The Underworld.
It had always been supported by meticulous planning and a comprehensive structure.
In truth.
Even without the existence of the avatars, it wouldn't have made much of a difference for Hades. This wasn't a casual claim but a concrete reality.
After all!
To Hades, the existence of these unpredictable, mysterious avatars—whose origin remained unclear—was of little consequence.
And the reason was simple.
As previously mentioned:
If something could manifest on its own, it could also vanish just as easily.
No one could predict!
The future!
What would ultimately come of this? Not even Hades could say for certain. Thus, it was better to stick to the original plan and move forward steadily.
"That's true…"
Hestia rubbed her smooth, slightly chubby chin, the kind of roundness one wouldn't expect to find on a god.
It was absurd, honestly.
Hestia, a powerful Titan Goddess and one of the Olympians, had somehow put on some weight, giving her a slightly plump, baby-faced appearance. Was this not ridiculous in its own way?
"So, the thing is," Hestia muttered to herself, smacking her lips, "while you can't fully rely on this avatar stuff, I think, little brother, you should at least consider it. What if it turns out there's nothing wrong with it?"
"Of course!"
"The Underworld's plans should stay in place."
"In the meantime!"
"Now that Aether has successfully formed the Divine Cluster of Darkness and Night, I think it's time for the Underworld to start discussing the creation of a pantheon."
"Pantheon…"
Persephone mulled over the idea and shook her head. "Elder Sister, it's difficult to say. At this stage, the only deities in the Underworld who qualify to form their own divine clusters are the gods from Father Erebus and Mother Nyx's line and the Seventy-Two Demon Gods led by Baal."
"In total, the number of qualified clusters in the Underworld is still far too small."
"This…"
"…isn't ideal," Persephone said, shaking her head. "After all, with only two clusters to support it, there's a high likelihood of issues arising."
Her concerns were valid.
The Underworld didn't have enough divine clusters to form a proper pantheon.
"Hmm…"
Hestia scratched her head, visibly frustrated. "This is such a headache! Forming a pantheon is clearly something that needs to be done, but now it's being held back because there aren't enough divine clusters?"
"Ugh, how annoying!"
Hestia felt her head throb.
But.
What Persephone said was indeed the truth. For a pantheon to be formed properly, it required a strong foundation of divine clusters to serve as its backbone.
And for now, the Underworld simply lacked that foundation.
This…
Was the core issue.
There was no way around it!
The shortage of divine clusters was a major roadblock. And in this situation, that alone made the problem more difficult to resolve.
It was unsolvable.
Or, to put it another way…
It was a problem that couldn't be addressed easily. How could it be resolved? Clearly! Anyone who understood the situation would see the difficulties involved.
Unless.
They could increase the number of divine clusters. Otherwise, the issue would persist, potentially leading to even greater complications.
This much was certain.
"Ugh, it really is a headache!"
"It truly is," Persephone agreed, nodding. She, too, felt the weight of the issue. With so many variables in play, how should this be addressed?
This was the most frustrating part.
If they could resolve it, everything would be fine.
But for now…
The problem stood unresolved.
It was genuinely hard to deal with.
"Hmm…"
Hestia, still deep in thought, turned her attention toward her brother. She asked curiously, "Little Brother! What do you think? How should we handle this? What should we do about these issues?"
Hestia was eager to hear his opinion.
The problem of divine clusters!
It was something that had to be solved. Otherwise, it would inevitably lead to complications.
And regarding this matter.
Hestia wasn't wrong to be concerned. The Underworld faced too many potential issues tied to divine clusters.
The lineage of Erebus and Nyx, the Primordial God and Goddess of Darkness and Night.
The Seventy-Two Demon Gods, led by Baal.
These!
Were the only two groups in the Underworld truly qualified to form divine clusters. Beyond them?
Well…
There was almost no one else suitable.
That wasn't an exaggeration.
Outside of these two groups, the Underworld lacked other candidates.
This was the current state of affairs.
"Divine clusters."
"There's no need to rush."
Hades, ever composed, spoke calmly: "The growth of Underworld gods requires time, as does the emergence of divine clusters. Persephone, Sister, you're both too eager. In truth, this isn't something that needs to be rushed."
Hades' voice was soft and steady.
The formation of divine clusters?
The creation of a pantheon?
No!
No!
To Hades, neither was a pressing matter. To put it simply, while he wouldn't say he didn't care about these issues, it was very close to that. These weren't things that required urgent attention.
From Hades' perspective, everything needed to progress step by step, in a steady and orderly manner.
Indeed, two clusters weren't enough to support the Underworld's growth.
But!
Was it necessary to panic over this?
No!
No!
In Hades' view, there was absolutely no reason to rush. Everything could be developed steadily and addressed as time went on.
To Hades, this was the most important approach.
The current state of the Underworld? It was progressing steadily, and that was enough. As for other concerns? They weren't worth worrying about right now.
Anyone with even a basic understanding of the situation would see this.
"Hah…"
Hestia let out a long sigh, shaking her head. "Fine! Fine! If you're saying that, Little Brother, then I won't stress over it anymore. It's not worth overthinking."
Hestia understood the situation well. Worrying too much was pointless.
Patience was key.
Clearly!
Her brother already had a comprehensive and stable plan. In that case, she didn't need to overanalyze or interfere.
Hades nodded quietly in agreement.
At that moment!
Hestia suddenly asked, "Speaking of which, where's little Enma? Where did that little rascal run off to?"
Persephone smiled and said, "She's off playing at Yomi-no-Hirasaka."
"Ah, I see."
Hestia nodded knowingly before breaking into a teasing tone. "Little Brother, you're the King of the Underworld, and yet, your realm's gatekeeper was brought back by your daughter! Honestly, you don't manage anything, do you?"
Hestia couldn't resist poking fun at him.
Indeed!
The Three-Headed Hellhound: Cerberus.
This legendary guard dog of the Underworld had been born alongside Typhon. However, after Typhon's birth, the Underworld had almost completely severed ties with the Greek Pantheon.
To be frank!
Had Cerberus not possessed formidable divine power and managed to avoid trouble time and again, things might have gone south for him. That's no exaggeration.
It was simply the reality.
The Underworld had little interest in Cerberus, and as for Cerberus himself?
As a natural-born guardian of the Underworld, most gods dared not provoke him.
And for good reason.
Who would mess with the Hellhound of the Underworld? Even though he roamed freely above the ground, anyone with any sense knew better than to tangle with him.
What if…
What if it was some elaborate trap?
What if attacking him led to the Underworld retaliating?
Haha…
That would be pure comedy.
So!
With this understanding, most wisely left Cerberus alone. No one wanted to risk stirring up trouble with the Underworld.
As a result!
Cerberus had spent years quietly wandering, surviving through a mix of resilience and divine lineage.
Until one day.
With the birth of little Enma, the young princess of the Underworld, she sensed a faint, familiar divine energy outside the Underworld.
Though Enma wasn't allowed to leave the Underworld freely—largely because she was still too young and vulnerable—she couldn't ignore this sensation.
Especially within the Greek Pantheon, where numerous gods kept a close watch on Hades.
Ultimately.
At little Enma's insistence, Hypnos and Thanatos, the twin gods, left the Underworld and ventured into the Greek Pantheon to bring Cerberus back!
No joke.
When the twins retrieved Cerberus, the Hellhound nearly cried on the spot.
He had finally been summoned home! After all these years, someone actually cared about him!
Cerberus was overwhelmed. He was so emotional he almost collapsed in tears.
"Finally…"
"Finally, I can return to the Underworld!"
Cerberus was thrilled beyond measure.
For him, this marked a glorious comeback—a Dog King's Redemption.
Now!
With Cerberus back in the Underworld, he
followed little Enma everywhere, content to stay by her side. After all, this was his greatest protector and benefactor!
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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)
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