Divine Messenger, Oracle

'In the name of the Ice and Snow Goddess, the new generation of humanity shall be spared from the onslaught of blizzards." The essence of the Ice and Snow Goddess silently asserted its presence.

'…"

The gods fell silent, and Athena's expression darkened. It seemed as if this goddess was born to create life!

Indeed, Athena's wisdom and craftsmanship were crucial, but what could be more important for new life than simply surviving?

Moreover, let's not forget that Prometheus himself was also a god of wisdom; what Athena could do, he might be able to do as well.

The daughter of Metis was exceptionally clever and realized that she had lost this round today. However, this goddess, who was already subtly acquiring the title of the Goddess of War, had an extraordinary sense of openness. After a moment of reluctance, she quickly relaxed her expression.

In truth, her pursuit of the assistant position was merely an attempt to spread faith among humans ahead of time. Failing in the competition only meant that her plans would be delayed for a while; it was nothing serious.

Prometheus smiled lightly.

'It seems that everyone has come to a conclusion about the outcome. Now, Goddess Hebe, I will trouble you for the upcoming period."

'I will do my best," Hebe nodded. Having once been human, she had a fondness for this group, and providing them with protection was not a difficult task.

'Goddess Athena, after the new humans are born, I will need your assistance with their education as well."

Prometheus turned to Athena, the implication clear: although he had chosen Hebe as his assistant for creating humanity, he intended to entrust Athena with the enlightenment and guidance of these new beings.

'… That is no problem; Your Majesty need not be polite," Athena replied, her bright eyes flashing with insight. She accepted this favor.

One couldn't help but admire Prometheus's cleverness; in just a few words, he had found a helper, avoided offending anyone, and made Athena owe him a favor. Truly impressive.

Creating new humans was an urgent matter. Shortly after the meeting concluded, Hebe and Prometheus arrived in the human realm.

After years of recovery, and with the God of War Ares having largely eradicated the beasts from the land over the years, the human world had regained some of its former glory.

The lush green trees and fragrant grass flourished, and foxes, wolves, eagles, and lions roamed freely, making the entire land appear vibrant and full of life.

'Princess Hebe, this way, please."

Prometheus led Hebe to the vicinity of the Temple of Delphi, a temple dedicated to the Great Mother Goddess Gaia. This temple had existed since the dawn of time, protected by the divine power of the Earth Mother Gaia, and had been spared from the ravages of time, for even time itself was a daughter of the earth.

The Earth Mother Gaia was not in the temple, but Hebe could still feel the vibrant power emanating from it. She was filled with envy and longing, wondering if one day she could reach such a realm.

Prometheus paid a solemn tribute to the Temple of Delphi and walked to the flowing river in front of it.

This divine river flowed down from Mount Olympus, resembling a jade ribbon. The water was as clear as dew, and the mud at the bottom sparkled like snow, dotted with precious gems like pearls, agates, jade, and gold, all glimmering under the sunlight, creating a breathtaking sight.

'Hebe, the goddess who inherits a great lineage, you who govern rebirth, youth, purification, and healing, undoubtedly have a much deeper understanding of the laws of life than I do. Therefore, I wish to entrust you with the responsibility of granting new life."

Prometheus spoke calmly, his wise eyes gazing at the golden-haired goddess before him, with a hint of subtle tenderness in his gaze.

'This…" Hebe was very tempted by Prometheus's proposal, but bestowing life upon new humans undoubtedly required a high level of comprehension of the laws. 'Esteemed Prometheus, it's not that I intend to decline, but with my current understanding of the laws of life, I fear I cannot provide complete life to the newly born humans."

Hebe expressed her concerns. She had initially only intended to lend a hand to gain some merit and enhance her cultivation, but she hadn't expected to be tasked with such a heavy responsibility right away.

'You need not worry about that." A peculiar-looking bottle appeared in Prometheus's hand. Its shape resembled that of a woman's womb, and intricate divine patterns shimmered on its surface, with an unknown golden-green gem embedded in the center, radiating brilliant light. From it, Hebe sensed an endless flow of life energy.

'The Life Flask!"

It was said that when the world was first born, the earth was barren. The Earth Goddess Gaia held the Life Flask, using its endless seeds and springs of life to sow across the land, nurturing everything in the world, allowing all beings to thrive and reproduce endlessly. This could truly be regarded as a creation artifact!

'The great Mother of the Gods has lent us this artifact to create humanity. With its help, I believe granting life will not be difficult for you."

Not just not difficult; if she could fully comprehend the laws within, Hebe was confident that she could ascend to the pinnacle of the first rank of the life aspect gods, relying solely on her divine powers of rebirth and youth, without needing the Ice and Snow Goddess's essence!

'This… Please tell me your requirements; as long as it's within my ability, I will do it."

A male god she had never met before, offering such a tremendous benefit without asking for anything in return—she didn't believe it at all.

'Hahaha, you are indeed just like your mother—smart and perceptive. No, you are even more outstanding than her." Prometheus gazed at the goddess before him, yet it seemed as if he was looking through her, seeing someone else…

Who is he looking through me to see? Hebe's heart skipped a beat, and she had an unsettling suspicion.

'You…"

'Shh…" The wise-eyed god smiled gently, placing a slender finger over his lips to signal Hebe to stop speaking. 'The wind is a mischievous child."

'…" Hebe understood the implication and ceased to speak, though her heart was already in turmoil.

'Princess Hebe, you need not worry. The Life Flask I lend you does come with conditions. Aside from granting new life to humanity, fate has revealed to me that the human race will face a calamity in the future. Although the veil of fate obscures my vision, I can see that you will play an important role in this."

'So…" Prometheus's expression was rarely solemn. 'I hope you can promise me that, in the future, you will help humanity through this calamity."

…She knew what this calamity for humanity would entail, but she felt powerless to prevent it. It was an inevitable consequence of the transition between the old and new divine powers. The heavens were merciless; beneath the sky, all were but ants, and even the gods were no exception.

'I promise you."

Although she could not change the overall situation, providing protection for humanity and keeping the spark of life alive was something Hebe could do.

'Then I thank you in advance, Your Highness."

'Now, let me help you quickly grasp the laws of life."

Time flew by, and ten years had passed since Hebe and Prometheus descended from the divine mountain to the mortal realm. During these ten years, both gods had been busy.

Prometheus scooped mud and sand from the divine river in front of the Temple of Delphi and placed it into a container made of gold. He took a seed of all things from the Life Flask, crushed it, and golden-green light particles spilled from his fingertips. This was the essence of life contained within the seed. One should not underestimate this small seed; the life force within it was enough for Prometheus to create hundreds of human bodies.

Prometheus sprinkled the essence of life into the mud and sand of the divine river, then poured in the waters of life, continuously kneading with his hands, using his divine power to ensure complete fusion.

Next, he skillfully shaped the mixture into well-proportioned human bodies, taking great care to sculpt every inch of skin with precision.

Prometheus undoubtedly poured all his effort into this task, pausing to admire each completed body. This batch of humans had undoubtedly become Prometheus's most cherished creations.

Meanwhile, during these ten years, Hebe had spent nearly every moment holding the Life Flask, comprehending the laws of life within it.

With the powerful artifact aiding her, her understanding of life advanced by leaps and bounds. However, the deeper her understanding of life became, the more she realized that creating life was not a simple task.

To grant a species life, a deity must possess a thorough understanding of 'life" and be able to apply it reasonably. The interweaving and changes of the laws, along with the mastery of divine power, all required precise calculations, leaving no room for error.

If the spark of life was too weak to sustain the activities of the living being, the body would quickly wither. Conversely, if the spark of life was too strong, exceeding what the body could bear, it would lead to explosion.

No wonder the gods were reluctant to take on this burden; the intricacies involved could drive a god to madness.

At this moment, Hebe had lost all semblance of her former grace. The ethereal white gown she had worn when descending to the mortal realm was now wrinkled and caked with dirt. Her once radiant golden hair, brighter than the sun, now lay dull and lifeless, as dry as weeds, and her pale face bore two heavy dark circles under her eyes.