"Thank you, Mother Earth Gaia," Mobius said, bowing slightly.
Mother Earth Gaia smiled faintly, a mysterious meaning playing on her lips. She retracted her finger, and a drop of crystal-clear blood, like a pure ruby, fell into her hand.
The wind blew, and the "ruby" landed before Mobius.
"Ah, lovely Lord of Healing Mobius! Do you know? There is no power in the world that can be obtained without effort, just like this drop of blood before your eyes." Mother Earth Gaia glanced at him. "Everything has a price, and an equal exchange between you and I is destined."
Mobius showed no expression, as if such a scenario had been rehearsed thousands of times in his mind, and the records of fate written tens of millions of times.
"Aren't you curious what I want to obtain from you?" Mother Earth Gaia stepped on the crisp white jade, which recorded the earth's changes. "What if it's something that cannot be accomplished?"
Mobius revealed a smile, "Mother Earth Gaia! The graceful and noble Mother Earth Gaia! You are a great Original God, an indispensable pillar of the world, and I am merely a small god of healing and purification."
He extended a finger, and the light of the twelve-leaf silver chain shimmered by his ear. "Whether in status or power, before you, I am like an ant. You can bypass me to do whatever you wish, and moreover, it is my honor to serve you."
Mother Earth Gaia laughed aloud. Even such an unseemly laugh, on her face, still appeared so graceful and noble. "Ah, glib-tongued Mobius, your sweet words are truly moving. No wonder even Aphrodite, freshly conceived, was willing to entrust you with the power of love."
"Princess Aphrodite?"
"Indeed? Aphrodite, who possesses the divine office of love, she is the one I value most. Until she conceives her own child, she will be my most beloved child, and everything about her will be under my attention." Mother Earth Gaia waved her hand, and a yellowish light curtain rose before her. "Aphrodite's birth, her ascent to Olympus, and then becoming a chief god..."
"Everything is within my grasp. This is the choice of fate, and it is also my choice." A hint of melancholy flashed across Mother Earth Gaia's face; clearly, there was more to this matter.
Fate, is it Nyx, Goddess of Fate, of night and destiny? A mysterious and noble figure appeared in Mobius's mind.
"So, is my divine office of pure love something you were willing to grant me?" Mobius asked tentatively.
"Yes, love and desire do not require purity. Eros, who embodies myriad forms of love and desire, does not need the purest love. The purest love is merely a confinement in a cage for Eros's revival," Mother Earth Gaia said bluntly.
Mother Earth Gaia's words made Mobius's face turn pale. He truly wished to deafen the world's ears, or that these words were not in his memory, but merely an illusory bubble.
Was this something he was meant to hear? The revival of Eros, this Original God? If there is revival, there must first have been demise. How did this esteemed one perish then?
"Then, Mother Earth Gaia, do you mean you need my assistance?" Mobius asked cautiously.
"You?" Mother Earth Gaia uttered only one word, but Mobius read confusion on her face.
"Your power is still too weak. I merely told you the beginning and end of how you obtained your divine office, to put your mind at ease and prevent you from harboring improper thoughts," Mother Earth Gaia explained. "There are many gods in this world who wish to assist me, from my child Rhea, who symbolizes the passage of time, to the current God King Zeus, and you are not among them."
"Then, Your Highness Mother Earth, we have only met once, and today is only our second meeting. You do not understand me, so why would you speak of your plans? Like a flower, only when we are amazed do we feel an emotion of appreciation," Mobius paused. "For unprovoked kindness, it's like me stopping to admire an utterly mediocre flower while traveling."
"Ah, intelligent Mobius! You are far from mediocre. From the moment you decided to hunt magical beasts, you already surpassed most gods in the world. You know how to please the world, you know when to do what, and you were the first to speak up for Aphrodite in the Pantheon." A mix of melancholy and sorrow flashed across Mother Earth Gaia's face. "If only he were like you, how wonderful that would be. Perhaps I wouldn't have had to conceive three gods by myself, and then that whole series of events wouldn't have happened."
Conceiving three gods, does that refer to the gods of sky, ocean, and mountains?
Mobius fell silent. At this moment, speaking too much was clearly not a good idea, just as a flower is not more stunning the more vibrant its color, but rather, a beautiful flower should complement its environment.
"Forgive me, I couldn't help but vent my emotions, making you feel apprehensive, didn't I?" Mother Earth Gaia returned to her divine throne, then created a divine throne for Mobius. "Nyx and Erebus are perpetually in slumber, Tartarus is repairing his divine body, and only I am perfectly intact. I can only sleep, only wait for the goddess of love to conceive."
"Your Highness, who would mock you?" Mobius paused, then continued, "Perhaps, Your Highness Mother Earth, you are now awaiting a god to emerge from the world, who will come to your side and jest with you."
"Hahaha," Mother Earth Gaia's graceful visage carried a tear. "Indeed, worthy of intelligent Mobius. If you had been born earlier, the divine office of wisdom would have been yours."
As Mother Earth Gaia finished speaking, Zeus, who was reveling with an Oak Nymph on Olympus, suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head. He pushed away the riding Oak Nymph and stumbled back to the Thunder Temple.
He roared in a low voice, "What are you doing, Metis!"
Only his echo answered Zeus, along with the Nymphs who served him, kneeling endlessly!
Mobius lowered his brow, "Thank you for your praise, Your Highness Mother Earth, but the divine office of wisdom still belongs to the missing Princess Metis, doesn't it? The wisdom of the water patterns cannot be defeated by a few words from me."
"Enough, sly Mobius, your eyes betray your ambition; you desire the power of wisdom," Mother Earth Gaia said.
"Powerful divine offices," Mobius said softly, "who wouldn't want them? This is the divine power of wisdom! Countless gods flock to it!"
"We chase powerful divine offices, just like those moths burning their bodies in flames. The difference is that we are gods, and they are merely mortals."
PS: Please, free small gifts. Xiaomi bows in gratitude here.