Haste makes waste!
Gods.
They were never a group of hasty beings, especially for a mature and composed god like Aether. He understood that thorough preparation was key to managing everything successfully.
Otherwise?
One mistake, if something really went wrong, would cause immense trouble.
The life created by the original Fire of the Sun was undoubtedly a genuine God-King-level existence. Was Aether truly confident he could capture such a being with his divine power?
It was hard to say!
Aether was a God-King, but so was the other being. That was the biggest issue. In fact, the other entity's foundation was likely far deeper than his own. If something went awry, it would be a massive problem.
For the Underworld, the Fire of the Sun was something that could not afford any errors. Otherwise, all the preparations made by the Underworld would be for nothing.
For the Underworld...
The most important thing was for His Majesty to ascend to the rank of an Ancient God. Only if His Majesty succeeded would everything else truly matter. At that point, the Underworld would completely surpass both the Sea Realm and the Celestial Realm.
No!
No!
If it really reached that point, then everything would lose all significance. It would be entirely meaningless in comparison.
Furthermore, the Underworld's ambition was never limited to just the Mythological World. The Underworld's goals were far more grand, aiming much higher. The Underworld possessed the Door to the Crystal Sphere.
The reason it had not yet begun exploring was solely because the Earth Goddess herself had stepped into this game, which is why the Underworld had yet to take action.
Otherwise...
The Underworld would have long since embarked on deeper explorations. For every deity and warrior of the Underworld, their goal was clear.
That goal was the Sea of Chaos!
Only by stepping into the Sea of Chaos could they fulfill their purpose. Everything else was mere child's play!
Even though...
Entering the Sea of Chaos seemed like nothing more than a dream, a foolish fantasy. But for the entire Underworld, there was unshakable confidence. Their sovereign had instilled that confidence in them.
Everyone firmly believed in this. It was absolutely, unquestionably certain.
...
The Underworld.
"..."
Ceres slowly opened her eyes and whispered softly, "Aether's summons... the Astral Realm?"
"It seems the time has come to begin."
As Ceres stirred, Karl also began to act.
The two God-King-level deities of the Underworld exchanged glances, nodded to each other, and set off, leaving the Underworld as they prepared to head to the Astral Realm.
At the same time...
The Four Fates, incarnations of the goddesses of destiny, converged once more into Moira. Moira, a somewhat cold and distant goddess, took a step forward and appeared alongside Ceres and Karl.
The three deities of the Underworld departed together.
At that moment, the attention of nearly every god in the Mythological World turned toward the Underworld. The gods watched with a mix of curiosity and confusion, unsure of what was happening.
After all, in the current era of the Mythological World, God-King-level deities rarely had any need to act. In fact, there was no necessity for them to intervene at all.
But why did the Underworld command such respect?
Besides Hades, who might have been slightly weaker than Kronos in his prime, the Underworld's God-King-level strength had surpassed the Twelve Main Titans of old.
Aether, Ceres, Karl, and Moira.
These four God-King-level deities of the Underworld had already exceeded the power of the Twelve Titans.
Could the Sea Realm and the Celestial Realm combined match them?
They didn't have the qualifications!
For this reason, the Underworld was now a dominant force. It wasn't just because of Hades, but because the entire Underworld, from top to bottom, possessed terrifying strength. That power was undeniable.
And now!
With the three deities of the Underworld heading toward the Astral Realm, what were they planning?
Many star deities emerged to watch curiously, though they were not particularly concerned. After all, there was no reason for the Underworld to target them.
After all...
Anyone with common sense would know it was foolish to harm the star deities. Their role was far too critical. If anything happened to them, the entire Mythological World could collapse.
Moreover...
Who in their right mind would provoke the star deities? There would be no benefit in doing so. Killing them would bring nothing, and their destruction could cause catastrophic problems for the entire Mythological World.
If it ever came to that, it would be a disaster.
However!
As Aether revealed his presence, no longer hiding, the atmosphere grew tense.
The gods began to ponder—what was the Underworld up to? Even the star deities, who had been idly observing, started to discuss among themselves.
"What on earth?"
"What is the Underworld doing? Four God-King-level deities... are they planning something?"
"Don't overthink it!"
"There's no reason for the Underworld to attack us!"
"Even though you say that..."
Clearly...
Even the star deities were feeling uncertain. The scale of this was simply too extreme.
What exactly was the Underworld planning with such a massive mobilization?
This wasn't a joke—they were sending four God-King-level deities. In this era, under the current order where the Ancient Gods and the three God-Kings didn't intervene, these four could easily sweep through the entire Mythological World.
Of course...
Although that was theoretically possible, it was hard to say for sure. The Mythological World was vast, and who knew what powerful or hidden deities might be lurking in some obscure corner?
This was difficult to predict, and there was always a chance of unexpected developments.
"..."
Regardless, the gods fell silent, quietly watching the situation unfold, unsure of what would happen next. All they could do was wait and see.
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