After Zeus and his party departed, the gods in the Starry Temple fell into a brief silence.
Crius and the other world-worn Titans felt heavy of heart; they knew well the risks and costs of this war.
The second-generation Titans, however, were all inwardly stirred, their eyes gleaming with a thirst for honor and freedom.
As sons of Titans, they ought to soar through the cosmic world, yet they could only keep their heads down and play small as gods, afraid of being dealt with by Kronos.
Humiliation and repression had lain heavily upon their divinity; at last there was a chance to release it.
They had been stifled for far too long! Now there was finally a chance to spread their wings.
Eventually, Crius spoke, with a father's grave counsel and the precious wisdom of his divine life: "Children, once you choose to enter the world, there will be no other choice; you will be completely severed from the old order."
"War with the God-King is not a game. We will no longer be able to shelter you; you may meet an unspeakably tragic fate, but this is your own choice."
"Your future can only be fought for by yourselves. This is your fate, and your trial."
"Since you have decided to pledge yourselves to the God-King's son, then fight at his side with all your heart and strength, leaving no room for half measures."
"The bond forged by going into battle together surpasses familial ties; it is a link cast in blood and fire."
"If you wish to win future honor and the God-King's enduring friendship, then fight alongside the future God-King, and prove your worth with your strength!"
Finally, Crius raised his voice: "Go and make all preparations, children. Await the summons of the future God-King—the trumpet of war may sound at any time!"
"Yes, Father!"
The many second-generation Titans, elated, prepared with boundless zeal, yearning for the honor that would be their own.
They knew very well that all Zeus had promised would, in the end, be realized according to actual performance.
Even as family, the honor each god finally received would still depend on his own effort and contribution!
Zeus and Metis came to Mount Olympus. Standing shoulder to shoulder on the summit, they felt the pulse of the earth beneath their feet.
Zeus said with a smile, "My dear Metis, choose the site of your divine palace."
"And pick mine as well while you're at it. Let ours be close—I'm loath to be too far from you."
Metis ignored him, her gaze turned to the distance. Her tone was calm yet firm: "The God-King's palace can only stand at the highest place; that is the symbol of supremacy."
Zeus laughed loudly, open and carefree; his confidence and boldness seemed to infuse the whole mountain.
He stood at the peak, raised both arms high, and shouted: "Great Mother of All Things! Origin of the world, beginning of all, source of the gods! I, Zeus, son of the God-King Kronos and of Queen Rhea, ask you to display your might and raise for me a dwelling to bear the order of the cosmos!"
As soon as Zeus finished, Gaia, Mother of All Things, answered his plea.
The earth began to quake; heaven and earth heaved. A spectacle unfolded that even gods could scarcely imagine!
The once unremarkable Mount Olympus now began to grow rapidly, climbing upward, becoming ever more grand and mighty.
Until it seemed boundlessly tall and magnificent, until it pierced the clouds and merged with the firmament!
It rose until it reached the same height as Mount Othrys before its fall, and only then ceased to grow.
The new divine mountain stood facing the old throne from afar, matching it as an equal.
Rhea and the other gods, who had by now reached the world, watched this boundless spectacle, their hearts surging.
The rise of Mount Olympus signified the coming of a new era!
The great gods of the cosmos witnessed it all, and knew that a war to decide the universe's fate was now inevitable.
From this moment on, the God-King Kronos's divine authority would no longer be absolute and singular.
A challenger had appeared, and possessed power to stand as his equal.
The gods descended one after another upon Mount Olympus. Zeus opened his arms and laughed broadly:
"Welcome home! This will be the sacred dwelling of all gods who yearn for freedom and honor!"
"This is the center of honor and order for the future universe! Rejoice, my beloved brothers and sisters! Here, we will forge the most glorious of eras together!"
Zeus spread his arms to welcome them and, laughing, spoke his great proclamation.
This scene would be forever imprinted upon the gods' hearts, an everlasting mark within them.
From this moment, they believed with utter conviction that they would win!
A complete victory!
The gods could see this earth-shaking upheaval, and the God-King, not far away, could all the more see it.
The God-King nearly laughed from fury; the anger he had long repressed now burst forth utterly, more violent than a volcano's eruption.
"Good, good—I've been troubled not finding you, and now you dare come to my door. I'll cast you into Tartarus right now!"
His Majesty the God-King hurried toward Olympus without the slightest courtesy, faster than lightning, his whole being radiating an unimaginably terrifying power of destruction.
So confident was he that he came alone; he couldn't even wait to gather the gods to suppress the rebellion!
He did not take Zeus and his companions into account at all, impatient to personally crush the rebels and pour out his boundless wrath.
After being secretly frustrated in the starry sky, Kronos returned to Mount Othrys.
Upon returning and beholding the wreckage and mess of Mount Othrys, he grew even angrier.
The shattered mountain and utterly ruined palace constantly reminded him of the immense loss and humiliation he had suffered.
He had originally thought to convene the gods upon returning and seize Rhea and Zeus across the whole universe.
But seeing the lofty mountain collapsed and the palace reduced to dust, and wishing to preserve what little face he had left, he first set about repairing Mount Othrys, intending to restore the palace before summoning the gods.
He had considered asking Gaia for aid, but ultimately gave up the idea.
First, naturally, was face. Having suffered such a loss and humiliation, how could he bear to show that wretched state to his Mother?
Second, by now he had largely figured out the course of this "sudden incident."
How was it sudden? It was clearly a monumental conspiracy!
Without other great gods' aid, how could Rhea alone have orchestrated success?
Behind it, there had to be deeper forces at work.
Chief among them was Gaia!
Without the help of the Mother of All, the Earth Mother, how could such a great god have hidden from his sight?
Moreover, it was probably not Gaia alone.
Though he could not yet be certain, it was very likely that Nyx, the Goddess of Night, had also taken part.
Then who else?
At this, Kronos's gaze grew unspeakably dark and vicious.
Every moment he felt the loss of his own power. To see his invincible self reduced to this drove him nearly mad; a fathomless hatred threatened to devour everything around him.
_____________________________________________________________
If you're enjoying this novel, please consider supporting by voting with Power Stones. ⭐
Every vote helps the story climb the rankings so more readers can discover it.And as a special thank you:👉 For every 50 Power Stones, I'll release one extra chapter!