The Titan gods, driven by greed and madness, no longer launched their attacks. Instead, they surrounded Hades from all directions. Though filled with avarice and the desire to devour Hades, they weren't foolish. The current situation was clearly lethal; Hades was no longer the minor figure they could deal with. Now, it was they who were the minor players. Realizing this, they stood back, watching for an opportunity.
Hades did not attempt to leave either. He waited silently, as an immensely powerful divine presence began to approach.
He's here!
Hades's hollow eyes seemed to finally gain color as a Titan god with short, pale-gold hair and clad in a white robe walked forward.
As he advanced, the other Titan gods respectfully stepped aside, bowing their heads in submission. None dared to show any defiance.
In the current mythic world, the number of Titan gods was beyond reckoning. However, only one truly powerful and terrifying deity ruled over them: the supreme Titan King, Cronus.
Under Cronus's rule, aiding him in governing the entire mythic world were the eleven Titan Chief Gods, his siblings. Together with Cronus, they were known as the Twelve Titan Chief Gods.
The approaching figure was one of these Twelve Titans: Iapetus, the God of Dimensions.
Iapetus, the father of Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius, was a mighty figure even among the Twelve Titans. His strength was evident in his son, Atlas, who was also a Chief God of the Titans.
"Hades," Iapetus regarded the black-haired youth before him for a long moment before speaking. "It's our first meeting."
Hades returned the greeting calmly, "Iapetus, it's our first meeting."
"Hades, are you waiting for me?" Iapetus observed his nephew, sensing the boundless divine power emanating from him. He could tell that Hades had been expecting him.
"Indeed," Hades replied quietly. "I want to test myself, to see if I am now capable of standing against one of the Twelve Titan Chief Gods."
Arrogant!
Overconfident!
Insane!
These were the immediate thoughts of the surrounding Titan gods. To them, Hades was just a junior, despite being the offspring of the king. His audacity seemed beyond comprehension—what did he mean by such arrogance?
Iapetus, pondering Hades's words, asked, "Hades, have you freed yourself from the constraints of your essence? Have you ascended from being a Major God to a Chief God of the Titans?"
Hades corrected him, "To be precise, I did not free myself from the constraints but broke through them."
Hades did not deny his ascent to the level of a Chief God of the Titans. This confirmation left the Titan gods around them in disbelief.
How was it possible?! In just a million years, Hades had ascended to the level of a Titan god? This was the child of the king? Gods, this was beyond incredible!
"Then…" Iapetus didn't decline the challenge. "Let's see."
As he stood still, the space around him began to warp. Known as the God of Dimensions, Iapetus wielded the laws of dimensions.
Dimensional Laws!
Besides this, Iapetus was also regarded as the ancestor of humanity. He possessed laws related to humanity, including those governing life, light, and the essence of human existence.
For most gods, aside from the lesser Titan gods, mastering numerous laws was standard. But among these myriad laws, only a few could wield them all perfectly. Generally, each god focused on one or two primary laws. Iapetus focused on the laws of dimensions and humanity, two comprehensive domains.
At this moment, Iapetus merely utilized a basic application of the dimensional laws. Yet, the laws' execution had already begun to consume the surrounding space. Should Hades be caught within, he would be torn apart by the dimensional laws.
However…
Around Hades, the space visibly crumbled and decayed. Corrosion—a sensation that shouldn't exist—manifested fully.
"Corrosion," Iapetus mused aloud. "Hades, to what level have you elevated all the laws you master, allowing you to break through the constraints of your essence?"
As one of the Twelve Titan Chief Gods, Iapetus had witnessed many great events. Yet, even he found this situation unimaginable. This was almost impossible.
Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus.
These three brothers represented the Underworld, the Sea, and the Sky, respectively.
Each of them commanded composite laws. Each one of them mastered hundreds, even thousands of laws. For them, breaking through to become a Chief God of the Titans without reclaiming their essence was a near-impossible feat.
The challenge lay in the sheer difficulty of the task. It was nearly insurmountable, as they needed to elevate all their laws to the level of a Chief God of the Titans—a task thought to be impossible.
Yet…
Hades had done it. He had ascended to the level of a Chief God of the Titans without reclaiming his essence. Now, Iapetus understood what Hades meant by breaking through the constraints of his essence.
But…
How could this be?!
Iapetus stared at Hades in disbelief, as if seeing in Hades the shadow of that man. No, it wasn't that man.
It was…
His Majesty?!
Iapetus saw in Hades the reflection of the supreme Titan King, Cronus. In Hades, Iapetus once again beheld the unparalleled majesty of the king, who could create miracles with every action.
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