Roy felt a bit anxious inside, but his expression was remarkably calm, as if he didn't understand his own 'strangeness' at all.
He didn't know if Pandora was testing him.
In fact, even if Pandora had doubts about him, knew of Aiwasi's existence, and no longer held the dark ritual to slay gods for him, Roy didn't care anymore. He had already obtained the best and most suitable power for himself, and he had no interest in pursuing new powers. What he and Aiwasi were studying now was how to raise the upper limit of their powers, rather than seeking the quantity of powers.
However, if possible, Roy still hoped that the dark ritual to slay gods could continue, because every time Pandora held a dark ritual, it allowed Roy and Aiwasi to observe once more, thus accelerating their progress in analysis.
While Roy was lost in thought, Pandora's delicate fingers touched her red lips, and with a hint of confusion, she said, “...Only those 'awakened ones' among humans who have achieved great enlightenment can retain memories here, but such people could never become slayers of gods. How did my little Roy manage to do it?”
Pandora seemed to genuinely consider herself Roy's mother, affectionately calling him by his nickname. Her finger, which had lightly touched her red lips, then fell on Roy's forehead, drawing circles as if she were looking at a mischievous child, her voice filled with maternal love, “...Well, that's not important. It's a good thing that my little Roy can retain memories here; I can tell you some things.”
Roy had no objection to Pandora treating herself as his 'mother.' His parents before his transmigration had long passed away, and his mother after transmigration had no memories at all. Adding the two worlds together, Roy had only lived for a little over thirty years. Compared to Pandora's age, which could be counted in millennia, calling her mother was not a loss for him.
The only thing Roy found puzzling was whether this goddess who created the slayers of gods was deeply scheming or genuinely a bit naive; this was something he could not see through for the time being.
“Is there something you want to tell me, Pandora...”
“You should call me 'Mommy'!”
Pandora seemed quite interested in this mother-son game. She pinched Roy's nose with her slender fingers, a bit dissatisfied, while adjusting her position to make Roy more comfortable lying on her lap.
“...Alright, 'Mommy.'”
In a sense, Pandora was indeed his reborn parent, granting him a brand new and powerful life, so Roy didn't mind the title.
“Hehe~ What a clever and obedient child you are.”
Pandora giggled, her smile enchanting and radiant, like a seductive poppy flower. As if rewarding him, she lowered her head and gently kissed Roy's forehead, then her expression suddenly turned serious: “...As a sweet and lovely child, I don't want you to encounter danger. I'll tell you some important things about the gods, so you can prepare in advance.”
“...Listen carefully, I'm going to talk about the origins of the gods and their nature.”
“In the distant ancient times, humans were still in a matriarchal clan society. At that time, women were the main bearers of production and possessed the ability to give birth. In an era where resources were scarce and humans struggled to reproduce, women were the rulers. Thus, the gods born from human faith were predominantly goddesses of high status.”
Roy remained silent, simply listening to Pandora's words, lying on the lap of his adoptive mother, who appeared to be only thirteen or fourteen years old, and enjoying her 'storytelling.' He had no reason to refuse this contact.
After all, he knew that he was currently just a spiritual entity, and time in the outside world was different, so he felt no urgency.
“As human civilization developed, and as humans learned to create tools, especially with the advancement of metal smelting that allowed humans to possess 'steel' weapons, the threat from beasts diminished, and resources became abundant. Men's physical strength and combat abilities became necessary for survival and development, leading to the gradual transition from matriarchal to patriarchal clans.”
“...In the realm of mythology, the status of goddesses began to decline while that of gods rose. The goddesses who once reigned at the pinnacle of mythology became the wives, daughters, and other subordinates of male gods. Among them, the most tragic goddesses fell directly into the ranks of monsters, becoming dragons and snakes.”
“Little Roy must have heard many myths about slaying dragons and snakes, right? Marduk killed Tiamat, Susanoo killed the Yamata no Orochi, Perseus killed Medusa, Siegfried killed Fafnir, and even Michael imprisoned the ancient dragon Satan. These myths symbolize the dominance of patriarchy, as heroes used 'steel' in their hands to defeat and suppress the once revered goddesses, thus becoming the 'Steel Heroes.'”
“...Gods can generally be divided into three categories: the ancient earth mother gods with 'dragon and snake' attributes, the steel heroes who overthrew the rule of goddesses with 'steel' attributes, and the other gods that emerged from the battles between these two.”
Pandora's fingertips gently stroked Roy's cheek, her expression of sorrow and concern growing heavier, “...I created the dark ritual that can give birth to slayers of gods, and the gods, in order to prevent the demon kings on the ground from becoming too rampant, also appointed the 'strongest steel' through oaths.”
“...He is the 'Last King,' the enemy of all dragons, snakes, and demon kings. Whenever the number of slayers of gods becomes irretrievable, the 'Last King' will awaken. He will use the ancient dragon and snake goddesses as sacrifices to gain the power to eliminate all demon kings. Over the thousands of years, many slayers of gods have been born, but none of the ancient slayers of gods have survived to this day; they have all been annihilated by the 'Last King.'”
“In the current era, seven slayers of gods have been born, a number that exceeds any previous era. The awakening of the 'Last King' is inevitable. Little Roy, facing the 'strongest steel,' even I have no way to help; all I can do is cheer for you from behind. You must be careful of him. Although I know that being careful may not have any effect, this is something I must convey to you.”
Pandora looked at her child, who was about to face suffering, her tone filled with sorrow.
At this moment, Roy was recalling the myths and legends about Pandora. Perhaps Pandora, tracing back to her origins, was also an ancient earth mother goddess, a goddess symbolizing dragons and snakes. She hated the steel heroes and even all gods, which led her to create the dark ritual to slay gods.
“Why do you care about me so much?”
Roy asked a puzzled question; Pandora's concern seemed a bit excessive.
“Because you are my child.”
Pandora said with maternal love.
“You must have many children, right? With me, there are seven slayers of gods in this era, and in the past thousands of years, there must have been dozens, right?”
“That's different. A clever, cute, obedient child like little Roy is the first of its kind for me as a mother~~ Now, close your eyes obediently and remember what Mommy says in your heart. If you do that, Mommy will reward you.”
Speaking in such a gentle and enchanting manner, Pandora embraced Roy's head and lowered her graceful neck.
The ritual of using gods as sacrifices was once again initiated.