Poseidon, helpless, had to seek the help of sea gods of concepts like Pontus. Through the mediation of Tethys’ sister, the serene sea goddess Electra, the god of tsunamis and the goddess of sea dangers, Ceto, became deeply involved. Their divine domains overlapped in some areas, allowing for very tacit cooperation.
At his daughter’s pleading, the primordial sea god Pontus granted Poseidon the power of rhythm, making him the second sea god to possess both phenomena and concepts, after the goddess of sea power and waves, Eurynome.
The power of sea rhythm inevitably encroached upon the divine office of currents held by Tyche. Tyche was fully aware of Pontus’ intentions; he was confident that Tyche would not offend Poseidon, who was likely to gain the position of chief god at this critical juncture, hoping to turn the tide.
Tyche was naturally somewhat annoyed. Fortunately, Poseidon was sensible and did not wish to offend this powerful chief god. He turned his attention to pursuing Tyche’s sister, the oceanid Amphitrite.
However, this goddess, to whom Tyche had bestowed the divine office of protector of marine animals, did not wish for further contact with the philandering Poseidon. Whenever she encountered the god of tsunamis, she would coldly reject him. On the few occasions they were alone, Amphitrite would always make an excuse to transform into a swan or a fish and escape.
Tyche could not directly target Poseidon but was unwilling to suffer this humiliation as Pontus intended. The clever goddess, in turn, used her divine office of currents to seize the title of goddess of marine life, which finally made the primordial sea god retreat.
As the powers of the two deities grew stronger, the day they would inherit the positions of chief gods drew nearer.
First was Hades. With the power of the golden ear of grain plains and tranquility, he soothed the ever-increasing number of souls, greatly reducing the workload of the underworld gods. Even Selene, who was busy guiding souls, could catch her breath and could not help but praise him.
Hades also gradually grew to like life in the underworld. The underworld gods were all busy with their respective tasks, unlike the gods on the divine mountain who spent their days feasting and indulging. This undoubtedly suited the personality of the god of wealth. The solemn Hades gradually integrated into the underworld gods, and they got along harmoniously.
Poseidon was not far behind. The god of tsunamis followed in his brother's footsteps and successfully advanced to the rank of intermediate god. Tyche’s influence was naturally indispensable in this. Fearing complications, Tyche personally guided the god of tsunamis in exploring primal forces within the ocean’s origin. Poseidon, having reaped considerable rewards, successfully broke through shortly after Hades’ promotion.
The rainbow goddesses gathered information on the divine mountain for the chief gods and indeed discovered the whereabouts of three goddesses.
Iris stated with certainty, "The goddess of agriculture, Demeter, has indeed shown herself to be very close to the god of growth, Crius."
"The other two goddesses are much more reserved," Alce added for her sister. "The goddess of hearth and the goddess of marriage have visited your temple several times. Your Highness Hera has not forgotten the help you gave her back then."
"Have the three goddesses all been promoted to intermediate godhood?" Tyche was only concerned about this question.
The two subordinate gods shook their heads. "The goddess of agriculture, Demeter, received the divine office of motherhood from the Earth Goddess, and was the first of the three goddesses to be promoted. The other two goddesses are still on the verge of promotion and will likely need some time to become intermediate gods."
Tyche already had a plan. It was possible, as Eurynome had said, that Demeter would become Crius’ second wife.
This meant that Crius, the god of growth, had Gaia’s backing. Iapetus, the god of souls, needed Ouranos’ help for his eldest son, Atlas, the god of strength, to advance to powerful godhood, and would naturally follow Gaia’s decision to support Crius. Iapetus’ approach to Oceanus, the god of the great ocean, and his proposal of such a deal was likely also at Gaia’s behest.
Thinking this way, the god of souls, Iapetus, might reach an agreement with Gaia. Even if Gaia’s bargaining chip was sufficient, it was not impossible for Iapetus to hand over the position of chief god to his son Atlas before the succession of the king of the gods was decided. This way, the support of the god of souls would not represent the will of a chief god, and he could thwart Zeus without violating his oath!
Fiddling with the ripe myrtle berries on his plate, Tyche had already envisioned the worst-case scenario.
After everything was overturned and reorganized, Zeus, herself, the prophet couple, and the goddess of memory would have five votes. With the vote of either Hades or Poseidon, that would be a majority.
The goddess of radiance and the goddess of justice might support Crius, the god of growth, under Gaia’s pressure. Iapetus, the god of souls, would abdicate and pass on his chief god position to his eldest son, Atlas. With their support, Demeter would also obtain the position of chief god, and the sides would remain balanced! This would lead to a resolution by force!
As Rhea’s children grew up one by one, the moment of destiny gradually approached.
Tyche was prepared to face any situation. She had even quietly lent the Shield of the Lake Maiden to her youngest son. This artifact, imbued with the power of the sky and the celestial spheres, could give the gods a significant advantage in their battle against the god of growth.
With all preparations made, the gods gathered on Mount Othrys to witness the succession of the king of the gods.
Both sides tacitly agreed to first decide the fate of the two vacant chief god positions.
Hades and Demeter successfully inherited their parents’ positions as chief gods, and the gods were stunned by the gods’ private understanding.
The two newly born chief gods took their seats on opposite sides. Tyche immediately perked up, ready to witness the war that would follow the stalemate.
The twelve chief gods were divided into two groups, each occupying half.
Themis, the goddess of justice, and Theia, the goddess of radiance, turned their heads away under the bewildered gazes of Tyche and her son. At this point, it was meaningless to investigate the reasons.
Next, Iapetus, the god of souls, announced that he would pass on his chief god position to his eldest son, Atlas. This god of strength was only surpassed by Tyche and Helios among the second generation of Titans. Although he was caught up by Kanna and Zeus, the gods raised no objections, given the examples of Hades and Demeter.
Just as Tyche thought the situation would lead to a deadlock and was about to propose resolving the succession of the king of the gods by force, she heard a barely audible sigh from Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory, behind her.
Tyche immediately turned to Mnemosyne. The goddess of memory met Tyche’s gaze and gave a bitter smile, "I had already reminded you, but you didn't notice."
Zeus and the prophet couple also looked at Mnemosyne alertly. The goddess of memory did not conceal the bitterness on her face. "Oh, goddess of destiny, who represents opportunity and choice, you have ultimately entrusted this choice to others."
"The goddess who controls destiny is played by destiny. Now, the final outcome will likely exceed your expectations!"