Thoughts flashed through his mind, but Zeus did not say them all.
He had no intention of leading the gods to Asgard yet, and naturally he was not in a hurry to reveal the secrets there. After all, on the one hand, his injuries had not yet fully recovered, and on the other hand, his transformation of that interface had not yet been completed.
Among the wreckage of that world, although most of the things were useless, there were still some valuable things, such as those broken rune creations, such as human creations that were clearly ahead of the current era, and a special place that Zeus discovered not far from the Golden Palace.
Although most of them cannot be used directly, in the future, these things will help him turn the Olympus pantheon into a whole with shared interests. They can have internal conflicts and even be hostile to him as the king of gods, but as long as the gods are still part of the pantheon, Zeus doesn't care much.
It must be said that this is somewhat similar to the laws of the world. Although there are many gods who hate the laws, as long as they don't "set up their own sect", it doesn't matter what their attitude is.
In short, let's put the matter aside for now. Zeus didn't expect the gods to believe him or not now. What he said just now was just an explanation for the abnormal movement of his breath before.
If he could really find out who the "outsider" was in the future, the gods would naturally remember everything that happened today, and then prove the prophecy of the God King. If he couldn't find it for a while, then it would be meaningless for the gods to believe it or not.
Zeus actually had other things to do when summoning the gods today. It was time to put an end to some farce.
"Well, no matter what the world will be like in the future, it is destined to happen in the distant future. Whether it is true or not, let time witness everything."
"Since everyone is here today, let's talk about another thing first. In recent years, due to a small conflict, the climate in the world has changed more and more dramatically."
Zeus spoke in a deep voice, then changed the subject and talked about this matter which had long been a topic of discussion on the Mountain of Gods.
Few gods really took the prophecy of the God King to heart. Even if it was true, the God King and the original gods would hold up the sky if it collapsed, so what did it have to do with them?
Whether now or in the future, whether gods or humans, most people have this attitude towards this "foreseeable but distant huge disaster", but climate change is different.
When the long winter came and the temperature dropped sharply, in the first few years, humans on earth could still barely survive by relying on previous food stores and hunting. Until recently, there were finally signs of a large-scale famine.
The whole process and reasons of the incident had already spread among the gods, but since it involved Hades and Demeter, they were not in a position to comment. But now that the King of Gods had spoken, it seemed like it was time to put an end to it.
"The conflict between Hades and Demeter should be over. Helios, I heard that you witnessed the whole incident and it was you who told the goddess of agriculture the whereabouts of Hades. In this case, it is up to you to mediate their conflict."
His eyes swept across the gods one by one, and finally fell on the sun god. Zeus narrowed his eyes and spoke lightly.
He had almost forgotten that this god who drove across the sky every day could always see something, and the most important thing was that he had no sense of reporting at all.
"This... Your Majesty, I still have to drive the sun chariot, I'm afraid I don't have time--"
"No problem."
Waving his hand to interrupt Helios's reasoning, Zeus continued.
"During your absence, Apollo will complete this task for you. Just like your mother, the Titan Theia, who also controls light, he can temporarily drive the [Sun Chariot]."
"In any case, since you revealed Hades' whereabouts to Demeter, you should be ready to intervene."
"…"
Under Zeus' gaze, Helios remained silent.
He looked around with his peripheral vision. However, the Sun God had not noticed it before, but now he suddenly realized that without realizing it, there was no one here who would speak for him.
The descendants of the original sea god nominally obey the orders of the sea king, the goddess of beauty has become a family with the king of gods; the wind god only obeys Zeus' orders, and the recent goddess of life is said to be related to the original gods and did not attend this meeting from the beginning. There was originally a goddess of law who might have said something fair, but she left Olympus hundreds of years ago.
In recent years, Helios has been immersed in the joy brought by the power of faith. The power of the sun itself has increased over time, and with the help of faith, he has finally barely crossed the threshold of powerful divine power. But now he suddenly realized that although he has been promoted, his situation has become more dangerous.
Because he is the only "outlier" in the divine court, the one who is outside their circle.
"…As you wish, Your Majesty."
"I'll try to do something, if that helps."
In the end, Helios agreed.
"very good."
On the throne, Zeus nodded, and he couldn't help but feel a little surprised.
He hadn't expected Helios to accept his request so easily, but it was a good thing after all.
"It's time to end the disaster on earth. Get this done as soon as possible. But Helios, you have to remember that this is just a mediation."
Signaling to the sun god that it was time to set off, Zeus said slowly at the end:
"Persephone has never been to Olympus, so Hades is innocent. Demeter loves her daughter dearly, so what she did is understandable. This is a conflict without right or wrong, and what the gods need is just to end this natural disaster."
······
Helios flew out of Olympus with an expressionless face.
When you sit on the sacred mountain, disasters may come from the sky. To mediate the conflict between the two main gods, a conflict in which neither side is at fault, everyone knows that it is not an easy task.
If you are not careful, the person who intervenes will be hated by both Hades and the Goddess of Agriculture. Even the attitude of the God King himself is so ambiguous. But in the end, the Sun God still agreed.
He could have refused, as Helios had done nothing wrong. The king of gods could make demands, but he could not punish him on that basis. Otherwise, if his actions affected the movement of the sun, Zeus's kingship would also have to bear part of the consequences.
Although he did not understand the nature of the great ceremony, Helios gradually discovered over the years that the third generation of the gods seemed to be relatively conservative in maintaining order. However, the idea of insisting on deducing only arose in the heart of the sun god for a moment, and then disappeared without a trace.
Because he immediately heard Zeus say that when he went underground, Apollo could drive the sun for him.
It is not an uncommon thing for the gods to borrow divine artifacts. When the King of Gods said this, he did not think that it would make Helios think too much. In fact, he was the same in the original myth.
However, at that moment, the sun god suddenly remembered something that happened long ago, which was his conversation with Prometheus.
'You don't need to worry now, but if another god who is qualified to drive the sun chariot is born in the future, then you have to be careful.'
As time goes by, Helios no longer needs the help of a divine tool to operate the sun. The golden chariot only makes it easier for him to use it, rather than being a necessity. But for others, this divine chariot specially used to drive the sun can make it possible for those who could not do it before.
And Apollo is such an existence.
"So...is this the result you had foreseen?"
"You can't see your own disaster, but you can see through other people's disasters... It's ridiculous."
Flying in the sky, Helios felt as if he was back in the eye of the sea.
Cold, depressing, heavy, lonely. Apart from the temperature, it was just like the time when he was locked in the sun by his father. He didn't want to recall it at all.
"Go find him, he said he could give me a suggestion... No, that's impossible!"
As soon as an idea came to mind, Helios extinguished it immediately. He would not go to Prometheus, not because he was unwilling to admit that the other party was smarter than him, but for another reason.
First, he was not the only one present at the time. There were also two others who were responsible for escorting the other party.
The sun god was not sure whether the children of the Styx had told Zeus about this conversation. Although they were probably not talkative people, if they had, then everything that happened today might very well be a test from the king of gods.
Once he went to the Sea Eye privately and violated the God's judgment on criminals, it was very likely that Zeus would find a legitimate reason to punish him.
As for the second one...
In silence, Helios said that he just made a mistake that all the gods would make.
He had slept with his wife's sister, the wife of his uncle Iapetus, the god of speech, and with Clymene, the goddess of fame and mother of Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Atlas. Even more recently, he had created a half-god brother for the Illuminati.
In this case, the Sun God thought it would be better for him not to have any more dealings with the other party. Although this matter is still a secret, once a second person knows about it, it is likely to be leaked.
He even cared so much about his own creation, who knew how Prometheus would view this matter. If the other party was willing to cheat him even at the cost of being punished more severely, then he would be asking for trouble.
"Damn it, why didn't I think of that..."
He cursed inwardly, but thinking of Clymene's charming figure, the Sun God was not too sure if he could refuse her if it happened again.
But no matter what, it was time for him to find a new home. He betrayed Kronos without hesitation, and now Helios was not loyal to Zeus. However, when the idea came to him, the sun god suddenly found that he had nowhere to go.
The spirit world cannot be visited. After all, the "Sun God's Chariot" was once built by the Lord of the Spirit World. Whenever Helios drives across the sky, he is reminded that, although he is the Sun God, he cannot control the twelve zodiac constellations.
If he had the blessing of the zodiac realms, he would have been able to enter the realm of powerful divine power hundreds of years ago, but now, it was controlled by some star gods who were far less powerful than him. So if he really wanted to ask for the protection of the spirit world, he would probably only be a watchdog, which was not as good as barely making a living in Olympus.
As for relying on his official wife, the boiling water goddess Perseis, to join the Oceanic Goddess? Just thinking about it, Helios once again rejected this idea.
Oceanus and Thesis were no match for Zeus, and they would not necessarily offend Olympus for their own sake. Moreover, the sun and the four seas were in conflict with each other, and for two consecutive eras, the sun had been "bathing" in the sea.
As for the other primordial gods... thinking about the goddess of life who was still on the sacred mountain, Helios had no hope for the Lord of Darkness. As for Lady Nyx of the Eternal Night, he had never heard of her movements in the past three epochs.
"So, after thinking about it, Gaia is actually my only choice now?"
The corners of his mouth twitched a little. If there was any other possibility, the Sun God would not want to deal with this "grandmother". But unfortunately, reality is so cruel.
Only this often frustrated Earth Goddess might help him, and the relationship between the two was not bad, strictly speaking. The sun brought warmth to the earth, and even if the priesthood was not compatible, there was no conflict.
"…Forget it, let's go see her first, just like visiting an elder."
"If Mother Earth is still so unreliable - it seems I have no other choice."
Feeling sad again for the many disasters of the 'Sun', Helios couldn't help but speed up.
That's why he accepted this mission. The Earth Mother had not returned to Delphi and no trace of her was found on the earth. The place where she was last seen was suspected to be the entrance to the underworld.
Go to the surface of the abyss and take a look at other places around. In any case, this is his only choice...
Then, in a corner where no one noticed, Helios rushed into the ground. And silently, the fate of the world changed again.
······
The human world, Eleusis.
"it's over."
Looking at the brown light flying back to the city from afar, Volos, who had been waiting for three days, finally nodded.
The opponent finally came back, but from this perspective, it seems that Poseidon is still quite powerful... Well, after all, the Sea King is targeting all species, so how can he not be powerful?
"Let's go, finish the last two things, and then go home."
Waving to Eros, the small wings behind Volos flapped slightly, and then turned into a stream of light and flew towards the temple.
Chapter 272 The Second Arrow and the Different Abyss
"Bang——"
Inside the great temple in the north of Eleusis, the door was violently pushed open.
The cold air outside the temple immediately rushed in, forming convection with the warm interior. Demeter stumbled into the temple, her eyes somewhat dull.
The cracks in the ceiling had been urgently repaired, and the bloodstains around the temple had long been wiped clean. At this moment, only a few mortal maids remained here, waiting for the return of the master of the temple.
"Your Highness, do you have any instructions?"
They bent their knees slightly, and when they heard the movement at the gate, they couldn't help but be refreshed. Since the goddess had returned, the leading maid couldn't help but bow her head and greeted her. But in front of her, Demeter seemed not to see her, and just stumbled forward.
Seeing this, the maid did not make any more noise to disturb her. The only sound in the empty hall was the sound of footsteps. She caught a glimpse of the goddess walking in front of her. However, the next moment, the somewhat tattered hem of the dress suddenly stopped in front of her.
"Your Highness—"
"Why don't you look up at me?"
The voice was hoarse, not like the voice she normally spoke, and Demeter looked at the girl in front of her, a girl who seemed to be very respectful to her.
The other party was her believer, or rather, many people in this city were. When standing face to face, the Goddess of Agriculture could clearly feel her faith.
But none of these affect her sensitive heart now.
"Your Highness, you are a god—"
"No, you're laughing at me."
Interrupting softly, the goddess of agriculture continued to question in that hoarse voice.
She would rather look at the ground than at herself... Yes, this mortal actually dared to laugh at her!
"Your Highness, I am not—"
After the hasty explanation, the young girl quickly raised her head, but what caught her eyes was the somewhat haggard face and slightly torn clothes of the goddess of agriculture.
The look of doubt flashed across her face, and then she returned to her normal expression. However, this fleeting emotion was still seen by Demeter who was staring at her, and the goddess of agriculture felt offended again when she saw this flashing emotion.
Although this judgment is not logical at all...but this world is not always logical. So Demeter said coldly, word by word:
"You dare to laugh at me!"
Nameless anger suddenly rose from her heart, and power was released in the blink of an eye. Life was taken away from the girl, and the expression on her face that froze as she opened her mouth to defend herself, then she slowly turned into a stone statue.
In a breath, everything was over, just like this generation of human beings was born from the earth and stone, and she returned to her original life.
The power was still spreading, and the goddess's anger had not subsided. Soon, the remaining mortal maids followed suit. Before long, Demeter was the only one left in the hall, and there were several stone sculptures with different expressions standing on the ground.
Demeter continued to walk slowly with a blank expression on her face. It was not until her palm touched her chair that she collapsed on it as if she had lost all her strength.
"call--"
She let out a long breath, as if she had released all the strength in her body. Looking at everything around her, the goddess of agriculture who had just been "showing her power" looked a little dazed.
The anger that had risen up in an instant was vented, and Demeter's heart was no longer so confused. When she calmed down a little, she was actually very clear that the maids just now could not have meant to laugh at her, because facing the gods directly, their piety was clearly visible.
They were even more pious than the king... but the goddess still killed them. So now, just like a wronged girl who smashed things in her room and then regretted it when she looked at the mess on the floor, Demeter also had some similar emotions rising in her heart.
But what can be done about it? It's all the fault of this world. He gave him the status of a god, but didn't give him the power to match it, so Poseidon wouldn't be hurt at all because he killed two believers out of anger. On the contrary, he should be very proud now.
Because not only did he get what he wanted, he even succeeded in getting Demeter to conceive a child. At this moment, the breath of life was growing in the body of the goddess of agriculture, constantly reminding her of what had just happened.
"Bang--!"
Her expression twisted again, and the goddess gasped violently. Her chest rose and fell, and it was not until a long time later that she finally recovered.
"Poseidon... Zeus... Hades..."
"You all deserve to die…!"
Silently reciting these names, low curses echoed in the temple.
She couldn't do anything now, and could only vent her anger in her own place. However, the next moment, the face of the goddess of agriculture suddenly changed.
"who?"
He suddenly raised his head and looked towards the gate. There, two barely perceptible auras were approaching.
Perhaps because their whereabouts were exposed, the two auras immediately became more obvious. Soon, accompanied by a laugh, Eros and Volos walked into the temple one after another.
"Tsk, the impotent and furious old woman is exactly like the other one."
Just like Poseidon's temple, when you are in your own temple, every blade of grass and every tree around you have long been infected by the power of the goddess of agriculture.
This change to the environment can even penetrate into the surface of the spirit world, adding "color" to that grayish-white world, so with their abilities, it is impossible for them to completely conceal their whereabouts for the time being.
However, the twins did not want to hide anything. They walked into the inner hall and looked at the vigilant Demeter. Eros smiled and said:
"Demeter, right? How did you feel about the arrow that hit you? Even though it was Poseidon who was hit, you should have felt it more clearly."
"——Is it you?"
boom--
With a sharp shout, Demeter suddenly stood up.
She had indeed felt a strange power from Poseidon before, and it seemed that the other party was so fanatical about her because of the influence of this power.
The Poseidon in the first half of the day was completely different from the Poseidon in the later half, and the goddess of agriculture could still sense it. But it was also fortunate that this power did not last too long, otherwise she would have been taken back to the sea and would not have had the chance to return here.
She said that Poseidon was so bold, it turned out that all this was done secretly. Even now, the culprit ran in front of her to show off his power.
"Well, even if it's us, then...what are you going to do?"
With a nonchalant look on her face, like an evil witch in a tower playing with people's hearts, Erlo looked at the angry goddess of agriculture and said without any concern.
"A golden arrow, which makes the one who is shot by it fall madly in love with the one who is marked by the arrow, as you can see."
"But we have more than one arrow, and this time we just wanted to let you see its power. Now that you have seen it... or do you want to try to see if you can keep us here?"
"you!"
Demeter was shocked by Eros's arrogance. These two gods who came from nowhere were so domineering. They didn't know each other at all, but they took action secretly and even threatened her openly.
During the conversation, the other party did not take her seriously at all. This silent contempt made the goddess of agriculture feel insulted again, but she had no other choice.
In the human world, she could not accurately measure the twins' divine power, but since they could shoot "arrows" that could affect the Lord God's mind, although she had not seen it in person, she thought that they should not be too weak.
Demeter had no confidence in suppressing them easily on earth, and Poseidon's performance had already proven its power.
"…What are you going to do?"
She had to swallow her anger. Compared to her 'grandmother', Demeter had never been 'rich', so naturally she didn't have such a strong desire to resist.
When facing equally powerful gods, she seemed to have no problem with it. The only time she exploded was when she was targeting the taciturn Hades.
"Well, since you can recognize the current situation, that's great."
Nodding with satisfaction, Eros did not say anything more. She turned around and took a step back, giving the place to Volos, the real owner of the golden arrow.
The latter looked at the goddess of agriculture in front of him and put forward his request without any hesitation.
"I want your scepter, the golden scepter that was born with you."
"You want my companion artifact?"
Her expression changed. The artifact is still inserted in Olympus's own throne, emitting the ability to influence the world's climate at all times. Demeter didn't expect that the other party's purpose was the artifact, but she immediately sneered and said:
"Don't you know that as a divine weapon that was born with me, once it leaves me, its power will gradually fall asleep and eventually return to being ordinary?"
"I know, that's why I only need it for a while. When the cold winter is over, it will still be yours."
With a calm expression, Volos spoke lightly.
"So... you are actually here for the mortal things on earth?"
Demeter looked enlightened, as if she understood something.
He had never met her before, but he plotted against her. There must be some conflict between them. And now it seems that the source is the cold winter that has spread all over the earth.
"Although the results are a little biased... you can understand it this way."
Nodding, Volos continued,
"So what is your answer?"
"…I refuse."
To the twins' surprise, Demeter did not agree to their request.
"Let Hades return Persephone to you, or you will never get what you want. At worst, I will stay with Hestia from now on, and you can't threaten me!"
The voice was fierce, and she flatly rejected their request. But the next moment, Demeter's tone softened.
Looking at the twins in front of her, many thoughts flashed through the mind of the Goddess of Agriculture. But in the end, an idea that suddenly popped up overwhelmed everything.
This natural disaster will eventually end, and Zeus will not allow her to continue like this. Of course, compared to her, Hades will definitely be under greater pressure.
so...
"It's not impossible to discuss this matter, unless you can swear not to use this ability to harm me again, and in the future, you will also shoot an arrow for me."
At this moment, Demeter understood.
She can't take revenge on anyone...but there are still people in this world who can deal with their brothers.
······
The underworld, the portal to Tartarus.
In the chaotic space-time that overlaps with the underworld, some stable rules have appeared at some point. However, their existence makes this place even more dangerous, because these rules are constantly breaking apart and reorganizing, releasing a force that frightens all living things.
Of course, for Helios, these things could not harm him. He had never been here before, so naturally he had no feeling about the changes here. He just came here to find Mother Earth, and he did not find any trace of Gaia here.
Before, the sun god had been to the Garden of Truth, where he successfully met Hades and Persephone, who had been missing for a long time. But contrary to his expectations, the bride who was forcibly abducted did not seem to be excited or happy when she saw him, and in fact, quite the opposite.
Throughout the conversation, Helios always felt that the other party was a little...disdainful? But no matter what, the sun god still completed half of his mission.
He conveyed the opinions of the gods in the temple and the gentle advice of the king of gods. Zeus had no intention of convicting Hades for this, but this matter did affect the interests of all gods.
And what once again surprised Helios was that Hades was actually very easy to talk to.
Although it was Zeus who agreed to his conditions first, and now he came to "mediate the conflict" with a righteous purpose, Hades still readily stated that Persephone came to be the queen of the underworld rather than a prisoner, so if the other party was willing to leave, he would naturally not stop her.
But the next moment, Hades told another truth. Because Zeus and Hera's marriage was a "model for the gods" and a "model for him to learn from", he also shared the divine power with his queen of the underworld. But as a god on earth, the price Persephone paid for accepting the power was that her origin would be linked to the underworld from then on.
So no matter what, she would have to spend half of her time in the underworld from now on, a rule that even the original gods could not break. Whether Demeter accepted it or not, it could not be changed.
'A model of marriage'... While listening to Hades' story, although Helios didn't know whether the matter about power was true, he did hear the sarcasm in it. After all, according to the legend, the marriage between the king of gods Zeus and Hera was also very 'twisty'.
It is said that at the beginning, Hera was unwilling to accept Zeus's courtship and she had been avoiding his pursuit until one day, the king of gods turned into a wounded bird in the rain, which aroused the goddess' infinite sympathy.
Hera held the bird in her arms and soothed its injured wings, but the next moment Zeus changed back to his original form. The goddess, who had nowhere to hide, finally fell into the hands of the king of gods and had to agree to his proposal.
"Huh—but I have to say that Hera and Persephone are really lucky to be able to share some of their authority."
"In comparison, Amphitrite, the Queen of the Sea, is far inferior to them."
Shaking his head slightly, since the mission was already half completed, Helios was not in a hurry to bring the news to the goddess of agriculture.
Compared to ending the disaster that affected the earth, he wanted to end the disaster that was about to befall him first. So after looking at the entrance of the abyss and hesitating for a while, the Sun God walked in.
Regardless of whether Mother Earth had gone in or not, he had to look for her first, and this action might also cause some trouble for Apollo.
After all, a brief trip in and out of the abyss might not cause the sun to become too turbulent, but a little bit of irritability would definitely occur, and most importantly, all of this was very 'natural'.
The uncontrollable and active interference caused by the disconnection of authority are completely different. As long as there is no "human factor" involved, Helios can just say that it is the sun's own rejection of Apollo after returning. Although this may not dispel some of the God King's thoughts, it should be able to delay some time.
"I hope everything goes well..."
Helios whispered to himself, took a step forward, and his figure disappeared in the distorted time and space.
No one saw this scene, another god entered Tartarus...with one exception. That was Gaia, who suddenly felt something because the sun god mentioned her.
…
Time and space changed, light and shadows twisted. In just a moment of trance, everything in front of me changed drastically.
Walking into the abyss, Helios thought he would see endless chaotic space and time, as well as oncoming interface rejection, but to his surprise, there was nothing of either.
Layers of interfaces overlapped and separated, and matter was arranged and distributed in them. The force of suppression was quite weak, as if it had been temporarily transferred to another place... Looking at the interior of Tartarus in front of him, the Sun God was really a little surprised.
"Is this the abyss? It seems that rumors are not to be believed."
The legendary abyss is not so friendly. Helios shook his head and did not stay there for long.
Regardless of whether Gaia was here or not, she couldn't be at the door. He still had to go deeper inside to find any traces of the Earth Mother's existence.
Chapter 273 Another 'Lion'?
Carefully bypassing the level closest to the entrance, Helios headed deeper into Tartarus.
He felt somewhat fortunate that he had arrived early enough. These material aspects did not seem to be completely perfect yet, and the volume they occupied in time and space did not seem to be large enough.
If it was a little later, it is very likely that after he passed through the abyss and the entrance to the underworld, he would fall directly into the first layer of the interface instead of appearing in the real abyss like now.
At that time, Helios, who had never been here before, could directly choose to return the same way. After all, looking at the countless layers of different interfaces, the sun god felt a little dizzy for a while.
In other words, there are no native gods in the abyss, otherwise, even if a regional god was born in each layer of the interface, Helios would feel that the scene would be terrifying enough.
"So this is the true face of Tartarus... If there were more lives here, I would have thought it was just the underworld with a more hostile environment."
"But speaking of it, during this trip to the underworld, I always felt that the laws of the underworld were much more active. Is this an illusion?"
He was a little confused, then shook his head. After briefly taking note of the surrounding environment, Helios did not stay any longer.
Time in the abyss is much faster than in the outside world, and even the outer part is significantly different from the material world. But it can be imagined that he must have spent a lot of time here.
After all, this is a vast space that is equal to the material world, and its depth is unknown. It is not an easy task to find traces left by Gaia here.
…
Flashing in the chaotic space and time, following the traces left by layers of interfaces, from shallow to deep, Helios continued to go deeper into the abyss.
Various wonderful scenes flashed by one by one, and each interface seemed to have different rules from the others. And the further he went, the more he could find that the changes in the entire Tartarus space and time seemed to have never stopped.
These worlds born in his body are still expanding, and their dominant position in time and space is becoming more and more obvious. Perhaps one day, these interfaces will become the main components of the abyss, and the originally chaotic time and space will become a thing of the past.
Just like the material world, it is said that at the beginning of creation, the entire world was an endless void, and then the first mother earth was born in it. Perhaps the abyss is also going through such a process.
Boom!
Swoosh!
"Ahem—"
"What the hell is this thing? It's even more powerful than Hestia's divine fire?"
A golden light flashed, accompanied by a cough, and Helios' figure quickly moved away from a dark red interface.
In Tartarus, in order to avoid getting lost, the interfaces from shallow to deep are the best signposts along the way. However, the aura of the Sun God at this moment is a little uncertain, as if he has suffered some serious injuries.
Some burn marks appeared on his body, which were obviously caused by some kind of fire. This was not because he encountered a disaster that even powerful gods could not match, but mainly because Helios instinctively did not want to use too much strength in this place.
The former Titan god Crius was imprisoned here, and who knows where he is now. Therefore, he was not careful for a moment and suffered a minor injury.
But even so, it was still very scary. In the past, Helios thought that there were only two kinds of fire that were the most powerful in the world. One was the spiritual fire that forged the sun god's chariot, and the other was the protective fire held by the goddess of fire. But now, he saw a kind of fire that contained pure destructive power.
It existed in the 303rd layer of the abyss that Helios had seen, and it was one of the few worlds that looked relatively complete. It was filled with lava and a special mineral with a pungent smell that the sun god had never seen before.
However, while it was more complete, that layer also seemed to be more cracked. Helios had intended to get closer to take a look, but it directly triggered the instinctive reaction of that layer of interface, causing the dark flame to burst out from it, causing him to suffer a loss.
"Ahem...what a hassle."
After coughing twice again, his breathing gradually stabilized and the injuries on his body recovered at a speed visible to the naked eye.
After all, these were just some flesh wounds, which were nothing to Helios. He looked around and suddenly realized that he seemed to be a little off the mark.
Before, he had been going down along the layout of the abyss, but now it seemed to be a lot farther away... Shaking his head, Helios was about to return the same way, but the next moment, he suddenly stopped.
Just now, he seemed to hear some noise.
"That sound… Is there life over there?"
His expression changed a little. In Helios's inherent cognition, the abyss itself was lifeless. So if there were any strange noises in it, the one making the noise could only be an outsider.
Either it was the Titan god Crius who was once imprisoned, or it was Gaia who entered this place. One was the one he wanted to avoid, and the other was the one he wanted to find.
"… Let's go and take a look first."
After hesitating for a moment, Helios made a decision. He immediately restrained his breath and flew in the direction where the sound came from.
If it was Mother Earth, then that would be great. But if it was that former colleague… Although he didn't know what he thought of this former half-traitor, the Sun God felt that the best way to deal with it was to not meet him at all.
…
Buzz——
Deep in the chaotic space and time, the Sun God vaguely sensed where the sound came from.
Unlike the peace outside Tartarus, here, war has been going on for many years.
Although the Nine Hells had "floated" to the surface in terms of time and space, avoiding being completely engulfed by the abyss, this did not affect the Ring Serpent and the Demon Mother at all. After all, from the beginning, the place where they fought was outside of Hell, and Moya could not be allowed to enter the [Noisy Tunnel] in person.
At this moment, the two beings who inherited the power of the world were still fighting in the void. The extraordinary powers collided with each other, which was an alternative confrontation between the two world powers. However, compared to the beginning, the Demon Mother no longer simply used her body.
Like every innate god, although Moya seemed a little unfamiliar with her own power at the beginning, she soon followed her instinct and gradually mastered the authority temporarily granted to her by the abyss.
She had never controlled [space], but under the authority of Tartarus, she could shake the time and space of the abyss and sense the many 'traps' set by the opponent in front of her; she did not understand what erosion and assimilation were before, but her process of transforming from a Titan god to the mother of demons was the manifestation of this authority.
Therefore, at this moment, in the void not far from the Nine Hells, the figure of the Ring Courtyard Snake had long disappeared, leaving only layers of space-time bubbles that were swirling around and disappearing. But if you look closely, you can find that in the space-time that is constantly being born and dying, a dark halo is constantly spreading.
In the distance, Moya's huge body was lying there, and the power that infected time and space seemed to be radiating from her body. The two forces wrestled with each other in a place that ordinary people could not see, and the aftermath of the attack and defense made the strings of space vibrate, constantly emitting various buzzing sounds.
This situation has been going on for a long time. Even though she has the entire abyss as her backing, perhaps because of some inherent laws, Moya is not the 'King of the Abyss', so the power she mobilizes naturally has its limits.
There was no progress, let alone the ability to defeat the opponent... But looking at this scene, Moya was not anxious at all.
She admitted that in terms of the use of power, she was far inferior to this ancient snake of unknown origin, but after the madness she had just awakened was vented, the Demon Mother had already understood the current situation.
She might not be able to defeat the Ring Serpent, and the Abyss might not be able to shatter the Nine Layers of Hell by its own oppression, but the life within Purgatory would definitely not be able to resist the six invading Abyss Demons. This was the absolute gap in the foundation of both sides.
Close to the pinnacle of great divine power, even if Hell was separated, the Kingdom of Fire Muspelheim that followed made up for the shortfall. Although Moya could only mobilize a small part, she could still sense the true power of Tartarus.
Unrivaled, all the gods on earth combined are far from being his rival. So time is on her side, as long as she waits quietly, she will eventually get what she wants...
"boom--"
Something that looked like a tentacle stretched out from the layered body and whipped into a deep layer in the distance. The irritation in his heart finally eased a little, and Moya forced himself to continue to calm down.
Yes, although she had seen the situation clearly and used her reason to analyze the most favorable situation, the Demon Mother's heart was still filled with the desire to destroy.
This was not only because she was dissatisfied with the current situation after waking up, but also because of the influence of the chaotic side of the abyss. The reason why Moya was able to resist a little instead of becoming brainless like those demons was thanks to her innate immortal nature.
But this is only a temporary solution, after all, the Demon Mother is now the first creature in the abyss, and the power of chaos is inseparable from her. She can certainly suppress her emotions, but that is like using a pile of earth to contain a flood.
Although there is no Dayu in Chaos World to tell the gods that "it is better to drain than to block", Moya can still feel that she is increasingly unable to curb the violence in her heart. This is especially true after the Ring Garden Serpent no longer collides with her head-on.
"I really want something to hit this boring world."
The thought flashed through his mind, but when he looked around, there was no other life here. So like every time before, Moya couldn't help but fall into the imagination of the past and the future.
Although she now possesses such a powerful force, she now misses the past more and more. At that time, she still had a clear voice, a graceful figure, and a beautiful face. She also imagined her partner, who should be a god as powerful as the Father, and also considerate and handsome. They would give birth to some intelligent and talented goddesses, not monsters more twisted than the Hundred-armed Giant.
But now there is nothing left... Waking up from the memories of the past, Moya gritted his teeth. The desire to destroy everything once again rose from his heart, so this time, the Demon Mother simply followed this desire and imagined the near future.
When the six great demons defeat the resistance of this world, and when the existence in front of her loses the blessing of the interface power, she will tear Him apart with her own hands and then destroy this world.
At that time, Tartarus would no longer stop her from going to the human world, and he would even retain the power he bestowed on her as a reward. At that time, he would be able to use this supreme divine power to blast open the gate of the spirit world, drag that damned Ryan out, and hang him in the middle of heaven and earth, so that everyone could witness his miserable condition.
But it was just using the power of the artifact to defeat a sun god. For Moya now, what did Hyperion's former power mean?
Well, when that day comes, I'd better find a way to reshape the body of the god and return to my former beauty... Then I'll leave this ugliest body behind and let everyone I once hated come and 'enjoy it'.
Kronos, Oceanus, don't even think about escaping!
Immersed in beautiful fantasies, Moya felt that the desire for destruction in her heart seemed to have been somewhat vented. This was not the first time she had done this.
Without a direct way to vent, imagining how to cut Ryan into pieces has almost become her daily reserved project, and shaping a perfect image of her future is another. In this chaotic and lightless abyss, this is the only behavior she can do to amuse herself.
After all, although victory is inevitable, it will still take a while... In her perception, four of the six demons have already penetrated into the second level of the Nine Hells. This progress is already very fast, but it is still far from enough.
"…click"
"Um?"
Instantly startled, his thoughts returned, and Moya's twelve eyes hidden under his body suddenly observed the surrounding scene.
She could imagine it, but she couldn't allow any accidents to happen at this most critical moment, especially with this ancient snake... The Demon Mother knew very well that if she let the other party go by accident, it would be a disaster for the demon god who invaded hell.
Just like the other party didn't dare to let her enter the Nine Prisons in person, Moya couldn't give the other party a chance to leave. However, after observing vigilantly for a while, she didn't find anything wrong.
The opponent's strength is still strong. With the blessing of the power of the abyss, there is no possibility of "escaping" in front of him... But if this is the case, where did the voice just now come from?
Moya turned her sight slightly and looked towards the void in front of her. Still nothing, as if the other party was deliberately using it to disturb her.
Twelve eyes suddenly opened wide and stared at the void. Moya seemed to have discovered something.
There seemed to be something existing in the cracks of time and space, and under the power bestowed by Tartarus, the veil that she had never been able to see through showed a trace.
Faintly, she seemed to see two figures there.
One was female, with a slender and graceful figure and a charming appearance. If Moya himself was 'ugly in concept', then the other was 'beautiful in substance'. With just one glance, a feeling of anger and the thought of destroying the other spread in the heart of the Demon Mother.
However, the thought just came up and then disappeared without a trace. Because the next moment, beside that figure, she saw another person she had been thinking about day and night.
Familiar face, familiar expression, familiar strength... and he was hugging the figure's waist, as if watching the battle.
"… Ryan?"
His eyes widened in disbelief and astonishment. Moya never expected that he would see him here.
And...how dare he appear in front of me now? !
Chapter 274: The Embodiment of Evil
"It's finally about to begin... If it drags on any longer, this guy's divine body will probably be completely obliterated."
"It will take him thousands of years to recover, but at this critical juncture, if he's gone, I won't be able to stop these things."
In the second layer of hell, in a hidden high place, Mephisto holds a silver mirror in his hand.
Of course, he was still in the Nine Hells and had never really participated in this battle. After all, as a promoted mortal, the difference between him and those innate gods was not a little bit.
If Mephistopheles wants to truly become familiar with how to be a god-like being, he still has a lot to accomplish. For example, the simplest one is that he still does not have anything that can be called authority.
Although the second layer of hell brought him strength, it was only so far. Compared with the God of Weather who brought his own dry food, this layer was still in its original state and was completely different from the other layers.
Looking at the battlefield in the distance, in the center of the interface, violent vibrations and roars were heard one after another. Crius was still resisting, but his aura had already weakened by a lot.
Obviously, although Crius relied on the innate characteristics of the gods to continuously repair the seemingly fatal damage, this recovery was not without cost. Once a certain limit was exceeded, he would be like the former sun god Hyperion, with his body destroyed, his consciousness and power lost, and he would be forced to return to the symbol of his divine office.
At that time, only after a long period of waiting, he will be able to walk in the world in his prime again.
Of course, unlike eternal sleep, although the power of the gods in this state is greatly reduced, they are not unable to interfere with the outside world. However, if he falls into this situation when facing a powerful enemy, he will obviously not be able to hold back those demon gods.
"...Yes, let's get started. Your method had better be effective."
Silently, a sound came from all around Mephistopheles. However, there was nothing around the devil at the moment, and the so-called "sound" seemed to be the sound produced by the spontaneous friction of air under natural conditions.
But obviously, it is impossible for nature to make such anthropomorphic sounds, so it must be made by a thinking being. And vaguely, Mephistopheles also heard a hint of strange emotions in it.
Well, the devil understood this. He didn't have the ability to see through the interface, and he didn't know how ugly the demon mother was. Now he knows, and he feels deeply sorry for his boss.
But there was no other way. If he could take over, he would go himself... Well, Mephisto had to admit that deep down, he didn't really want to go.
"Ahem, Your Majesty, this is something you have personally confirmed... and it is the best solution at the moment."
"In any case, we still lack in terms of hard power."
With a light cough, facing the questioning of his boss, the 'excellent employee' expressed helplessness, but he still defended himself seriously.
If possible, who wouldn't want to simply push forward? However, he had confirmed repeatedly that the current strength of the Nine Prisons was indeed far inferior to that of the Abyss, and asking for external assistance was also an impossible thing to do.
Yes, actually, from the beginning, Mephistopheles had no intention of using Hell alone to fight Tartarus. His initial suggestion was to go to the human world in person and lobby the gods in the name of the messenger of the Lord of the Nine Hells, such as the Titans who were rumored to be hiding from the world, or the original sea gods who had to take shelter beside Poseidon because the main god was asleep.
There were quite a few gods like this, and he even learned some things from Asmodeus. For example, his boss seemed to have some connections in the world, like the God of Light and the Goddess of Daylight, who were ancient hidden gods that Mephistopheles had almost never heard of in the world.
So if he could find some helpers, today's situation would be much better, but in the end, his idea was rejected by the Lord of the Nine Hells. Because only the Lord of the Interface could see that when the Abyss and Hell collided for the first time, any power that did not belong to the outside world would only be hit by the power of both sides at the same time. After all, in essence, the two are still one.
It doesn't matter if it's a divine weapon, after all, they don't have their own consciousness, but if gods from the outside world enter them, their fate can be imagined.
Therefore, in the situation where he could not compete with the other party in terms of hard power and it was difficult for outside forces to intervene, Mephisto had to use his wisdom in some unconventional methods. He proposed several ideas to the Lord of the Nine Hells, some radical and some moderate, but what he did not expect was that the one with the lowest success rate in his opinion was the one that was finally chosen.
"The key to success lies in whether we can make the Demon Mother lose most of her sanity as you said..."
Mephistopheles stopped talking halfway through his speech.
Mephisto had no idea about the relationship between the Lord of the Nine Hells and the monsters from the outside world, and how he knew how to arouse her anger when she was just born. He didn't intend to find out.
He is only responsible for giving suggestions. Such major events concerning the rise and fall of a world must ultimately be decided by the true master of the Nine Hells.
"…"
The voice was silent for a moment, but Mephisto could still feel some kind of gaze focused on him. After a while, the air vibrated slightly, and the voice that seemed to come from the world itself sounded around him again.
"You're right. I'm the one who makes the decision, and this is the most likely way to succeed."
"You have done well. If everything goes well, then after this battle, you will truly become the lord of the second layer of hell. As for the subsequent affairs in the human world, if you can do well, then I will have another reward."
The voice had calmed down, and the strange feeling in the words just now seemed to be just an illusion. That's right... It was a harmless loss to the Realm Master, so he didn't need to worry about it.
If we use other methods, either the risk is relatively high or the origin of the Nine Prisons will be severely damaged. If this method doesn't work, we'll talk about it later.
This time, when the sound ended, a certain will completely moved away from this space. Obviously, facing the terrible pressure of Tartarus, the Lord of the Nine Hells, who was giving his all, could not be distracted.
He simply couldn't muster more strength, and he was even unwilling to send down an incarnation to speak here temporarily. Feeling the gaze from the dark leaving, Mephisto breathed a sigh of relief, and then bowed elegantly to the void.
"It's time to get started."
He whispered, but this time he was speaking to himself. Since there were no unexpected changes, everything should proceed as planned.
The palm of his hand glowed slightly, and divine power began to slowly flow into the silver mirror in his hand. In front of Mephisto, this artifact began to slowly revive. (Note 1)
Although he didn't know its name, the devil could still tell that it was a high-level artifact in the [Space] realm. However, compared to the one that symbolized [Time], its power was far inferior, and there was no possibility of it being promoted to a [Creation Artifact], so it was born early.
Once upon a time, the Goddess of Law used it to watch the young Zeus, and the Goddess of Hades also used it to defeat Hades. Now in Mephisto's hands, this artifact gradually flickered, like a 'beacon', sending its position outside the Nine Hells.
There is only one chance... Mephisto narrowed his eyes and looked at the battlefield in the distance.
Crius was still being besieged by the four great demons, and the one engaging him in close combat was just the three-headed, eight-armed demon that the monarch had predetermined to kill without fail.
At Mephisto's level, he didn't know the essential difference between these demons, and why only that one was included in the list of must-kill. But as he said just now, in such a major event involving the survival of a world, it is better to let the real rulers decide.
"Well, but if that's the case, you'll probably end up dying anyway - who made you choose this?"
"But it doesn't matter. In hell, a few thousand years is nothing... maybe tens of thousands of years? Who knows? Like you said, I'm not an immortal innate god."
Mephisto sighed insincerely. He could understand the other party's actions. Facing a "forced control", an immortal bug, or a madman who exploded by himself, the three-headed demon was very powerful, but it was only strong on "paper" rather than "mechanically". Moreover, the opponent's huge body also helped Crius use it as a barrier to avoid the attacks of other demons.
But in any case, he did inadvertently make the worst choice.
As for why Crius was not informed of the entire plan in advance... Mephisto said he didn't know either. But since the Lord of the Nine Hells did not object to this, there must be a reason that he was not aware of.
And the devil had no objection to this result.
Buzz——
The silver mirror hummed. Under the continuous infusion of Mephisto's power, it acted as a 'beacon' and seemed to finally communicate with something.
Seeing this scene, Mephisto couldn't help but straighten his expression and raised the weapon in his hand high.
He drew the authority of the second world and placed it on the silver mirror in front of him. Looking at the battlefield in the distance, the devil said solemnly:
"... I beg you, Serpent of the Ringed Court, Serpent of the World, the source of all evil... I ask for your power, and I ask you to descend here."
Then the next moment, as if responding to his voice, the mirror flickered slightly. Then, some terrible power began to flow out from it bit by bit.
······
Outside the Nine Hells, the boundary between the Abyss and Purgatory.
The ever-changing space-time bubble exudes magnificent colors, like the most beautiful scenery in the world. However, through its beautiful surface, there is a destructive force hidden underneath.
The power of the two powerful beings collided here... But at this moment, the birth and death of time and space seemed to stop for a moment, and what followed was Moya's exclamation that resounded through the void.
"… Ryan?!"
"It's you, how could you be here?"
The sharp sound caused the surrounding void to vibrate. Looking at the two people in the distance, Moya was a little bit unbelievable.
She even thought it was just some kind of illusion, or something was affecting her mind. That couldn't be true. Maybe the existence on the other side was trying to interfere with her in this way. After all, in the gap between the two worlds, no outsider could get so close... No, it was still possible.
Moya suddenly remembered that at the end of the First Age, Ryan had once defeated two primitive gods who were looking for trouble with him and returned empty-handed.
She naturally didn't believe that Ryan had done this purely on his own. No one could transform from a weak god to a great one in just one day, so perhaps it was some kind of trick.
Just like he used a divine weapon to punish the ancient sun god who violated the rules, perhaps he also had some way to avoid the perception of the original god.
As for why he could find him now... a hidden excitement rose in Moya's heart. Tartarus was the most powerful primordial god in the world, and the Abyss was where his body was. Here, his power rose to more than one level. In other words, the Nine Hells, who shared the same origin, could fight against him to a certain extent. Otherwise, any primordial god from the outside world, even if he had more power than Asmodeus, would never be able to fight against Tartarus in the Abyss.
So in this case, it seems natural that I can use his power to see through Ryan's whereabouts...
The huge body stretched out, and terrible power swirled around its ferocious limbs. Looking at the man and woman in front of him, when the initial surprise and excitement faded away, jealousy and anger began to rise in Moya's heart.
One was the fuse that led to her current situation, and the other was such a beautiful woman... For a moment, the Demon Mother's desire for destruction could hardly be suppressed and was about to explode.
But when she was about to let it out, the rationality protected by her immortal essence finally made Moya a little sober. She once again isolated herself from the influence of the abyss and made a more normal judgment.
She still needed to confirm it, a simple guess might not be right... So in an instant, Moya's consciousness began to rise. Faced with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the former Titan spirit took the initiative to embrace Tartarus for the first time and connected to the vast and boundless great existence.
The chaotic and disordered thoughts instantly impacted her soul, and the rationality of orderly life made her extremely painful, but with the help of the power of the abyss, Moya once again looked at the two people in front of her.
This time, the scene in front of him was indeed different. How did they hide their true identities? However, just as the thought flashed through his mind, Moya suddenly discovered in pain that things seemed to be different from what he thought.
It wasn't someone else who was disguised, but that woman had a problem. Her beautiful appearance was actually fake, and underneath some kind of authority, there was another ugly body hidden.
As for the one next to her... yes, that was Ryan!
The familiar power and the appearance that she still remembered, all of this proved the identity of the person who came. His judgment was not wrong, so in an instant, when he realized the situation in front of him, Moya couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Hehehehe…hahahahahahahahaha…!"
A deity who can weave beauty. She even used her power to successfully deceive the cunning prophet... and this enemy she had been thinking about day and night. Is there anything better than this?
"No!"
The string of rationality was about to break. At the last moment before severing the connection with the will of the abyss, Moya's power surged out and firmly locked onto the ancient snake in the distance.
The enemy must be caught, and this great enemy cannot be let go. As long as he is still here, he can't go anywhere!
After completing the final arrangements, Moya finally gave up fighting against her instincts. Boundless joy surged in her heart, and her huge tentacles entangled the hidden time and space like covering the sky and the sun. She could even see the horrified look on Ryan's face when he realized that he had been discovered.
"Hahahahahaha…yes, that's the expression…"
"Come on, now that you are on my territory, let me treat you well!"
The huge roar spread in all directions, creating ripples in the abyss and even attracted an unexpected spectator, but Moya didn't care about it at all.
At this moment, looking at the two people held in her hands, the Demon Mother was extremely happy.
…
Opposite the Demon Mother, across a layer of time and space of birth and death, the Atrium Snake watched quietly.
Looking at 'himself' being captured in the distance, not only was He not in a hurry at all, He even had time to make a few comments.
"The effect is surprisingly good. Although Moya's rationality is more persistent than expected, it only goes so far."
"She still has too much faith in the power of the abyss. But it is understandable. After all, this is her first time to come into contact with the power of this realm, so it is normal for her to make such a judgment."
"but..."
The same breath, the same fate, the same power, the same appearance, this is a god, at least in the simple concept of Chaos gods. So watching this scene, Ryan couldn't help but sigh.
"My sacrifice is really huge."
His portrait rights have been violated, which is a huge sacrifice, and he is definitely not making excuses.
After all, just like the stand-ins of film and television stars in later generations, it doesn't matter who the stand-in is. What matters is the star's face, that is the key.
Now that someone is being hit in the face, isn't that a great sacrifice on his part? Thinking of this, the Snake of the Courtyard seemed to be unable to bear to watch, and could not help but slightly tilt his head.
"Don't waste time, hurry up, do you know how disgusting that thing is?"
Suddenly, a somewhat urgent voice sounded beside my ear. The owner of the voice seemed to realize what decision he had made, which was much more "terrible" than he had imagined before. However, after hearing his words, the coiled giant snake just shook its head, as if to express its refusal.
"Don't be anxious. You only have one chance. It's better to take your time."
"Besides, I have made such a great sacrifice, so you just hold on a little longer. After all, there is no other way. In this world, the only thing that can be hidden from Tartarus in his body is his own power."
"…"
"I didn't understand before why you called this particular incarnation the embodiment of 'evil', but now I see a little bit."
After a moment of silence, the voice sounded again, but he had no way to deal with it. After all, putting aside some meaningless content, what the Atrium Snake said was right. Although Moya's attention was attracted now, as long as the power of time and space here was locked and found any abnormal situation, she would turn her gun around immediately.
After all, when her instincts overwhelmed her reason, the influence of the abyss on her also expanded. Compared to Ryan, the war against the Nine Hells was more urgent.
"So how long will it take you?"
The voice came again, and this time, the giant snake gave an affirmative answer.
"Don't worry, it won't take long... and this time, I want to achieve my goal in one go."
A gleam of light flashed in the eyes of the snake head, and then he said meaningfully:
"It's enough to have to personally deal with this kind of experience of being beaten up once."
"From now on, the battle between the Abyss and the Nine Hells should be decided in another way."