"Ah-huh?!"
The one who spoke might not have meant much, but the one who listened certainly did.
Hestia's eyes widened in shock.
Wait!
Wait a moment!
Hestia finally understood what her brother was planning.
Staring at Hades with disbelief, Hestia even swallowed hard before speaking, her voice trembling with astonishment: "Brother, are you seriously planning to burn your essence to conceive a child? That... even for you, it would take millions of years to recover!"
Honestly!
In Hestia's view, her brother's plan was nothing short of madness.
This wasn't a joke.
Under normal circumstances, expending one's essence to conceive a child wouldn't be a big issue. It would just mean sealing off the Underworld for a few million years while recovering.
Besides!
Even if Hades burned some of his essence and fell short of his peak state, he'd still be a primordial god. Would any ordinary deity dare challenge him? That would be a laughable notion.
But the problem now was that these weren't ordinary circumstances!
The turbulence of the Chaos Sea.
The advent of a new era.
This!
These were events looming just on the horizon. While the exact timing was uncertain, they were inevitable.
And!
That uncertainty was the root of the problem—no one knew when it would all begin.
It could be in the next second, in a million years, or even in ten million years.
Any of these scenarios was possible.
However!
Every deity who had caught wind of the signs knew one thing for sure: this would not take longer than ten million years.
This was a certainty.
The Chaos Sea itself seemed to be emanating such signals. Within ten million years at most, everything would come to pass.
So, the question was:
Given this...
If Hades burned his essence now to do all this, what then?
Hestia sighed helplessly. Looking at her brother's calm demeanor, she could only shake her head in resignation and say, "Alright, alright, I get it. Honestly, I should've known. Once you've made up your mind, nothing anyone says will change it. Your stubbornness—what can I even say?"
"But!"
Hestia's expression turned serious as she added, "Brother, you still need to be careful. After all, this could create significant problems. If anything were to go wrong, it could be disastrous."
Hades remained composed, replying in his usual calm tone: "Big sister, there won't be any problems. Besides, this might just be an opportunity."
"Of course."
"Nothing is certain."
"But."
"For gods, this is how it's always been. One can choose a steady path forward. But when opportunity knocks, failing to seize it would be utterly meaningless."
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
Hestia couldn't help but throw up her hands in exasperation at her brother's words. What else could she do? She knew she couldn't argue with him.
This was how things had always been with Hades. Once he decided on a course of action, there was no turning back.
So!
This was one of those situations where resistance was futile. There was no point in saying anything further. It was simply how things were going to be.
"Honestly, you're giving me a headache!"
"But…"
Hestia looked at Hades and shook her head again. Forget it. There was no need to dwell on this. She understood her brother's personality far too well.
After all!
Her little brother had always been this way. When he decided to act, he would act decisively, without hesitation or second-guessing. Moreover, if he'd already made this choice, it meant he'd thought it through and deemed it the best course of action.
There was no doubt about that.
"Seriously…"
Hestia sighed again, realizing there was no point in saying more. To a certain extent, she found herself resigned to the situation.
And so, the matter was settled.
Not long after, Eris returned, carrying a strand of Yomi's aura. She bowed and spoke softly, "Your Majesty, as per your command, I have retrieved the aura of Yomi."
Hades nodded calmly. "You've done well."
With a flick of his hand, the strand of Yomi's aura floated into his grasp. Hades stared at it, his expression contemplative.
For Hades, there was no uncertainty about what he was doing. He understood his actions perfectly.
Especially because...
Hades was an inherently rational god.
Unlike many deities who were ruled by emotion, Hades was defined by logic and calculation. His rationality was always his guide, keeping him in check and ensuring that every action he took was carefully considered.
This was simply his nature.
Every decision Hades made, even those that seemed reckless, was grounded in a rational assessment of what was best for him.
So!
This was no exception. Today's decision had been thoroughly thought through.
However!
Even the most rational choices could stir emotions when brought to fruition.
After all!
This was not a trivial matter.
Hades was about to face the birth of his own child. Naturally, such a moment gave rise to many thoughts and feelings.
It was only natural.
Whether gods or mortals, such moments carried immense emotional weight.
For anyone!
Moments like this couldn't simply be ignored.
Surely!
Anyone with even a semblance of sense would understand how significant this was. To not care would be the strangest reaction of all. On the contrary! This was a deeply personal and emotional matter for any being.
Hades cared, just as anyone would.
"Husband…"
Persephone stood up and walked to Hades' side, speaking softly. "Are you alright?"
There was a hint of tension and concern in her voice. While she deeply wished for a child, she didn't want it to come at the expense of her husband's well-being. She didn't want Hades to have any regrets or second thoughts about this decision.
Hades remained calm and steady. "I'm fine. For me, this is just a moment of reflection. Persephone, let's begin."
"Alright."
Hearing her husband's reassurance, Persephone didn't hesitate. Divine power surged from her, and her face gradually turned pale. Slowly, strands of her essence began to emerge.
"Your Grace…"
Eris almost gasped aloud but quickly covered her mouth with her hands. She nervously watched the scene unfold and glanced at Hestia for guidance.
Hestia shook her head. "Don't ask questions. Just watch quietly. For us, since my brother and sister-in-law have made their decision, there's nothing more we can say."
Eris nodded in agreement.
At that moment!
The sharp-witted Eris began piecing things together. She now understood exactly what Hades and Persephone were trying to do.
Honestly!
Eris was an intelligent goddess, but even she couldn't quite grasp why her king and queen had chosen to do this.
As she saw it, given the timing, this decision seemed incredibly unwise.
This wasn't a joke!
The turbulence of the Chaos Sea might still be millions of years away, but who could say for sure? It might even begin tomorrow.
Under such circumstances, the logical choice would be to postpone anything risky, not press forward with it. That would be the prudent thing to do.
And yet!
Despite how illogical this seemed, Hades and Persephone were still going through with it. Eris couldn't understand, but…
She didn't need to.
For Eris, it was enough to know that her king had made this decision. That alone was reason enough for her to support it.
After all!
If her king had chosen this path, there must be a good reason for it. Her role was simply to observe and obey.
This mindset wasn't unique to Eris—it was shared by all the deities of the Underworld.
Understanding wasn't necessary. If it was His Majesty's will, then it was undoubtedly the right choice.
Indeed!
That was the prevailing attitude among the gods of the Underworld. Whether this was blind loyalty or faith, it was hard to say. But one thing was clear: their trust in Hades bordered on the absolute.
In the Greek Pantheon, this level of loyalty was incredibly rare—so rare, in fact, that it stood out even among other pantheons.
In most pantheons, the relationship between gods and their rulers was far less harmonious. Betrayals, power struggles, and backstabbing were commonplace.
Just look at Prometheus' betrayal of Zeus—that said it all!
But in the Underworld?
The loyalty of its deities was an anomaly, bordering on the absurd.
All Eris could do was marvel at this. She didn't understand, but she didn't question it.
If His Majesty had decided, there must be a good reason.
As Persephone grew increasingly pale, her essence flowed out in greater amounts.
And then.
It was Hades' turn. He, too, began releasing large quantities of his essence. As his essence poured out, Hades' complexion grew noticeably paler.
Clearly!
Hades was expending an enormous amount of his power.
In fact…
Both Hades and Persephone were burning nearly 50% of their essence. For primordial gods like them, such a sacrifice was monumental.
To put it bluntly, this was a terrifying act.
After all!
For any deity, losing half their essence would take at least five million years to recover from—at minimum.
For Hades and Persephone, this recovery time could stretch to seven or eight million years, possibly even close to ten million years.
With such a long recovery period, the consequences of failure were unthinkable.
Yet despite this risk, Hades and Persephone had chosen this path.
"…"
Hestia and Eris both covered their mouths, watching in silence. Neither dared to make a sound. Any disruption at this stage could spell disaster.
After all!
This was the critical moment. There was no turning back. Once essence had been released, it couldn't simply be reabsorbed.
In other words!
The child of Hades and Persephone was now destined to be born!
------------------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get early access to chapters by joining my Patre@n!
Find me at: patre@n*com/Mutter
You can read each novel for $5 or get them all for just $15.
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)
[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]