"This journey to the ocean exceeded all expectations," Hades said, looking at the dark horizon in the distance. "It not only deepened my understanding of the laws of water but also gained the goodwill of the ocean gods. Metis, thank you."
"There is no need for thanks between us," Metis raised her head, her smile once again clear. "What's next? What are you going to do?"
"Wait." Hades's gaze seemed to pierce the void, looking towards an unknown fate. "Wait for Nyx's call, wait for... the beginning of the storm. But until then, we need to become stronger."
He extended his hand, and in his palm appeared a blue crystal, condensed from the essence of pure water and his [Purification] divine power. Miniature ocean currents seemed to circulate within it, radiating a pure and flawless aura.
"A small token, to express my gratitude. I hope it will aid your research."
This was a gift specially prepared for Metis, combining his insights from the oceanic vortex.
Metis looked at the crystal in surprise, felt the subtle and harmonious power within it, and her eyes were full of joy: "I love it!"
Hades smiled slightly. "Then I'll take my leave. Stay in touch, Metis."
"Mm, be careful, Hades." Metis nodded solemnly.
Hades said no more, and his figure slowly sank into the shadow beneath his feet, as if swallowed by the earth, and disappeared.
Metis held the warm blue crystal and stood by the shore, gazing at the spot where Hades had vanished, not leaving for a long time. In her eyes, the light of wisdom intertwined with a certain firm resolve.
"The waves of fate... I hope we are not merely drifting with the current," she whispered to herself, then transformed into a clear stream and merged with the boundless ocean.
Returning to the lava lake, Hades was in a different state of mind. The harvest from the ocean trip, Oceanus's tacit approval, and the further strengthening of his relationship with Metis—all of these increased the in his hands.
But he did not relax in the slightest. Nyx's invitation was like the Sword of Damocles hanging over his head, and the threat of Cronus was still a thorn in his side.
He sat cross-legged beside the churning lava, closed his eyes, and his consciousness sank into the depths of his divine spark.
[Subterranean Wealth], [Secrecy], [Plant], [Decay], [Purification], [Lava], [High Temperature], [Ash], [Forging], [Knowledge], [Summary], [Innovation]... The radiance of twelve powers intertwined within his core, forming a complex and orderly system.
He began to attempt deeper integration and deduction. In particular, [Knowledge] and [Summary], these most sophisticated tools, continuously analyzed and optimized the combination and application of his other abilities.
Time passed in silence. The light of the lava lake reflected his calm, sculpted face.
After an unknown amount of time—perhaps a moment, perhaps several years—the fluctuations of divine power around Hades suddenly became extremely restrained, and all radiance returned to his body.
He slowly opened his eyes, and in the depths of his pupils, it seemed as if threads of countless laws were being born, dying, and.
He reached out and lightly tapped the air with his fingertip.
There was no earth-shattering impact; the space before him seemed erased by an invisible force. The light, the breath, and even the most basic material presence in that small area completely disappeared, transformed into absolute 'nothingness'.
This was not destruction, but a higher-level application of the power of [Secrecy], combining [Knowledge]'s understanding of spatial structure with [Summary]'s ultimate optimization of the laws of concealment.
"Not enough..." Hades murmured. He felt that this still could not completely evade the deliberate scrutiny of beings at the level of great divine power, especially primordial ancient gods like Nyx.
Hades could not confirm whether the constant goddess, Ananke, existed.
He needed more power, and he needed a 'realm' that truly belonged to him and was inviolable.
His gaze involuntarily fell again upon the earth beneath his feet, towards a deeper, darker place.
The Underworld.
Here lay the realm of the dead, neighboring Tartarus, a place where Nyx held strong influence, and also... the kingdom destined to be his.
"When the time comes... When will it arrive?" This question once again came to Hades's mind.
As if answering his call.
In the next moment, the newborn power of [Secrecy] around him, which had a faint resonance with the Underworld, suddenly began to act on its own, uncontrollably!
It was not that he had actively stimulated it, but rather that it was being drawn by some distant and immense existence!
The shadow of the earth beneath his feet began to writhe and stretch, like a living thing. It was no longer an ordinary shadow, but transformed into a spinning dark vortex, radiating a powerful aura of death and sleep!
Within the vortex, there was no material existence, only the purest emptiness, silence, and a deep path that stretched downwards, leading to an unknown direction.
This path was not made of matter, but constructed from the most primordial laws of darkness and night!
At the same time, Thanatos's cold and calm declaration, Hypnos's ethereal and distant proverbs, seemed to transcend time and space, echoing clearly once more in his ears—no, directly imprinting themselves upon his divine spark:
"The time has come."
"The place is revealed."
Hades (Orphos) stood before the suddenly manifested dark vortex, feeling its irresistible pull, vibrating in accordance with the most fundamental laws of the Underworld.
The 'right time' he had long awaited had finally arrived.
The great goddess Nyx had opened the path to the Underworld for him.
Without hesitation, without fear. Hades cast one last glance at the churning lava lake and the vibrant earth behind him, then resolutely turned and stepped into the vortex of darkness.
His figure was instantly swallowed by the infinite darkness.
The path to the Underworld quietly closed behind him, as if it had never appeared.
On Earth, only the lava lake continued to churn hotly.
The moment Hades's figure was completely swallowed by the swirling dark vortex, he felt not a fall, but a 'replacement'.
As if his own existence was forcibly 'inserted' from the bright material world into a more ancient and essential level—the Underworld, the region the living cannot touch, where only the dead and certain gods may tread.
Surrounding him was an infinite darkness, not a pure void, but a fluid 'existence' embodying the concepts of silence, peaceful slumber, and the ultimate end.
Here, light lost its meaning; sound was infinitely stretched, diluted, and finally reduced to nothing. The concept of time also became blurred, as if solidified in eternal amber.
Hades steadied his mind, and the power of [Secrecy] flowed naturally, allowing him to merge with this sea of darkness like a drop of water, not causing too strong a ripple in this silent realm.