The preparations of the Underworld remained unknown to Zeus and the others for now.
At the provisional camp, undercurrents grew increasingly turbulent beneath the calm surface. Zeus and Poseidon familiarized themselves with their new artifacts, their power growing with each passing day.
Hera, Demeter, and Hestia also gradually recovered their divine powers, their emotions towards the mysterious return of Hades complex and indescribable—both gratitude for the rescue and a deep-seated fear of his identity and motives.
Koios was busy winning over other Titans and nature gods dissatisfied with Cronus's rule. With the support of Zeus, the 'Son of Prophecy', and Orphos, the 'Lord of the Forge', his influence grew daily, his ambitions spreading like vines, and he even began mentally drafting plans for himself after ascending the throne of the God-King.
However, Cronus, sitting in the depths of the Divine Hall, was not ignorant of this.
The power of time and space allowed him to vaguely sense the disturbance in the long river of fate. The betrayal of his children, the return of Hades, and the gathering of rebel forces were like stings, deeply piercing his proud and suspicious heart.
"Rebellion... They are all rebels!" he roared in the darkness, the golden cup in his hand silently annihilated by the power of time and space. "It is time for these disobedient ones to witness the wrath that truly belongs to the God-King."
No longer content with passive defense, he began to actively use the power of his great divinity, distorting time and space, spying on the future, trying to identify the weaknesses of the rebels, and even summoning deeper and more dangerous laws of the world, vowing to completely annihilate all threats.
On this day, Zeus was practicing his divine skills on a mountaintop shrouded in thunder, trying to fully control the immense power of the thunderbolt.
He mobilized his divine power with all his might, and the thunderbolt shone brightly, as if about to tear the entire sky apart.
At the moment when his divine power reached its peak, deep in the Underworld, Hades, who was observing the movements of Olympus through a mirror artifact he had created, slightly stirred his mind.
He made no obvious moves, but in the depths of his consciousness, the law of the Underworld connected to the silence imprint within the thunderbolt's core trembled slightly, like a spider's web swayed by a gentle breeze.
On the mountaintop, Zeus suddenly felt an extremely subtle, almost imperceptible sensation of stagnation emanating from the thunderbolt in his hand!
The divine power, originally flowing endlessly under his control, seemed for an instant to encounter an invisible and intangible layer, cold and chilling to the bone. Though fleeting, and the thunder's power returned to normal, this sudden sense of dissonance shook Zeus's mind, nearly causing a backlash of divine power.
He steadied himself and looked suspiciously at the thunderbolt in his hand.
"What's happening? Could it be that the artifact's power hasn't been fully tamed? Or... is it Cronus's curse?"
An imperceptible fog quietly arose in his heart. He did not suspect Orphos, but rather blamed his own lack of control or the schemes of his father-god.
In the Underworld, Hades calmly withdrew his thoughts. This was merely a trivial test, a gentle touch on the hidden reins.
The result satisfied him.
The branding was effective and extremely subtle.
"Trust is like delicate ceramic; once a crack appears, it will continue to expand," Hades whispered, his voice echoing through the empty corridor, devoid of any emotion.
"And when they rely most on their weapons, if they were to betray them at a critical moment... what despair and confusion that would be. However, it is not yet time to use it."
On the other side, Zeus clenched the thunderbolt, and that fleeting sensation of stagnation was like ice water on the surface, slightly dampening his boiling battle spirit.
His golden brows furrowed, and he summoned his divine power again; the thunderbolt burst forth with an even more dazzling light, as if wanting to completely dispel this dissonance.
"Is it because I haven't fully mastered it? Or..." Zeus was full of doubts. He buried this strangeness deeply, but the confidence in his absolute control over his own power had already shown a faint crack.
At the same time, Hades, far away in the depths of Hades, had a panoramic view of Zeus's subtle reactions through the mirror.
He was emotionless, his fingertips unconsciously tapping on the armrest of the obsidian throne.
"The seeds of doubt are sown," he whispered to Metis, who had appeared beside him at some point. "We just need to wait for the right moment for them to take root."
Metis's blue eyes were filled with wisdom, and she said quietly: "Cronus will not sit idly by. Preparations need to be accelerated."
Hades nodded, his gaze fixed on the giants standing solemnly below. "Brontes, what is the status of my chariot and armor?"
The leader of the Cyclopes, Brontes, stepped forward, his single giant eye flashing with pride: "My king, the chariot is made with 'Silent Cold Iron' as its bones, inlaid with 'Stones of Lament' to establish the boundary between life and death, and can ignore the storms of time and space. Your armor is infused with the essence of the Styx and the law of 'Secrecy', capable of being perfectly concealed even under the scrutiny of great divine power."
"However..." Brontes hesitated.
"What is it?" Hades asked in a deep voice.
The Cyclops Brontes's booming voice echoed in the palace of Hades, presenting the final and crucial part of constructing the King of Hades's chariot: "My king, the chariot and armor are perfect for carrying your divine power and moving between the boundary of life and death. However, to pull this chariot, which embodies the origin of the Underworld and the concept of 'silence', ordinary mythical creatures, and even Titan giants, are beyond reach and unworthy of your identity. It requires a powerful and eternal giant, capable of truly matching the majesty of Hades, to do so."
A flash of clarity appeared in Hades's deep violet eyes. He had already considered this issue.
The chariot of Hades was not only a means of transport but also a symbol of his identity and power, and the giant that pulled the chariot had to be strong enough, unique, and even its very existence capable of intimidating enemies.
"You are right, Brontes," Hades slowly rose from the obsidian throne, the divine power of the King of Hades naturally radiating from his entire being.
"This chariot should not be pulled by ordinary or well-known mythical creatures. Its pulling force, when it comes from the Underworld itself, is an extension of the concepts of death and silence, and an existence that even Titans must focus on."
He already had an idea. He stepped down from the throne and arrived in a void in the depths of the Underworld where absolute silence reigned, and even the dead dared not approach.
This was the foundation of the Underworld's laws, and also an area where Hades's power could be most effective.
Metis, Thanatos, Hypnos, and the giants followed silently, watching the moment.
Hades first invoked the power of [Soul]. This was not to absorb or direct, but to create—or rather, to define.
He mobilized the power of [Secrecy] to completely isolate this creative process from the outside world, ensuring that no fluctuation would leak to Olympus to alert Cronus or other beings.
Hades also used the divine power of [Forging]—not forging metal, but 'forging' life forms.
He used divine power as a hammer and the law of the Underworld as an anvil, guiding the four energy cores to gradually stretch and take shape.
Just like the golden race that walks the earth today, they were shaped by the gods themselves and carry a specific mission and essence.
In this deepest part of Hades, under the immense divine power and will of Hades, a new 'life' was meticulously being created, serving only Hades.
Their outlines gradually became clear: a slender and powerful neck, a smooth and explosive torso, limbs that seemed capable of shattering time and space.
Their fur did not grow, but was woven from the purest darkness of the Underworld, smooth as a mirror, yet absorbing all light.
In the position of their eyes, two dark purple flames ignited from nothingness—these were dark flames kindled by the power of [Soul], seeing the boundary between life and death.
Finally, before everyone's eyes, four extraordinary and awe-inspiring giant beasts gradually condensed and took form!
"I name you 'Aethi'."
Hades's voice was like a final verdict, imprinted in the soul-hearts of the four giants.
The divine beings named 'Aethi' neighed silently—a kind of resonance—and the laws of the entire Underworld trembled slightly, as if responding to their king's naming.
"Very well." Hades turned around, the divine power of Hades naturally manifesting, the air in the entire hall seeming to freeze.
"Now, it is time for our 'allies' to witness true power."