Hades (Orphos) gazed at the newborn [Purification] divinity in his palm, radiating a pure shimmer. Yet there was no joy in his heart; instead, a deeper vigilance arose.
The source of a power capable of polluting the earth's origin and causing Gaia to feel its cunning was far from ordinary.
He hesitated no longer, sinking his awareness into the earth that had just regained vitality beneath his feet, following his already strong connection with Gaia, and made a silent call.
The call, "Mother...", did not travel through the air, but was like a tree root absorbing nutrients, following the veins of the earth towards the depths of the world's core.
After a moment of silence, the immense and ancient will slowly awakened, responding to his call with a tinge of anxious solemnity.
It was still the blonde figure, condensed before Hades, but this time Gaia's brows were filled with lingering gloom.
"My child, Orphos," Gaia's voice was low, her gaze sweeping over the cleansed earth beneath their feet—a flash of approval, but then overshadowed by deep worries. "You have done well. The power of [Purification] is precisely what this world urgently needs right now. You have noticed the anomaly of this force?"
"Yes, Mother," Hades replied respectfully, his voice calm. "This contamination is not naturally formed. It distorts life, stubbornly clogs the ley lines. Its essence... carries a pure, almost primal 'disorder' and 'profanity'. It seems to resist all cycles and order, including death and rebirth."
Gaia sighed softly, a sigh that seemed to echo through the entire mountain range.
"Your perception is sharp, Hades." She directly used his true name, signifying that the following conversation would touch upon core secrets. "The source of this power is not from the surface, nor is it a Titan or a nascent god."
Her gaze grew distant, as if piercing through layers of rock, looking straight into the darkness at the world's bottom.
"It comes from the Abyss, from Tartarus."
The moment that name was uttered, Hades felt the air around him seem to freeze, and even the earth, which had just revived, trembled slightly.
Tartarus was not only the pit imprisoning the sinful gods, but also an ancient and powerful primordial god in his own right—the embodiment of the concept of the 'Abyss', born from Chaos, an existence whom even Uranus and Cronus deeply feared.
"Tartarus..." Hades repeated softly, his heart clenching. This meant the problem was far more serious than he had thought.
A primordial god, even if it was merely an unconscious leak, was enough to cause contamination on such a scale.
"It is not that Tartarus is taking the initiative," Gaia explained, as if reading his thoughts. "He himself is in eternal slumber and madness. But it is precisely this chaotic nature, accompanying the power of his unconscious leakage, like a poisonous mist, that constantly erodes my body, the earth."
Her voice carried an indescribable weariness and anger.
"Before the time of Uranus, I managed to maintain a fragile balance with Tartarus. But since... my body has been repeatedly torn apart for procreation and imprisonment, and this balance has been broken. My power is scattered and consumed, while Tartarus's chaotic erosion never ceases. Those points of contamination are 'wounds' where his power seeps in."
Hades was silent. He understood. The antagonism between Gaia and Tartarus was a conflict of the fundamental laws that constituted the world: order and disorder, life and death, earth and abyss.
Cronus's tyranny and the trauma left by Uranus exacerbated Gaia's weakness, making it difficult for her to resist the erosion from the abyss.
"I cannot completely stop this seepage, Hades." Gaia's voice held a rare sense of helplessness. "Especially under Cronus's rule, he only takes, never knows how to give back, and even aggravates my wounds."
Her gaze fixed once more on Hades, sharp and with a hint of unprecedented anticipation.
"However, your appearance brings a variable."
"Mother, what do you want me to do?" Hades asked directly. He needed to clearly understand his duties, and also... the potential returns.
Gaia looked at him and spoke slowly: "Continue to perform your duties as the 'plant god', spread life force, and stabilize order. At the same time, use your power of [Purification] to deal with those points of contamination as you are able. Every cleansing will weaken the Abyss's influence, strengthen my power, and consolidate the foundation of your own existence—after all, if the earth sinks, your 'underworld' powers will have nothing left to rely on."
"Moreover," Gaia's tone became extremely serious, "beware of Cronus. He may not yet realize your true identity, but his greed for power knows no bounds."
"Forcing other gods to yield their divinity would provoke outrage against the natural law. If he dared to resist Uranus, I don't believe Cronus would stoop to this, but the lessons of the previous generation of god-kings are still vivid... No one could predict what Cronus would do now that he sits on the god-king's throne." Gaia warned Hades.
"Has he... already begun?" Hades' voice was low, with a hint of tension.
He thought of his devoured sisters—was their meager divine power forcibly taken and absorbed?
Thinking deeper, why was Zeus, who was not eaten, so much stronger than his other siblings?
Although Zeus had far more ways to gain power in the outside world than his brothers, the mythical Zeus overwhelms his brothers. Could there really be no reason related to Cronus drawing upon their divine power?
Gaia's golden eyes shimmered with complexity—a mixture of disappointment, anger, and a certain weariness.
"It hasn't yet reached the point of forcibly stripping divinity, but he is becoming increasingly unscrupulous regarding the divine power of his fellow Titans, and even us descendants of the primordial gods. He sees us as nourishment for his authority, not as equals. The shadow of Uranus seems to be returning in another form."
She paused, looking at Hades with piercing eyes. "Especially you, Hades. Your successful escape from his belly is itself a provocation to his authority. If he learns of your existence, even if it's just suspicion, with his current paranoia and suspicion, he will never let it go easily. [Subterranean Wealth], [Secrecy], and even the new [Decay] and [Purification] you possess—in his eyes, they could all become treasures worth 'collecting'."
Hades was silent, feeling the invisible pressure on his shoulders. He knew deep down that Gaia's protection was limited. If the price of sheltering him was a direct conflict with the God-King, it was unclear whether Gaia would bear it.
"I understand, Mother," he finally spoke, his voice returning to its accustomed calmness—that cold firmness tempered in desperate situations. "I will remember your warning. The identity of 'Orphos' is my talisman, and the duty of [Purification] is the best way to repay your protection and secure my own existence."
He needed power and needed to be cautious. His capital was no longer limited to disguise and survival; it had to be accumulated faster and more secretly.
Gaia seemed satisfied with his response and nodded slightly. "Very well. Go, my child. Sow life force and cleanse the filth. The earth will guide you and protect you. But remember, avoid the eyes of Olympus until you are strong enough, especially... when the God-King's messengers patrol the earth."
With her warning, the golden figure slowly dissolved into the earth, and the immense will receded like a tide, leaving Hades alone on the land that had just regained purity.
He took a deep breath. The air still held a trace of [purified] freshness. He looked at his palm: the [Plant] divinity shone with a warm green light, [Decay] and [Purification] intertwined in the depths like light and shadow, and in the very core, [Subterranean Wealth] and [Secrecy] remained his unshakable foundation.