The moment Hades solemnly declared his acceptance of the duty as Lord of the Underworld's Order, the spinning stars and the rotating threads of fate on Nyx's 'three-in-one' face froze for an instant.
"Good." The triple echo resonated with ancient reverberations, vibrating through the temple. "But, like the God-King and God-Queen, if you wish to be king in the Underworld, you need a Queen of the Underworld."
Hades was startled, realizing that this was not a simple appointment, but pointed towards a deeper fate.
Nyx's eyes, in which the life and death of stars seemed to reside, turned to Hades, her voice filled with undeniable destiny: "Bring your chosen Queen of the Underworld, Hades. She must possess wisdom to match your authority, and the will to share the heavy burdens of the Underworld. Her presence will become an indispensable cornerstone of your future throne."
Queen of the Underworld?
This word exploded in Hades's mind like thunder. He immediately understood Nyx's direction.
Of all the goddesses he knew who possessed sufficient wisdom and potential, only she, Metis, met all these conditions and had a deep connection with him.
The journey to the ocean, Oceanus's silent approval, and the deepening friendship between him and Metis... All of this seemed to be imperceptibly paving the way for this moment.
He did not hesitate, nor could he hesitate. This was Nyx's will, and it was also the only step towards the throne of the Underworld. He replied in a deep voice: "I understand."
There was no need to explain or proclaim; the moment he knew the candidate for the title 'Queen of the Underworld' in his heart, and was acknowledged by Nyx, a blue divine power containing a current of wisdom pierced through the barriers of the Underworld and penetrated this dark temple of night, as if drawn by a force.
The light condensed, and the figure of Metis appeared. A flicker of confusion and surprise crossed her face, clearly unprepared for such a sudden summons.
But when her gaze met Hades's and she saw the calm and resolve in his eyes, and Nyx standing high, radiating infinite majesty, she, being so wise, immediately understood the extraordinary nature of the situation.
"Hades? Goddess Nyx?" Metis suppressed the waves in her heart and paid her respects reverently.
Nyx's eyes fell upon Metis, and the triple voice sounded again with a scrutinizing gaze and a declaration:
"Goddess of hydrology and wisdom, treasure of the ocean. The light of your wisdom has been intertwined with the path of Lord Hades. The Spindle of Fate shows that you will become the key to the balance of the realm of the dead, the cornerstone of its construction. Metis, are you willing to accept this destiny, to walk with him, and to share this eternal darkness?"
Metis's body trembled slightly. She looked at Hades, countless complex emotions flashing in her eyes—surprise, contemplation, and a faint hint of weighing an unknown fate.
But in the end, she saw in Hades's eyes unspoken trust and a shared expectation. She remembered their shared research, mutual support, and vision for the future of the world.
Wisdom told her that this was a difficult path, but one of infinite possibility. Emotion told her that she was willing to face it with the quiet and powerful god beside her.
She took a deep breath, and with a firm gaze on her beautiful face, clearly and solemnly replied to Nyx and Hades:
"I agree. With my wisdom, to assist in the order of the Underworld; with my will, to share the heavy responsibility of the darkness."
"Very well." Nyx's voice trembled with slight satisfaction. "Then the ceremony begins."
Before the words faded, before Hades and Metis could react, the deepest darkness surrounding Nyx suddenly expanded, like an infinite night, instantly engulfing them both!
Hades only felt an irresistible suction from the origin of the world, and in the next moment, he and Metis found themselves in an indescribable space—as if within Nyx's divine body itself, a place where pure darkness and the law of fate merged.
Surrounded by endless currents, it was a phantom of the surging river of fate and the embodiment of the birth and death of countless stars.
"Erebus." Nyx's call echoed through this space, penetrating the boundaries of the Underworld.
Almost the moment the call sounded, with a roar, another majestic, pure divine power, symbolizing the primordial darkness of the universe, arrived!
This divine power originated from the same source as Nyx's power, but had a different nature—it was absolute darkness, the nothingness before the birth of all things, and silence itself.
Erebus, the god of Darkness!
The two most ancient primordial gods, Night and Darkness, their divine powers merged without barrier in this space constructed by Nyx.
This was not a simple superposition of power, but a resonance and fusion of the primordial laws of the universe. Night enveloped darkness, and darkness nourished night. These two forces, like yin and yang, intertwined, spiraled, and tangled, forming a chaotic 'furnace' filled with infinite vitality.
Hades and Metis were placed at the heart of this furnace.
A majestic, extremely pure primordial dark divine power surged from all sides, penetrating their divine bodies, their divinities, and their divine souls.
This process was not a gentle nourishment, but possessed an almost violent, re-forging power.
Hades felt that all his divinities—[Subterranean Wealth], [Secrecy], [Plant], [Decay], [Purification], [Lava], [High Temperature], [Ash], [Forging], [Knowledge], [Summary], [Innovation]—were forcibly stimulated and shaken at this moment, and then underwent a strange transformation under the washing of the primordial dark divine power.
They were not coated or replaced with dark attributes, but were 'tempered' by this most original force, their essence becoming more solid and profound, naturally resonating and adapting to the concept of the 'Underworld'.
In particular, [Subterranean Wealth] and [Secrecy] seemed to have found their true home, beginning to evolve towards a deeper, more absolute 'Hades'.
Metis also suffered this baptism of divine power. Instead of being suppressed by the Dark Source, her [Wisdom] divinity became more crystalline, and her deductive and insightful abilities increased geometrically.
Her [Hydrology] abilities gained new attributes, beginning to touch the law of the waters of the dead.
The divinities of the two inevitably began to merge in this primordial furnace. Within the harmony of darkness and night, what formed was not a simple integration, but a complementary and coexisting system of balance.
Their threads of fate were tightly intertwined at this moment, inseparable.
Time lost meaning here. Perhaps it was an instant, perhaps ten thousand years.
In this infinite blending of darkness and tempering of divine power, Hades's consciousness seemed to return to the most primitive embryonic state, as if undergoing a complete death and rebirth.
He felt a stronger, more complete essence, more aligned with the core of the Underworld, being reforged and taking shape.
Finally, when the fused dark divine power reached a certain peak, Nyx's triple voice sounded again, with the majesty of creation and proclamation:
"The time has come. Born of the dark night, born in darkness. Awaken, true lord, Hades!"
A huge force of repulsion came, and Hades (along with Metis) felt themselves being 'pushed' out of this dark furnace.
A second birth!
Light once again reflected in perception.
Hades still stood in Nyx's temple, Metis beside him. Their appearance had not particularly changed, but they could clearly feel that everything inside had changed.
His divinity had become more condensed and powerful, and his perception of the Underworld was extremely clear and intimate, as if every inch of land and every breath here was connected to his blood.
He heard the whispers of the dead, felt the flow of the Styx, and could touch the law of 'the end' and 'peace' pervading the entire space. An invisible authority belonging to 'lordship' was imposed upon him.
He was no longer the fugitive Hades needing disguise and shelter, nor merely the powerful 'Orphos'.
He was Hades, acknowledged by Nyx and Erebus, and reforged with their primordial divine power—Hades!
Although the law had not openly crowned him during the God-King's reign, Hades still felt the emergence of an illusory authority of Hades within his body.
His divine power level, under this baptism and authority, was completely stabilized at the peak of mighty divine power, and had even reached the threshold of great divine power!
And beside him, Metis's breath had become deeper and wiser, her body surrounded by a faint aura of the Underworld, complementing Hades's divine power.
Nyx looked at the two with a new gaze, and a slight relaxation, inherent in 'fulfilling a mission', flickered across the three-in-one face.
"The path ahead has begun, destined king and queen. Go, take your kingdom, and establish your order. This Underworld will become your eternal inheritance and the burden you shall bear."
Hades and Metis looked at each other, both seeing the firmness and silent understanding in each other's eyes. They bowed deeply to Nyx, the primordial ancient god who had given them new life and authority.
In the next moment, Hades's mind stirred slightly, and he took Metis's hand. Without guidance, the laws of the Underworld naturally paved a path beneath their feet. As soon as they took a step, their figures vanished from Nyx's temple and appeared directly on the vast, barren, yet already intimately familiar land—the land of the Underworld.