The fierce conflict between the King of the Gods and the Queen of the Gods sent shockwaves throughout the divine world.
The Twelve Titans trembled once again, fear rising from the depths of their hearts.
The enormous crater left by the Cyclops’ fall, along with the agonized cries echoing from the depths of Tartarus, filled them with even greater terror.
For thousands of years, they had carried out their divine duties with unwavering diligence, never daring to show the slightest negligence.
Even so, they could still feel Uranus’s growing dissatisfaction toward them.
The King of the Gods was utterly unpredictable.
When he was in a good mood, he tormented them for amusement.
When he was angry, their suffering became even more unbearable.
Had gods not been immortal, they would have died countless times over.
Yet immortality offered them no comfort.
They lived every day in constant fear and anxiety.
Their terror of Uranus had long since become instinct.
Now, after witnessing the fate of the Cyclops, they could not help but worry about themselves.
Although none of them were particularly fond of their monstrous younger brothers, the Cyclops’ punishment had once again revealed the cruelty and tyranny of their father, the King of the Gods.
And no one knew…
Whether one day they would meet the same fate.
All they could do was become even more cautious, terrified that the next to be cast into Tartarus would be themselves.
While the gods were gripped by panic, the encircling Ocean Stream welcomed its first visitor in many years.
Theron had originally been asleep, quietly accumulating divine power.
The violent conflict between Uranus and Gaia awakened him.
After witnessing the Cyclops being imprisoned, he immediately set out for the Ocean Stream to visit its ruler, Oceanus.
Oceanus was one of the Twelve Titans.
At his birth, he inherited part of the authority of the Primordial Sea God, Pontus, dividing the oceans into two domains.
Pontus continued to rule the distant seas.
Oceanus governed the great Ocean Stream that surrounded the world.
Beside him was Tethys, another of the Twelve Titans.
She embodied fresh water and rain and was both Oceanus’s wife and closest companion.
The two lived together within the endless waters of the Ocean Stream.
As the world continued to expand, so too did the Ocean Stream.
As its ruler, Oceanus had steadily grown stronger.
Several centuries earlier, he had already reached Greater Divine Power, making him the mightiest of the Twelve Titans.
In ages yet to come, Oceanus and Tethys would give birth to three thousand Oceanids and three thousand River Gods, becoming the ancestors of all water deities.
But for now…
Because Uranus monopolized the authority of Patriarchy, he forbade the Titans from reproducing.
The vast Ocean Stream contained only the two of them.
At this moment, both Oceanus and Tethys were deeply shaken by the fate of the Cyclopes.
As the strongest Titan, Oceanus had suffered Uranus’s oppression more than any of his siblings.
He constantly feared that the King of the Gods would suddenly appear before him and cast him into Tartarus as well.
That fear left him restless day and night.
When he sensed Theron’s arrival, his first instinct was terror.
He nearly fled without a word.
He still remembered the prophecy from a thousand years ago.
And he was certain his father remembered it as well.
If Uranus discovered that Theron had come to visit him…
Wouldn’t that make him the child destined to overthrow the King of the Gods?
If that happened…
Uranus would never spare him.
She reasoned that Theron had already arrived.
Whether they met him or not would make no difference.
If Uranus found out, refusing to meet Theron would not save them.
Rather than hiding, it was better to hear why the God of Prophecy had come.
Together, they personally welcomed Theron.
A thousand years had passed.
The once pitiful God of Prophecy, who had struggled even to stabilize his own divine authority, had grown considerably stronger.
Although he was still far from matching Oceanus or Tethys, he had firmly reached the level of Weak Divine Power.
His appearance had barely changed.
He remained a handsome young man with gentle features and a warm, courteous demeanor.
“Lord Theron,” Oceanus asked first, “what brings you here today?”
His voice betrayed his anxiety.
He felt like a guilty criminal, convinced that Uranus might descend at any moment.
Theron smiled reassuringly.
“There is no need to worry.”
“The King of the Gods is currently occupied with the Queen of the Gods.”
“For now, he will not notice us.”
Oceanus relaxed slightly…
But only slightly.
He remained as tense as a bird startled by the twang of a bowstring.
Years of torment under Uranus had left scars too deep to erase.
Seeing this, Theron sighed.
“Lord Oceanus, Master of the Ocean Stream…”
“Don’t you think you’ve become far too submissive?”
Oceanus smiled bitterly.
He was not even angry.
Only exhausted.
“What choice do I have?”
“He…
is simply too powerful.”
He did not even dare speak Uranus’s name aloud.
His fear had seeped into his very soul.
“Have you never considered resisting?” Theron asked.
Oceanus’s heart skipped a beat.
The question he dreaded most had finally arrived.
He hurriedly waved his hands.
“I would never dare harbor such rebellious thoughts!”
“He would discover them!”
Theron shook his head.
To overthrow the King of the Gods…
Raw strength was only secondary.
The true requirement was the courage to raise a weapon against him.
And Oceanus…
The strongest of the Titans…
Clearly lacked that courage.
Still…
“You need do nothing,” Theron said calmly.
“I only want to know one thing.”
Oceanus finally let out a long breath.
After a long silence, he slowly nodded.
“No…”
“Of course I am not.”
“No god would willingly endure such a life.”
Theron nodded.
“Then, when the time comes…”
“You need only remove the source of the problem.”
“It is something only you can accomplish.”
Oceanus looked completely bewildered.
“Lord Theron…”
“What do you mean?”
“You may take it as another prophecy.”
“A prophecy meant for you.”
Theron’s purple eyes seemed to see through the threads of destiny themselves.
“What begins at the source…”
“…must also end at the source.”
“Remember.”
“Only you can eliminate the root of the problem.”
Oceanus remained utterly confused.
But that did not matter.
The prophecy had already been spoken.
The gears of fate turned once more.
Theron clearly felt his divine power strengthen again.
After a brief pause, he offered one final piece of advice.
“If you wish to become stronger…”
“Perhaps you should begin by having children.”
Gods could unite and give birth to entirely new divine authorities.
Every new law made the world more complete.
Every new deity accelerated its growth.
Only when the world flourished…
Only when countless destinies came into existence…
Could Theron, the God of Fate, continue growing stronger.
The world needed more gods.
Otherwise…
Whose destinies would he govern?
Oceanus sighed helplessly.
“The King of the Gods monopolizes the authority of Patriarchy.”
“We have no right to reproduce.”
Theron simply smiled.
“It won’t matter.”
“You will have that right very soon.”
Oceanus froze.
Before he could ask another question…
The God of Prophecy had already vanished.
He had come silently.
And he departed just as quietly.
Yet the final words he left behind stirred a storm within Oceanus’s heart.
He did not even dare contemplate what they truly meant.