Myth: The Spiritual Dominator

On Mount Olympus, the banquet for the gods has just begun.

The sacred mountain was particularly glorious because of its most distinguished guest, and the gorgeous clouds illuminated the eastern third of the sky.

The fragrance of flowers dances in the air, and the birds in the sky linger there.

But at the same time, in a town not far from Silvermoon City, on the southeastern edge of the continent, two young men finally waited for the day to come and were able to continue their journey.

"It's been a long night... this one is much longer than any other before."

"Even in the coldest winter, the same situation has never occurred in the extreme north of the continent."

"If I delay any longer, I will even think that the sun has already fallen from the sky, and the world will never see light again."

A primitive sled made of two wooden planks tied to a rope can be used to lift heavy objects in the snow with just a little effort.

As he walked forward, Hercules couldn't help but admire Amon's ingenuity.

This is undoubtedly a good invention on a winter day after snow has just fallen.

Although he was not stingy with his own strength, Hercules would not refuse its help.

"The sun will not fall. If it really goes out, I'm afraid the whole world will fall into turmoil."

Shaking his head slightly, the young man following Hercules then raised his head to look at the sun that was finally rising.

Starlight flickered in his eyes, and the originally huge ball of light finally revealed its true appearance.

A golden chariot... Could it be a magical artifact similar to the [Solar Boat]?

Amon didn't know, but that didn't stop him from being a little interested in it.

If he were given a chance to choose, apart from the gods who control time and space or spirituality, what would interest him most would probably be the eternally burning sun.

……

Walking in the town, the two chatted casually.

The town seems very lively today, and the flow of people is more than twice as dense as usual.

Apparently, the sudden long night had been making everyone feel uncomfortable for some time.

So when the day came back, they all came out of their houses, releasing their long-suppressed spirits and thanking the gods for their gifts.

All kinds of prayers were heard in the city, and Hercules alone heard more than a dozen.

But this is nothing strange, because the residents here not only have nothing to do with Silver Moon City, but on the contrary, most of them come from the West.

For hundreds of years, ordinary people from various countries on the continent who gave up their faith for various reasons gathered here and built their own settlements together.

Silvermoon City rarely pays attention to this, and other kingdoms are even less likely to come here to pursue prisoners.

As time went by, the settlement area gradually expanded, and this unmanned town was formed.

"Haha, young man, I know you're confused. But as you can see, this town has no owner."

"It's not that no one has tried to manage it. There are even nobles who have fled here and want to bring this place under their rule, passing down the identity of the Divine Blood Nobles from generation to generation."

"But what will be the outcome for them? Those powerful clergymen certainly don't care about a bunch of refugees, but that doesn't mean they will allow a country that doesn't believe in their gods to be born in their territory."

"So anyone who tries to do this is already dead... I guess you wouldn't do that, right?"

Following the guidance of the guards, Hercules arrived at the center of the town, and finally met the owner of the town again. A middle-aged man in his forties was waiting for his arrival.

But it was obvious that although the hero had no interest in power and status, the famous businessman still had doubts about him until now.

"You worry too much. I certainly won't do that. I'm here just to get what I need."

After a slight silence, Hercules spoke in a deep voice.

He then reached out and pulled, and with a loud 'bang', the hero pushed the things on the sled behind him off.

The heavy object fell to the ground, and in an instant, the entire manor shook slightly, and the cloth covering the surface scattered in all directions.

A wild boar as tall as several people rolled out from it, but the middle-aged man was overjoyed when he saw this scene.

"Ah - it seems you have lived up to the expectations. A hero who has come from afar, your bravery truly astounds me."

"I mean capture alive. From this perspective, you are much more powerful than those knights who are cursed."

Taking a few steps forward, the middle-aged man circled the huge wild boar.

There were some signs of injury, but the prey was obviously still alive, which was what made the middle-aged man most satisfied.

What he needed was a living Erymanthian boar, not a dead carcass.

Only living things can be offered as sacrifices to God.

Only the gods themselves are qualified to decide its life and death.

"You flatter me. There are countless heroes in this world who can do this. Capturing a wild animal is not an achievement worth boasting about."

"But anyway, since I have completed your request, will you keep your promise and give me the compensation I deserve?"

Without taking credit, Hercules simply reiterated his request.

In order to travel overseas, he undoubtedly needed a ship.

But even after arriving at the territory of Silvermoon City in person, the great hero still didn't know where to find what he wanted.

Fortunately, at this time, Hercules happened to meet the middle-aged man who had just issued the reward.

He hoped someone could help him catch the Erymanthian Boar without harming its life.

So after a display of force, the two hit it off and quickly made an agreement.

"Of course, hero from afar, no matter where you are from, since you have found a sacrifice for me to offer to the gods, I will naturally not break my oath."

The middle-aged man nodded affirmatively without hesitation.

"If the gift I offer to God is flawed, it does not reflect my piety."

Leading the way, the middle-aged man invited Hercules to go into the house with him to talk, and the great hero naturally had no reason to refuse.

Soon, in the core of the manor, the middle-aged businessman spread out a map on the table.

"This is?"

"This is a sea chart."

With a slightly proud look on his face, the middle-aged man spread out a huge sea chart as tall as a person on the table.

There were marks of all sizes divided carefully on it, and there were even many signs that Hercules couldn't understand.

"I remember you were preparing to go out to sea, but since it's a voyage, you must have a goal."

"Depending on your goals, I will give you different suggestions. So, young hero, where do you want to end your adventure?"

"...I heard that there is a huge whirlpool above the East China Sea?"

After a moment's silence, Hercules spoke tentatively.

However, to his surprise, the middle-aged man in front of him suddenly changed his expression when he heard this.

It's not fear, just a little bit of fear, but mixed with a little bit of shame.

It seemed as if he was lost in his memories. After a long while, the middle-aged man looked at the hero in front of him with a complicated expression.

"I see... You are going to that whirlpool as well... So, hero who has come from afar, are you also going there to pursue the legend of the 'Bronze Creator'?"

"So what if it is, so what if it isn't?"

"…Not much. No matter where you are going, let me tell you a story."

Shaking his head slightly, the middle-aged man waved his hand and then began to recount his past memories.

……

About thirty years ago, the middle-aged man had not yet come to the small town under the jurisdiction of Silvermoon City.

He was a nobleman from Olympia who believed in the almighty King of the Gods.

Until one day, the young noble was summoned by a priest of the church.

In the majestic and solemn temple, he took on a mission that would take him to the end in front of the statue.

"You mean, the priest of the God King asked you to steer a large ship to the whirlpool in the East China Sea and pretend to fall into it by accident."

"He told you that you would meet an imprisoned god there, and that all you need to do is repay his kindness with the greatest malice, and then repay his kindness with a curse?"

Hearing this, Hercules was shocked and could hardly believe what he heard.

is this real?

Although in his mind, the gods were not so bright, the great hero never thought that the king of the gods would do such a thing.

No, this may not be the intention of the God-King himself.

After all, gods and humans are often not the same.

"I don't know who this order came from, the monarch of Olympus, or the priest who acted on his own in an attempt to please the gods."

“But in the end, the younger me took on the task.”

Leaning back in his chair, the middle-aged man took a deep breath.

"At the time, I thought I could do a good job. After all, a god who was deemed a sinner was not worthy of my sympathy."

“But it wasn’t until I personally experienced the despair of falling into endless darkness, and then the hope of being saved in despair, that I wavered for the first time.”

“And this was just the beginning. When I saw the prisoner locked in the sea eye, I realized the mistake I had made.”

"So... you didn't do what the priest said?"

"……Do not."

After a long silence, he finally uttered this word.

Although the middle-aged man did not give a reason, Hercules understood it.

Fear of power, fear of priests, fear of power, and the influence of past education.

Obviously, even though the middle-aged man felt regretful at the time, he still did as the priest asked.

He eventually returned home with honor and was praised by the priest - but perhaps one day later, he, who was no longer young, finally felt remorseful.

He eventually gave up all his status in Olympia, abandoned his past faith in the God-King, and chose to come to Silvermoon City to start over.

"I figured it out at that time. No matter what I choose, it actually makes no difference."

"Repaying kindness with hatred at the request of the priest is showing the evil of mankind to the Creator."

"Even if I give up doing this and end up being executed by the priest after I leave, I will only show him the despair of the 'good' people."

"No matter what I chose, the outcome was already determined, so I backed off at the time."

“But now, I regret it again.”

"Maybe it would have been a good choice to have the courage to die there at that time."

"..."

Hercules remained silent, feeling a little confused.

He completed the trial under the guidance of the God of the West Wind, but here he heard such rebellious remarks against the God's court.

He didn't know whether it was true or not.

But Hercules' intuition told him that the man in front of him was not lying to him.

"So the sacrifice you want..."

"I have abandoned my past beliefs. Now, I believe in the Goddess of the Wilderness."

"I hope to offer this wild boar as a sacrifice to her, hoping that God can forgive my sins..."

After putting away the nautical chart, the middle-aged man suddenly smiled.

"But I've changed my mind now."

"Mighty hero, you may not know that the Erymanthian Boar once escaped the arrows of the goddess."

"It may look huge, but its agility is rare in the world."

"You were able to subdue it without killing it, which has proven your strength - so I decided to go there with you, back to the place that made me regret it."

"My morals are so vile, my past was so cowardly... but I still want to try, to kill my past self.

"So young hero, will you accept my request?"

"of course."

Nodding in the affirmative, even though his doubts about the gods still remained, Hercules decisively extended his hand.

"Everyone has the right to regret, and I am atonement for my past."

"So tell me your name, my friend."

"Although this journey is destined not to be easy, I am willing to go with a friend like you."

"And if you die in the end, I will take your name with me... From now on, everyone in this world who knows the existence of Hercules will also know the deeds you left behind."