I Am Hades, Lord of the Underworld!

The Ancient Gods.

Each harbored their own thoughts as they observed the perfect devotee undertaking the final trial, especially noting the layered protections from the gods of the underworld and the precautions taken by Erebus and Nyx.

It could be said that they were all somewhat puzzled.

"..."

A woman with golden hair, an exquisite face, and a regal bearing, like that of a noble lady, slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze seemed to contain endless life, embodying everything within.

The foremost of the eight Ancient Gods.

The Creator of all things.

One of the God-Kings and ruler of the earth.

The Earth Goddess, Gaia.

At this moment!

Gaia had a puzzled expression as she softly murmured, "Hades… how strange…"

To Gaia, Hades was incredibly peculiar. His actions, his achievements, didn't seem like something a normal god could accomplish.

In every era of the mythical world, there is a protagonist—Uranus, Kronos, each was a protagonist in their time. In the third generation, it was supposed to be Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus.

Among these three God-Kings, Zeus was originally the protagonist, but due to unforeseen events, now all three shared that role.

But the issue is!

The core of these three protagonists is divided into three parts, each lessened accordingly. Yet Hades' fortune seems almost absurd.

Uranus.

Kronos.

Even though they were the central figures, they never had such luck!

"But…"

Gaia didn't care much about all this. In her eyes, everything was just a game. Even though she cherished her children, she wasn't overly concerned.

As the saying goes! In the Greek pantheon, love for one's children is rare! Gaia is no different. As a mother, she may love her children, but as the Earth Goddess, she's indifferent to everything else.

Gaia closed her eyes again. She still had things to deal with, and this game wouldn't end so easily.

Even though she didn't care much, as a mother, if her children were bullied, shouldn't she seek revenge? Even if the one bullying her child was her grandchild, she still had to avenge them.

Step by step, with each prostration!

The devout ascetic walked slowly through the snow. He felt as though his body had stiffened, as if his soul was freezing, and his life was nearing its end.

But~~~ 

In reality! 

This was just his perception. The truth was that his soul was ascending, his body was ascending, and his will was ascending.

The sky!

Gradually, it was shrouded in darkness and night, with only a faint glimmer of light illuminating the path ahead.

"Was my choice wrong?"

He whispered softly, murmuring, "Does the coming of darkness mean that my choice was wrong?"

"No!"

"No!"

"Lord Hades!"

"I am your most devout follower. I will complete my ascetic journey. This is my faith, and I will carry your blessing to build the strongest nation!"

"I am your most devout follower!"

He hesitated briefly but then resumed his progress, each step accompanied by a prostration, without any further doubt.

It could be said! His actions were too perfect, so perfect that it was hard to imagine. His unwavering heart showed no hesitation; even self-doubt did not shake his faith.

This perfection left Poseidon and Zeus disappointed.

After all!

If doubt had continued to grow, then failure would have been inevitable.

But unfortunately! 

It seems that they can only wait for his success now.

As time passed.

Almost all the gods of the mythical world were watching him. With each step and prostration, he gradually emerged from the darkness and saw the beautiful aurora. Beneath the aurora was the edge of the Far North.

The surface world is vast beyond measure! 

But!

That doesn't mean it has no edge.

To be precise!

There is an edge to the surface world, but ordinary humans can't reach it, and even ordinary gods can't come to the boundary. There are special laws here; if you step into it, you'll be transferred away.

After all.

The edge is too dangerous. Heaven, Earth, Sea, and the Underworld—these four realms form the complete mythical world. Surrounding it are the Astral Sea and the Black Sea, enclosing the mythical world above and below.

At the edge of the surface world, if you're not careful, you could fall into the Black Sea. At that point, you'd be in great danger, and a single mistake could lead to disaster!

For this reason! 

The Ancient Gods worked together to seal the surface world, while the depths of the Sea World lead to the Black Sea, and Heaven and the Underworld are independent realms. This is the uniqueness of the surface world.

At this moment!

He had truly reached the edge of the surface world, witnessing the beautiful light that represents it.

"Lord Hades!"

"I…"

He arrived at this place, kneeling respectfully on the ground, pressing his forehead to the earth, and quietly waiting, waiting for Lord Hades to respond to him.

As for whether Lord Hades would respond? He believed he would. He was certain that he would see Lord Hades, that Hades would respond to him.

The night and darkness gradually dissipated.

Everything faded away.

To him, all of this was a test, but in truth, it was protection, preventing anyone from taking away this perfect believer who had driven all the gods to madness.

And!

A figure emerged from the pitch-black darkness, slowly stepping forward.

His pace was steady, and step by step, he approached the edge of the Far North. His eyes, which seemed to contain the universe, life, and death, quietly observed the figure before him.

"Lord Hades!"

"Devout follower!"

"I beseech your blessing!"

His voice was soft, as if he was suppressing his joy, but tears already flowed from his eyes. For the most devout follower, nothing was more terrifying than the fear that their faith would go unanswered.

But!

The Hades before him—though he had never seen him before—he knew, this was Lord Hades, the one he worshipped.

He bowed once more, and at this moment, he fully embraced his transcendence!

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