Greece brings evildoers.

Chapter 681 Bombing the Giant Squid

On the desolate wasteland, ash from the burning fire swirled and billowed, and the acrid smell of burnt protein filled the air.

Pandora materialized from thin air, standing behind Lorne, her face filled with astonishment as she gazed down at the dark, desolate land below.
"You're going to kill them all?"

"They broke the agreement first; I was just collecting debts according to my vow."

Lorne glanced at Pandora and asked in return:
"What? You pity them?"

"Not at all. I'd rather see these ungrateful wretches die sooner than you do."

Pandora shook her head without hesitation, then asked with some doubt:
"However, didn't you plan to use them to enter Canaan and drive a foothold into the Persian Empire's territory? Now that all these Canaanites are dead, won't that affect your subsequent plans?"

"Canaanites? Aren't these them?"

A mysterious smile appeared on Lorne's face as he slightly raised his hand forward.

Immediately, the magic circle set up on the mountaintop hummed and started operating, and the light-shaped gate slowly opened. One by one, men, women, and children lined up in neat rows and walked out of the Garden of Eden.

They crowded around Lorne, bowing their heads as if in pilgrimage, and solemnly chanted in unison:
"Father God!"

The sound resounded across the wilderness like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing, conveying an unprecedented respect and affection.

That was by no means the superficial perfunctory prayers of the previous Canaanites, but a devout worship bordering on fanaticism.

Because it was this savior who built the ark of salvation and the paradise where they lived, enabling them to survive the great flood that destroyed the world.
It was this emperor who loved his people more than the divine cause, twice giving up the world's essence that he had obtained for them;
It was this person who single-handedly shielded them from the pursuers and drew them away, ensuring that even the weak deserve the right to live!

Therefore, the figure before us deserves this respect and admiration.

Pandora suddenly realized:
"Babylonians? So what you really want is the identity of those Canaanites, not them themselves!"

"nonsense!"

Lorne rolled his eyes at Pandora and snorted coldly:
"Infiltrating the Persian Empire is a matter of great importance. If they weren't our own people with unwavering faith, would I dare to use them? These Canaanites can betray Egypt, which has shown them kindness, and their covenant Father [Il]. They can easily betray me too. If we rely on them to succeed, we might not even know how we died."

In fact, before deciding to go to Egypt to subvert the Canaanites, he had already consulted with the Babylonian gods and made plans for the Babylonians to switch the cannons (see Chapter 81 for details).

After all, the Canaanites in history were utterly unscrupulous, and Lorne naturally dared not truly trust these ungrateful wretches without any moral compass.

Therefore, he made a pact and set up a test, hoping to take the opportunity to eliminate the internal cancer and preserve a relatively clean spark.

However, unexpectedly, these Canaanites were rotten to the core:

Before they had even finished their journey home, they repeatedly broke their vows and even brazenly forged and worshipped a new god.

Realizing that the other party was beyond saving, Lorne extinguished the last trace of pity in his heart, decisively summoned the angelic army, launched the [Doomsday Judgment], completely annihilated these potential dangerous elements, and chose to completely replace them with Babylonians.

However, in a sense, the Babylonians who escaped the Great Flood and came out of the Garden of Eden seem to be closer to the description of "God's chosen people" than the Canaanites who betrayed their faith and fled to Egypt.

Historically, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity all venerate Abraham as their ancestor and prophet, and are therefore collectively known as the "Abrahamic religions."

According to the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament, Abraham originally lived in Ur in Mesopotamia. Later, at God's command, he migrated to the land of Canaan with his wife Sarah and his nephew Lot. God promised this land to Abraham and his descendants and made a covenant with him, requiring him and his descendants to dedicate their faith to the Lord and serve Him faithfully.

As an important city of the ancient Sumerian civilization, Ur was located within the territory of the Babylonian Age of Gods, and its inhabitants were naturally genuine Babylonians.

Lorne gazed at the scorched earth below the mountain, a hint of irony flashing in his eyes.

So, is it also a kind of historical fact on another level?
At this moment, after a brief moment of thought, Pandora couldn't help but remind her:

“Your concerns are not unfounded, but don’t you think it’s too risky to send Babylonians to impersonate Canaanites and infiltrate the Canaanite Age? What if they are discovered?”

"Then tell me, what's the difference between these Babylonians and the Canaanites you've seen?"

Pandora was stunned, staring at the faces before her that were both unfamiliar and familiar, and was speechless.

Because the Babylonians and Canaanites were geographically close, shared similar climates and lifestyles, and had frequent cultural exchanges, both were typical West Asian peoples with remarkably similar appearances.

Therefore, it is difficult to distinguish the differences based on appearance or behavior.

After a pause, Pandora raised another question:

"What about accents and language?"

"The Canaanites have lived in Egypt for so long, their accents and languages ​​have been affected, so it's normal for them to have some discrepancies, right?"

"In terms of aura..."

“This is easier.”

With a slight wave of his hand, Lorne caused the ashes drifting across the wilderness to merge into the bodies of the Babylonians, concealing their original origins.

Pandora remained unconvinced and raised further questions:

"Although your considerations are very thorough, and their disguise is perfect, such methods may not withstand repeated scrutiny from the gods. What if..."

Lorne glanced at Pandora and asked in return:
"Do you care how many ants under your feet are born, grow old, get sick, or die every day, or how their population increases or decreases?"

Pandora shook her head instinctively, then realized what was happening.

Just as she wouldn't care about the reproduction and life or death of the ants beneath her feet, the high and mighty gods have never truly cared about the humans on earth.

Because to them, humans are no different from ants, and are not worth much attention.

But what seems harmless is often the most deadly.

Pandora was completely convinced of her meticulous boss's abilities and had no more worries.

Subsequently, under the guidance of Lorne, the Babylonians renewed their covenant with God on Mount Sinai.

This time, there are not only the Ten Commandments as the general outline, but also the Book of Covenants which provides explanations.

This work, also known as the "Divine Canon," is a legal text based on the Ten Commandments. It concisely emphasizes moral life in society and at home, protects human rights, and includes provisions on slavery, the handling of murder, the treatment of thieves, care for the distressed, the handling of disputes, and the observance of the Sabbath and festivals. The law reveals God's righteous and gracious nature and contains a high level of moral and legal governance.

Next, there are the regulations for the sanctuary and the establishment of various rituals. It is hoped that God's people will not only obey the law and live a moral life, but also serve God according to His will and live a life of worship.

As all the Babylonians present made their vows before the Ten Commandments and the sacred texts, completing the ceremony, the divine symbols inscribed on the clay tablets lit up.

Thousands of golden dust particles merged into their bodies and minds, completely imprinting them with the mark of the Canaanites and weaving a memory of the past.

Memory is the most unreliable thing.

Because it will deceive us.

Science shows that memory tends to selectively retain only information that is beneficial to us and conforms to our expectations. For example, when we try to recall a past scene, we are unlikely to be sure that we remember the truly important details, but will only remember what matches our imagination.

Therefore, when we are immersed in memories, we may not truly remember the most crucial and relevant details. The selectivity of memory makes us easily overlook truly important information, remembering only those fragments that conform to our expectations and predictions. This deceptive memory makes our understanding of the past incomplete and may even mislead our judgments and decisions. As the chief god served by the nine Muses, Lorne undoubtedly also wielded powerful divine authority over memory.

Right now, he is using this power to create flawless identities for the Babylonians under his command.

Of course, before the plan was carried out, these Babylonians had already learned from this father god what price they would have to pay and what mission they would have to bear.

Those who were able to leave that paradise and come to Mount Sinai were undoubtedly mentally prepared.

Therefore, none of the Babylonians before the altar resisted or questioned, but instead bowed their heads in humility and accepted this divine grace.

As the sun set, the smoke and thunder on the mountain dissipated.

The believers rose and placed the two covenants, which had lost their light, back into the ark.

In fact, the clay tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments and the divine scriptures were not ordinary objects, but rather the Babylonian "Destiny Tablets".

Because only what carries destiny can disturb destiny.

Lorne raised his eyes, his deep gaze fixed on the faintly visible Canaanite border:
"Let's go, I should take you home now."

People cheered as they carried the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the same old Canaanite-style clothing, and followed in the footsteps of the prophet Moses on their long-awaited journey home.

That was not just the legendary Canaan, but also the former Babylon.

but……

Pandora, standing in the crowd, frowned, glanced hesitantly at Lorne, and whispered:

"My lord, now that both Canaan and Babylon are part of the Persian Empire, will they agree to take us in?"

"They will."

Lorne answered calmly, his voice not loud, but with absolute certainty.

~~
Several days later, in Babylon, in a magnificent Persian palace.

Cyrus closed the manuscript in his hand and looked with amusement at the old man holding a wooden cane in the courtyard:

"You are Moses? You are the one who wanted to see me?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Lorne nodded in response, looking at Cyrus on the throne with equal interest.

He was tall and imposing, his robust physique exuding a commanding presence. His short beard was meticulously trimmed, and his jawline was sharply defined. His characteristic Persian olive skin radiated health, and his thick, black curly hair cascaded to his shoulders, adorned with a gold headband inlaid with lapis lazuli. On either side of his deep-set, aquiline nose were a pair of sharp, amber eyes, their pupils displaying strange golden patterns in the light, a testament to divine favor.

Furthermore, he wore a white linen robe with purple trim, a gold belt with a lion's head and inlaid with rubies around his waist, and a scarlet cloak symbolizing royal power draped over his left shoulder. His large hands were calloused from sword practice, and a light-colored, diagonal scar on his left brow bone added a touch of battle-hardened toughness to his refined features. On the ring finger of his right hand was a silver ring engraved with Persian script.

"I, Cyrus, am the King of the World, the Great King!"

Lorne silently read the inscription on the silver ring and chuckled to himself.

It is clear that the founder of the Persian Empire was very proud of his achievements.

After all, the Persian Empire, which he built from scratch, was the first vast empire in human history to span Asia, Africa, and Europe, with a vast territory and a large population. Even the gods bestowed their blessings and protection upon it, enabling the Persians to win battle after battle and become virtually invincible.

At this moment, Cyrus looked at Lorne in the hall and asked with a playful expression:
“You defied the will of the gods, leading the Canaanites out of Egypt, committing such a grave crime. Tell me, how should I deal with you and your people?”

"Since we have entered your land, we are naturally your subjects and should respect your laws. How to deal with us is naturally up to your holy judgment."

"Leaders, huh? That's quite a way of putting it."

Cyrus chuckled and said in a deep voice:
"How about we send you back to Egypt?"

"If this satisfies you and benefits the empire, we sinners will have no complaints even if we die."

Lorne paused, his tone becoming meaningful:

"But the Egyptians probably won't think that way; they'll just think you're weak."

Cyrus slammed his fist on the table and stood up, a look of anger flashing across his face:
"How dare you! Egypt and Persia are allies who stand together through thick and thin, and have always been of one heart and one mind. How dare you sow discord between them!"

There are never any permanent allies in this world.

Lorne spoke up in rebuttal, his gaze calm:

"Back on the Chaos Sea, the gods of West Africa and Egypt, vying for the world's essence, brazenly attacked the Great Ming Lord Zarwan. If you and the Empire wipe out the remaining enemies on the European continent, will they truly remain submissive? And the current Pharaoh Ramses II of Egypt is a monarch of great talent and ambition; contentment in a corner is definitely not his style. Therefore, once the external threats are eliminated, Egypt will inevitably want to expand. Looking around, where should he obtain the land he covets?"

Cyrus's brow furrowed as he recalled the borders and geographical distribution of the various pantheons.

From a military perspective, the most time-efficient and effortless route for Egypt to expand would be to start by land, cross the Sinai Peninsula, seize both banks of the Jordan River, and gradually take over the Canaanite civilization.

Then came the Babylonian Age of Gods, and—Persia itself!
Seeing Cyrus's expression change, Lorne immediately added fuel to the fire:

"I am not trying to incite you to question the loyalty of our allies, but it is always wise to be cautious."

"Being wary of others? What about you?"

Cyrus looked at Lorne in the hall, narrowed his eyes, and asked in return:
“I remember that it was the will of my God to send you to Egypt. Do you Canaanites not feel ashamed?”

"To be honest, some of our people do feel resentful. But as lambs who have lost their masters and hunting dogs, we have no right to question the gods' will. We only wish to return to our homeland and live peacefully. If you can show mercy and allow us to bask in the glory of the empire and settle in our homeland, then the Canaanites will henceforth be your vanguard, guarding the land of Canaan for you. Besides, we have lived in Egypt before, so we are quite familiar with its terrain and the Egyptians' way of thinking..."

Lorne's answer was exceptionally sincere and profound.

Cyrus's eyes flickered after hearing this.

These were lambs without claws or sharp teeth, whom even the Canaanite gods had abandoned.

Even during their escape, they could only turn to the deceased origin god, [Ile], for help.

For the empire, there is no danger in accepting them.

On the contrary, Egypt was the empire's greatest threat after conquering the five great pantheons of Europe.

Cyrus touched the inscription on the silver ring, a warm smile spreading across his tense face. He stepped down from the throne and helped the prophet who had spoken up for the Canaanites to his feet.

"I am aware of the Canaanites' repentance, and I will report this to the gods. Until then, you and your people should settle near Mount Zion."

"Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty! May the gods be with you!"

Lorne knelt in gratitude, a hint of barely perceptible mockery flickering in his eyes, which were hidden in shadow.

The plan is done!
(End of this chapter)