Hera gave birth to two sons, Ares and Hephaestus. Leto gave birth to Apollo and Artemis. Maia gave birth to Hermes. The goddess born from the sea, Aphrodite, joined Olympus.
Besides these!
On Mount Olympus, over time, more gods were gradually born. All these gods originated from Mount Olympus. They were under Zeus's rule but also had their own distinctions. The Olympian pantheon had come into being in the Mythical World, and all Olympian gods were under Zeus's authority, which wasn't unexpected.
Hades had the support of Erebus and Nyx, whose children were all affiliated with the underworld. Poseidon had the allegiance of 3,000 river gods, 3,000 ocean nymphs, and five ocean gods under his command.
As for Zeus? Well...
Zeus did not have gods that truly belonged to him. Each of them was either recruited or chose to align with him, never forming a cohesive system. With the creation of the Olympian pantheon, this gap in Zeus's followers was finally filled.
But!
This was not the end. In fact, for Zeus, this was just the beginning of his troubles. An immense surge of divine power was being nurtured, spreading from the heavens throughout the entire Mythical World. As this divine power radiated outward, nearly every god froze. They instinctively felt that something was very wrong—deeply wrong.
Uranus.
Cronus.
Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus.
These five God-Kings of three generations had only recently been established. In fact, the third-generation God-Kings had only just overthrown the rule of the Titan God-Kings! How could it be...
Barely 6 million years had passed, and now a fourth-generation God-King was about to be born?
This...
The entire Mythical World was plunged into confusion. No one could comprehend what was happening.
"This is..."
Nereus sensed the vast divine power—the overwhelming power of the Sun God. He couldn't mistake it. As a child of Pontus, he was very familiar with Hyperion, the Titan Chief God, known as the most powerful among the Twelve Titans, who was also a Sun God.
Now!
A new Sun God had been born.
Of course.
That wasn't too unusual. The birth of a new Sun God wasn't unprecedented.
But!
This newly born Sun God was proclaimed as the fourth-generation God-King?
Moreover...
Unlike Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus, who divided the world among themselves, this new God-King was a true, singular ruler. While all God-Kings held the title, there was a fundamental difference. Hades, Poseidon, Zeus, and even Gaia were, in essence, feudal lords.
Lord of the Underworld, King of the Seas, Emperor of the Skies, and Master of the Earth. These were the domains they ruled. In other words, if someone were to gain control of the Heart of the Stars, they could become the ruler of the Star Realm, thus becoming another God-King. Such a thing wasn't unheard of. These God-Kings were akin to vassals, not true, complete rulers.
However.
They still held the rank of God-King. To put it another way, they were like the royal offspring—direct descendants of the emperor, but not the eldest, unable to claim the imperial throne, only to become lords of their own domains.
Uranus, Cronus, and this fourth-generation God-King, however, were true God-Kings, theoretically capable of ruling over everything.
Of course.
This was just theoretical. In reality, it was much more complicated.
Being a God-King came with immense power. However, without enough divine strength, the position of God-King could become a burden. Uranus, as an Ancient God, naturally transcended such concerns. Cronus, on the other hand, even after breaking through the Ancient God level, was still shackled by the responsibilities of being a God-King.
It's undeniable!
As a true God-King, mastering their divine authority grants immense power. It's even possible for a God-King to rival Ancient Gods. However, this also comes with the price of being eternally bound to the Mythical World. Should they ever wish to leave, it would be extremely difficult.
Just like Hades, who had never fully embraced his role and responsibilities.
In fact!
Hades had been searching for someone to inherit his title as Lord of the Underworld so that once he ascended to the level of an Ancient God, he could free himself from the shackles of the Mythical World. The authority of a God-King brings immense growth and power at first, but as one's divine strength increases, it becomes more of a restraint. Both Hades and Poseidon were trying to find ways to break free from this restraint.
As for Zeus? Well...
You can't really expect someone obsessed with power to give up all of his authority, can you? That's just not realistic! These are the complexities that aren't easily resolved.
The bigger issue was that Nereus found it hard to believe, especially as he gazed at the bright sun gradually covering everything. Nereus murmured to himself, "Has the fourth-generation God-King already been born?"
"This..."
"Why is it happening so fast?"
Nereus couldn't comprehend it. By any measure, it was too soon. The third generation of God-Kings had just begun to rule. How could the fourth-generation God-King already be born?
It didn't make sense!
In fact!
This kind of thing shouldn't even happen. Even in the Mythical World, it wouldn't make such a foolish move. This was completely illogical for the Mythical World's natural progression, almost as if it were an act of madness.
"Unless..."
Suddenly, Nereus thought of something. In the Mythical World, there was only one entity that could manipulate events to this extent. His body shivered as he quickly dismissed the thought and whispered, "So, with the birth of the fourth-generation God-King, should I visit the heavens to see for myself?"
Just then!
The voice of Poseidon rang in Nereus's ear.
After a brief pause, Nereus immediately knew what to do. Carefully selecting a few small gifts, he left the Sea Realm and headed for the heavens.
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