I Am Hades, The supreme GOD of the Underworld!

Persephone.

The Seven-Headed, Ten-Horned Red Dragon.

It could be said that this latest evolution brought enormous gains to the Underworld. From the perspective of the Ancient Gods, the Seven-Headed, Ten-Horned Red Dragon had successfully reached maturity, officially stepping into the ranks of Ancient Gods. Persephone, as Queen of the Underworld, was elevated by Hades' boundless favor and the unending flow of the World Tree's power, which helped her ascend to the Ancient God level as well.

Though Persephone's path to Ancient God status differed from others, and her power remained at the lower end of the Ancient God hierarchy, there's no question that an Ancient God is still an Ancient God. Even the weakest Ancient God is a force beyond comparison, capable of crushing any being below their level.

Now, the Underworld has five true Ancient Gods: Hades, Persephone, Erebus, Nyx, and the Seven-Headed, Ten-Horned Red Dragon. Hades' power, along with that of the dragon—whose potential could eventually reach the Absolute God level—set the Underworld on an uncontrollable path toward unimaginable strength.

Aside from the original eight Underworld gods, only Hemera has currently reached the level of God-King, but with time, the Twin Gods and the Supreme Four Pillars will soon follow, and they will undoubtedly be formidable among the God-Kings. 

The Underworld now has five Ancient Gods and fifteen God-Kings, along with numerous other titanic and divine beings at lower levels. It's no exaggeration to say the Underworld has become a true monstrosity, a terrifying existence on par with myth itself.

"The Seven-Headed, Ten-Horned Red Dragon," Erebus mused, feeling a mixture of awe and surprise. "It has finally grown."

Indeed, Erebus knew about the dragon's existence but had not expected it to mature so soon.

Nyx chuckled lightly, teasing Hades, "With the dragon now an Ancient God, its aura is impossible to fully conceal. I imagine if you entered the Great Mythical World now, it would do everything in its power to contain you. I doubt you'd be able to freely roam within it anymore."

Nyx was not wrong. Following the racial wars, humankind's upper limits had expanded once again. However, the Great Mythical World still resented the Ancient Gods immensely. These powerful beings constantly stirred up conflict, creating endless chaos, to the point that the world grew tired of them.

The Great Mythical World had already imposed strict limitations on Ancient Gods, and the Seven-Headed, Ten-Horned Red Dragon would certainly be unwelcome. Adding Hades, with his unique nature, would likely prompt the Great Mythical World to attempt to seal him away immediately.

Hades replied calmly, "The Great Mythical World has become so chaotic that its hostility toward Ancient Gods has reached an unprecedented level. Even without the dragon's presence, entering the Great Mythical World would bring considerable resistance."

"But," Hades continued, "I have long ceased to be tied to the Great Mythical World. The Underworld's focus now is to explore the vast Chaos Sea."

His gaze turned profound, as though it pierced into endless distances.

In truth, the Underworld had already begun to detach itself from the Great Mythical World. While the world itself was not pleased, given the Underworld's nature and its Underworld Kingdom, it made no attempt to prevent this separation—in fact, it seemed almost eager for it to happen quickly. 

In the past, the Underworld was like an egg sheltered within the protective shell of the Great Mythical World. Now, however, with its own development, it had formed its own shell, beginning to break free from the Great Mythical World's control. To the world, this separation was more than welcome; in fact, it was as though the world was saying, "Just leave already!" 

The Great Mythical World's intentions were clear to anyone who understood the situation, and Hades certainly did. He knew that this separation was something the world itself desired and would probably even facilitate.

To maintain some connection, Hades left a strand of his divine power within the Great Mythical World. This would allow him to easily locate the Greek pantheon within it if needed in the future.

"I'm leaving, but I'm not leaving empty-handed," Hades thought to himself. "When the time comes, I'll take my share of the spoils."

Nyx chuckled, "Yes, indeed. At this stage, the Great Mythical World cannot truly limit the Underworld. The Underworld has already evolved into a world of myth in its own right."

The Underworld Mythical World.

The Greek Pantheon Mythical World.

They were almost identical. The Greek Pantheon Mythical World was like a mature adult, while the Underworld Mythical World was a youthful adolescent. 

Even so, if these two worlds clashed, it's uncertain who would prevail: a weakened adult or a strong adolescent.

Erebus considered this and then asked Hades, "Have you thought about your next steps?"

Hades paused and then replied calmly, "Not entirely. For now, I'll proceed gradually. As you both know, my path to this point has been unique. There is likely no other god in the Chaos Sea who has reached my level in this way. How best to proceed from here remains unknown."

"It's a path I'll have to tread slowly, creating the way forward as I go."

Though Hades' tone was calm, there was an air of indifference in his words, as if he was unfazed by the uncertainty ahead. Though the road forward was murky, he was not deterred.

Indeed, venturing into the unknown brings risk, but it also brings the potential for immense reward. Though gods, like anyone, value their lives, they are also willing to risk everything when a new path appears, no matter how uncertain or perilous.

For the gods, there is no hesitation. Even if the path is perilous, they will pursue it boldly, with nothing but confidence in their potential. 

For gods, the so-called "first to eat the crab" will always end up with the prize, eating their fill without a second thought. 

Hades now stood at the forefront of this unknown path. The typical methods of divine cultivation involved three main practices: the path of laws, the power of faith, and the practice of divine realms.

The first two methods had been tested by other gods. In one pantheon, the gods of the Takamagahara myth attained prosperity and power. Even Jesus, who walked the path of faith, ascended to the level of Absolute God within the Christian pantheon.

These two paths were well-validated, but the divine realm path remained unexplored, seen only as a secondary method by most powerful deities, who never pursued it seriously. This was the road no one dared to tread fully, but Hades, having gained the World Tree, had indeed done so and reached his current heights.

The heights Hades had reached were due to countless trials. Achieving even a fraction of his power without the World Tree would have been impossible. The Underworld, with its Pillars of Heaven and Earth, and Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind as its essence, symbolized the cultivation levels of God-King, Ancient God, and now Hades' own realm.

Achieving this would be extraordinarily difficult for any other god.

"It is indeed an uncertain path…" Erebus mused, while Nyx raised her head in contemplation.

The Underworld.

The King of the Underworld.

The entire Underworld existed because of this King. Though there were other gods in the Underworld, including Erebus and Nyx, who were Ancient Gods, the foundation was Hades himself.

It was as if they were a family of children relying on their father to provide for them. 

Yet…

What will the future hold?

No one can say for certain.

The future awaits, but who can truly see what lies ahead?

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