King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 42

Ominous Sign – (4)

“If only I had my real body…!”

Chronos, his eyes devoid of light, collapsed. I then turned my attention to Echidna.

The wife of Typhon, a creature of mixed form—beautiful woman and serpent—lay still, a gaping hole in her chest.

Does she realize Gaia used her?

Perhaps not. Or even if she did, she likely would have accepted it to avenge her husband.

“Hoo…”

I took a slow, deliberate breath.

I could feel the human body I possessed was severely damaged.

I had channeled too much divine power in the fight against Chronos.

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

A short distance away, the Gigas [Giants], Enceladus, lay sprawled, his body scorched by the sun’s radiance.

Golden ichor [the ethereal fluid that is the blood of the gods] trickled from various wounds on Apollo’s body as he watched the monster’s corpse, the droplets falling to the ground.

“Apollo, please take care of this human body after I depart. My lifespan has been shortened considerably because of this possession.”

“I understand, Great-uncle. Am I not the god of medicine? It’s no problem at all.”

He smiled, radiant as the sun, and readily agreed.

“But you arrived sooner than I anticipated. Were you observing Thebes from above the clouds?”

“Indeed. When Styx’s messenger arrived at Olympus, my father immediately dispatched me. As I flew near Thebes and surveyed the area, I sensed a strange power emanating from the cave…”

He’s referring to when Chronos unleashed his power.

He was attempting to gather strength to adapt to Echidna’s body…

Ironically, it aided Apollo in pinpointing the location of friend and foe.

Zeus, who sent Apollo upon learning of my manifestation in this world, must be in council right now.

“Ah, I had my subordinates inform Olympus of Chronos’s manifestation. I never imagined that a deity imprisoned in Tartarus could be brought into this world… The Protogenoi [primordial deities] are truly remarkable.”

Gaia is one of the Protogenoi, gods who emerged from the chaos at the dawn of creation.

She possesses a vast reservoir of knowledge and wisdom beyond our comprehension, making this feat possible.

But to manifest Chronos, who once held dominion over the world…

This is a grave situation that caught everyone off guard.

“And a Gigas appeared near Athens, prompting Athena and Ares to intervene.”

“In Athens as well? Gaia is making a blatant declaration of war.”

It would be too risky for Mother Earth to reveal herself directly before us…

She is forced to rely on her subordinates or the Gigas.

“I shall return to the underworld now. I entrust the aftermath to you.”

“Then I will ensure the people of Thebes are well cared for.”

The Gigas has been dealt with… and I no longer sense the presence of monsters nearby.

Apollo, with his incredibly versatile divinity encompassing art, archery, and prophecy, will manage the aftermath effectively.

* * *

As my consciousness returned to the throne of the underworld, I found the god Hypnos before me.

His usual sleepy demeanor was absent, replaced by a sharp, alert expression as he crossed his arms.

Hypnos, meeting my gaze, spoke urgently.

“Has the Gigas been defeated? Or perhaps…”

“Chronos descended, but I vanquished him.”

“What?! Chronos in this world?”

“Let us gather all the gods first. I have something to impart.”

Shortly after Hypnos departed the audience chamber like a wisp of smoke,

most of the gods of the underworld had assembled.

Some gods were clad in armor, spears in hand, prepared for battle against the Gigas…

The presence of souls outside the fortress… are they keeping the soul soldiers on standby?

“First and foremost, the underworld forces are not needed. The Gigas invasion has been repelled for the time being.”

“I feared a full-scale war was imminent…”

The goddess Styx instructed them to withdraw the troops outside, her relief evident.

The other gods also seemed relieved.

“However, Chronos, who should have remained confined in Tartarus, has descended into this world.”

“Is this Gaia’s doing?!”

“To extract the consciousness of one trapped there…”

“There must have been significant sacrifices or offerings. Was there not?”

A murmur arose among the gods upon hearing of Chronos’s return.

I recounted what I had witnessed and learned while possessing the body of the priest.

Typhon’s wife Echidna, the Gigas command entity, Apollo, and Chronos.

Silence descended upon the gods as they absorbed the information.

“…Therefore, I intend to prepare the underworld. Morpheus!”

“Yes, Lord Hades.”

“Assess the situation in Tartarus and reinforce the guards stationed there. And inform the Hecatoncheires [hundred-handed ones] that Chronos has come to this world.”

Then, I turned my gaze to the old god flapping his black wings.

“Thanatos, if there are any dead who met an unnatural end, inform me immediately.”

“Are you referring to humans sacrificed to the Gigas… Honestly, it is difficult to discern.”

“Then simply alert me when a large number of humans die, even if no disaster has occurred.”

“That much I can do.”

The descent of Chronos was made possible by the sacrifice of numerous humans.

Even if Thanatos, death itself, only informs me of locations with a high number of suspicious deaths, I can react swiftly.

“While I was descending to this world, did Olympus relay any separate news?”

“Yes. Hades… Iris visited the underworld.”

The goddess Lethe shared the news that Iris brought.

First, a Gigas calling himself Porphyrion appeared near Athens and threatened to violate Hera…

“Attempting to violate the Queen of the Gods?”

“There are always a few madmen.”

“Didn’t those fellows named Aloidae try that before?!”

“Enough, let Goddess Lethe finish.”

…Zeus, enraged, dispatched Athena and Ares to tear him apart.

The soul of the deceased Porphyrion was dragged to the underworld and awaits my judgment.

“I will send him to Tartarus. Please continue.”

“Uh… and Zeus convened a meeting in Olympus.”

The news that Chronos, believed to be eternally trapped in Tartarus, had returned,

instilled a sense of crisis in all the Olympian gods.

The primary concern is the difficulty in swiftly identifying Gaia’s deployment of the Gigas.

The authority of the Earth Mother Gaia far surpasses that of Demeter.

The solution reached during the gods’ meeting was…

“They decided to entrust the Omphalos [a sacred navel stone] to Demeter temporarily.”

“They intend to locate the Gigas’s base using Demeter’s power.”

“Well, the Omphalos amplifies the power of God…”

“But must we truly utilize that object that symbolizes the center of the world?”

“We may have no other choice. Gaia is the Earth Mother herself, so Demeter’s power…”

The rock that Chronos swallowed and regurgitated in place of Zeus, the Omphalos.

If Demeter temporarily assumes control of that treasure at the world’s center, she can withstand Gaia’s power to some extent.

In other words…

“Demeter claims that if the Gigas attack the earth even once more, she will be able to trace their movements and pinpoint the location of their base.”

Since the hero of prophecy has not yet been born,

even if we discover the Gigas’s base, we cannot immediately launch an assault.

However, we can monitor their movements and strike a blow in the preliminary skirmishes.

Furthermore, sudden attacks like the one we just experienced will cease entirely.

Zeus’s judgment appears sound.

Of course, the Omphalos is a significant symbol, so it must be returned eventually.

“But Gaia has also realized that the Omphalos has been moved… so she knows that if she moves the Gigas, their base will be exposed.”

“Yes. Athena and Metis insisted that they must prevent that one attack.”

“If we fail to prevent it, victory will slip from our grasp.”

The next Gigas attack…

Unlike before, it will likely involve a large number of troops, not just one or two command entities or traps.

They will thoroughly prepare and ambush the Olympus Shrine.

They may invade the underworld and attempt to breach Tartarus,

or they may devastate human countries and use the sacrifices to summon the Titan gods.

The gods who received the results of the meeting in Olympus buzzed with discussion.

“Where do you believe they will strike?”

“Perhaps they will swiftly destroy human countries and bring the criminals of Tartarus into this world…”

“They might launch a sudden assault on the Olympus Shrine.”

“We must avert an all-out war. Until the hero of prophecy emerges…”

The Gigas will remain dormant for now.

More precisely, they will be sharpening their daggers for a single surprise attack while observing our actions.

* * *

The Temple of Hades in Thebes.

The priestess Penedeia, who had been abducted by the Gigas and subsequently released, was recounting her experience to her fellow priests at the temple.

“There were such monsters near Thebes?”

“Oh my… Lord Hades descended into your body…”

“Did he truly say that? Do not worry, I am here now…!”

Hades descended into her body, and Apollo personally attended to her, elevating her as a strong contender for the position of high priest.

The fact that God descended into her body is a testament to her faith.

“Lord Hades is truly merciful.”

“Is it possible that the Lord of the Underworld cares for his followers more than we realized?”

“Wouldn’t it be beneficial to expand the temple if we widely disseminate this information?”

All the dead become Hades’s people.

The more humans die, the greater his power becomes.

But a god who prioritizes his followers over his own power?

He even descends in the face of death?

Not just any god, but one of the three main gods?

Penedeia, contemplating this, spoke.

“Perhaps… does he also possess the divinity of mercy? Since the underworld is the ultimate destination of life, he is generous to the living…”

The priests around her appeared to have had an epiphany.

“Indeed… that could be the case?”

“He must be occupied with ruling the underworld, yet he does not neglect his followers and reaches out to them…!”

“He places his believers before his own power…”

A few days later…

The influence of the Temple of Hades surged dramatically.

This seemed to be due to the priests spreading the word of Pluto’s mercy.

“Hades… Pluto cares more for his believers than any other god.”

“Ahem, that’s right. The other name is quite intimidating, but…”

“Is the rumor that he is so merciful to the living in this world true?”

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

began to be revered more than the name of Dionysus, who was originally the primary deity of worship.