In Cronus, who had once again sunk into a deep slumber due to swallowing 'Zeus', the surface of Mount Olympus regained its former majesty.
But beneath the sun chariot driven by Helios, the undercurrents of Mount Olympus grew increasingly turbulent, and the ambitions of Koios, the god of intellect and heavenly axis, wildly expanded in the shadows like vines.
Inside his temple, Koios dismissed all his attendants. He stood before a fresco outlined with divine power, his fingertips tracing the lines symbolizing life force and decline, his eyes shining with calculation.
"Lifeless... The swallowed 'Zeus' showed no lifeless reaction..." he whispered to himself, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
As the Titan responsible for intellect and the axis of heaven, his perception of 'order' and 'underlying patterns' far exceeded that of his brothers.
When Cronus swallowed the swaddled stone, he acutely sensed that it lacked the vibrant and flourishing life force that a newborn god should possess—only a stagnant and deathly stillness, like... a rock. He
contained his shock and remained silent. Today, this was one of the most important cards in his hands.
"The prophecy is true... Cronus, you have swallowed your own doom!" The fire of ambition blazed in Koios's eyes.
"The real Zeus must still be alive! He is the child of prophecy, the key to overthrowing you in the future!"
But how could Koios be merely an observer or a vassal of the future new God-King?
No, he wanted to obtain the maximum benefit from the coming changes, even... the throne of the supreme God-King itself!
He understood that his own strength alone was insufficient. He needed allies; he had to build his own network of power. His gaze swept over the gods of Olympus:
Koios (the messenger Titan) was devoted to his duties but did not seem enthusiastic about Koios's (the host) looming ambitions;
Iapetus had inexplicably fallen at the edge of the Underworld, and the Soul Divinity was missing—this in itself was a dangerous signal;
Hyperion was immersed in his eternal radiance; the Ocean God system was even more aloof...
His thoughts finally settled on a god who had become renowned in recent years but was rather modest—the plant god, Orphos.
Thinking of Orphos, a flicker of complexity passed through Koios's eyes.
This descendant, brought forth solely by the Earth Mother Gaia, had not only rapidly advanced to mighty divine power but had also touched the realms of [Decay] and [Flourishing].
This was undoubtedly a certain intersection with and encroachment upon his own priesthood of [Growth] and [Intellect].
"[Decay]... Hmph, that should have been a minor part of the growth cycle, but he developed it into an independent divinity... And this [Flourishing] directly touches upon the most fundamental area of my [Growth] power..." Resentment stirred in Koios's heart.
If he weren't afraid of the Mother Goddess Gaia behind him, he might have already 'dealt with' this new god who was too 'active'.
But now, these grievances were overshadowed by larger schemes.
"Orphos... Gaia's favorite..." Koios murmured. "If I can win him over, it means not only gaining an ally with mighty divine power, but also likely obtaining the silent approval or even support of the Mother Goddess Gaia!"
In the process of overthrowing Cronus, Gaia's stance was crucial.
This Earth Goddess possessed power and influence that even the God-King could not ignore.
If he could, through Orphos, draw Gaia to his side, or at least keep her neutral, his chances of ascending to the throne would greatly increase.
"A rising, uncontroversial nature god with origins from the Earth Mother, powerful, and seemingly with no direct interest in the power struggle on Olympus... An ideal target for co-option." A determined smile appeared on Koios's face.
He seemed to see a future day when he would raise high the banner of rebellion, Orphos would lead the power of the earth to stand beside him, Mother Gaia would support from behind the scenes, and he, Koios, would step onto the ruins of Cronus and be crowned the new God-King!
As for whether Orphos was truly as harmless as he appeared? Koios was not without doubts.
Iapetus's death was too strange, occurring at the edge of the Underworld. And in the Underworld, according to some vague rumors, there had been unusual fluctuations in laws recently.
But all this was explained away as the inherent chaos of Tartarus and Iapetus's own bad luck.
He never believed that this gentle-looking plant god was directly connected to the fall of a Titan.
"After all, he's just a god in charge of flowers and trees, at most he forges some weapons, right?" Koios thought dismissively, setting aside the last shred of doubt in his heart.
Having made his decision, Koios immediately began to act. He summoned his most trusted servant and issued an oracle:
"In my name, send my sincere invitation to Orphos, the plant god on earth. Please come to Olympus; I have important matters to discuss regarding the future of the world's life force."
He wanted to meet this 'Orphos' in person, to use interests, vision, and future power to firmly bind him to his chariot.
At the same time, Hades, deep in the Underworld, was processing his newly acquired [Soul] power together with Metis and studying the placement of the Hundred-Handed Giants and Cyclopes when he sensed something.
Through the isolation of the 'Foundation of Gaia' from the Underworld, he could still faintly perceive an influence from Olympus connected to his identity as 'Orphos'.
"Koios..." A flicker of understanding and mockery appeared in Hades's eyes. He could almost guess what this ambitious Titan wanted from him.
"He couldn't sit still," Metis said softly, her wise eyes reflecting the halo of the Styx. "It seems that the 'death' of Zeus and the 'accident' of Iapetus made him see an opportunity and made him eager to find allies."
"He wants to win over 'Orphos' and secure the support of the Mother Goddess Gaia," Hades's tone was level, as if stating a fact unrelated to him. "That is indeed... a good calculation."
"How will you handle it?" Metis asked.
A slight curve appeared at the corner of Hades's mouth, his smile cold and profound. "Since he comes to our door, how could we refuse? This is an excellent opportunity to delve deeper into the rift among the Titans, and even... his ambitions can be used to create more chaos and convenience for our future actions."
He looked at Metis. "Prepare yourself, my queen. I need you to use your wisdom to help me determine how to sow the most beneficial seeds for us within Koios's ambitions. On this trip to Olympus, 'Orphos' will no longer be merely an observer."
He rose, and the divine power of Hades rippled around him, but it was perfectly restrained beneath the disguise of 'Orphos'.
"It's time for the god of intellect to understand that the root system of a 'plant' can be deeper than he imagined, and... darker."
The game of co-option and exploitation, disguise and ambition, was about to unfold on the majestic sacred mountain of Olympus.
And the self-satisfied hunter Koios did not know that the 'key piece' he was trying to recruit was actually a dragon from the Underworld, capable of striking back at any moment beneath the fragrant grass and trees.