Zeus ordered the competition to continue. The textile and planting events had concluded, but archery, tug-of-war, javelin, and other events had not yet begun.
Atlas, the God of Strength, and Menoetius, the God of Courage, stepped forward to continue their unfinished duel.
Fueled by fine wine and victory, the gods were in high spirits, cheering as they watched the two deities compete.
The duel between courage and strength was spectacular, drawing gasps of amazement from even the goddesses at the fierce exchange.
Just as the gods were engrossed in the brothers' battle, Iris, the Goddess of the Rainbow, approached the King of the Gods and whispered a report: a guest from the Invisible Island had brought a message from Tyche to Zeus.
Arce, the Goddess of the Rainbow, led a goddess with white robes and white hair into the divine hall, immediately piquing the curiosity of several major gods. The Rainbow Goddesses were originally subordinate deities of Tyche. At the King of the Gods' request, they had come to Mount Olympus to serve as messengers. Tyche's sons, having been cared for by these two goddesses in their childhood, showed them great respect. The two Rainbow Goddesses had not become arrogant because of this; they faithfully carried out the King of the Gods' commands, traveling across the sky and the earth to announce the will of the divine mountain to all beings.
The fact that Arce showed such respect indicated that this goddess, whom they had not met before, must be of considerable importance.
The goddess brought a cold wave with her into the divine hall, causing the gods, immersed in the battle, to involuntarily shiver. The goddess wore a smile that was the opposite of the cold wave, introducing herself to the gods: "I am Diany, an envoy of Princess Tyche, the goddess of winter and ice."
Canna and Zeus wore very strange expressions. Tyche had left the embodiment of temperature and power on the Invisible Island as a final protection. The two deities who grew up on the Invisible Island naturally knew whose will was hidden beneath Diany's shell.
"Welcome, Goddess Diany," Zeus said, looking at his mother, who was winking at him, with a helpless expression. He had no choice but to play along with her act.
"I bring the decree of Princess Tyche," Diany said with a gentle smile. "Your Majesty, the King of the Gods, your mother has ordered me to deliver this fruit tree that bears golden apples to you as a reward for defeating Typhon. She firmly believes that you will continue to lead the gods towards a glorious future."
As she finished speaking, a half-human-sized apple tree appeared in the hands of the Ice and Snow Goddess. This flowering fruit tree shimmered with a faint light; its branches were made of gold, its leaves of silver, and its pale pink blossoms had a translucent, crystal-like texture.
Zeus took the golden apple tree. The next moment, a white light flashed before his eyes, and his consciousness returned to the pristine white beach of the Invisible Island.
"I hope I'm not too late."
Tyche emerged from the waves and said to Zeus with a smile, "My child, your opportunity has arrived."
Sitting down on a rock by the beach, Tyche said sternly, "The time for the world's ascension is fast approaching, and with it comes the chance for powerful deities to ascend to the rank of primordial gods!"
Zeus listened intently, not questioning his mother's intention in pulling him into an illusion with the golden apple tree.
"Although I cannot know the specific situation after the world's successful ascension, based on my predictions, at least two new primordial gods will emerge."
Tyche's gaze was sharp; the earth, sky, and sea were all within her grasp. She could still surmise a few things about the state of the world after its ascension.
"Your competitors, as it stands, are only two. Phoebe, the Goddess of Prophecy, has long since crossed the boundary of powerful divinity, and her hope of ascending to primordial godhood is very high! Asteria is my good friend, and Leto is your wife. You have the basis for an alliance!"
"The other is Pontus, the primordial sea god," Tyche narrowed her eyes, her fingers playing with the tide. "I can't quite see through him. Why he so firmly chose Eros is a question I still cannot understand. But one thing I am certain of: the agreement he made with the primordial god of love could not have been simply to give birth to Aphrodite! Eros must have also offered conditions to fully support her ascension to primordial godhood, which can explain his firm stance."
Zeus pondered for a moment and voiced his guess, "Perhaps Prometheus's unusual behavior also has Pontus's hand in it."
"Highly possible!" Tyche affirmed Zeus's guess. "Eros is the origin of desire. With his primordial god power, influencing a lesser deity is as simple as can be! Fortunately, like me, he doesn't have time to cause trouble now; otherwise, it would be much more difficult for you to seize the position of primordial god during this opportunity."
"Pontus will also receive this news, and he will definitely find an opportunity to cause trouble for you and slow you down! The throne of the King of the Gods is both a help and a responsibility. The safety of the world also falls to you. You must be careful of him from now on."
Zeus nodded. Tyche continued, "Eros's power has differentiated Aphrodite as a mother body. As long as Aphrodite can become a powerful deity, the origin of desire will inevitably be affected! Although it will not shake Eros's position as a primordial god, he will not have time to assist Pontus until this problem is resolved!"
"Her chance to become a powerful deity lies with Hera. The child born to the Goddess of Marriage in love will be the one who makes her give her true heart!"
Tyche's plan considered all aspects; the rest was up to Zeus.
"Styx, the mistress of the River of Obsession, is my avatar. She will help you stabilize the gods of the Underworld."
Before parting, Tyche did not forget to remind Zeus, "I have left a pure, supreme divine essence within the golden apple tree. I hope it can help you catch up with your opponents as soon as possible."
As the mist dissipated, Zeus returned to the solemn divine hall.
Diany had already approached Canna and quietly relayed her true form's instructions to the God of Disaster: "The time to break through the limits of powerful divinity is approaching. Do not accept human faith before then."
Although Canna did not yet understand this prophecy, he kept his mother's advice in his heart. Canna would not be able to seize this opportunity to ascend to primordial godhood, but he would soon receive his own destined encounter.
The pure, supreme divine essence was absorbed by Zeus, and the surging power made the divine fire in the chest of the God of Thunder burn even more intensely. Zeus's gaze swept over Poseidon, who seemed uninterested. The God of Tsunamis, and also the rhythm of the sea, Poseidon himself was one of the concept sea gods! How could Pontus be a philanthropist? Thinking this way, Poseidon's stance was undoubtedly questionable.
As for the matter of Aphrodite ascending to powerful divinity, Zeus followed the gaze of the female love goddess towards Hera, the Goddess of Marriage. It was clear that Aphrodite had already taken action.
Hera had not yet recovered from the surprise of becoming a major god, and her smile was more dazzling than any gemstone ornament. Aphrodite saw this and felt anxious. Hera, having become a major god, was no longer someone that Menoetius, a lesser deity, could aspire to. With a shift in her thoughts, the power of desire silently wrapped around Atlas.
Suddenly, the God of Strength's entire body's power dissipated. The spear in his hand grazed Menoetius's face and missed, piercing deeply into a stone pillar.
Menoetius, who had been at a disadvantage, charged forward, colliding with his elder brother and sending Atlas flying. The spear remained in the stone pillar. Atlas stabilized himself in mid-air and, as he landed, raised his left shield high, blocking the incoming spear.