Fingers tapped the gemstone on his scepter, which symbolized the authority over heaven, earth, and sea. In the era of Cronus, this scepter briefly possessed extraordinary power because of its master, but now, it had returned to its original state.
This seemed to be an allegory for his kingship, which possessed nothing but a nominal status. Only in front of those weaker deities could he showcase the majesty of a Divine King. Even though he was Zeus, if he faced nothing but frustrations again and again, the lofty aspirations he once had would only be worn away.
Yet precisely because he was Zeus, he would not allow this scene to unfold in reality.
He feared his children; he dreaded the 'fate to surpass the father,' so he never gave them the chance to be born. Now, since he could foresee the consequences of continuing on the current path, he would not allow everything to remain unchanged, even if it meant facing unknown dangers.
Hera, on the side, let out a laugh that seemed almost mocking, but her eyes calmed down.
"Ha, so this is the Divine King. Should I praise you for your perseverance?"
With a sneer, Hera stood up from the golden throne. She did not know how much affection was left between herself and Zeus, but as the Heavenly Empress, she shared half the glory of the Divine King. Although she did not know where Zeus's confidence came from, since she felt his unyielding will just as in the past, Hera no longer worried about it.
Behind her, Zeus did not reply. He silently watched his sister cross the threshold, and then with a resounding noise, the doors closed, blocking out the light from outside.
"Come then, let me see what awaits me as the king decreed by fate."
After a while, the Sun Chariot dipped below the horizon, night enveloped the earth, and in an imperceptible moment, Zeus's figure vanished from sight.
When he appeared once more, he was holding his Thunderbolt Arrow in his right hand, standing within the belly of Mount Olympus.
What he saw was a primordial and foreign world.
"What is this...?"
Ancient trees towered around him, the forest teeming with flowers of all colors. An exotic fragrance pervaded the air, and birds flew across the sky.
It was a primordial jungle, unlike anything Zeus had seen before, reminiscent of the environment near Mount Othrys in the early period of the last era of Chaos. They were secondary products derived from primitive plants that, though devoid of divinity, were treasures rarely seen by mortal eyes.
However, all of this was merely background detail, for the 'Zeus' at this moment had no place for them in his sight. At the end of his gaze, an enormous shadow that seemed to connect heaven and earth dominated everything, exuding a powerful vitality, as if it were the source of all things.
'Yggdrasil,' that was its true name. For some reason, the moment he saw it, that name spontaneously emerged from Zeus's mind.
This was not some 'seeing and knowing' power, but more like the concept already existed in his mind, and now, he 'remembered' it.
Shocked and somewhat anxious, Zeus did not understand what was happening or why he was unable to control his body. However, at that moment, he realized he had suddenly spoken.
"The legendary Spring of Wisdom... I hope my wishes will be fulfilled."
Without knowing when, the Divine King's Thunder had disappeared, and in his hand, he now held a weapon he had never seen before. He gazed at the great divine tree and walked towards it, step by step.
And at that moment, as he sensed everything in the outside world, Zeus finally understood what had happened.
This was not the real world, but a place that straddled the line between reality and illusion. Here lay the last remnant of a great being's touch.