Chapter 619: A Story of Millennia Past
The Great Betrayal
Teth-Adam's failure was not due to a lack of power but because of Isis.
Shazam used his own daughter as bait, luring Teth-Adam into a carefully laid trap. He then combined the power of the assembled Gods to fight him. That battle lasted an entire day and was so devastating it felt as if the sky and earth were collapsing.
The outcome was Teth-Adam's sealing. All the participating Gods were killed, leaving only Shazam. Isis did not escape the disaster. She was stabbed through the heart by a Witch-God from Africa. As her soul was dying, Teth-Adam and Shazam used their divine power to protect her True Spirit, sealing it inside the amulet. If they could find her reincarnated body, the True Spirit within the amulet could be used to awaken her former memories.
"For its sake, I will not kill you."
Teth-Adam secured the amulet and walked over to the stone table in the center of the hall.
"Thaddeus Sivana!"
"Your subordinate is here," the bald doctor quickly walked in. "What are your commands, Your Majesty?"
Teth-Adam pointed at the crystal sphere emitting a milky-white light.
"You wanted eyes, didn't you? That is it."
Sivana was suspicious and couldn't help but glance at the statues on either side. Luke Shaw had mentioned that the seven statues in the hall were the Seven Deadly Sins Demons, and the crystal sphere was the artifact that sealed them. Wouldn't taking it mean mingling with demons?
Teth-Adam looked displeased. "What? You don't want it?"
"I wouldn't dare, it's just..."
Sivana softened his tone and cautiously replied, "The crystal sphere seems related to demons. If I use it as an eye, will I be controlled by a demon?"
"You think too much. The crystal sphere is a divine artifact forged by the Gods specifically to seal demons. By obtaining it, you can control the Seven Deadly Sins and gain their corresponding abilities."
Sivana's expression shifted. "Are you saying I can possess power comparable to that of a demon?"
"Correct."
Sivana was ecstatic, but the surprise was mingled with a touch of unease.
"Are there any risks?"
"As long as you're not foolish enough to deliberately break the seal..."
Teth-Adam grew impatient. "Do you want it or not?"
"I want it! Of course I want it!"
Sivana dared not refuse. At Teth-Adam's gesture, he walked to the table and cautiously gripped the crystal sphere. The moment his fingers touched it, the sphere erupted in a powerful light. It traveled up his arm, reached his right eye, and merged with his shattered eyeball.
His right eye began to glow. Immense power flowed into Sivana's body. He felt a profound fullness he'd never experienced, like a poor boy suddenly inheriting billions in wealth.
Power surged endlessly, causing excitement and frenzy.
"So strong."
"Such powerful energy."
Sivana was ecstatic, feeling like he could shatter a mountain with a single punch. In addition to the power, memories related to the Seven Deadly Sins—Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, and Lust—appeared in his mind. With a thought, black mist poured out of his body, transforming into a demon with barbed limbs and a fierce, tyrannical face—Wrath, one of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Wrath roared violently, staring fiercely at the Wizard Shazam lying on the floor.
Sivana realized his mistake and quickly recalled the demon into his body. Though he possessed the power of the Seven Deadly Sins, he wasn't foolish enough to think he could contend with Teth-Adam.
"Great Master, King of Kahndaq, thank you for your grace! Thaddeus Sivana will forever be your most loyal servant. If I betray you, I willingly accept the torment of hellfire."
Sivana dropped to one knee, offering a solemn salute in the Ancient Egyptian manner.
"This power is strong. Learn to control it."
"I understand, Master. I will not disappoint you."
Adam Claims the Throne
Teth-Adam nodded. He grabbed Shazam by the collar and walked toward the circular table, sitting down on the central stone chair. In the dimly lit hall, the powerfully built giant sat alone on the throne, savoring the magnificence of a moment millennia in the making.
"From this moment on, I am the master of the Rock of Eternity."
Shazam closed his eyes in pain.
"What? You disagree? Don't forget, you handed it over to me."
"I have taken it back."
"You are dying. After your death, it will naturally be mine."
"No. It is not yours," Shazam gasped for air. "I have found a new successor. That child's character far surpasses yours. He will guide the world toward a new future."
"You are lying."
"I have no reason to lie to you. I have already bestowed the new Power of the Six Gods upon him." He paused here, and his voice weakened as he counseled, "The world has changed. Monarchies have fallen, the Gods have vanished, and slavery is history. This is the age of democracy and freedom, Adam. Stop. Do not try to change or correct things. Let the people decide their own future. If you truly want to do something, then be a good man."
A good man?
Teth-Adam laughed mockingly.
"You said the same thing five thousand years ago. I did as you asked, and the result was watching my friends and brothers die tragically. Now you come again. Do you think I will believe you?"
"Shazam, we are different. You are a defender, willing to cast aside emotion for the sake of truth, even abandoning your most beloved daughter. I cannot do that." Teth-Adam clenched his fist. "I only want to use my power to build a home—a perfect, free nation without oppression."
Shazam said bitterly, "Your way will only bring disaster to the world."
"I will make it better, with Isis."
Shazam stared at him, letting out a long sigh. "Ramesses was right. Your heart is twisted. You are beyond saving. You are unworthy of possessing the Power of the Six Gods."
"It's not up to you to decide who is worthy," Teth-Adam scoffed. "Don't think I don't know why the Gods chose you. Kindness? Peace? Friendship? Humility? All of it is garbage. They chose you only because you were smart enough, willing to compromise, and never defied their will."
"The Gods are all hypocrites. They look glorious on the surface, but how many scandals are hidden beneath? The seven major pantheons are no exception:
Mount Olympus is full of depravity. Father-daughter incest, mother-son promiscuity—things mortals wouldn't even do.The Egyptian Gods are self-serving and greedy for power, treating believers like pigs and dogs. How many skeletons are buried beneath those temples and pyramids?Brahma of India is vain and controls minds with scriptures, turning good people into brutes.The Sun Gods of the Americas and the Feathered Serpent Gods of the Maya are cut from the same cloth, using living humans as sacrifices and feeding on human flesh. What differentiates them from beasts?The African Witch-Gods are even more brutal, using black magic to extract the blood and souls of infants to forge weapons—things only demons would do.As for the Eastern Celestial Court..."
Teth-Adam sneered with disdain. "If they hadn't been fighting among themselves, the world would have been unified long ago."
"Shazam, did you not know all this?"
Shazam silently shook his head.
"The Gods indeed have many faults, but they were the ones who protected this planet. Without them, the world would have perished long ago."
"They were only protecting themselves."
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