Ch. 58: The Secret Behind Humanity (I)
"Dammit!" I cursed under my breath, my voice barely audible over the pulsing agony coursing through my body. Bound as he was, Protheus' power was overwhelming. How could a being deprived of freedom and sustenance for centuries still radiate such strength? Even after all the training, all the power I had amassed, I was still no match for him.
Suddenly, I felt a sharp, agonizing sting—a sensation like a thousand silver needles piercing through my skin, attacking the deep-rooted injury I had been nursing ever since I started inhabiting this body. "NG—GH!!" I bit down on my scream, forcing it back down my throat, but the pain was unbearable. It twisted inside , relentless, dragging to the edge of my endurance.
I doubled over, clutching my sides as my vision blurred with the onslaught of agony. I couldn't even lift my head to see what expression Protheus wore as he towered over . But his voice, dark and thunderous, rang in my ears, every word sending tremors through my mind. "The second question you wanted to know—why I cried for Cronos. Pass my test, and I'll tell you."
*What the hell was this?* I could barely think, my body shaking under the weight of Protheus' energy. How could he still exert such force? He was bound, deprived of power, and yet I was the one struggling to hold on. Every muscle in my body scread in protest. Was all my training for nothing?
How was I supposed to know the grand plan of an immortal madman who had been scheming for longer than I had existed? Did he think I could just *read his mind*? My thoughts were shattered, fragnted by the pain. But no—*No!* I scread inwardly. If I was to stand any chance against the next Calamity, I had to rise above this. I had to do the impossible.
"The answer is simple, don'tcha think?" Protheus' voice thundered in my ears, his words taunting, mocking. "Here's a hint: what distinguishes us from humans?"
*What distinguishes gods from humans?* My mind reeled as I tried to grasp the question. I felt sothing warm trickling from my ears and nose—blood. My brain felt like it was on fire, sparking like an overloaded circuit. I could hardly think, but I knew I had to.
*There's no way to know unless you've been both a human and a god,* I thought, and then it hit . *Wait a minute—I *am* both.*
Protheus had to know. He *knew*. I gritted my teeth, my body trembling with the effort of holding back my scream. I had to focus. I had to push through. *How could humanity ever hope to surpass the gods?*
Every answer that ca to mind seed wrong. Humans were weaker, they lacked divine power. But I couldn't just give up. I wouldn't. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to think harder. My mind was like a broken jigsaw puzzle—pieces scattered everywhere, nothing fitting together.
*What did gods have that humans didn't?* Power? Wealth? Immortality?
It seed impossible. There was no way for humanity to surpass gods. Unless... my thoughts flashed to Hephaestus and his discovery of technology. Could that have been the key? But humanity was still too primitive to rely on technology alone.
In every way, the gods surpassed us. *Ti*, I thought bitterly. The gods had existed for millennia. Humans, in comparison, were fleeting.
*Ti...* The word echoed in my mind like a faint whisper.
Suddenly, sothing clicked. One of the scattered pieces in my mind flipped over, revealing a word written in bold black letters—*TI*. My pulse quickened. Could that be it? The first piece of the puzzle was in place. My body was burning from within, the spores rupturing inside , but I ignored the pain.
I focused all my thoughts on that one word, turning it over and over.
Ti.
The gods were immortal. Titans too. If humanity were to surpass them, they wouldn't need eternity—they'd need *less*. A *shorter* lifespan to push them to evolve faster, grow stronger.
I staggered to my feet, wiping the blood from my face. Protheus watched , wide-eyed, intrigued as I grinned at. "What? Did you think you could break that easily with that asly display of power?" I spat, straightening up. "I was just playing along."
Protheus' expression soured, a rare flash of disappointnt in his ancient eyes. He looked highly displeased by my acting. "And here I was thinking you had grown sloppy. I totally fell for it, never knew you to be one for humor." I put down my guard earlier to let him expose all his secrets, the mont he exposed to his energy I considered protecting my body but I changed my mind.
I wanted to see just how strong the power of a titan was. "So out with it, the answer to my question what is it?"
I stood tall, despite the tremors in my legs, my voice steady. "You asked how humanity could surpass gods and Titans alike. At first, I thought it was impossible. But then I realized—how would you, Protheus, control humanity if they truly surpassed us? What would give them that edge?"
Protheus raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Go on."
"It's simple," I continued, the answer coming together like the final pieces of a puzzle. "The gods and Titans share immortality. If you wanted humans to surpass both, you wouldn't have made them immortal. You gave them a limited lifespan. But that limitation— ti — is what will make them stronger. Am I right?"
For a mont, Protheus said nothing, but the smile that crept onto his lips was answer enough. "Right on the mark," he murmured. His voice grew softer, almost tired. "It seems you've passed. But I'm afraid this old body of mine is getting weary."
I tensed, but before I could react, a wisp of smoke curled from Protheus' right eye, forming a shimring white orb. "An imperfect version of the Eye of Foresight," he said, the white orb floating toward . "It's not much, but it'll satisfy your curiosity."
I took a step back, eyeing the floating orb warily. "I don't need—"
Before I could finish, the eyeball shot into my own, a searing pain exploding through my skull. I scread, clutching at my face as my vision blurred with pain. My body convulsed, my mind reeling from the sudden invasion.
"Use it well, brat," Protheus whispered, his voice fading as he passed out, leaving to writhe in agony, my eye burning as if it had been set on fire.
I blinked, gasping for breath. My vision was hazy at first, but then it cleared, sharper than before. Yet... nothing happened. No sudden revelations, no visions of the future. The pain slowly ebbed away, leaving standing in the eerie silence of Protheus' prison, the weight of what had just happened sinking in.
It was a dud.
"Great," I muttered, wiping the blood from my face again. But as I turned to leave, sothing whispered in my like the chis of bells-- ?
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