Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

"Clang—"

Within the Great Temple to the north of Eryxis, the grand doors were violently thrust open.

A blast of cold air suddenly surged inside, creating a current that contrasted the warm interior. Demeter stumbled into the Temple, her eyes somewhat lifeless.

The gaping hole that had been torn open in the roof had been hastily repaired, and the bloodstains surrounding the Temple were already wiped clean. At this moment, only a few mortal maids remained, constantly awaiting the return of the master of the Temple.

"Your Highness, do you have any orders?"

Bowing slightly, the movement at the doors immediately revitalized the few. Since the goddess had returned, the leading maid couldn’t help but bow her head and step forward to greet her. Yet, before her, Demeter seemed as if she didn’t see the girl at all, just staggering forward.

Seeing this, the maid did not speak up again. The vast hall was left with only the sound of footsteps as her peripheral vision caught the goddess passing by her. However, the next moment, the somewhat tattered hem of the goddess’s garment suddenly stopped in front of her.

"Your Highness—"

"Why don’t you look up at me?"

Her voice was hoarse, not at all like the one she normally used to speak. Demeter looked at the girl before her, this young lady who seemed so reverent toward her.

The other was her worshipper, or rather, many in this city were. Facing the Goddess of Agriculture, the goddess could clearly feel her devotion.

But none of these affected her now delicate soul.

"Your Highness, you are a deity—"

"No, you are mocking me."

The Goddess of Agriculture interrupted softly, continuing to question with that raspy voice.

She would rather look at the ground than at herself... Yes, even this mortal dared to mock her!

"Your Highness, I did not—"

In a rushed explanation, the young girl hastily looked up, but what met her gaze was the haggard face of the Goddess of Agriculture and her slightly damaged clothing.

A flash of surprise crossed the maid’s face, then quickly returned to normal. But that fleeting emotion was caught by Demeter, who fixated on her. As she watched that flicker of sentiment, the goddess felt offended once more.

Even though such a judgment had no logical standing... but this world was not always logical. So word by word, Demeter coldly stated:

"You, too, dare mock me!"

An unnamed rage suddenly rose from her heart, and as she willed it, power was unleashed. Life was drawn from the girl’s body, her expression set in stone as she opened her mouth as if to argue, and then she slowly turned into a stone statue.

In a single breath, it was all over, as if this generation of humans had been born from the earth, she too reverted to the original state of life.

Anger still spreading, the goddess’s wrath had not subsided, and soon the other mortal maids followed suit. Before long, only Demeter was left in the entire Great Temple, with several stone statues in various poses standing on the ground.

Expressionless, Demeter continued her slow walk forward. Only when her palm touched her own seat did she collapse into the chair as if she had lost all her strength.

"Huff—"

She let out a long breath, as if unloading all the strength from her body. At this moment, looking around, the Goddess of Agriculture who had just ’shown great power’ appeared somewhat lost again.

The sudden flare of rage had been vented, and Demeter’s mind was no longer in such chaos. Once she calmed down a bit, she was very aware that those maids could not have intended to scorn her, because facing a deity, their devotion or lack thereof was blatantly apparent.

They were even more devout than the king... But the goddess still killed them. So now, just like a wronged girl who smashed everything in her own room and then looked around at the mess feeling regretful, Demeter felt a similar emotion rising in the bottom of her heart.

But what can be done about it, it’s all this world’s fault. It granted her the status of a deity but not the matching strength, so Poseidon didn’t get hurt at all for the worshippers she slew in anger, on the contrary, he must be feeling smug now.

Because not only did he get his way, but he also succeeded in getting Demeter to carry his child for him. At this moment, that life energy was gestating within the Goddess of Agriculture’s body, constantly reminding her of what had just occurred.

"Bang—!"

Her expression twisted again, as the goddess gasped for breath fiercely. Her chest heaved tumultuously, until after a while, she finally regained her composure.

"Poseidon... Zeus... Hades..."

"You all deserve to die...!"

Muttering these names under her breath, the low curse echoed in the Temple.

She could not do anything right now, only vent the frustrations in her heart in her own domain. But the next moment, the face of the Goddess of Agriculture transformed dramatically.

"Who?"

She suddenly looked up, her gaze turned toward the direction of the doors. There, two barely perceptible auras were approaching.

Perhaps having their cover blown, those two presences immediately became more noticeable. Soon, accompanied by a sneer, Eros and Volos walked one after the other into the Temple.

"Tsk, a powerless rageful old woman, as good as another one just like her."

As in Poseidon’s Divine Palace, being in her own Temple, every blade of grass and tree had long been permeated by the power of the Goddess of Agriculture.