King of Underworld

Chapter 55 Prometheus the Prophet – (3)

With the letter and golden necklace from Pandora in hand, I made my way to find the goddess Styx.

As I approached, she emerged slowly from the River Styx, where she had been submerged. Her thin, wet clothing clung to her body, accentuating her soft curves, but I forced myself to look away. There were more important matters to discuss.

“Hades, the necklace you’re holding…”

“It’s exactly what you think, the necklace of Pandora.”

As she looked at me in surprise, I explained the situation regarding Gaia’s prophetic abilities and the need to persuade Prometheus. I also informed her that I would be leaving the Underworld temporarily to accomplish this task.

“So, I would like you to oversee the Underworld for a while.”

“Hmm… I’ll notify the other gods as well. I hope you succeed in persuading Prometheus.”

“If Tartarus is breached or anything urgent occurs, notify Thanatos immediately…”

This task of persuading Prometheus must succeed. It’s the only way to counter Gaia’s prophecy.

“Then, I’ll head to Mount Caucasus, where Prometheus is bound.”

“…Don’t you have anything else you want to say to me?”

“Ahem. It’s cold, so perhaps you should change into something warmer.”

Lately, she’s been acting more like this…

As I hurriedly turned and walked away, I heard her muttering quietly behind me.

I crossed the River Lethe and quickly passed the Acheron River, heading towards the exit of the Underworld.

Mount Caucasus is quite far from here.

Fortunately, I had already arranged with Olympus to borrow Iris.

As I emerged into the mortal world, the goddess of the rainbow greeted me with a bow.

“Lord Hades. Shall I take you directly to Mount Caucasus?”

“Yes, open the path to that place.”

With a gesture from Iris, a portal opened, revealing the towering mountain on the other side.

At its peak, Prometheus would be bound.

* * *

Whiiiiing—

As I crossed through the portal to Mount Caucasus, I was met with a blast of cold air.

The icy wind, cutting like a blade, lashed against my skin in this high-altitude region.

Despite being at the foot of the mountain, I could feel the immense divine power emanating from all around.

It was clear that this was where Prometheus was bound.

Precautionary measures had been taken everywhere to fend off Gigantes, Gaia, and even clueless mortals.

Peeking through the jagged rock crevices, I noticed an owl, likely a sacred animal of Athena, radiating a cool, subtle divine energy.

Despite being a rocky mountain, I even saw a sacred tree of Demeter.

There were also barriers that would cause ordinary humans, rather than heroes, to lose their way and wander aimlessly.

Saaaaa—

I carefully passed through the barriers and continued up the mountain path.

Hmm. Olympus seems to have done a thorough job with the security measures; I’m quite satisfied.

Near the summit, I made a lion-like divine beast retreat with a mere glance, and as I rounded a large boulder, I finally saw Prometheus.

The Titan god was bound to the rocky wall, his arms and legs spread out in a cruciform position, shackled by chains crafted by Hephaestus himself. His head hung low.

“Oh… Hades. The so-called great god of mercy comes to visit. Heh heh…”

As I approached him, his middle-aged face slowly lifted to meet mine, twisted into a mocking smile.

“And how does it feel to be worshipped for bestowing a few crumbs of mercy upon humans?”

“We haven’t seen each other in a long time, Prometheus. Let’s skip the jokes.”

“Heh heh heh…”

…He’s still the same.

Before falling out with Zeus, Prometheus had fought alongside the gods during the Titanomachy, and his personality hadn’t changed a bit.

“Ha! Go that way, and you’ll end up captured by the Titans… Heh heh… Go if you want.”

“Oh… if it’s a prophecy, then I suppose I have no choice.”

“It’s not a prophecy; it’s just a hunch.”

“Tsk tsk… Use your divine power like that, and you’ll end up like Cronus.”

“…Another prophecy?”

“Who knows? It depends on what Poseidon decides.”

“Hey! You’ll regret it if you keep doing that!”

“Hmm… if it’s a prophecy…”

“No? Just a feeling.”

“…?”

Back then, we were inexperienced young gods, while Prometheus was a seasoned Titan with the power of prophecy, our greatest asset.

We trusted his words, but his personality… Well…

I have a reasonable suspicion that Zeus might have bound Prometheus for this reason, among others.

“How can you still have the same personality after enduring all those years of punishment?”

“Are you refusing to humor an old man’s jokes just because you’re now the Lord of the Underworld? Show me some mercy.”

After laughing heartily for a while, Prometheus finally stopped and spoke more seriously.

“You’ve come to persuade me in order to counter Gaia’s prophecy, haven’t you?”

* * *

“So, you knew all along.”

“I’m curious to see what method the Lord of the Underworld has prepared. Go ahead and tell me.”

He knew I was coming, but did he not know the specific method I’d use to persuade him?

Well, that’s how his prophecies always were.

Although he had joined us due to a clear prophecy that we would defeat the Titans, he didn’t foresee everything, leading to some struggles during the war.

“Prometheus, you care for humanity as if they were your own children, don’t you?”

“I do?”

“If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have defied Zeus and given fire to humans.”

“Oh…”

“The Gigantes created by Gaia may be strong, but they are a nightmare for humanity. They devour humans and sacrifice them without hesitation.”

The Gigantes, created with a focus on brute strength rather than wisdom to drive us out after Typhon’s defeat, are powerful but possess more monstrous traits than divine ones.

“Really? Are you underestimating me because I’m bound here? Look at how many humans have been sacrificed by the gods…”

“They’re still better than the Gigantes.”

“So you’re admitting that the gods are a lesser evil compared to the Gigantes?”

“…Yes, that’s correct.”

“Oh… Zeus won’t be pleased to hear that.”

Honestly, how many humans have been sacrificed due to the whims of the gods?

Whether it’s prophecy, curses, or mere insolence, countless souls have perished and now fill the Underworld.

I can’t lie to the world’s greatest prophet.

To persuade him, I need to use the truth, not sweet lies.

I summoned the greatest weapon of the Underworld, the Bident, into my hand.

And then, I struck the chains binding Prometheus, breaking them.

Clang! Thud. Thud.

The chains binding Prometheus were crafted by Hephaestus on Zeus’s orders.

However, this Bident was also made by the blacksmith god, with even greater care.

As the chains that had bound him for so long were shattered, Prometheus stumbled for a moment, then looked at me in astonishment.

“Hah. Do you think the king of the gods will let this slide?”

“I already discussed it with Zeus before coming here.”

As he dusted himself off and stood up, the Titan of prophecy scrutinized me with curious eyes.

“What if you gain nothing from me for your efforts?”

“…Then so be it. The punishment you received was too harsh from the start.”

“Hah… You’re going to set me free?”

It wasn’t unpleasant to see a wise Titan god taken aback.

Now then, let’s move on to the next step…

“What are these? And this necklace… Could it be…?”

“It’s Pandora’s letter and necklace. I swear by the River Styx that I neither coerced nor threatened her.”

He examined the golden necklace seriously, then turned his attention to the letter.

Prometheus took a long time reading the scroll, carefully scrutinizing each word.

Whoooosh…

Zeus’s sacred eagle came flying down to tear at Prometheus’s liver.

The eagle swooped toward him as he was reading the letter.

Thud. Flap. Flap.
But the divine beast was quickly caught by the Titan of prophecy, who had been so absorbed in the letter.

The playful demeanor he had shown earlier disappeared in an instant as Prometheus locked eyes with me.

“…Huff.”

A gentle breeze blew between us.

After taking a deep breath, Prometheus spoke again.

“…Hades, as you know, Gaia’s prophetic abilities are on par with mine.”

“That’s why we need your help.”

“She knows exactly what needs to be done to win the war against you.”

He released the eagle and continued speaking.

Zeus’s sacred animal, sensing that its once easy prey had regained its strength, flew away.

“No matter how well you prepare… the gods will fall victim to Gaia’s strike, even if I warn you in advance.”

“You mean we’ll be struck at least once?”

“Indeed, and it will be a significant blow to your plans.”

Despite Apollo, Selene, Helios, Demeter, and many other gods being on high alert…

We won’t be able to stop the first strike? Will it be the Gigantes’ final assault or something else?

“But after that…”

The intuition of the three major gods suggested that Prometheus was about to reveal a way for us to win.

The strange aura emanating from the half-open eyes of the Titan indicated that a prophecy that could alter our fate was about to be spoken.

“If the mortal world and the Underworld are connected

, the gods will prevail.”

The mortal world and the Underworld, two separate realms, being connected… This is a definite prophecy.

It carries the weight of a curse or blessing.

“Zeus likely asked you to secure an apology from me, didn’t he?”

Prometheus turned away, as if to signal he wouldn’t reveal anything more, and looked up at the sky.

After cracking his neck, he let out a loud shout.

“Zeus! I apologize for the harsh words I spoke to you!”

Rumble…

As soon as Prometheus finished shouting, the sound of thunder, Zeus’s symbol, echoed across the sky.

It wasn’t a prophecy but harsh words.

Prometheus’s statement that Zeus would meet the same fate as Cronus and Uranus was fortunately not a prophecy.

It was a provocation directed at Zeus, who had bound him to this mountain.

And by acknowledging that fact here…

We’ve eliminated one of Olympus’s major uncertainties.

“Oh, and Hades, you might want to keep your lower half a bit looser! Heh heh heh!”

“What… What?”

Flap!

Prometheus left with those strange words, transforming and flying off.