章 12: Chapter 12: The Seven Underworld Armors - Hades, Demon Stars, and the Perfect Cycle of Specters
Mephistopheles, compliant and resigned to his fate, handed over his created Contract Hell to his future king and master, Hades. Hades effortlessly absorbed the Contract Hell into his realm.
Following this.
Mephistopheles continued by painfully severing a portion of his essence, significantly damaging his divine power, soul, and body. Despite the severe injury, he estimated that full recovery would take no more than 100,000 years—a relatively short time in the life of a god. With this act done, Mephistopheles retreated to his Contract Hell to heal.
For Mephistopheles, the damage was manageable. His Contract Hell stored numerous high-quality souls. As a Contract Demon God, Mephistopheles sought not just any souls but those of high-caliber beings—heroes, demons, emperors. These souls were signed away through contracts, allowing Mephistopheles to absorb them fully. Such souls provided the greatest enhancement to his power.
Ordinary souls, however, held little value to him.
"Contract Demon God, Mephistopheles."
Hades placed the essence of Mephistopheles on the altar. Instantly, the power of the Demon Star combined with the black gemstone and the essence of Mephistopheles. In a brief moment, a piece of Underworld Armor, glowing with dark purple light, emerged.
Indeed!
The Underworld Armors are naturally dark purple, representing the purest color of the Demon Stars. In the original story, the armors appeared in a variety of colors, but that was because there were not enough black gemstones, the essence of the Demon Stars was diluted, and Hades was too weak. All these factors led to a weakened version of the Underworld Armor.
Similarly, the scales forged by Poseidon were gold in the story, which isn't accurate. They should have been sea-blue. In the original story, a certain 'Grand Duke' stripped his brothers' treasures completely, leaving them diminished and off-color.
"The first Underworld Armor," Hades noted. "The Demon Stars captured more than just Mephistopheles; there are other entities too."
During his exploration of the Demon Stars, Hades found more than just Mephistopheles. However, aside from Mephistopheles, the rest were divine beasts, magical beasts, or demonic creatures. These were less useful and did not interest him much. Mephistopheles, being a Titan Chief God-level Demon God of the Hell element, was particularly valuable.
It's worth mentioning.
For a God-King, it's not just any subordinate that will suffice. A god's chosen subordinates need to align with their nature to bring the greatest benefit. For instance, if Hades were offered a light-elemental god, like a Sun God, he would eliminate them without hesitation, as their association would yield minimal or even negative returns.
Mephistopheles' willingness to submit stemmed from recognizing Hades' natural affinity for the Hell element. Although Hades had not yet ascended to God-King, his aura was unmistakably that of a Hell God-King. Mephistopheles' submission wasn't solely due to his imprisonment; he acknowledged Hades as his rightful master due to this intrinsic alignment.
Gods do not fear death in the way mortals do. Any god who has reached the level of Titan Chief God or higher has long come to terms with their mortality. Gods are not a cowardly bunch who tremble at the thought of death; they face it with stoic acceptance, knowing their time will come.
Hades' ability to subdue Mephistopheles was partly due to the latter's imprisonment. But more importantly, it was because Hades is the natural Hell God-King.
Of course, Hades only pondered these thoughts briefly, understanding that what was done was done. He continued forging one Underworld Armor after another.
Combining the power of the Demon Stars, the black gemstone, and various captured entities—whether demon gods, divine beasts, or magical creatures—Hades forged the Underworld Armors.
1. Heavenly Prime Star - [Contract Demon God Mephistopheles]
2. Heavenly Hero Star - [Golden-winged Roc Garuda]
3. Heavenly Beast Star - [Sphinx]
4. Heavenly Ugly Star - [Scarab Beetle]
5. Heavenly Unusual Star - [Sacred Tiger Darvin]
6. Earthquake Star - [Cyclops]
7. Earthly Yin Star - [Headless Horseman Dullahan]
These represent five Heavenly Demon Stars and two Earthly Demon Stars.
The Nature of Specters
What is the essence of the Specters? Or rather, do Specters have a meaningful existence? In the context of divine wars, especially if the holy wars of the original story do not occur, is there any need for Specters, or even Sea Generals, Saints, or Heaven Warriors? Even Kronos, the supreme Titan Chief God, cultivated his own Titan Warriors. What is the purpose behind this?
In essence!
For gods, having subordinates serves more than just showcasing their status. Gods cannot handle every minor issue personally; having a team to delegate tasks to is practical. More importantly, nurturing their warriors enhances their divine power. Gods are inherently opportunistic beings who act only when there is something to gain.
For gods, their cultivated warriors provide immense faith, which is both intense and pure. This is just a bonus. The true core lies in the fact that when a warrior's life ends, their pure cosmos essence becomes the most pristine divine power, ready for the god to absorb. What if they ascend to godhood? Well, isn't that even better?
After all, they would be the most perfectly aligned subordinate deity, ideal in every aspect.
However.
Hades' system is far less cumbersome. He, the Demon Stars, and the Specters form a perfectly integrated cycle.
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Hades, the master of the Demon Stars and the creator of the Underworld Armors, completed his forging task. With Mephistopheles as his first Titan Chief God-level subordinate, Hades was poised to expand his power and influence. The integration of Hades, the Demon Stars, and the Specters was a seamless cycle of strength and command.
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