Chapter 74: I'm Hades Straight Up 3
(Hades POV)
"The bowels of our father are as putrid as he is," Poseidon says as he tries to manipulate the acid around us.
" You shall find no disagreement from me, brother Poseidon, but must you complain about it every five minutes?" Poseidon snorts in disdain as he continues trying to manipulate the acid.
"The only reason I am trying to do this is to prove you wrong, gray skin." Yes, there is the nickname again. My siblings have begun to call me gray skin due to the appearance of my outer shell, which has become similar to that of stone.
The only reason I'm even able to get him to train is by playing to his pride, as I made him think he couldn't manipulate the acid around us. While it is slow going, at least he's making an effort.
(He looks like a younger Hades from the Hades game.)
I've already accepted the fact that I will find no respect among my siblings. As advanced as we gods are, the law of the jungle seems to be most prevalent among us.
" Just keep trying, brother. Who knows, this might come in handy in the future." Poseidon turned away as he focused his attention on manipulating the fluids of our father's stomach.
But honestly, I could understand their annoyance as we have now been down in the stomach for what feels like years, which I think is due to our father's titan biology. His nature as the titan of time means that his stomach is essentially a pocket dimension. But the problem is that I can't tell if time will be faster down here or outside.
However, these years have been enlightening, to say the least, as I have discovered other methods of manipulating my authorities, from soul manipulation to fear inducement.
The second one surprises me as I recall that Hades was only able to induce fear while wearing his helm of terror, but I simply attributed it to my own work ethic.
The goddesses, however, have essentially plateaued in terms of what they can do in the stomach. Hera, who holds no offensive authority, can only work on keeping herself sane while the other two attempt to increase their control over their own divine domains.
I almost felt bad for them, but they argue more than they train, with the spats between Demeter and Hera being ever so helpful.
Including Poseidon in our group has reduced our effectiveness. The boisterous sea god has a personality as wild as the ocean. At one point, he can be the calmest person you're talking to; in the next moment, he's beating your head with his fist.
His control over various liquids is really his only redeeming trait, but I don't expect to remain around them for too long, even past the war against the Titans. I need to establish myself in my own way. I need to understand what type of God I want to be.
However, the most annoying part is that whenever I close my eyes, I feel something beckoning me, and its presence fills me with fleeting peace—like a warm fire that you just can't seem to catch.
I want to leave this place, but I cannot falter, not now.
But before I could ponder further, Poseidon is struck by a large amount of acid that has grown out of his control. "Ahh! This damned stomach! Once I get out of here, I shall drown father in his own shit!"
Sighing in disappointment, I kill the acid on my brother, causing it to dissipate. My brother nearly fell into unconsciousness due to the pain. I am able to use it a bit using my control over Death, but my brother simply slaps away my hand.
"I do not need your help, Hades. I could have gotten it off on my own." The statement nearly tests my patience, but I simply stand back and focus on my own training.
Yet before I could move much further away from them, Hestia tapped me on the shoulder. "They're still young, you know? Time may be able to fix them."
"You and I both know that is a lie, sister, but don't worry; I'm not going very far. I don't want to wish harm upon any of you. Should my powers affect the area around me?" Hestia nodded knowingly and with a small smile as I separated myself from the others.
Using my control over the Earth, which I had recently discovered, I created a wall between me and the rest of my siblings, but due to the lack of materials and acid, it would break the slightest punch.
Although it's less about controlling the earth and more about managing the minerals within it, a part of me keeps telling me to keep going, that there's always something more to find, and that part of me feels excited.
I know my role, and all of this is to control the underworld and rule over the souls of the dead like Hades. I want to make an afterlife worth remembering, where people are not afraid to pass on into the next life, other than those who deserve to be frightened.
I want to create something that will last an eternity.
So, I continued my work to increase my strength as well. I wish I could rule over the underworld unimpeded. I need power, and I need a lot of it.
(Third Person POV)
As Hades trains to increase his progress over his strength, his siblings sit around the fire that Hestia has created for them and discuss recent developments.
Hera takes charge, asking Poseidon, "How does your control over the acid around us, brother?" the young God simply turns away and is almost ashamed, embarrassed by his own lack of progress.
" It is proceeding as I have foreseen, sister, and no faster." Poseidon's response causes Hera to narrow her eyes in rage at his indifference.
Demeter simply sighs and talks with Hesta as Hera and Poseidon begin arguing again.
" Hestia, do you believe we will be able to escape one day?" Hestia simply looks towards the hole that lies at the top of the stomach.
"The time will come, sister, but we can both see the sun. Our brother will not lie to us."
" You trust him? I can feel Death in every step he takes." Hestia chuckles at Demeter's question.
" You feel Death in every step he takes, sister because his very domain lies over the afterlife, and while I am the firstborn, shall be the last, for his nature requires that he be the last one standing. And I can understand your feeling of discomfort, sister. The last thing I expect Hades to do is try to harm any of us." Demeter shrugs in disbelief as Hestia's gaze turns to Hades with her eyes, seeing Hades's flame burning so darkly.
-Island Of Crete-
A small and unassuming island floating amongst one of the few bodies of water near Mount Orthys, but here Rhea labors in her sleep, desiring an end to the torment by her husband's hand.
Here, Gaea, her mother, contacted her and said, " I shall hide you upon this island, and here you shall give birth to the last son."
While relieved, Rhea was not so stupid as not to think that her mother desired something else from her birth. She wanted her son to defeat the Titans and bring about the freedom of her children—the hundred-handed ones and the cyclopes.
And she agreed, but she knew that her son would be vengeful and that most, if not all, the Titans would be punished. She did not elaborate on whether or not it was out of grief or tiredness. Now she sits in a cave, being tended to by nature spirits as thunder begins to rumble.
-Future Realm Of Asgard-
Among the ice and fire, one family of gods, Shasun, was born as Ymir began to melt due to the increasing heat of the realm.
Due to the clashing of fire and ice, a large landmass made of stone, metal, and dirt begins to form amongst the ice, and stone statues are beginning to become defined. The only living being is seemingly a single cow roaming the ice and fire.
While it does not seem even close to representing the wonderous city it will become in the future, only time will tell what this rock floating in primordial space will become.
Soon, the Borsons shall take to the stars.
(Hades POV)
As I stand in stilled space, a small smile graces my face as I finally manage to slow time after years of training. It has had an interesting effect as one activated. The world seems to lose color and become an almost fractured-like painting.
It feels so familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. After only a couple of milliseconds, time reasserts itself, and the color returns to normal.
But even that tiny bit is enough.
But before I could do anything else, I found myself falling to the ground in utter and complete exhaustion. As I lay on the ground, all I could feel was happiness over the possibility of moving to the next step.
(So what should our young God of death do after the war against the Titans? It is a large world, after all.)
(By the way I am working on the next Primarch SI (Second Chance) chapter and I am thinking of using the cultivation system from Emperor's domination. Yay or nay?)
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
-- Power
stone