In a drowsy state, he slowly opened his eyes. The old figure glanced around, appearing quite dazed and unsure of what had happened. He tilted his head, observing the equally confused souls surrounding him, all caught in a fog of bewilderment.
"I am already dead…"
Gradually, understanding dawned upon him. Yes, he was dead—after thousands of years of life, he had finally succumbed to death.
"Humanity! Is it truly impossible to live forever?"
He tilted his head, uncertain of the reasons behind it all. Ultimately, he could not resist his fate. He followed the throng of departed souls, walking deeper into the unknown while reflecting, everyone must die. As expected, this is the fate of humanity—no matter when, they will eventually perish, unable to achieve eternal life, no matter the medical advancements.
As he wandered toward the depths in a trance, he was abruptly halted by the sight of the Styx River ahead. There, he witnessed souls offering gold coins to board a dilapidated boat, while those without coins could only plunge into the river and endure endless suffering.
In reality, the gold coins required at Styx River were not pure gold but represented the good deeds a person had accumulated in life. Whether abundant or scarce, as long as someone had performed good acts, they would possess at least one or two coins. Such coins were sufficient to cross the Styx River.
Once across, souls would face judgment—only those with good deeds would be eligible. If someone had committed no good at all, only pure evil, they wouldn't even qualify for judgment and would fall directly into the Styx River.
It's worth mentioning that during the Golden Age, most humans were indeed those who had accumulated good deeds. Many individuals in that era were inherently good, and after judgment, almost 80% were reincarnated.
As for the remaining 20%? They were condemned to remain frozen in the Eighth Prison for eternity. In an age like the Golden Age, those who committed wrongs were exceedingly rare; most wrongdoers engaged only in minor misdeeds. Because of this, they were almost all sealed in the Eighth Prison, suffering the torment of eternal freezing.
"It's here..."
He paused, unsure how to take the next step. At that moment, the clone of Charon, the ferryman, noticed him. Sensing the presence of a screaming magic star, Charon flicked his fingers, and the man's consciousness faded, replaced by the magic star.
Soon, a towering figure clad in a dark robe emerged. He was enormous, stepping forward with sharp eyes that scanned the surroundings before nodding at Charon and moving on.
"Um?!"
Persephone slowly lifted her head and murmured, "The Underworld Warrior of the Ugly Star has returned to his position."
"Ugly Star, Deadly Beetle, Stander!"
"See, Lord Empress of the Underworld!"
Stander entered the palace and knelt down respectfully. His massive form loomed, towering nearly two to three meters tall, exuding an aura of terror.
"Um."
Persephone nodded with a smile. "Stand, return to the magic star and practice diligently. Don't embarrass Hades."
"Yes!"
"I will not embarrass Lord Hades!" Stander replied solemnly before leaving. Persephone reflected softly, "So, he is also a born warrior of the Underworld. I never imagined that."
At that moment, who could have foreseen it? With a smile, Persephone shook her head and returned to her duties. Stander hailed from the tribe of Aaron and Chun, and although he had survived thousands of years through hard work and cultivation, his ultimate fate was still tragic—he had fallen after all.
This outcome was the most despairing of all.
However, upon arriving in the Underworld, Stander became one of the Underworld fighters—a form of compensation. After countless years of pursuit, he finally attained the eternal life he had longed for. For Stander, this did not seem like a bad outcome at all.
"Hoo"
As Stander departed, a wisp of green smoke emerged, and Yan Mo stepped forward gracefully on lotus steps. "Sister, you must be very tired!"
"Hehehe"
Persephone chuckled, shaking her head. "While my work may be busy, it's far less strenuous than your war of the gods, isn't it?"
"Hehehe"
The two women exchanged smiles, briefly savoring the moment before sharing a chuckle. It was indeed a challenging life! Yet, since they had chosen their supreme husband, they embraced their roles.
Returning to their duties, they aspired to be strong women in the Underworld rather than mere mascots. After all, Hades, the king of the Underworld, was the true mascot; without his wives, he wouldn't care about anything else.
"Alright! No more joking."
Persephone shook her head with a smile. "Sister, how goes the war of the gods?"
The Battle of Heaven and Earth was crucial. While Persephone might not know the details, she understood its significance. Her husband was on the right path; both the kingdom and its laws were aligned correctly. If the laws could be set on this proper trajectory, the resulting improvements would be immense.
"Um!"
When the conversation turned serious, Yan Mo reined in her smile, releasing a wisp of green smoke. "With the aid of Hemera, Hypnos, Thanatos, and many Underworld gods, along with several controlled deities, the outcome of this War is uncertain. However, the three major gods have not yet intervened. Their power remains formidable, and I fear we may not be their match relying solely on our strengths."
"Moreover…" Yan Mo frowned slightly. "If my husband intervenes, we must ensure the Gods of Tianjin and the Seventh Generation of Gods do not notice. That could complicate matters further."
"Thus…"
Persephone pondered this dilemma, realizing the gravity of the situation. The two sisters exchanged thoughtful glances, both weighing their next steps carefully.