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Chapter 223: Don't look below
🕑 Added 2024-12-10 15:56:02 +0000 UTCAt sunrise, the mythology’s day and night alternated above the sky.
Just as Helios, the Sun God, resembling a middle-aged man, watched Promise grab the reins of Pegasus and control the night with surprise, he had yet to fully react to what was happening, when..
Nyx, the Goddess of Night, nodded to Helios coldly as a greeting before turning her gaze to Promise.
Her expression softened as she said, “Child, wait a moment. She should be here soon.”
She?
While Promise was wondering who Nyx was referring to, a painting suddenly floated in front of him as he looked closely and was astounded.
Because it turned out to be a painting of the goddess Hecate's familiar!
The reason for this painting was actually simple...well Hecate refused to let Promise paint her so, left with no other option, he had to settle for painting her familiar instead.
As glowing dark butterflies fluttered their delicate wings, the beautiful goddess in a black dress, with ebony hair and crimson eyes, appeared in the sky.
Her face was sullen as she approached the carriage in darkness.
Hecate greeted the Sun God briefly before handing Promise a bottle of potion. “For you.”
Looking at the goddess, who seemed calm and tried hard to control the slightest expression on her face, Promise blinked and turned to Nyx, who was smiling beside him, confused.
Nyx, understanding what he wanted to ask, explained, “When I heard you would control the sun, I immediately sent someone to find Hecate. I asked her to prepare a potion for you, one that could resist the sun’s flames.”
Hearing this, Helios couldn’t help but interject. “Goddess Nyx, I had already prepared the holy ointment for him—”
“But doesn’t the so-called holy ointment still carry risks?” Nyx interrupted. "If it melts too slowly, Promise could be in danger. And it cannot withstand the sun’s flames indefinitely. I couldn’t bear to see him suffer like that."
As she spoke, the goddess of night turned toward Hecate, who sighed before explaining, *This potion lasts for three days. During that time, you will be immune to the sun’s flames.”
She paused, looking at Promise. "To put it simply, as long as you don’t jump into the sun, you’ll be fine.”
Promise accepted the potion, she handed over to him.
Nyx urged him to drink it and instructed him to board Helios’s sun chariot, seize the reins of the flaming Pegasus, and take charge as the sun chariot’s driver.
When Promise held the reins without any visible harm from the sun’s intense heat, Nyx finally breathed a sigh of relief, nodding in satisfaction.
Throughout the ordeal, Hecate stood nearby, her expression void of life.
After being captured and forced to work for Promise initially, she later found herself targeted by Athena.
That's not all...Now, the most beloved Goddess of Night had made her work again—for Promise!
“Goddess Nyx, Goddess Hecate, do you have any more of this potion?!” Helios, the sun god, who had now fully realized the situation asked.
Thinking of his own child, Phaethon, Helios couldn't help but inquire.
Hecate, however shook her head calmly.
In one night, she only mixed one bottle...mainly because she never thought of making another one.
Nyx glanced at Hecate.
She knew Hecate's abilities too well, so she guessed in her heart that Hecate had deliberately delayed the time to come.
However, Nyx didn't intend to say much about this.
After all, she only cared about Promise.
As for the other person, she had no interest at all.
Helios, the god of the sun, opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but when he saw that Hecate looking impatient and the goddess of night, smiling at him, he tactfully shut his mouth.
After the two goddess entrusted Promise to him, he promised Nyx that he would ensure Promise’s safety.
Only then did she and Hecate returned to the underworld.
When the primordial goddess of the night, Nyx, departed, the sun god Helios clearly breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Promise with a thoughtful expression.
After all, Nyx's fondness for Promise was far too obvious to ignore.
It was important to remember that Nyx was one of the original deities, the embodiment and personification of night, and also the foster mother of Zeus, the king of the gods in this era.
Considering Athena and Queen Hera's past matters, Helios couldn't help but momentarily wish to send Promise back.
After all, if anything really went wrong, even as the sun god, he felt he couldn't bear the consequences.
"Tell me, Sun God, have I done something wrong?"
Promise, who had been under Helios' gaze all this time, asked in confusion.
The latter shook his head, then after a moment's thought, stepped forward, sat beside Promise, and invited him with a smile: "Child, would you like to accompany me today in driving the sun chariot to illuminate the mortal world?"
Nyx's intent in entrusting Promise to Helios at this time was clear, and naturally, the sun god understood it well.
To command both the night and, the following day, the sun—what an extraordinary blessing this was!
However, as Helios had once said to Hestia, the eldest of the Olympian deities, in his heart, Promise was indeed worthy of such an honor.
Not only did he harbor no reluctance, but he even felt a sense of anticipation.
He even looked forward to witnessing the moment when this young man truly controlled the sun!
Though Helios lacked Athena's heroic inclinations,
Nyx's influence had led him to observe and pay close attention to Promise for quite some time.
And now, the thought that his image might be included in the boy's legend brought Helios a certain satisfaction.
Promise, unaware of what Helios was thinking, naturally agreed.
After all, this was exactly the reason he had come.
Today was an opportunity to familiarize himself; it would make things easier when he brought along Phaethon later.
Taking out a golden apple and consuming it to restore his energy, Promise glanced around, only to notice that his companion, Brother Horse, had disappeared without a trace.
Well...this was not unusual.
Those four flaming horses, whose bodies burned with fire and whose very breaths sparked flames, were nothing like the docile horses of the night.
If Brother Horse dared to approach, his feathers would likely be reduced to ashes.
Although Promise understood this, he was still annoyed by that guy's habitual betrayal and mentally added it to his grudge list.
Noting the grudge, he sat on the sun chariot, and set off into the skies alongside Helios.
The sun chariot moved at incredible speed.
Throughout the journey, Helios gripped the reins of the four flaming celestial steeds with a serious expression.
As Nyx had warned the previous night, these celestial horses, born from the sun itself, retained a fierce and untamed nature despite being harnessed.
Even for a powerful and ancient deity like Helios, driving the sun chariot demanded his full concentration and effort.
When the sun chariot sped across the sky, not even mighty Zeus would dare stand in its path, let alone lesser gods.
Perhaps Athena could manage, thanks to the indestructible shield she wielded but even that was a perhaps.
Soon, under Helios' command, the chariot broke through the clouds and reached the zenith of the heavens.
This was a domain untouched even by Pegasus.
Though Promise had driven the night sky here the previous evening, the darkness had obscured his view of the earth below.
Now, naturally curious, he leaned forward to gaze down at the world.
Seeing his actions, Helios, who had always keeping an eye on him along the way, was startled and quickly exclaimed, "Child, don't look!"
It was no wonder that Helios reacted like this..
After all, in Greek mythology, the proud Phaethon had once been so frightened by the view that he lost control of the reins, leading to the tragic events recorded in legend.
At the summit of the heavens, where the sun chariot traversed, to the very summit, even the sun god, Helios himself controlled his desire to avoid looking down.
Because as long as he took a look at the ground, the boundless vast land and ocean would make even a powerful god like him feel terrified!
Yet, as Helios regretted his oversight—forgetting Nyx's warning and growing concerned for Promise.
He found, to his surprise, that the boy was not pale or trembling in fear as he'd expected.
Instead, Promise remained calm and unshaken by the breathtaking view beneath him.
And hearing his words, he even raised his head and looked at Helios, who was scolding him loudly with some confusion.
Under the god's somewhat surprised gaze, although he didn't quite understand what was going on, he still nodded obediently and said, "Sorry, Helios, the sun god, I understand, I won't watch it again."
