(Greek Mythology) The Abyss of the Underworld
Chapter Twenty-Three
Tartarus, though a recluse, was never behind the times, so he learned immediately that Gaia had instigated her son to castrate her husband.
Because he had expected it, he wasn't surprised, but…
Castrending her husband, Gaia, you've got quite a grudge! Come to think of it, he felt like he had accidentally tricked Uranus; one of the effects of the curse was to inhibit the healing of injuries… hmm… he wondered if Uranus's severed wounds would heal.
A double blow to both mind and body, Gaia, you're truly ruthless.
Having been an accomplice, Tartarus felt no remorse whatsoever. Between his sister, with whom he had a decent relationship, and a strange god he'd barely met, whose side was it?
He readily agreed to Gaia's request to imprison Uranus in the Abyss. Of course, he didn't have the inclination to use his dwelling as a prison; the Abyss was vast, and the area designated as a prison was quite a distance from his temple.
But, Hemera, isn't your hobby a bit strange?
Speechless as Hemera volunteered to build a prison, Tartarus fell silent. Although he wanted to say that he could simply create a separate space and throw the gods inside—they would never escape—so a prison was unnecessary, he agreed because of her enthusiasm.
Well, actually, he was just looking for some fun in his boring life, and also curious about what kind of prison Hemera would build.
And then…
Look at those buildings, look at those rows of metal bars, look at that… Hemera, did you copy a modern prison?
These square, rectangular buildings are a long time coming, but don't they just look out of place here? And honestly, while they look neat and tidy, they're not exactly aesthetically pleasing. No wonder Ether looked so hesitant when she came to see him.
While he was pleased that Hermera had finally shown some common sense and considered the size of the giants who would be imprisoned there, the enlarged version of a modern prison was still an eyesore.
And, Hermera, did you even realize you'd given yourself away?
Thinking of that time-traveling flower spirit, Tartarus sighed. He'd lived too long; his sense of time had become hazy. Decades seemed like a fleeting moment to him, but for a newly transformed human, it felt like an eternity. He wondered how she'd managed all these years. He remembered receiving all her inherited memories; she probably hadn't really been a wild hermit for so long. (Hesitant tone)
"Hermes, your taste has reached an unparalleled level. Mother Goddess must have forgotten to instill any sense of aesthetics in you when she gave birth to you, right? I really don't want to admit I know you." Charon launched into a sarcastic attack, mocking his older sister without any restraint.
"Shut up! You think you're any better than me? And besides, do you dare call me 'sister'?" Veins throbbed on Hermes' forehead. This impolite brat!
"I wouldn't dare." Charon's truly impolite and bratty reply perfectly embodied his usual irritating style, making Hermes' hand itch.
"Smack!!!"
After many years, she saw the brick again. Hermes stood with one hand on her hip and the other holding the weapon, her face contorted with unbearable frustration. It was definitely better to just kill this brat.
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Hermera, you violent woman! You're ugly and have such a terrible personality. Be careful you never get married, you bastard!" Charon complained, rubbing his forehead.
"You should worry about yourself. With such a foul mouth, you'll never find a wife."
"How could that be? I'm the son of the God of Darkness and the Goddess of Night! How could I not find a wife?" As a descendant of two first-generation gods, even with his terrible personality, he had no shortage of low-ranking deities wanting to curry favor with him, though he looked down on them.
"Besides, even if you really can't find one, you can just snatch one back." His true nature was revealed in one sentence.
"Scum!" Hermera sneered. This kind of scum deserved to be dragged out and whipped a hundred times over.
Just as he was about to retort, a book came flying at Charon, knocking him to the ground. In the instant he fell, Charon was filled with endless resentment. What had he done to offend that person this time? (Note the word "again")
Aether and Hemera both turned their heads away, pretending not to see, as if they didn't know the person on the ground was their younger brother. Whether Hemera was secretly gloating was something only she knew.
He casually withdrew his hand from throwing the book. Although he was long used to the bad behavior of these Greek gods and had no interest in changing the world's moral standards, that didn't mean he could tolerate anyone saying that to his face.
He didn't expect Charon to become as virtuous as Aether, a paragon of morality, but that typical spoiled brat who bullied men and women… Tartarus's lips curled into a cold smile, sending chills down the spines of the three gods present.
If Charon dared to become like that, he wouldn't mind letting him experience prison life. As for the duration, since he was his nephew whom he had watched grow up, he'd shorten it—just a few thousand years would suffice. (Wow, that's really "few"!)
Charon miserably got up from the ground. Fine, he couldn't afford to offend the God of the Abyss, so he'd just shut up.
Tartarus turned his attention back to the prison. He felt helpless. How could Hemera even build something like this? What was she thinking? He'd better do it himself.
With a sigh, without Tartarus making any move, the prison began to crumble, turning to dust and disappearing without a trace in just a few seconds. An invisible ripple spread out like water, isolating the space before him.
"That's it?" Hemera was dumbfounded. Just setting up a barrier to isolate a space was enough.
"What else? Make the aura of death even denser, and then..." Tartarus was trying hard to recall his descriptions of Hell from his past life.
"Uh...no need for all that. It's fine as it is, really fine." Hermera's expression stiffened slightly. What a joke! She didn't want to be cursed by all the gods who would be imprisoned there in the future.
"Then let's leave it at that."
Of course, Tartarus said this, but in his heart, he was considering whether to actually transform a part of Hell into this.
Besides, thinking about it, it actually seems quite interesting!
Hey! That's enough! You really have enough! Don't you think your future reputation is terrible enough already?