Since the flood wiped out the world, the world has been devastated, and I don't know how many spring and autumn have passed on the earth.

This is not a long time for God, but it is a time that is hard to ignore for mankind. It was enough for newborns to grow into adults, enough for them to migrate across mountains and seas, and enough for mortals to establish new institutions in the process.

This time, however, there was no Prometheus to guide them, and the gods did not interfere in the process. With the exception of the believers of the goddess of the stove, who brought with them the knowledge of the old times at the will of God, the new generation of human beings is completely in a state of free growth.

They learned of the existence of gods in this world, and they saw the terrible beasts from the west retreating in front of the fire; They lamented the greatness of nature and worshiped the sun, moon and rivers, and although the gods never appeared directly in front of them, there was still a lot of faith and worship in them among mortals.

However, this era is not only warm, but also more primitive strife and killing behind it. Along the way to the east, the humans who had originally gathered together gradually separated, and when they met again, it was often not a friendly exchange, but a brutal fight.

Knowing etiquette and knowing honor and disgrace with sufficient food and clothing, but without the care of the prophetic god and the settling down of a suitable place for development, the new generation of human beings often lives in precarious days. They will fight each other for food, and they will also fight against the human teams they find when they find a habitable plain. And in the process, a special class has emerged among human beings.

That's what Cohen once passed down knowledge to humans, and it was a way to refine flesh and blood and increase strength by tempering the body. It was brought to humanity by the followers of Hestia along with the knowledge of the old times, and it sparked an unprecedented spark within different human tribes throughout the Great Migration.

In Cohen's hands, it is just a summary of the Golden King's path to becoming stronger, but although he is the founder of the system, he actually does not explore it deeply. Because of the progress in the realm below the transcendent (fifth order), even Cohen himself didn't know exactly how to leap over.

Or rather, as the first golden human being, his natural endowment made him ignore all kinds of problems, and when he didn't pay attention, he was like a bamboo, and when Cohen looked back and wanted to understand, he was already standing too high, and it was difficult to experience the feeling of ordinary human beings progressing step by step.

Aside from Cohen, in the hands of the Bronze Humans, it is also a dispensable ability. In the past, on the Aurora Plains, humans did not fight with each other, and this method of strengthening themselves could only be used on wild beasts, but at that time, humans did not have the need to open up to the outside world, and they were more keen to experience dodging than fighting. So in just a dozen years, it has not brought any real development to this transcendent path, it is still rough and basic, and without Cohen, it would be more like a joke.

But now it's different. In the fourth generation of human beings, in the face of the threat of migration, in the face of wars with their own kind, and the environment of survival of the fittest, the survival instinct of human beings as a life was stimulated, and different sparks of wisdom collided with friction. Many of them died in the process, and most of the rest achieved only little, but in the end, there were some gifted people who achieved different results, and they went their own way on the first transcendent path that belonged to humanity.

And these people, because of their power, have gained support and become the leaders of different human teams. And after finding a suitable place to live, with the support of everyone, they completed the transformation of their status - from leaders to kings.

However, in this era, whether it is a king or a person in a high position, the responsibility is still greater than the right. Although they have a status far above ordinary people, they must also have the ability to far surpass others, and even their descendants often need to use force and merit to win status, rather than being born extraordinary.

So as the years passed, the dotted traces of humanity gradually spread into the distance. Step by step, they spread the presence of human beings throughout the east of the earth.

Of course, at the same time, a huge city built with the help of the goddess of the magic net also stood in the southeast of the earth, and a certain migration team all the way north finally stopped, and even underground, new species began to be born.

However, at this time, they did not have any contact and communication with each other. Maybe when it all starts, you need to wait for another opportunity to arise.

This opportunity can be called Typhon, it can be called the founding of Athens, or it can be the birth of Mycenae. But in short, it won't be far away.

······

East China Sea, Lemnos Island.

The waves rolled over the sea, but it became quiet as we approached the island. This is not a normal phenomenon, but it is not surprising to those who see it, because since more than a decade ago, this island with unpredictable ocean currents and unpredictable weather has become more and more weather-friendly.

On its surface, there is a large plain to the east, a rugged rocky field to the west, and a towering mountain peak in the center with billowing smoke. Such islands are not uncommon in the sea, but in recent years there have been traces of human activity here.

They sowed seeds there, built cities there, and even had their own objects of worship and worship, which made this originally ordinary island a little more civilized.

"Ding—"

"Ding—"

"Boom ————"

Sparks flew and the hammer collided with each other, making a loud noise. In a clearing, an ugly, short-faced blacksmith demonstrated his skills, and to his left and near him, hundreds of humans surrounded him.

Unlike those gods, and even the nymphs who served the gods, there was no ridicule or disdain for the forger's appearance in these humans. On the contrary, they all looked reverent and excited, learning the forging techniques that the person in front of them had shown them.

This is the ocean, and unlike on land, the humans who live here have never experienced migration and do not have to face other threats to life. Sea beasts don't like land, and the masters of the sea don't want their low-intelligence lives to harm humans who are just starting to breed. So the huge islands are often the exclusive preserve of humans, who build cities on them to fish or farm.

Of course, while avoiding threats to other life, these humans also have to face a more varied natural climate. Storms and tsunamis were enough to destroy their home in an instant, and even more terrifying, the volcano that stood on the island.

Etna, the volcano that has suppressed Typhon in some mythology, may not be able to hold this honor in the true mythological world, but to mortals, its horror is still undeniable.

Just ten years ago, the people of Lemnos witnessed the gushing magma and the torrent that almost destroyed everything, and it was perhaps on that day that the short, ugly man first showed his divine powers.

He allowed the lava to flow back, cleared the smoke, and then told mortals his name: Hephaestus, who ruled volcanoes and lava. In gratitude for the deity's help, the people of Lemnos named their city Hephaestia and built a shrine to the deity in order to pray that he would forever appease the volcano that brought hot springs and minerals to the island so that it would never erupt again.

From then on, Hephaestus, who was raised by the daughter of Nereus, the sea nymph Thetis, often visited the city that bears his name. Here, he can feel the respect and love of the people, which is a very different attitude from the sea gods and the nymphs. The respect of mortals also relieved his somewhat distorted heart under the gaze of ridicule and contempt.

"Ding—"

"Boom—"

"That's all for today, you go back and think about it, I have guests to receive."

Striking the final hammer, Hephaestus looked at the short sword in the fire, with some disappointment.

Ignoring the heat, he casually tossed the burnt red-hot dagger aside. It's a failed work, and naturally there's no point in dealing with it further.

Forging wasn't his natural vocation, but it was his hobby, and he did it well. Maybe it was because of Hera's mutation when she gave birth to Hephaestus, or maybe it was something else, but it certainly gave him an ugly appearance, and it also gave him some abilities that were very different from those of the gods.

Like the Cyclops, Hephaestus also had a certain natural endowment for casting. However, compared to the technical aspect, he found that his creativity was really limited.

This is why he taught humanity, and Hephaestus found that many of the ideas made by humans may be difficult for them to achieve, but they are valuable inspiration for him.

"Yes, Your Highness, may you be with you forever."

In the crowd, a man of apparent higher status stood up and saluted, and he took the lead, and the rest of the people quickly left after saluting.

After a while, Hephaestus was the only one left in the field. He clapped his hands and finally looked at the shade of the trees.

There was nothing there, but Hephaestus seemed to be looking at someone, and said in a flat tone:

"Come out, I don't know who you are or what you're here for, but you can come out now. I've lived on Lemnos for more than ten years, and you can't hide any tricks from me. ”

The voice fell, and no one responded to him for a while. Just when Hephaestus was a little impatient, the light and shadow flickered in the shade of the tree, and a strange figure appeared.

The visitor's face was a little embarrassed, as if he didn't expect his voyeuristic behavior to be discovered. He manipulated the light to obscure his form, and came to the island, where gods were said to exist, only to see the casting process of Hephaestus.

The young god was fascinated for a while, but he didn't expect that he had already been discovered by the other party, which made him a little embarrassed.

At the same time, after his appearance, Hephaestus's face did not look very good.

It was a handsome young man with blond hair, tall, confident, and full of fighting spirit, and Hephaestus was simply two extremes. One was born in the light, and the other was abandoned at birth. Although he didn't know each other, it didn't prevent him from getting bored at the moment.

That's why he prefers to be around humans. In any case, Hephaestus is a god, and he can turn a blind eye to the handsomeness and robustness of humans, after all, the other party will always grow old. But now, there is also a god in front of him, which can't help but make him subconsciously a little repulsed.

“…… I'm sorry, sir, but I didn't mean to snoop. It's just that your skills are so good that I forgot to show my figure. ”

Sincerely apologize, Apollo is telling the truth. He noticed the change in the other man's face, but the young god thought it was because of his own rudeness, so he felt even more embarrassed.

"Actually, I'm here to inquire about something."

"Your actions are not worthy of your looks, strange gods, stop quibbling, we have nothing to say."

Interrupting coldly, Hephaestus refused the other party's apology without thinking.

Faced with this scene, Apollo frowned slightly, but thinking about the purpose of this trip, he was still patient.

"Once again, I apologize for my actions, but I also hope that you, Your Highness Hephaestus, will understand my feelings and listen to me tell me about the injustice I have suffered."

"Before I was born, my Mother Goddess and I were persecuted by the Queen of Heaven, who prevented me from coming into the world just so that its children could come before me. Her plot was shattered, and I finally came to earth, but it only made her even angrier. A mighty python was sent by Hera to guard the land, so that my mother, who had lost her powers, could only wander the sea and raise me. Now, I'm going to find that python and prove to the world that the dignity of the queen of heaven is inviolable, but so is Apollo's! ”

With a solemn look, Apollo was ready for another rejection, but if so, he had to look for someone else who might know about it.

However, unexpectedly, after listening to Apollo's account, Hephaestus's attitude suddenly changed. He glanced at the strange god and couldn't help but confirm:

"You mean, you have been persecuted by the Queen of Heaven, and now, you are going to seek justice?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm going to do."

Nodding, Apollo didn't know why the other party's attitude had changed, maybe it was moved by his words, or maybe it was something else. The reason why he chose Hephaestus as the target of his inquiry was because although the other party was the adopted son of the daughter of the sea god, it was rumored that he did not have a good relationship with the sea gods.

He didn't want his feud with the Queen of Heaven to be known to the other gods of Olympus in advance, so there weren't many people Apollo could ask about. As for her mother, Leto, she actually knew where Delphi was, but the goddess asked her son to find the oldest temple on his own.

"This is the test your father gave you." She told Apollo that the young god did not want any tests, but he agreed.

"Go for trouble with the diva...... Interesting, but Apollo, I'm afraid you're not qualified enough. ”

Glancing up and down, Hephaestus quickly judged that this was a god younger than himself. It is impossible to measure whether his priesthood is strong or not, but how can such a weak divine power stand against Hera. Even if the Queen of Heaven is not as powerful as the god-king, after sharing some of Zeus's authority, she is still a goddess of extraordinary force.

"So I have come to ask for a message, Your Highness Hephaestus, I want to know where Delphi is, where not only the whereabouts of the python are, but also how I can gain power."

Leto told Apollo that the python that had kept them from getting close to the earth now lived on the plains of Delphi, where there were treasures left to him by his father. Apollo was suspicious of his father, whom he had never met, but he believed the words of the Mother Goddess.

"Sounds interesting, and since you're going to find trouble for the diva...... Then I can also help you, but in return, you also have to promise me a condition. ”

Noncommittal, but for Hephaestus, it didn't matter if Apollo succeeded or not, as long as he could cause some trouble for the woman. Ever since he came here, the Queen of Heaven seemed to have forgotten about him, which made him feel even more unacceptable than the contempt of other creatures.

In the face of his request, although Apollo didn't know what grievances the gods and queens in front of him had, he solemnly agreed while showing joy.

"Of course, if you can answer my confusion today, then in the future, when you need it, I will definitely fulfill my promise. This is the promise that Apollo gave you, and I will certainly do it. ”

(End of chapter)