The night, like water, cascaded from the vault of heaven, bringing with it a sense of depth and tranquillity.
Unknowingly, the family banquet had lasted from day into night.
Upon arriving at the destination, Hestia busied herself knocking around until she finally unearthed a jar of fruit wine, two cups, some jerky and dried fruit from beneath a stone slab. Cradling these items, that were obviously from a personal stash, she approached the small table to entertain the guest she had brought along.
"Take a seat, I seldom bring anyone here," she said.
Hearing her meaningful hum, Luo En couldn't help feeling a bit nervous, muttering to himself.
Could she still be sour about that one thing?
"So, you want to ascend from demigod to deity?"
However, as soon as Hestia spoke, Luo En looked at the Goddess of the Hearth who had leisurely seated herself beside him with a bit of surprise.
"Hey, what's with that look? I am the protector of the home's peace, not just someone who cooks!"
Feeling belittled, Hestia ground her teeth in annoyance, proclaiming her distinguished identity.
"After all, I am one of the Twelve Olympians, a true and rightful member of Olympus. If Athena can teach you something, why can't I?"
"How could I ever think otherwise? Not to mention Athena, even offending her Divine King father would leave you starved for three days and nine meals!"
Seeing Hestia about to lose her temper, Luo En hurriedly piled on the flattery with a smile plastered across his face.
That's more like it!
Hestia, having heard this, felt the sullenness in her heart dissipate considerably, and her expression slowly brightened as she took the initiative to speak.
"If there's anything you don't understand about the ascension from demigod to deity, feel free to ask me," she offered.
For example, the reason why the Twelve Olympians were able to defeat the twelve Titans, who represented the divine nature of nature, was that they seized these newly formed divine authorities associated with society and civilization.
In the end, just as with history, the civilization deities representing progress overpowered the nature deities representing the wild, leading to the glory of Olympus.
At this point, Hestia paused, her gaze becoming somewhat reflective.
"As far as I know, the majority of deities are born as gods, with vastly varied strengths and a huge disparity between their upper and lower limits.
For instance, the pure-blooded descendants of the Titans such as the Sun God, Goddess of Dawn, Muse Goddesses, Occhanos and Thetis' progeny—the three thousand river gods, and countless nymphs of the forests and waters are all deities. Yet, there is a vast difference between each stratum's level.
The strong make even the Chief Gods wary, while the weak ones, apart from being bullied by powerful demigods, can even become fodder for Magic Beasts...
Even when the weaker ones wish to grow stronger, they often find it difficult to break through the boundaries of lineage.
So, being born a god is a stroke of luck but frequently also restricts their potential for self-development."
Luo En rolled his eyes and hummed, interrupting the complacency of this beneficiary.
"Oh, please, the same issue exists for species with mortal origins, and it's probably even more severe."
Upon hearing that, the Goddess of the Hearth thought it over, recalling the sprawling offspring with divine blood in the Mortal World and the many more trapped in the misery of birth, aging, sickness, and death. With resignation, she nodded in agreement.
"That's true. For mortals to break through the limitations of lineage and ignite the divine fire to step into demigodhood, it's already an incredible hurdle. Compared to us beings born as gods, we are indeed luckier."
"So it's quite a difficult road for a mortal to become a god?" Luo En frowned slightly.
"Difficult? It's almost an impasse that very few can overcome! Such entities are extremely rare; I estimate that there can't be more than a double-digit number."
Hestia said, taking the matter seriously as she counted on her fingers to emphasize her point.
Immediately, to avoid having Luo En lose heart, she softened her tone and offered comfort once more.