(Greek Mythology) The Abyss
Chapter 42
If he remembered correctly, the spider lily belonged to the abyss. Tartarus, returning to his throne, silently concluded this.
Then, Tartarus saw the girl appear before him.
"…"
For the first time in his life, Tartarus realized how easily his domain could be breached.
Although he didn't know who the girl was, everything that had just happened and the divine power emanating from her proved she was a first-generation god. Therefore, Tartarus didn't attack, but remained secretly vigilant.
The girl spoke first, but not to Tartarus, "Father God didn't lie this time. How rare."
"Who are you?" The sudden appearance of a deity, even after confirming she was a first-generation god, left Tartarus with no choice but to be cautious.
"I am Amy, the sixth of the primordial gods created by Father God, the goddess of extremism and destruction. Brother Tartarus can call me Nicole; that's what Father God calls me." Amy cooperated readily with Tartarus's wariness.
"What she said is true," the Law, which had been silently observing the meeting of the two gods, explained. It knew Tartarus's extremely cautious nature; without an explanation, the probing alone would take a long time.
The Law couldn't lie, so Tartarus believed it. Having dispelled his doubts, and based on Amy's earlier comment about Chaos, Tartarus already felt a good impression of her. Furthermore, Tartarus always favored the goddess, so he treated his youngest sister with great gentleness.
"Nicole, how did you enter the Abyss?" Tartarus asked. He knew the Abyss was his true form; other gods would be suppressed simply by staying there, let alone teleporting in.
Ai Miye blinked, divine power surging from her hand, conjuring a spider lily radiating the power of the abyss. Her tone was calm: "I am attribute-less, able to mimic the fluctuations of the abyss. Plus, Father God blessed me; using this to enter the abyss is simple." Of course, she selectively forgot that Chaos had told her not to teleport into the abyss, lest Tartarus find out he was involved.
Tartarus: "..." Very well, Chaos, you've done it again!
Silently adding another mark against Chaos in his mind, Tartarus tried to regain his usual composure. "Nikol, I just sent messages to your other brothers and sisters. Go see them later."
"Okay." Ai Miye didn't say much, simply agreeing silently. She felt it was better to be compliant with her brother Tartarus in this state.
After all, such a major event had just occurred; the first-generation gods who received Tartarus's messages arrived very quickly.
"Brother, who is she?" The ever-lively Eros, unable to contain himself, asked first.
The other gods remained silent, but their constant glances at Aimiye revealed their equally curiosity.
"Aimiye, the goddess of extremism and destruction, the sixth of the primordial gods created by the Father, our youngest sister," Tartarus emphasized the last sentence, giving Gaia a deliberate look.
The birth of a new primordial god inevitably brings a new round of power distribution, not in the sense of so-called control over the heavens and earth. The god-kings have changed before, so this doesn't mean anything, at least not to these primordial gods. Even without these changes, their positions wouldn't be shaken in the slightest.
Therefore, this distribution of power refers to the unique authority held by the first generation of gods, such as Gaia's control over creation, Eros's control over procreation, and Tartarus's control over reincarnation. This is one of the reasons for their exalted status; even if other gods possess the same laws, they cannot match their ability to influence the entire world.
Unlike the other gods, whose abilities differ and therefore do not have fundamental conflicts, Amy's attributeless nature allows her to mimic the power of various attributes. Although, due to the influence of her divine position, her power automatically transforms into destructive power upon its initial generation, she can convert it back to attributeless power and then back to the desired power when she wants to use other attributes. In short, she is quite versatile.
While Tartarus's chaotic attribute is also versatile—after all, all attributes ultimately originate from chaos—he is firstly the eldest brother and the strongest, the undisputed leader among the gods. Secondly, he has always remained secluded in the abyss; if not impossible, he would probably even relinquish his power to the other gods, so the others would certainly not mind.
Amy's attributes destined her to be proficient in every aspect, and she already possessed considerable strength. Her appearance at a time when power had already been distributed for many years would inevitably take away a portion of their authority. Eros wouldn't give her much thought, Nyx and Erebus might have some concerns, but they would mostly welcome the new member. Gaia, however, was different. She was already the weakest in combat; if the power she created was further diminished, her position would inevitably be shaken.
Moreover, Gaia was no longer the proud yet gentle goddess she once was. Immersed in power for years, she had become lost within it. Perhaps she had begun to regret it, but these habits, ingrained over the years, were not so easily changed.
Tartarus didn't intend to blame Gaia. Without sharing the same experience, one has no right to judge others. The events surrounding Uranus had indeed greatly affected Gaia, but harmony among the first generation of gods was essential. Tartarus didn't want to interfere with the other gods, but fratricide must not occur among his brothers and sisters.
Gaia's eyes flashed slightly, clearly understanding Tartarus's meaning. She swallowed her question, her attitude cold, but at least not showing hostility. "Goddess of the Earth, Gaia."
"I am your second brother, Erebus, the god of darkness."
"I am Nyx, the goddess of night, your second sister. Come, call me Sister Nyx." Nyx had a good impression of this younger sister, who was about the same age as his eldest daughter, Hemera, though her words sounded a bit like flirting with a respectable woman.
"Never mind them, call me Third Brother first. Finally, I'm not the youngest anymore! I'm so happy! Oh, right, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Eros, the god of love and desire, your third brother. Of course, you can also call me Brother Eros, I..."
Eros, who was about to launch into a long tirade, was smacked on the head by Nyx's fan, reluctantly shutting his mouth.
Nix, fanning himself back, smiled with his usual elegant charm. "You've made me happy, you've kept talking, and you even dared to let Ai Miye call you first? A single tap on the fan is the least I can do."
"Hello, brothers and sisters, I'm Ai Miye." This time, he omitted the option to call her Nicol. When Ai Miye was with Chaos, she often heard him mention Tartarus, so she felt a sense of closeness towards him. However, towards the other gods, whom she rarely mentioned, Ai Miye's attitude, while polite, carried a hint of distance.
"Ai Miye, where will you be living from now on? Come live with me, I'm good at taking care of people." Eros paused for a moment, then began to assert his presence again.
"No, she'll be living in the Abyss." Tartarus directly rejected Eros's suggestion. One brother who always caused trouble was enough; there was no need for another. At least for the time being, it was better to keep Ai Miye and Eros, this source of trouble, separate.
"You'll stay at the Abyss Temple for a while, until your temple is finished, then you can move out." This was said to Ai Miya.
"Okay." Although she was the protagonist, Ai Miya, who hadn't said much today, silently nodded in agreement.
Chapter 42