Quietly waiting for the passage of time to bring about strength.
Or.
Continuing to walk down the path of carefully laid plans.
These two choices.
Now.
Were laid before Hades.
What should he do?
For an ordinary god, it might have been easy to make a decision.
But!
For Hades...
"Actually."
"From the very beginning."
"The choice was already made."
Hades' voice was soft, yet filled with deep conviction.
From start to finish!
Hades had never considered abandoning everything he had prepared. Such an idea was fundamentally impossible. For Hades, he was determined to see everything through to the end.
Since that was the case!
Then!
There was no way he would give up everything he had prepared. That was simply who Hades was. No matter what time, no matter the circumstances, his personality was unwavering. It was always the same.
Always.
Hades remained steadfast.
Give up?
That was absolutely out of the question!
Since he had made his preparations, why should he set them aside and simply wait quietly? That was not Hades' nature, nor would it ever be something he would do.
For Hades, he would continue step by step, moving forward, relentlessly and persistently. That was who he was, and nothing would ever change that.
At all times!
This was Hades.
And because of this!
His personality was constant, never wavering.
Since he was already prepared, he could gradually grow stronger over time. But if he could accelerate this process, why wouldn't he?
That was what Hades intended to do.
"Indeed."
"Letting go of everything and waiting quietly... that has never been my nature."
Hades' voice was soft but carried a firm resolve. To let go of everything and wait quietly? That was simply not possible.
If he could reach his goal in a shorter time, why delay?
If he chose to let things go, Hades doubted he would ever forgive himself. On this point, he was very clear. His personality would not change. It could not and would not.
Always.
At all times, Hades had remained the same. His nature was immutable.
If he were to change, then he would no longer be Hades.
No matter the circumstances, he would never be lax or relaxed.
Even if it meant he could simply wait patiently to grow stronger, that wasn't what Hades wanted. Not in the least. He would never choose such a path.
This was Hades' way, his will, and his soul.
And it would not change.
If it did, he would cease to be Hades.
"Everything."
"Will continue to proceed according to the original plan."
Hades' voice was calm and composed. This was Hades.
Hades, King of the Underworld.
…
Five million years passed in the blink of an eye.
As always.
Time.
For gods, it was almost meaningless. No matter the circumstances, time was a resource they possessed in abundance.
And for the Underworld, five million years of peace had quietly passed.
This was the heart of the matter.
"Thanatos," Hypnos asked calmly, "Has the Mythical World entered its next era?"
Thanatos nodded quietly, and in response to Hypnos' inquiry, he explained evenly, "Everything has indeed entered the next era. Due to the emergence of Mara and Kiara Sesshoin, humanity's history has undergone massive changes."
"However!"
"It has now resumed a steady progression into the next stage."
"But!"
Thanatos shook his head and said, "In my opinion, this is ultimately meaningless. Even if humanity has progressed into the next era, the foundations built during the racial wars have already been completely eradicated."
"This Mythical World is no longer capable of advancing any further. Its development has essentially reached its end."
In Thanatos' view, that was simply the reality. The possibility of further progress no longer existed.
For a Mythical World to advance further, continuous accumulation was necessary. This much was undeniable!
But now?
Ha.
It was meaningless.
The Greek Pantheon's Mythical World, for various reasons, was already in shambles. At this point, any thought of advancing further was a hopeless delusion.
This wasn't a joke. It was an absolute truth—advancement was impossible.
There was no way.
After so much chaos, the entire Mythical World was left in disarray. Under these conditions, the necessary accumulation simply didn't exist. Without it, how could progress be made?
It wasn't possible!
"This has little to do with us," Hypnos remarked calmly. "At the very least, it has nothing to do with the Underworld. As far as the Mythical World is concerned, the best outcome is for it to continue its current stability for as long as possible."
From Hypnos' perspective, there was no urgency. Nor was urgency necessary.
After all.
For the Underworld, as long as the Greek Pantheon's Mythical World didn't collapse, the Underworld would continue to reap steady benefits from the Mythical World's cycles over time. This was certain.
As for the future?
When the Greek Pantheon's Mythical World eventually collapsed, it wouldn't matter. At that point, it would be irrelevant to the Underworld.
By then, their lord would likely have ascended to heights unimaginable. Whether or not the Mythical World collapsed would make no difference at all.
After all.
The Underworld had, in a sense, already broken free from the constraints of the Mythical World. It was now entirely self-sufficient. Any connection between the two was practically meaningless.
"Indeed."
After a brief moment of contemplation, Thanatos nodded. "It's true. For the Underworld, the state of the Mythical World is essentially irrelevant."
"However!"
"The Underworld should still prepare itself. What about the situation with Aether? How is it progressing?"
Thanatos and Hypnos, the Twin Gods, shifted their discussion away from the Mythical World.
There was no point in dwelling on it.
The relationship between the Underworld and the Greek Pantheon's Mythical World had fundamentally changed. It was no longer a matter of the Underworld depending on the Mythical World. Instead, the Mythical World relied on the Underworld to maintain the balance of life and death.
This imbalance meant the two realms were no longer equals.
In the past.
The Underworld had been a mere subordinate realm to the Mythical World, existing only to carry out its designated duties.
But now?
Ha.
The dynamics had shifted dramatically. The Mythical World needed the Underworld far more than the Underworld needed it. For every service the Underworld provided, the Mythical World had to pay the price.
This was the new reality.
The Underworld had become indispensable to the stability of life and death within the Mythical World. It was no longer a relationship of equals.
And so.
The Twin Gods' discussion of the Mythical World was brief. For them, the more pressing issue was Aether's actions.
"We're almost at the final stage," Hypnos said thoughtfully. "Whether it will succeed or not..."
"As of now."
"It's difficult to say."
Hypnos shook his head, speaking seriously. "After all, you know as well as I do. Some things only become clear when you reach the final step. If Aether succeeds, then everything will fall into place."
"But!"
"If he fails at this last hurdle, it wouldn't be surprising."
"True."
Thanatos nodded in agreement. "Reaching the final step doesn't guarantee success. If anything, failure becomes more likely the closer you get to the end. It's just how these things work."
"Beyond this..."
"Hmm."
Thanatos pondered for a moment. "I suppose we can only leave the rest to Aether?"
"That's correct," Hypnos replied. "Everything rests on Aether now. There's nothing we can do to intervene. We can only wait."
This was an unchangeable reality.
And so.
Thanatos could only shake his head in frustration.
There was nothing he could do.
He hated feeling powerless. Knowing the entire process yet being unable to act—this was unbearable for someone like Thanatos.
For someone with his temperament, he would have preferred to take on the responsibility himself, even if it meant failure. At least then, he would have tried.
But now?
He could only watch.
"Thanatos," Hypnos said, his tone calm. "Stay composed. These matters aren't critical. All we can do is wait. After all."
"This is Aether's task. Everything has been calculated to the smallest detail."
"In fact."
"Aether has already reached the final stage. The rest depends on him. Success or failure, no one—not even the All-Father or the All-Mother—can interfere now."
"I understand."
Thanatos nodded, though frustration lingered in his expression.
This powerlessness was what frustrated him the most.
But he also understood.
If Aether failed, there would be no blame. Aether had given his all. Blame would be meaningless.
Still.
The only acceptable outcome was success.
"Let's hope for the best," Hypnos said, his voice carrying a faint sigh. "That's all we can do now."
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Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
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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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