The Yellow Springs, the Four Great Rivers of the Underworld, the Eight Major Prisons, the Four Circles...
The Underworld was perfect in every sense. To humans, it would seem like a living hell. But in Athena's eyes, she knew it was the embryo of a mythical world, one belonging solely to Hades—a divine realm of mythological world-class quality.
The more she looked, the more awestruck she became.
"…"
At this moment, Athena was overwhelmed with silence. There was almost no other emotion she could express. Her mentality had shifted, and for the first time, she found herself unsure of what to say or how to react.
"Whoo~~~"
Athena let out a nearly imperceptible breath. With her divine status and power, she naturally sensed the hidden hells beneath the Underworld. These hells orbited like satellites, guarding the realm.
One…
Two…
The more she observed, the more alarmed she became. To form such satellite-like hells, one would need to employ methods like Mephisto's unique contractual hells. Otherwise, it would require the power of a god-king to create them, which meant...
Hypnos respectfully said, "This way, Earth Goddess."
"Very well."
Athena, holding her earth scepter, nodded calmly and followed Hypnos' lead. The twin gods led Athena deeper into the Underworld at a pace that wasn't particularly fast, though this was only in comparison to the full speed of gods. Everything else seemed slow.
Hypnos explained, "Earth Goddess, my apologies, but any foreign presence in the Underworld must proceed this way. Otherwise, the laws of the Underworld will not permit it."
"I understand."
Athena didn't mind. She knew that once on someone else's turf, it was best to follow the rules and not act recklessly. It was as if the message was: "Dragons, stay coiled; tigers, lie low."
That was the situation, after all.
Moreover, Athena could clearly see that Hades' divine realm, the Underworld, was unlike any other god's domain. In most divine realms, if a god of equal power entered, it would pose significant danger, potentially causing chaos and disaster.
After all, it was akin to letting an enemy invade your stronghold—a situation that almost guaranteed death.
But for Hades, it was different. His divine realm was built around the World Tree, which stretched across the entire Underworld, towering before their eyes. Even someone as powerful as Athena couldn't miss it. In the Underworld, Hades' power was comparable to that of a Creator God. It wasn't just other god-kings who would struggle here; even an Ancient God entering the Underworld would find it nearly impossible to escape unscathed.
This was the fundamental difference.
Poseidon and Boros...
They weren't fools. They wouldn't recklessly step into the Underworld, because entering the Underworld was almost a guaranteed death sentence, like being a lamb to the slaughter.
As Athena walked, her expression remained calm, but internally, she was deeply serious. They passed by numerous massive hells, all of which were not only operating normally, but also inhabited by native residents of the Underworld—souls who had been born there naturally, or those who had chosen to remain after death.
All of this was part of the Underworld.
As they continued, Athena came upon a garden, where she saw a blooming Kasha tree with 108 fruits.
For the first time, Athena stopped in her tracks.
It wasn't because she intended to seize the Kasha tree, but because she was truly shocked. Even with her calm nature, she couldn't help but feel the impact of what she was seeing.
How was this possible?
No.
The real question was, why was it here?
Athena couldn't believe it.
The significance of the Kasha tree to the Underworld was almost on par with the Dark Star, both being intimately tied to Hades' power as the Lord of the Underworld. In other words, possessing the Kasha tree meant one could directly threaten Hades.
And yet...
The Kasha tree was simply planted here?
This…
It was utterly unimaginable.
Hypnos and Thanatos also paused. The twin gods displayed no signs of caution, nor did they feel any need for it. They understood exactly why Athena was so stunned at this moment.
Hypnos spoke calmly, "In the Underworld, it doesn't matter where these things are placed. Everything here is safe and secure."
"His Majesty once said, since no one can reach this place, then no matter where it's placed, it will always be safe."
Hypnos quietly explained, and Thanatos followed up with his brother's words.
At that moment, Athena understood the absolute confidence hidden in the words of the twin gods. The truth became clear to her. It wasn't that Hades didn't care about the Kasha tree. It was that, in the Underworld, these things were simply not considered a threat.
They were placed here because no one could do anything about them.
Who could challenge it?
Even if someone knew where the Kasha tree was planted, could they make it here alive?
Hehehe~~~
From the moment anyone stepped into the Underworld, it wasn't even a matter of facing Hades, who wielded the authority of a Creator God.
Even just encountering Aether, Moirae, Keres, and Kharon would be enough. These were four underworld gods with god-king level power.
And more importantly, there were still other forces within the Underworld capable of ascending to god-king status, such as Sparta and Eris, who had taken Zeus' god-king authority and essence. They were on the verge of becoming god-kings as well.
Athena had sensed at least five satellite hells, meaning there were seven god-kings in total!
Facing seven god-kings in their home territory—how could anyone possibly hope to win?
Are you an Ancient God?
Do you think Erebus and Nyx are powerless?
It's worth noting that Erebus and Nyx had already settled in the Underworld. The Ancient God couple had taken residence here, living leisurely, watching their children grow and enjoying their days in quiet peace.
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