Devouring World Dragon.

Chapter 336 The Enslaved Gods

Hermes.

This messenger of the gods, faster than the wind and faster than light, used to frequently travel between Mount Olympus and the human world, and was closest to mortals. However, in recent decades, no news of this deity has been heard from the human world.

When the great hero traveled to this place, he was surprised to find that the disheveled man in front of him called himself Hermes.

"God of Travel? What are you doing here?"

The great hero asked in surprise.

The man who called himself Hermes looked embarrassed and could only offer an explanation.

"Hercules, this has something to do with something that happened when you were a child."

As he spoke, Hermes recounted the story of the great hero's birth, his miraculous birth, the Queen of the Gods' fondness for him, her anger upon learning the truth, and of course, Hermes's fate of being cast down to Earth.

Finally, Hermes lamented.

"Hercules, the king of the gods blamed me for losing you, and thus cast me off this sacred mountain. Now you are renowned among mortals, while I remain imprisoned here, building walls for a mortal king and enslaved by him."

Only then did the great hero notice the chains on the feet of the swift-footed man. Noticing the hero's gaze, Hermes lifted his foot, and the chains on his foot clanged crisply. It was these chains that imprisoned this god, whose speed was unparalleled in the universe, here, unable to leave.

"Who imprisoned you here?"

The great hero pressed for an answer.

"He is the King of Troy here."

Hermes explained.

Why would he imprison a god?

The great hero asked, puzzled.

Most mortal kings are of mixed human and divine blood, so they have always looked down on gods since ancient times. However, to actually imprison a god, even a punished or fallen god, is still a serious crime.

Even great heroes would find it hard to imagine who would dare to be so arrogant and audacious.

Upon hearing this, Hermes sighed again, looking dejected.

"At that time, I was first cast down to the mortal world, stripped of my divine powers, and forced to live as a shepherd in the mountains. I happened to meet King Laomedon of Troy on a hunting trip. A wise man accompanying him discovered my identity and suggested that the king treat me well. So the king took me back to the palace to enjoy delicious food and wine."

"At the banquet, I was grateful for his hospitality and told him about the two magical artifacts I had brought to the mortal realm: an invisibility hat and winged boots. But when I was drunk, he took off my invisibility hat and winged boots, stole my artifacts, and chained my feet. When I woke up, I couldn't escape these chains and was enslaved by him, forced to build an indestructible city wall for him. This has been going on for thirteen years."

As he spoke, Hermes looked pleading.

"Kind-hearted Hercules, you will surely help me escape my captivity, won't you?"

This cunning deity, when asking for help, showed no self-respect befitting a god and simply chose to beg.

He could tell at a glance that Hercules was the kind of guy who wouldn't listen to force; as long as he lowered his stance, he would find it hard to refuse someone's pleas.

As expected, the great hero was extremely indignant upon hearing this, appearing even angrier than the king himself, and berated the dishonest Trojan king.

"Rest assured, Hermes, that shameless king will receive his due punishment."

The great hero acted immediately. He led the God of Strong Feet, whose feet were chained, straight toward the palace. Guards tried to stop him along the way, but he easily shook them off.

The heavily guarded palace could not stop the great hero's advance. He stormed into the palace and finally encountered a middle-aged man wearing a crown.

"Who are you?"

The King of Troy asked in surprise.

The great hero didn't say much, but punched the king to the ground. The dazed king hadn't even reacted before the great hero trampled him underfoot. Hercules rebuked him.

"You shameless king, I ask you, where are the keys you used to imprison Hermes? And where are the artifacts you stole?"

"Hermes? How do you know he's imprisoned here?"

Before the king could react, he only had time to say one sentence before the great hero forcibly pulled him up and forced him to exchange a glance with Hermes, who was following behind the great hero.

But somewhat unexpectedly, the king appeared even angrier.

"Ah, you despicable and shameless thief god, liar god, how dare you trick others into invading my palace."

The king's words made Hercules suddenly realize that there seemed to be something more to it. He frowned, looked at the king in front of him, and then at Hermes behind him.

"King of Troy, tell me what has happened, and I, Hercules, will surely deliver a just verdict."

After regaining his footing, the King of Troy glared angrily at Hermes, but dared not retaliate due to fear of Hercules's power.

Even as the guards and soldiers surrounded him, they appeared to be the weaker party in the presence of the tall and imposing Hercules.

The King of Troy adjusted his crown and then bowed deeply.

"Hercules, I have heard of your renown, and I will now offer my defense. This deceitful god was stranded in the mountains, and I kindly entertained him with a feast, inviting him to stay. But he deceived my queen with sweet words and stole my jewels. So, while he was drunk, I removed his hat of invisibility and took his winged boots, forcing him to build walls for me as atonement. May Zeus and Hera bear witness that everything I have said is true and without falsehood."

Hermes held many divine positions. His speed was unparalleled in the universe, thus he was appointed messenger by the gods. He loved travel and commerce, making him a patron of travelers and merchants. But besides these, he had a notorious vice… namely, theft and lying.

Wherever he went, Hermes, unable to contain his desire, always wanted to steal something.

Legend has it that he stole the whale's feet, the lion's wings, the raven's song, and the human heart... which is why humans always do evil, and only the remaining souls can awaken people's conscience.

Even when he was demoted and in dire straits, Hermes couldn't resist his whims while being entertained. Taking advantage of the king's absence, he used sweet words to deceive the queen, consummated their relationship, and stole the king's favorite agate bracelet.

The king was furious upon learning the truth, but he also knew that if he arrested the deceitful god directly, the god would simply hide behind the hat that no one could find and escape with the boots that no one could catch. So he devised a plan to get the god drunk at a banquet and then imprison him while he was intoxicated.

Ultimately, this thief god, who possessed the two divine artifacts that every thief dreams of, was caught due to carelessness and excessive drinking.

Hercules looked at Hermes with suspicion, and when Hermes was about to speak up, the great hero spoke first.

"Hermes, do not try to deceive me. In the name of my father Zeus, if you deceive me, I will pursue you to the ends of the earth and never give up."

Faced with the great hero's threatening warning, Hermes intended to laugh it off and continue telling his usual lies. But before he could utter a word, he was already being stared at by the great hero's cold, fierce, and lion-like eyes.

His heart skipped a beat, and then he opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word.

Although it seemed incredible, Hermes's shrewd and cunning wisdom told him that if he lied now, he would probably be pursued by the mortal in front of him to the ends of the earth.

After pondering for a moment, Hermes suddenly tapped his head, revealing a feigned foolish expression.

"This... hehe~"

Although he didn't say it outright, it was obvious that the god of speed had tacitly agreed with what the Trojan king said, admitting that he had indeed concealed something before.

Hercules was annoyed, but after thinking it over, he spoke to the King of Troy.

"King of Troy, as you can see, this deceitful god has tricked your queen and stolen your treasures. He has now been building walls for you for thirteen years and has had enough of his punishment. I do not wish for the hatred between the king and the god to last forever, so let me act as the mediator and ask that this deceitful god be released."

The King of Troy seemed somewhat unwilling, but after glancing warily at Heracles, he finally nodded.

"Very well, Hercules, renowned hero, I do not wish to be your enemy. Please leave with this deceitful god."

After Hermes' chains were removed, the king returned Hermes' invisibility hat and winged boots. Seeing that the matter was settled, Hercules nodded and was about to turn away when Hermes, who had been feigning ignorance, spoke again.

"Please wait, Hercules, I have one more thing I need your help with."

"I am not the only one building this wall. Two other gods are also building this wall with me to atone for their sins because of Zeus's punishment. Please help release them as well."

Now, not only Hercules, but even the giant serpent that had been watching the farce unfold from Hercules' shoulder couldn't help but widen its serpentine eyes.

Good heavens, three gods are being punished here to build walls for mortals?

Even the great serpent, who had witnessed many strange and unusual events in the world, couldn't help but feel surprised.

(End of this chapter)