Before the assembled gods could speak, he pressed on impatiently: "I believe you all know why I've called you here today—how important this matter is."
"Yes, the cosmic order we labored to build now faces an unprecedented challenge. Our noble honors are in danger of being stolen."
"A band of thieves intends to seize our honor and drag the entire universe into chaos!"
The God-King tilted his head back and let out a deep sigh. "With the magnanimity and mercy of a God-King, I invited them to join our sacred order. I, Kronos, great son of the Heavenly Father Uranus—"
Here, Kronos turned with reverence toward Mother Gaia. "—son of Gaia, holy Mother of All, promised them honors, overlooking their rebellion and usurpation, asking only that they return to the proper path."
His tone snapped to one of fiery indignation: "But they humiliated me! They humiliated the Titan gods! They humiliated the supreme honor of the entire Titan family!"
"Gods, this band of thieves harbors a terrifying greed and ambition. We can no longer sit idly by while they steal our honor!"
"We must display the unassailable majesty of the gods! We must let every sentient being in the universe know that Titan honor cannot be violated, Titan majesty cannot be provoked!"
He suddenly rose, spreading his arms wide as if to embrace every loyal ally: "My dear comrades-in-arms, help me—just as we once fought shoulder to shoulder. We will be invincible once more and win the final victory again!"
Cunning God-King Kronos spoke in lofty terms, righteous and solemn.
Yet aside from the ever-loyal Iapetus and his two sons, the other gods remained as indifferent as stone—faces impassive, not a flicker of emotion in their eyes.
If there was any feeling, it was ridicule.
Once trust collapses and suspicion takes root, there is no going back.
Now this God-King's character was not worthy of the slightest trust.
Seeing no response to the God-King's impassioned speech and the atmosphere growing painfully awkward, Iapetus stepped forward to break the silence.
"Honored God-King, Iapetus is willing to follow your will. Such thieves are no longer mere rebels; they openly defy the God-King and the Titan family!"
"The gods must immediately strike with all our might and annihilate this band of traitors! The honor of the gods cannot be violated! The God-King's majesty must not be challenged!"
Kronos forced a stiff smile and inclined his head to Iapetus. "My dear brother Iapetus, thank you for your steadfast support. With the great Weaver of Death weaving their demise, we are certain to win the final victory."
Even then, the rest of the gods remained utterly silent, like statues.
The dead stillness seeped through the temple and among the gods, so oppressive it stifled even a god's breath.
The God-King's face grew colder and his heart heavier.
Atlas, that perpetually arrogant second-generation Titan, watched as only the God-King and his father performed a duet no one would answer. Rage surged within him; proud and violent as he was, he could not endure such a chill.
He stepped forward decisively. "Great God-King, it seems many gods have lost the noble honor that was theirs by birth. They have lost the courage to face the enemy and the precious virtue of loyalty!"
Scorn and provocation sharpened Atlas's voice. "They're nothing but a pack of petty thieves. I, Atlas, am willing to fight for you. Under your supreme and invincible leadership, we will surely prevail!"
He gave a disdainful snort and swept a contemptuous gaze over the silent Titans. "As for those timid as mice, who have forgotten what honor even means—let them cower in their comfortable corners and tremble while they watch us win even greater glory once again! When we return in triumph, they will have nowhere to hide their shame!"
In an instant, countless stunned stares fixed on Atlas.
Becoming the target of all, Atlas was not the least perturbed—indeed, he preened.
Mother Gaia was the first to lose patience with the youngster's arrogance.
What place is this? Where does a junior have the right to prattle and strut?
Her verdant brows drew together slightly; a flicker of displeasure passed through her limpid eyes. She lifted her slender, alabaster hand—a small, delicate hand that looked soft and powerless.
In the next breath, that very palm, striking from afar, landed upon Atlas.
With unimaginable force, it swatted the mighty Titan giant from the boundless temple at near-light speed, sending him tumbling end over end into the distance as a bright meteor across the sky.
"Beautifully done!"
Veiled head to toe in the gauze of night, features and form indistinct, the ever-low-key and mysterious Lady Night, Nyx, silently praised "good" in her heart. Her position was too delicate and awkward to do such a thing herself, but Mother Gaia, naturally, could do as she pleased.
Of course, she was far from the only one applauding within.
At the very least, Themis, goddess of Justice, and Mnemosyne, goddess of Memory, wore faint, almost imperceptible smiles on their beautiful lips.
Crius, framework of the cosmos, and Hyperion, father of the celestial bodies, were smiling inwardly ear to ear.
God-King Kronos pretended to see nothing. Iapetus also dared say nothing, shutting his eyes and sitting properly.
Menoetius, who had been eager to pipe up and echo his big brother's showboating, sobered instantly. He dared not utter another word, even slowed his breathing.
It seems even Titans who bear the powers of arrogance and wrath display not an ounce of impulse under absolute force.
Prometheus watched and sighed inwardly. "My foolish brother."
Mother Gaia looked at Kronos without expression, a green glow misting her eyes, without the slightest ripple.
She said bluntly, "Kronos, this is your family matter. I have no desire to be involved. How you resolve it is your affair. I have no interest."
Before her words had faded, Gaia's gaze shifted to Pontus, the sea god beside her. Her tone was calm but carried an irrefusable note. "Pontus, come with me. I have matters to discuss with you."
That irrefusability was not aimed at Pontus.
With that, the Mother of All turned and left. Pontus felt as though a thousand-pound weight had been lifted from his heart—overjoyed, he immediately followed after her without the slightest hesitation, afraid Kronos would open his mouth.
Kronos's expression had grown unspeakably ugly. From the moment the gods entered his temple till now, he had received nothing but humiliation.
This throbbing in his divinity—this feeling that made his very godhood quiver—he had not felt in a very, very long time.
Ever since that wretch appeared, everything had changed.
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