From Ostara's braided crown, petals cascaded, her soft, luminous tresses catching the light, while the garden's lush hydrangeas showered blooms that danced on the breeze. The goddess raised her hands, and a whirlwind of petals dispersed the gloomy clouds overhead.
Sunlight caressed Ostara's golden locks, drawing a contented sigh from the deity. The vanquishing of the lanky specter had restored a sense of fullness to her, a sensation long absent from her being.
Odin, stepping aside from his shadowy form, cried out with conviction, "Ostara! Goddess of Spring! Show them thy prowess!"
A flush of floral hues bloomed upon Ostara's visage, as spring's vitality infused the already vibrant garden with heightened energy. She bypassed the watchful trio of ancient deities and hastened forward, disseminating the divine essence of spring with each step.
The goddess extended her arms, embracing the earth, orchestrating a maelstrom of petals that transformed into a colossal tempest, engulfing the realm. Vitality swiftly evaporated from the land, as Ostara retracted the season of spring.
Odin, with hearty laughter, acclaimed Ostara, "Proclaim to the faithful that we have taken spring. If they seek its return, let them adhere to time-honored rites and supplicate once more unto the gods!"
The goddess of media stood aghast amidst the barren landscape, never having imagined that Ostara, long accustomed to silent forbearance, possessed such formidable power.
While new deities garnered faith through inventions that pleased their followers, the old gods, born at the dawn of civilization, commanded offerings through intimidation – pestilence, warfare, hunger; the gods of yore exacted tributes through such means.
Ostara's miraculous act compelled the shadow, hitherto unbelievably skeptical, to acknowledge the existence of divinity, and also revealed nuances to Svenni and Laura, who, adhering to Ostara's directives, remained secluded within their abode.
Svenni, instinctually yearning to engage in conflict, despite Odin's prior instances of manipulation and betrayal, desired nothing more than a glorious demise. In that moment, he set aside his grievances with Odin, prepared to face battle openly.
Laura's gaze fixed immediately upon her husband. Fearing exposure, Odin summoned thunderbolts, unleashing a fierce assault upon the triumvirate of new gods.
Having uncovered the true cause of Vulcan's demise, Ostara observed dispassionately, even purposefully retreating to signal her non-involvement in the ongoing fray.
Before Odin could react with shock, Mr. World's countermeasure was near at hand.
Svenni, leaping from the window to lend support, found himself, a former king shorn of belief and glory, powerless before the god of technology. Odin, seizing the moment with alacrity, aimed to subdue Mr. World while the technocrat was preoccupied by Svenni's interference, employing all manner of tactics.
Mr. World's form, like a mosaic in dissolution and reformation, narrowly evaded a lightning bolt hurled by Odin, only to find it unexpectedly altering course, targeting the media goddess cowering behind.
Understanding that Ostara's passive stance had disrupted their original strategy, leaving him unable to quickly overcome their old adversary, Mr. World, and with Svenni's diminished strength incapable of holding off the technocrat for long, Odin feigned attack towards one direction to strike unsuspecting Media Lumina.
Media Lumina's countenance froze in terror as, in the nick of time, Mr. World interposed himself, intercepting the deadly blow directed at her.
Mr. World's features began to pixelate involuntarily, manifesting clear signs of distress from Odin's concentrated assault.
Glancing toward the indifferent Ostara nearby, an affinity kindred to despair stirred within Media Lumina, prompting her hasty departure. With a subtle shift in her eyes, the stoic Ostara noted the curtains in the villa behind fluttering autonomously in the still air.
Ailing yet resolute, Mr. World intercepted Odin's attempt to press on with pursuit. Unabashed, Odin wielded his lightning with renewed ferocity, forcing the Technocracy's champion to retreat in disarray.
The rampant force of thunder dealt severe harm to the techno-deity; beneath his helm, sparks of blue electricity flickered from the impact, causing the youthful Technomancy to stagger back several paces before being tackled to the ground by Svenni's lunge.
Seeing this advantage, Odin redoubled his efforts, aiming to finally dispatch his age-old rival. Though complications had arisen within the plan, victory seemed tilted in their favor, a veteran warrior like Odin would not overlook such an opportunity—he pressed on, intending to seal the old adversary's fate.
Meanwhile, fleeing Media Lumina encountered resistance amidst her flight. A dense fog enveloped the forest, obscuring perception of space and time; alarm bells rang within Media Lumina's consciousness. Several attempts to navigate another route ended fruitlessly within the mist's embrace. Thus, she remained stationary, awaiting the reveal of her ambusher.
"Hello there, an unsolicited offering indeed," remarked Lin Xiang with a smile as she materialized from the mist, her words playing on words initially left unspoken.
In the contest between squabbling hermits emerges a beneficiary; Lin Xiang gladly assumed responsibility for ambushing Media Lumina. Although requiring personal intervention akin to opening a gift herself, she chose forgiveness given Odin's willingness to bear responsibility for the ruse. "Ah! It seems your attire has been compromised by dew." As the fog thickened ominously around them, an unseen web began its silent ascent along Zhao Di's faith onto Media Lumina.
With pause steps near Media Lumina's position, Lin Xiang commenced to circle her prey leisurely.
Media Lumina found herself bereft of her ceremonial hat somewhere amongst branches, perspiration now gracing her brow. Addressing the tension with an appeal to the newly arrived Eastern goddess, "Noble deity from afar, I have no wish for enmity against you."
Lin Xiang halted her movement, adopting an appraising tilt to her head as amusement crept into her expression. "Your words hold no assurance that sways me."
"When vows between mortals and immortals lack binding constraints, what are empty promises but whispers of a breeze?" Inspired suddenly by mischief she proposed, "Let us engage in a diversion."
A sinister grin curled Lin Xiang's lips as she offered Media Lumia a proposition steeped in irony: "Leave it to your followers' judgment to determine your fate—provided that majority deem you a worthy deity, then liberty shall be yours. Otherwise… self termination is preferable; spare me needless exertion."
Her tone carried a playful edge as she concluded: "Does this dilemma pique your interest?" At last provoked to anger Media Lumina demanded of her confidence regarding the outcome. To which LinXiang merely responded rhetorically as causal threads invisible wove snugly about Media's essence revealing traps set within those very mists spun from deception and falsehood. For here lay undeniable truth—their downfall stemmed from every duplicitous thread interwoven within their divinity.In Lin Xiang's eyes, the gradually deteriorating belief began to ignite an intangible flame. The media goddess's beautiful visage started to crack, with lotus-like fissures spreading across her body, and the faith that had no cause but an effect provided fuel for the invisible fire."What have you ever given back to your believers? Those novel toys? After the fleeting thrill, their souls remain empty."Television is the altar of the media goddess, with all the viewers offering up their time as a sacrifice.Yet, a deity requires the faith of mortals, and mortals need the guidance of a deity; the absence of either is a catastrophe."How about it, my promise still stands," Lin Xiang approached the battered media goddess, looking down at her, "but you'll have to stake everything you have as a wager."The media goddess attempted to transform into radio waves to break free from her shackles, but her body, like a film with missing frames, turned into shimmering, colorful fragments.She had become so weak that she could no longer maintain her appearance! The fragments reassembled on the spot, with the images of legendary actresses such as Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn flashing by in sequence. The personas the media goddess used to disguise herself could no longer be preserved, and she now returned to her true form!A figure glowing with red, green, and blue light appeared before Lin Xiang. With the blessings of faith gone, the elegant and beautiful media goddess revealed her most primal essence."This is your original appearance," Lin Xiang brazenly intruded into the media goddess's memories and found the scene of her birth.At the 1900 Paris Exposition, the Lumière brothers from France, with their patented film projector, screened a "film" on a giant screen that was 30 meters wide and 20 meters high. This projector, equipped with synchronized sound, caused a sensation worldwide.Amidst the astonishment and praise of all the attendees, the media goddess was quietly born.At that time, the media was very weak, but Mr. World had already recognized her potential and introduced her to a renowned capitalist.At that time, Edison was locked in a fierce battle with Tesla over alternating current and direct current. The film projector let him see a business opportunity and the hope of defeating Tesla. With the help of the film industry, direct current successfully triumphed over alternating current in this protracted war.The direct current, bound to the projector, brought Edison a great deal of wealth, and the media also grew stronger with the powerful belief during this period.The economy developed rapidly. After being ravaged by war, the people began to devote their energy to pleasure. The film and entertainment industries began to develop rapidly. From black-and-white films to sound films, and then to color films, the widespread use of television spread the altar of the media goddess to all households.Some say that the advent of film has extended human life, but in fact, it has taken away much more time."What a pity! Humans are willing to sacrifice their time and emotions for you, but they can also abandon you without any reluctance."Lin Xiang's eyes traversed time and saw the near future. People who pursued television and movies abandoned television and turned to the embrace of computers and mobile phones.The media still exists, but it can only give up its dominant position and stay under the network.The first generation of media, represented by newspapers and magazines, has already lost its luster. The second generation of media, movies and radio, is also in its twilight years. The future media will be dominated by the Internet and mobile phones.The media goddess was silent. The belief of the audience in her was fragmented. People loved the joy and excitement brought by the media, and surprisingly, no one truly and devoutly believed in the media itself."It seems that our game can't go on," Lin Xiang reached into the media goddess's chest, "not even a believer to vote for you. As a deity, you are truly a failure."As Lin Xiang took away the divinity of the media goddess, the light in the goddess's eyes immediately dimmed.What Lin Xiang valued was the media channels in the hands of the media goddess. Stirring up public opinion and reversing images were Lin Xiang's forte. Seeing the media goddess rudely using these powers to control the evil gods born in stories, Lin Xiang had lamented her waste of resources more than once.The decline of the media goddess was quiet and unnoticeable. They were more like employees of the rules rather than masters. The death of the media goddess would not change the reality of the existence of the media, nor would it cause any irrefutable anomalies.In Lin Xiang's view, the media is a medium for disseminating information. Any intermediary or technological means for transmitting and obtaining information is considered media.Lin Xiang, who had reaped great benefits, dispersed the fog and left quietly, leaving the mess to Odin and Mr. World.Lin Xiang did not care about the outcome of the battle between the two leaders. Ostara's rabbit spies soon relayed the result of this war.Mr. World was severely injured and fled, disappearing without a trace. Ostara refused Odin's invitation and continued to remain neutral as the Easter goddess. As for Shadow and Laura, their grievances were impossible to untangle.The gathering of the old gods at the House on the Rock was approaching. Lin Xiang had swallowed the biggest piece of the cake, but of course, he also had to give Odin, who provided the raw materials, some face.The House on the Rock in Wisconsin is located next to Highway 23. The house contains many ancient items, and powerful magic protects it. The old gods, who are attached to their past glory, naturally chose this place as their gathering spot.However, the scene was not as grand as Lin Xiang had imagined. Only a few old gods responded to Odin's call. Lin Xiang saw a familiar figure among them, the Queen of Sheba, Bichis, who came from the desert.The Spider God Anansi from the African continent, the Genie from the Arabian civilization, the Hindu goddess Kali, the origin of the shrine maiden in Japanese mythology, Ame-no-Uzume, and the Slavic gods Chernobog and the Twilight Goddess Zorya.These deities are all well-known, yet even so, the scene still appeared somewhat shabby, not to mention that the Queen of Sheba was a spy sent by the new gods.Lin Xiang's appearance attracted the attention of all the gods present. The fact that such a powerful goddess could be born in America, far from her homeland, undoubtedly aroused the curiosity of the already weakened gods.The Queen of Sheba, who was tasked with gathering information, rose to greet her. "Welcome to you, goddess of the East."Ame-no-Uzume, who also came from the East, was clearly aware of Lin Xiang's background. There are many Mazu temples in Kobe, Nagasaki, and many islands in Japan, and the Ruyi Lady, who has the same origin as Mazu, is also worshipped there.The most widely spread legend of Ame-no-Uzume is that she danced half-naked by the order of the gods. The sun goddess Amaterasu, who had hidden in a cave, was attracted by the gods' laughter and poked her head out, bringing light back to the earth.This goddess, who presides over dance and ritual, bowed humbly and introduced the gods present to Lin Xiang.The cunning Spider God Anansi, the prototype of the genie in the lamp story, Ifrit, Shiva's wife, the goddess of destruction Kali, the god of darkness Chernobog, and the twilight star Zorya, who guards Sirius.