silently into the depths of the forest with a stern face. He paid no attention to the fleeing wild beasts. When he left the Temple of Hephaestus, the goddess had prepared enough food to sustain him for a whole year, as his appetite had greatly increased.
With her arm sweeping aside the tree trunks blocking her path, Bai Zhi casually dealt with several treacherous venomous snakes, tossing them onto the carnivorous vines that stretched out from them. She continued walking through this dangerous jungle, her silver, orange, and red wings folding together and transforming into a strange tattoo etched onto her back.
"I am going to the Picasso Mountains to find Prometheus."
Lost in thought, Bai Zhi muttered his destination to himself, while the pointer of the compass in his hand swayed slightly, confirming that he was not being true to himself.
I'm going to the Picasso Mountains to find Prometheus. Yes, that's the goal I set when I ran away from home. But with the gods intervening, is it still necessary for me to go?
It is precisely this lack of confidence that causes the compass, which follows one's heart, to malfunction. After all, if the person involved is unsure of the destination, how can a compass, as a tool, provide the correct direction?
"Yes, yes, yes, the compass is a little tool I made with divine power. I'm quite happy that I have too much trust in it. But I still have to say, you don't even know what lies ahead. It's just a tool, don't make things difficult for it."
A lively voice suddenly appeared beside her ear, and Bai Zhi sprang to her senses, instinctively unleashing the blessing of the Moon Goddess.
The Moon's inherent barrier unfolds, impervious to all laws.
"Well, not bad, young man. Hephaestus's favor towards you is a little beyond my expectations."
Before them appeared a blond young man wearing a feathered hat, flying shoes, and carrying a double serpent staff, with a playful expression.
"Yo~ it's been a long time, Jason."
He landed on the ground, glanced at the compass, and then looked up and down at the silvery-glowing angelica. His eyes gradually brightened.
Hermes stepped forward, ignoring the 'invulnerability' effect, and reached out to touch Bai Zhi's body. He pinched her arms, legs, abdomen, and neck a few times, nodded, and said with considerable regret:
"Immortal flesh, Argoblin's hundred-eyed eyes that gaze upon death, are probably of no use to you as a trial."
The Argonauts are monsters with a hundred eyes. Legend has it that they sleep with more than half of their eyes open. They are hunters who will never miss any prey, and in the Age of Gods, they even have the ability to watch death.
In a sense, Argo possesses an ability similar to the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, the difference being that he doesn't need to lift a finger; he can kill anyone who appears before him simply by 'gazing' at them.
After all, it wasn't the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception that were truly connected to the Root. Against the immortal body blessed by Hephaestus, Argo's death was insignificant.
Hermes stroked his chin in thought, when he inadvertently caught a glimpse of Bai Zhi's calm and unwavering gaze, and was slightly taken aback.
Something's off about this kid's eyes. Usually, he's either startled or scared, but there's a light in them, and he looks quite amusing when he's fidgeting. But this calm, more like a silent mourning than a broken heart... it's really unsettling to look at.
No, it must be put back into its original shape.
Finally, she managed to steal a moment from her busy schedule to play with this kid. Zeus had been in a bad mood lately and summoned Io to vent his anger. Hera also vaguely sensed something was amiss; the hundred-eyed giant Argo was no longer just guarding Io.
Hermes' eyes held no smile. He leaned forward, meeting Bai Zhi's gaze, and spoke slowly and deliberately.
"Jason Diomedes, you were the first child to offer your faith to all twelve of us. I remember when you were just recovering from a serious illness, your eyes showed undisguised respect for the gods. But what has become of you? You have met the gods you worship, yet you are as decayed as an old man nearing the end of your life."
You were once consumed by the obsession with survival. Hephaestus granted you an immortal body, allowing you to live for a very, very long time before your soul completely decays. You've achieved your wish; you should be excited, not looking so melancholy.
Hermes is a god who holds the power of theft and lies. He comes and goes like the wind and is completely undetected.
However, he became the messenger of the gods in the name of integrity. Neither Apollo nor Artemis, who disliked him, objected to his work as a messenger. Hermes did a good job indeed.
But the more crucial point is not integrity, but Hermes' ability to converse with gods of completely different personalities, speaking human language to humans and mythological language to gods, and his psychological ability and insight to see through the thoughts and ideas of others at a glance.
"You are confused, child. Is it because the mission the gods have given you does not match the future you desire?"
"I..."
"Deceiving the gods is wrong, especially in the presence of the god who holds the power of lies."
Hermes interrupted Bai Zhi's excuse, and the latter could clearly see the reluctance and reluctance in the former's words.
"..." After a moment of silence, Bai Zhi finally spoke and revealed the truth: "I don't want to be a hero, but Lord Hephaestus said that the gods want me to be a hero. I am destined to wear the crown of a hero and will eventually embark on the path of a hero, because the gods have already anchored the future."
But, Lord Hermes, having been utterly indifferent to heroes from the bottom of my heart, if I were to become a hero, would I still be myself?
At that time, will the person who enjoys the admiration of the world and becomes a world-renowned hero in the eyes of the gods be Jason, the hero, or a puppet on strings in the hands of the gods?
Bai Zhi didn't know, but there was one thing he was certain of.
He didn't want to be a hero.
Hermes' eyes lit up at this, and he gave himself a thumbs-up in response.
"Haha, didn't I say that day that when you are confused, Hermes, the messenger of the gods, will help you solve your problems and guide you to the right path?"
The Book of the Greek Gods and Their Sons: Chapter 117 The Secret of the Heart
Hermes was a very talkative god.
His humorous tone and ability to always find topics that make Bai Zhi feel comfortable gradually transformed the awkward atmosphere between them into... a conversation between a superior and a subordinate.
"You've really given me a tough challenge. The conflict between ideals and reality, the intertwining of dreams and glory, and the way of thinking that is out of step with the times yet transcends them. Rather than calling you a lion that has ascended the throne, you should be called a fledgling eagle that is unwilling to spread its wings."
Hermes, pushing the hat with small golden wings, looked rather helpless. In the past, he had only watched Bai Zhi make choices for amusement, but this was the first time he had personally communicated with her. Because of this conversation, all his previous impressions of her were completely overturned.
It became clear how the child had ended up in such a state of death.
"You don't reject heroes; you just want true freedom to decide and achieve the future you choose."
The deity revealed the secret that Bai Zhi had hidden in her heart.
“Lord Hermes, you are right.” Bai Zhi replied honestly. The urge to complete his divine body compelled him to obey the god’s words: “My wish is very simple: to be a happy person, to feed horses, chop wood, travel the world, care about food and vegetables, own a house to live in, facing the sea, where spring is warm and flowers bloom!”
Upon hearing this, Hermes covered his brown eyes in anguish.
The children (believers) who are favored may actually want to be lazy and complacent.
It is heartbreaking.
At this moment, Hermes faced a choice.
It leads this child (believer) toward the ordinary, predictable daily life they have chosen.
Or perhaps it is to guide this child (the believer) along the path recommended by the gods, leading them toward heroic glory.
Reason tells Him that He has paved His own path for His child (the believer), and His choice is never wrong, because His thoughts and actions are what He desires, even if the choice is made by the dead child hidden in His heart.
Emotion also told Him that the child (believer)'s future could not be ordinary; a lion was hidden in his eyes, waiting for the gods to dismantle the barriers in his heart and release this lion, leaving behind a remarkable legend in Greek mythology.
"Ugh! I never imagined that besides dealing with the mess left by Zeus, I would be so conflicted. Okay, I've made up my mind!"
Hermes frantically scratched his head with both hands, and then made an extremely dangerous decision that was contrary to the will of the gods.
Give the choice to Angelica dahurica.
He asked, “If you follow the gods, you will experience a dangerous and exciting adventure and be honored; if you follow the heart, you will be forever trapped in the pain, sorrow, and mundane reality of existence. When you have the opportunity to make a choice, will you regret the wrong choice you made?”
Serious questions were raised by a detached deity.
Without hesitation, Bai Zhi quickly provided the answer.
"Isn't it natural for people to regret their wrong choices? Even if it's the right choice, people will still feel regret and think that there might have been a better way, or that they shouldn't have done it that way. On this road of moving forward, no one will not look back."
As long as I remember the past, I will also remember my mistakes, even if those mistakes seem insignificant compared to the whole affair.
Regret? Probably.
Bai Zhi knew that once he embarked on the path destined to become a hero, the gods would protect him, and the progress of completing his divine artifact body would be accelerated. By obeying the gods' wishes, he would have a higher chance of surviving when facing Zeus in the final battle.
However, Angelica dahurica just doesn't accept this. In her previous life, she spent her entire life in a small hospital ward due to illness, from birth to death.
In this life, regardless of whether the ending is good or bad, Bai Zhi only wants to truly have a life that belongs to her.
Therefore, he will never regret it!
Humans are complex beings, constantly gaining and losing. They may eventually find themselves all alone, hated by the gods and subjected to the scorn of the world. But so what?
The bonds you form along the way are real; even when you are alone, the connections that bind you together will not disappear.
Each choice, each decision made proactively, is what truly defines Bai Zhi's life.
Even if the gods still demand that you move forward, and even force Baizhi to follow the fate of the anchor point.
Therefore, no matter what, one should not be completely entangled by feelings of regret.
Even in darkness, people still move forward, just as a bird whose wings are tangled yet still yearns for the sky.
“Lord Hermes, you truly deserve to be called the messenger of the gods. Through our conversation, I finally understand what I want.”
The compass in Bai Zhi's palm stopped shaking, and the pointer found its correct direction.
"I will not refuse the gods' requests, but I will act in my own way in the course of life. If becoming a hero is my destiny, then I will see if following my heart's decision will truly be recognized as a hero by the world."
Simply put, Bai Zhi treated the gods' requests as side quests that he couldn't refuse. Once he completed the side quests, he would return to the main quest of Bai Zhi's life.
He wanted to see whether he would ultimately triumph and live a truly free life, or be defeated by difficulties and become a puppet of the gods.
"Very good, very good." Hermes clapped his hands. "You child (believer), you always surprise me."
Unexpectedly, it makes sense.
It was precisely because of the human light hidden deep in Bai Zhi's eyes and her resolute heart that the gods were drawn to her.
At this moment, Bai Zhi is no longer a puppet being swept along, but a hero who is truly taking his own steps... an unfinished hero.
Hermes' eyes held a hint of amusement.
My child, a hero is not necessarily someone who completes an impossible task, a hero who is elevated to a higher status through the praise of the gods and the songs of priests and bards.
Illuminate the light of humanity, yearn for free will, break free from the shackles of the gods, and with human will, make the gods back down—when you succeed, haven't you also accomplished a heroic feat?
"Good child, as the first gift you present on your journey through life, I'm making a fool of myself with it." Hermes patted Bai Zhi's shoulder with a smile.
The latter's expectant look suggests a divine blessing.
"Let's go and rescue Io, right under the nose of the hundred-eyed giant Argo."
"...Lord Hermes, this is not a gift."
"Haha, it's alright. Zeus is just rushing us a bit. If we delay any longer, I might even be punished."
"Then go and save them, you don't need to wait for me."
"No way, you're my best partner!"
"Our meeting won't last more than three hours, right..."
Mortals and gods walked side by side, exchanging words as they disappeared into the jungle.
The Chronicle of the Greek Gods and Their Sons: Chapter 118 Reversal