Episode 42: The King of the Underworld is Tired

Episode 42: Ominous Signs – (4)

“If only… it weren’t for this wretched body…!”

Cronos, whose eyes had lost their light, collapsed. I then turned my gaze to Echidna.

Typhon’s wife, a blend of a beautiful woman and a serpent, was growing cold with a gaping hole in her chest.

Does she know that she was used by Gaia?

No. Even if she knew she was being used as a disposable pawn, she likely went along with it out of a desire for revenge against her husband.

“Hoo…”

I slowly exhaled.

I could feel that the human body I had possessed was significantly damaged.

I had drawn too much divine power in my confrontation with Cronos.

It was impossible for a human body to fully withstand my power, so I tried to limit it as much as possible, but…

A short distance away lay the burnt corpse of the Gigantes, Enceladus, who had been consumed by the radiance of the sun.

Golden ichor, the divine blood, trickled from various places on Apollo’s body as he stared at the monster’s corpse.

“Apollo, once I leave, take care of this human body a little. Because of me, his lifespan has been significantly shortened.”

“Understood, Uncle. After all, I am the god of healing. It’s no problem.”

He answered cheerfully, flashing a smile as bright as the sun.

“But you didn’t arrive too late after all. Were you watching over Thebes from above the clouds?”

“Yes, when Lady Styx’s messenger arrived at Olympus, Father immediately dispatched me. As I flew near Thebes, I noticed an unfamiliar power coming from the cave…”

He must be referring to the moment when Cronos unleashed his power.

In his attempt to adapt to Echidna’s body, Cronos must have summoned his strength…

But that only helped Apollo to identify the positions of both enemies and allies.

Zeus, having heard that I had manifested in the mortal world, is probably in the middle of a meeting by now.

“Oh, and I have already informed Olympus of Cronos’ manifestation through one of my servants. I never imagined it would be possible to bring a god trapped in Tartarus to the mortal realm… The Protogenoi gods are truly remarkable.”

Gaia is one of the Protogenoi, the primordial gods who emerged from Chaos at the beginning of the world.

With knowledge and wisdom far beyond our understanding, such feats are possible.

But to manifest Cronos, who once held dominion over the world, is an unprecedented and grave situation.

“And there’s another Gigantes that appeared near Athens. Athena and Ares have gone to deal with it.”

“Athens too? Gaia is making a grand declaration of war.”

It’s too risky for the Earth Mother Goddess to appear before us directly…

So she must be resorting to using her followers or the Gigantes.

“I shall return to the Underworld. I trust you to take care of things here.”

“Then I will soothe the humans of Thebes.”

With the Gigantes dealt with… and no more traces of monstrous energy nearby…

Apollo, with his incredible versatility as the god of art, archery, prophecy, and more, should be able to handle the aftermath well.

* * *

When I returned my consciousness to the throne of the Underworld, the god Hypnos was standing before me.

But instead of his usual sleepy expression, he stood with his arms crossed and a sharp look on his face.

When our eyes met, Hypnos hurriedly spoke.

“Has the Gigantes been dealt with? Or could it be…”

“Cronos descended, but I repelled him.”

“What?! Cronos in the mortal world?”

“Gather all the gods immediately. I have something to tell them.”

It wasn’t long after Hypnos left the audience chamber like a wisp of smoke that most of the gods of the Underworld gathered there.

Some were armored and holding spears, ready for battle with the Gigantes…

And the presence I could sense outside the fortress… the ghostly soldiers were on standby?

“For now, the forces of the Underworld won’t be necessary. The Gigantes’ invasion has been repelled.”

“I thought we were on the brink of an all-out war…”

Goddess Styx, relieved, ordered the forces outside to stand down.

The other gods also seemed to relax a little.

“However, Cronos, who was supposed to be confined in Tartarus, manifested in the mortal world.”

“Is this Gaia’s doing?!”

“To be able to draw the consciousness of someone trapped there into the mortal realm…”

“There must have been significant sacrifices or offerings. Was that the case?”

As the discussion turned to Cronos, the gods murmured among themselves.

I conveyed to them what I had seen and heard while possessing the priestess’s body.

Echidna, Typhon’s wife, the leader of the Gigantes, Apollo, and Cronos.

After hearing everything, a heavy silence fell over the gods.

“…So we must also prepare the Underworld for this. Morpheus!”

“Yes, Lord Hades.”

“Check the situation in Tartarus and increase the guards there. And inform the Hekatonkheires brothers that Cronos has appeared in the mortal world.”

Next, I turned my gaze to the elderly god with the black wings.

“Thanatos, if there are any souls who died under abnormal circumstances, can you report them immediately?”

“You mean humans who were sacrificed or killed by the Gigantes… Honestly, it’s difficult.”

“Then just notify me if there’s a large number of deaths in areas without any disaster.”

“That much is doable.”

Cronos’ manifestation was made possible by sacrificing many humans.

Even if Thanatos, the god of death, only reports places where many mysterious deaths occur, we’ll be able to respond quickly.

“While I was in the mortal world, were there any messages from Olympus?”

“Yes, Hades… Iris visited the Underworld.”

Goddess Lethe spoke of the news Iris brought.

Near Athens, a Gigantes who called himself Porphyrion had appeared, threatening to assault Hera…

“Threaten to assault the Queen of the Gods?”

“These insane fools are more than a few…”

“Didn’t those Aloidaeni guys do the same thing before?!”

“Enough. Let’s hear what Lady Lethe has to say first.”

…It is said that the enraged Zeus sent Athena and Ares to tear that guy apart limb from limb.

The soul of the deceased Porphyrion has been dragged to the underworld, awaiting my judgment.

“I will send him to Tartarus. Now, please continue.”

“Uh… and then Zeus held a meeting on Olympus.”

The news that Cronos, who was thought to be eternally locked away in Tartarus, had re-emerged was enough to sound the alarm for all the gods of Olympus.

The biggest problem is that it’s difficult to quickly detect Gaia sending the Gigantes.

Gaia, the Mother Earth goddess, holds far greater power than Demeter.

The solution that came up during the gods' meeting was…

“They decided to temporarily entrust the Omphalos to Demeter.”

“They intend to use Demeter’s power to locate the stronghold of the Gigantes.”

“Well, the Omphalos does amplify divine power…”

“But do they really need to use that object, which symbolizes the center of the world?”

“We might have to. Gaia 'is' the Mother Earth goddess, after all. Demeter’s power alone…”

The Omphalos, the stone Cronos swallowed and later vomited instead of Zeus, symbolizes the center of the world. If Demeter temporarily holds this treasure, she may be able to stand against Gaia’s power to some extent.

In other words…

“Demeter said that if the Gigantes attack the surface just once more, she’ll be able to trace their footsteps back to their stronghold.”

Since the hero of prophecy has yet to be born, even if they discover the stronghold of the Gigantes, they cannot immediately launch an assault.

However, they should at least be able to deal them a blow in a preliminary skirmish.

And it would prevent further surprise attacks like the one they recently suffered.

Zeus’ judgment seems appropriate.

Of course, the Omphalos is a vital symbol, so it must eventually be returned to its rightful place.

“But Gaia must have realized that the Omphalos has been moved elsewhere… She’ll know that if she moves the Gigantes, their stronghold will be revealed.”

“Yes. Athena and Metis reportedly argued that we must stop that one attack at all costs.”

“If we fail to prevent it, the balance of power could shift.”

The next attack by the Gigantes…

Unlike before, it’s likely to involve a massive force, rather than just a few leaders or traps.

They might prepare thoroughly and attempt a surprise attack on the Olympian palace.

Or they could invade the underworld to try to free those imprisoned in Tartarus.

Alternatively, they might completely destroy the lands of humans and use the sacrifices to summon the Titans.

The gods, who had been informed of the decisions from the Olympus meeting, murmured amongst themselves.

“Where do you think they’ll attack?”

“They’ll probably try to wipe out the lands of humans all at once and free the prisoners from Tartarus…”

“They could launch a sudden assault on Olympus.”

“We must avoid an all-out war at all costs. At least until the prophesied hero appears…”

The Gigantes won’t move for now.

To be precise, they’ll likely wait, sharpening their blades for one precise strike, all while watching our movements.

* * *

At the Temple of Hades in Thebes…

Penedia, a priestess who had been kidnapped by the Gigantes and later rescued, was recounting her story to her fellow priests.

“You mean there were such monsters near Thebes?”

“Good heavens… Lord Hades descended into your body?”

“Did he really say that? ‘Don’t worry anymore, for I am here’?”

Hades had descended into her body, and after being treated directly by Apollo, she was now regarded as a strong candidate for the next high priestess.

The very fact that a god descended into her proved her faith.

“Lord Hades is indeed merciful.”

“Could it be that the Lord of the Underworld truly cares for his followers?”

“Wouldn’t spreading this news help expand the temple?”

All the dead become the subjects of Hades.

The more humans die, the stronger his power grows.

But is there truly a god who would prioritize his followers over his own power?

A god who even descends during a life-threatening crisis?

And not just any god, but one of the three major gods?

As these thoughts crossed her mind, Penedia

spoke up.

“Could it be… that he also has a divine aspect of mercy? Since the underworld is the final destination for life, maybe he’s more lenient toward the living…”

The other priests began to look as if they had realized something.

“Indeed… That could be true.”

“Despite being busy ruling the underworld, he doesn’t neglect his followers and reaches out to them…”

“To prioritize his worshippers over his own authority…”

A few days later…

The influence of the Temple of Hades exploded.

It seemed that the reason for this surge was the priests spreading word of Pluto’s mercy.

“I’ve heard… that Lord Pluto cherishes his followers more than any other god.”

“Ahem, yes. Though his other names may be feared…”

“Could it be true that he is so merciful toward the living?”

Now, in Thebes, the name of Pluto, the god of wealth and mercy…

Was being spoken of more highly than even Dionysus, who had once been the major deity of the region.

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