Bab 14: Chapter 14: Return to the No Man’s Land: The Abyss of Hades
Of course.
While Hades knew he needed to take an unconventional path to surpass his limits within the 500,000 years, he wasn't foolish enough to rush into the Sea of Chaos without preparation. Doing so would be a sure path to death, one where he wouldn't even understand how he died.
He's not about to undertake such a reckless venture. There is much to prepare first.
Mephistopheles, observing Hades' thoughts, breathed a sigh of relief. The idea of Hades heading directly into the Sea of Chaos was terrifying. That place is far too dangerous for even the most seasoned gods to venture lightly.
Exiting the Astral Realm proved far simpler than entering it. With the boundless divine power from the 108 Demon Stars at his disposal, Hades no longer feared the realm's consumption. He swiftly returned to the terrestrial realm.
However.
As soon as Hades stepped back into the terrestrial realm, he felt numerous greedy eyes upon him. Titans, seemingly appearing from nowhere, locked their gaze on Hades with an intent to devour him whole. They were hungry for the bounty promised by the Titan God-King to anyone who could capture Hades.
Hades, however, paid little attention to their stares. Yet, being under constant surveillance by the Titans posed a problem. Whatever he planned next would likely fail under such scrutiny.
With this in mind.
Hades took out his Invisibility Cloth. Instantly, his presence, soul, will, and even his very concept of existence vanished. The prying Titans were left bewildered.
Hades didn't bother with them further. He quietly left, utilizing the Invisibility Cloth's power. Currently, this cloth's abilities were so potent that unless a god exceeded the level of a God-King, they couldn't hope to detect him.
In the future, once Hades reforged it into the Invisibility Helm, even the Titans would find it impossible to locate him, should he choose to remain hidden.
In the original story's Holy Wars, while other gods' earthly avatars were repeatedly discovered, Hades' human incarnations remained undetected. Even when he was in plain sight as Shun, Athena herself couldn't identify him. This highlights the terrifying effectiveness of the Invisibility Helm, which obscures all traces of one's existence from both the senses and conceptual recognition.
With the Titans' constant surveillance thwarted, Hades could proceed with his plans. His goal had never changed: to explore the Abyss of Hades, seeking something crucial. The Abyss is a peculiar no man's land within the Greek Pantheon's Mythological World.
The Underworld Realms: Tartarus, Underworld, and the Abyss
The Greek Pantheon's Mythological World holds intriguing underworld realms. The body of Tartarus, one of the eight Ancient Gods, forms the Underworld, which is one of the four realms constituting the world's heavens, seas, earth, and underworld.
Besides the Underworld, there's also the Underworld Land—a realm Hades established when the Mythological World was created, extending ever since.
Furthermore,
The Abyss of Hades is another no man's land that has existed since the birth of the Mythological World. Unlike the Underworld or the Underworld Land, the Abyss cannot sustain gods. Any god entering it would eventually lose their mind and become a puppet of mere instinct and desire.
Because of this, the Abyss has become a no man's land, a place even gods avoid. After Kronos became the God-King, it was used as a place of exile.
In addition to the Underworld, the Underworld Land, and the Abyss—all representing different aspects of the 'Underworld'—the Mythological World is dotted with numerous smaller hells. Some are barren wastelands, while others are under Titan occupation. Mephistopheles found the structure of the Greek Pantheon's underworld realms quite peculiar.
Hades' aim, however, was the Abyss. Unlike other gods, he, as the innate Lord of the Underworld, knew secrets unknown to others.
For example! He knew of a divine artifact hidden within the Abyss, which would be useless to most gods but invaluable to him.
Naturally, for gods, preventing others from gaining power is akin to gaining power themselves. In the competitive world of gods, denying one's rivals any advantage is as crucial as securing one's own. Especially now, when all eyes are on Hades, the Titans would not hesitate to stop him if they knew of his plans.
Hades felt fortunate to have obtained the Invisibility Cloth. Without it, all his efforts would be in vain, and every move he made would be under constant scrutiny. Regardless of how diligently he worked, without the cloak of invisibility, he would be harried at every turn by the Titans, ultimately leading to his demise.
With the Invisibility Cloth, however, Hades could now conceal all traces of his presence, allowing him to operate freely without fear of detection.
The Abyss of Hades lies at the border between the terrestrial realm and the Underworld. It's a slight deviation from the direct path. For Hades, reaching it didn't take long, and soon he stood at its entrance.
"The Abyss of Hades," Hades murmured, gazing into its depths. "I hope the divine artifact still rests quietly within the Abyss. In the original story, Zeus found and took it. Its ultimate fate remained a mystery."
Hades shook his head. In the original tale, every step he took was hindered, making it impossible to compete with Poseidon or Zeus, who were favored by destiny. Despite being one of the three innate God-Kings, the gap between him and the protagonist of the third generation gods was immense.
Everything—gifts prepared by the world's inception for the three God-Kings—ended up in the hands of Zeus.
For Zeus, even if he had no use for something, preventing Hades and Poseidon from obtaining it was enough of a victory.
Reflecting on this, Hades quietly stepped into the Abyss of Hades.
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