Hades.
Hestia.
Persephone.
As the three gods discussed, a terrifying surge of divine power began spreading outward, gradually encompassing the entire Underworld.
In an instant!
It seemed as if…
The limitless divine power had flooded the entire realm.
This was the power of a Primordial God!
Unlike ordinary gods, this was the power of one who had comprehended Ultimate Power, ascending to become a true Primordial God.
This kind of divine energy…
Once before!
Had spread from certain other gods within the Underworld:
The Queen of the Underworld, Persephone.
Erebus, God of Darkness.
Nyx, Goddess of Night.
Mara and Sesshoin Kiara.
These four Primordial Gods had already stood at the pinnacle of the Underworld's hierarchy. Of course, this didn't include the enigmatic Seven-Headed, Ten-Horned Crimson Dragon resting atop the World Tree. Its identity and situation were far too peculiar, leaving everyone uncertain about its ultimate fate or potential.
Now!
The Underworld welcomed a new Primordial God.
The Lord of the Star Realm, Aether!
No!
Correction!
Now he was the Lord of the Divine Cluster of Darkness and Night: Aether!
Within the Depths of the Underworld.
At that very moment…
Every god in the Underworld simultaneously smiled, for they could all feel it—Aether had succeeded. He had truly succeeded in ascending.
"Ahaha~~~"
Nyx, her expression gentle, smiled softly and said, "Our child, Aether, has succeeded!"
"Indeed," Erebus quietly nodded, a deep smile gracing his lips. No matter what, his child had succeeded, finally stepping into the ranks of the Primordial Gods.
The Divine Cluster of Darkness and Night had truly been established.
And now!
With the formation of this divine cluster, every god within it would benefit immensely. The stability and strength they could gain from being part of it were beyond question.
As for the original so-called Underworld Divine Cluster?
Hmm…
How should one put this?
The Underworld's previous "divine cluster" was not a true divine cluster. It was simply a natural byproduct of being under the Greek Pantheon. From a certain perspective, it lacked any inherent benefits or rewards.
This much was indisputable.
For this reason!
To both the Underworld and Hades, the previous "divine cluster" was practically meaningless.
This was the crux of the matter.
Thus, Hades had never been particularly concerned about the Underworld's divine cluster. Why would he? It provided no real value or benefit.
Moreover!
After Hades had severed his ties with the Greek Pantheon and established the Underworld as an independent entity, forming a divine cluster became even more complicated. Why? The reason was simple.
The formation of a divine cluster is intrinsically tied to the hierarchy of a pantheon.
To explain plainly:
A divine cluster exists as part of a pantheon, which requires a superior god or structure above it.
But for Hades…
Hmm…
There was no longer anyone above him. Naturally, the dynamics had changed completely.
For Hades now…
The idea of a divine cluster was no longer relevant. In fact, while some still referred to the Underworld's divine cluster, in reality, no such thing existed anymore.
Hades was well aware of this. However, it didn't concern him, as it wasn't particularly important.
But now…
Things had changed.
For Hades, forming a divine cluster remained a meaningless endeavor.
And the reason for this was simple.
The concept of a divine cluster…
Hmm…
Was essentially irrelevant to a Primordial God.
Take the Divine Cluster of Darkness and Night, for instance.
Why didn't Erebus and Nyx care about it?
Why didn't they desire the position of the divine cluster's leader?
In theory!
Given their immense power and their affection for their children, they should have taken that position for themselves. But the truth lay elsewhere: the divine cluster itself was meaningless to them.
Exactly.
Divine clusters are designed for gods below the level of Primordial Gods. Once a deity reaches the level of a Primordial God, the formation of a divine cluster becomes utterly pointless.
For Hades now, forming a divine cluster was simply unnecessary.
However!
With Aether successfully forming the Divine Cluster of Darkness and Night, the question arose: Should the Underworld now consider forming a full-fledged pantheon?
Of course!
That was a discussion for the future.
In the depths of the Underworld, every god was smiling. Each could feel the benefits brought by the divine cluster, along with the changes it had initiated. Their smiles grew broader as the reality set in.
"Hah…"
Thanatos let out a deep breath, thinking to himself, "No matter what, it's finally done!"
Indeed!
No matter what, success had been achieved. And as long as success was reached, it was the best possible outcome.
For Thanatos, as long as Aether succeeded, nothing else mattered.
Once again!
For Thanatos, Hypnos, Kharon, Ker, Moirai, and Eris—gods who had already reached the level of God-Kings—the formation of a divine cluster held little personal significance.
Unless…
They themselves formed their own divine cluster. Otherwise, joining another's divine cluster offered minimal benefits for them.
This wasn't a matter of debate; it was simply the truth.
For this reason!
Thanatos didn't care much about being part of Aether's divine cluster. What he cared about was Aether himself. If Aether had failed, it would have been devastating for him.
Even though…
As they had discussed before, failure wasn't the end. If Aether had failed, he could simply try again—a second, third, or even fourth time. Eventually, he would succeed.
But!
For a god, failure—especially repeated failure—was never a good thing. It could deeply affect their confidence and mindset, and this was something that could be hard to recover from.
Thus!
It was best for Aether to succeed on his first attempt. Otherwise, the repeated failures could have a long-lasting, detrimental effect on him. This was beyond question.
If such an effect were to persist, it could lead to significant problems down the road.
"At the end of the day," Hypnos remarked with a hint of relief, "as long as it's a success, that's all that matters."
"Exactly!" Eris nodded in agreement. "No matter what, as long as it's successful, that's the best outcome."
If Aether had failed?
Eris shook her head at the thought. She understood her elder brother's mindset well. Though he wasn't fragile, repeated efforts culminating in failure? That would have been difficult for anyone to bear.
Eris placed herself in Aether's position and considered it. Could I have handled it? She concluded that even she wouldn't have been able to accept such a result.
"Hah…"
Finally, the tension eased. Moirai felt she could finally relax. No matter what, success had been achieved.
At that moment.
The divine energy that had spread across the entire Underworld began to retract, condensing back into a single figure. Aether emerged from the depths.
He smiled. No matter the time or place, Aether always maintained an air of elegance and calm.
After all!
For Aether, whether it was his identity or his responsibilities, he had always carried himself with grace and composure.
But…
At this moment.
There was a profound sense of emotion in Aether's eyes.
Perhaps…
Even Aether himself hadn't anticipated how deeply this success would affect him.
"Ahaha~~~"
With a faint chuckle, Aether shook his head and murmured softly, "It seems I'm still immature. This joy… even though I try to suppress it, I just can't contain it—it's a happiness that comes from the depths of my heart."
"Hah…"
Finally.
Aether exhaled deeply, calming himself and regaining his composure.
No matter what.
He had succeeded. And success, in itself, was a good thing.
"Father."
"Mother."
"Everyone…"
Aether stepped forward, gazing at everyone present with deep gratitude in his eyes.
"Ahaha~~~"
Nyx chuckled gently and said, "Aether, it's good that you've succeeded. Don't worry. All of us support you in everything you do."
"Exactly," Thanatos nodded quietly.
Charon, standing nearby, smiled warmly as he watched Aether.
"I know," Aether said with a slight shake of his head. "No matter the time, Father, Mother, all of you have always been there to support me."
His words were filled with heartfelt emotion.
Pure Land of Bliss.
"He succeeded," Hestia said with a wide grin as she sat cross-legged on her throne, completely ignoring the usual decorum of a divine seat.
Of course.
This was just how Hestia had always been.
"Ahaha~~~"
Persephone smiled softly as well and said, "No matter what, as long as he succeeded, that's the best result. But…"
"Hmm…"
Persephone pondered briefly before asking, "Husband, now that Aether has established the Divine Cluster of Darkness and Night, shouldn't we begin considering the formation of an Underworld Pantheon?"
"Exactly!"
Hestia added enthusiastically, "Brother, it's time to start forming a pantheon! Once the Underworld Pantheon is established, you'll be able to steadily ascend toward Absolute Godhood."
"It's too early."
Hades shook his head calmly and said, "Persephone, Sister, your thoughts aren't wrong. The formation of a pantheon does indeed need to be considered. However, it's still too soon."
"For now, forming a pantheon is beyond my current capacity."
"And attempting it prematurely could lead to backlash."
Hades understood this well.
Normally!
With his subordinate gods already forming divine clusters, the next logical step would indeed be for him to begin forming a pantheon.
The Underworld Pantheon!
Once it was successfully formed, Hades would naturally be able to approach the level of an Absolute God.
The Path to Absolute Godhood.
The creation of a God Realm, the fusion of avatars, and the establishment of a pantheon—all these paths lay before Hades.
For this reason!
Hades wasn't in a hurry.
This wasn't about complacency.
Rather!
Hades simply didn't feel the need to rush. With his avatar steadily integrating into him, time was the only thing he lacked. As long as time allowed, he would inevitably ascend to the level of an Absolute God.
However.
Hades had no intention of sitting idly by.
Though waiting was a valid option, it wasn't his style.
For Hades, every step was carefully planned to bring steady progress.
Whether it was for the Underworld, his past plans, or everything unfolding now, every move was deliberate.
Hades wasn't in a hurry, but he also wasn't idle. Every step he took was calculated, leading him closer to his ultimate goal.
Unquestionably!
This approach was vital, both for the Underworld and for Hades himself. It wasn't just important—it was essential.
Hades disliked idleness. Even if waiting would eventually lead him to ascend, that wasn't the path he wanted to take.
For Hades…
Action and progress were the only way forward.
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