Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

Without much thought, Helios slightly lowered his head, avoiding Zeus's gaze. He couldn't fathom the reason behind it, but that didn't prevent him from sensing a bit of unease.

"You don't need to concern yourself with Apollo any further. His connection with humans isn't that deep, certainly nowhere near Prometheus's level, and since I have allowed Hestia's followers to interact with mortals, there's no need to stop Apollo."

Zeus waved his hand, signaling that the God of Sun was dismissed. As for the fame that Apollo had left behind in the mortal realm, it was actually a good thing for the Divine King.

After all, he wasn't Poseidon or any other deity, he was the son of the Divine King, and once the other's identity became public, all the fame that Apollo had gained would partly fall to Zeus. After all, it was all a 'trial' given by the Divine King himself.

"Come to think of it, this could also be a decent strategy?"

His eyes brightened as he watched Helios's retreating figure, Zeus suddenly realized that Apollo's behavior could be further extended.

The other was at least a god, so even if he was his son, the achievements would not all be credited to the Divine King, for it's not unusual among the gods for offspring to surpass their parents. But if he could have some demigod progeny, or merely descendants with divine blood, that would be different.

Moreover, for those humans who had already established steady dwellings, Zeus was considering how to spread his faith.

His previous idea was to stage a divine revelation—a storm would suddenly arise, torrents of rain would fall, and mortals would be at a loss, then someone who had received a 'revelation' would step out, suggesting that everyone should pray to the great King of The Thousand Thunders.

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Afterward, he would go through various tribulations, and finally, Zeus would descend a miracle, granting them the power of divine arts.

It was an inspiration he got from Hestia's followers; feeling somewhat envious of the humans' piety, the Divine King wanted to replicate it. Everything would come from the mortals' own pleas, not from his initiative—a quite good idea indeed. But now, the Divine King suddenly realized he had another method.

Not only was it useful, but it also appealed to his own wishes. If 'work' and 'hobby' could be combined into one, that wouldn't be a bad thing.

"Perhaps making the kings among humans into descendants with my divine blood would be a more permanent solution?"

He cast a glance at another splendid palace, the Divine Palace of Hera. Zeus could already anticipate her reaction, but it hardly mattered.

He would give it a try, and if it proved effective, only then would he really start his plans after Apollo returned.

As for how the first 'experiment' would turn out... that was not the Divine King's concern. If the subject were a god, he might need to consider the perceptions of the other deities. But for a mortal, whatever he did, the gods would, at most, find him somewhat ridiculous without any further thoughts.

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A single whim from Zeus could be a disaster for mortals, but for the gods, it was just another topic of casual conversation.

Perhaps because Zeus hadn't shown his true formidable power for a long time, the other deities gradually became less hesitant to discuss matters relating to him—like the once Metis.

The gods lamented that Hera's progeny had already been born, and although not yet grown, his sharp godhood undoubtedly indicated his distinction; yet, Metis did not leave behind any offspring of her own, and even the God of the Ocean and his spouse didn't seem to care much about her.

—And such as the Divine King's history of infidelity and Queen Hera's anger, which seemed to have become an old tale. Previously, it had been confined to discussions among the gods, but unexpectedly, this time, Zeus had turned his attention to mortals.

Near a newly established human city-state, the Divine King once again did what he does best. Inachus, the king of Pislatius—the monarch who led his people to clear the wilderness and establish their home—had a beautiful and captivating daughter.

Her name was Io. Although she did not possess a transcendent physique but only that of a mortal, her beauty was such that it could move the hearts of deities, a graceful and alluring figure. Yet, as with every such woman recorded in later myths, her beauty did not bring her happiness but instead brought calamity.

Zeus came to the mortal realm; he wielded his authority to gather the clouds, shielding away the gaze that Helios might have cast from his Sun Chariot. Then, in the meadow called Lerna, the Divine King successfully impregnated her with his first demigod offspring.

His experiment was a success. As Zeus's bloodline was conceived in the body of the royal human, he felt a faint connection beginning to form. But this link was still unstable because Io was only a princess, and this was just a common city-state among the new generation of humans. He still had more to do.

He needed his progeny to become the future ruler of this human city-state, to make this descendant with divine blood a clear sign of divinely sanctioned kingship. Starting with him, the future of humanity would see more rulers bearing his lineage, and the Divine King's presence would penetrate every corner of human society.

One day mortals might even equate 'Zeus' with 'king,' thus achieving his grand endeavor.

But although everything seemed well-conceived, this was after all just a trial. Faced with the raging Hera, Zeus still chose to take a step back for the moment.