newbobooks Chapter 317 The Past of the Gods
Chapter 317 The Past of the Gods
Chapter 317 The Past of the Gods
"Teresias was a prophet blessed by Zeus. Although he was blind, he possessed the power to foresee the future even in the underworld. Many demigods asked him to predict the future, and he once foresaw the future of Narcissus."
The Tree of Life, Trova, spoke in a deep voice, as if humming an ancient ballad. Although her words did not sound like Chinese, everyone present could understand what she meant.
Just from their words, a sense of time and vicissitude washes over you, making you want to listen intently.
"Narcissus was prophesied at birth that 'if he does not know himself, he will die a natural death,' but at the time, no one knew the meaning of this prophecy."
"Time flies, and soon Narcissus grew into a handsome young man. At sixteen, he was so beautiful that he attracted the love of countless women and even drew the attention of the gods."
"But his aloof nature caused him to reject everyone. A fairy, who was punished and could only repeat others' words, fell in love with him at first sight, but was rejected because she could not communicate normally. Heartbroken, she dissipated and turned into a rock that echoes all day long..."
Upon hearing this, Tang Zijun's long-dormant memories slowly resurfaced, and he realized who this Narcissus, mentioned by Trova of the Tree of Life, was.
There are many legends about Greek mythology, and quite a few of them are well-known. Tang Zijun happened to have heard of this story before, but he didn't remember the name of the protagonist.
Meanwhile, Trova's voice continued from the side.
"Time passed quickly. One day, while Narcissus was hunting, he discovered a calm, still spring. As he bent down to drink, he saw his own reflection in the water."
"What a beautiful, pure, and enchanting reflection it was! It seemed that nothing in the world could compare to it. From that moment on, he was bewitched by his own reflection and fell deeply in love with it."
"From then on, he stayed up all night, pouring out his love to his reflection and praying that his lover would come out of the reflection and into reality. When people passed by, they saw him talking to his reflection. Gradually, the news of the beautiful boy's madness spread like wildfire and became common knowledge."
"This matter quickly reached the ears of the gods, who became interested and turned their attention to see what had happened."
"However, the gods were a step too late. Narcissus had been completely bewitched and, unable to bear the torment, had jumped into the reflection of the spring."
"And that handsome young man never appeared again. ::"
Although he had already recalled the story, Tang Zijun did not interrupt Trova, the Tree of Life. He listened quietly and then asked a question.
"Narcissus, was he not a mortal?"
"Well, how could a mortal be so handsome? He was born of the river god and a water fairy, and has a faint divine bloodline flowing through his veins."
"Tree of Life," Trova replied.
"As a result, his murder attracted the attention of the gods. The gods used their divine power to conjure a daffodil by the spring, which constantly monitored the movements of the person in the mirror. However, the person in the mirror never set foot in reality again."
As the last word fell, a brief silence descended upon the Divine Assembly Hall.
Queen Ruos and Hyacinth did not wish to disturb the conversation between the two gods, while Tang Zijun was pondering the history of the greedy.
It must be said that the greedy are indeed an ancient existence. He had heard of this myth before, but he never expected that the greedy would be involved in it.
"Bewitching a counterpart into the Reverse World and then harming them—that's indeed the Greedy One's usual practice, but..." Chang Lei muttered with a strange expression. "But the Greedy One can change their appearance at any time, and they can freely enter and exit various reflections. What's the use of just placing a daffodil by the spring? Are we trying to find a lost sword by marking the boat?"
"The gods didn't know much about the people in the mirror at the time; they didn't know that there was another world reflected in reality," the Tree of Life, Trova, explained, then continued, "They were busy dealing with much bigger trouble."
"A bigger problem." Tang Zijun's eyes narrowed, and her expression turned serious. "You mean the dream world?"
After speaking, there was no response from the Tree of Life, Trova, for a long time.
Tang Zijun and Chang Lei exchanged a glance, then neither of them spoke, and they waited quietly.
This silence was unsettling. In this oppressive atmosphere, Queen Ruos frowned deeply, seemingly lost in thought, while Hyacinth kept glancing between Her Majesty the Queen and Tang Zijun.
A few minutes later, the Tree of Life Trova broke its silence again.
"I'd love to answer your question, young god, but my memories of that part are very hazy, and I think I might need some time to sort them out."
Tang Zijun raised his eyebrows somewhat strangely. He had never tried to discern whether a deity was lying, but he certainly couldn't detect anything amiss in the other party's words.
It seems that the Tree of Life Trova wasn't intentionally hiding it from herself, but rather that she genuinely didn't remember that past very clearly.
Thinking about it carefully, it seems that the ghosts in those legends don't remember their death very clearly. Some ghosts even think they haven't died.
Perhaps Trova's situation is similar to theirs?
However, a new question quickly popped into Tang Zijun's mind. He sat up slightly and asked, "By the way, Trova, do you know how many beings like you survived from the mythical era?"
Upon hearing Tang Zijun's question, Chang Lei immediately realized what she wanted to know. Since the god of the Shadow World was one of the gods of Earth, perhaps the Tree of Life, Trova, could know the other party's background.
And Trova's words from the Tree of Life quickly echoed back. "Unfortunately, I am unaware of this. Perhaps my memory is too confused; my impression of that war is very vague."
She paused for a moment, then continued.
"However, while I cannot answer your question, I can tell you that the lineage of the Olympian Titans most likely has no chance of survival."
"Oh? Why do you say that?" Tang Zijun asked, arms crossed, puzzled. "The Olympian gods were powerful; surely they wouldn't all have perished?"
"The divine realm of the gods possesses all their divine power. If the divine realm is destroyed, then the gods will cease to exist. The fall of Mount Olympus from another world signifies the demise of the Olympian gods..."
"Even if some demigods survive, it won't make much difference. They will either die in the Roman wars or disappear into history. After all, demigods don't have such long lifespans."
At this point, Trova's tone clearly carried a hint of melancholy.
It's unclear whether she was lamenting the passing of an era or grieving the loss of many old friends.
"So, the one in the shadow world probably isn't one of the Olympian gods..." Chang Lei looked at Tang Zijun.
He pondered for a moment before speaking. "This is a good thing, at least it narrows down the scope of our investigation. I'll go back and send someone to check the information."
"Yes, there aren't many gods who can control the cycle of life and death, so this person is no small fry." Tang Zijun nodded. There was something he didn't say: since Shi could trust this person, then that person's name must be at least one that Shi had heard of.
At this moment, Hyacinth, who had remained silent until now, couldn't help but ask, "Have you already begun investigating the Shadow World?"
Tang Zijun responded. "I just got some information from a member of the Shadow Clan. The god of that Shadow World is not a recent creation. He also comes from the mythological era, and he is most likely not someone using a false name."
"Young God, are you saying that there is a being like me who has survived from the mythological era to the present day without dying?" The Tree of Life, Trova, seemed somewhat surprised.
But Tang Zijun sensed a hidden unease in her words.
"We're actually investigating this matter as well. Society has become so divided that it's unlikely to tolerate the arrival of a deity," Tang Zijun replied calmly. "Besides, I can't determine the other party's stance."
The Tree of Life, Trova, hesitated for a moment, then sighed softly.
"Alas... God has no concept of stance. Although I acknowledge the brilliance of that era, I must also admit that it was a barbaric and insane time."
"Gods are always arrogant and aloof. Even the Olympian gods are constantly at war with each other, and their wars often cause great suffering to the earthly beings."
"Young God, I don't know who that being in the shadow world you speak of is, but whoever it is, you must be careful."
The other party has been lying dormant since the end of the mythological era...:”
"He was either seriously injured or had gone into hiding beforehand, but either way, it all points to one conclusion: after thousands of years of torment, he is absolutely a paranoid madman."