SON OF THE HERO KING

[Tower of Babel – Hanging Gardens]

The hanging gardens of Babylon were a work of art that could go into the annals of history without a shred of doubt. It wouldn’t be a complete lie to call them the most beautiful sight of the Mortal Realm. Such were the heights of beauty and aesthetics this piece of art had reached.

The moon was currently hidden behind the clouds of winter as the snow fell incessantly and covered the ground.

Usually, the Tower had a shield deployed that left no weather change to go through as it could affect the garden. But, as of now, Lilith considered that she could afford to open it.

After all, with the current protection that gathered in the Tower, this shield would make little to no difference.

Sitting near a frozen lake and feeling the ashen snow falling on her face, Lilith closed her eyes and remembered her past. An agonizing yet beautiful reminiscence.

For her, the snow had a very symbolic and important meaning. After all, it was the first thing she had witnessed of the world outside of the walls of the chamber she had been created in. [1]

It was in this place that everything changed for her in its entirety.

Back then, she remembered that she had asked her creator a harrowing question. A question of her existence…

"What am I?"

His answer had been simple and relayed with no hesitation and no remorse.

"You are the tool that will allow me to reach my goals."

A tool. As simple and sad as that. Nothing more, Nothing less.

Back then she did not have the emotional capacity necessary to feel things like sadness or disappointment.

This was why she had felt nothing even after being told such a cruel reality. ‘Her’ reality.

She had nothing to care for and no one who cared for her in the world.

But what might have truly sealed her fate was what followed after.

Back then she remembered having seen Mars training his swordplay under the falling snow.

She had asked who he was and the answer, like a curse, had followed her to this day.

"He is my son. Your role will be to serve the Royal family until the day you die. So I guess he is your master?"

Lilith laughed after hearing her creator’s words. It was a depreciating laugh full of mockery towards herself.

As she grew in maturity and emotions…

She began to realize that her life was not normal and so she rebelled against her creator…

But in the end…

'Nothing really changed.'

She fulfilled her role as a tool and bore a daughter, rendering Neptune’s operation a complete success. Neptune was able to attain his goal, even though he wasn’t there to witness it himself.

She trained all her life with all the intention of becoming the sharpest sword for Mars. The sword that could cut everything that could stand in his path and pave the way ahead for him. And in the end, she truly became what she envisioned. Only to lose the reason she became what she was, Losing Mars.

She then lived in harrowing loneliness as she raised Sol so that he could stand up for himself. Now that he was an adult, her time in this Realm was coming to an end and even the goddesses wished for her absolute demise.

Neptune's words had been the truth, after all.

She was born as a tool and would die as one as well.

Nothing more… Nothing less…

"Ah…"

A breath escaped her lips as she appreciated the coldness of the winter snow seeping into her bones after she put down all of her defenses.

When she did not use her Mana or Intent, she was just a weak and fragile woman with a frail body that was on the verge of death.

'How. Utterly. Pitiful…'

She shook her head and walked in the snow-covered path until she reached a long branch that had fallen from a tree.

The maids had started to avoid staying here as it was simply too cold for their comfort but she did not care.

Taking one step, with the sword in hand.

She began to remember her earliest memories.

Why did she become so entranced with Mars?

She could not truly remember.

Was it because of his kindness?

Was it because he did not treat her like a tool?

She truly could not remember the reason behind her obsession.

All she remembered was the sword in his hand moving as he danced under the snow.

And so, she danced as well. Danced in the tune and rhythm of the intangible sword.

Like an immortal fairy, she moved her sword in such a way that anyone watching this scene could only be mesmerized by its aesthetics.

This was the case for Sol as well, as he floated even higher in the sky and looked down at her visage.

The movement of her intangible sword, the flow of her body, the rhythm of her breathing.

Sol closed his eyes as he felt like he was watching something that surpassed even his wildest imagination. Even replaying it in his head seemed like blasphemy as his memory could never perfectly capture this moment in its true essence.

Her beauty transcended reasoning itself. It now treaded in the realm of a concept. Something that could never be replicated.

"She is truly incredible."

Ambrosia spoke as she appeared next to Sol, breaking him out of his reverie.

"I know."

"No. You do not understand, Sol. This woman is simply something that goes beyond even my own knowledge. Something that I had once deemed to be impossible. She is someone who pioneered her own path."

She looked down at Lilith and sighed ruefully…

"Do you know? Be it I, Anubis, or even Echidna. Even though we managed to become the first mortal demigods, we all knew that it was thanks to outside help and circumstances that played their parts."

Anubis was a reincarnated being born with a fragment of Death inside his soul.

Ambrosia was linked to Asmodeus and could use the power accumulated by all the witches in existence.

Echidna was specifically created by the goddesses with two blessings.

"We were all born special— loved by the world and by lady luck herself."

This did not stop at them. All the singularities who made their marks in history and became renowned throughout the eras had something special to them. Someone who gave them a path.

This went for Siegfried, Sun Wukong, and even Mars as well.

This was how the world went on.

"You are not different from us."

Sol nodded in acknowledgment. It wasn't like he didn't work hard himself and he had his fair share of hardships.

But it was true that his current skill set would have never been developed without the help of many people and the touch of the goddess of Lust— Luxuria.

His dragon blood and his dimension were innate talents and he would have never obtained his zone without all the help he got during the war in the Dragon realm. The help he received from his grandmother that adored him to no end as well as his lover Skuld, who transcended time itself to help him out.

"But that woman? She is truly something else."

Born with a defective body that was weaker than average.

No blessings. No outside help. A body that slowly brought her toward her untimely death.

The only thing she had was a large quantity of Mana. Something that was not all that rare in the world. Something that could be called worse than average in the realm of geniuses.

"...And despite all her defects, all her constraints, she created an art that can transcend the impossible. Kill the unkillable. Cutting even space and time and perhaps even concepts… All this, without ever awakening the meager amount of succubus blood that was inside her."

In all her life, with all her knowledge, the All-knowing witch had never witnessed such a monster. Even reasoning was beyond her, more so than what Sol could ever achieve.

What if Lilith managed to obtain a perfect body brimming with talent? What if she managed to become a demigod?

She shuddered just at the mere thought of that possibility.

Even now, watching Lilith’s display, Ambrosia could feel her neck go cold from the sense of foreboding she felt from her Immortal Slaying Art.

"I want you to understand something, Sol."

Ambrosia took her eyes away from Lilith and gazed deeply at Sol’s indifferent eyes with her own…

"I have always believed in growing without holding up the hands of my children."

She did not interfere with whatever decision they ended up making and even in the council, she never gave her opinion.

"I created the witches out of my own selfishness. My thirst for power and my fear of loneliness."

The source of this content is no//vel//bin[./]net'

She considered the witches as her own daughters simply because she did not want to be alone.

Loneliness was scary. Researching things alone was not fun.

Even being friends with Anubis and Echidna had never managed to erase the deep loneliness that constantly stabbed at her heart.

She became jealous when the two started having a relationship with each other. Because it was something she could never even wish to have.

So she created the witches. Sharing a curse that would make even more lonely people tread her path so that she would feel even a little less lonely in the world.

"I talk to you now, not as a demigod or a witch. But simply as a stupid mother who had never done anything for her daughters."

She did something that surprised even Sol.

She bowed deeply with all the seriousness in the world and put down all pretenses and her shoddy pride.

"I will help you. I will make sure to study Pandora as fast as possible and give you the results. I will use all my powers to help you realize your wishes."

Her voice was hoarse and filled with emotions.

"So, please… Help my daughters relieve their curse."

Sol stayed silent as he observed Ambrosia.

Not long ago. He had been the one helplessly begging the goddesses to save Camelia's life.

What did he feel then?

The helplessness, the humiliation. This deep and wrenching feeling of powerlessness as you could do nothing but beg and hope.

What did the goddesses answer back then as they laughed at his plight?

I refuse.

As such…

"I accept and please, raise your head.”

He turned his back to Ambrosia and began walking away into the air.

He had never wished to back Ambrosia against the wall.

He felt no pleasure in seeing her bow down and beg him so.

'I am sorry.'

He did not say those words out loud.

Because he knew very well that if he had to do it again… He would do so without any hesitation.

[1]: You can read interludes 9 and 10 for this. In fact, I really urge you to read at least Interlude 9 and ideally add 10.

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