In the days that followed, the figure of Orphos appeared more and more frequently in every corner of the earth. He was still beloved by the nymphs and nature spirits, and wherever he went, flowers bloomed in profusion. But in secret, he focused on two things:
First, he took the initiative to seek out and purify those 'wounds' infected by the power of Tartarus. He no longer waited for passive discovery, but actively attacked, using the perception of the earth granted by [Subterranean Wealth] and the sensitivity of [Purification] to 'anomalies'.
Each successful purification strengthened his mastery over the power of [Purification], and at the same time, he felt a deeper and more majestic support from the earth beneath his feet. This support not only accelerated the recovery and growth of his divine power but also drew his connection with Gaia closer, as if he had truly become an extension of the earth's will.
The second task was to accelerate the research on the connection between [Decay] and [Subterranean Wealth] to give birth to ore veins. He was no longer satisfied with merely producing a few grains of iron ore; he selected several remote areas with potential in the ley lines for a larger-scale attempt.
He carefully managed the rapid growth and decomposition of plants, using them as a 'catalyst' and 'energy source' to extract metallic elements hidden deep underground, accelerating their fusion and sedimentation.
This process was extremely draining on his mind and power, and he had to use [Secrecy] to strictly cover all energy fluctuations. But the results were impressive—several miniature, low-grade, yet genuinely naturally formed metal veins began to grow silently beneath the sites he had chosen.
They grew slowly, but under the continuous and cyclical action of [Decay], they evolved tens of millions of times faster than nature alone could achieve.
These veins could not be directly converted into his combat power yet, but they were his 'reserve vault', the essence and strengthening of the [Subterranean Wealth] sacred office. With their birth, Hades clearly felt the [Subterranean Wealth] divinity slowly growing.
One day, just as Hades had finished purifying a contaminated site deep within a dark canyon, sealing the last trace of the escaping abyssal power into the earth, he sensed something and looked up.
Above the canyon, the originally clear sky was suddenly shrouded in flowing, metallic lead-gray clouds. A majestic and heavy aura of divine power permeated down, but it did not belong to the all-consuming cruelty of Cronus; rather, it was inclined towards 'surveillance'.
A messenger of the God-King? Hades immediately recalled Gaia's warning.
He did not hesitate to use the power of [Secrecy] to its utmost limit. The sensation of his existence was instantly minimized, as if he had become part of the canyon's shadow, and even his breathing synchronized with the sound of the wind.
He restrained all divine light, leaving only the pure fluctuation of plant divinity belonging to 'Orphos', which was integrated with the life force of the surrounding plants, like an ordinary nature god who had just finished his work and was resting.
The lead-gray clouds hovered over the canyon for a moment, then condensed into a vague, tall figure in a cloudy robe. His face was hidden behind the flowing clouds, only a pair of sharp eyes scanning downwards like a falcon.
This was Koios, the god of the celestial axis and inquiry, a powerful Titan and brother of Cronus, who often walked the earth as the God-King's eyes, ears, and messenger.
Koios's gaze swept across the canyon, pausing slightly on Hades's hidden spot, as if he sensed the unusual aura of 'purification', but was soon misled by the rich and natural plant life.
He did not find Hades, who was deliberately concealed, and attributed the place to the activities of a supposed plant god recently conceived by the Earth Mother.
"Orphos?" Koios's voice was like thunder, echoing through the canyon with unquestionable majesty. "I am ordered by the God-King Cronus to inspect the earth. Have you detected any anomalies?"
Hades knew he could not completely avoid this. At the right moment, he revealed his figure from the shadows with a hint of just the right amount of 'appropriate' reverence and confusion, and bowed slightly: "Great Koios, I am Orphos. I have been performing my sacred duties here and have found nothing unusual."
Koios's cloudy robe rippled slightly, and those sharp eyes scrutinized Hades. "Very well."
His tone was unreadable. "Remember your identity, plant god. Your duty is to maintain the purity of the earth, but if you find anything beyond your capabilities, or... signs of certain forbidden things, you should report immediately to Olympus."
The implication was clear—he was searching for any power that might dare to challenge the God-King's authority.
"I obey the oracle," Orphos replied respectfully, with an icy calmness in his downcast eyes.
Koios looked at him for a moment, seeming unable to find anything in this seemingly gentle and harmless plant god, and finally transformed into a ribbon of light and vanished into the lead-gray clouds.
Only when the oppressive divine power had completely disappeared did Hades slowly straighten up.
The frontal encounter with Koios, although he had successfully passed the test with [Secrecy] and disguise, made him truly feel the impending danger.
Just Koios, who was not even among the strongest of the Titans, could suppress Hades so greatly. What if it were the most powerful God-King himself?
He looked towards Mount Olympus, his gaze seeming to pierce through the infinite space to see the cruel father-god sitting on his throne, devouring his children.
"Your reign will not last long," he whispered coldly in his heart. "Whether it is Zeus or I... your downfall is already fated."
He knew this encounter was not accidental.
The fact that Koios's inspection was so extensive that it reached the canyon where he had just completed a purification spoke volumes.
Either the subtle ripples generated during the cleansing process had been detected, or... as Gaia said, Cronus's greedy perception of power had begun to scan the earth more frequently.
"We can no longer be this passive," Hades murmured in his heart. Gaia's protection was not absolute, and he must have more capital to protect himself and even fight back.
Relying only on camouflage and the slowly accumulating veins as 'Orphos' was not enough in the face of the approaching storm.
Zeus could be born at any moment, and he needed to complete his accumulation as soon as possible to contend for fields that had not yet emerged.
Hades recalled some powers that did not yet have masters: fire and smithing (Hephaestus), lava and volcanoes, storms (Typhon), temperature...