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Six months later, atop Mount Othrys.

As tranquil as ever, only the woodlands around the Mount of the Gods were no longer filled with Nymphs frolicking about.

In the palace behind, Zeus, disguised as a human servant, picked up a tray. He moved leisurely around the edge of the table, arranged beverages and fruits on the platter, and then strode towards the front hall.

His steps were steady, not at all like he was about to face a crucial turning point in a god’s life. Just like any other ordinary day, he passed through two corridors, paused slightly at the side door of the front hall, then stepped into the palace.

There were no dancing Nymphs in the great hall, no unnecessary presences. In fact, Cronus never needed these. Aside from one mistake long ago, he had little interest in material desires. In his heart, having All Spirits live under the order he established was far more satisfying than any material pleasures.

Regrettably, the world had never given him that chance.

So there he sat alone on his high throne, sullenly drinking one cup of nectar after another, a habit he had increasingly developed over the years.

“Is this my father?”

Seeing Cronus from the corner of his eye for the first time, Zeus observed the visage of his own father.

They bore a strong resemblance, both tall and majestic, but unlike Zeus, Cronus had an aura of solemnity and subtle gloominess, accumulated over the years.

Zeus knew it was because his father was plagued by Prophecy and curse. Even today, deep down, he still couldn’t believe that fate had truly been postponed.

But he hadn’t noticed any problem, so he could only use external things to soothe his mood.

“Bring it here.”

Frowning slightly, Cronus looked towards Zeus in front of him. The slightly inebriated Cronus didn’t recognize the true identity of the person before him, or rather, he couldn’t recognize his own child.

After all, his only memory of Zeus was the stone wrapped in cloth.

“As you command, Your Majesty.”

Bowing slightly, Zeus poured the prepared nectar into a cup and presented the tray with a steady hand.

His heart was tense, but his hands didn’t tremble in the slightest. No matter what sort of person Cronus was, at this moment, he was just an enemy to Zeus.

And so, under the watchful eyes of Zeus, Cronus drank the specially prepared nectar just as he had drunk every cup before.

In the sky of Chaos, Helios, in his Sun Chariot, made his regular rounds through The Sky.

At midday, beneath him should have been the peak of the Mount of the Gods, the center of the continent. But out of respect for the Divine King’s authority, he always intentionally avoided that place.

However, today was different from other days. As he slightly pulled on the steeds made of golden flames to turn the chariot, intending to avoid a certain distance, a vast surge of Divine Power suddenly rose from beneath him.

It was abrupt yet familiar, making Helios realize immediately that it was the Divine King’s power.

And he distinctly sensed that the indiscriminate outpouring of power was rushing towards him.

Boom—

Clang—

The roar of Divine Power and the sound of the Sun Chariot being hit echoed almost simultaneously; it was a close call, the chariot nearly tipped, threatening to let the Sun fall upon the earth.

“What’s happened?”

Struggling to steady the Sun Chariot, Helios broke out in a cold sweat. With Mother Earth present, even if the chariot overturned, the Sun would certainly not crash into the land, but it would undoubtedly create a big problem for him.

Fortunately, the impact wasn’t meant for him. Once the chariot was stabilized, the God of Sun quickly looked out, peering down below.

Amidst the cloudless surroundings of the Mount of the Gods, he saw six streaks of light flying out from the palace one after another. Before he could discern what they were, the very next moment, the figure of the Divine King also stepped out from the Divine Palace.

His expression was unreadable, and not far behind him stood the Queen of Gods, Rhea, watching the scene unfold. A tense atmosphere congealed between them, but ultimately, Cronus remained silent.

Time and space swirled around him, and amidst the charged atmosphere, the Divine King extended his right hand. It seemed infinitely large yet infinitely small, and distance lost its meaning before him as he reached out towards the six figures desperately fleeing before him.

“Did you really think you could escape, even with someone’s help? I can—”

“Gaia, how dare you!”

The vast hand that materialized from the void reached across, only to be firmly blocked by a sudden rise of a tawny light curtain. Mother Earth had not come in person, so this barrier could not stop him for long, but it didn’t need to be permanent.

It was Zeus that Gaia was after. The earth trembled, and the hard soil and rocks seemed to turn into waves, carrying the six beams of light swiftly backward. In the distance, the God of the Mountains, Ourea, waited there.

“Cronus, no one wants to see a Divine King ruling over everything; you are too impatient.”

The deep voice came through; Ourea had not waited for the Divine King’s initiative to strike him but had intervened in the conflict beforehand.

“So,” Cronus’s expression grew colder as he spoke lightly, “do you think my son, will he be a king who does not covet power, ruling by doing nothing?”

In the face of the Divine King’s question, Ourea gave an unexpected response.

“I do not think so. The desire to control everything, perhaps that’s a common failing of a Divine King. Uranus was so, you are so, and it’s very likely that the next generation of Divine Kings will follow the same path. But all of that is a matter of the future and is no longer my concern.”

“I have made my decision. Perhaps, as the source of all mountains, I never should have gotten overly involved in the myriad affairs of the world. Let me now become part of the mountains and stones, avoiding the conflicts of this world.”

“But before that, as a ‘thank you’ for the years of oppression you’ve placed upon me, I will leave a gift for your children.”

The voice of the King of Mountains was heavy and powerful, but it grew fainter and fainter. His divine body emitted light and began to swell, transforming into another Mount of the Gods in the eastern region. As for himself, he dispersed into the myriad stones, no longer showing any traces.

When the new mountain appeared, Cronus instantly found that his connection to the eastern lands was completely blocked.

Following Ourea’s self-sacrificial act that hurt the enemy at the expense of himself, even his divine authority was slightly affected. But what was done could not be undone; the Divine King merely fell silent for a moment before turning to face Mother Earth.

As the Divine King, he ruled the starry heavens, but the stars still have their masters. Even if he would rule the earth in the future, it wouldn’t affect Gaia’s own authority as Mother Earth; he only needed to rule without infringing on their godhood. Therefore, Cronus could understand Gaia’s creation of mankind because his offspring had split her divine power. But now, he was unsure why she was determined to stand by his six children.

In the end, it was they who had usurped Mother Earth’s divine authority; even if she wouldn’t help him, why would she aid them?

“Cronus, I won’t always stand in your way, nor do I care who is the Divine King.”

The green dress was no more, and a figure in a yellow garment slowly appeared in front of the Divine King. Just as she had said, Gaia was actually not taking sides in this struggle for divine kingship.

“But on one condition, I want your children to finish the task that was supposed to be yours. Now, I cannot defeat you, but on the earth, no one can defeat me.”

In front of the Divine King, the power belonging to a Primordial God unfolded, but it was no longer as strong as it once was. Or rather, the earth itself remained powerful, but what weakened was its personified avatar.

Even so, Cronus could not breach this barrier quickly. While Gaia may have exaggerated, defeating even a weakened Mother Earth on her own terrain was something that only the other two Primordial Gods could accomplish.

And in the Divine King’s perception, from the distant east, two powerful presences were drawing near.

They were the God of the Ocean and his consort. Zeus’s scheme had succeeded, and they no longer intended to merely observe. With their support, Cronus knew that it would be difficult to keep his children here today, by any means.

Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the anger in his heart. He did not try to reconcile with Mother Earth or entertain the thought of promising to release those Hekatonkheires. Up to this day, releasing the Hekatonkheires had become almost a way for Gaia to vent her emotions.

Unless Cronus was willing to completely bow his head to her, admit his mistakes, and hope that the Mother Goddess might forgive his past, she would not stop. But just as Gaia wanted to vent, the Divine King’s anger rose even higher, yet was difficult to release.

In the entire realm of the Chaotic Gods, there were but a few deities who truly saw the Titans from the Abyss as their kind; Cronus was not an exception. In the general understanding, Gaia’s actions today were akin to abandoning a child for the sake of a pet.

And even then, the position of the Hekatonkheires wasn’t equivalent to that of a pet.

“Ten years.”

So, in front of Gaia’s gaze, he slowly said:

“In ten years, if you still stand in my way, I will not cease my actions.”

“If fate is destined for me to fail, then at the end, I will ensure that everyone pays the price!”

Emphasizing every word, Cronus spoke with great sincerity, as if he was prepared for a ruinous struggle with Gaia. But only he knew why he waited for these ten years.

If there were no other options, he would have fought with all his might at this moment, without hesitation.

“Fine.”

Across from Cronus, faced with the threat of the Divine King, Gaia agreed decisively. Ten years was enough time for Zeus to journey to the Abyss. What would happen after that was the other’s own business, no longer hers.

Just as Cronus had previously thought, it was his six children who were the deities that directly seized Mother Earth’s authority. In the Chaotic realm, relations between grandparents and grandchildren were nearly indistinguishable from those of strangers.

Gaia had no particular issue with Zeus himself, but she bore no affection for his siblings.

Let Zeus help her release the Hekatonkheires; as for the rest, she’d leave it to the father and son to resolve themselves.