THE SPIRITUAL SOVEREIGN : RISE OF THE DIVINE

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Five hundred years have passed since Themis left the sacred mountain.

Time on Chaos remains meaningless, even after the first generation of humans appeared. It wasn't until the age of the Bronze Men that the gods began counting time in terms of "years" instead of "hundreds."

Three hundred years ago, on Mount Odiles, Cronus truly ascended as the God-King. Bound by an oath, he proclaimed the new rules governing the sun and moon in his name. Consequently, the remaining concepts of the moon dissolved entirely into the spiritual realm.

As expected, the future Moon Goddess will possess no dominion beyond her celestial body. Even the light emitted by the "moon" bears no occult significance, existing merely as "moonlight."

Regarding the second oath, Cronus also declared Ryan's sovereignty over the [Elements] and his authority to weave the [Web] to control them. The elemental powers thus flowed into the spiritual realm, though only the [fire element] gained depth, while the others remained superficial.

Although no wind god yet exists, [wind] is classified under [weather]. Water, earth, light, darkness, and other elements each have their respective deities. Only [fire] remains without one.

It is no surprise, then, that the future Vulcan will lack control over the essence of fire. With Ryan fully absorbing the source power of the [fire element], he can touch the essence of [fire] itself, claiming this untamed natural priesthood.

Perhaps, when the eldest daughter of the God-King is born, Chaos will indeed produce a Fire God, but she will merely govern the burning of matter. From that moment, spiritual fire will harm matter, while material fire will fail to touch the spirit. In the realm of spirituality, Ryan defines fire as the true origin.

Over the last five hundred years, Chaos has witnessed many supernatural events.

The most notable is Helios, the original Sun God and the eldest son of Hyperion. On the day of Helios's birth, the entire world saw the sun shine a thousand times brighter. The [Sun] priesthood split in two, with one portion returning to the Ancient Titan Hyperion and the other passing to his offspring.

While Hyperion retains authority over the sun, his eldest son embodies the sun's path. Before this event, Chaos knew neither sunrise nor sunset. Now, it experiences dawn and dusk.

The division of priesthoods significantly weakened Hyperion, whose divine power fell from level 18 to a barely sustainable level. Though his divine power and priesthood endured, the sun could not split into two.

Thus, Helios, despite being born a century ago, remains a child, lacking a celestial body to match his priesthood. With the [Sun] priesthood at level 15, Helios is a weak true god with minor divine power. This familial drama among the Titans amused the gods of Chaos greatly.

In addition, Asteria, the second daughter of Coeus and Phoebe and Goddess of Meteors, was born. An unstable celestial body appeared in Chaos's sky. To Coeus's surprise, his daughter's influence extended only to the celestial body itself, emitting light without energy—a kind of star.

While celestial phenomena unfolded, many gods were born in the seas. Oceanus, in particular, delighted in parenthood. Hundreds of divine offspring emerged, giving rise to rivers, lakes, and springs on land, expanding the Ocean God's domain.

Although Oceanus is considered the "river encircling the world," he also governs the open sea and currents. However, as his progeny multiplied, friction grew between him and the ancient Poseidon.

Priesthoods cannot be stolen, but similar domains often lead to conflict. Just as land continues to expand, the oceans also grow, creating unclaimed territories. Although Oceanus and Poseidon had previously divided the seas, their children frequently clashed over these regions.

Despite his many offspring, only two became true gods. Styx remained in the underworld and refused to serve her father, leaving Oceanus to continue conceiving children with Tethys, the Goddess of Raw Water.

It was under these circumstances that Metis, the "wisdom" of later mythology, was born. Currently the God of Hydrology, Metis's birth brought celebration.

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"Congratulations, my brother. You are a true god once more. Your divine lineage grows ever stronger."

In a palace on the distant sea, the God of Weather congratulated his brother, whom he had not seen in ages.

Since Themis built her temple on Mount Odiles, palaces of all sizes had spread across Chaos. When it came to luxury, the gods of Chaos learned quickly.

"You're next, aren't you, Cleos? I heard you and Eurybia are together now. Counting the days, your first child will be born soon."

Oceanus smiled faintly, though his enthusiasm seemed muted. Cleos, however, appeared uneasy. He knew Oceanus was subtly voicing his discontent.

Everyone was aware of the tension between Oceanus and Pontos. Although neither acted openly, their estrangement spanned centuries. Cleos's decision to marry Eurybia, Pontos's youngest daughter, naturally displeased Oceanus.

"I know there's conflict between you and Pontos," Cleos said hesitantly, "but you don't need to fight each other."

"So, which side are you on?" Oceanus asked bluntly, ignoring Cleos's attempt to mediate.

"…I'll remain on Mount Odiles. I won't oppose Eurybia's family, but I won't stand against you either."

Cleos knew that, as a weaker god, taking sides would bring him no benefit.

"It had better be that way, my brother," Oceanus said, casting a warning glance. Then, turning to the gathered gods, he announced:

"To celebrate the birth of my daughter, Metis, the God of Hydrology, let us feast!"

The tense atmosphere eased as the gods offered blessings and enjoyed wine from Mount Odiles.

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While the gods celebrated, a figure moved silently through the spiritual realm to the Ocean Temple.

Soulis, standing on the first level of the spiritual realm, gazed hesitantly at the infant Metis lying on a bed.

Once destined to oversee [strategy], [wisdom], [thought], and [hydrology], Metis, the first wife of Zeus and mother of Athena, now held sway over only [hydrology], reduced to a fragile child.

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Unlike the first-generation gods, the children of the second-generation gods require time to grow. Unlike their parents, who reached adulthood within a day, their development varies, taking months or even decades. Moreover, these new gods are not born with inherent divine powers like their predecessors. While the ancient Titans were born with weak divine abilities at minimum, most of the new gods start at divine power level 1 and must cultivate themselves.

This is the case with Metis, who lay before Soulis. Her newborn skin glowed with an almost ethereal smoothness, and her dark, translucent eyes betrayed no sign of infantile innocence. Yet, it would take decades before she matured into a full-fledged god. Her origins, while divine, lacked strength. At her birth, powers tied to [wisdom], [thoughts], and [strategy] scattered across the world like lost echoes, leaving her with only [hydrology]. Unlike Mnemosyne, the third-generation gods were not born with the knowledge to reclaim what was theirs.

"Metis Athena," Soulis whispered as he observed her. "Perhaps I should take her?"

But Soulis hesitated. While Oceanus and Tethys were formidable, Soulis's ability to hide within History rendered him undetectable. Still, he chose restraint. Though his destiny had been altered, he wished for the world to remain somewhat familiar—at least until Zeus ascended the throne.

"She may be the goddess of wisdom," he mused, "but she lacks the awareness to even ensure her safety. What value is wisdom like this?"

Soulis's thoughts turned to the potential she held. If he took her into the Spiritual World, nurturing her abilities could create a formidable being capable of bearing priesthoods like [knowledge]. Such an entity would strengthen the Spiritual World while offering Soulis a loyal ally. Yet he ultimately discarded the notion. Metis was not ready. Perhaps her daughter—destined to inherit wisdom—would be more fitting.

Resolving to act, Soulis summoned three multi-faceted crystals representing [wisdom], [thoughts], and [strategy]. Though weak now, they would grow in potency as the Spiritual World absorbed their origins. Without hesitation, he infused these priesthoods into Metis. His task complete, Soulis disappeared into History just as Oceanus arrived.

Oceanus, sensing something amiss, surveyed the room. Detecting no presence, he turned to his daughter. Upon lifting her, he felt the priesthoods within her—[wisdom], [thoughts], and [strategy]. His confusion turned to joy.

"Tethys," he called as his wife appeared, "did you feel this? The world must have blessed her!"

Though uncertain, Tethys shared his delight. These priesthoods ensured that Metis would rival the most powerful of gods, far surpassing her original potential. Unlike their other children, Metis now had the promise of greatness.

"Clymene may marry Iapetus as planned," Oceanus declared. "Metis has become too valuable for such an arrangement. She will grow into her own."

Tethys nodded, already strategizing. Their plans to spread the oceanic gods through alliances remained intact, but Metis's newfound potential would strengthen their standing. With her, Oceanus's family would gain recognition not only for their numbers but also for their power.

Oceanus left to announce the news to his guests, while Tethys lingered, gazing at her daughter. A symbol of divine wisdom and strategy, Metis now carried the hopes of the oceanic gods.

As Tethys turned to leave, she contemplated crafting an artifact—a symbol of the Ocean God's power. While it would lack the mastery of Cyclops craftsmanship, it would serve as a fitting gift for her daughter.

Metis, unaware of her destiny, lay quietly, her future shining with promise.

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