Thanatos and Prometheus left the Sanctuary.
Meanwhile, behind the Hall of the Goddess, a figure emerged—it was Metis. In a calm voice, she asked, "Athena, do you think this method can nurture the 88 Cloths?"
"I'm not sure," Athena replied. "However, since these Saints are being selected from the Underworld, and through this unique process, the strength they possess is unquestionable. Under such circumstances, the nurturing of the Cloths should not be an issue."
Athena gave a somewhat ambiguous answer after a moment of thought.
Indeed, just as the essence of the Underworld Saints lay in their Surplices and Demon Stars, the essence of Saints was their Cloths. For any Saint, the real core of their power was the Cloth they wore.
As long as the Cloth was powerful enough, it could endlessly nurture powerful Saints.
Why is it that every Golden Saint, from their birth, possesses the Seventh Sense?
No matter which rank of Golden Saint, they all share this innate power.
The reason is simple: the Golden Saints correspond to the twelve constellations of the zodiac, and the core of their power lies in this connection.
Naturally, every Golden Saint born possesses the innate talent to rival the Seventh Sense due to this connection.
In other words, the continual nurturing of each Cloth, from the mythological era onward, has allowed each new Saint to be born with incredible power. This cycle will continue indefinitely.
Until...
When the 88 Cloths reach their true limit. At that point, even Athena herself will be unable to take things further. When that day comes, it will be the ultimate limit. But until then, the potential for the Cloths is practically boundless.
Of course, these thoughts were not something that needed to be dwelled on for now.
Metis, however, looked at her daughter with concern. She wasn't joking—Athena's actions were tantamount to playing with fire.
If things continued as they were, who could say what the ultimate outcome would be?
But regardless, everything had already been set in motion. Metis knew that she couldn't say much more now. The only option left was to let things continue down this path, as it was the best outcome for the Sanctuary and the most viable method they had.
As for what would happen next? No one could predict.
With a sigh, Metis shook her head, realizing that discussing the matter further would be pointless. No matter what, this was the reality before them.
Elsewhere in the Underworld…
Prometheus, much like Athena when she first entered, found himself in complete silence.
At this moment, only after stepping into the Underworld did Prometheus fully understand just how terrifying the power of this realm truly was.
"No wonder!" Prometheus muttered to himself. "Faced with such an Underworld, it's no surprise that even Poseidon and Porus—no matter which God-King—are forced to play along."
"Now I see…"
"None of them ever had the option to flip the table. That's the core of it. When everything is laid out like this, they have no choice but to submit, unable to challenge the overwhelming power before them."
"This is the Underworld!"
Prometheus' mind was filled with a torrent of thoughts.
He had to admit that the Underworld's strength was truly terrifying.
Sometimes, a game isn't one that everyone wants to play. That much is clear. There are times when people would prefer to avoid the game altogether. But, as Prometheus realized, some players simply don't have the option to refuse. That's the most frightening part—having no choice but to participate because you lack the power to do otherwise.
Remember this: if you don't have the ability to overturn the game, then all you can do is continue playing. Isn't that right?
No one can deny this truth.
This was the reality. The core and foundation of the situation were laid bare.
This was the power of the Underworld!
"Let's go," Thanatos said.
"Alright," Prometheus nodded.
The two gods continued deeper into the Underworld.
Before long, with Thanatos' help, the light of the stars guided the selection of suitable souls from the Underworld's population, forming the first generation of 88 Saints. As the selection of each Golden Saint was completed, the Underworld settled into a state of calm and silence.
Prometheus departed.
Thanatos returned to where he had started.
"Thanatos," Hypnos greeted him. Although he already knew the outcome, he still asked calmly, "Is everything settled?"
"Yes," Thanatos nodded. "Everything has been taken care of. Now, we simply need to wait for the right time."
"Good," Hypnos nodded. After some thought, he added, "However, the selection of new Underworld Saints needs to begin soon. Delaying any further wouldn't be wise."
"In my opinion, there's no need to rush," Thanatos disagreed.
But Hypnos insisted, "Thanatos, you must understand that in this Holy War, the Underworld is aiding the Sanctuary in achieving victory. In such a case, being fully prepared is the most important thing."
"Hmm…" Thanatos pondered briefly before Hypnos continued, "Otherwise, it will be Hades' reputation that suffers. The cost of failure is one thing, but that outcome isn't what we want."
"You're right," Thanatos agreed, nodding after a moment of consideration, accepting Hypnos' reasoning.
With the situation settled, the two gods returned to their tasks.
While the gods continued their preparations, a million years passed in the blink of an eye.
A new era had arrived, and everything was about to begin.
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