Chapter 129 Don’t Touch the Bird’s Butt (6k)
After the Sicily incident, all clues pointed to a certain target.
Given the petty tradition of the Greek gods of revenge, the group was completely enraged and would not tolerate it.
Then, the three powerful Olympian gods, Apollo, the god of light, Artemis, the goddess of hunting, and Athena, the goddess of wisdom, brought a large number of their followers and drove their chariots across the entire outer sea for hunting on the pretext of clearing up the chaos and reopening the waterways for their respective city-states.
With such a luxurious lineup and an expanded attack surface, the entire Oceanus Sea was in chaos.
The sea beasts and the marine divine blood clans that lived on the ocean islands and various sea areas were in dire straits.
——They were either shot in the head or disemboweled, dying tragically on the spot; or their tendons were pulled out and their skin peeled off, becoming trophies; or their homes were destroyed and their entire families were relocated...
After all, with this kind of deliberate behavior of picking faults, even a docile seal passing by could get slapped twice, not to mention most of the sea beasts and monsters that are brutal and bloodthirsty by nature.
After seven days of turmoil, not only did the number of beasts in the outer sea decrease dramatically, but all the ferocious monsters with names and surnames were almost completely slaughtered.
In fact, as if due to excessive killing, even the tide pushing towards the shore turned a slightly red color.
The sea beasts and monsters that had been rampant on the sea for many years felt scared for the first time when faced with the dimensionality reduction attack from the Olympus evil group. They fled to the inland sea in groups, trying to seek help from the overlord who protected them.
However, hundreds of miles deep into the inland sea, not only did the Atlantis guards who usually patrolled in groups disappear, but even the original blood clan of the gods were gone.
In desperation, the sea beasts continued to swim back to the inland sea, or simply headed towards the deeper pristine ocean areas.
The three main gods chased them all the way and struggled for several days, but they could only stare at a group of uncivilized sea beasts. They didn't even see the shadow of an Atlantean, let alone the Sea King who was in charge.
——Legend has it that the continent of Atlantis and its affiliated islands are hidden in the deep sea and among the stars. It is a sacred place of the ocean that even the king of gods Zeus may not be able to easily discover.
——As long as one is willing to hide, it is almost impossible for outsiders to find the entrance.
The main lord had no way out and was about to be killed across the Sea of Oceanus. The three main gods couldn't help but frown.
Finally, it was the ninth day and night.
Sicily welcomed a visitor from the sea, but it was not Poseidon, the god of the sea, but an old man wearing a linen robe and with a kind face.
As if attracted by his honest and gentle temperament, a white seabird was perched on his shoulder, gently combing its tail feathers.
The Old Man of the Sea - Nereus.
He is the product of the fusion of the old sea god Pontus (sea) and the earth goddess Gaia (earth). Hesiod's Theogony states that "because he is trustworthy, amiable, remembers justice, is fair and kind, people call him 'the elder'."
Therefore, he was honored as the "Old Man of the Sea".
But honorific titles only concern status and conduct, and do not represent strength.
Even the old sea god Pontus, the father, had gold coins all over the floor, not to mention his cheap son Nereus.
When Oethrys was in power, he was overwhelmed by the river god Oceanus and the sea goddess Thesis, a couple among the twelve Titans.
When Mount Olympus was in power, he was driven by the new sea god Poseidon and lived obediently under the shadow of the ocean overlord;
Even in the Heroic Age, Hercules was able to capture him by brute force and force him to use his prophetic powers to help him find the Orchard of the Golden Apples and thus complete one of his trials.
So, this is a good guy who almost never conflicts with others easily and is friendly to everyone.
Perhaps it is precisely because of this harmless and docile attribute that he has been able to survive the cruel theocratic struggle until now, and is doing well on the gradually stabilizing Sea of Oceanus.
Of course, it is also possible that he is now the father-in-law of Poseidon, the god of the sea.
——In the deep sea stands the magnificent palace of Poseidon, Zeus's great brother and the shaker of the earth. Poseidon rules the sea, holding a trident in his hand. As long as he moves his hand slightly, the waves will obey. Living with Poseidon in the depths of the sea is his wife Amphitrite, the daughter of the old sea god Nereus, who can predict good and bad luck. She was snatched away from her father by Poseidon, the great ruler of the sea...
That’s right, according to mythology, Amphitrite, the Queen of the Sea, is the daughter of Nereus, the old man of the sea.
In the flickering firelight, Loen looked at the amiable old man from the sea, who was dressed in coarse linen and holding a rattan stick. He stood stiffly in front of the three Olympian gods, with his eyelids slightly lowered, his flickering eyes thoughtful.
Lobbyists, here we come...
Meanwhile, in front of the fire.
"Grandpa Nereus, why are you here?" Athena was the first to show a bright smile and took Nereus' hand, appearing friendly and familiar. "I was just about to visit you recently, and by the way, I wanted to see Aunt Thetis. How is she doing recently? Is she okay?"
With a suitable topic, the kind-faced elder couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He sat down with Athena in front of the fire and responded with a smile and a nod.
"She's fine, and she's still thinking about you."
The name Thetis occupies a considerable space in Greek mythology. She is one of the 50 daughters of Nereus, the old man of the sea. She is a sister of Amphitrite, the wife of Poseidon, the god of the sea, and the second wife of the future Greek hero Peleus.
——That is, the mother of Achilles, the great hero in the Trojan War.
At the same time, when the newborn Hephaestus was thrown off Mount Olympus, it was Thetis who raised him, so she was also the most respected adoptive mother of the god of fire Hephaestus.
With two such good sons, it would be hard for her not to be famous.
Of course, she herself is also famous for her wisdom and beauty, and is the wisest among Nereus' 50 daughters.
Because of her stunning beauty and wisdom, she and another sea goddess, Metis, the original goddess of wisdom, had many common topics and became good friends.
Legend has it that the king of gods on Mount Olympus also pursued her passionately.
But in the end, Zeus, who had always been successful in sowing seeds, chose to give up.
Because, His Majesty the God King heard an oracle from somewhere.
—Thetis was destined to give birth to a son who would surpass her own father, no matter how great that father might be.
As a pure power creature, Zeus was most afraid that his son would overthrow his throne, so he naturally kept his distance from Thetis.
Therefore, Thetis did not suffer the same fate as her close friend Metis, her sister the Queen of the Sea.
Later, the divine power changed and Metis was swallowed by Zeus.
She added two more people to her friend list.
——Queen of Heaven Hera, and the new goddess of wisdom Athena.
Together with her sister Amphitrite, the Queen of the Sea, this sea nymph has extensive connections and is well versed in the wisdom of protecting herself.
Loen looked at Athena chatting with Nereus in the firelight, and his thoughts surged when he heard the name that the goddess of wisdom mentioned repeatedly.
——Even this sea fairy, who was also known for her wisdom, compromised and successfully avoided the old path of her sister and close friend.
But despite all her efforts, she still couldn't escape the fate of being teased.
- Not only was she forced to marry the demigod hero Peleus under the auspices of Zeus, but even her son, who was destined to surpass his father, could not escape the fate of death.
According to the Iliad, Thetis hugged Zeus' knees with her left hand and stroked his chin with her right hand, praying to the king of gods to restore glory to her son Achilles.
But the result speaks for itself...
So, if you want to live a good life these days, you have to be strong yourself.
Compromising can only keep you alive for a while, and may not necessarily lead to a good ending in the end.
Loen looked at the old man in the sea who was submissive to a group of younger generations in the light of the fire, shook his head secretly, and became more determined to seize power.
At this moment, after a while of greeting, Nereus finally found an opportunity and asked cautiously.
"How was your hunting? When do you plan to go back?"
"Well, there's no rush. It's a rare trip..."
Athena patted the back of Nereus' hand gently with a faint smile on her face.
Hearing that the junior still refused to give in, Nereus could not help but complain.
"Athena, it's been so long, you guys have had enough fun, those frightened sea beasts block my door every day, refusing to swim back, and they keep yelling all day long, keeping my old bones awake all night long..."
Then, the old man spoke decisively, with a pleading look in his eyes.
"How about this, whatever prey or seafood you want, I'll give it to you directly!"
“Some things are more interesting when you get them in your own hands.”
Athena smiled and shook her head, politely declining Nereus's kindness.
"I know you still want to open up a shipping route for your city-state, right? I can guarantee that these guys will not harass ships on the route, and they will stay in the inland sea and never go ashore. Is that okay?"
"us……"
"Just have pity on me, an old man, and let me go back and have a good sleep."
Without waiting for Athena to finish, Nereus held Athena's hand with a sad face, complaining and giving her earnest advice.
"Besides, all the gods in the Oceanus Sea need to eat and rest. While I can still persuade them, you guys have had enough fun and it's time to concentrate..."
The meaning is very simple. The evil group of Olympus has been causing great trouble to the tribes of the Oceanus Sea during this period, and now they have vented their anger.
Before, everyone could tolerate it for the sake of the God King’s family.
But as time goes by, this accumulated dissatisfaction is approaching a critical point.
Everything has to come to an end.
If everyone takes a step back, that's enough.
Otherwise, instead of solving the problem, the other gods living on the sea would unite and exert pressure together against the common enemy.
By then, the loss will outweigh the gain.
After hearing this earnest advice, Apollo and Artemis fell into deep thought.
The ocean gods are a huge group, not just Poseidon's family.
Although there were some unpleasantness with Poseidon, the god of the sea, he had no handle in his hand and risked offending the entire sea god system by overturning the affairs of the Sea of Oceanus. It was a bit of an exaggeration.
If the matter were to get to the father god Zeus, they would probably be reprimanded and scolded.
What's more, Artemis, who already had something to hide, didn't want to make things worse.
Then, the brother and sister showed their interest at the same time and looked up at Athena beside them.
The goddess of wisdom, who was good at observing people's words and expressions, skillfully took advantage of the situation and sincerely shook the hand of Nereus, the old man in the sea, with a faint smile on her face that made people feel like spring breeze.
"Look at what you said. I am also a descendant of Oceanus. How could I possibly embarrass an elder like you?"
Seeing that Athena finally gave in, Nereus breathed a sigh of relief, then took out a nautical chart and, according to the wishes of Apollo and Artemis, decided on a safe sea route for Delphi and Arcadia respectively. He then swore directly to the River Styx, promising that he would restrain the running sea beasts.
Combined with the promise of some rare seafood, both Apollo and Artemis were quite satisfied with the result.
Judging from the above performance, this old man is a very honest person. No wonder he was elected as the representative of the old god of the sea and is often responsible for mediating some disputes at sea.
Finally, when it was his turn to fulfill his promise to Athena, the goddess of wisdom in front of the fire first asked for a safe route for Crete, then changed the subject and pointed behind her.
"I don't need the rest, so give it to him."
At this moment, Luo En, who was watching the show secretly, was slightly stunned when he heard the topic was brought to himself.
"This is the secretary of Crete. He almost died twice because of the beast tide at sea. He should be compensated."
Athena introduced him with a smile on her face, and her eyes towards Lorne were full of tenderness and encouragement.
Sister Ya...
Looking at the goddess of wisdom who was about to fulfill her promise so soon, Loen's heart was filled with emotion.
"That's right, I can prove it!"
At this time, Hestia also waved her fist, wanting to earn compensation for her servant god.
Artemis was even more straightforward. She just waved her hand and announced loudly.
"Yes, he helped me before, so I'll give him my share too!"
Noticing Athena's gaze on him, which suddenly became a little colder, Loen hurriedly waved his hands and immediately declined Artemis' kindness.
"No, no, one serving is enough!"
This hunting goddess is good in every way, but she seems to be tainted with some kind of indescribable madness, and she always has the ability to make the development of things deviate from the planned trajectory.
In order to protect his own bottom from being beaten by Athena afterwards, Lorne quickly stood up and ended this dangerous topic, and went forward to find Nereus to redeem his share of compensation.
Athena smiled and stepped back, leaving the opportunity to Lorne.
But, at the moment when the two figures met, the graceful figure that was blocked moved her lower lips silently.
Lorne paused slightly, then pretended to greet Hestia and took another step forward without leaving a trace.
"What compensation do you want?" As a generous elder, Nereus took the initiative to ask.
Luo En smiled shyly but politely, and said, "It's all part of my job. There's no need to compensate. I just want one thing from you."
Seeing that the other party was so reasonable and the matter was about to be perfectly resolved, Nereus couldn't help but smile kindly and nodded happily.
"Of course! Go ahead, kid."
After getting the promise, Lorne breathed a sigh of relief and pointed casually at Nereus' shoulder.
"Then let's take this one. This little guy looks very cute."
In an instant, Nereus, who was originally careless, saw the target chosen by the opposite side and his face suddenly changed.
"no!"
At the same time, the old man grabbed the white seabird perched on his shoulder and took it into his arms, looking as if he was facing a great enemy.
Seeing this, Athena, who had originally had a friendly look on her face, couldn't help but become furious.
"Nereus, what do you mean?!"
At this moment, realizing that his reaction was a bit extreme, the old man in the sea hurriedly explained.
"This, this is the only one that doesn't work... Can you change it?"
"You want to break the contract?!"
Athena's face became even angrier when she heard this.
"Why can they do it, but I can't? This is too much! Nereus, my spear is not blunt either! Do you really think there is no one on Crete?!"
Hearing this curse, Apollo and Artemis, who were treated favorably on the side, felt very uncomfortable, and there were some subtle changes in the way they looked at Nereus.
Is this low-level discrimination intended to sow discord? It's too straightforward.
"No, I..."
Under the angry glares of the three Olympian gods, Nereus was speechless and unable to defend himself. His old face turned red, and he looked embarrassed and helpless.
Just when the old man in the sea was feeling somewhat ashamed, a voice like the sound of nature broke the tense atmosphere.
"Old man, since you don't want to give up this little guy, forget it."
With an apologetic look on his face, Loen pointed at the white seabird in Nereus' arms and took the initiative to lower his demands.
"Just give me a feather as a souvenir..."
After all, this is a gift from the goddess. Completely violating it would be tantamount to a disguised offense, which is not very likely.
At present, this compromise option is the limit of concession.
All the main gods and subordinate gods nodded secretly, looking at Loen with approval and sighing in their hearts.
——This is a kind person.
However, even so, Nereus still refused to let go.
"No... still no..."
Now, the old man in the sea who repeatedly refused could not help but arouse public anger.
We've left the steps for you, but you're still refusing to come down. This is such a low-level attempt to sow discord. Do you really think we can't see it?
Just as the gods were gradually becoming resentful and wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to attack, the white seabird took the initiative to peck open Nereus' arm, flapped its wings, landed on Lorne's shoulder, then turned around, plucked out a white tail feather with its slender beak, and held it in Lorne's right palm.
An invisible crisis was resolved.
“So good!”
Seeing the seabird's intelligent and human-like performance, Loen couldn't help but admire it. He raised his left hand and stroked the little guy's head all the way to its tail with his fingertips.
“Chiu!”
However, the little guy who was caressed suddenly got angry, screamed, and pecked at Loen's fingertips with his mouth.
Then, the white seabird flapped its wings and hurriedly flew back to Nereus' shoulder.
Hiss, this bird is not only shy, but also quite fierce...
Looking at the expanding blood spot on his fingertips, Loen couldn't help but grit his teeth and secretly complain.
"Everyone, you have already got what you need. If there is nothing else, you should go back early."
At the same time, Nereus hurriedly hid the frightened white seabird in his sleeve, and then glared at someone fiercely with a gloomy face. Then he threw down a stern warning, turned his head and walked towards the deep sea, and his figure soon disappeared.
This old man has a weird temper...
Loen shook his head, then took a few steps back and quietly handed the white tail feather in his hand to Athena.
In fact, this thing was not the compensation that Loen wanted, but an instruction from Athena.
—Plucking the feathers of that bird for me!
Just as their figures intersected, Athena made this request with a gloomy face.
As for this compensation that did not belong to him in the first place, Loen, who went to do the job on his behalf, naturally agreed.
And with his micro-manipulation, the bird feathers were easily obtained.
But as he handed over the mission item to Athena and prepared to exchange it for his own reward, the goddess of wisdom under the shade of the tree waved her hand.
"You keep it for yourself."
"Ah?" A big question mark popped up in Lorne's mind.
Isn't that what you wanted?
As if noticing the confusion on Lorne's face, Athena glanced at the white tail feather and spoke with a smile.
"Are you lacking a handy artifact? Give this thing to Hephaestus, and he will make it for you personally."
Can I use this to replace it?
When did Hephaestus's artifact become so cheap...
Suddenly, the complaints in Loen's mind stopped abruptly. Looking at the white tail feather in his palm, he turned his neck stiffly, looked at Athena under the shade of the tree with horror, and swallowed hard with his throat gurgling.
"You mean, Te..."
Athena yawned immediately, interrupting Loen's question, and then walked towards her chariot.
"What are you talking about? I don't know anything."
Hearing the innocence of the matter and the smile of the goddess of wisdom as she ran away, Luo En's heart finally dropped.
Then, it fell to the ground and broke into eight pieces...
——According to the records in the Godbook, the family of the old sea god Nereus was proficient in the art of transformation, and among his fifty daughters, there was one who was most proficient in this skill.
——The answer is already apparent.
And Loen looked at the deep red blood spot on his fingertips, recalling the silk-like touch of the white seabird. He moved his throat again, swallowed deeply, and two huge characters appeared in his mind.
——It’s over!
~~
At the same time, white foam surged on the sea.
A nymph fairy, who had both the temperament of a young girl and the demeanor of a noble lady, stood in the waves. She glanced at the corner of her skirt that was torn open behind her, then turned her head to look at Sicily shrouded in sea fog, her white teeth chattering.
(End of this chapter)
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