#629Shackles and keysAI Model: gemini-2.5-flash
Chapter 627 Shackles and Keys
Falling from the Sky, plummeting into the human world.
The wind howled in his ears, breaking through layers of clouds.
His own weapon pressed against his chest, as if he was carrying a mountain on his back.
His thoughts gathered on his wrist for a moment, then shifted away.
Since gaining consciousness, Heracles had never been so weak.
Because invisible and visible shackles were wrapped around him, restraining the power that could move mountains.
This was the God King's seal. It had once sealed the giants in the First Era, sparking Earth Mother's rebellion against the Sky Father.
It had also sealed the sun in the Second Era, signifying Cronus's mastery over the starry Sky.
And now, it was applied to a human, naturally achieving a better effect… If the former two, though imprisoned, could not have their innate powerful strength overcome by the God King, then Heracles was different.
Although his power was immense, it could not surpass the Hecatoncheires, who were feared by the gods.
In front of the ancient Sun God, he was even less able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun.
So the rules easily bound him, making him as fragile as an ordinary mortal at this moment… Thus, deep in his mind, the Great Hero touched the silver halo.
That was the mark left by the reflection of sprall's mirror, the artifact that brought him to Mount Olympus.
It was precisely because of its existence that Heracles indulged his inner desires and stepped onto the divine mountain without preparation—as long as it was there, he could return the way he came.
Moreover, besides this, he still had a trump card he hadn't used: 'False Immortality'.
Ender had told him that this ritual could only be violently broken by an Original God personally, or by a power of equal standing.
And in the historical images, the God King's true body had long been trapped in Asgard—after he performed his despicable sacrifice.
He violated the oath between gods and men, abandoned his divine morality and honor, and ultimately failed to win.
When he saw this scene, Heracles only felt shame.
His bloodline actually came from such a god, and that being was even the King of Gods.
Bang—
The silver light twisted, and the Great Hero disappeared along the path he came, falling into the Myriad Spirit Realm.
Perhaps it was due to predefined rules, but even the power of sprall's mirror did not return him to his starting point; instead, he appeared at the edge of the Myriad Spirit Realm.
The core of reincarnation is not for outsiders to enter without permission; this is a set rule… Falling onto the bluestone paved surface, Heracles did not move.
He looked up at the four spirit moons in the Sky, silently digesting everything that had happened before.
"…Huh, you're back?"
With a surprised exclamation, Eros flapped her wings, revealing her form.
Looking at the Great Hero lying on the ground, she poked him with the end of her lead arrow, seemingly to confirm if this big fellow was still alive.
"As you can see, little Highness, I have returned alive."
Without getting up, Heracles's expression was calm.
Seeing this, Eros was somewhat surprised and couldn't help but become more curious.
"Hmm? Aren't you surprised?"
"I know what you went to do, and I was waiting for you here in advance!"
"…Perhaps it's because I was too smooth."
Speaking calmly, the Great Hero said directly:
"This is the center of the Spirit World. Before coming here, I had envisioned all sorts of difficulties and dangers."
"But when I walked here, until I grasped the reflection of that divine mirror, I didn't encounter any obstacles… If I ask myself, there must be some reason for this."
"And now, it seems, you, sir, might be one of those reasons."
"…"
Her brows furrowed slightly, and Eros felt very disappointed.
As the Twin Gods of Love and Desire, she loved active, intense emotions the most.
Whether it was fear, hatred, love, anger, surprise, or anything else.
But Heracles's emotions at this moment were too calm, as if he wasn't a being who had just experienced a major upheaval… Blinking, Erosexamined the person in front of her more closely.
A moment later, a look of realization flashed across her face.
"What a powerful seal, is Zeus really that amazing?"
"No, no, it's the God King who is too amazing."
"Hmph, but no matter how powerful the God King is, he cannot stop me with just one seal… I am the Twin Gods of Love and Desire—Eros!"
Reaching out and pressing the Great Hero's arm, in an instant, the senses that had been blocked by the rules reconnected.
It was as if emotions suppressed beneath the sea instantly gushed forth, causing the two arrows at her waist to tremble slightly.
As one of the last traces of the Original God of Love, Desire, and Emotion left in the world, the twins' power often possessed an 'absoluteness' that rivaled Great Divine Power, and in some aspects, even surpassed it.
So, easily breaking the barrier, Eros's eyes curved slightly.
Such intense emotions were her favorite meal.
"Good, as a human, I remember you."
Nodding with satisfaction, Eros looked at the Great Hero.
"I've decided, the arrow I was going to shoot at you before, I'm going to use it to reward you!"
"Besides that, I'll also give you a bonus—your anger and hatred."
"After all, I've been displeased with Zeus for a long time, but the power I've accumulated has never been quite enough."
Taking out a lead arrow from her waist, Eros's expression became a little more serious.
The Arrow of Vengeance cannot be forced; only the person themselves can consent.
"So, human, how about lending me your hatred?"
"You feel it, don't you, the curse Entanglement on this arrow?"
"You are not the first, nor will you be the last."
"I have collected the hatred of more than one being towards the God King… And you, too, can become one of them."
"…As you wish."
He sat up with difficulty, an unprecedented sense of emptiness within his body.
Not caring what Eros wanted to do, the Great Hero simply felt his own state.
He had never been so weak, as if his former power had never existed.
"It's useless, you can't break the God King's seal."
"Considering you're just a human, I even doubt if other Great Divine Powers could undo this seal."
The lead arrow flashed, its color seemingly becoming even deeper.
Satisfied, Eros put it away, seemingly having seen through Heracles's thoughts, but she merely shook her head.
"You are too fragile, I mean compared to immortal gods."
"Even the ritual you have cannot withstand the collision of two Great Divine Powers within your body."
"To undo it, perhaps only your own power being strong enough can achieve it."
"But honestly, I can't imagine how a human could possess such power… All right, you should leave."
Her expression suddenly changed. Having obtained what she wanted, Eros immediately performed a face-changing act.
The Myriad Spirit Realm was not a place for this human to stay, especially since he had now lost his power and could not move freely here at all.
Forcibly staying would only be seeking death, so he might as well go back where he came from…
With a wave of her hand, an invisible repulsive force emerged, and Erosdirectly threw the other party into the human world.
As for why it wasn't the Underworld… naturally, it was because mortals could not survive there either.
Although she didn't care about the lives of ordinary humans, this one, at least, was somewhat special.
…
Another fall, an endless plummet.
When he opened his eyes again, Heracles had already seen the sunlight.
Standing up from the ground, his weakened body had recovered a little.
After all, despite losing his power, the Great Hero was still a strong, exceptionally powerful warrior.
If it weren't for the sudden loss, causing his body to be unable to adapt, Heracles would not have appeared so weak.
His gaze slowly surveyed his surroundings. This was a forest, with no traces of human activity.
Only in the more distant place, an immeasurable dark shadow stood—it was the ruins of a mountain, a divine pillar that once supported the Sky.
Even though it had collapsed, its existence was still unparalleled.
"The center of the continent?"
After careful confirmation, the Great Hero determined that this place was not along any of the routes he had previously traveled.
However, this was normal, for Mount Othrys was so tall that even tens of thousands of miles away, its immeasurable broken peak could be clearly seen.
Having determined his location, Heracles couldn't help but feel a moment of bewilderment.
Most of the mysteries were now solved, but he had also been subjected to Zeus's seal.
So what should he do next, and how could he defeat his father, the God King of Mount Olympus?
The bronze staff that fell with him shook slightly, as if reminding him of something.
But under Olympus's seal, it was now just an ordinary weapon.
Perhaps, in a certain sense, Zeus was right.
For Heracles, who was born with strength far surpassing ordinary people, he indeed lacked something.
He had never been an ordinary person, although he tried to understand ordinary people's thoughts.
He had never been a pure human, because when he was born, he could strangle the poisonous snakes sent by Hera, a talent equal to that of the gods in the heavens.
When gods lose their immortality and power, are they still gods?
The Great Hero could not answer this question.
Because when he faced it himself, he seemed to have difficulty providing an answer.
And this was the source of Zeus's confidence.
He believed that, just like every god, every person who had possessed great power, their confidence was tied to their strength.
As long as their power was stripped away, then one day, they would realize their 'mistake' and bow to the great God King.
Clang—
"Hmm?"
His expression shifted slightly, and Heracles looked in the direction of the sound.
There, a familiar bronze coffin crashed onto the ground.
The lid slid open, and the Goddess of Youth lay quietly inside, like a sleeping beauty.
At the same moment, the Great Hero seemed to see Eros's figure.
'This is my reward for you, happy, right~ La la la!'
Mouthing the words, Eros drew her bow and nocked an arrow.
The next moment, a golden arrow shot through the air, striking the Goddess of Youth's chest.
The arrow entered her body, dispersing instantly like water.
Specks of light then emerged, swirling around the Goddess of Youth.
This goddess, who had successively experienced numerous disasters such as a wizard's sneak attack, the Mother Tree's sacrifice, and an evil entity's soul-eating, finally seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
Her cheeks gradually became rosy, and her breathing became more stable.
At a certain moment, she slowly opened her eyes.
After many days, she finally regained consciousness.
And seeing this scene, although he couldn't quite remember the origin of that golden arrow, Heracles still stepped forward and asked:
"Princess Hebe, are you all right?"
"…"
"He…be…"
"Are you talking about me?"
Her eyes were blank. Looking at the first living being she saw after opening her eyes, the Goddess of Youth's eyes were filled with bewilderment.
But for some reason, when she saw the figure in front of her, a strange sense of trust rose from the bottom of her heart.
He is trustworthy, yes, that's right… So, is her name Hebe?
"You—?"
In front of the Goddess of Youth, Heracles was equally incredulous, looking at Hebe's strange reaction.
Amnesiac god… Can the power of the River of Forgetfulness actually affect a god?
Unaware of the cause and effect, Hebe's situation was the result of multiple factors working together.
The River of Forgetfulness, which permeates the Spirit World, inherently possesses some authority related to Memory. The punishment of the present world's laws and the power of sacrifice had severely damaged the Goddess of Youth's divine body.
The Thousand-Faced Soul Eater's presence had shaken her spirit, and Eros's golden arrow delivered the final blow.
Thus, at this moment, Chaos's first amnesiac innate god was born.
Although this might not be permanent, as the independence and indestructibility of a god's spirit are themselves protected… at least for now, it is so.
In the ethereal realm, even the power of the River of Forgetfulnessstrengthened slightly, and a unique divinity began to spread within its waters.
"Tsk, I'm really too clever."
"Not only did I get the fun I wanted, but I also enhanced the power of the River of Forgetfulness… Now, even if someone finds out later, no one can say I was wrong!"
Her expression brightened, equally not having expected such a result.
Eros had originally only wanted to see how Heracles would react to the love and desire from someone who simultaneously held the identities of 'half-sister,' 'god nourished by Hera,' and 'enemy's daughter.'
But she never expected that Hebe would lose her Memory.
"Hmm… Amnesia is good."
"Indeed, clever as I am, Voros simply can't compare!"
With a laugh, Eros spread her wings and flew back into the depths of the Spirit World.
Today, things were a bit unexpected, and she needed to sort out the River of Forgetfulness first.
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