"His Majesty the God-King has awakened!"
Just this whisper, and the warm atmosphere, still filled with drunkenness, laughter, and the temptation of power, suddenly froze.
The music abruptly stopped, conversations vanished, and the flush on the gods' faces quickly faded, replaced by expressions of reverence, fear, and nervousness.
The divine wine in the cups seemed to lose its flavor, and only the anxious pulsing of divine power remained in the air.
As the news swept through the bustling and bloody banquet like an undercurrent of cold water, the entire temple of Olympus seemed strangled by an invisible hand.
Hades's (Orphos's) heart nearly stopped at that moment.
He forcefully suppressed the rising hatred, using all his power to maintain the appearance of 'Orphos' with slight confusion and instinctive reverence for the God-King.
His gaze quickly swept over the crowd, observing the gods' reactions.
The restrained confidence on Koios's face instantly dissolved, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, as if weighing the impact of this sudden awakening on his 'Manifestation of Glory' banquet and the deeper influence on his plans.
Koios (the messenger) immediately straightened up, resuming the solemn posture of the God-King's messenger, scanning his surroundings with sharp eyes. But his hands clenched tighter, betraying his nervousness.
Iapetus's previous ferocity and temptation vanished, leaving only pure, albeit slightly fearful, reverence.
The ocean god Oceanus exchanged a very brief glance with Tethys, a look of calm and a hint of deep worry.
Almost all the Titans, regardless of what they thought in their hearts, instinctively displayed absolute obedience and fear towards the God-King's authority at this moment. This was the coercion Cronus had established over the years through force and cruelty.
A heavy, suffocating divine power, like a true tide, spread from the deepest part of the temple.
It was the breath of Cronus—greater, more mysterious, and more... hungry than Hades remembered. It seemed that this deep sleep had not fully satisfied him, but had awakened an even deeper desire to consume.
The God-King did not directly come to the banquet scene. But all the gods knew that he had awakened, and that his will encompassed the entire sacred mountain.
Some gods, wishing to show their loyalty, tried to approach or convey flattering thoughts towards the God-King's palace, but were roughly pushed back or interrupted by an impatient divine power with the force of spacetime distortion.
Immediately after, an incomparably clear and undeniable will entered the consciousness of every god, like a decree, with the cruel and indifferent majesty that only Cronus could display:
"Withdraw! Do not disturb me!"
Then, the immense core of divine power, without hesitation, even with some impatience, headed directly towards the palace of the Queen-Goddess Rhea.
The gods were silent as cicadas in winter; no one dared to make any more sounds that might anger the God-King.
The banquet was completely dispersed. The gods exchanged glances, then quietly retreated like a receding tide, fearing that if they slowed down, they would anger the God-King, who was clearly in a bad mood.
Hades mingled with the departing gods, his eyes downcast, but his heart was clear.
Cronus's impatient rush to find Rhea had an obvious purpose—he wanted to exert his power as a husband, and the result of this union would likely be the prophesied son who would ultimately overthrow him, Zeus!
His double was still functioning, and Cronus had obviously not noticed his escape, otherwise Olympus would have been turned upside down by now.
But this also meant that his poor mother-goddess, Rhea, would continue to endure this perverse 'love' and would soon face the unimaginable pain of having her flesh and blood devoured again.
Hades (Orphos) followed the silent gods and left the temple of Olympus, which had instantly fallen from hustle and bustle into deathly stillness.
The will of Cronus, full of cruelty and impatience, was like a cold imprint, deeply etched into the perception of every god.
He had to leave Olympus as soon as possible.
Cronus's awakening, especially his seemingly bad mood, made this divine domain more dangerous than ever.
Any unnatural behavior could attract unwanted attention.
He maintained his identity as 'Orphos' and descended the mountain along with the other gods.
Only when he had completely left the core divine domain of Olympus and felt the natural aura surrounding him did he breathe a sigh of relief, but the sense of urgency in his heart did not diminish at all.
Instead of returning to his stronghold by the lava lake on the earth, he headed directly for a remote cave, deeply connected to the earth's veins, and quickly dived into it.
[Secrecy] power was fully deployed, combined with the power of the 'Foundation of Gaia', he minimized his presence, as if completely merged with the rocks and shadows.
He needed to process the results of this trip to Olympus and consider how to act next.
Cronus had awakened and, it seemed, was about to conceive Zeus with the Mother-Goddess Rhea. This meant that the countdown to the overthrow of tyranny had officially begun.
According to what he knew of the 'future', Rhea would deceive Cronus, wrapping a stone in swaddling clothes and sending the real Zeus to a cave in Crete, where he would be raised by nymphs.
And the swallowed stone would be spit out in the future and become the sacred stone of Delphi.
But now that he was a variable, would everything be different?
What could he do? Strive for a more advantageous position in the future distribution of power? Even to contend for the throne of the God-King?
Thoughts rapidly flashed through his mind, calmly analyzed and deduced by the [Knowledge] and [Summary] divinities.
Direct intervention was extremely dangerous. Cronus was irritable, but not stupid.
Any abnormal interference from external forces could make him vigilant, and even learn the truth about Hades's escape in advance, which would be disastrous.
Moreover, Gaia's warning still echoed in his ears—he was not allowed to take the initiative to contact Rhea or act prematurely because of her pain.
Then it seemed that all he could do was wait and continue to accumulate strength. But this contradicted his desire to take control of his own destiny.
Just as he was pondering, a gentle and majestic will slowly touched his [Secrecy] barrier through the earth's veins beneath his feet.
It was Gaia.
Hades's heart stirred slightly, and he cautiously released a gap to let the will enter.
"Hades, my child," Gaia's voice sounded directly in his heart, with a hint of solemnity. "You have sensed the movement on Olympus."
"Yes, Mother," Hades replied. "Cronus has awakened and gone to the Mother-Goddess Rhea."
"Fate is beginning to accelerate." Gaia's will sounded with a long sigh, containing the weight of the earth and the vicissitudes of time. "Rhea... She is about to make the most difficult and courageous decision of her life."
Hades was silent. He could feel the complex emotions in Gaia's words—pity for her daughter's fate, helplessness before the established trajectory, and perhaps a faint hint of anticipation.
"I know what you are thinking, Hades," Gaia continued, as if reading his thoughts. "What you want to do is not simply stand by. But remember, patience at this moment is for absolute success. The power of the God-King Cronus is far beyond what you can directly contend with now. Your '[Secrecy]' is your greatest talisman; do not reveal it impulsively."
"I understand, Mother," Hades said in a deep voice. "I will not act rashly. It's just... what should I do now?"
Gaia's will paused for a moment, as if weighing something, and then said: "Perhaps... you can pay attention to forces dissatisfied with Cronus's rule, but be extremely cautious in making contact."
This aligned with his planning and construction of peripheral alliances. Hades knew this in his heart.
"Thank you for your guidance, Mother."
"Protect yourself, Hades." Gaia's will was finally emphasized.
At the end of the communication, the Earth Mother Goddess's will receded like a tide.
Silence returned to the cave, and only the dim light in Hades's eyes betrayed his inner turmoil.
Gaia's reminder coincided with his own judgment. But she did not know that Hades was no longer a simple plant god.
At this stage, the first task was to continue strengthening the Underworld and truly turn it into his own, unshakable kingdom.
At the same time, he could use the identity of 'Orphos' to observe and contact potential allies, such as the Ocean Gods, as well as other Titans or Nature Gods dissatisfied with Cronus, without arousing suspicion.
He checked his disguise and condition again, and after confirming there were no flaws, he quietly left his temporary shelter.