Human evil, in essence, is a great calamity rejected by humanity itself. This kind of calamity has the potential to destroy humankind, and it is collectively referred to as human evil. There are a total of seven kinds of human evil, which are not external forces of destruction but originate from within human civilization. As humanity develops, these evils grow stronger, theoretically impossible to eradicate, much like cancer cells.
Even if they can be eradicated time and again, as long as humanity exists and continues to develop, these evils will eventually re-emerge over time.
This is human evil, a collective term for seven calamities.
Hades was contemplating how to control these seven kinds of human evil. The idea of uniting the seventy-two demon gods to create them was just a thought. Whether these seven human evils actually existed was the crucial question.
"Um..."
Hades quietly pondered, thinking to himself, "Experiments in small worlds are meaningless. Essentially, they need to be tried in the Mythical Great World. During the transitions from the Golden Age to the Silver Age and the Bronze Age, humanity faced two apocalyptic events."
"So..."
Hades considered the feasibility of his plan. It was just a thought that had occurred to him, and upon further reflection, he found the feasibility quite high.
In that case!
Hades imprinted this idea into his memory, preserving it well. If successful, this plan could yield significant benefits in the future.
However!
This was not something to handle immediately. The Titanomachy was still ongoing, and he didn't have the time to delve into such matters now. It would be better to revisit this plan after the Titanomachy concluded.
Just as Hades was about to leave, he sensed something. With the massive transformation and enhancement of the World Tree, an intense surge of laws and divine power was rapidly brewing!
In the Contract Hell, Mephistopheles' divine power and laws were increasing at an astonishing rate, visible to the naked eye. He was on the verge of grasping the essence of the God-King level.
Step by step, he was just one step away. But this step, in some sense, was an insurmountable barrier for Mephistopheles.
"Ah!"
"No!"
"Damn it!"
"Curse it!"
Mephistopheles let out a frenzied wail. This usually elegant and gentlemanly contract demon god was now howling in madness. For him, reaching the level of a God-King was an obsession.
However!
At this moment!
Despite having everything seemingly in place, Mephistopheles simply couldn't progress further. This torment was unbearable, making him feel as though he was on the verge of collapse.
"Mephistopheles."
"Lord Hades..."
At this moment, a calm voice spoke, and Mephistopheles looked up suddenly. Seeing Lord Hades approaching, he knelt on the ground, trembling even as he paid his respects.
Hades looked at Mephistopheles, knowing that if he didn't address the situation, his first underworld god might suffer a complete mental breakdown. It would be like a collapse of the Dao heart; if Mephistopheles fell into such a state, recovering would be difficult.
Hades calmly said, "Stand up."
"As you command!"
Mephistopheles stood up, but his state was like that of a walking corpse, his condition incredibly poor and strange.
Hades remained calm, his divine sense spreading out, gradually scanning Mephistopheles and the entire Contract Hell.
Mephistopheles felt a surge of hope as he observed Hades' actions, nervously watching, hoping nothing would go wrong.
After a moment, Hades withdrew his gaze and quietly said, "Mephistopheles, as a contract demon god, your advancement to the God-King level is restricted by the laws of contracts."
"This..."
Mephistopheles was taken aback, not quite understanding what this meant.
One could say that Mephistopheles, as a contract demon god governed by the laws of contracts, was both empowered and limited by these laws. However, he had not yet failed.
Hades calmly explained, "Mephistopheles, as a contract demon god, your current situation prevents further progress due to the limitations of the contract laws."
"Then..."
"Then..."
Hearing this, Mephistopheles instantly regained his composure and urgently asked, "Lord Hades, how can I advance further?"
"As a demon god of hell, if you want to elevate yourself and the Contract Hell to a higher level, there are two methods."
"The first method is for the World Tree to undergo another transformation. The forceful divine power can elevate you to the God-King level."
Hades explained simply. When the World Tree transformed again and he reached the level of an Ancient God, Mephistopheles would naturally advance to the God-King level. This was not an issue and was the simplest method.
"And."
"The second method involves the souls of heroes imbued with the seven deadly sins. As a contract demon god, you can complete the final ritual using seven such souls, which will elevate both you and the Contract Hell."
Hades mentioned the second method, which seemed much more challenging than the first.
However!
Upon closer consideration, it became evident that the second method was actually quite straightforward. Mythical development follows a sequence; as the mythological age progresses, it naturally transitions into the heroic age.
For a top-tier titan god like Mephistopheles, backed by a top-tier god-king like Hades, seducing, guiding, and corrupting seven heroic souls embodying the seven deadly sins was hardly an issue.
Mephistopheles quickly recovered, bowed deeply, and said, "Thank you, Lord Hades!"
There was no need to rush, as the time would soon come. The Titanomachy would conclude, and the heroic age would soon arrive.
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