Tyche secretly resolved that she would never be anyone's subordinate. The most pressing issue before her now was to quickly gain the power to protect herself. Both the Earth Mother Gaia and the Night Goddess Nyx were goddesses, yet no one dared to disrespect them. What was the basis for their authority if not the immense divine power of the primordial gods?
Thinking of this, and then looking at herself, Tyche almost burst into tears. Although her parents were powerful first-generation Titans, the concept of the sea was the domain of the primordial Sea God Pontus. The sea gods such as Phorkys, the god of the sea's wrath; Keto, the goddess of the sea's dangers; Nereus, the god of the sea's friendliness; Thaumas, the god of the sea's wonders; and Tethys, the goddess of the sea's surface, were all children of Pontus.
The children of the Ocean God Okeanos and the Sea Goddess Tethys did not inherit the divine offices related to the concept of the sea. Among them, particularly outstanding individuals like Metis and Eurynome only gained their divine offices after the world consciousness had clearly defined their essence. This was also why Metis, despite being the daughter of two sea gods, possessed the divine office of wisdom. Most of the other children only had regional divine offices, such as those of lakes, rivers, and springs. Once the body of water they resided in disappeared, they would lose their divine power and become nymphs, demigoddesses without divine offices. There were exceptions, such as Dione, the goddess of the icy sea. Although she also had a regional divine office, she possessed immense divine power, making her awe-inspiring.
After the eldest daughter Metis and the second daughter Eurynome, there were few instances of their essence being clearly defined to gain divine offices. The later-born daughters of the Ocean God found it difficult even to obtain regional divine offices. Tyche was now a sea nymph, with weak divine power. In the hierarchy of the gods, she was only slightly above the naturally born tree nymphs, all of them at the bottom rung.
Nymphs were the most vulnerable. Not only did they have to hide from male gods, but even hero demigods were no match for them. The current top priority was to gain power under the protection of her Titan parents. With this thought, Tyche began to survey the island where she was born. The island was not large; in the center was a dense forest, and the edges were lined with white sandy beaches, with no cliffs or natural defenses. She rose and walked into the forest, where a pool of clear spring water gathered into a small pond. The bottom of the pond was covered with pearls of various colors, which shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight, exuding beauty.
For a moment, Tyche was stunned by the incredible sight before her, and she murmured, "So many pearls! I'll have endless pearl necklaces, pearl earrings, and pearl powder..."
Happy days were always short. Tyche temporarily settled in the pond on this island. After the initial joy of seeing the pearls, the sense of crisis still clung to her like a nightmare. After much thought, Tyche decided to seek her mother's help. Her father's ocean, located on the outer edge of the world, was too far for her at the moment. Having made up her mind, Tyche got onto a white seashell and sank into the seawater. This was the era of the first-generation king of the gods, Uranus, the Sky God. The number of intelligent beings was very small. After traveling for a long time in the sea, Tyche only saw some unintelligent marine fish.
She arrived safely at the underwater temple of the Sea Goddess. The deities of the ocean were truly wealthy! Looking at the temple decorated with sapphires, pearls, and various corals, Tyche, who thought herself rich, revealed the face of a pauper. A group of blue-haired mermaids swam out of the temple and joyfully surrounded Tyche, welcoming her. "Our beautiful sister, honored daughter of Tethys, welcome to Mother's temple!" A group of them escorted Tyche through the temple gates.
On a throne made of shells, a benevolent goddess sat. She beckoned to Tyche, signaling her to come closer. Tyche was very nervous. The affection among relatives in Greek mythology was scarce. Demeter, the only one known for her motherly nature, had not yet been born. The general situation was that parents gave birth but did not raise their children; children were more like the products of their indulgence, without any care.
Tethys, seated on the throne, had long, dark blue hair that swayed in the water like seaweed, displaying vibrant life force. Tyche walked forward, and the goddess reached out and gently embraced her, immediately easing her nervous heart. The goddess lovingly stroked her dark brown long hair, "My dear little daughter, my treasure, you have finally returned to your mother."
The goddess comforted her, "My daughter, I already know your intention, and I very much want to help you. But you must understand that by accepting a divine office bestowed by others, you will only become their subordinate deity. Being a subordinate deity means that neither your freedom nor your power will be under your own control. I do not wish for you to suffer such a fate!"
The sorrowful goddess lamented the misfortune of being a subordinate deity, "Your sisters could have all received divine offices from your father and me. Most of them refused our help, and only a very few decided to stay with us."
Tyche absolutely could not accept relying on others for everything. After a moment of contemplation, Tyche said firmly, "I will gain a divine office through my own strength, just like my elder sister Metis."
The Sea Goddess was both saddened by the departure of another daughter and happy for her daughter's tenacious will. She reminded her earnestly, "My daughter, after you gain a divine office, you will have to leave our embrace and fulfill the duties assigned by the divine office! Helios and Selene alternate their appearances for half the time. Eos must open the heavenly gate at the transition between day and night. The divine offices of violence and torment will distort the mind of the possessor, making their actions align with the divine office. Remember, if you abandon your duty, the power of the divine office will also abandon and harm you!"