Prometheus could only leave the divine temple helplessly. He returned to the earth to teach these bellicose Bronze Age humans, imparting to them knowledge of calculation and animal husbandry, explaining astronomy and dreams. It could be said that he taught them everything he knew.
Later, Epimetheus and Hephaestus, the craftsman god, taught humans to create various tools. After the invention of ships and sails, the Bronze Age humans sailed the seas, surviving the famine with abundant catches.
Prometheus's efforts made human life increasingly better. With their proliferation, humanity's scope of activity expanded, and the world flourished.
However, the sacrificial obligation required by the King of the Gods for humans was also fast approaching. What worried the foresight god even more was that the beastly nature of humans was merely suppressed in the face of hunger, not eradicated.
The last Silver Age human had recently received the summons of Thanatos and returned to the underworld. This aged Silver Age human sincerely thanked Prometheus on his deathbed, greeting death with a smile. Prometheus was filled with sorrow; his second creation had ultimately departed from him as well.
Grief-stricken, the foresight god suddenly conceived a wild idea! He could not bear to see the third generation of humans also leave him. Such pain, if it were to befall him a third time, would undoubtedly cause him to grieve himself to death. The only way was to grant them the immortality of the gods!
Prometheus journeyed to the temple in the deep sea, hoping for the assistance of Pontus, the primordial sea god.
The sea gods of the Pontus lineage were in a dire situation. Poseidon, carrying the command of the King of the Gods, demanded their obedience to him. How could these conceptual sea gods, who prided themselves on their noble lineage, accept this? In terms of paternal lineage, they were comparable to the first generation of Titans; how could they be willing to take orders from a junior?
However, the sea gods of the Oceanus lineage subtly supported Poseidon. Perhaps most of Oceanus's children possessed only weak divine power, but their sheer numbers were overwhelming. Since Tyche had seized the divine offices of rivers, lakes, and springs from Pontus, the children of Oceanus had broken free from the constraints of the primordial sea gods. Under Tyche's tacit approval, they had begun to erode the very concept of the sea.
With Zeus ascending to the throne as the King of the Gods, the children of Oceanus gained considerable momentum. No longer content to suffer in silence, they repaid the humiliation they had previously endured upon the children of Pontus. The domain of Dione, the goddess of the icy sea, bordered the deep sea. To conceal the overflow of erotic divine power during Aphrodite's birth, Pontus had once hidden the goddess of love within the icy sea.
Dione, plagued by the erotic divine power, found it unbearable. If not for her divine attribute of cold, this goddess of moderate divine power might not have escaped public embarrassment.
How could the goddess of the icy sea not be enraged by this? Without any prior promise, Eileithyia had enlisted this indifferent goddess to prevent Poseidon from supporting Atlas's rebellion, indicating that Dione had also reached her limit and wished to retaliate.
Led by Poseidon and Eurybia, the dispute among the sea gods officially commenced.
Nereus, the friend of the sea, was in a state of utter confusion. Tranquil Electra, the sea nymph who had acted as a bridge between the two factions, and Thaumas, the wonder of the sea, had both clearly stated they would not support either side. Nereus had no choice but to resume his role as a messenger, rushing about to quell the conflict.
Upon seeing the foresight god arrive, Nereus eagerly sought Prometheus's help, hoping he could offer a solution to the dispute.
"Please forgive my presumption, Your Highness Nereus," Prometheus said unhurriedly after hearing the plea of the friend of the sea. "The title of King of the Deep Sea held by Your Highness Pontus is now meaningless. Do not forget that the mother of the King of the Gods was also a sea goddess! The origin of water has not distanced her from it, even after she gained the earth divinity. Your Highness Pontus's influence in the sea realm is no longer as prominent as it once was."
Nereus smiled wryly. "If Your Highness Tyche were to declare her ownership of the sea, then things would be much simpler. The gods of the sea are willing to obey her leadership. The goddess of ocean currents is already the uncrowned king of the sea; her prestige is enough to convince us."
But now, it was Poseidon who usurped the glory of the primordial sea god. To win the trust of the daughters of Oceanus, the god of tsunamis ruthlessly used his power to oppress them, holding the two conceptual sea gods accountable for the fact that Echidna, the mother of monsters, was the daughter of Ceto, the sea's danger, and Phorcys, the sea's fury.
Poseidon also had his own calculations. If he did not seize this opportunity to completely subdue the conceptual sea gods, Zeus would unhesitatingly use him as a pawn. The god of tsunamis, who still harbored a desire for power, wished to become the true King of the Deep Sea. If the conceptual sea gods did not swear to become his subordinate deities, this conflict would not end.
After much deliberation, Prometheus could only suggest, "The glory of the King of the Deep Sea cannot be preserved no matter what. To minimize losses, you can only obey the command of the King of the Gods and show them submission."
"But it is not submission to Poseidon, but submission to the King of the Gods. This way, the daughters of Oceanus will have no reason to pressure you. The predicament you face will then only be an internal conflict among the conceptual sea gods. The only one with an excuse to intervene will be Eurybia, the goddess of sea power! However, she will not exert her full strength to help Poseidon. Poseidon has obtained the title of King of the Deep Sea without the corresponding power. You only need to maintain superficial respect towards him to manage the situation."
Nereus, the friend of the sea, was also uncommonly intelligent. He understood that in the current situation, this was the best course of action. With a sigh, he began contacting his brothers to discuss submitting to the King of the Gods.
Prometheus, with good sense, left Nereus's divine temple and went to admire the corals and jellyfish on his own.
Prometheus was not concerned with the outcome of the conceptual sea gods' deliberations. After the sea gods departed, the foresight god found Nereus. Upon hearing that Prometheus wished to seek Pontus's help, the friend of the sea said with some difficulty, "My father is slumbering in the deep sea straits. He had instructed us not to disturb him intentionally."
Seeing the disappointment on Prometheus's face, the friendly Nereus felt a pang of sympathy. After all, the foresight god had offered advice that helped him, so he said, "I cannot predict when my father will awaken. Perhaps you can tell me the questions you wish to ask, and I will relay them for you."
He couldn't wait in the sea realm indefinitely. The sacrifice was approaching, and time was running out for humanity. Prometheus, after careful consideration, still indirectly revealed his desire to find a treasure that could grant mortals eternal youth.
"The sea goddess Tethys possesses a wondrous spring that can restore youth to any being bathed in its waters."
Prometheus's face lit up with surprise and joy, not expecting Nereus to actually know such information. But in the next instant, Nereus shook his head and sighed, "It is a pity that this spring of youth cannot extend life; this is the domain of life and death."
"If you wish to find a way for mortals to transform, then seeking the guidance of the Moirai is the only path."