As a king, there was no doubt about it—Hades was absolutely worthy of his title.
In the Greek pantheon's mythical great world, if anyone could claim to provide unparalleled protection for their subordinate underworld deities, it was unquestionably Hades.
On this matter, no other deity could compare.
In Hades' view—and in his own eyes—if you chose to follow him, then you deserved to stand in the place you were meant to be.
This was Hades' belief for all the underworld deities under his rule.
They followed him.
And if, as their king, he could not even ensure their safety, then what kind of King of the Underworld would he be? Wouldn't that be utterly shameful? This was Hades' way of thinking.
It's hard to define this perspective as right or wrong.
But!
One thing was certain: Hades' inner peace had never wavered. His mindset toward all of this had always remained constant.
This was Hades' nature.
No matter the circumstances, this was an unchanging aspect of him.
This was the foundation of everything.
Hades had always maintained this perspective. His steadfastness was an important part of his character, and for him, a deity's determination was sometimes even more critical than raw divine power.
Since reaching the peak of the Ancient God level, Hades had gradually come to realize:
Advancing his rank wasn't just about increasing his divine power—it also required a transformation of his mindset.
As for the specifics?
Well…
Hades couldn't say for sure yet. But! He had always followed his instincts. Since he didn't fully understand, he chose to keep moving forward in the way that felt right.
This was Hades' approach.
From the very beginning, he had maintained this calm and collected attitude. His personality was grounded in such composure. If there was uncertainty, he'd proceed in the way he deemed best. As for the future? That could be dealt with when the time came.
What mattered most was the present.
The present was always the most important. The future? That was for later. For now, the priority was to focus on the steps directly in front of him.
This mindset was also one of the reasons so many willingly followed Hades.
It was a reflection of his unwavering conviction.
He had never wavered—not even once.
After all…
Even the surrender of their divine hearts, which placed their lives at the mercy of the King of the Gods, didn't entirely eliminate the possibility of rebellion among deities. Take Prometheus, for example.
He was proof that if the King of the Gods failed to command true loyalty, even with a divine heart surrendered, certain extraordinary measures could still be taken.
Hmm…
Let's just say this:
As a King of the Gods, Zeus was, in many ways, woefully inadequate. Unlike Hades or Poseidon, whose subordinates never exhibited signs of dissent, Zeus constantly faced turmoil.
Truly!
Endless issues cropped up under Zeus' rule. This alone was enough to show that, as a ruler, Zeus fell short in critical areas.
Unless…
Zeus wielded the absolute power needed to suppress all opposition. But alas! Zeus lacked such overwhelming strength. Despite external pressures, he continued to stir chaos with reckless decisions.
It could only be said…
The array of problems Zeus faced was both amusing and perplexing. No one could predict how these dilemmas would ultimately unfold.
But now…
In the Sea of Chaos.
Hades' figure emerged, gradually solidifying amidst the shifting mists of this vast expanse.
However!
The next moment, the pressure of the Sea of Chaos surged toward him. Hades calmly activated the divine power of his Helm of Invisibility.
In an instant, all seemed to settle into an illusory calm. But! Hades knew better—this tranquility was nothing but a facade.
For any deity below the Absolute God level—or outside the category of dark gods—entering the Sea of Chaos meant inevitable corrosion. This was an unchangeable truth.
It was the fundamental law of this realm.
"This is the difference between an Ancient God and an Absolute God."
"In a way…"
"The Absolute God…"
"…is merely the beginning."
Hades' voice was quiet, barely audible even to himself. Yet, only a deity who had truly felt the weight of the Sea of Chaos could comprehend the truth behind his words.
Within the Sea of Chaos…
Ordinary gods could not survive.
This was undeniable.
The corrosive force of the Sea of Chaos was deadly to ordinary gods. It was not a realm they were meant to touch.
Of course!
For Hades, this was not a concern.
Thanks to the divine power of his Helm of Invisibility, he could shield himself from the Sea of Chaos' corrosive effects. The only cost was a depletion of his divine energy. And for Hades…
In truth!
His divine energy was virtually limitless.
With the support of the Magic Star and the Underworld, Hades' divine energy was, for all practical purposes, inexhaustible. Depleting it entirely? That was nearly impossible.
Because of this.
Although Hades had never set foot in the Sea of Chaos before, he remained calm about what he might encounter here.
These were all anticipated challenges.
Similarly…
Hades knew that for most gods, their existence was confined to their mythical great worlds.
It was akin to humanity being bound to land. Despite endless effort and innovation, only a few could venture into the vastness of space or the deep oceans.
This was the reality of the gods as well.
Only by ascending to the Absolute God level could one truly break free from the confines of a mythical great world. Stepping beyond that small, limited realm marked the true beginning.
Now.
As an Ancient God, Hades had entered the Sea of Chaos.
Such a step…
For any other Ancient God, attempting the same would lead to death. This was an indisputable fact.
"…"
Hades quietly assessed the Sea of Chaos. Even for him, this was a first.
It was undeniable.
Hades had never ventured into the Sea of Chaos before. He had only observed it from afar. Many things could only be truly understood by experiencing them firsthand.
Now!
Having entered the Sea of Chaos, Hades could finally feel its immense power.
However.
He could endure it. That was enough. There was nothing to fear.
Hades' figure vanished in an instant.
How vast was the Sea of Chaos?
Hmm…
No one knew.
Even Absolute Gods didn't fully understand it. The Sea of Chaos was so immense that its scale defied comprehension.
As Hades had mentioned, the Absolute God level was just the beginning.
It may seem that reaching the Absolute God level allowed entry into the Sea of Chaos, but it didn't mean these gods had mastered it. This was beyond question.
For this reason…
Navigating the Sea of Chaos without coordinates—or for an ordinary god, without guidance—would lead to becoming irretrievably lost.
Indeed!
This wasn't a joking matter.
For the gods…
The Sea of Chaos was inherently chaotic and unpredictable. It had always been this way.
Over time.
The corrosion of the Sea of Chaos would inevitably overwhelm any deity.
But!
Hades' destination was a small world with established coordinates—a world already linked to the Underworld.
Abandoning it?
Not a chance.
This would not be the end.
Hades' figure disappeared once more.
Soon, he arrived outside the small world in question.
The journey was swift.
From his vantage point, even without entering, Hades could see that the small world was nearly consumed by corruption.
The dark god's power had spread extensively, almost fully overtaking the world.
And as time passed, the dark god would ultimately descend, devouring the world completely.
Such was the fate of this small world.
In truth…
To many, Hades' actions might seem strange.
The Underworld had already evolved into a complete mythical great world. Why, then, did it maintain connections to so many smaller worlds, even to the Greek pantheon's great world, continuing its role in the cycle of life and death?
The answer lay in Hades' grand design.
World Power.
When Hades had initially nurtured the World Tree's seed, he had shattered countless small worlds to gather a significant amount of World Power.
However!
That approach was wasteful. For Hades, destroying small worlds to extract World Power was an inefficient and inferior method.
Instead.
By managing small worlds through the cycle of life and death, these worlds became continuous sources of World Power for the Underworld.
This strategy explained why Hades' strength steadily increased over time.
Even though the growth was gradual, akin to drops of water merging into a vast ocean, it was still growth.
And at Hades' level, even the smallest advancement was invaluable.
This was why Hades never slacked.
Every small improvement mattered.
Even if the progress seemed slow, every step counted. This was especially true for Hades. At his level, achieving steady growth was anything but easy.
After all!
If it were so simple, wouldn't every deity have already ascended?
This was why Hades tirelessly pursued even the smallest advancements. Slow and steady, every drop of growth accumulated into something significant over time.
No matter how small the progress…
It was progress nonetheless.
And for Hades, that was everything.
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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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