First, he used his newly acquired power of [Soul], combined with [Secrecy], to weave six 'Soul Contract Seals'.
These were not mandatory slave contracts, but covenant bonds based on shared interests and blood resonance, stabilizing the minds of the giants, which might have been disordered by long imprisonment, at critical moments, and establishing initial loyalty ties.
Then, he mobilized the power of [Forging]—not to forge weapons, but to absorb the hardest ores of the Underworld and the water of the Styx, and fuse the power of [Secrecy] and [Soul] to create a small yet extremely sturdy 'Abyss Boat'.
The boat could withstand the energy turbulence at the edge of Tartarus and, to some extent, shield the prying eyes of the abyss.
Finally, together with Metis, he once again traveled to the edge of Tartarus.
They needed to avoid those naturally occurring, extremely dangerous spacetime rifts and energy vortices to find a relatively 'safe' passage.
Everything was ready. Hades and Metis boarded the Abyss Boat. Thanatos and Hypnos guarded the entrance to Hades, ensuring the Underworld remained orderly during their absence.
The Abyss Boat silently glided into the darkness at the bottom of the Underworld, where the air was viscous like liquid, filled with mind-destroying howls and whispers.
The chaotic laws of time and space completely neutralized any sense of direction; only Hades could barely determine the path forward with the authority of [Hades] and the faint perception of life's origin granted by [Soul].
They crossed canyons formed by frozen despair, skirted lakes of magma churning with primordial hatred.
Metis used her powers of Wisdom and Dark Water to help Hades calculate the safest trajectory and used the waters of the Styx to create a temporary barrier against accidental spiritual contamination.
They sailed for an unknown time—perhaps an instant, perhaps an eternity.
Finally, an extraordinary sight appeared ahead—an endless, boundless fence cast from black divine iron, seemingly absorbing all light, covered with dark golden sealing runes belonging to the divine power of Cronus.
Beyond the fence lay a region darker and more pulsing than the surrounding darkness, as if even the concept of 'being' was blurred there.
Tartarus. They had arrived.
Even through the fence, Hades could feel three majestic life forces emanating from within, like sleeping volcanoes, yet filled with pain and manic madness—the Hundred-Handed Giants. And three more restrained, yet surprisingly creative auras—the Cyclopes.
"We are here," Hades whispered, slowly guiding the Abyss Boat closer to the immense divine iron fence.
Drawing nearer, the power of the seal became even more palpable. Cronus's divine power was like countless invisible locks, tightly connecting the fence to the origin of the abyss. Forcibly destroying it would inevitably trigger a violent backlash and might even awaken the abyss itself.
But Hades did not intend to break it by force.
He stood at the bow of the boat, took a deep breath, and elevated the authority of [Hades] to its utmost.
He was no longer merely an infiltrator, but the embodiment of the master of order and power in this underworld.
"In the name of the Lord of the Underworld, Hades!" His voice was low, yet possessed a strangely penetrating power, like a decree of law, echoing directly both inside and outside the fence, piercing into the depths of the souls of the six imprisoned giants.
"Your imprisonment here stems from the fear and injustice of the past. Today, I come not as the son of Cronus, but as the lord of this land, as your kin by blood, to bring the dawn of liberation!"
Behind the fence, the six immense breaths suddenly changed. The Hundred-Handed Giants seemed to awaken from slumber, their countless hands waving restlessly in the darkness, causing the entire prison territory to tremble slightly.
The Cyclopes appeared calmer, but the light from their single eyes also pierced the darkness, focusing intently on Hades.
"Liberation?" A voice like a landslide came from behind the fence, filled with infinite resentment and questioning; it was one of the Hundred-Handed Giants. "Cub of Cronus! Do not try to deceive us! You are as cunning as your father!"
"What purpose would I have in deceiving you?" Hades asked calmly.
"Cronus devours his children and imprisons his brothers. His tyranny will end. And I, Hades, am one of the initiators of this end. I need strength, I need allies, I need partners who can build a new order with me. You possess the power I need. And we share a common enemy."
He spread his hands, and the 'Soul Contract Seals' floated up, radiating warm and stable soul waves.
"These are not shackles of slavery, but tokens of a covenant. I promise to free you and grant you the status and dignity you deserve in my Underworld."
"And you, in return, shall pledge your strength to me, help me establish the authority of the Underworld, and stand by my side in the inevitable war to come."
Silence reigned behind the fence. The giants weighed and evaluated.
Long imprisonment had made them suspicious of everything, but Hades's authority, the faint resonance of Gaia's bloodline, and the words 'common enemy' deeply moved them.
Finally, a relatively calmer voice spoke—one of the Cyclopes: "Young Hades, your words are fair. But how can we break the seal set by Cronus himself? This seal is connected to Tartarus; forcibly destroying it would only cause the chaos of the abyss to consume us along with it."
"I don't need to break it," a faint, cold curve lifted the corner of Hades's mouth. "I am Hades, the ruler of the laws of this Underworld. Imprisonment is also a law. Now, I intend not to 'break', but to 'take control'."
Before his words faded, Hades's entire being erupted! The authority of the King of Hades transformed into countless thin, shadow-like silken threads, quietly reaching towards the sealing runes on the divine iron fence.
He did not try to erase Cronus's divine power, but used the power originating from the concept of 'imprisonment' and 'Hades' at the bottom of the world to cover, penetrate, and even 'override' these runes!
This was an extremely delicate and dangerous process, like dancing on a knife's edge.
Hades had to precisely gauge the proportions, suppressing Cronus's seal without over-stimulating Tartarus itself.
Metis assisted with all her might by his side; the power of [Wisdom] helped Hades analyze the structural weaknesses of the seal, while the power of [Dark Water] acted as a lubricant, soothing the sharp fluctuations caused by the collision of laws.
Time passed minute by minute. Fine beads of sweat seeped from Hades's brow, but his eyes remained as sharp as a knife.
The dark golden runes on the divine iron fence began to flicker, as if struggling against two different authorities.
"Now!" Hades let out a low cry and suddenly infused the power of [Soul] into the silken threads of law!
He did not impose order, but replaced the sealed content! At the same time, the three 'Soul Contract Seals' transformed into ribbons, pierced through the temporarily weakened fence, and precisely branded the three Hundred-Handed Giants.
"Roooar—!"
The Hundred-Handed Giants simultaneously let out an earth-shattering roar, but this roar was no longer of pain and madness, but the ecstasy of breaking free from shackles and the roar of returning power!
Their hundred hands suddenly stretched out, and the immense divine iron fence, having lost the support of the sealing runes, let out a stunned groan, then was suddenly torn open with a huge gap amidst a sharp metallic twisting!
Free!
Immediately after, Hades implanted the remaining three seals, 'claiming' them as well.
As the colossal bodies of the six giants emerged from the prison and stood before Hades, the entire edge of Tartarus seemed to tremble.
They looked at the black-haired god before them, who was breathing deeply but radiating undeniable authority, and felt the warm and stable covenant connection in their souls, as well as the faint pull of kinship.
The Hundred-Handed Giants slowly lowered their fifty heads, and the Cyclopes also placed their hands on their chests and bowed. A thunderous voice sounded again, but this time it was full of respect and strength:
"Briareos (Cottus/Gyges), with the strength of one hundred hands, shall serve Hades as my lord! Where your will directs, our fists shall strike!"
"Brontes (Steropes/Arges), with the fire of the forge, shall serve Hades as my lord! Wherever your oracle reaches, it shall be forged in our furnace!"
Hades looked at the six powerful subordinates before him, and his heart swelled with pride. He knew that the cornerstone of the Underworld, from this moment on, would become truly unshakable.
He steered the Abyss Boat, leading the six giants—like leading a moving mountain range—and set course back to Hades.
This time, the majestic momentum of their procession seemed to drown out even the eternal whispers of Tartarus's chaos.