Chapter 90 It was all just a joke I made
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nPoseidon is unmistakably a figure from myth and legend, specifically the “God of the Sea” from Greek mythology.
nBut William is telling them that this amphora belongs to Poseidon. So, what does that make it? A historical artifact or a divine relic?
nEdward and the others are completely taken aback.
nEvelyn is even more astounded.
nShe’s a student from Hudson University and has heard of the former dean, Edward. Now, Edward stands right in front of her, addressing William as Mr. Johnson.
nThis alone was shocking enough.
nBut what was even more shocking was that William could actually translate the text that even Edward didn’t understand.
nAnd the content of the translation was even more bewildering.
nEvelyn sneaked a glance at Edward. She was curious: Would Edward believe what William said?
nLogically, Evelyn didn’t believe it.
nShe felt that as long as Edward was sane, he wouldn’t either.
n“Mr. Taylor, you can’t seriously believe this is Poseidon’s artifact, can you?” Kelly said, her lips twitching involuntarily. How could a historian believe in myths?
nAnd surely, they wouldn’t believe that items from myths actually existed.
n“I believe!” Edward declared with a glint of determination in his eyes, pulling out another photograph.
nUpon seeing the photograph, William furrowed his brows.
n“This hammer is still in Mount San Juan Teotihuaca. It’s so heavy that no one can lift it. Mr. Johnson, do you know what this is?” Edward’s gaze turned peculiar as he looked at William.
nIf William could merely translate ancient scripts, that could be chalked up to his extensive knowledge.
nBut this made him almost believe.
nThe mysterious artifacts in the cave of Mount San Juan Teotihuaca were indeed magical. Since the discovery of the ruins, many items couldn’t be removed from the site.
nIt wasn’t that the archaeologists were inefficient; it was just that these artifacts were impossibly heavy to move.
nAmong these items were the amphora, the hammer inscribed with purple runes as seen in the photograph, a wooden bed, and four strange swords hanging in the cave.
nDespite the use of various machinery, these items hadn’t budged an inch. They seemed rooted to the ground. Edward, being highly esteemed, was privy to this information due to his involvement in the archaeological research.
nThe idea that a small amphora, less than half a meter in size, could not be moved was baffling. Otherwise, why would he believe it to be an item of Poseidon?
nEdward was now prepared to believe anything. If William knew the origin of the hammer with the purple inscriptions, he might even suspect that William was the owner of all these artifacts in the cave…
n“This is a good-looking hammer,” William remarked, glancing at Edward with a smile. “However, I’m not sure about its origins.”
nThe hammer’s origin…
nIf he recalled correctly, it was a gift from Thor, the Norse God of Thunder, as a token of gratitude to William for rescuing him and helping defeat giants.
nIt seemed to be a magical artifact, called Mj?lnir.
nHowever, William had carelessly tossed it in a corner, occasionally using it to pound small objects.
nWilliam no longer wished to divulge too much to Edward. He realized that some items in his cave should not be of this world.
nItems that shouldn’t belong to this era. Perhaps he should retrieve them tomorrow.
nEdward was deeply disappointed and pulled out another photo, saying, “Take a look at this one. Whenever any of the staff got within two meters of these four swords, they turned into a mist of blood.”
n“Why would anyone believe in myths?”
nAfter hearing about this, Edward truly had no choice but to believe.
nPerhaps the saying is true: where science ends, theology begins.
nThere were simply too many inexplicable things inside that cave.
nWilliam said half-jokingly, “What if I told you that these four swords were gifts from the four major deities of Mount Olympus: Zeus’s ‘Thunder Sword’, Apollo’s ‘Sun Sword’, Athena’s ‘Sword of Wisdom’, and Ares’s ‘Sword of War’? Would you believe that?”
nEdward’s response was surprisingly firm as he stared at William, “If you say so, I believe.”
nWilliam and Edward exchanged glances. When did Edward start to trust him unconditionally?
nThis wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
n“I was just joking. If none of you know the origins, how would I?” William retorted. “You don’t actually believe that amphora belongs to Poseidon, do you?”
nThe existence of mythical objects in the modern world is one thing when discovered by archaeologists. But if they were to fall into the hands of a Soulmancer, they could potentially cause immeasurable disaster.
nWilliam felt an urge to retrieve certain items, especially potent ones like the ‘Thunder Sword’ of Zeus or the ‘Sun Sword’ of Apollo. Even though he previously just hung them on a wall as decorations, if it weren’t for his ability to suppress their power, merely entering the cave would be deadly to any regular person.
n“The amphora… was that a joke too?” Edward asked with difficulty, looking at William with hope in his eyes. He desperately wanted to hear that at least the story about the amphora wasn’t made up.
nWilliam nodded, “Of course it was a joke. What did you think?”
n“Hmph! Youngsters these days just spout nonsense. Mr. Taylor, how could you believe him?” Kelly, trembling with anger, berated Edward, “What were you thinking? He’s clearly making fun of you.”
nAll William could respond with was, “You insisted on an answer from me. I just gave you one that you might want.”
nEdward, once shining with enthusiasm, seemed to have his spirit crushed by William’s words. He turned away and left the bookstore, looking as if his very soul had been ripped out.
nKelly gave William a furious glare and followed Edward out.
nWilliam just shook his head. Some things are beyond the understanding of ordinary people like Edward.
nHe’d read many books recently and realized that today’s society is largely secular.
nMore people no longer worship gods. Even those who do see it more as a personal belief or spiritual anchor, relying primarily on their own efforts.
nIn past eras, during droughts, people might perform ceremonies to seek blessings from the gods.
nBut now?
nHumanity can induce rain through science.
nWhile there are realms humans can’t tread upon, at least they are no longer ignorant and aren’t toyed with by gods.
nIsn’t that better?
nWith this in mind, William had even less desire to disrupt this balance.
nEven if he revealed the origins of those items, what then?
nTomorrow, he would retrieve all those items; they’d have nothing to research.
n“You went too far, William!” Evelyn remarked, looking at Edward’s retreating figure.
nWilliam simply smiled without offering an explanation.
nAlice looked curiously at William, puzzled by his harsh treatment of the old man.
nHis words seemed to have crushed the last bit of hope in Edward.
nOnly Walker, with a sidelong glance and narrowed eyes, paid close attention. As a Soulmancer, William’s words and Edward’s description of the four swords had piqued his interest.
nThe items in the Mount San Juan Teotihuaca cave were certainly no ordinary artifacts! 𝘦𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝗇𝓔t
nTo Walker, this felt like a divine gift.
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