Although gods never lacks time, Hades would not squander it unnecessarily. With his thoughts focused, he left the underworld to journey further, but first, he needed to address the matter at hand.
"Roar!"
Upon Hades' reappearance, the Heaven and Earth Serpent let out a frenzied roar, but it was utterly immobilized. In the underworld, the sealed serpent was truly powerless.
Hades gazed at the massive serpent and said, "You should thank me. Whether you advance further depends on the whims of fate."
With those words, Hades released radiant divine power, channeling it into the serpent's body, gradually consuming its essence and even connecting it to the World Tree at its crown.
"Roar!"
As the serpent writhed in pain, Hades mercilessly sealed it at its apex. The branches pierced through, leaving it suspended between life and death.
When all was done, Hades remarked, "Whether to live or die is your choice."
With that, Hades departed the underworld, leaving the Heaven and Earth Serpent behind, wailing in torment as it faced the cycle of life and death. If it endured, it would undergo a true transformation; if not, it would perish. In that case, Hades' plan would have failed. But even failure could be a surprise; he accepted that.
Just then, as Hades left the underworld, a ray of divine power descended.
"This is…"
Hades hesitated, raising his hand to catch the divine energy. It was a fragment of a God's divine power, and as it fell, he understood its significance.
"I see."
"Zeus."
"Poseidon."
After a moment's contemplation, Hades grasped the meaning behind the divine power. He activated the invisibility cloth once more, concealing his aura, and began to move away, disappearing from sight.
The Sea Realm!
Heaven, Earth, Sea, and Underworld; these are the four realms of existence. The Sea Realm is divided into seven oceans, but it is vast, exceeding three times the size of the Earth Realm, almost rivaling the underworld.
Both the underworld and the Sea Realm are the most expansive and formidable worlds, and currently, the rulers of the Sea Realm are Oceanus and Tethys, two of the twelve main Titan gods.
Normally, Hades would have been detected almost immediately upon entering the Sea Realm. If not for the power of the invisibility cloth, he would have been surrounded by numerous Titan gods, particularly the 3,000 river gods and 3,000 sea gods; a daunting scenario.
Yet, there was a contradiction to consider. Although Oceanus and Tethys were utterly loyal to Cronus, they had adopted Zeus as a child. The reasons behind this relationship were beyond Hades' understanding.
Nevertheless, these details were insignificant to Hades. Guided by the ray of divine power, he soon reached the center of the Sea Realm.
"It's here."
Hades stared at the azure expanse before him, using the method revealed in the divine power to unravel the barriers. Before him appeared an island shaped like a heart.
"Heart of the Ocean."
Hades whispered in awe.
Every world has its core, and within the Sea Realm, the Heart of the Ocean is the most critical. Controlling this heart would equate to commanding half of the Sea Realm. The other half, of course, belonged to the Sea Emperor.
The Heart of the Ocean is shrouded in mystery, hidden within the Sea Realm. If it chooses to remain concealed, no god can find it. And now, it had revealed itself.
Hades understood that the Heart of the Ocean had chosen its master: Poseidon.
"The Heart of the Ocean chose Poseidon."
"Then…"
Pausing for thought, Hades speculated, "Is the Heart of the Ocean akin to Poseidon's essence?"
Pondering further, Hades realized he may be correct. Though the Heart of the Ocean was enigmatic, it was not widely recognized, with little mention in myth.
Had Hades known another name for the Heart of the Ocean, he would have understood fully.
Atlantis.
Indeed, the Heart of the Ocean was also known as Atlantis, the legendary lost kingdom of the sea, another title for this heart. If Atlantis was tied to Poseidon, then Hades could comprehend the connection.
"However."
"If I recall correctly, Zeus was raised within the Heart of the Ocean. If this is indeed a natural treasure of Poseidon, I wonder how many riches have been seized."
Hades contemplated this matter.
If his suspicions were accurate, it meant Poseidon had likely ventured down the path of mythology.
What Hades remained unaware of was that his own actions had set off a butterfly effect, delaying Zeus's awakening.
Delving deeper into Atlantis within the Heart of the Ocean was the only way to save Poseidon. Yet, by the time Poseidon awakened and claimed the heart, Zeus would find himself powerless to intervene.