Not long ago, I just crossed the gate of the abyss.
Although he seemed to be calm while looking at the surrounding environment, Zeus was actually a little confused and felt that he might have come to the wrong place.
However, after a while of spinning, when the chaotic time and space returned to calm, the surrounding environment suddenly changed dramatically, as if entering another world.
In Zeus's original impression, the abyss had no direction and order, and was also chaotic and without anything. He once walked here with a trace of the authority of the God King. He was moving forward one second and backward the next, or even circling in place. But even so, the three brothers at that time continued to move forward in Tartarus.
However, at this moment, a different world appeared before Zeus.
The dark red land is vast and endless, with mountains and yellow rivers flowing on the ground. The soil seems to be soaked in blood and flesh, emitting a faint fishy smell.
Some creatures with scales, claws and horns roamed and fought on the earth, devouring each other and becoming stronger. They seemed to be born to fit the order of the abyss chaos, and they could strengthen themselves as long as they plundered others.
And in the sky of the interface, a red celestial body was emitting light, illuminating the entire world.
That was not the sun, Zeus quickly figured out, it was a special celestial body made up of the power of fire and lava.
But whatever it was, it didn't fit in with his past impressions of the Abyss.
If Tartarus had not been so familiar with the suppression and isolation of the authority of the gods, Zeus would have thought that there was something wrong with the previous fluctuations in time and space, and that he had simply come to a corner of the world.
But now...Flying up into the sky, Zeus gazed at the world. And when he looked down from high in the sky, a piece of information was suddenly read by him in some way.
"This is... Level 001-1 of the first layer of the Abyss, the [Ten Thousand Abyss Plains]."
"What is this? The abyss is divided into layers and numbered. And there is also the [Ten Thousand Abyss Plains]. What is this?
For a moment, the continuous shock of information made Zeus feel like he was in a dream.
He didn't know what was going on, but Zeus still remembered why he came.
After a brief experience of the time and space of this world, I found it to be tough but full of loopholes. It would be easy to find a way to tear it apart...
Then the next moment, Zeus' attention was drawn because a portal suddenly opened in the void in the distance.
Soon, a seemingly high-spirited and brave army slowly walked out of it, and hundreds of thousands of lives with different appearances gathered together.
At the very center, a giant with two heads was holding the space-time channel with both hands, and leaning his head to look across.
Looking around, the giant seemed to be observing the surrounding environment. Then the next moment, he noticed Zeus floating in the air.
stare--
The six eyes met. Zeus, who was flying in the air, was almost the same height as the other party. After noticing each other's existence, both of them were obviously stunned for a moment.
Zeus couldn't help but start thinking again, where on earth he came to? Could it be that the three male hundred-armed giants left offspring in the abyss... and the two-headed giant opposite him was also very surprised.
This kind of aura is incompatible with the abyss. Neither the left head nor the right head has ever seen such a situation.
[Left: Hey, what is this? I don't think I've ever seen a life like this]
[Right: I don't know, it seems to be... a human? I have heard of this name, and it is said to be a sinister alien race. But no matter what it is, I haven't eaten it yet, so I might as well give it a try now. ]
[Left: Really? But he doesn't look very tasty, and his smell makes me sick. I want to beat him into a meat patty! ]
[Right: No, I want to see if you don't do anything to him! ]
[Left: Why? If you say no, then no, I will beat him to death! ]
…
boom--
The communication between thoughts is far superior to language, so in the eyes of Zeus, the two-headed giant who was stunned for a moment suddenly became furious, looking furious and full of momentum.
And with the looming blessing of the abyss, the opponent's strength should not be underestimated. Although it poses no threat to Zeus, it is definitely extraordinary.
Then the next moment, the giant's right hand hit his chest wildly, as if he was issuing a provocation, while the other hand was raised in the air and struck directly towards Zeus.
"…What is it? Can't it measure the difference between us?"
With his brows slightly furrowed, Zeus intended to use all his strength to kill the opponent on the spot, but then he hesitated.
This is the abyss after all, and the other party is still vaguely blessed with some of the power of the abyss - just like the blessing he faced when he was in Asgard.
In this case, it might not be wise to kill the other party rashly. So after looking around for a moment, Zeus rushed forward.
The space shattered, and his figure disappeared into the [Wanyuan Plain].
"Ah, the food escaped!"
Seeing Zeus disappear, the giant's head on the right side looked a little disappointed.
"Yeah, Meatloaf escaped."
He nodded, and the left side of his head seemed to have forgotten that the other party was trying to stop him just now, and also expressed his agreement.
"Forget it, let's just go... What were we going to do before?"
"Idiot, we are going to slaughter those demons, we are going to the Shura Field!"
After swearing disdainfully, the head on the right shouted, "Go, recruit all the demons along the way, to kill and to ascend!"
"Oh, we are one. Only fools would call themselves fools. Let's go and kill, kill, kill!"
Regardless, the two heads reached a consensus on this point.
Thus, this brief episode seemed to have never happened. There were time and space connections between this place and many levels of the abyss, and another section was on the [Wanyuan Plain] which was adjacent to Hell. The march that had been briefly interrupted began again.
And just like every demon army that passed by before, their ultimate goal was the bloody battlefield called "Shura Field".
······
Click...
Click, click——
In the void within the abyss, time and space shook.
Unlike in the past, the abyss demons could once roam directly here and attack the nine layers of hell. But now, with the gradual improvement and expansion of the abyss levels, this void that carries many levels is no longer allowed to be entered.
It won't be long before many levels fill this place with the concept of time and space, just like the present world, and even Zeus will not be able to come here.
But now, with the sound of space breaking, the God King finally came out.
Looking back at where I came from, the first layer of the abyss is located in the upper layer in time and space, horizontally covering the vast void in Tartarus. It is like a small bubble in a big bubble, but it is still growing and expanding.
And at the 'bottom' of the space-time position, at a glance, there were countless 'bubbles' densely packed in it. Seeing this scene, Zeus was shocked and felt that he had discovered a huge secret.
"I see... No wonder I never had any information about that mysterious existence before. The Abyss is like this - no, then what about Crius whom I imprisoned before?"
Suddenly discovering a blind spot, Zeus felt as if he had realized something that he had overlooked.
Inspiration flashed through his mind, and he was about to think about it carefully, but the next moment, a warning sign suddenly emerged in his mind.
"who!"
Zeus' train of thought was interrupted, but he had no time to feel regretful.
He subconsciously took a defensive action, but what caught his eyes was a flash of a knife coming from the other side of distant time and space.
However, Zeus is now a veteran of many battles. Compared with his current opponent, he has even fought head-on with Typhon, who possesses great power.
Even if he lost the initiative and was suppressed by the power of the abyss, he would not be ambushed by such a simple method, unless there was something that could disturb his mind.
"This is—impossible!"
An incredible roar, in Zeus's eyes, a familiar sickle was coming through the air.
In those old days, he had fought with the master of the sickle more than once, and that was when he was at his most dangerous and confident. He was not yet a god-king at the time, but the whole world stood by him. Although the situation was difficult, he firmly believed that he would win.
But why did this knife appear here, and who was this person? Didn't it go into seclusion with the mother goddess Rhea and never appear again?
His mind was disturbed again. Although Zeus tried his best to defend himself the next moment, his two mistakes ultimately made the situation irreversible. The next moment, a scream that shook the void resounded through the abyss.
"ah------!"
With the sound of flesh tearing, Zeus' entire thigh was cut off, and blood spilled into the void.
But what really made Zeus scream was not this reason, because something else close to his thigh was also cut in half.
As for what that thing is...it's something that Zeus himself had chopped off.
"Ah - damn it, no, you're not him, and this isn't the sickle - ugh - no, who the hell are you!"
His eyes were bloodshot and his voice was violent. At least at this moment, Zeus had lost his mind.
If it were any other god, they wouldn't have such a reaction, after all, the divine body can be regenerated, but Zeus is different.
The pain alone could not defeat the third-generation God King, but at that moment just now, only Zeus himself knew the extent of the mental blow he had suffered.
The similar appearance and familiar sword path almost made Zeus mistakenly believe that it was the anti-male weapon that ended the first generation of God King.
Even though he knew he had no patriarchal authority, when he faced the knife, he was still afraid that he would end up like Uranus. After all, compared to other gods, he was more or less a god king, wasn't he?
And what frightened him the most was not this, because in his heart, the answer at that moment was "no". Even if this knife could really cut off a part of him forever, he would not sleep forever like the Father in Heaven. As for the reason...
Of course, because he had come here once during the Typhon Rebellion.
But fake is fake after all. When Zeus reacted, he noticed that the person who came was different from the figure he remembered.
For gods, authority is the most intuitive way to identify them, but in front of Zeus, the figure holding the knife did not have any of the divine authority similar to the man he once was.
In addition, the knife only looked similar, and when the roar was heard at that moment, Zeus calmed down a little from his mad state.
This person is deliberately trying to irritate me. He is deliberately imitating the person from the past and deliberately making the weapon to look like him.
He understands me and is targeting me. Yes, I need to be calm... He can disguise external things, but he can't disguise power——
"Ah, you ask who I am? Isn't it obvious?"
Zeus was trying to convince himself, but the Lord of the Nine Hells, under the black robe opposite him, still smiled.
Asmodeus knew very well that when his fate, body, authority, and real name were all changed, the other party would be destined not to recognize his identity as his past self.
Maybe others could find something from the details, but Zeus wouldn't. After all, they had never lived together for a day, they had always been enemies.
So without lying or covering up, Asmodeus simply raised his knife again, laughed and said:
"Zeus, Lord of Olympus, King of the Third Generation of Gods—"
"I am your most respected father, and you are my son. Isn't it reasonable for a father to educate his son..."
"Ah—you're looking for death!"
With a loud shout, at this moment, all calmness and anger were thrown out of Zeus' mind.
Not caring about his broken body, the flesh and blood of his left leg was still growing, but Zeus still walked forward on one leg.
Your power is not stronger than mine, yet you dare to challenge me like this... My father, right? Very good, I have long been dissatisfied with the shadow of the end of the era. Now that I have the opportunity, I will fight my father again in person, just like I did during the Titan War!
Chapter 352: Transactions under War
Emotions dominate actions, and there is no more unnecessary communication.
Zeus stretched out his hand and clenched it, and then out of the void, an illusory spear slowly condensed and was held in his hand.
The aura on the gun was powerful and long-lasting, but it was not a real divine weapon. Of course, for a god who had come this far, ordinary divine weapons were of little use.
Just as Ryan often uses the power of death in the Well of Samsara to transform into a black sword, the spear in Zeus's hand is actually a manifestation of Asgard's power and one of the symbols of his royal power.
He opened up the divine domain and allowed the gods to build their kingdoms, which was in itself an act in line with the king's power to gather the people. Asgard's divine domain was thus subtly changed, and little by little it had a domain that matched the authority of the king of gods.
Perhaps tens of millions of years later, just like the scepter forged by the second generation of God-King, if there really is a next generation of God-King, Asgard will also become one of the things passed down by the heirs.
But that's all in the past. Holding the spear, Zeus locked onto his opponent.
Just like the appearance of this spear, the weapon of Asgard's previous master, the "sure-hit" divine spear [Gungnir]. This imitation gives it certain characteristics, making its attacks difficult to avoid.
Whoosh——
The spear broke through the air, piercing through the void. As a manifestation of the power of the divine realm, it was like a world pressing down at the speed of light.
If it were in the outside world, such a blow would be enough to make the earth sink and the starry sky shake. However, this is the abyss, and Tartarus is also capable of preventing such outside visitors from destroying the environment.
Therefore, the supreme power was suppressed around the divine spear, and the spear body fell along a mysterious trajectory towards the direction of the Lord of the Nine Hells. And what faced the spear body was naturally the bloody sickle.
clang--
With a clear sound, the blade and the spear collided.
The next moment, vast power erupted from the intersection, and the laws in the void were torn apart and reorganized.
However, it was obvious that Zeus seemed to be at a disadvantage. His concentrated divine spear broke the tip of the spear, and although it retracted the next moment, the difference was still obvious.
"How is it possible! No - it's the abyss!"
Zeus was stunned for a moment, then he suddenly realized.
Logically speaking, although he didn't know the other party's specific strength, according to the perception of the God King's authority, there should not be a huge gap between the two sides.
But the current reality made him realize that although the abyss also excludes hell, at his own doorstep, Asmodeus' power can still be exerted more completely, but Zeus is different.
He was a true outsider and was rejected by Tartarus. But even so, Zeus found it hard to accept the difference in power.
In a place like this, there is actually another person who can fight against him? There
were a lot of powerful enemies before the promotion, and there are still a lot of powerful enemies after the promotion. If it keeps on like this, then wouldn't my promotion be in vain?
"You think the geographical advantage can stop me? Dream on!"
Bang--
He was unwilling to retreat, but under the suppression of the abyss, he was unable to do anything to the opponent in front of him.
Then the next moment, with a loud roar, Zeus' body exploded and then expanded a thousand times.
He glared at Asmodeus in front of him, raising his hands to the sky. In the dark, it was as if the giant god carrying the sky on his back was declaring war on the laws of the abyss.
"Come--!"
The abyss's suppression is too strong, and I can't exert my power at all. What should I do? Then I can temporarily use the power of another world to fight it!
So the power of Asgard flowed and gathered between Zeus's raised hands. The phantom of the world appeared there, and as the image emerged, not only was the sword of the Lord of the Nine Hells blocked, but the suppression of the abyss was also temporarily weakened. The only price was that Asgard's power was consumed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"I don't care, tools...are only valuable when they are used!"
Striding forward, Zeus recalled the unforgettable figure at the turn of the era.
His tall body became more vast, and without the obstruction of interface power, the complete symbol of royal power was revealed to the world for the first time.
"Come, let's see who is the winner now!"
He clenched his fist into a hammer and struck down fiercely. Standing opposite Zeus, the Lord of the Nine Hells was as steady as a mountain.
"How long can you last if you try to quench your thirst with poison?"
"Well, I'll play with you for a while. Let's see how much of your accumulation I can consume before you calm down."
After fighting with the abyss for a long time, Asmodeus had long learned to be thrifty in the face of the size gap.
So at this moment, looking at the "extravagant" Zeus, while reminiscing about the past, he was also very rude.
Strength itself will not run away. If you don't use it now, you will use it on yourself in the future. It is naturally a good thing to consume some of it in advance.
······
In the abyss, the battle broke out. On the sea, with a pillar of light piercing through the sky, the war between the gods broke out as expected.
At the beginning of the war, Keto went to Aphrodite without hesitation.
There was no hatred between them, only conflicts of interest due to power. However, for the gods, this was far more intolerable than any other conflict.
On the other side, Phoebe, the goddess of light, finally joined the war. She found a plausible reason for herself, believing that Artemis, as the daughter of the king of gods and her grandson, should not be left alone.
She claimed that he should go to the stars to meet his grandfather. However, in response to Phoebe's proposal, Artemis only responded with a bow and arrow.
In terms of divine power, three epochs have passed, and although the sun, moon, and stars no longer obey her orders, the Goddess of Light has still benefited from the growth of the world and has a divine power level of nearly 18.
In comparison, as a new god, even with the power of faith, Artemis is at a disadvantage in terms of divine power.
However, the role of artifacts in the battle between ordinary true gods is still very obvious, and Artemis not only got the Crescent Crown, but the gift entrusted to her before also turned into another artifact in her hands.
It was nothing else but the power related to "sea monsters" and "wildness" that was stripped off from Keto after she shed her old body as the former mother of sea monsters.
This power was of little significance to the newly born Keto, but it was very suitable for Artemis, the Lord of the Wilderness. With the cooperation of the two, just like the war of gods in the last era, it would be difficult to tell the winner from Phoebe for a while.
The rest of the gods also had their own battlefields, and great battles frequently took place at sea in Pontonoris.
The real focus of the watching gods was undoubtedly the battle in the center.
Trident, Thunderbolt, Aegis, Spear of Voktor... High in the sky, when Athena used all her strength for the first time, all the gods were shocked.
Hera had no way to deal with her when she was alone against three. Poseidon was covered in wounds but still had the will to fight. Ares, who had no weapon, was beaten back step by step.
However, the God of War who was in charge of unjust wars was also aroused by this. In his unique domain, the vast war between gods around him seemed to provide him with strength, making him more and more courageous.
Of course, the gap in strength is obvious after all. The only thing Ares gained was that the other gods finally looked up to him. It turned out that the God of War in a large-scale war was still quite capable.
In short, with a slight lift of her spear, the goddess of wisdom in military uniform suppressed the three gods from above.
The power of the true god's limit is so terrifying that it makes all onlookers marvel... not only those gods who choose to remain neutral, but also a certain existence that has finally awakened from a long sleep.
"…"
"...What an amazing young man! The gods of the later era can actually come out of this existence... As expected, just like the waves of the sea, the momentum of the front wave will eventually run out, and it will be smashed on the shore and reefs by the waves behind. If you want to avoid this situation, the only way is to withdraw as soon as possible."
Under the sea where the gods were fighting, heavy voices echoed on the seabed.
Perhaps it was the sequelae of sleeping for too long, the voice was obviously a little hoarse at the beginning. But the speaker obviously recovered quickly, and by the end, it had regained clarity and fluency.
Nothing on the sea was a secret to him. Looking at Athena, who was even more powerful than he was at his peak, the ancient sea god couldn't help but sigh.
"Withdraw, but you are already involved, Pontus."
"The battle was started by your daughter, and your other children also joined in. How can you withdraw from such a dispute?"
The shadow, or the entire deep trench, is dark.
Erebus' voice came quietly from it.
He shouldn't have come here at this time, but it must be said that the display of the power of the Lord of Hell on Keto's body was indeed beyond his expectations.
For a while, Zeus was led away, and part of the Dark Lord's domain lay at the gate of the underworld. He could accurately grasp the time when Zeus came and went, and the war between the gods could cover up many things. In this case, he did not hesitate to change his plan and came directly to look for the traces of the original sea god.
And Pontos is not difficult to find. As the first generation of gods, they are so deeply bound to everything. If the Mariana Trench in later generations is the deepest seabed in the world, then Chaos, under the Sea of Pontonoris, is it.
Arriving here, Erebus easily awakened Pontus with his own power.
If he wants to complete his plan, convincing the other party is a very important part. However, facing the words of the Lord of Darkness, the Primordial Sea God does not seem to care much.
"Your Highness Erebus, thank you for taking the time to come here and chat with me...but if you are trying to persuade me to come out, then there is no need for that."
"You see, you never take those underworld gods born from your power seriously, and there have always been many conflicts between fathers and sons among the gods. Although I am closer to Nereus and the others, I will not go against my decision and rush into the world just for them."
"Although we haven't dealt with each other much, I do know Zeus. He is not a cruel person like my brother. For him, profit is more important than mood. The Father can give up profit just because he simply 'doesn't like', and can also torture his own children just because he simply 'likes', even if it does not benefit him, but Zeus will not do that."
"Besides, as one of the first ancient gods, I am so closely connected to the world. I can see clearly the web of order that covers the present world, and the new symbol that rises from heaven and earth... Zeus' power comes from the [royal power], right?"
Erebus remained silent, knowing that he could not convince Pontus so easily.
Yes, although the original sea god did not know where Zeus' power came from, he could still discern the nature of this power.
As the possessor of the [Royal Authority], Zeus was destined to want power, not to punish others. If Atlas, who held up the sky, was willing to bow to him and become a part of the [Royal Authority] order, he would probably be willing to put aside his grudges and even personally welcome the other party.
Therefore, the descendants of the original sea god will not have a bad outcome no matter what. Even the worst outcome is nothing more than changing one person's loyalty.
And for Pontus, who is the master of heaven and earth, who will lead the gods of the original sea god, does it matter? Of course not.
Since he had decided to fall asleep, he had given up everything he had in his life, including power, strength, and everything else.
To use an inappropriate metaphor, "People do not fear death, so why scare them with death?"
I have abandoned everything, so I will not go back. It is meaningless for you to tell me this.
Chapter 353 Sky, Ocean, and Earth
"Oh, you see it very clearly."
"Zeus is indeed such a person. He won't mind you staying at the bottom of the sea, nor will he mind that you once opposed him. After all, you are actually not a threat to him. As long as you are willing to submit to him, everything can be turned around."
With a slight nod, Erebus agreed with Pontus's statement.
However, in the bottomless trench, the spirit of the primitive sea god became nervous.
If it was so easy to get the other party to give up, then that would be great. But no matter how he thought about it, he didn't think it would be so simple.
"Yes, Your Highness Erebus... I don't intend to be an enemy to anyone. And it's not just me, the same goes for Uraya who turned into Mount Olympus."
"This world is no longer our era. Even the Titans have retired one after another, let alone us. The world has welcomed a new master. Let the past grudges and hatreds go with the wind."
The sound rippled on the seabed, and the sound became weaker and weaker.
Pontos planned to go directly into a deeper sleep. He was no match for Erebus, but the other party could not force him to do anything either.
As one of the first gods, Pontus knew more about these primitive gods than the gods of later generations. He knew that although to most people, the degree of personification of the primitive gods seemed to have no other difference except the strength of the influence, in fact, except for the fully personified Gaia, Erebus and Nyx could not walk outside for a long time.
They stayed away from the world most of the time, which might be voluntary for Nyx, but half voluntary and half forced for Erebus.
Only a truly complete and great divine power can be identical with the source power, coexist with the symbol while maintaining an indestructible personality, and still maintain thinking and humanity from being eroded, but this is something that no one in the world can really do.
That's why Pontos was worried but still fearless, because he knew that even the worst result would be that the Lord of Darkness would attack in anger and leave after venting for a while.
The threat he brings is limited, and the essence of non-violent non-cooperation is that the other party is unable to use absolute violence due to various factors, so it cannot pose a real threat to oneself.
"is that so?"
Pontus's refusal was so direct that he even began to shut down his thoughts. However, in the face of this reaction, Erebus just smiled and nodded again to show his agreement.
"Perhaps you are right, Pontos... This is no longer your era. But just because it is no longer yours does not mean it is no longer someone else's. At least I feel that the years of the First Age are far from over..."
"Of course, since you don't want to, forget it. I won't force you. Please make your own choice."
The voice was even somewhat amused, and the Dark Lord's robe fluttered slightly. He was not at all annoyed by the rejection, but waved his hand and continued to move forward.
The bottom of the ocean was so quiet and dark, surrounded by the seabed. And the place he was heading to at the moment was the only place to go, the deep trench.
"...You are...wait, Lord Erebus, what are you going to do? I rejected you, so you are going to attack me?"
Suddenly, the voices that had been quieted started to rise again. Pontus seemed a little nervous, but Erebus just explained softly that he had no ill intentions.
"Don't get me wrong. Since you want to sleep, then go ahead. You have given up everything in the material world, so what I do should have nothing to do with you."
"Don't worry, I won't disturb your sleep again. I just... want to solve a puzzle that has been on my mind for a long time."
Taking a step forward, Erebus descended into the seemingly bottomless ravine.
Light and shadows passed behind him, and he turned a blind eye to all the wonders created by nature. The Lord of Darkness moved forward, and at this moment, Pontos seemed to realize what the other party was going to do.
"Wait, this is where I sleep. If you don't intend to disturb me, why do you invade here? Well, you just want me to do something for you, right? I can listen to you first, as long as you don't go too far..."
Bang--
In the trench, invisible forces gathered together, as if to stop Erebus, but it was all useless.
Without even a moment's pause, Pontus's obstruction was smashed by Erebus. As if he hadn't noticed, the Lord of Darkness continued to move downwards.
"Stop, you win, I don't want to be your enemy, tell me what you want to do, but this is not the place for you!"
Snap——
Another deep blue light curtain was shattered, but interestingly, this did not seem to be a barrier that had only recently appeared.
Perhaps thousands of years ago, or perhaps tens of thousands of years ago, Pontos had already left this obstacle. Looking at this scene, the Lord of Darkness' smile became more intense.
"Sure enough, I knew it... Haha, it looks like this is the right place."
"Stop, Erebus! What the hell are you trying to do? Do you know what you're doing!?!"
The roar of the primordial sea god echoed in the trench, but it was just a meaningless protest.
Ignoring him, the next moment, boundless power slowly spread out from Erebus' body. The entire trench was enveloped by it, and everything was obscured by him.
The gods in the sky had no idea what was happening beneath their feet, and Erebus kept moving forward.
One after another, ancient barriers were broken down, and compromises, insults, exhortations, and threats came from Pontus' mouth.
Pontos' voice changed several times in a short period of time, until he gradually realized that the Lord of Darkness would probably not stop.
Then he fell silent. In the soundless silence, he didn't know how deep he had dived.
Finally, at a certain moment, in front of a terrifying barrier of yellow and blue, Erebus finally stopped.
A magnificent and thick barrier was right in front of him. Unlike the previous ones, the power that was enough to block most of the true gods in the world was meaningless to Erebus.
But within this barrier, there is also a power that surpasses that of the true God.
With just one glance, Erebus easily discerned the source of the barrier's power. Some of its power might come from Pontus, but the most crucial part belonged to Gaia.
And not the her of now, but the her of long ago.
"As expected, that's how it is. At the end of the First Era, Gaia left Mount Odilus and went to the shore of the Eastern Sea, where she lived with you for a long time... Haha, I knew she wasn't as crazy as she is now.
"After putting an end to her cruel husband, even if her children were not so obedient, how could she leave the old house where she had lived for tens of millions of years so cleanly and neatly, come directly to your side, and even have the leisure to have children with you?"
"Because she wanted to leave this seal, and she did this without telling anyone. She didn't even want to tell Kronos, because he is also the King of Gods."
He laughed out loud. Although he had been very confident before, it was finally confirmed at this moment.
It is said that after the Father of Heaven and the Mother of Earth, Gaia gave birth to the Five Sea Gods with her second son Pontus. Therefore, in theory, Keto and Nereus are actually Gaia's children.
But why, compared to the Titans and even the giants, the paranoid Mother Earth never seemed to care about these sea gods? Compared with her previous personality, this seemed completely unreasonable.
Now, everything has been answered. It is not that Gaia discriminates against Poseidon, but because the five children of the original Poseidon are actually the same as the gods of Hades. They are the children of Gaia, guided by some kind of power, and bred by the concave surface of the sea symbolized by the earth and Pontus.
They were not actually recognized by Gaia as her own children, so she never cared about them.
So the question is, what could be the thing that could draw Gaia's power to give birth to a true god, and that could make the Earth Mother at that time so concerned and fearful that she even concealed her whereabouts and sealed it herself?
"... As you can see, Your Highness Erebus, this is the root of all evil."
The deep voice echoed beneath the sea, and Pontus was finally no longer silent.
At this point, everything was clear. Since he couldn't hide it, he had to explain:
"Cronus used the sickle to end Uranus's paternity, and Oceanus threw it into the sea to prevent it from being taken back by the Father. And I also betrayed the tyrant. I hid it, hid it in the deepest part of the sea, which is what you have all seen."
"The power of the Father is so strong that the blood he spilled on the ground can turn into the Ash Goddess, and the essence he spilled can give birth to the Goddess of Beauty and Revenge. Uranus once ruled all things with the authority of the first generation of God King, sublimated the [Sky] and [Fatherhood], and thus possessed a power that even you at that time had to face up to... Until today, nearly two eras have passed. With the perfection of time, the birth of gods, and the reproduction of creatures, the [Sky] and [Fatherhood] have already taken that critical step, just like the complete ocean and water, and condensed their own symbols."
"Just like the sea has never been unified, so the symbols of the sea and water have the qualifications to unite, but never take shape, Uranus fell into eternal sleep, so [Sky] and [Fatherhood] also failed to complete that leap, and have not had an impact on the world to this day. In fact, because the two have grown simultaneously, there is no sign of him awakening to this day - as long as this seal remains intact, he will not wake up."
"So you're not going to open it, are you?"
The undercurrent in the sea surged, and half an era passed. As the waters converged, Pontos once again appeared in the world in the form of a personality.
However, the tall god was only worried at the moment... He knew he couldn't stop the other party, but he still tried his best to persuade him:
"No one knows how terrible Uranus will be after taking it back, and he was once the king of gods. Erebus, no matter what you want to plan, do you really think that a being like him will act according to your plan?"
"Of course he won't, Pontus."
"I know, Uranus. He will only sneer at me like that madman named Typhon - ah, no, he is not that crazy. At least he knew how to fear the power of fate back then."
He smiled faintly and said that for the Lord of Darkness, the barrier in front of him was not difficult to break. After all, a long time had passed, especially the war at the end of the Second Era. Even though the war did not affect here, the seal was weakened by the damage to the land and the ocean.
At the same time, as the number of gods increases and the world becomes more perfect, the patriarchy that was born out of the birth of gods naturally rises as well.
With just a little force, the seal would vanish. But then, Gaia would be able to sense it.
"Fortunately, I was prepared."
Gaia's barrier is sensitive to touch, even when in deep sleep. However, a long time ago, another almost identical barrier was also useless.
That barrier is protecting the golden apple tree, and the thing that renders it useless is called the [Vase of Life].
"She lost something, and she didn't even bother to update the protection... Heh, maybe she forgot about this place a long time ago."
It is a bit ironic that time will smooth out everything, including the fear of Uranus, but Gaia's mistakes are actually what Erebus is happy to see.
So he stretched out his hand, and a emerald green light lingered on his wrist. Under Pontus's horrified gaze, Erebus reached out from behind the barrier without hesitation.
The next moment, a ball of light emitting a warm breath was held in the hand of the Lord of Darkness. At the same time, if it weren't for the darkness that still covered this place, I'm afraid that this ball of light would have flown over the nine heavens and returned to its master's arms the moment it came into contact with the outside world.
But now is not the time, so he can't allow this to happen.
"... Erebus, you still did it..."
Pontus paused for a moment, unable to understand this behavior. What good would it do him? However, Erebus was not going to let him understand.
He just looked at the ball of light in his hand and asked calmly,
"Pontos, you are afraid of him, but tell me, who does Uranus hate the most?"
"…Maybe it was Kronos, but he has been missing for a long time. How can we seek revenge if we can't find him?"
"Uh...yeah. He's gone without a trace, and can't be found...hehe."
With a low laugh, Erebus asked again:
"What about the second hatred?"
"…It could be the Earth Mother, but it's more likely the Spirit Lord—what do you want to say?"
He spoke hesitantly. In Pontus's judgment, his wife's betrayal and the despicable prophet were both likely to rank second in Uranus' heart. But the former had at least endured the brutal oppression of the Father, so her betrayal was understandable. So although Uranus would not forgive Gaia for this, he would probably still put her in third place.
As for Ryan... the prophecy is not the key. When the Heavenly Father thought he had defeated fate and went around the world to look for him, it was mostly just a way for the winner to show off to the loser.
But when Ryan opened up the spirit world at the turn of the era, all causes and effects changed. No matter how you look at it, he is the mastermind behind the plot, treating the God King as a pawn.
"What about the fourth hatred?"
He asked again, and this time, Erebus didn't wait for an answer, he gave the answer directly.
"The fourth hatred is between you and Oceanus. One of you threw his body into the sea, and the other hid it afterwards. Therefore, neither of you can escape."
"So what do you mean, and what exactly are you doing here?!"
The worries in his heart were pointed out, and Pontus couldn't help but feel angry. Yes, he would not let him go, but it was clear that as long as you don't interfere, nothing will happen.
"No hurry, just listen to me."
He shook his head slightly, but his hand still did not come out from behind the barrier. Erebus seemed to be considering something, but he had not yet made up his mind.
"Cronus, I don't know where he is now; Ryan and Gaia, even if he wakes up, it will be difficult to deal with him easily. But you and Oceanus are different. You are not great, so although you are ranked fourth and fifth, you are actually the first to be unlucky."
"You will be punished with the cruelest revenge, eternal revenge, and unlike me, Uranus, he will remain under the sky forever."
"So... listen to my plan, or are you going to count on Zeus to protect you? No, you know, only you can protect yourself. And that's why I'm here."
Everything is under control. Erebus waved his long sleeves and retracted the power covering the seabed.
He planned to continue communicating with Pontos, but at this moment, a subtle movement coming from underground immediately caught his attention.
The underworld was shaking, dust was rising and falling, and through the connection with his own domain, Erebus seemed to hear the roar of thunder even through the thick layers of earth.
Lightning was dancing wildly, gods were roaring, and along with it came the winding, rugged, endless shadows of gods and demons.
Chapter 354: Infallible
The underworld, the garden of truth.
While the ground and the abyss were fighting each other, the underworld under the moonlight, sandwiched between the two, was very quiet.
There was still some time before the noise from the abyss was heard. At this moment, in the Field of Truth, one could see endless buildings rising one after another, and silent creatures coming in and out.
Everything seemed in order, like a grand silent movie. In the center of the Pluto Palace, Hades was holding a wine glass and drinking by himself.
The Queen of the Underworld went to the earth to inquire about the situation, and the other gods of the underworld were deliberately not called.
Below him, only Charon, the ferryman of Acheron, the River of Pain, was sitting upright, his old face full of respect.
"Your Majesty is truly a man of foresight. He knew long ago that those guys were unreliable."
"Eris could easily do things for the God King without your order - this is the natural difference between us. In this underworld, I, Charon, am the only one who was born because of you!"
The voice came from the heart, and every word was sincere.
Charon seemed to be really accusing the gods of the underworld of betrayal and speaking up for Hades.
But what he said was not without reason. The previous gods of Hades were born from the power of the two original gods, so they would naturally be closer to each other. In addition, there was an absolute gap in power, so it was not surprising that they would choose to betray each other at this time.
Of course, strictly speaking, this cannot be considered betrayal.
Just like Hades himself is one of the main gods of Olympus, it is really difficult for others to say anything about the situation where the Goddess of Discord is acting on the orders of Zeus.
I just don't know, does Hera know that the golden apple was given by Zeus? Probably she doesn't know... Hades thought calmly, not without malice.
"Okay, there's no need to mention this kind of thing anymore."
"Everyone has their own aspirations, so today, you are the only one here, right?"
After drinking the pomegranate wine, Hades put down the glass and waved his hand slightly.
The gods of the world often forget his existence, but he will never forget them.
Regardless of other things, at least Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld, has to stay in the sacred mountain half of the year. Even if he does not take the initiative to pay attention, many things in the human world cannot be hidden from him.
Of course, the golden apple was not learned in this way. In fact, as the Lord of the Underworld, although Hades did not reach the great power, his perception in some aspects was still superior to that of the gods.
This was the case with the abnormal fluctuations in the power of the world. It could be said that apart from Zeus, no other god in Olympus noticed this movement earlier than him.
So even though Hades, like Zeus, didn't know why this happened, and he couldn't even judge that this fluctuation was a tilt of the world's power toward the outside, Pluto could still detect what changes had probably taken place in the world that he was not aware of.
So the subsequent events were logical. Hades was not blind, even though he was on high alert. The Golden Apple incident was also completely planned by Zeus, and Erebus was only responsible for making the gods of the underworld serve him.
Without the cover of the Dark Lord's authority, Hades, who held great power in the underworld and wore an invisibility helmet, easily investigated the unusual movements of the gods of the underworld.
But even though it was clear, there was no law in the underworld that prohibited the gods from doing things for the God King. So Hades couldn't do anything directly about this situation.
But since they were unkind first, he had no choice but to be unjust later. Since you do not recognize that you are Hades' subjects, then you should not even think about sharing any of the benefits of the underworld.
"Charon, how are your preparations going?"
Putting his worries aside, Hades asked calmly.
He had been preparing for this for a long time. Upon hearing this question, Charon, who had been waiting for a long time, had a hint of joy in his eyes and answered as calmly as possible.
"Your Majesty, after all these years of accumulation, the power of the River of Pain has accumulated enough. After all, I have no other place to use it... Because now the souls flow into the underworld through the River of Oblivion, the existence of Acheron is basically meaningless.
"Your Majesty, as long as you give the order, I will expand the territory for you!"
"Haha, it's not really about expanding territory. It originally belonged to the underworld, we just went to occupy it."
Nodding with satisfaction, Hades' mood obviously improved a lot.
Among the rivers of the underworld, not counting the river of fire that he himself divided out, there are only three that are truly innate.
Styx of oath and hatred, Cocytus+Lethe of oblivion and lamentation, and Acheron of pain and immobility.
These three rivers of the underworld simultaneously possess some authority over the underworld, but the proportions they occupy vary depending on their functions.
The first two, one flows into the abyss, communicates with the outside world, holds the power of oath, and is the Styx, which is the most well-known river to both humans and gods; the other carries the souls of the dead and goes straight to the depths of the spiritual world. It can wash away the memories of the past, leaving only the dead's lamentations and nostalgia for the past.
But only Acheron seems to be useless.
As the river of the underworld that coexists with Hades, the River of Pain actually has some authority over the underworld, just like the other two rivers of the underworld. However, perhaps in the original myth, because the soul's final destination is still the underworld, Charon, as a ferryman, can still guard the gate of the underworld and make anyone who crosses the river pay a price for him.
But now, no one needs him to cross the river. There is basically no one else to cross the huge Styx.
Mortals will not come, and gods do not need them. So although he was born a Styx, Acheron's power was surprisingly weak, and no matter who looked at him, they could not find any direction for his growth.
After all, he couldn't possibly go to the earth as a river god and try to unify the many rivers. Regardless of whether the God King would have any objections or the reaction of the Lord of the Ocean, Styx alone was a threshold he couldn't get around.
So Charon was an idler in the underworld for quite a long time.
Hades thought so at the beginning. Even for him who was short of manpower, Charon had little presence.
This situation continued until the time of Typhon's disaster, when the undead Evans reported his discovery to him. From then on, the River of Pain had its first real meaning. (See 3-168)
After personally sealing the [Crown of Silence] at a great cost, Hades, who finally found the entrance to Helheim, the Land of the Dead, ran into trouble again.
In this alien world filled with the breath of death, he once again encountered rejection.
Unlike Asgard or any of the fragments of the Nine Realms, that world rejects living things, which is determined by its innate laws. Unfortunately, as the god of Chaos, Hades does not have the possibility of dying like the gods of the Nine Realms.
But for Hades, encountering troubles is a normal situation. After all, his life as a god has always been on the road of constantly solving problems. He has never eaten pie in the sky like Zeus.
So after just a little thought, Hades came up with a solution.
Since the environment rejects him, he must either change himself or change the environment.
As the god of the underworld, Hades has no ability to change himself. Even if he did, he couldn't turn himself into a dead person. In this case, changing the environment is the only solution.
For this purpose he summoned Charon and decided to use the useless River Styx to achieve his goal.
There are three rivers of the underworld. One flows into the abyss, one flows into the spirit world, and the third flows into the kingdom of the dead. Since we can't collect the ferry fee at the gate of the underworld, we can collect it at the gate of Helheim.
As the Styx possesses some authority over the underworld, allowing Acheron to break into Helheim means that the laws of the underworld will erode and assimilate this interface.
Although Helheim is powerful, it is impossible for it to be comparable to the entire underworld without the World Tree.
Given the power gap, the result of erosion is unquestionable. Once the assimilation led by himself is truly completed... Hades doesn't know what kind of benefits he will get.
However, before Poseidon, the sea had a master; before Zeus, there were three generations of gods and kings on earth; but only in the underworld, there was only one master from beginning to end.
He is Uranus of the underworld, the original Hades. He is the incarnation of the underworld and the one who has made the greatest contribution. So for him, strengthening the underworld is strengthening himself.
Let the Styx open the way, and he will even select the undead who can enter and the capable demigods in the world to enter, speeding up the occupation of Helheim. By then -
"Um?"
Boom!
His expression changed slightly, and Hades suddenly stood up from the throne.
Just now, a huge tremor suddenly came from a distance, shaking the underworld and even the palace. And that direction seemed to be the abyss?
"Charon, did anyone enter the underworld just now?"
Grasping the key point immediately, Hades asked seriously. Charon sensed it from a distance and exchanged senses with the Akron River.
"…Your Majesty, yes. Not long ago, the God King entered the underworld."
"…"
"...I knew that whenever he was around, nothing good would happen!"
Cursing inwardly, Hades never expected that even though he didn't care about his golden apple, Zeus would still cause trouble for him... But thinking of this, as another bigger vibration came, Hades couldn't help but snort again.
"But fortunately, I was prepared for this."
The ground shook, and the tremors continued. The previous tremors were obviously not isolated. But Hades just walked forward slowly and reached out to knock on the pillars in the palace.
The clear sound echoed in the hall. Ordinary people might not understand what it meant, but when Charon heard the noise, his eyes widened.
"Haha, it seems you heard it too? That's right, few people know that as the God of the Underworld, I also control a considerable portion of the underground mineral deposits. The materials that ordinary gods regard as treasures are nothing more than that to me."
"So Charon, I learned from my previous lessons and made sufficient preparations when building this Pluto's Palace."
"Before," Hades clenched his fist and said word by word, "Do you know how many times my palace has been destroyed?"
"three times!"
"And every time, it's an unprovoked disaster!"
"But all this is in the past. From now on, it will never collapse again, because I built this palace using the same method as I built a divine weapon! Except for the lack of authority and power, in terms of materials, this is an extremely gigantic divine weapon!"
"Humph, in this case, unless a great divine power attacks my palace directly, the aftermath alone will not be able to harm it! Let Zeus do it himself, it would be best..."
Hades didn't say that it would be better to have a few legs broken.
As for being beaten to death, that was of course impossible, and Pluto would not have such a dream.
"Your Majesty is truly amazing, farsighted and wise! This time, it is destined to be foolproof!"
The praise came from the side, and Charon, who had made up his mind to hug her thighs, flattered her without any embarrassment.
If you ignore the huge difference in appearance, he now actually looks somewhat like Zephyros.
"Well, there's no rush to celebrate. Let's wait until this is over."
Hades coughed lightly, then came to his senses and felt that he had been a little too emotional.
But this is normal. Anyone who has his house demolished repeatedly will have this reaction.
"Charon, since there is a problem, don't leave in a hurry. Other places may not be as safe as here, and I also want to see what kind of enemies Zeus has provoked in the abyss."
·········
boom--
At the gate where the abyss and the underworld meet, the huge shaking sound became more and more intense.
Inside Tartarus, Zeus was slowly retreating.
Although he was a little angry at first, Zeus was still Zeus after all.
For a man like him, unless he is forced into a desperate situation, it is simply impossible for him to put aside the pros and cons and fight to the death with others.
So after gradually calming down, Zeus began to approach the gate of the abyss.
As the king of gods, Zeus gradually discovered during the battle that the abyss was not only rejecting him, but was also rejecting the other side, but its size was not as big as his.
The closer you are to the portal, the less suppression you will feel on yourself, and the greater the suppression on the opponent.
In this situation, there is no need to say how he should act... It is impossible for him to lose, and it is impossible for him to escape.
As the king of gods, he could not be defeated by an unknown person, even for the stability of his royal power.
After 300 rounds of fighting, he was slightly ahead, but considering the conflicts among the gods on the sea, he had to retreat temporarily. Okay... Zeus arranged the script silently, but his hands were still not relaxed.
Everything is foolproof, there won't be any accidents... But in the midst of a great battle, Zeus did not notice that below his body, a huge creature that seemed to have merged into the chaotic and deep void of the abyss was quietly approaching him.