The Dark Realm.
Hades once again stepped into the Dark Realm, meeting the ancient god couple Erebus and Nyx. It was undeniable that this ancient god couple was a model pair in the Greek pantheon.
They had never had any affairs or relationships with any other gods, completely devoted to each other. This kind of situation was unheard of in the Greek pantheon.
"Hades," Nyx said with a smile, "we meet for the third time."
"Nyx, this is indeed our third meeting," Hades responded quietly.
"The fourth world chain is in the Underworld," Erebus spoke at this moment. "With the fourth world chain, retrieving your essence will be much easier."
Hades nodded silently and continued, "Erebus, Nyx, I want to know why you are investing in me and showing such concern."
Hades asked calmly, without any hint of curiosity in his voice. In reality, he was indeed curious, but it wasn't something he couldn't accept.
If Erebus and Nyx still didn't want to answer, he wouldn't press further. It wasn't a strange matter. Perhaps it wasn't yet time for him to know.
"This…" Erebus hesitated a bit, but Nyx gently spoke, "Hades, it's not strange that you want to know. However, for us, it's difficult to fully explain. Understanding too much before your divine power reaches a certain level isn't beneficial—it could actually be harmful."
"I understand," Hades replied quietly. "If you cannot explain, then let's leave it at that."
Hades didn't continue to ask. Was he curious? Of course. Every living being has curiosity unless they completely sever their emotions and desires. It's not a strange thing.
Having curiosity isn't bad. The most important thing is to have a clear understanding of oneself. To put it simply, you must heed advice. If someone wants to kill you, they can easily do so.
As ancient gods, they could effortlessly play with you to death. Since that's the case, it's unlikely they harbor ill intentions. As for something like soul-stealing—
Huh?!
Don't be ridiculous!
It's entirely unrealistic. In the original story, the gods walked the earth in human form only because, after numerous divine wars, the earth couldn't withstand their presence anymore. The extreme limits had been reached.
The gods' actions could easily cause the earth to collapse. The invention of the Holy War, which limited the gods, gradually led them to choose human forms.
Otherwise, who would casually swap bodies? It's not the original; no matter what, it can never be as comfortable as the original. Isn't that easy to understand?
Thus, Hades wasn't afraid that the two ancient gods had ill intentions toward him—it was meaningless.
And!
Seeing Hades's attitude, the two ancient gods smiled simultaneously. Nyx gently said, "Hades, you understand your destiny, don't you?"
"Yes," Hades replied quietly. "In the future, I will be killed by Pegasus with god-slaying power. That is my fate."
"Indeed!" Nyx said with a hint of melancholy. "For us ancient gods, we seem to have transcended the constraints of fate, but in truth, we still cannot escape the bounds of the mythological world."
"In this situation!" Erebus continued calmly, "we must find ways to break free. Otherwise, as time passes, we will inevitably die with the mythological world."
Hades could understand. Powerful gods, knowing their future fate, naturally wanted to transcend it. This wasn't strange.
Erebus continued, "However! Although ancient gods represent everything from their inception, there are only two ways to transcend the mythological world."
"The first way is to use absolute divine power to destroy the entire mythological world, allowing all ancient gods to return to their most primordial state, to be re-nurtured in the Sea of Chaos, with a chance to transform into Absolute Gods."
"The second way is..."
Nyx continued describing the second method from where Erebus left off, but she shook her head and did not elaborate further.
But some things, once mentioned, are easily understood by the intelligent. At this moment, Hades comprehended a lot.
The second method, in simple terms, was that ancient gods needed to invest in a god. When that god truly transcended fate and broke free from the constraints of the mythological world, they would follow and leave.
This was the second method, and almost every ancient god chose it, explaining why nearly every ancient god made corresponding investments.
Erebus and Nyx chose Hades.
Pontus chose Poseidon.
As for who chose Zeus? That's hard to say!
One thing was certain: Kronos, the Titan King, was personally chosen by Gaia, the Creator God. If successful, Gaia could use this opportunity to take the final step and become a true Absolute God.
Of course.
Although these were insider details, they were only a part, not the whole. For every god in the mythological world—
It was truly tragic. All gods were like puppets, manipulated step by step, unable to resist, lacking the power to do so.
They could only strive for transcendence. If successful, everything would be good. If not, everything would completely fall apart.
Only by transcending the mythological world's constraints and becoming Absolute Gods could they truly break free. Otherwise, all life was meaningless.
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