This principle was central to Gaia's understanding of the world and, ultimately, her core reasoning.
Why was Gaia always stirring up trouble?
The reason was simple:
Gaia had once suffered severe injuries.
That was one part of it.
The second reason was even more fundamental—Gaia had reached a point where she could no longer grow stronger.
It was as if her path forward had been completely sealed.
This was the most painful and unacceptable reality for Gaia.
Yet!
No matter how much she despised it, this was her truth.
Even the smallest improvement, the tiniest step forward, was beyond her grasp.
To make matters worse, Gaia was bound to her mythical great world. Under these circumstances, she faced an inevitable dilemma.
In essence:
Gaia had reached her limit. She could only continue causing upheaval in the hopes of finding a way to surpass that ceiling.
It was an act of desperation.
There was no alternative!
Having hit her limits, she could only find ways to shatter them on her own.
This was the cruel truth.
However, even now, what could Gaia do?
Clearly!
Anyone who understood her plight would recognize this.
For this reason.
Gaia had no choice but to walk this path, no matter how burdensome it was. Eventually, due to Athena's intervention, an unforeseen change occurred.
But for Gaia, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Starting over from scratch allowed her to break free from her previous constraints. All she needed to do now was take small, steady steps forward.
This was the core issue.
For deities, the greatest fear wasn't slow progress. Even minuscule advancements were meaningful and crucial.
What terrified them the most was complete stagnation. No matter how hard they tried, the outcome remained the same—being eternally bound to their current state.
This was the ultimate nightmare.
And there was no remedy for it.
Now, for Hades, the situation was entirely different.
Hades cared little about the speed of his growth. His perspective was straightforward: as long as he continued to improve, even if only incrementally, that was sufficient.
For a god, consistent growth—no matter how small—was the most critical factor.
This was an unchanging truth.
Hades adhered to this principle.
For this reason, he took every small world under his control or connected to his realm very seriously. To him, they were private assets. Who would dare tamper with his property?
More importantly!
Each small world was a building block in Hades' gradual ascent. Even if their contributions were small, they accumulated over time. And now, someone dared to interfere with his foundation?
Let it be known:
For deities, it might be tolerable to destroy their ventures, no matter how painful the loss.
But!
If you chose to touch their foundation, all bets were off. At that point, the only question was whether they'd obliterate you.
This was an eternal truth, never to be questioned.
Hades, standing silently, did not rush to purge the Dark God's corruption from the small world.
It was pointless.
Once a small world had succumbed to a Dark God's corruption, unless intervention occurred in its earliest stages, removing the corruption became impossible.
Otherwise!
Well…
Nothing could be done. All that remained was to let the Dark God descend, obliterate the corruption completely, and then rebuild the world from scratch.
For Hades, restarting a small world was as trivial as drinking a glass of water.
What if someone argued that the corruption couldn't be cleared?
Then!
Too bad.
Let it go. Or rather—prepare for the end.
This was the only outcome. Anything else was meaningless. It was a core reality that couldn't be changed.
This explanation applied only to ordinary gods who could still manage to deal with a Dark God.
If they couldn't…
Well, there was nothing more to say.
Hades quietly observed the decaying small world, making no move.
This small world.
By the time his four Specters were chosen and summoned, it had already entered its terminal stage. However! While its corruption was advanced, the situation wasn't irreparable.
Once the aftermath was dealt with, all would be well.
As for how long it would take for the small world to recover?
Once again.
For Hades, time was the least of his concerns. He would simply handle things gradually, without urgency.
All along.
Hades approached these matters with remarkable patience and calm, which was an essential trait of his.
After all!
The problem was laid bare. There was no reason to question or agonize over it.
For Hades, the priority was clear.
He simply needed to wait for the Dark God's descent, deal with it, and begin the world's renewal. It was all remarkably straightforward.
In truth!
For Hades, creating a small world from scratch wasn't a simple task.
Although he could theoretically create divine realms or other constructs, it was far from efficient.
Despite his level of power, crafting worlds wasn't something to be done lightly. The cost often outweighed the benefits.
Given this…
Hades preferred using the World Tree seeds and the Magic Star to locate and recover small worlds from the Sea of Chaos.
This approach was far more practical and rewarding. Even if it required some patience, the time investment was negligible to him.
In short!
For Hades, this method was the best. Wasting a small world was a true loss and best avoided.
As Hades waited silently, the corrupted energy in the small world began to stir.
"It's coming."
Hades' voice was cold and steady, as he calmly awaited what was to come.
"Roar!"
Suddenly.
A chilling, eerie roar echoed through the air, accompanied by a surge of bizarre divine energy. It spread, threatening to engulf everything in its wake.
Yet.
Hades remained motionless, his expression unchanging.
To him, this display was trivial.
From a fundamental perspective.
This was merely the meaningless struggle of a weaker being. Such corruption was beneath his notice.
Meanwhile.
The Sea of Chaos seemed to churn violently. A colossal figure rapidly approached from the distance, its sheer size defying comprehension.
Hades sensed it clearly. Compared to this being, he seemed as insignificant as an ant.
But…
This?
Size meant nothing.
Among gods, strength and rank—not physical scale—determined the outcome. If size dictated power, the Titans would never have fallen.
This was the reality.
As the massive figure loomed closer, Hades stood calmly, unshaken.
Pity.
"…"
He showed no emotion as he assessed the approaching entity.
Why?
Because it was so weak—laughably weak.
This wasn't arrogance. It was simply the truth.
The Dark God corrupting this small world was astonishingly feeble. Though he had sensed this earlier, seeing it in person underscored the absurdity.
So weak.
Why bother corrupting worlds in the first place? Wasn't this beyond ridiculous?
Of course.
This highlighted the privileged nature of Dark Gods in the Sea of Chaos.
Ordinary gods could only survive briefly in the Sea of Chaos after reaching the Ancient God level. Absolute Gods alone could roam freely without restraint.
But Dark Gods?
Regardless of their rank, the Sea of Chaos welcomed them. They could exist and thrive in its depths.
This was the unfair advantage they held.
Still…
This particular Dark God was only at the level of a God-King—and a weak one at that. Were it not for its unique nature as a Dark God, it would have met its end long ago.
"…"
Without a word, Hades extended his hand. Threads of deathly divine power materialized, coiling around the Serpent Dark God.
In an instant.
The Dark God and all the corrupted energy in the small world were enveloped by the power of death.
Little by little.
The corruption was consumed entirely by the force of death.
Death, as a concept, was one of the most terrifying divine powers.
Because!
Facing death, no one could ever truly understand or prepare for what awaited them.
This was the chilling nature of death's power.
It was eternal.
Always.
And as the Serpent Dark God realized its fate, it let out a final, deafening roar before being wholly consumed by the overwhelming force of death.
------------------
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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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