Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

Chapter 846: Chapter 328 Siren and Origin

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On the vast and empty sea, the tides rose and fell.

The seawater struck against the rocks exposed above the surface, producing a series of sounds.

Under the bright moon, the sea shimmered with a silver glow, the snow-white waves wrapping around a few shells.

Together they surged forward, then turned into foam, spreading a layer of white bristles on the sea surface.

In this tranquility, the siren with a human body and fish tail was completely naked, adorned only with a few scattered shells.

She sang to the moon above, under that melodious song, even the strongest hero would bow.

“…”

“The moon and the sky, the earth and the ocean…”

“Come, our hero, glorious and wise people.”

“Please stop, stop and listen to our song!”

“No ship can sail past the beautiful siren, for the sea is so dangerous and boundless.”

“Unless the helmsman listens to our enchanting songs, allowing the beautiful melody to bring you joy and wisdom, accompanying your safe voyage forward.”

“We know in the fields of the mortal realm, the eternal deities have made the heroes of both sides endure the hardships of life.

“We know the false glory forged upon piles of white bones.”

“Come, great hero.”

“Our wisdom is like the sun and moon shining upon the earth, knowing all wars and love in the mortal realm.”

“…”

The beauty sang under the moon, the melodious sound echoing across the sea.

If one ignored the fish tail beneath, even the greatest artist would likely praise the wonder of creation.

Yet there was no audience here, the only spectators were the sound of the wind and waves.

They hovered around this non-human existence, adding an exotic flair to the beauty.

Splash…

The song continued, but suddenly, the sea surged up.

In the next instant, a hero wielding an iron rod leaped out, scrutinizing everything around.

Clearly, in this sea region, nothing was more eye-catching than the singing siren.

It was precisely she who beguiled Olymus… and beyond that, Heracles felt something deeper.

It was a chill, though invisible, instinct told him something hovered around the siren.

They radiated despairing coldness and deep-seated resentment.

“Are you the siren?”

Despite having made up his mind, no matter if the other was indeed the siren Olymus spoke of, he would eliminate this demon. Yet Heracles still asked.

If he had killed the wrong one… then he would find the right one when given a chance and kill it too.

“…I am.”

Seemingly aware of the newcomer at last, the siren stopped her singing.

That soul-stirring melody ceased, yet the siren’s voice remained enchanting.

“And who are you, hero who slaughters demons?”

It sounded like mockery, yet also like praise.

Under the siren’s voice, even the most venomous words would become gentle.

Yet all of this seemed utterly insignificant before Heracles.

“Since you are, then all the better.”

“You kill, I kill you, fair and just, naturally.”

Unaffected, the great hero’s blood began to boil.

He had nothing to say to the demon… yet in the next moment, the siren’s voice caused him to halt once more.

“Fair and just… killing a siren might be fair and just.”

“But is it fair and just to kill Medusa?”

“Medusa?”

His hands paused in motion at the mention of this name, utterly familiar to Heracles.

For the fourth generation of humans, the history since their birth had long become obscure, with only divine-related content passed down.

And their most well-known starting point was the legend of the great hero Perseus.

He was the son of Zeus and under the guidance of all gods, achieved many immortal feats.

He ultimately ascended to the heavens undying, and his descendants became kings of the nations in the mortal realm.

Such a legendary figure, his deeds had been sung throughout the world.

And among them, the death of the Gorgon Medusa was naturally one of the most famous parts.

“Yes, Medusa.”

“It once was my name, and until Perseus arrived, it always belonged to me.”

“And even though I did not have the undying body of my two sisters, as a child of the ancient sea god and descendant of Phorcys, Perseus was no match for me.”

“Yet he had the assistance of all gods… they granted him divine weapons, and I was merely a manifestation of his legend.”

Her voice was distant and captivating, the siren calmly narrated her story.

Nobody knew why initially she was chosen as a sacrifice, why one of noble birth became a tool for Perseus to establish power.

Maybe someone wanted to warn the descendants of the ancient sea god, or perhaps there were other reasons.

Anyway, one afternoon, wearing the Helmet of Invisibility, donning armor and a sword blessed by the War God, treading wind god-blessed flying shoes, holding the invincible Shield of Aegis.

The young Perseus sought the hiding place of the Gorgon sisters, deciding to use their blood to prove his martial prowess.

Yet two of the sisters, Sterlo and Euryale, had embraced the undying, not even the divine artifacts could kill them, only Medusa did not possess it.

So, even though she wielded the abnormal power of petrification, under the favoritism of the all gods, she ultimately could not escape death.

“To flee to the remote place where no one dwells, to the place where the surrounding river Okeanos meets the night… reflected upon the Shield of Perseus, beheaded by the diamond sword, her dripping blood turned into venomous snakes in the desert…”

The legend is recounted thus, in praise of the achievements of Zeus’s son.

Yet until the moment of death, Medusa unexpectedly discovered that though she did not possess the undying body of deities, it also meant her body and soul were not inseparable.

“I survived as a result, albeit in the form of a soul.”

“And as a daughter of Phorcys, even dead, I would not wander like a mortal soul.”

“My two sisters grieved immensely over my death, but soon joyed over my survival.”

“Yet nobody dared to let this news leak out, so we sought River God Echroes, posing as his children. Since that day, I who rebuilt my body lost the power to petrify but gained the name of Siren.”

The siren’s tale seemed to unveil a corner of the legend, revealing that the illustrious Perseus was perhaps not so righteous.

However, after hearing all this, Heracles remained unmoved.

“Perhaps you did suffer unjust treatment, but that doesn’t obscure your crimes.”

“Perseus killed you, is that your reason for attacking other mortals?”

“Should that not be the case?

“Moreover, I kill them not without reason, but to let them see reality clearly.”

Gently shaking her head, the chill around the siren grew more intensifying.

Yet she didn’t care, continuing to tell her story.

A god’s offspring who lost their body, naturally couldn’t easily rebuild a physical form.

Fortunately, the Gorgon sisters had a secret, during the Typhon’s war, they fortunately obtained the essence blood of The King of All Monsters.

Then they feared the dread of the Divine King, no one dared touch the god’s blood left by this magnificent existence until the gods borrowed a hero’s hand to extend butcher knives to them.

Through the power of The King of All Monsters, like the other monsters, Medusa obtained a new body and divine power.

She, in the form of a soul, was reborn with divine blood, gaining the ability to enchant living creatures with her song.

And it was from this day forth that the siren decided to exact revenge on Perseus and all gods for causing her current state.

“All gods are so hypocritical, the so-called heroes so laughable.”

“So I target the descendants of Perseus and the pious believers of all gods.”

“Every mortal lured by my singing, at the last, I would awaken them.”

“I give them a chance; if they denounce the gods’ incompetence, willing to abandon their faith.”

“If they do so, they live. Those unwilling, I bind their souls by my side, let them feel pain day and night, then perish in despair.”

The tone gradually heightened as the siren spread her arms open.

At this moment, Heracles saw the source of chill by her side.

These were tormented souls, and without exception, in life, they were devout believers of all gods.

“If their gods come to save them, that would prove me wrong.”

“But in truth, after hundreds of years, none have ever cared for their life or death.”

The matter suddenly became much clearer, Heracles finally realized one problem.

Since the singing of a siren would lure people close and then kill all the mortals who approached, where did such talk ever originate?

Ships protected by gods would not be lured, just as those under Olymus had not been.

If they weren’t lured, they naturally would not know the outcome.

And since those lured if all died, how could the story spread around?

So, the truth was that not all those mortals died; some who renounced faith survived.

But they would never let the truth be revealed and instead, collectively created a seemingly plausible legend to cover it all.

“Young hero, I can feel your resolute will.”

“And the reason I came here is also due to the connection of bloodline.”

“The power of The King of All Monsters guides me here, yet I myself haven’t even sensed your presence.”

Her tone gradually turned to imploring, whether siren or Medusa, she was never any benevolent being.

But upon seeing Heracles for the first time and sensing the demonic resentment he harbored, the siren knew she was no match.

Her greatest strength lay in her voice, yet her song could not shake the hero’s will.

So, if she wanted to escape alive, she could only sway him from his intent to kill her.

“Great hero, do you still insist on your justice now?”

“The gods on the mountain have never given me these, why invite this trouble upon yourself?”

With her tail flicking, exposing a seductive figure.

The siren slowly approached Heracles, her tone became even more gentle.

“To the gods, there are only pawns and ants.”

“Whether people like you or monsters like me, they never paid any attention.”

“…”

Slightly silent, Heracles gazed at the siren before him.

If what she said wasn’t a lie, then indeed Medusa’s death might have been unjust.

Had he been in her shoes that day, he truly did not know what decision he might have made.

Yet Medusa was already dead, the one before him was the siren.

“Perhaps Medusa did suffer injustice, but are you not creating it again?”

“From the moment you imposed your will on mortals, you ceased to be the victim, becoming the perpetrator.”

“Faith in itself is not wrong, mortals should not die simply for believing in a god.”

“If there is wrong, that lies with the gods, not the mortals who have faith in them.”

Speaking solemnly, Heracles was both addressing her and speaking to himself.

In these days, Ande had told him many stories, some of which he liked very much.

The strong wield their blades against the stronger, the weak against the weaker.

If Medusa had overthrown and eradicated all the gods and their believers, that was indisputable revenge.

But her actions now were merely an excuse for the sins of demons.

Of course, maybe it was because of the divine blood of The King of All Monsters.

It brought Medusa new life while influencing the demon her soul increasingly… yet no matter, seeing the siren’s change of color, Heracles raised his iron rod.

“If what you say is true, one day, I will seek out Perseus to learn the truth of matters.”

“But before that, you too should meet the rightful end for these countless souls.”

With immense force manifesting as his arms moved, at this time the great hero’s feelings were so complex.

With one strike, a hundred miles of sound echoed.

The towering waves overshadowed the moonlight in the sky.

…

“Such an astounding talent, like it has no limit…”

“Heracles, you’ve grown stronger again.”

As the waves gradually calmed, shortly after, standing on the once again tranquil sea surface, a puppet in the great hero’s pocket spoke up.

Though unsure how it was achieved, at this moment, Heracles’s power had surpassed mortal limits.

Most crucially, he still saw no peak to the other’s strength.

“Grown stronger… perhaps.”

“But more than that, Ande, do you truly think the gods are like this?”

Slightly bewildered, after personally eliminating yet another demon created by The King of All Monsters, Heracles spoke out.

“This… who knows.”

“The answer to this question, you should find for yourself.”

Slightly shaking his head, regarding Heracles, Ande never intended to tell him the result.

After all, someone like him would always seek out what he truly wanted on his own.

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