Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

“Hmph,”

With a snort, Pandora turned away from her foolish husband and headed towards the room. She didn’t want to speak any further with Epimetheus.

Behind her, the God of Hindsight didn’t get angry. He just smiled and followed Pandora into the room.

······

The Three Graces had left, but things didn’t stop there. From that day on, for some reason, even though her two sisters showed little interest, Thalia, uncharacteristically, often visited the residence of the God of Hindsight, to see her newly made ‘good friend.’

For some reason, she hardly ever encountered Epimetheus. Each time, he would be away for various reasons, but this suited Thalia just fine; after all, she wasn’t there for the God of Hindsight.

She borrowed a Golden Crown from the Heavenly Empress, the Scepter of Wealth from the Goddess of Agriculture, had a garland made by the Mother Goddess, and even borrowed Aphrodite’s belt, the Divine Artifact that could make all the opposite sex fall head over heels. Besides the Goddess of Law who was recently not in Olympus, she had visited almost every deity of some stature.

Even she herself was somewhat surprised by the outcome. Whenever she made her requests, these powerful deities all agreed to lend her what she sought. Thalia didn’t give it much thought, though; she simply assumed it was out of respect for the Divine King.

Good things, naturally, should be shared. So, with each treasure she obtained, she would bring them to show her ‘good friend’ Pandora.

This behavior undoubtedly infuriated Pandora. She complained to her husband about it, but as the rumors among the gods suggested, the dull Epimetheus didn’t realize Thalia’s ‘nefarious intentions.’

Instead, he found it strange. Shouldn’t it be a joyous occasion when a good friend comes to show you treasures?

Feeling helpless, Pandora gave up on the idea of getting help from her husband. As a non-goddess, with Olympus closed to her, and without the power to meet other deities, she grew even more angry.

Time continued to flow, and within the tribes of Humans, as well as among the deities, many changes occurred.

Within Aurora City, tall walls had been erected, and people often dared to venture into the wilderness only in groups of three to five, dressed in crude protective gear made from animal hides.

But, there were some who were different. One day, the priests at the top echelons of Aurora discovered unsettling elements within the city they governed. These individuals possessed physiques far superior to the carefully selected guards, able to kill fierce beasts with claws and fangs on their own.

They gathered around a man named Cohen, listening to his tales of the Golden Age, the virtues of the Golden Humanity, and they followed his teachings to hone their bodies and combat skills.

This surprising development left the priests greatly astonished. However, after consulting with the High Priest Momon, who dwelled beside the new Sacred Fire, the latter’s response was ambiguous, seemingly with no intention of taking action.

Some priests didn’t understand why, but many more knew they had already become ‘insiders’ with Momon. The mysterious figure shrouded in black mist had warned them not to provoke that guy, so they all supported the High Priest’s decision.

And thus, a strange phenomenon arose: an apparently uncontrolled small group emerged within Aurora City, yet curiously, it was overlooked by the city’s administrators.

In this context, both parties did not interfere with each other’s affairs, each busying themselves with their own tasks.

However, unlike the priests, Cohen, despite being immersed in various affairs, did not feel happy.

All along the way, his steadfast beliefs from the past had been shattered over and over again. Once, the words of the gods were the truth, but now, he felt everything was quite the opposite.

What the gods had said seemed rarely true.

He noticed that special group entrenched in the upper ranks of Bronze Humanity. Every so often, some Humans would be imbued with that unique bloodline aura. Cohen initially wanted to stop it, but then he gave up.

The abilities stemming from the special substance within his body could influence emotions to some extent, making people filled with hope or desolation. It also allowed him to perceive others’ feelings more clearly. To his disappointment, those humans tainted with the special aura were far from virtuous.

There was no coercion, only temptation. Cohen had even witnessed someone drinking the black blood out of their own free will.

“Evans, do you think the path humanity is taking now is the right one?”

Feeling a bit lost, Cohen asked this to the first Bronze Human he met on a leisurely afternoon—also a good friend he had made over the past years.

He hadn’t expected an answer, but surprisingly, Evans responded seriously,

“I don’t know, Cohen, but if you think it’s not right, why not do something about it?”

“Do something?”

“Yes. I always feel like you’re lacking a goal. Despite teaching us how to fight wild beasts here, I bet you wouldn’t have come up with that idea if I hadn’t seen the power you displayed that day.”