King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 2

The King of the Underworld is Tired 2 (1/82)

The Story of the Underworld – (1)

The war against the Titan gods, later to be named the Titanomachy [a ten-year series of battles fought in Thessaly, Greece, consisting of a war of gods], ended in our victory.

Now, the dominion of the world has passed to us.

“Hecatoncheires brothers! How many Titans did you three defeat!”

“And what about this trident? Thanks to the Cyclopes for creating such a great weapon that causes earthquakes!”

“No, this is just a small reward for Zeus freeing us.”

The atmosphere was very friendly.

It was only natural, now that the difficult war was over and it was time to collect the spoils.

First, we decided to determine who would rule the most important realms: the sea, the underworld, and the sky.

Hera, Demeter, and Hestia quietly stepped back, watching the situation.

“I’m not interested.”

“Me neither.”

“Settle it among yourselves, men.”

Perhaps it was because my, Poseidon’s, and Zeus’s powers were the strongest among us?

Or maybe they were just burdened or had no desire for it.

“Then… we should decide who will manage which realm…”

“Let’s draw lots fairly. Surely everyone wants the sky, right?”

At Poseidon’s words, Zeus stroked his beard and suggested leaving it to luck.

Wait, what happens if I draw the sea or the sky here?

Then the mythological knowledge I know will be completely twisted…

“Hahaha! Of course, I should rule the sky!”

“Tch. I got the sea. But at least it’s not the underground…”

I quietly looked at the last lot being handed to me.

When did they draw all of these? This isn’t rigged, is it?

Poseidon and Zeus look at me with relieved expressions.

Well, who would want to live in the dark underground world?

The two younger brothers, overflowing with ambition to become kings of the gods, would rather revolt than live underground.

Yes, it might be better for me to go to the underground.

* * *

When will you come back~ When will you come~?

I hummed a tune as I headed to a suitable place to descend to the underworld.

Well, since I am the king of the underworld, I have to manage it.

An ordinary meadow where birds chirped and flowers bloomed.

Thud.

I stomped my foot down once with determination.

Saaaah-

A black aura spread into the ground, creating a downward path in front of me.

The surrounding grass and trees withered, and the surrounding creatures hurriedly fled.

Spinning the Helm of Darkness, Kuneē [a helmet that makes the wearer invisible], in one hand, I looked at the passage I had just created.

A bottomless pit that looked ominous at first glance and was covered in darkness.

Down. I continued to descend further and further down.

How far underground did I go?

Now, even the bugs that were occasionally visible were gone.

After passing through several underground caves, a wide-open space finally appeared.

It was normal that nothing should be visible because there was no sun, but mountains with a bleak atmosphere, a sky dyed black, and a seemingly vast river stood out.

This is the first river surrounding the underworld, the River of Woe, Acheron [one of the five rivers of the underworld in Greek mythology].

The river that would later be called the River of Woe by humans looked just like a clear and ordinary river.

However, no creatures lived in the river, and no signs of life were felt in the nearby mountains either.

After crossing the Acheron River, another river appeared.

The past flashed across my face reflected on the water’s surface.

The River of Lamentation, Cocytus [another of the five rivers of the underworld].

Even as a god, I felt as cold as if I had dipped my feet in ice water, and my 모습 from the war against the Titan gods was reflected.

Me fighting back-to-back with Zeus, me wearing Kuneē and stabbing a knife into the belly of a tall Titan god…

I raised my head and continued walking forward.

The next river is the Pyriphlegethon [a river of fire in the underworld], filled with flames.

The river, which should be full of water, was full of burning flames.

It contained the power to purify souls by burning them, but it did not harm me much.

When human souls pass through this place, they will be cleansed.

Next, the River of Oblivion, Lethe [yet another of the five rivers of the underworld, known for causing forgetfulness].

If human souls drink the river water, they will lose their memories.

For me, a god, it is just bitter water. Actually, I was curious, so I tried drinking it once.

Now, my new home, the underworld, is not far away.

Just as I was getting tired of walking, the last river before reaching the underworld came into view.

As I moved my steps and approached the river, the water naturally took shape, creating the appearance of a beautiful goddess.

“Welcome, Hades. I have been waiting for you.”

Her name is Styx [the goddess of the River Styx].

A goddess born between the Titan god Oceanus, who rules the sea, and Tethys.

She, who personified the river that winds around the underworld nine times and separates the underworld from the living world, received one privilege as a reward for being the first to help us in the war against the Titans.

To be exact, Zeus strongly insisted, and we all agreed.

“Swearing on the Styx River that I will only speak the truth, you look beautiful today as well, Ms. Styx.”

“Heuh.. If you suddenly give me such compliments…”

If you swear on her Styx River, even gods must keep it.

If you break it, you will spend the first year in a catatonic state and will not be able to participate in the meetings of the gods for the next nine years.

In fact, it is a situation where you cannot fulfill your duties as a god.

However, because the goddess Styx is beautiful, I did not break my oath.

Black hair that reaches down to her waist, a figure with curves in all the right places, and even the shy posture of twisting herself.

Actually, I just said something nice because she is a goddess I will see for a long time if I live in the underworld without any particular feelings.

“Haa… And please don’t keep swearing to me. Especially for trivial things like just now!”

Ms. Styx puts one hand on her waist and taps my forehead with a finger on the other hand.

She tries to make a stern expression as if she is giving a lecture, but it looked more like a cute student grumbling than showing dignity.

Ah, I can’t stand it. When I see the goddess Styx, I somehow want to tease her.

I swear on the Styx River…

“Again! You’re doing it again, stop! Stop it!”

“I was just saying…”

“Hmph… If you’re a god of the underworld, you must have dignity…”

I became quite close to the goddess Styx during the war.

The types of power we emitted were the same dark and gloomy, and our personalities were similar, so we created a synergy effect when we attacked together.

When she heard that I had drawn the underworld in the lottery, she was happy that a male god she had become close to had become her neighbor.

“…Do you understand? Now, as one of the three great main gods who have seized dominion over the world…”

Her characteristic is that she nags a lot.

* * *

After being held back by Styx, the goddess of nagging, for a long time, I finally came to the underworld where I would stay.

With some anticipation, I check what the land I will be staying on from now on is like…

It’s desolate.

There’s nothing.

I have to develop it from bare ground, this can’t be happening…

Hades, who defeated countless Titans and became the ruler of the underworld, lost his mind.

Why are you giving me this ordeal… Nyx’s three daughters, the goddesses of fate [Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, who controlled the thread of life].

Life… no, god-life… I have to develop wasteland even after becoming a god?

But there’s nothing I can do. It’s work, so I have to do it.

First of all, I don’t need to touch Tartarus [a deep, gloomy abyss used as a dungeon of torment and suffering], which is far away from the underworld.

That is a prison where the Titans who lost the war go.

Poseidon personally created the bronze gate, and it is surrounded by bronze walls, so no one can escape.

It is the perfect place for a maximum-security prison that houses serious criminals, and the abode of Nyx, the goddess of the night, also exists there.

The three Hecatoncheires brothers were guarding the foggy entrance to Tartarus.

They volunteered, saying they wanted to personally prevent anyone from leaving Tartarus, and it seemed that their resentment for their father Cronus not releasing them was deeply ingrained.

What I have to create from now on is a space for the souls coming to the underworld to reside and a house for me to live in.

The underworld is my domain, and my divine power, which has changed since I decided to manage this place through the lottery, responds.

Drrrrr…

I, Hades, am the absolute being in the underworld.

As my will naturally arises, all the surrounding scenery changes.

Since I have the position of king of the underworld, I must have dignity, right? There are plenty of materials since minerals and jewels are scattered underground.

Zeus says he is building a divine palace on the sky above Mount Olympus where they will live, so I will make mine a bit bigger too…

* * *

Styx, the owner of the largest river surrounding the underworld and the river itself, felt the fierce vibrations in the underworld and came out of the river again.

The dark world, which was just a desolate field, freely changes its appearance according to the will of the king of the underworld.

Drrrrr…

The entire vast underworld, whose end cannot be known, trembles and cheers for its new master.

She could feel that the basic cycle that makes up life and death and the world was made even more solid, and that its principles were deeply engraved in the universe.

This clearly shows that the authority of that light male god who had been joking around with oaths in her name until just now had clearly reached the realm of a main god.

‘As expected, the main god-level who holds dominion over the world is different.’

Zeus, the god of thunder and sky, in the sky, Poseidon, the god of earthquakes and water, in the sea.

And in this underworld, Hades, the god of the underworld and wealth.

Hades’ first meeting was during the war against the Titan gods.

That gloomy-looking male god, who was spinning a jet-black sword in one hand and getting hit by pouring blood on the battlefield, is now the king who rules the underworld.

She sat on the riverbank, propped her chin, and observed the underworld changing in real time.

Because the sight of a kingdom being created in this always boring underground world is not something you can often see.