#628exileAI Model: gemini-2.5-flash
Chapter 626 Exile
"Heracles… My child, you've finally arrived."
Inside the Golden Palace, Zeus casually tossed the Sea Nymph, whose vitality was hard to extinguish, aside.
With a long sigh, the God King's tone was leisurely and full of emotion.
Before him, footsteps echoed from the spatial aisle.
The previous unpleasantness was cast to the back of his mind. Although Heracles had indeed caused him a lot of trouble, Zeus believed it was all worth it.
Because in him, he saw a miracle far beyond his previous imagination, a potential much stronger than he had anticipated.
"The symbol of propping up the heavens, the power of demons, a physique surpassing gods, an unyielding will… You have finally unraveled the secret of your bloodline and solved the last riddle I left for you."
"I know you might have many questions in your heart, but don't rush, I will answer them one by one."
"And in the end, I will bestow upon you glory beyond the imagination of all mortals."
A low voice echoed in the Golden Palace, causing even the God of the West Wind outside the palace to fall silent.
Zeus's regard for this mortal offspring, he had witnessed all along.
Perhaps at first, he was just a chess piece, but now…
He had become a crucial chess piece.
Hmm, that's right.
Zephyrus understood Zeus well; in the God King's eyes, besides himself, there was nothing that couldn't be abandoned.
His devoted wife, unborn children, mortal lovers, and also kingdoms, Life, systems…
So Heracles would be no exception; he was just a little more important than others, that's all.
Thump, thump—
The footsteps ceased.
It took a long time to enter the Myriad Spirit Realm from the outside world, but the time it took to come from the Myriad Spirit Realm to the present world was very quick.
Crimson light and shadow seemed to still be reflected in his eyes, and an immeasurably heavy bronze staff was held in his hand.
For the first time in his Life, the Great Hero arrived at this palace that belonged only to the gods.
And on the high throne, the God King's mood grew even more joyful.
Heracles… Excellent.
Compared to such power and talent, what did the trouble he had caused before amount to?
Although for the God King himself, this martial power was negligible.
But for mortals, this power was unattainable.
And for Zeus, a human who had reached this point in a mortal body was the best representative of his thoughts, which he had never confided to others, and also the cornerstone for him to gain stronger power in the future.
"Bestowing godhood…"
With a burning gaze, Zeus recalled those evil gods worshipped by mortals.
Through faith, he had already grasped the ability to elevate weak gods to powerful ones.
And through Heracles, he would create a monumental lie, making the world believe that he, God King Zeus, truly had the ability to elevate a mortal to a true god!
As the master of royal authority, Zeus clearly understood that the essence of power was the dominion over living beings, and the essence of dominating living beings was the qualification to distribute benefits.
This benefit could be constituted by violence, "I hold the right to decide whether you can survive"; it could also be constituted by temptation, "that is what the living beings of the world crave: power, longevity, immortality, and a noble status like that of a god," which was also what he had always pursued.
Although the God King could not yet achieve this, it was just the beginning.
Once he completely unified everything in the present world, who was to say he couldn't, with Asgard as the core and the God King's power as support, thoroughly accomplish the feat of bestowing godhood?
With the first seemingly true falsehood, he might be able to achieve the seemingly impossible truth.
"Heracles… My most excellent offspring."
With a solemn and majestic face, Zeus looked at Heracles, not stinting his generosity:
"Come up, my child, ask me your questions, I will answer them one by one."
"The moment you were born, I foresaw your extraordinary nature. You would one day come to the realm of gods through your own strength, step by step, until you stood before me."
"This is the destiny of a God King's Son, and it is the grace I have bestowed upon you."
"Answer… my questions?"
His voice was calm. Although he had already seen the surging blood tide in past visions.
Yet at this moment, Heracles still held a glimmer of hope.
Perhaps it was fake, perhaps Zeus had already prepared. After all, even from a self-interested perspective, he didn't need to kill a mortal, did he?
"Then I want to know, Your Majesty, God King."
"Since the gods promised mortals eternal Life after death, where is my mother now?"
"My arrow pierced her chest; this was the greatest mistake of my Life… And now, I'm here to fix it."
"Alcmene?"
Zeus smiled upon hearing this, having guessed he would hear this question.
Yes, it was precisely because of the great sin of patricide that Heraclesvoluntarily began his trials, even though that mistake was not his intention at all.
And he himself had long since prepared for this, seizing the soul of that mortal princess, who was also his blood descendant, and bringing her into the divine kingdom.
He had thought that one day in the future, he would resurrect her, turning her into a spirit or even a constellation, thereby ending Heracles's sins in the mortal world.
"Don't worry, she's fine, she's in Asgard—"
"!"
Just as he was about to reveal her whereabouts, suddenly, the God King's voice abruptly paused.
Alcmene… divine kingdom?
"Asgard?"
His spirit lifted, Heracles asked loudly:
"And now?"
"…"
Speechless for a moment, Zeus suddenly remembered.
He generally stored mortal souls in only two places: either the Asgard Divine Realm or the former Hall of Heroes.
And now, both of these places had problems.
It wasn't that he hadn't prepared in advance; on the contrary, for those souls he valued particularly, the God King had no intention of sacrificing them casually.
But what he hadn't expected was that, despite his true body being in the mortal world, he couldn't return to the God Court immediately when Olympus was attacked.
It was as if all accidents converged on him at that moment, forcing Zeusto be delayed in the void… By the time he returned to the divine mountain, he was too late to do anything.
To prevent those souls from entering the Well of Reincarnation and becoming proof that he could not maintain the covenant between gods and humans.
The God King had no choice but to personally act, using them as sacrifices and erasing their last traces in the world.
"…Asgard has met with an accident. Let's discuss this later; you will get her whereabouts."
Zeus spoke, not wishing to be entangled further.
But before him, Heracles did not accept this response.
Taking a step forward, looking at his father on the throne, the Great Hero remained silent for a long time.
The other party's evasion seemed to have proven something… At a certain moment, he finally asked:
"Alright."
"I'll ask another question."
"In the name of the God King, in the name of the Guardian of Oaths, as the ruler of heaven, earth, and sea, please tell me."
"When I shot that arrow, where were you?"
"…"
The God King remained silent. After a long pause, he spoke indifferently:
"So… are you questioning me?"
On the throne in the Golden Palace, the former smile gradually faded, leaving only majesty.
Located on the highest peak in the world, the God King looked at his most excellent mortal offspring, and an invisible pressure spread throughout the hall.
He could try to show a father's warmth, and he could choose not to care about the various troubles the other party created… But that was on the premise that the other party understood his own identity.
He was the God King's Son, bearing a great mission to this world.
For a greater good, why bother with a small problem?
"Heracles… You should know."
"As my offspring, it was I who gave you the bloodline of a god, who gave you this supreme talent, and who gave you glory surpassing all mortals."
"And all of this, simply because I had such deep expectations for you…"
"So child, I can overlook your slight offense, because you are still too young and do not yet understand the difficulties of the world—but this is not a reason for you to question me, to question your father."
"You should thank me, respect me, far more than anyone else in this world, and not that woman who polluted your noble bloodline."
"Great men do not bother with trifles."
"Retreat, stay in Olympus, and continue to follow the path I have arranged for you. You will eventually become an immortal divine being, becoming the most important cornerstone of my rule over the Myriad Spirit Realm."
His voice was calm and distant. Regarding Heracles's questioning, Zeuswas not as angry as one might imagine.
Humans or gods, most of them were easily swayed by emotions, but he was not like that.
Even though he still couldn't forget Metis's figure, the God King never regretted his actions.
If it weren't for his decision back then, perhaps he would have long since fallen under the schemes of a foreign God King; how could he be who he was today?
Lowering his head slightly, Zeus extended a hand.
"Alcmene's matter was just an accident; I never truly intended for her to die, even for your sake."
"However, since the accident has already happened, let it pass."
"Come, come before me. I will give you glory that all living beings in the world can only dream of but never attain—from now on, you will be free from the mortal world, standing shoulder to shoulder with gods."
"Compared to that, what does the Life and death of a mortal count for…?"
Whoosh—
Stepping back, the heavy bronze staff created a whooshing sound in the air.
Although he had made various mental preparations in the past, hearing such words directly from his father's mouth, Heracles still found it difficult to suppress the emotions in his heart.
This was the God King, this was the source of his bloodline?
"…As your offspring, you only make me feel sorrow."
The staff's shadow swayed, and the Great Hero took a deep breath.
However, standing before him, Zeus merely frowned slightly, with no further reaction.
Unable to understand? That's not surprising, after all, most people are ignorant and trapped by emotions.
But it didn't matter; when Heracles spoke his question, he was already prepared.
He would not treat such a valuable offspring too roughly.
Just like Athena, even though she wasn't always obedient, Zeus was still so lenient with her.
They needed to be disciplined, whether a monarch disciplining a subject, or a father disciplining his children.
So, looking at the staff's shadow swinging towards him, the God King merely spoke indifferently:
"Zephyrus."
Whoosh—
Light and shadow flashed, and the God of the West Wind immediately blocked his path.
And facing a powerful deity who resided on the divine mountain, at the peak of his power, even the bronze pillar that once propped up the heavens could not push back his figure.
"Heracles, my child, you are still too weak."
"You believe you have achieved great things in the mortal world, but before true greatness, what does that amount to?"
Boom—
Stepping down from the throne lightly, the God King's demeanor was composed.
The God of the West Wind's divine power surged, yet it could not approach him by a single hair's breadth.
"See, this is our difference."
"You cannot even reach me, and even if I don't wish it, you cannot even step into the Golden Palace… And even so, my child—how much of the power you rely on truly comes from yourself?"
"Heavenly pillars, demons, evil entities, divine artifacts… They seem to belong to you, but in reality, you are merely their user."
"Besides, even when they were alive, they were no match for me."
"Now that they are dead, what can they do to me?"
Rumble—
The collisions in the Golden Palace grew more intense, and the God King's eyes became more regretful.
What excellent talent, but other aspects still needed refinement.
So, extending his right hand again, looking at Heracles before him, the God King made his judgment.
"This is enough; you've gone too far."
"The starry sky, the sea, and the underworld, as well as countless living beings on earth—you have brought too much trouble to this world, and your reliance comes from my bloodline and power."
"Heracles, your confidence comes from this."
"But they didn't teach you humility; instead, they gave you arrogance."
"Since that is the case, lest you make a grave mistake, I will personally reclaim them."
In the ethereal realm, invisible shackles emerged from the void.
Heracles's power was certainly not bestowed by Zeus, but without those relics belonging to demons, without those powerful weapons, the God King would not be unable to seal a human.
So, mobilizing the power of Olympus, Zeus gathered it in his palm.
You have heavenly pillars, and I also have heavenly pillars, and mine are far stronger than yours, so how can you resist?
Pressing down with his hand, the God King's voice was cold and transcendent.
"The power I gave you, now, I personally reclaim it."
"I will wait for you on the divine mountain, my child… until you understand your mistake, until you return here and swear allegiance to your King."
With one palm pressed down, the world turned upside down.
The power of the divine mountain transformed into an illusion, sealing the bronze staff and Heracles.
Since you cannot see reality now, let reality teach you.
Setbacks, aren't they also a part of Life?
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