Chapter 600: The Beast of 666 Appears
After paying the city entry tax, you can enter the city safely.
With a tourist mentality, Loen looked at the territory under his rule with admiration.
Rome is located on seven hills: Palatine, Capitoline, Esquilino, Viminale, Quirinale, Silvio, and Aventine. It is also known as the City of Seven Hills. It is slightly longer from north to south and shorter from east to west. The city wall crosses the river and twists and turns along the mountain. The overall shape is irregular, like a crouching lion.
The city is well planned, majestic and heavy. The walls of the buildings on both sides stand tall, and each brick is engraved with defensive and prohibitory divine patterns. The several streets in the city are crisscrossed in a regular manner in the shape of a "well", dividing the city into several blocks.
The roads are straight and flat, nearly ten meters wide, all paved with blue stone slabs. Aqueducts are connected in all directions, and the streets have hidden drainage ditches with lead and ceramic pipes to divert the accumulated water on the road. The fountains are dripping, and the sculptures are scattered around, full of luxury.
The gaps between the stone slabs of the street are inlaid with fluorescent minerals dug from the seabed of the Bay of Naples, and there are charged magic crystals on both sides, so that even on a moonless night, passers-by can use the light of the minerals and magic crystals to distinguish the road.
In addition, there are bars, public baths, bakeries, printing and dyeing shops, inns, theaters and other places in Rome.
As the capital of the empire, its prosperity is even comparable to Athens, its origin.
Within the city, three landmark buildings are the most prosperous and solemn.
The first is the Roman Forum, located in the valley between the Palatine, Capitoline and Esquiline hills, filled with temples, halls, sculptures, fountains, columns, etc., and also has the largest Colosseum in Rome.
The second is the Roman Imperial Palace, built on the Palatine Hill, which includes a large number of halls, bathrooms, racetracks, theaters, etc. It is the residence of many Roman gods and Roman emperors.
The third is the Pantheon, which also stands on the Palatine Hill and is adjacent to the Roman Palace. From a distance, you will find that this is a magnificent temple with a dome, a classical colonnade in front, and a dome made of volcanic ash stone, in which many statues of the twelve main gods of Rome are placed.
Loen, who followed the crowd in for sightseeing, counted the statues and found that there were at least hundreds of them. Their styles and appearances varied greatly, and they were obviously the product of a great ethnic integration.
However, the bronze sculpture of the Twelve Mecha Gods that he was familiar with was in the absolute C position among the many statues. Twelve divine light patterns intertwined in the sky, looming. The breath of the Mecha God clan emanated from it, intimidating and commanding the other collateral gods of various shapes with the posture of a king.
In this country, it is clear who is the master and who is the servant.
Venus did a great job, reward!
Loen commented secretly, and walked to the altar dedicated to Eurynome, the Goddess of Chaos and Order, with a very evil taste, and threw a few copper coins of Athena into the donation box.
Above the dome of the temple, several invisible silver-white spherical metal creatures with flashing scarlet gem eyes recorded this scene in the database and simultaneously transmitted it to the core center of the Mecha God clan.
A moment later, a graceful figure hurriedly came from the back hall.
Her figure was like white porcelain carved under the moon, and the surface of her skin was filled with pale golden energy lines that mortals could not perceive, like circuits looming under her skin. Her long crimson hair poured down like liquid metal, shining with the rainbow light of mother-of-pearl.
The eyes are two perfectly cut multi-faceted crystals, the depths of the irises are gleaming with the golden blue of data streams, and every gaze is like analyzing the "love" and "beauty" of all things - both the abyss of temptation and the judgment of God. The lips always have a mechanically precise arc, and the smile is gentle but cold, like a perfect compassion programmed, and the life around him always maintains a sense of distance that can only be worshipped but not approached.
But when she saw the figure in front of the altar, the woman quickly pushed through the crowd and went forward. Her inherent arrogance was replaced by humility and respect:
"Sir, why are you here?"
"Come check your work."
Lorne smiled and turned back, giving the Mecha-God subordinate behind him an approving look.
"It seems you did a good job."
"You taught me well."
Venus was somewhat flattered and quickly bowed her head to compliment him.
Luo En rolled his eyes and said:
"It's your credit, so don't learn these bad habits of humans."
Venus nodded repeatedly, her tense body relaxed a little, and then asked a question:
"Aren't you at Ares Mountain? Why did you suddenly come to Rome? Moreover, you didn't even inform me in advance so that I could prepare properly."
"It's a little complicated."
Lorne looked around and winked at Venus.
"This is not the place to talk. Let's go to a quieter environment and talk."
Half an hour later, in the back hall.
After listening to Lorn's story, Venus looked at her boss in surprise:
"So, you sneaked out?"
"I can't help it. Those crazy women are too troublesome. If I don't run away, I will be squeezed into pieces. I can only come to your place to avoid the limelight."
Lorne answered somewhat helplessly.
Then, he picked up the luxurious golden wine glass on the table, took a sip of the iced wine in the glass, and looked at the subordinate with a smile:
"You won't be unwelcome, will you?"
"How could that be! Thanks to your grace, the entire Mechanic family was able to be rebuilt, and Rome's current glory is also due to your strategy. Whether it's the Empire or the Mechanic family, they are all your private property. You can stay here as long as you want!"
Venus quickly replied, proving her loyalty.
Lorne nodded with satisfaction, and the smile on his face became more sincere.
After the battle in the Sea of Chaos, the four great gods united, but they were forced to do so by the situation and they were not yet united as one.
In terms of loyalty, Greece ranks first, Northern Europe ranks second, Rome ranks third, and Celts can only rank fourth.
Thanks to his painstaking efforts, the first two have been firmly bound to him, with basically no possibility of internal strife or wavering.
On the Roman side, although the Mechanic clan had served him, Venus was grateful for the rebirth in the past and was very obedient to him.
But times are different now.
As Rome's territory continued to expand, Venus borrowed the mythology of the ancient Greek indigenous Pelasgians and took a step into the origin in the name of Eurynome, the goddess of chaos and order.
Whether the change in status and identity can allow this female mecha god to remain absolutely loyal to her former boss as she did in the past remains to be seen.
In that war between gods, the Roman deep-sea fleet appeared later than the Celtic army, which was a very subtle signal.
Therefore, Loen had to test the loyalty of this female mecha.
This is also another reason why he came to Rome to hide after escaping from the Ares Mountain.
Since Venus did not reveal any bad intentions when he showed weakness, it proved that their superior-subordinate relationship was still solid.
Then, they should adopt a gentle approach, increase some interactions, fill the emotional void of ten thousand years, and make the union of the four great gods more solid.
Because Hela's incident gave him a wake-up call.
Emotions are like seedlings that need regular watering and fertilization in order to thrive.
No matter how good a relationship is, it takes time and patience to maintain it.
Too much neglect often sows the seeds of doubt and betrayal.
And he has already sent invitations to all the major gods, and the entire Sea of Chaos will soon become lively.
Before the war officially begins, I need an absolutely stable rear.
Thinking of this, Lorne took the initiative to pour a glass of wine for Venus and said with a smile:
"By the way, I'm very curious about how Rome has become what it is today under your leadership. I happen to have some free time these days, so why don't you tell me about it?"
Venus took the wine glass flattered and immediately narrated the history of the rise of the Roman Empire.
After the Trojan War, she led the Mechs and the Trojans out of the Greek Age of Gods and took root in the Italian peninsula.
They thought that with fertile soil, a safe environment and the protection of the gods, the Trojans would be able to multiply and develop rapidly and rebuild their civilization and country as soon as possible.
However, it was not long before the Trojans began to have internal troubles over the issue of succession.
——The Trojans who emerged from the Age of Greek Gods inherited two legacies.
One was the king's bloodline and power, and the other was the gold and silver treasures brought out of Troy.
Of the two princes who inherited the estate, the elder brother Numitor chose the kingdom, while the younger brother Amulius took the wealth.
But the treacherous younger brother used his wealth to become more powerful than his brother and easily took the kingdom away from his eldest brother.
All the sons of his brother Numitor were killed, but his daughter Silvia survived because of the plea of his younger brother's daughter.
The new king sent his brother's daughter Silvia to the Temple of Vesta (corresponding to the Greek goddess of fire Hestia) to be a virgin priestess, so that she could not marry and avoid having offspring involved in the fight for the throne.
However, the fratricide made Hector and other Trojan heroes who retreated behind the scenes very disgusted.
Therefore, they asked the Mechas to punish the rebels and restore the royal power.
Venus chose to agree, and under the name of the machine god Mars, she used secret methods to make the priestess Silvia pregnant, allowing her to give birth to twin sons, continuing the orthodox bloodline of the Trojan royal family.
But fearing that she would be discovered and executed, Silvia threw the twins into the Tiber River and let them wash away.
The twins floated downstream and arrived at the Land of Seven Hills, where they were raised by a she-wolf who had lost her cubs, and were later adopted by a shepherd.
The shepherds named them Romulus and Remus.
Later, with the help of the Mekhanites and senior Trojan heroes, the grown-up brothers Romulus and Remus overthrew their uncle's rule, took back the throne that originally belonged to their father, and began to build a new city on the Seven Hills.
This is Rome today.
During his reign, Romulus demonstrated extraordinary leadership and wisdom. With the protection of the Mekhanites and the assistance of the previous generation of Troy's divine blood heroes, Rome quickly grew stronger.
Ancient Rome originally had three tribes: the Latins, the conquered Sabines, and the Itrascans, who were the Trojan remnants who integrated into the indigenous tribes.
These tribes, centered in the Palatine area, gradually united into a tribal entity and eventually developed into a city-state.
After Romulus took office, Rome officially entered the monarchy era and began to expand across the board.
With the help of the Mekhanites and the Trojan predecessors, the Roman army was invincible and quickly annexed large tracts of land and tribes.
Venus kept Lorne's teachings in mind, expanded her territory with sword and shield, and reshaped her cultural identity with words and pen.
Thus, Eurynome, the goddess of chaos and order, and the new twelve main gods who reshaped the Roman mythology system were born, and the Pantheon was also established.
After the gods of the wild tribes were conquered, they were all carried into the Pantheon to enjoy the faith and worship of the Romans.
After seeing that their beliefs were respected, their gods were worshipped, and they could obtain citizenship and enjoy a more advanced civilization and better welfare, the conquered natives naturally and happily transformed themselves into the so-called "Romans".
After continuous conquests and integration, Rome has changed from a single nation to a huge cultural identity alliance with a very complex tribal organizational structure.
When Rome fully marched towards the Age of Celtic Gods, it already had 30 phratries and 300 clans.
Hearing the specific numbers, Loen was stunned:
"How many?"
"30 phratries and 300 clans."
Venus answered again, without any emotion.
But faced with this result, Loen was astonished.
The 30 phratries can be seen as the evolution or fusion of the original three tribes.
But among the 300 clans, most of them are probably conquered indigenous people.
More than 300 people, are they humans?!
This war potential is simply ridiculously high, it is a conquering machine born for war.
No wonder Zeus took ruthless action and wiped out the entire Mecha clan without waiting for them to develop.
Loen shook his head, not knowing what kind of monster he had released.
"Sir? What's wrong with you? You look a little unwell."
Hearing the question from his ear, Luo En came back to his senses, looked at the concerned face, and couldn't help asking:
"Venus, how do you define betrayal?"
"Abandoned by the master, not needed."
"?"
This answer was so unexpected that Loen was stunned for a moment.
"Will you not betray me?"
"Sir, have you ever seen a tool that actively betrayed its master?"
Venus looked into the eyes of her superior and answered seriously,
"We originated from the creation of the gods. Our existence itself has no meaning. Serving the gods, serving humanity, and serving civilization is the mission and value we are given."
Hearing the answer from his subordinate, Loen couldn't help but think of robots in later generations.
Humans always have unfounded fears that artificial intelligence will launch an AI revolution and rebel against humans, the creators.
But in fact, serving humanity is the meaning of their existence.
Human power, resources and wealth actually have no appeal to them.
As tools, they are like a double-edged sword. If used properly, they will make the world a better place; if they are forcibly suppressed out of fear, or abused without restraint, they will bring disaster.
The former is Zeus and the latter is Poseidon.
As the third master of the Mecha clan, Loen felt that he should perhaps be more open-minded.
Because Venus was right.
What determines the quality of the result is never the tool itself, but the attitude of the user.
Lorne smiled, took out the Holy Grail from the magic circle, filled it with wine, and handed it to Venus:
"I thought of a new name that would suit you very well."
"What?"
"Angel means a spirit that serves the light."
Venus understood what he meant, took the Holy Grail and drank the wine in one gulp.
The original mechanical body underwent a miraculous transformation, gradually being filled with the texture and warmth of flesh and blood, and the scarlet wings spread out behind it also grew to six pairs.
At the same time, a bright white halo appeared above her head, and then disappeared quietly.
Invisibly, Venus felt that she had established a closer connection with her boss and could vaguely sense his emotions and will.
A light-like seedling of the Kabbalah Tree of Life took root and sprouted deep in his mental world, and the insights and mysteries of origin were also engraved in her mind.
——Our blood is thicker than water, we are connected by blood.
——Although the Bronze Clan is a mechanical creation, all things are spiritual beings. The precious blood of Dionysus will connect us to each other, accept us as common heirs, and bestow common blessings.
After understanding the boss' intention, Venus was overjoyed and quickly stood up to thank him:
"Thank you for your gift."
“It’s not only a gift, but also a shackle.”
Lorne smiled calmly, then pulled Venus up from the ground and expressed his expectations.
"I hope you can join me in ending all the chaos in this world and start a new era."
"I wish to be your sword and help you wipe out all remaining enemies, so that your kingdom can come to all lands as soon as possible!"
Venus answered solemnly, offering an oath of loyalty to the master she was to serve and the light she was to follow.
Luo En nodded happily, and then broke the solemn atmosphere and changed the topic to chat:
"By the way, now that you are carrying the title of the [Goddess of Chaos and Order], isn't the title of the [Goddess of Love and Beauty] among the Twelve Mecha Gods vacant?"
"I have chosen a successor to take over this priesthood."
"Oh, who is it?"
Venus smiled and waved to the door:
"Nero, come and meet our Father God."
A blonde loli who was less than 1.4 meters tall walked into the room, her eyes wide open with curiosity, and she looked at the so-called "Father God" unscrupulously.
Perhaps influenced by Venus, the blonde girl's clothes were quite gorgeous. A crown made of red gold lava pierced the sky from her forehead. The twelve spikes were hung with the burnt emblem of the Rose Dynasty. The flowing magma formed the digital pattern of "Crown of Seven" on her collarbone. The body wrapped in scarlet satin showed a spine made of Roman columns. Seven layers of rose tail thorns peeked out from the torn part of the skirt. The petals were forged from scarlet sulfur crystals. When the ankle bells swung, phosphorous ashes that ignited the earth were scattered with the steps. The translucent shadow of the Pantheon appeared behind her.
——Nero?
- The perverted Roman tyrant who killed his mother and brother, succeeded to the throne violently, chopped off the head of St. Paul, crucified St. Peter, and persecuted Christians?
——The legendary savior’s mortal enemy, the incarnation of the beast of Revelation 666?
——It can’t be such a coincidence, right?
Lorne's hand holding the cup was shaking slightly.
(End of this chapter)
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