"Cough, cough, cough…"
After clouds of dust settled, the mountain crashed down, shaking the earth with a deafening roar—fortunately, it didn't cause too much chaos.
Rovi dusted off his hands and gazed at the battered, coughing figure before him, unable to hide his amused smile.
"Finally decided to show yourself, sneaky Mr. God?"
Hermes, who'd been abruptly smashed out of invisibility by his own mountain, forcibly choked back his coughing and raised his head, forcing a smile. "Ah-ha, good morning, unknown youth. Congratulations, you've found the greatest of gods, Hermes…"
Regardless of circumstances, Hermes was still the divine messenger. Though startled, he could still handle it…
Boom, rumble, rumble—!
Rovi slightly raised his hand, and the fallen mountain violently tilted again, as though it might rise again at any moment.
Hermes: "…"
Forget it. You be the god here, alright?
Is it okay if I just lie down?!
"Still acting dumb?" Rovi raised an eyebrow.
"No, no, absolutely not!" Hermes was nearly crying. "Great Sage Rovi, my admiration for you is as boundless as the waters of the Aegean Sea, impossible to exhaust no matter how deeply I pour it out…"
"Alright, get up." Rovi's expression didn't change at all.
Hermes felt profoundly shocked—being the god of cunning, Hermes had invented the very art of trickery. Before this, anyone hearing his praises would inevitably feel pleased, smug even—regardless of how composed they appeared outwardly, delight would surface eventually.
Yet Rovi didn't react at all.
Was this the true composure of a Sage…?
"Everything in heaven and earth lies within my gaze. There is no knowledge beyond my reach… Do I need you to tell me how great I am?"
Too careless…
It wasn't that his opponent was calm; Hermes simply hadn't praised him enough.
Hermes fell into deep reflection.
This was precisely the effect Rovi wanted.
To impress the gods with sheer madness at their first meeting.
He had to admit, Gilgamesh's template truly was convenient… The guy still had some use, after all. Next time they met, he'd insult him a bit less harshly!
"Well then, let's discuss the real business, Hermes," Rovi said seriously after letting Hermes stand.
Real business?
Hermes froze for a second.
What real business?
He momentarily didn't catch on—until Rovi lifted his hand again and the grounded mountain started to violently tremble once more. Hermes immediately snapped back to reality—
"A-actually, bringing you here was my father Zeus's idea!" Hermes swiftly spoke, completely throwing the King of Gods under the chariot. "He ordered me to stay by Heracles's side until he grows up, never allowing anyone suspicious near him!"
"In Zeus's prophecy, Heracles is the key to Greece's future existence!"
Exactly as Rovi had guessed.
In some ways, Heracles was similar to Gilgamesh of Mesopotamia—both were "Children of Destiny," chosen by the gods, born with countless expectations.
The difference was, Gilgamesh had rebelled in his youth, whereas Heracles followed exactly the path the gods laid out—the path of a hero.
Yet both walked unwaveringly forward on their chosen paths, never retreating.
"Prophecy?" Rovi scoffed. "The future is infinite—just how much do you think you can predict?"
"We can't predict much, but it's still worth trying. After all, humans shape their own destiny, don't they?" Hermes spread his arms. "Well, I've already told you everything you wanted to know, so now—it's my turn to ask—"
"What kind of divine blessing do you desire?"
Those who passed a divine trial naturally earned a god's blessing.
That was how Mystery first flowed into humanity.
The earliest forms of magecraft and Magic both evolved from the blessings granted by the gods.
Rovi didn't particularly care.
As a "Child of the Primordial," yet possessing a human body, these blessings would merely be the icing on the cake.
"I am Hermes—guide of paths, messenger of gods, deity of games and competition, and escort of souls…"
"I will grant you three blessings."
"In the name of Hermes—"
"May you never become lost upon the earth."
"May fortune forever smile upon you in games and contests."
Here, Hermes's voice paused suddenly. When he continued, a subtle note of humor crept into his tone: "And finally…"
"O exile of this era—may you, adrift upon the winds, eventually find your true home."
Hermes bowed gently toward Rovi, spinning gracefully, disappearing on the spot.
He came and went freely—this time, Rovi didn't stop him.
My true home, huh?
Rovi stood frozen, lost in thought. After a long silence, he finally smiled.
That… actually didn't sound too bad?
Of course, the blessings themselves didn't matter to Rovi. More importantly, through them, he'd gained his first bond with a deity.
With the path opened, the road ahead would now be clearer to navigate.
"Wouldn't you say so, Pallas—no, perhaps I should call you, Goddess Athena?"
Leaves danced in the breeze; silver-white hair drifted gently down. Her skirt, pale and cloudlike, bloomed gracefully, revealing a glimpse of ivory legs.
The woman brushed back her long hair, calmly meeting his gaze, crimson lips curving slightly upward. "Truly, nothing escapes your eyes, O Sage from a foreign land."
...
"Heracles."
In the cave on Mount Pelion, Chiron, who had been quietly meditating, slowly opened his eyes.
At his side, the tall, robust youth immediately responded, "Teacher, I'm here."
"You've studied under me for three years now, yes?" Chiron asked seriously.
"Yes, Teacher," Heracles replied respectfully.
"In these three years, you've mastered every skill I have to offer. You already possess the strength required to become a hero—"
"But do you know what you still lack?"
"I'm missing… um, perhaps the skill to defeat enemies with words?"
Right… For instance, Heracles still couldn't bring himself to say something as vulgar as 'Fuck your mom'.
Chiron's lips twitched slightly.
He's finished. Totally corrupted…
Even worse, he didn't know how to correct this anymore.
"Ahem… That's your Grandmaster's unique specialty; you needn't force yourself to imitate it," Chiron said solemnly.
"Oh, I understand! So I need to find more suitable words for myself—"
No, no, no—you don't understand anything!
Chiron considered briefly, then skipped directly past the issue. "In any case, what you currently lack is the essential experience of a hero. Now, you must leave this place and journey into the world."
"I believe—"
"Heracles, someday, your name will resound throughout the world."
"Yes, just like Grandmaster Rovi, right?"
Could you please stop mentioning him?
---
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