Atop Mount Olympus, within the temple at its peak, Morpheus found himself surrounded.
The Greek gods encircled him, all present save for Hermes.
"Morpheus, in this battle of gods against giants, you displayed tremendous strength and achieved great results. For your contributions, in the name of Zeus, King of the Gods, I grant you a body beyond mortal limits!"
Zeus had initially considered gifting something like "the authority derived from the God-King" or "the power to command lightning," but realizing Morpheus' magic already accomplished such feats, it seemed redundant and somewhat stingy.
So, in the end, he used his authority to bestow this gift upon Morpheus.
A body beyond mortal limits... this stemmed from Zeus' omnipotent authority as the God-King. Though his authority was only half-complete unless he absorbed all the Greek gods, elevating a mortal's body to enhance all their abilities was well within his power.
With Zeus' proclamation, his words transformed into primal magical energy under the Root's influence, reshaping... or rather, evolving... Morpheus' body.
His previously slight frame visibly gained defined muscle lines in that moment. His spirit was also strengthened, capable of withstanding greater impacts.
Most crucially, his vitality was enhanced. It was as if his health bar, originally at 100, had doubled to 200.
This increase in vitality was something Morpheus valued greatly. By refining his vitality into magical energy and using that to cast spells, the stronger his vitality, the more magical energy he could convert in an instant!
But Zeus wasn't the only one to offer a gift; the other gods weren't stingy either, each presenting their own.
As the Queen of the Gods, wielding authority over fertility and more, Hera declared, "In the name of Hera, I grant you a spirit far beyond mortal bounds!"
This was a gift on par with Zeus', enhancing Morpheus' body and spirit from both angles. Under this boost, Morpheus felt his mental state improve dramatically... as if he could go from needing eight hours of rest to stay sharp to perhaps not tiring even after a dozen hours.
Poseidon spoke, "In the name of Poseidon, God of the Sea, I grant you the ability to walk on water and breathe freely beneath it!"
Though Morpheus could achieve similar effects with water-element spells, he was satisfied with this passive ability.
Athena said, "In the name of Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, I grant you composure and calm!"
Composure and calm were vital traits, a source of strength for moving forward. Such abstract qualities could be bestowed as a buff, and Morpheus found the gods' authorities fascinating. In the realm of magic, he hadn't yet found a harmless way to imbue traits like "composure" or "calm" without directly manipulating someone's mind through hypnosis or similar means.
Next, Hades, God of the Underworld, granted Morpheus resistance to death... not immunity, but protection against instant-death attacks.
Demeter, Goddess of Earth and Harvest, bestowed upon Morpheus the ability to regenerate while on the earth.
Hestia gifted Morpheus a small clay jug filled with milk that would never run dry and always remain fresh.
The gift from the Goddess of the Hearth was, without a doubt, Morpheus' favorite.
Apollo, the Sun God, gave Morpheus a golden bow radiating a faint glow.
Ares, God of War, presented Morpheus with a single-handed sword... not too long, but brimming with palpable power.
Hephaestus, God of Fire and Forge, granted Morpheus enhanced endurance, bolstering his stamina.
Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, bestowed upon Morpheus an enhancement of charm. Though Morpheus felt he was already plenty handsome, this boost seemed less useful. It was likely a form of mental allure, making others perceive him as more charismatic without altering his appearance.
Finally, there was Artemis, the Moon Goddess.
Smiling brightly at Morpheus, she asked, "What do you want?"
Morpheus grinned back. "Anything I say goes?"
"Of course not," Artemis shook her head. "I'm not omnipotent. The most I can offer is myself... that's the limit."
Medea's head snapped up at this, eyeing Artemis warily.
"I'm not a slaver, so I'll pass," Morpheus said, chuckling. "Just give me whatever you think is good. Or nothing at all... we're close enough for that."
Artemis shook her head. "No way. I'm a goddess; I have to give something."
She raised her hands, gently touching Morpheus' eyes, and said softly, "In the name of Artemis, Goddess of the Moon, I grant you eyes that see through all and the ability to hit any target with perfect accuracy!"
This gift stemmed from Artemis' prowess with the bow as the Huntress Goddess, as well as her abilities as a Long Range Interstellar Battlecraft in her physical form. In that moment, extraordinary visual range and pinpoint shooting accuracy were bestowed upon Morpheus.
At that instant, the blessings of the twelve gods manifested on Morpheus simultaneously. He felt his connection to something deepen... a connection to the cause of all, the effect of all, the Root of this small world.
Indeed, this was the Root, the very existence countless magi in the future would seek!
Even if only for a fleeting moment, Morpheus felt its presence. Unfortunately, the brief contact wasn't enough for him to analyze what it truly was.
He could only deduce from the changes in himself.
"In that moment, it felt like my data was recorded. That wasn't an illusion. So, the Root itself serves as something like a record-keeper? I've heard of this somewhere… the Akashic Records?
"If I recall correctly, in my past life, I read that magi who truly contact the Root lose their sense of self, becoming desireless, motiveless 'living corpses.' So why haven't I changed like that? Is it because these are divine blessings, bypassing that side effect?
"Wait, I should ask others who've received divine gifts if they've had similar experiences…"
But who could he ask? The crew of the Argo? That would have to wait.
Morpheus pondered, politely thanking the gods for their gifts.
At that moment, he noticed Apollo approaching with a smile. The man with golden curls had a captivating grin.
"Care to chat for a bit?" Apollo said to Morpheus.
***
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