After Hades grasped his spear, he paused for a moment, then headed west. Something strange was calling to him there, pulling his soul toward it, and he decided to follow. Hades advanced cautiously through the forest, confident in his strength, but that confidence did not blind him to vigilance. Every step was measured carefully, moving quietly through the shadows and trees, ready for any danger that might appear in his path.
Along the way, he encountered a few wolves. He had no trouble killing them with his spear, his strikes quick and precise. With each step, he remained alert, continuing his long journey among the trees and shadows, every movement calculated, every moment observing his surroundings.
Hades continued until he reached a dark, deep cave. He thought to himself: perhaps this is the cave of the wolf I killed earlier. He lifted his gaze to the sky and considered: maybe I can enter the cave to rest tonight.
Hades entered the cave and found himself facing a large, deep chasm. He decided to move slowly inside, delving deeper and deeper, searching for another spot within where he could be safe from any potential nocturnal attacks.
As Hades advanced into the cave, with every step he took, he did not feel the cave ending or shrinking in size. He continued the long trek with even greater caution, exploring every corner and shadow. After a long period of careful investigation, he noticed a deep pit at the far end of the cave, radiating a mysterious aura that seemed to call him to descend and discover what lay beyond.
Hades thought for a moment, then decided to descend into the pit to explore it, sensing that something there was calling to him. He descended with extreme caution, gripping his spear and ready for any danger. He continued descending for a long time until he reached the bottom of the pit, where he discovered something astonishing: the pit led to a whole underground world, a vast realm unlike anything he had ever seen.
Hades could not see the end of this subterranean world, so he decided to explore it fully. He felt that this place might contain an element or energy that resonated with his soul, and perhaps here he would find what he had been searching for long ago.
Hades walked through the place, ready for any danger, alert to everything he might encounter. He indeed came across some strange creatures, some of which were supposed to be extinct, while others he could not even recognize. But he paid them no mind; anyone who tried to block his path was killed immediately. No one could stop him, and he faced no significant resistance.
All that occupied Hades' mind at that moment was surpassing Odin and earning his father's approval, to gain his pride in his strength and accomplishments.
While Hades was lost in thought, he suddenly heard a powerful roar. He grabbed his spear quickly, ready for any sudden attack, but nothing happened. He immediately realized that he was not the target—the battle was occurring nearby.
Hades decided to approach and observe what was happening. He moved cautiously and from a distance saw a strange creature: a lion's head, bat-like wings, long horns, a scorpion tail, and the body of a massive lion. It was attacking another creature resembling a three-headed dog, small like a child, trying to escape and survive the savage assault.
As Hades watched the battle closely, he noticed the dog-like creature fleeing toward his position. When the dog reached him, it froze in fear and hid behind Hades, trembling.
Hades' eyebrows tensed at the sight of the dog hiding behind him. He had been merely observing, yet he felt that trouble had arrived uninvited. He exhaled slowly, gripped his spear tightly, and prepared for the battle that was about to unfold.
The creature charged at Hades with tremendous speed, and he readied himself to confront it with caution and skill. When the creature saw the person in front of him, it was momentarily surprised but continued its path undeterred, attacking Hades with its claws. Hades blocked the attack with his spear, pushing the strange creature away. The creature was astonished by Hades' strength, having assumed he was weak and could not resist.
The creature attacked again, this time with greater force. Hades dodged and struck the creature's abdomen with his spear as it lunged.
Furious at the wound, the creature attacked even more fiercely, charging at Hades with all its strength and rage. Hades did not falter, confronting it with courage, cunning, and skill, evading and striking the creature in its unprotected weak spots.
However, when Hades intended to kill the creature with a spear strike to its chest, the creature surprised him by striking with its tail, piercing Hades' back and dealing a mortal wound. He fell to the ground, gravely injured.
Hades did not know what to do. As the wounded creature was about to kill him, the three-headed dog lunged at it and bit its leg. Seeing this, the monster grew enraged and struck with its tail, sending the dog flying into a wall.
The monster advanced toward the dog to kill it. When Hades saw this and the dog defending him, memories of his siblings and father flashed through his mind. He knew death was near, but there was a sense of exhilaration in his soul, as if he had been waiting for the energy of death for a long time.
And when Hades felt that, he gathered that energy with difficulty and amassed it in the palm of his hand, then pushed it toward the creature that was about to kill the dog.
When the dark energy touched the creature, the creature writhed and rolled to the right and left, trying to push the dark energy away from it, and suddenly it stopped struggling… and died.
When Hades saw that, he gathered his strength to stand again miraculously, and that energy had not only killed the creature, but also kept him himself away from death.
He said in his mind: So… this is the energy that resonates with my soul.
He looked at his hands stained with the marks of battle, and smiled lightly.
Hades walked toward the injured dog, bent down to look at it while it was hurt, and said in a low voice:
"You are a brave creature… you defended me while you are in this weak state."
Hades smiled, while the injured dog whimpered quietly and wagged its tail softly, as if it were happy that the person it tried to protect was still alive.
Hades smiled, then lifted the dog, which was injured, into his arms, and said to it quietly:
"You will come with me, little one… I will take good care of you."
And when the dog heard those words, it raised its three heads and licked Hades' cheek in gratitude, as if expressing its thanks in its own way.
Hades chuckled lightly, despite the pain that still weighed on his body.
Hades thought about that energy he had felt, the energy that was strangely in harmony with his soul, and he smiled faintly and said to himself while looking at the expanse of the dark underground world:
"There are many creatures here… I will test my strength on them."
Then Hades moved slowly, still feeling the effects of his injuries, and headed to a nearby place where some large rocks were gathered, suitable for resting. He sat there with the dog, placing it beside him, then began treating his wounds and the dog's wounds as much as he could, taking advantage of the calm of that spot inside the deep underground world.
Several years passed…
And Hades became a tall young man, much taller than humans, and his body stronger and tougher than he had ever imagined. He stood on one of the rocky hills in the underground world and looked at the place where he had lived all that time, and smiled faintly.
His memory returned to that day… the day he absorbed that dark energy that resonated with his soul as if it had been created for him.
He remembered how it penetrated his body, how it tore it apart and rebuilt it, and how he woke up afterward different… stronger… deeper… as if a part of him had been reborn.
Since then, there was no creature in this underground world capable of killing him or even approaching his level of strength. He had become invincible in this place he had once feared.
And while Hades was immersed in thinking about everything that had happened, he suddenly heard a loud, massive bark coming from a far distance, approaching quickly, carrying a large creature with it and bringing it toward Hades, then throwing it at his feet.
Hades looked at it smiling and said:
"You brought me food, didn't you, my dog?"
The huge dog barked joyfully, and licked Hades' face with its three heads, as if expressing its happiness and gratitude.
And while Hades was spending time with the dog, he suddenly felt something strange reaching his soul, like a call prompting him to head immediately to the middle of the island.
Hades left what he was doing and set off immediately, issuing his command to his dog to take care of the underground world for him, then rushed toward the surface.
Hades missed his brothers and father, and he was thinking about Odin, wondering if he had become stronger than him after all those years.