Hypnos.
Thanatos.
After their discussion, the twin gods parted ways. There were matters that required deeper deliberation.
After all, this issue was not only crucial to their specific circumstances but also directly tied to the underworld itself. Such a matter could not afford any oversight—no chance could be taken.
At the same time...
Unidentified Mythological World
Eris, disguised as a black-haired girl, strolled along the road, her gaze sweeping over her surroundings. She murmured, "So, this is the new mythological world. But... so far, I haven't sensed any strong divine power, not even the aura of a God-King?"
"How strange..."
Eris tilted her head in confusion.
That shouldn't be the case.
In any mythological world, unless the Ancient Gods and God-Kings had deliberately concealed themselves, detecting their presence should have been relatively easy.
What's more, even if the aura of an Ancient God wasn't apparent, sensing the presence of a God-King should have been straightforward. God-Kings were necessary to manage pantheons, and their aura typically permeated the entire mythological world.
"Forget it," she muttered.
"If I can't sense them, I'll just need to be more cautious."
"Stay alert."
Eris heightened her vigilance. If she couldn't detect these presences, it was likely the God-Kings here were hidden, or perhaps they hadn't yet emerged.
But no matter the circumstances, she couldn't afford to let her guard down. A single misstep could have disastrous consequences.
Thus, Eris proceeded cautiously, her sharp eyes scanning everything around her as she carefully explored this unfamiliar world.
From the moment Eris arrived in this mythological world, she noticed something peculiar. To put it plainly, this place was bizarre—so much so that calling it strange was an understatement.
The sheer number of gods here was overwhelming!
It wasn't a joke.
In this world, it seemed you couldn't take three steps without encountering a god, and every five steps led you to a group of them.
Eris even began to wonder: Are there more gods here than humans?
It was absurd!
After exploring for about three years, Eris stopped in her tracks, pondering, "So far, the strongest deity I've encountered is only at the level of a First-Tier God?"
"How weak is this place?"
"Or..."
"Is it that the sheer number of gods has diluted their overall power?"
Eris wasn't sure. The information she had gathered seemed both ridiculous and perplexing.
This situation was outrageous.
In her home, the Greek pantheon, it was common for wandering gods to be weak. But it wasn't unheard of to encounter True Gods or even Major Gods in the wild.
Here?
After three years in this world, she had come across countless deities. At first, she had tried to keep track of them.
Eventually?
Forget it. The sheer number made recording their presence impossible. The gods were everywhere—too numerous to count, an almost comical abundance.
But their strength?
The majority were Third-Tier Gods.
Some, despite holding the title of deity, didn't even reach the strength of a Third-Tier God.
What?!
Seriously?!
Isn't Third-Tier God supposed to be the baseline? The lowest level? How could there be gods weaker than that?
Eris was baffled. This defied all logic.
Second-Tier Gods were even rarer, and as for First-Tier Gods? In three years, Eris estimated that less than 1% of the deities she encountered had the power of a First-Tier God.
It was absurd beyond belief.
What exactly was happening here?
Eris couldn't make sense of it.
She wanted to investigate further but decided against it.
It wasn't worth the effort.
Without making herself a target, these weak gods couldn't provide her with any meaningful information.
Stronger gods might hold more knowledge, but weaker ones certainly didn't.
This much was clear to Eris: divine power correlated directly with knowledge and influence.
The gap between tiers wasn't just a measure of strength—it was also a chasm of insight and authority.
"Anyway," Eris mumbled to herself, "this world has an overwhelming number of gods, but their quality is ridiculous."
"Seriously, what's going on with this place?"
"Where are the True Gods? The Major Gods? The Chief Gods? The God-Kings? And the Ancient Gods?"
Eris tilted her head, perplexed.
She began to doubt.
Was this really a mythological world?
If not for the sheer number of gods and the world's inherent characteristics, Eris might have mistaken this for some unique minor world.
Shaking her head, she decided she needed more time to observe and analyze.
The most puzzling part?
Eris wasn't native to this mythological world.
If she made any noticeable moves, it wasn't just the world's response she had to consider. Her divine power alone would likely attract stronger gods.
After all, this was a mythological world. Surely there must be at least one God-King or Ancient God, right?
Surely?
The thought of their absence seemed unrealistic.
Thus, Eris refrained from making any rash decisions. There was no need to act hastily—she had plenty of time to investigate carefully.
"Alright," Eris muttered, recording her findings. "That's all for now. Where should I start next?"
Her preliminary survey of this mythological world felt complete.
For now, she decided to shift her focus.
"Hmm…"
Eris deliberated, trying to determine her next steps.
This world was just too strange.
Her mission wasn't about solving its mysteries but fulfilling the task assigned by her Lord.
To locate the existence of the underworld.
In any mythological world, the fundamental elements—heaven, earth, sea, and underworld—should naturally exist from the world's inception.
So far, Eris had identified the heavens, earth, and sea.
But the underworld?
Nowhere to be found.
Unbelievable.
Among the countless gods she encountered, none bore the aura of the underworld.
"Could it be... there is no underworld here?"
Eris wasn't sure.
She needed more time to verify.
In her initial assumptions, Eris thought she would gather all the necessary information quickly and return to report.
But now?
Nothing had gone as expected.
This world defied understanding.
Eris couldn't make sense of it, and the lack of an underworld presence added to the absurdity.
"Unless..."
"Is this world somehow incomplete?"
Eris considered this possibility but dismissed it.
For a world to evolve into a mythological world, it had to be complete.
If it wasn't, it couldn't attain that status.
This was an immutable rule.
"Alright," Eris muttered, rubbing her temples. "This is as much as I can figure out for now. The rest will take time. One step at a time."
"Thankfully, with the existence of the Crystal Wall Gate, there's no risk of running out of time."
Eris exhaled, shook her head, and set aside her distractions.
Her mission was clear: to determine the presence—or absence—of an underworld in this mythological world.
Everything else could wait.
------------------
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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