The cluster radiating the light of the sky, thunder, and supreme authority slowly flew towards Zeus.
His eyes exploded with ecstasy and greed, and he could not wait to accept it. His entire body was instantly enveloped in an even more intense divine light, his breath sharpened, and he was officially crowned the new God-King, responsible for the sky and Olympus.
The smaller cluster, containing the wild power of the sea, earthquakes, and storms, fell into Poseidon's hands.
He gripped his trident, felt the immense divine power surging within his body, let out a low roar of satisfaction, and became the master of the oceans.
And the last, most special cluster flew towards Hades, representing the somber concepts of 'dominion' and 'realm.'
It symbolized absolute ownership and governance over a divine domain.
Hades looked at this power flying towards him, but did not accept it directly.
The power of Cronus... was somewhat tainted.
He raised his hand, and the 'Chains of Resolve' that had once bound Cronus seemed to be summoned. The dark gray chain emitted a light, took the initiative to draw out and entangle this fragment of the divided God-King's power, and then 'drew' it into the very structure of the chain, as if melting it!
Buzz——!
The chains trembled violently, and beside the runes that originally signified 'silence,' 'isolation,' 'the end,' and 'resolve,' new ancient patterns began to appear, symbolizing 'absolute dominion' and 'sovereignty of the realm.'
The color of the chain also deepened, as if it embodied the principles of 'imprisonment' and 'lordship' over the entire world.
At the same time, the authority of [Hades] within Hades's body, which originated from the Underworld and had long been integrated with him, resonated throughout the entire Underworld without suppression or concealment after the fall of the old God-King!
"In the name of Hades," his deep voice did not proclaim to the gods, but directly communicated with the core laws of the world.
"The Underworld is my kingdom, my realm, and the eternity where my authority reaches!"
In an instant, the entire Underworld seemed to come alive!
The four rivers of the Styx roared, the Hall of the Dead was solemn and majestic, the whispers of Tartarus were forcibly suppressed, and even the darkness surrounding Nyx's temple appeared more submissive.
An invisible and absolute will, like the strongest barrier, completely isolated the Underworld from the outside world, forming a truly independent and self-sufficient divine realm.
The radiance of law illuminated Hades. He no longer relied on the approval of Nyx or his own power, but was 'crowned' by the very origin of the world, officially recognizing his absolute authority as the [Lord of the Underworld]!
From then on, within the territory of the Underworld, even a primordial god could not go against his will!
After all this, Gaia appeared even more tired. She looked at the Titans around her, their eyes flickering with various thoughts, and spoke again, her voice undeniable:
"To stabilize the new order and avoid excessive concentration of power, the position of the Twelve Olympians must be established to jointly govern the world and assist the God-King."
As soon as this declaration was made, it immediately caused an uproar among the Titans. The position of a major god meant a share of the world's power and a symbol of status and authority!
However, before they could begin to contend, the calm but firm voice of Hades sounded again:
"The Underworld, as an independent divine realm, should always occupy the place of four major gods."
"What? Four seats?!" Zeus was the first to object—he had just ascended the throne, so how could the Underworld be allowed to have so much power divided?
Poseidon also frowned. Although the ocean held great power, he did not want the Underworld to be too strong.
A fierce quarrel was inevitable.
Hades argued that the Underworld had played a decisive role in ending the war with Cronus.
In the end, under the silent gaze of the sword and the Hundred-Handed Giants, Zeus and Poseidon had to compromise and reluctantly agreed to the arrangement of the Underworld occupying four major god positions.
At this moment, a new structure of the pantheon was established: God-King Zeus, Sea King Poseidon, and God Hades, with a division of powers.
Of the twelve seats among the major gods, four were designated for the Underworld, and the remaining eight seats were to be contested among the Olympian gods.
Watching this scene of power division, several ancient Titans had different expressions.
Rhea, the mother goddess who had paid with her 'resolve' and was physically and mentally exhausted, watched her sons struggle for power, and the last gleam in her eyes dimmed.
She looked at the celestial god Koios (the messenger), who was also tired of the power struggle, and both quietly decided to retire, far away from the world's disputes.
The ocean gods, Oceanus and Tethys, remained silent from beginning to end, and at this moment, they took a deep look at Hades, transformed into water without a word, and returned to the ocean encircling their world.
And Themis, the goddess of justice and law, holding her scales, wished to remain to uphold justice and preserve the new order, but was stopped by Hades.
"Aunt Themis," Hades said to her with a respectful tone.
"The new Underworld is established, and order is set; it requires the foundation of law and just judgments. I sincerely invite you to come to the Underworld and take charge of the laws and judgments of Hades, so that your authority may be fulfilled in the realm of the dead."
Themis 'looked' at Hades with her ribbon-blindfolded eyes, then 'looked' at Zeus, who was complacent but slightly revealing arbitrary tendencies. She was silent for a moment and nodded slightly: "The law must be upheld. If the Underworld can truly uphold justice, I am willing to go."
Even more surprisingly, before Hades could say anything, the goddess of memory, Mnemosyne, took the initiative and stepped forward before Hades. In her eyes was wisdom and a slight desire to see through the future.
"Hades," she directly called his name, and at some point, a pomegranate appeared in her hand, full and crystal clear, but radiating an aura of the Underworld.
"The Underworld preserves everything in the past and is the ultimate destination of memory. I am willing to bear the power of memory and remain in the Underworld forever."
After saying this, under the astonished gaze of the gods, she unhesitatingly plucked a handful of pomegranate seeds, put them in her mouth, and swallowed.
In an instant, the fluctuations of divine power around her created a strong bond with the Underworld, and she officially became one of the gods bound to this realm.
Hades understood that Mnemosyne saw not only the potential of the Underworld, but perhaps also sought to avoid possible future conflicts on Olympus, and... to completely sever ties with some of the past.
He solemnly returned the greeting to the goddess of wisdom: "The Underworld welcomes you."
With the departure or submission of several important Titans, the curtain of the old era slowly fell.
The new era officially began with the three-legged pattern of light and darkness.
And Hades, the king who had refused the sky but firmly held the Underworld, turned and stepped into the eternal dark kingdom that belonged to him, with his powerful army of gods and giants.
Behind him, the divine light of Olympus and the waves of the ocean still roared, but the silence and order of Hades had become one of the unshakable cornerstones of this world.
His gaze had already turned to the more far-reaching great undertaking of [Reincarnation] and how to win more power and... opportunities for the Underworld in the future game of the gods.