NOVPUBChapter 779 -282: Three Solutions (Added on the 11th)
鈥淭he morality within one鈥檚 heart?鈥
鈥淪uch a self-centered statement.鈥
A soft chuckle escaped as Heracles pondered the term before him, Laine silently reading the word.
From ancient times to the present, the constraints of so-called morality have always been meant to safeguard against gentlemen, not scoundrels.
And Heracles could hardly be called a gentleman, having deceived enemies encountered during his trials in later myths.
Of course, he was not a scoundrel either, at least not compared to his father.
...
Therefore, in the absence of events like swearing by the 鈥楽tyx鈥? Laine neither underestimated nor overestimated the promises of Heracles.
He merely nodded indifferently, as if accepting the cost.
鈥淭hen as you wish, O brave warrior from Thebes.鈥
鈥淵ou offer up your promise, and in return, I shall tell you the secrets of all things within this palace once inhabited by a deity.鈥
鈥淵ou will learn how to extend life, avoid death, and acquire the secret to an existence that endures through the ages.鈥
鈥淎ll will remain here, within your heart and mine.鈥
The voice echoed within the dilapidated Temple, and before Heracles鈥檚 eyes, Laine raised a hand and made a gesture.
潡堭潣佛潣潣?co
The next moment, the dome鈥檚 mural began to blur.
New reliefs replaced the old ones, emerging from shallow to deep, from nothing to something.
The Sky, Earth, and Ocean; the Star Realm, the Netherworld, and the Abyss.
The myriad things of the world appeared in sequence, time condensed within dimensions.
A panoramic painting of the fleeting world was unveiled before the young man.
Witnessing the scene, Heracles couldn鈥檛 help but feel there might be some truth to the man鈥檚 earlier boasts.
Whether he knew everything in this world or not, he must surely be one of the rare learned individuals in the Mortal Realm.
鈥淲hat is this, is this the appearance of the world? But what does this have to do with what I want to know?鈥
Heracles inquired, to which Laine responded with a smile.
鈥淚ndeed, this represents the world you inhabit, as well as the myriad realms that stand alongside it.鈥
鈥淏ut first, before all began, Heracles, you seek the method of Resurrection, but what kind of existence do you wish to resurrect?鈥
鈥淚s it a trace that has dissipated, long vanished from the world; or is it a body that has decayed, already moved onto Samsara?鈥
鈥淥r perhaps it died unjustly, and you are unable to retrieve its soul, unable to grant it new life?鈥
鈥淒ifferent people, naturally, have different solutions.鈥
鈥淣othing in this world can traverse all, and neither can the Resurrection Technique.鈥
鈥淚t is the latter, I need to retrieve the soul of the deceased.鈥
Speaking gravely, Heracles hesitated before continuing, 鈥淚n fact, someone once promised me.鈥
鈥淗e claimed that the souls in this world largely hail from the 鈥楽pirit Realm鈥? and even the gods struggle to interfere with its workings.鈥
鈥淏ut he promised me that if someday I could make my way to the Netherworld, following the course of the River of Oblivion鈥︹€
鈥淚f I reached the place that causes all things to undergo Samsara, then perhaps he could use the opportunity to find the soul I wish to resurrect.鈥
鈥楤efore this, however, I must first prove my strength and let my name spread throughout All Countries.鈥
鈥淗is explanation was very detailed, and although I am willing to believe him, I have never heard of such things before and do not know if they can truly succeed.鈥
鈥淪o, wise sage, please resolve my doubts: is this method of Resurrection truly feasible?鈥
鈥溾€etrieve the soul?鈥
Laine鈥檚 lips twitched slightly; listening to Heracles鈥檚 story, even though the latter hadn鈥檛 mentioned 鈥榯hat person鈥 as 鈥榓 certain god鈥? Laine instantly understood his implications.
Similar events had occurred more than once throughout history, and if as claimed, retrieving the soul from the fourth layer of the Spirit Realm鈥 that surely wasn鈥檛 his real goal.
In fact, even without verification, Laine didn鈥檛 believe for an instant that the so-called soul was actually in the Spirit Realm.
It was most likely an excuse, a means to encourage Heracles to voluntarily explore a forbidden zone not even the gods dared enter lightly.
This mortal burdened with a unique destiny was not so easily fated to perish; this might be the true intention.
Had he not already seen the 鈥榮cript鈥? Laine might have inadvertently allowed Heracles to achieve something unforeseen.
鈥淎s for the method you speak of鈥 it might be theoretically feasible, but in reality, it is impossible.鈥
Speaking calmly, despite his inferences, Laine did not divulge them outright.
After all, these were merely speculations, even if they were highly probable.
鈥淭he destination of souls is indeed the Spirit Realm, but young warrior, with your power and experience, you should be well aware of how fragile mortal things are.鈥
鈥淚f not on the Mortal World, the clash of two deities could turn a thousand miles to ruins. A mere ripple of divine power could obliterate tens of thousands of souls.鈥
鈥淲hether the person who promised you has the ability to take a soul from the Spirit Realm, and whether you can find that specific soul among the myriad, I fear you may not be able to ensure its safety amid fierce battles.鈥
鈥淗owever,鈥 he continued with a faint smile, 鈥渋f you are not concerned with the likelihood of success but merely seek hope, then such an approach might be permissible.鈥
鈥淣o, I certainly hope to succeed, and I must succeed.鈥
Heracles emphasized each word as he gazed at the not-so-robust figure before him.
鈥淭hen regarding what I seek, do you have a solution?
鈥淚ndeed I do, I have three methods that can fulfill your heart鈥檚 desire.鈥
鈥淭he first is the simplest and most brute force; you should know, gods have their world, and humans have theirs.鈥
鈥淯nder the laws of the world, the two are distinctly separate.鈥
Gently lifting a hand, the mural on the dome flipped at Laine鈥檚 fingertips.
The stars and mountains grew more prominent, with images flickering therein as if gods were traversing among them.
鈥淎s you see, only in the gods鈥 world are deities invincible; it is not the same in the Mortal Realm.鈥
鈥淛ust like that Goddess of Agriculture you were meant to save鈥 you could try to find their vulnerabilities, and upon Earth, imprison the gods who come to the Mortal Realm, forbidding their return to the Mount of the Gods where they reside.鈥
鈥淗ow is that useful?鈥
鈥淭heir use is as bargaining chips for your trade.鈥
Calm in expression, as if completely indifferent to the blasphemous words he spoke, Laine said lightly, 鈥淚t is widely known that the Divine King is the ruler of the present world.鈥
鈥淭his may be somewhat exaggerated, but it does have some truth to it.鈥
鈥淚f you can imprison All Gods and force the King of All Gods to bow his proud head and listen to the opinions of mortals, then what you want can certainly be achieved.鈥
鈥淎fter all, the Divine King is always special, and the things they can use for exchange will never be in short supply.鈥
鈥淚鈥斺€
He opened his mouth to speak but didn鈥檛 know what to say.
At this moment, Heracles felt he understood why the gods shunned spellcasters.
Such profane speech, treating deities as goods and trading with the supreme Divine King鈥 the teachings he had received were undeniably at odds with this, and yet for some reason, Heracles felt a bit of yearning in his heart.
Yes, this was what a truly fearless hero should do.
Why should he prove himself to others through trials, and why should he face these hardships?
Are deities really that powerful? Then why do they repeatedly retreat because of mortals.
If there is anything in this world that stands in my way, then a true hero should make all things comply with his will.
Whether it is the gods above or below, if they try to hinder him, they should be crushed one by one!
鈥溾€eh鈥︹€
鈥淗uh鈥擜nd the second one?鈥
Within The Temple, Laine seemed to hear a heavy breath.
However, in the end, Heracles still did not respond directly.
Although he was much younger than the one in the original myth who had a family and career, and also much more valiant and fearless, at least at this moment he did not possess the courage and strength to challenge All Gods.
A gemstone needs to be polished, and so does Heracles.
He may be a natural-born strongman, but even this strength has its limits.
Compared to the future where he temporarily held up the sky with the strength of a demigod, breaking the bounds of Divine Persons, he was still much weaker now.
鈥淭he second method鈥 that no longer requires absolute courage and strength, but only your wisdom will suffice.鈥
Without taking offense, Laine raised his hand again.
The sky and mountains protruding from the dome鈥檚 mural in The Temple were immediately erased, and in the remaining part, the endless Netherworld became the new focal point.
In front of Heracles, endless Darkness and Eternal Night rose and fell, each tide representing a day and night in the Mortal World.
Indistinctly, he seemed to see two figures hidden in the shadows and moonlight.
And every move they made was affecting the changes in the world. 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓹𝓾𝓫.𝓬ℴ𝓶
鈥淗eracles, have you ever heard about the Primordial Gods, about those deities from the dawn of creation?鈥
鈥淚鈥檝e only heard some, such as the rumors about Heavenly Father and Mother Earth.
鈥淩umors say they are the ancestors of all gods, possessing strength second only to the Divine King.鈥
鈥淭hey are the most ancient of deities and are also incarnations of the world. And perhaps they never truly had their own will, for very few humans have seen their manifestations.鈥
Heracles, speaking softly of what he knew, gazed at the mural before him.
Clearly, at this time, the records of the old days had already varied, with different city-states and regions each having their own interpretation.
Besides Athens, which still recorded some official history, what people from other city-states knew had already been distorted.
鈥淪o the Primordial Deities do exist, and Heavenly Father and Mother Earth are not all鈥 The existence you鈥檝e shown me, are they other Primordial Deities, and can they fulfill my wishes?鈥
鈥淵es, but you can鈥檛 use force to deal with them.鈥
With a flick of his index finger, the mural divided.
The Darkness and Eternal Night were artificially separated, while Laine explained with a smile.
鈥淢other Night, she is the sky before the birth of the sky, the canopy that envelops the earth.鈥
鈥淭he world manifests nature, causality, and fate through her, while the other lightless divine entity is the reverse side of the earth, a barrier that isolates Order and Chaos.鈥
鈥淓ach of them can fulfill your wish, for there is little they cannot do in this world.鈥
鈥淏ut facing the ancient gods coexistent with the world, what will you offer to move them?鈥
鈥溾€ou鈥檙e right, this is a problem that can only be solved with true wisdom. And although I am not foolish, I am also unable to fathom the minds of such ancient gods.鈥
The toiling valor that had surged before was temporarily quelled, and Heracles鈥檚 heart steadied a bit.
Perhaps he hadn鈥檛 even realized it himself, but when he took on the task to save the Goddess of Agriculture, powerful in divine strength, there was indeed some pride within him.
The gods are just that; what bounds me to respect them is only the education I鈥檝e received鈥 But upon learning that the Primordial Gods truly exist, the young hero looked up to the earth and the heavens.
He did not lose faith, but he also had to admit there were still many beings in this world that could threaten him.
Bravery and caution are not contradictory; perhaps they are inherently one and the same.
鈥淲hat about the third method?鈥
Unable to achieve the first two, Heracles grew somewhat impatient, but Laine did not leave him hanging.
Raising his hand for the third time, the previous images vanished.
Now, at the dome of The Temple, only the last third of the mural remained.
It was an invisible vortex, as if containing all the malice in the world.
Although he had never seen it before, at that moment, Heracles knew Its name.
Tartarus, the Abyss beneath the Underworld.
鈥淭he third method is the simplest.鈥
鈥淚t requires neither your strength nor your wisdom 鈥 you just need to be hard-hearted enough.鈥
鈥淭hat shouldn鈥檛 be difficult for you, should it?鈥
The voice echoed in the empty temple, stirring ripples of echoes.
But to Heracles, it sounded like a devil鈥檚 temptation.
