However, when all the dust settled, Hades had vanished without a trace. Yet, he knew that the wrath of Hyperion, one of the twelve main gods of the Titans and renowned as the strongest, was about to engulf him and burn him to ashes.
The sky remained shrouded in dark red fog, and the earth was completely coated in a crimson hue, reminiscent of blood.
Hades's figure gradually materialized in this peculiar realm, stepping forward, delving deeper into the heart of this place.
Hell!
Hmm...
Compared to the underworld formed by the primordial god Tartarus, this version of the underworld left one feeling utterly lost, unclear about what it truly represented.
In essence, the underworld accepted the souls of the deceased, signifying the final destination for the dead. However, in this era, it largely existed in a state of dormancy. The Titan gods, humans, beasts, mythical creatures, and monsters had no lifespan limits.
Given this, the underworld held little influence, and their battles seemed endless, akin to scattering ashes and crushing souls.
Thus, Hell was born. Through the interplay of worlds, Hell served primarily to exile those Titan gods, humans, beasts, mythical creatures, and monsters who defied the Titan Lord's will.
Hell was more accurately a place of exile.
Exiting this realm was nearly impossible.
Even Hades was bound by this rule; if he remained in Hell for too long, he would find his escape routes entirely blocked.
Therefore, though Hades appeared to move deliberately, he was, in reality, covering great distances with remarkable speed, as if compressing time and space into mere inches.
"Roar!"
At that moment, a wild, primal roar echoed. A seven-headed beast lunged at him, a monster imprisoned in Hell.
Without a glance, Hades stepped forward, and the flames of the underworld engulfed the beast. He looked into the distance and declared, "Invisibility Cloth, where are you in this Hell?"
His eyes seemed to contain the vastness of the universe, and he extended his senses, reaching out.
The Invisibility Cloth was akin to the Magic Star, an artifact intrinsic to Hades. No matter the hardships or thefts, it would always return to him.
Now, Hades gradually sensed the faint connection to the Invisibility Cloth, though it felt suppressed by something deep within Hell.
Opening his eyes, he murmured, "In the depths of Hell, if I don't find the Invisibility Cloth quickly, the entrance will close, and I may be trapped here forever."
Despite his urgent thoughts, Hades's steps remained unwavering.
Hell, akin to a chaotic starry expanse, was one of the few places undetected by the Titan gods.
If he couldn't obtain the Invisibility Cloth, rather than waste time fighting Titans, Hades could train in Hell instead.
Of course, this was fueled by Hades's absolute self-confidence.
"God! It's really a god!"
"He's magnificent; if I devour him, I can continue to exist!"
"He smells divine!"
Unbeknownst to him, a swarm of strange beings had materialized around Hades. They were devils, not human.
These devils, with red skin and grotesque features adorned with iconic hellish horns, lurked in the shadows, their greedy eyes fixed on Hades.
They craved to devour him; no, not just crave; they were consumed by a primal need. Once Titans or humans themselves, these beings had been exiled here, now transformed into these ravenous devils.
As time passed, they had been absorbed by Hell, neither dead nor alive, filled with madness and greed, driven to consume anything in sight. If no living creatures were available, they would even resort to devouring each other.
"Ah! He's mine!"
"Get away! He's mine! He's so fragrant; I've never encountered a god like him!"
"You filthy bastards!"
Suddenly, a cacophony erupted as the devils, driven mad by greed, charged toward Hades. Their scarlet eyes radiated a singular focus; to kill him and consume him whole.
Faced with this frenzy, Hades merely swept his gaze over them, unperturbed.
With the flames of the underworld roaring to life, he completely consumed the crazed devils.
For the flames of the underworld, all life was fuel; as long as a being had a soul, it would be consumed.
One by one, the devils were engulfed, and as time wore on, the flames of the underworld blazed brighter, spreading outward as if to engulf all of Hell.
"Impossible!"
"This can't be happening!"
"Why aren't you afraid?!"
These were the desperate cries of a devil engulfed by the flames, filled not with fear, but disbelief. They were devils who fed on fear, yet they knew not the fear of their own demise.