Strange laws, strange circumstances, and even a strange self, all this tells Zeus that he is now in a special state.

He was pulled into a thought, repeating the most memorable experience of his owner. Now he has lost his body and is attached to the master of his thoughts in pure consciousness, and nothing that does not belong to him can be brought in.

Consciousness observed the surroundings, Zeus just watched 'himself' continue to move forward, not surprisingly, the danger he sensed in the dark before should probably be here, his spirit was running at an unprecedented high speed. He tried to get out of his current state, but undoubtedly failed, for the power to sustain the remnant did not seem to come from its original owner, but from other higher sources.

Under normal circumstances, a powerful god like Zeus would not easily fall into the remnants of others. Even if it touches the great beings, since they have 'died' in a sense, it is impossible for him to fall into them without resistance just by residual thoughts, but this is different.

Although Zeus did not know the name and origin of this place, the authority of the god-king from this world still made him keenly aware of the incompatibility between this place and the entire Kaos, which was not even the difference between this world and the abyss and the spirit world, but a greater estrangement. The transformation of the Nine Kingdoms is still going on, and although Kaos has broken through the barrier of the world's power, the progress of his 'digestion' is not so fast. So much so that in this broken interface, there is still a little power of another world.

Now, with the remnants and Zeus as the medium, Kaos collided with the remnants of the Nine Realms. World-class power has reproduced the past, giving this remnant memory a real power, but in this past, there is an unprecedented unknown threat to Zeus.

Because no matter what the outcome, Asgard will become the first interface in the nine kingdoms to be completely devoured because of this change, but Zeus is different. As 'himself' continued to advance, Zeus received more and more intense warnings, and his intuition told him that danger lay ahead, and he could no longer escape it.

In this regard, Zeus already had some vague speculations. The god of Kaos is immortal, but no one knows this when it comes to the world itself.

"Whoa-la-"

The sound of the water that had been distant was getting closer and closer, and from the sound, it seemed to be a spring lake. As Zeus approached, the surrounding trees thinned out.

This is the Misty Forest, surrounded by a fountain of wisdom, and magical trees obscure the view of those who come from it. At a certain moment, when the last tree in front of him was crossed, Zeus's consciousness finally followed the view of this body to see the whole picture.

A small lake was in front of it, with clear water tumbling endlessly, and in the center of it there was a spring bubbling with pure water. In the light, a pale golden mist steamed up and floated into the air, and at the top of the pond there was a root hanging down from a high place.

The steaming mist was attracted by it, and it continued to nourish the divine tree that ran through the Nine Realms, giving it vitality and strength. And looking at all this, an idea came out of thin air, so that Zeus instantly knew the reason why 'he' was here.

His name is Odin, and like Zeus, they are both god-kings who have just founded the court of gods and become the chief of the gods. And they all face the same dilemma - without deep roots, without unrivaled power, their royal power is threatened to shake at any time.

So 'Odin' came here, to this great enemy of the gods, to the kingdom ruled by giants. He came here to seek the help of the fountain of wisdom and the revelation that the world had given to the god-king. But although the spring was in front of him, he still had a hurdle to overcome.

Under the reflection of the root whiskers of Uttrasil, there was a huge figure. Gazing in, Zeus clearly saw Mimir, who was sitting solemnly beside the fountain of wisdom.

At the same time, Mimir also noticed the arrival of 'Odin'.

"Outsider, do you also covet the wisdom of heaven?"

A loud voice sounded, and Mimir obviously recognized Odin's identity at the moment, but the giant's tone did not seem to care. The young Wisdom Giant Mimir was so arrogant that as the guardian of the Fountain of Wisdom, he had no respect for the Nine Realms God King.

Because this is Jotunheim, the land of giants, even if the god-king tries to achieve his goals by force, he will never be able to escape with his whole body.

"Yes, Honorable Guardian. I heard about the name of the Fountain of Wisdom, and that's why I came here. ”

"I hope to receive a cup of spring water as a way to receive a revelation from wisdom, if you can fulfill my heart's desire, I promise in the name of the God-King, and I will give you the corresponding reward."

In Odin's mind, Zeus heard 'himself' say this, but in the face of the god-king's request, the giant on the other side refused to agree. He just looked at 'Odin' and smiled casually.

"Outsider, no matter what status you have, how noble your status, and what kind of power you have, here, you must follow my rules, because without the consent of the Guardian, the spring water will not take effect on you."

Mimir is not entirely right, what really determines whether the spring water is effective or not is the spring itself and the World Tree, but what you gain is what you lose, and you can achieve an equal replacement in order to gain wisdom enlightenment.

It's just that as a Guardian, Mimir can decide whether to agree to the deal or not, which is why he has no fear.

"Before that, there were many people who wanted a cup of spring water, but when they heard the price of a glass of water, they were too scared to ask for it. As the king of Asgard, I wonder if you will be like them? ”

"I already know this," said 'Odin' calmly opposite Mimir, "that I am willing to give all the gold of Asgard in exchange for the water." ”

Gold is a reference to wealth, not just the metal itself, and it is clear that 'Odin' is willing to give up all his wealth in order to gain the power to consolidate the royal power. In front of him, however, Mimir only smiled and shook his head.

"What's the use of wealth, it's just the most mundane things. Only an artifact like [Gangenir] is a real treasure, but I don't think it's out of your promise. ”

"Then I can give you my right hand, the hand in which I hold the spear. It is a part of my power, and I think it is comparable to the fountain of wisdom. ”

Frowning, 'Odin' proposed again, but in front of him, Mimir also smiled again and refused:

"No, it's not enough. Your hand only represents your strength, but you can't get anything from me by strength, your great force can only work against others, but in my presence, it is useless. ”

"So, Mimir, what do you want?"

There was a slight silence, and even Zeus, who existed as an ideology, saw the giant's troubles, and the original owner of the remnant naturally felt it more clearly. Still, thinking about his purpose, he asked.

"I want your right eye."

Mimir said as he pointed to Odin's head. At this moment, the giant smiled happily, because even the god-king of Asgard had to follow his rules.

"Your sharp right eye is the true equivalent of the fountain of wisdom, and if you want to 'see' the revelation of wisdom, you have to exchange it for the eyes that observe the world. Only with it can you get the wisdom of the spring. ”

'Odin' fell silent, as did the consciousness of the real Zeus in his mind. He knew that this exchange was irreversible, because the object of the exchange was not Mimir, but the Fountain of Wisdom and Yggdrahir.

Permanently losing one eye and sitting on the throne as a one-eyed person, just when Zeus thought that 'Odin' was going to give up, he heard 'himself' speak again.

"So be it, Mimir. I promise you a condition, if that's what you're asking for as a guardian. I will pay for my eyes, and you will pay the price of reciprocity. ”

"Of course, you'll get the spring."

Not paying attention to the tone of the other party's tone, Mimir thought that 'Odin' was talking about spring water, so he nodded happily. The next moment, in the darkness, a force acted on 'Odin' and the spring in front of him.

Now, no one stopped him, but Zeus suddenly discovered that this power seemed to be linked to more than just 'Odin'.

Even he was confined to it. However, this power seems to be a little difficult to start, after all, Zeus at this moment has no 'eyes'.

"Heh, it seems that no matter where you are, this set will work."

Laughing to himself, it was not the first time that Zeus had used such a verbal loophole to circumvent the price.

Just as Cronus once made the sky, the earth, and the sea forbidden his children, so the young Zeus was hung on the branches of the tree. Now, because he doesn't have 'eyes', he can't pay the price.

"Get out of the way."

While Zeus pondered, the outside world continued. Odin's voice became cold and stiff at the fulfillment of the contract, and Mimir only shrugged his shoulders and left the spring.

He didn't need to sit on the sidelines, because the process of gaining wisdom varies from person to person, and no one knows how long 'Odin' will stay here. He just had to wait in the direction he was leaving, and then wait to admire the one-eyed king.

The giant departed, and his tall figure quickly disappeared into the mysterious mist of the Misty Forest. And under the roots of the World Tree, facing the empty pool alone, 'Odin' was silent for a long time, until at one point, he suddenly raised the weapon in his hand, and then stabbed himself mercilessly.

'Whew-'

The skin was torn open and blood was pouring out, but 'Odin' seemed to be unaware. He stepped forward, picked up a handful of spring water, and drank it all.

"I'm going to be here, given a new lease of life."

The voice was calm, and the next moment, Odin's body floated into the air. The upper and lower are reversed, overlapping the past and the future of him. 'Odin' hung upside down, hanging himself upside down from the drooping roots of the World Tree, gazing at the surface of the spring in the cold wind.

At the same time, as the blood slid down, one of Odin's eyeballs fell off and fell straight into the water, leaving only a hollow eye socket to confirm what had happened. When the 'sacrifice' is offered, the ceremony begins.

The corners of Odin's mouth curled slightly, and time was distorted at this moment. The rotation of the sun and the moon moves at an unimaginable speed, and the will of the world bets its 'eyes'. Hanging upside down from a tree, offering his eyes to the world and himself, at this moment, wisdom seems to be really approaching the god-king here.

It was only in Odin's mind that Zeus's spirit shook wildly.

······

"Stop, I'll stop you!"

The roar of rage resounded in his mind, but it could not hide the panic in Zeus's tone. On the way just now, he had been sitting and watching everything happen, even if the power of exchange acted on him, he was indifferent to it.

Because Zeus could feel that at this moment, as a mass of thoughts that existed and did not exist, he could not lose his eyes. So he just watched quietly, and then waited for what kind of 'wisdom' this exotic 'god king' had gained. And as he thought, when Odin stabbed himself and permanently lost his right eye, Zeus felt the pain, but he did not lose his limb along with it.

Even at this moment, when the 'wisdom' from the world approached, Zeus was extremely surprised. Because at this moment, he seemed to feel the coming of Kaos's will as well.

As Ryan had guessed, the real object of this self-sacrifice was the world itself. The one who offered the sacrifice was 'Odin,' but the one who received the sacrifice was the 'God-King.' The present self sacrificed to the future self, and Odin, as a god, sacrificed to the world, and finally obtained the Rune script, which contains the mystery of the world's roots.

However, the rune of Rune is the response of the Nine Realms to Odin, and in the remnants of the intertwining of the forces of these two realms, what Kaos gave to Zeus is by no means so.

The world is approaching, the gifts are coming, and even after nearly a hundred years as a god-king, Zeus is receiving a revelation from the world itself for the first time. He waited expectantly, until he suddenly realized that something didn't seem right.

Because of himself, it seems to be dissipating.

Perhaps the essence of the process of wisdom enlightenment is an exchange, but the object of exchange is both oneself and the world itself. But at this moment, there are two consciousnesses in Odin's body. Odin gave his right eye as promised, but Zeus gave nothing.

The loophole of the word can deceive another god, and it can deceive the contract, but it cannot deceive itself, much less the exchange itself. If this is a ritual performed by himself, it will only end immediately, although he will not get what he wants, but he will not lose anything, but now the situation is different.

Because within the same body, there is another being that has paid the price.

Therefore, the will of the mixed world will equally come to the god-king who is also mixed together, the remnants of the Nine Realms will reappear in the past, and Kaos will give Zeus an alternative revelation. The only difference is that when the two come into contact, Kaos will also charge the 'price' he deserves.

As for what the 'price' is. If Zeus still had a body, he would have lost a limb at random, thus being equated with Odin. But now he has no limbs, and all of his things are mixed in one place, so there is only one price he can pay.

"—all I have, everything other than my 'being', it's a conspiracy!"

Consciousness was tumbling, and Zeus finally realized the seriousness of the problem. If he can't find a suitable 'sacrifice' immediately, then his very existence will become a 'sacrifice', and the 'sacrifice' to the world, no one knows what the end will be. If Zeus still had his own body at this moment, he could have sacrificed a part of his body like Odin, but at this moment he was a mass of consciousness.

He couldn't divide his consciousness because he didn't have the ability to do so. So now, the will of the world that is constantly 'approaching' is not only not a gift, but like a sword for life.

"Calm down, I'm the God-King."

Forcing himself to calm down, Zeus poured all his wisdom into thinking of a solution, but to no avail. He now finally knew what the danger was in the underworld, and it came from the remnant of the thought itself—its owner was long dead, and it had lost its concept of existence, and when this illusory 'dream' ended, that is, the moment it dissipated, the arrival of Zeus changed all that.

If he really gave himself to the world, then the 'existence' that originally belonged to him would be vacant. This remnant, which should have been long dead, may gain an anchor and use it as a medium to become the new 'Zeus'.

But it doesn't make sense to know, this is another killing game set up by the remnants of the god-king who has lived longer, has more experience, and also has [wisdom]. In the face of all this, Zeus had no choice, even the wisdom of Metis-

"-Metis?"

His mind suddenly stopped, and for a moment, Zeus thought a lot. But sensing the will of the world that was getting closer and closer, he didn't have time to think about it.

The sense of deadly crisis pressed over him like a huge shadow, making it almost impossible for the God King to breathe. At a certain moment, Zeus finally made the most 'correct' decision.

After being swallowed by him, Metis became a part of him. She is his wisdom, and that is naturally mixed with Zeus's consciousness at this moment. Without the corresponding authority, Zeus could not divide himself, but he could free the prisoners.

So at this moment, Metis, who had been swallowed by him for a hundred years and had sunk into eternal sleep, was finally released by him. And the first moment of awakening, Metis was used as a 'sacrifice' of Zeus, and was offered to the world as his 'wisdom'.

Silently, the goddess, who had lost most of her power due to the birth of her daughter, disappeared, and no one knows where she had gone as a gift to the world.

And in the depths of Zeus's consciousness, the only thing she left was a piece of leather, which fluttered and landed on the soon-to-be-born goddess.

The next moment, this was used by Zeus as a reason to approach Metis, and the sheepskin from Amoni, the goat that raised him, became a shield. It will be a natural artifact, accompanied by the birth of the goddess of victory and wisdom.

"Huh. It turns out that you have always carried this sheepskin with you hahaha. It's ridiculous. ”

I don't know who I'm laughing at, but the world doesn't stop because of this. When Caius's will was 'at hand', Zeus suppressed his emotions and slammed into the gift of the world, and at this moment, having offered the 'sacrifice', he was no longer afraid of this power.

Odin sacrificed himself to seek 'wisdom', and he sacrificed 'wisdom' to achieve himself, hanging upside down in the body of a tree, separated by a distant time and space, the two god-kings made diametrically opposed moves, but they also reaped what they wanted.

The former Odin obtained the [Rune Rune] that explained the world, and at this moment, Zeus also gained the true meaning of kingship.

In an instant, it seemed like eternity, as if he had crossed time and fate, and saw the past and the future. In front of Zeus's eyes, the scene of the enthronement of the first generation of god-kings from heaven was clearly visible, and he also saw another 'self', in the original destiny, an incomparably powerful, god-surrendered self, as if speaking to him now. In the dark, Zeus suddenly understood something.

Relying on mere faith will never be able to achieve great divine power. True greatness requires a complete symbol, and faith alone does not possess this ability.

"So I need to build a. Metis, thank you again for your dedication to my kingship. ”

Consciousness condensed into form, and Zeus couldn't help but laugh out loud as he sensed the information in his mind.

He had finally found what he was looking for, and what he had been pursuing, and although it did not immediately give him unrivaled power, the very existence of this path had made him no longer confused.

"Maybe it deserves a name."

The path didn't have a name, and now, Zeus was going to give it one.

"It is manifested in the form of a ritual, but not in the form of runes and matter. It can involve everything in the world, but only for the sake of achieving the god-king itself. ”

"In that case, let's call it the [Rite of Kingship]."

Speaking softly, Zeus slowly raised his head.

Across from him, another 'self' was slowly dissipating.

(End of chapter)

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