The fact that Zeus, an old boy, can't control his lower body is a secret that everyone knows.
Even those who know little about Greek mythology have mostly heard of the affair
of this god king - today he turns into a cow, tomorrow he turns into an eagle, and the day after tomorrow he simply has a golden rain, changing his ways to hook up with beautiful women, and occasionally beautiful men.
And Zeus worked so hard to sow seeds, in fact, there was a struggle. 1r5Rp
This matter has to start with an ancestral curse.
The throne of the gods in Greek mythology has never been smoothly handed
over.
The first god king Uranus was overthrown by his son Kronos, and before he died,
he left harsh words: You will also be overthrown by your own son.
Kronos believed it. He swallowed his children one by one, only to be rescued by Zeus and overturned his father's rule. 1r5Rp
And as soon as Zeus sat on the throne, before he could catch his breath, the same curse floated in the clouds above Olympus -
"Your son will be stronger than you and will overthrow your throne."
The ancestral curse, the traditional art of the old Zhou family, passed down from
generation to generation, is not deceived.
With the lessons of the past that both the cheap grandfather and the cheap father were overthrown by the youngest son, how did Zeus deal with it? 1r5Rp
He was born.
Desperately born.
Be merciful everywhere and sow everywhere. Mortal princesses, fairies, nymphas, everything that can be born, he wants. As long as he was born fast
enough and enough, he would never have a youngest son, and in order to prevent his son from being stronger than himself, Zeus also took many other
measures.
Of course, it may also be that this old embryo can't control itself in the first place.
1r5Rp
Or perhaps, all this is fate.
In short. Hercules was born. in an affair.
On that day, King Amphitreon of Thebes went out to fight, and Zeus took on his
form and swaggered into the palace of Queen Alcmene.
Alcmene had no doubts. When her husband returned from the expedition, he
spent a good night with her, which was a matter of course. 1r5Rp
And in order for the "destined seed" to take root firmly, Zeus extended the night to
three times as long.
Triple the time.
transport.
Everything that should have been done was done, and even things that shouldn't have been done were done.
After one night, Zeus departed satisfied.
The next day, the real Amphitryon returned in triumph and also slept with his wife.
Thus, Alcmene was carrying two children at the same time.
One was Hercules, the son of Zeus.
One was Iphicles, son of Amphitryon. (1r5Rp)
Half-siblings, one from the same mother and the other from a different father, a demigod and a mortal. Destined to be born together and grow up together, yet destined for drastically different fates.
—And these are all the prerequisites for the birth of the baby lying in this cradle at this moment.
He was struggling to turn his neck.
This body appears somewhat immature. And despite being a demigod, his neck is so weak he can't support his head; even the slightest movement causes him to...
It was shaking violently. But he still saw it. 1r5Rp
Right next to him, swaddled against swaddle, lay another baby.
The child was quieter than him, eyes closed, breathing evenly, his little face scrunched up, fast asleep. That was Iphie.
Kress, his... cheap older brother.
The baby blinked, then raised its tiny hand and touched its neck.
Soft. Thin. The kind that breaks with a single tap. 1r5Rp
The baby frowned, his little face scrunched up. Then, something seemed to surface from the depths of his memory.
Come up. It wasn't a conscious memory; it was more like a fear that the body remembered.
Darkness. Narrowness. Something was wrapped around my neck, tightening, tightening further and further.
He couldn't breathe and struggled desperately but couldn't move.
All around was warm liquid; it was clearly a place where life was born, yet at that moment it felt like — 1r5Rp
grave.
A cold sweat suddenly broke out on his forehead. He wasn't sure if newborns could sweat, but cold sweat had definitely crept up his back.
Get some chill.
The myths and epics he knew well came flooding back to him at that moment.
Speaking of which... wasn't he almost strangled to death with the umbilical cord while he was in his mother's womb? 1r5Rp
Hera.
The name surfaced from the depths of my memory, carrying with it a strange sense of dread.
Zeus's principal wife, queen of the gods, goddess of marriage and childbirth.
She hated Zeus's infidelity to the core, and she wished nothing more than to get rid of those illegitimate children. And this time,
Zeus's actions were particularly outrageous—in the past, he at least kept his affairs a secret from Hera, but this time, he didn't even bother to pretend.
She transformed into someone else's husband and slept with him. More importantly, Zeus thought he had concealed it very well.
Perhaps it was because Hercules was special? Or perhaps for some other reason?
In short, Zeus thought that this time Hera would not find out, no one would know.
But of course Hera knew.
She knows everything. 1r5Rp
This time, however, she did not take action directly as usual.
The baby struggled to move its eyes, glancing at the bedside out of the corner of its eye.
There stood an old woman.
Her face was wrinkled, her back hunched, and she wore coarse cloth clothes; she looked like an ordinary midwife. She was holding...
A copper basin filled with warm water, bloodstains floating on the surface. Everything seemed so ordinary, so natural.
But the look in her eyes wasn't right.
Those cloudy old eyes were staring at him, at this infant who should have died.
His brows were slightly furrowed, as if he had seen something unbelievable.
Eletia, the goddess of childbirth, is also known as ——————1r5Rp
Hera's most loyal servant.
The old woman put down the copper basin and slowly approached.
Her steps were very light, so light that they didn't seem like the steps one would expect from someone her age. The hem of her coarse cloth skirt trailed on the ground.
However, it did not make a sound.
She stopped beside the cradle and bent down.
The old man's cloudy eyes stared unblinkingly at the baby's face.
"This child..." she murmured, "Just now, it was clearly..."
Before he could finish speaking, the doubt in his eyes had already transformed into something else.
Beware. 1r5Rp
Examine.
There is also a hint of murderous intent.
Hera's order was to kill the baby, and her mission was clearly not yet complete.
— Rewind a moment. 1r5Rp
On Mount Olympus, the temples were magnificent and resplendent.
Zeus reclined on a couch, a wine cup in his hand, so happy he felt like he was floating on air. The sun was exceptionally warm today.
The warmth enhances the aroma of the wine, and most importantly—
Hera looks exceptionally pleasing to the eye today.
She was pouring him wine with a smile, her eyes gentle, her movements light and graceful, as if she were a completely different person.
"You seem to be in a good mood today..." Zeus narrowed his eyes, somewhat flattered.
"What, you're not happy that I'm in a good mood?" Hera rolled her eyes at him, a look that held a captivating charm.
"After all, he is your bloodline, so I should be more magnanimous."
Zeus nearly dropped the wine cup in his hand.
Bloodline? 1r5Rp
What bloodline?
His mind raced through his recent romantic escapades—the time he turned into a cow? No, that time he got caught.
It caused quite a stir. The time with the eagle transformation? No, that girl was a nymph, Hera shouldn't know that... The time with the golden rain?
That time it was quite secretive, I think...
"Alcmene," Hera said with a smile, "Queen of Thebes. What, have you forgotten?"
Zeus froze.
"I have a suggestion." Hera put down her wine jug and sat down beside him, her tone unsettlingly gentle. "That child in Alcmene, who is about to be born, is, after all, of your blood, and should also receive the protection of the Queen of the Gods. How about this—"
A newborn child will receive my gifts and blessings.
Zeus was stunned.
He looked at Hera, momentarily lost in thought.
This woman...has she changed her ways? 1r5Rp
Or perhaps, after all these years, she has finally come to terms with it and accepted the reality of his philandering?
In any case, this is a good thing.
What a great thing.
Zeus beamed and hugged Hera tightly: "It's so...so good that you think that way!"
Hera let him hold her, watching as her husband completely lowered his guard.
A gentle smile curved her lips.
—————So Hercules was the second to be born.
Why is it the second one? 1r5Rp
Because in the delivery room, Eletia used an umbilical cord to turn what should have been the first child into the "second."
indivual".
The child, who should have been the eldest son, had his neck strangled in the womb.
A child who should have lived should have been stillborn before even being born.
But he didn't die. 1r5Rp
The umbilical cord was clearly wrapped tightly, constricted securely, and that tiny body had clearly stopped struggling.
But then it suddenly started moving.
It was as if something had broken free from the embrace of death at the last moment.
Eretia couldn't figure it out. But time was tight, and she couldn't think too much at
the moment. Hera's orders had to be obeyed, but the god king Zeus could react at
any time. 1r5Rp
So the hand stretched out.
thebosold. Dry. The knuckles are thick. The nails are gray and white.
Reach for the cradle.
Reach for his neck. 1r5Rp
The baby stared at the hand that was getting closer.
The murderous intent in those cloudy old eyes was no longer concealed.
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