Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

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The team wasn't large, and no one raised any objections.

So after discussing with his two companions separately, Heracles decided to set sail.

The journey to the sea eye was long and treacherous, even Olymus, who had been there once, couldn't guarantee a safe return this time.

After all, they could previously pass through the lands faithful to the Sea God with ease, obtaining supplies and aid, but now they had to avoid these areas.

Heracles didn't oppose this.

Even though he still held a complicated attitude toward All Gods, when it came to the Divine King's disdain for Prometheus, he had no doubt.

"Tsk... so this is the power source of this 'ship?'"

Inside the Sea Whale Boat, they stepped in one by one from the entrance.

Contrary to what they imagined, Heracles felt no discomfort as the entrance closed behind them.

There was no difference from the outside world; in fact, the air was even fresher.

Examining the interior setup, Amon, as the 'eager youth,' was the first to voice his confusion.

"No matter how you look at it, this is just an ordinary furnace."

"So the so-called 'Element Crystals' you mentioned earlier are the fuel for this furnace?"

Located roughly in the mid-rear of the ship, a structure resembling a furnace was placed straight in a semi-enclosed space.

However, there was neither fire inside nor any sensation of temperature or cold.

"As for knowledge about Alchemy, I don't know much, but if it's just this primitive 'Elemental Furnace,' I can indeed enlighten you."

"But before that, I want to ask you a question."

Pausing in front of the furnace, Olymus couldn't help but marvel at the cycle of Destiny as he listened to Amon's questions.

He had once asked the same question, and now he had to pass this explanation on to the new crew members.

"As we all know, deities wield Divine Power, capable of altering all things and affecting rules."

"They can turn dead things into living ones and transform barren lands into oases, and the origins of wizards are related to this as well."

"It's said that the earliest Magic Powers were imitations of Divine Power created by the Goddess of the Magic Net, allowing wizards to manipulate elements, affecting material and spirit."

"But here's the question, is the essence of Magic Power or Divine Power a manifestation of material, or a reflection of spirituality?"

"...It should originate from the soul."

After a slight thought, Heracles replied.

"I've heard that meditation is one way wizards progress."

"So compared to material, the soul seems more accurate."

"Is that so?"

Olymus nodded slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

He had thought the same once, but that clearly wasn't the real answer.

"If the essence of Magic Power and elements is spirituality, why can they create gales, summon storms, even make water in deserts, or make wood burn in the ocean?"

"Actually, neither Divine Power nor elements are purely formed of material or spirituality; they exist between the two."

"They can easily be influenced and also transform into respective existences under certain conditions."

"...Hmm, so this 'Elemental Furnace'..."

Understanding Olymus' explanation, Heracles and Amon nodded.

But what exactly does Divine Power and Magic Power have to do with their issue?

"This is the function of this furnace."

"It burns elements, thus changing their form."

"It transforms elements into wind, so this enclosed ship can breathe without surfacing; it transforms elements into water, for drinking and resting."

"It can also bring pure energy, driving the wheel to rotate, enabling the Sea Whale Boat to move constantly along the seabed."

Explaining the principle candidly, though Olymus didn't fully grasp the specifics.

For instance, he still didn't quite understand whether the water element turned into water, or if it gathered surrounding water in some way.

But that's all he knew, perhaps with an additional speculative guess at most.

"This is the 'Elemental Furnace,' of course, what we see now is just a primitive version."

"It's said the real one isn't like this. It doesn't just transform elements into material but can also reverse to convert material into elements, even allowing elements to return to a more fundamental energy state, facilitating mutual transformation."

"By then, water would be soil, air would be stars."

"As long as seawater and soil are continuously poured in, it could bring endless energy and material."

"...Impressive, but it doesn't sound like something that's been realized. Otherwise, Silver Moon City would have already ruled the world."

The eager young man made a casual joke, and Heracles nodded in agreement.

Yet at this moment, Amon felt his interest in Alchemy growing.

Equivalent exchange, the most fundamental rule of all things.

Arbitrary conversion of energy and material, something even gods could only partially achieve. Even if they did, they knew not the reasons behind it.

As for blurring the concepts of information and material energy, that was the power of Creation.

Achieving this with mortal power, even as a conjecture, was enough to astonish him.

Who exactly was the Goddess of the Magic Net, and the inventor of Alchemy, Hermes, was something extraordinary...

"Tsk."

His eyes flickered slightly, as Amon, the survivor of Meng Village, could only lament.

But as the God of Stars Amon, he felt he could glean some deeper insights up close.

Of course, Hermes might be a bit dangerous; though he hadn't noticed anything wrong currently, he wasn't in a hurry to do anything.

Now he would first handle the matters here, and the other affairs could wait until a few strengths recovered before considering.

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Click...

Buzz—

Splash...

As the clasp loosened, the gigantic container lost its connection to the land.

When the large ship named the "Sea Whale Boat" fell into the sea, the previously silent furnace finally glowed with a faint light.

On the inner layer of the hull, lines for isolating breath began to take effect, thereby completely separating the energy inside and out.

Only the transmission between materials continued, altering the speed and direction of the ship through gear transmission.

Soon, the ship started to move.

It descended deeper into the sea, traveling hundreds of arm lengths below the water's surface.

No one could have guessed that beneath the ocean, a ship carrying living humans was navigating.

Even the fish passing by merely took it as some kind of reef moving through the sea.

Through light reflected off the layers of mirrors, the crew inside could see the outside scenery.

Even after experiencing so many significant events, Heracles was still amazed by this rare sight.

However, novelty was temporary, and repetition eventually only led to boredom.

Even though the air inside the ship remained fresh, and the food and water sufficient, as the days passed, boredom was unavoidable.

Such was the seafaring experience in ancient times; even though Heracles' circumstances were far better than those of his contemporaries, he was not immune to this.

Even if he wanted to find an opponent in this deep ocean, it was difficult to accomplish.

Fortunately, he wasn't alone; whether it was Ande's stories or Olymus' travel anecdotes, they offered some solace in alleviating the monotony.

It's unclear how long these days lasted... until one day, just after breakfast, the great hero, while inside his room, suddenly heard a beautiful melody.

It was indescribable in words, and he couldn't even describe its 'beauty.'

But Heracles knew if he had to define heavenly music, this would be the only possibility.

"Olymus, did you hear that?"

Shouted loudly, yet got no response.

But soon, Heracles found Olymus' location.

In the spacious cockpit, Olymus was stepping forward with vacant eyes.

His hand slightly raised, pointing towards the wheel that changed the ship's direction.

"Olymus, what's wrong with you?"

His brow furrowed, the great hero strode forward.

He held down Olymus' outstretched right hand firmly, but the latter still made no response.

His face slowly transitioned from confusion to a smile, as if seeing something beautiful... at this moment, a voice came from behind Heracles.

"Let me handle it, mighty hero."

"Sometimes brute force can't solve the problem."

Smiling as he spoke, Amon had a smile on his lips.

In his hand, he held a necklace, and weak starlight shimmered on it.

"Amon, do you know what's wrong with Olymus?"

"He's been mesmerized; it's a mental enchantment, but interestingly, it doesn't rely on mystical power to complete."

Moving forward a few steps, Amon hung the necklace around Olymus' neck.

Soon, the starlight on it began to flicker.

"This power is conveyed through song, yet it's not the power that makes the song extraordinary, but the song itself contains power."

"That's why the ship's defenses didn't activate—of course, it might be that he didn't truly understand this ship's capabilities."

"Of course, this is not difficult to resolve because I have treasures left by the elders of Meng Village. Just like how it allows us to enter and exit the poisonous marsh, this song cannot harm it..."

"—Look, he's awake."

As the words fell, Heracles saw Olymus' eyes gradually regain clarity.

However, before he could ask, as if awakening from a great dream, Olymus shouted a strange term in surprise.

"Siren, it's a siren!"

"What?"

"Phew—I'm saying siren, a demon that beguiles passing ships with songs."

Taking a deep breath, Olymus gradually calmed down.

He became aware of his current situation and then explained with some apology, "Sirens, no one knows their origin."

"Their legend has spread across the sea shortly after the Typhon Disaster."

"It's said they use their songs to beguile ships' crews, steering them into reefs and giant waves."

"But they shouldn't appear here."

Somewhat puzzled, Olymus continued explaining, "I've encountered them on former sea routes."

"However, maybe because of a deity's protection at the time, they didn't accomplish anything; none of our crew was endangered... but now, I've clearly taken a different route, why did I still encounter the sirens' kin?"

"Perhaps it's migration, or maybe just luck, whatever the reason, we've encountered them."

Speaking calmly, now that the situation was understood, the great hero was no longer in a rush.

The song in his ears was still beautiful, but he only felt disgust.

Certainly, no matter where one goes, harmful demons are inevitable.

"No need to hurry in leaving, let me take a look."

With a stern expression, Heracles casually picked up the iron rod brought on board the ship.

"Since they want to find me, I might as well go see them."

"If it really is as you say..."

Although this time there was no god to test him, the great hero didn't plan to turn a blind eye.

If he hadn't encountered them, it wouldn't matter, but now that he had, he wouldn't let these so-called demons off the hook.

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