Zeus's grace is higher than the sky

Chapter 251 Endless War

Among the twelve variables, each variable has its own unique characteristics. Among them, Cenatos, the Titan of Death, also known as the Hand of the Ashes, is the controller of death in Onphalus. What makes her special compared to the other variables is that she has more memories of her past lives, which naturally includes her most important relative, her sister from her previous life.

The soul belongs to the realm of death. Senatos reshaped his sister's soul based on his memories of his past life, sharing the power of death with her, and sent her to the mortal city-state of Stikosia in the form of the dragon Polycesus, a city-state that had grown weary of endless lifespans during the Golden Age.

However, ever since Death entered Ompharos, birth, aging, sickness, and death have been the unchanging laws. When Cenatos brought Polykes into the human world, the power of death was divided in two. The elder sister, who received Cenatos' power to "grant death," descended to earth from Polykes' womb, while the younger sister, who remained in the form of a dragon, left behind the fate of "refusing death" and cut off the flow of the River Styx.

After that, the dead could only remain stranded in the River Styx, which is why Zeus summoned Ereshkigal. Until the dead were reunited, Ereshkigal would take the place of the divided dead and fulfill their duties to alleviate the suffering of the dead.

The outbreak of the first large-scale war terrified all of Onphalus, and the horrific sight haunted those who witnessed it for the rest of their lives.

But the conflict cannot be erased by this fear. Even if it is avoided, wars will spring up like mushrooms after rain, spreading throughout Onphalus amidst the bloodshed and strife.

One of the tribes displayed its courage in the struggle between [Conflict] and [Sky], earning the favor of [Conflict]; they were the later Suspended Edge Dynasty.

Witnessing his own creations fighting each other and even losing their precious lives, Kefaller couldn't help but shed tears of blood.

The falling tears of blood led to the final variable entering Onpharos [Flying Coin], representing Zagreus [Trickery].

For the next thousand years, wars broke out constantly, and death became the norm on this land.

Even Chiron, known as the Sage, was powerless in the face of this situation.

One night, Chiron went to the Garden of the Tree of Gods and met Zeus with the sages of the seven great schools who had inherited the will of Cyrus, praying to the god of infinite wisdom for a solution to save the people of the earth from suffering.

Zeus's answer, however, disappointed them and even drove them to despair.

"This is a normal development pattern and it is necessary."

Admittedly, the conflict arose because the overpopulation of Onphalus became unsustainable. Even though the rapid technological advancements of human civilization, guided and aided by Zeus, slowed this down to some extent, the inevitable would eventually come. The conflict would eventually escalate, and war would inevitably break out.

"The contradictions cannot be completely eliminated, and the situation is not solely caused by so-called overpopulation."

The establishment of city-states laid the foundation for the status of the nobility. The huge gap between classes led to the differentiation of wealth. Ordinary people could barely make ends meet even if they worked themselves to the bone, while the noble class enjoyed themselves all day long and still had mountains of gold and silver. As if by instinct, all the nobles learned the skills of exploitation and oppression without being taught.

Class contradictions, religious contradictions... countless contradictions accumulated over time, and the outbreak of war was simply an inevitable result.

Extraordinary power and knowledge not only set nobles apart, but also became their tools for maintaining their power and status.

With the outbreak of war, a new and sinful word appeared on the land of Onphalus—slave.

The term originated from the third variable brought by Zeus, a member of the shining constellation of humankind, a significant figure in human history, the pioneer of the stars, Columbus who discovered the New World, and also an evil slave trader.

"Oh ho ho, what a wonderful time! I am so grateful to you, great God, for bringing me here. War, endless war!"

War always produces prisoners of war and defeated parties, both of whom become slaves. War also requires a large number of soldiers to fill the gaps. In Columbus's eyes, both the supply of goods and the market were a boundless blue ocean.

Columbus's exceptional talent as a slave trader allowed him to quickly build a powerful and influential business, attracting the attention of rulers in various city-states, including Chiron of Ohma.

Chiron remained even after the seven sages had departed.

"Lord Zeus, if I may be so bold, why would you summon such a heroic spirit?"

Even though slavery was an inevitable byproduct of war, Chiron still couldn't stand Columbus's reckless behavior.

However, the nobles in the city-states secretly colluded with each other, and the wars between city-states also required the existence of slaves. Although Chiron hated the evil of the existence of slaves, he had no choice but to use them.

"How do you think the conflict should be resolved?"

Zeus did not answer, but instead asked Chiron a question.

Chapter 252 Arriving Here

"The existence of slaves has a wide-ranging origin, even extending to the system itself in the world of Onpharos. Of course, I can also use my power to make slaves disappear."

But that was meaningless, Chiron understood. If they relied on the power of the gods to erase the birth of slaves, the people of Onphalus would only have two futures.

The first type is like a child who never grows up, forever eking out a living under Zeus's wings.

The second possibility is that when Zeus abandons or leaves them, the seeds of the slaves' sins will sprout a thousand times more than they do today.

"Another method is to accelerate it. Slavery is dark and bloody, but it is in line with the laws of the present in Onphalus. Since that is the case, we should speed up the process of Onphalus and intensify the contradictions. The more intense the contradictions, the more they will urge people to solve them."

This is the significance of Columbus's existence. Unlike Chiron and Arele, who were there to help the Omphalos, Columbus's purpose was to create a universally known and heinous enemy, and to promote the development of Omphalos through the progress made in defeating him.

“I understand, Lord Zeus.”

In the midst of endless war, within just a few years, Onphalus was devastated.

In a corner unnoticed by anyone, a phenomenon known as the "Kuroshio" began to emerge.

A young girl named Xia Die was entrusted by Queen Stikosia to her friend Amenette, a believer in Aidiria, to become the war goddess of this city-state where faith had died.

During this period, Columbus's slave-trading empire expanded to unprecedented levels, even surpassing the strength of any city-state except Ohm. Although the city-states attempted to form a united army to attack Columbus several times, they failed due to issues of profit distribution or coordination. This further fueled Columbus's arrogance, and the slave market reached its greatest extent in Onphalus's history.

Slave revolts continued one after another, but faced with city-states backed by the Titans, the slave revolts made no progress for many years and only intensified.

Chad received several years of education in Aedria. Elder Amonnet had been trying to teach Chad how to view death, but Chad, who was born different from others, could never find that perspective on death.

During a slave revolt, the gates of Aedria were breached. Although the slaves were quickly suppressed, it caused great chaos in Aedria. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Xiaodie left the city-state and traveled around the outside world.

During her travels over the next few years, due to her ability to "bestow death," Xiaodie's arrival was not welcomed. Almost everyone was eager to drive her away after learning that she would bring death.

More than a decade later, when Xia Die arrived around the Divine Enlightenment Tree Garden, her extraordinary aura made her shine like a beacon in the darkness in the eyes of the sages.

"Go and invite her in."

The oracle appeared before everyone without warning.

Xia Die was thus invited into the deepest part of the Divine Enlightenment Tree Garden.

"Is this the demigod of [Death]? He's such a cute child."

Golden butterflies danced around the celestial butterfly, illuminating it with their radiance.

Xia Die looked up with a confused expression, only to see three people appear before her. They were the three gods worshipped by the Divine Enlightenment Tree Court—Zeus, Serses, and Meneta, who were hailed as the three most intelligent and wise beings in the world.

"Half of [Death], what answers do you seek by stepping into this place?"

Chapter 253 The Realistic Significance of Death

Gazing at Zeus, who exuded endless majesty, Xia Die subconsciously asked the question she had been searching for all along.

What is death?

Rather than a literal description of death, Xia Die seeks the meaning of the state of tranquility that comes after the heart stops beating, the blood gradually cools, and the brain ceases to think.

For those tormented by suffering, death is undoubtedly a relief and a solace, because suffering has extinguished all their desire for the world.

But for those in their prime, or even those just beginning to grow, and for the elderly who have an infinite attachment to the world, death is not so welcome; in fact, it can be said to be abhorred or even hated.

For Xia Die, who possesses the ability to "grant death," she can sense the existence of "death" more clearly than others, but the deeper she is immersed in it, the more difficult it is for Xia Die to understand the meaning of "death."

Zeus reached out and stroked the top of Xia Die's head. The sudden warmth made Xia Die instinctively want to get closer; it was a heat she had never felt since her birth.

She immediately realized what was happening, pulled away from Zeus's touch, and looked at him with surprise.

"You actually managed to contact me!"

The power of [Granting Death] binds all life that touches the Butterfly with its destined [Death], a power that even the other Titans among the twelve Titans cannot resist.

"As expected of someone from beyond the heavens, my love, you actually managed to refuse [death]."

Meneta's eyes were filled with fascination.

"How can life, which has no end, be troubled by death?"

Onfaros's true form is merely one of the original neurons of the erudite one, so how can it define life that has reached the realm of the star god? If life cannot be defined, then death is naturally out of the question.

When Zeus extended his hand again, the butterfly did not dodge as she had at first. Instead, she grasped Zeus's outstretched hand with both hands and pressed it close to her cheek, savoring the indescribable warmth.

“Such a lovely child, I will answer your question: In Onphalus, what is the meaning of death—”

"Reduce resource consumption."

The answer is extremely cold-blooded. For life in the scepter system simulation, so-called humans are nothing more than subclass objects derived from Kephall. Their existence is to construct a social environment that is as close to reality as possible but can be manipulated, thereby stimulating the birth of twelve variables that meet Zandal's expectations and can subvert "intellectualism" through "destruction".

Too many humans would consume excessive resources, therefore these resources must be released periodically to advance the next calculation.

This is true not only in Onpharos, but also in the vast universe. Planets suitable for life are extremely rare and precious, and only powerful forces with deep pockets, such as companies, alliances, and families, would not care about them.

The reason why the Abundant People have become rampant in the universe is that, with the blessing of the Apothecary, they have broken free from the shackles of death. However, the scarce resources are simply insufficient to satisfy the expanding population, which will ultimately only trigger the bombs of war.

The existence of death is a powerful tool for limiting the population size of a race and preventing resources from being consumed too quickly. It works in conjunction with reproduction to balance the size of a race.

When resources are abundant, reproduction flourishes and death weakens, allowing a group to quickly absorb the resources it has taken. When resources are scarce, the desire to reproduce declines, and the shadow of death expands, maximizing the survival of a group.

Therefore, from a very realistic perspective, death exists to reduce the consumption of resources.

Chapter 254 Death Creates the Splendor of Life

"Of course, this is only from a material perspective."

Lightning flashed in Zeus's hand, and scrolls appeared in his palm.

"From a spiritual perspective, death represents equality."

One of the paintings depicts the noble parliamentary family of Ohma. After a thousand years of the Golden Age, their family has permeated every aspect of Ohma. Compared to Chiron, the speaker, the head of the family seems to be the one in power in Ohma.

The second scene depicts ordinary citizens of Ohmma, working at sunrise and resting at sunset, surrounded by their loved ones and children, living a simple yet happy life.

The third scene depicts a battlefield littered with blood and gore. Nobles, clad in magnificent plate armor and wielding weapons blessed by the Titans, drive their poorly clothed and starving slaves into battle. The slaves' emaciated bodies and lifeless eyes resemble walking corpses.

Then, time in the three paintings began to accelerate.

The first to see the end were the slaves on the battlefield. An enemy spear pierced their throats, and as they fell helplessly, their eyes were filled with a relieved smile, revealing the last remnants of their humanity.

Secondly, there was the patriarch of a powerful family of councilors. During a glorious speech, he was assassinated. A commoner whom he usually regarded as dirt stabbed him in the heart with a dagger. In disbelief, he felt his life slipping away. Even with such a noble status, when the time came, he was no different from a slave on the battlefield.

Finally, there was Ohma, an ordinary citizen who suffered greatly from illness in her later years. Surrounded by her children, death touched her and her lover, and she left this world with a sense of fulfillment and regret.

Whether lowly, ordinary, or noble, all are treated equally in the face of death; for different people, this is perhaps the only moment in their lives when they are truly equal.

"Death is the final equality, and in a sense, even the scales of Tarranton cannot compare to it. This immutable equality is also the benchmark for measuring the meaning of all life in the world. It is because of this immutable equality that the series of joys, sorrows, pains, and happiness from birth to death have meaning, and human life has meaning."

Only when life has its limits can everything experienced in life be as splendid as a profusion of flowers.

"My dear child, before you arrived here, this power must have brought you a lot of loneliness and confusion, but it's okay, I will stay here with you, let's rest here for now."

Feeling Zeus's hands, Xia Die couldn't help but recall many years ago when she was still serving as the Holy Maiden of the War in Aidiria.

Death row inmates, criminals, soldiers, and patients—she had seen one different life after another pass away. What pained her more than the loneliness that surrounded her, which prevented her from interacting with others, was the inability to be verbally abused. Even her only friend needed to reach her through tree branches, let alone anyone else.

Zeus bent down and, while the butterfly was still in a daze, embraced her. For some reason, tears welled up in her eyes and then flowed uncontrollably. For decades since her birth, she had finally experienced the warmth of an embrace today.

"Ah."

Ceres and Meneta behind her smiled, and from then on, Xia Die became a new member.

After that, Xia Die stayed at the Divine Enlightenment Tree Garden. The only time she left was to return to Aidiria to say goodbye to her last friend in the human world, the little girl who used to call her "sister." That was also the second person in her life she had ever been embraced.

Chapter 255 Assassination and Slavery

As time passed, the appearance of the Titan of Strife completely detonated the powder keg of Onpharos, plunging the entire continent into endless war.

During the decades that Zeus sheltered the butterfly, a momentous event occurred in the glorious and prosperous city of Ohmma.

In yet another siege against Columbus, the attempt failed for various reasons. Each time Chiron made the suggestion, his authority plummeted. Even the sage who had guided the people of Ohma since the Golden Age began to be distrusted by those he loved.

Finally, when he once again proposed the siege of Columbus, more than half of those sitting at the parliamentary round table—whether his disciples or his descendants—opposed him, and his proposal was rejected for the first time.

"Enough, Your Excellency Sage Chiron! A thousand years have eroded your wisdom. We cannot use the wealth belonging to all the citizens of Ohma to satisfy your overflowing compassion!"

The speaker was a newly elected member of the House of Representatives who was ranked low in the assembly.

Although the parliament is nominally equal for all citizens of Ohm, there are always those who are more capable of working for the well-being of Ohm's citizens and therefore have more say.

In the past, this person was Chiron, and no one dared to disobey him. But now, Chiron's aura of authority has been shattered because the proposal failed this time. Naturally, those with ulterior motives have begun to stir. This new senator is just a pawn in the hands of those behind the scenes.

The tactic known as "assassination" took center stage in Ohma's politics. That very night, hundreds of assassins dressed in black and wielding swords surrounded Chiron's residence.

"Sigh, has it really come to this? Is power really that alluring?"

The centaur, who was born of divine blood and was also a son of God, had long seen through their actions, but until the last moment he was still hoping that his students could resist the temptation of power.

Chiron did not resist, only letting out a disappointed sigh as the sword pierced his chest, then turned into starlight and disappeared into Ohma.

The assassination was planned by one of Chiron's many disciples.