(Greek Mythology) The Abyss
Chapter 41
Logically, Cronus, having reigned as king of the gods for so many years, should have easily dealt with six young deities. However, Cronus's tyrannical rule alienated the people; aside from a few die-hards, few gods supported him. While few completely sided with Zeus, many remained neutral.
At this point, the effects of Uranus's curse became apparent. A god's power cannot surpass that of their parents. While this refers only to the strength of divine power, not necessarily combat prowess, a significant reason why goddesses are generally weaker than gods is that few of their laws relate to attack.
Yet, Cronus and Rhea's children, as fourth-generation gods, possessed divine power comparable to third-generation gods. Hades, in particular, as the eldest son, was even stronger than Cronus. This was undoubtedly due to the effects of Uranus's curse.
Therefore, despite the age difference, the two sides fought to a standstill.
Tartarus, in the abyss, watched this famous Titanomachy with the gods of the underworld. Their focus, however, was...
Damn it!!! So many people died on Earth again! How much more work will Hell have to do?!
#You guys can fight all you want, but don't involve the innocent! What did they do to you?!#
#So you think you can just do whatever you want because you're not the ones guiding the dead?!#
"Big brother, can I kill them all?" Erebus, a violence enthusiast, hated nothing more than editing documents, and now it had reached a point of utter loathing.
Tartarus glanced at his brother, who was already speaking recklessly, and replied calmly, "What do you think?"
"Okay, big brother, I was wrong." Erebus silently shut up. So, he really did hate documents the most.
"Eris, it's all your fault." Charon, not one to back down, directly addressed his sister, knowing that ferrying the Styx gods involved in the work was no small matter.
Eris, who had been sitting obediently to the side, looked up, feeling wronged by being dragged into this mess.
#Divine duty is something you're born with, so it's my fault I just happened to pick one that doesn't go well#
#They're having their own family squabbles and fighting, what does it have to do with her?#
#So what if she's the goddess of discord? It's not like all discord is her fault#
"Charon!" Glancing at his troublesome second son, Nyx was almost amused by Charon's ridiculous excuse. Was he really going to use such a flimsy reason to blame his own sister?
"Pfft!!!"
The sound of spitting blood successfully stopped the impending Nyx version of his son-discipline routine. All the gods present looked towards the mirror.
(⊙o⊙)? What just happened? Why did Cronus suddenly vomit blood? The gods on the battlefield were naturally in a better position than those in the abyss who remained out of sorts; at least they knew what had happened, though the reason was still unclear.
The gods stared in astonishment at the torn space around them. The spatial fissures, varying in size, displayed a dark and profound hue, a dangerous and ominous darkness capable of swallowing all light.
Cronus, in particular, looked grim. He had activated his domain to gain an advantage on the battlefield, sealing off this area of space, only to have it forcibly torn apart. Ignoring his injuries, Cronus, as the god of space, meticulously searched for the cause, drawing upon his intimate knowledge of space.
In the abyss, Tartarus's expression changed. He abruptly rose from his throne, keenly sensing the changes in the world.
The other gods, somewhat bewildered, followed suit. Their senses, not as acute as Tartarus's, were initially unaware of what had happened, but their expressions quickly changed as well.
"Nyx! Erebus!" Due to the urgency of the situation, Tartarus only called out their names, but that was enough.
The two gods understood and parted space to return to their own domains. Vast divine power surged forth, temporarily stabilizing the world, but this was not enough.
Gaia, observing the battle from the divine realm, and Eros, in the Temple of Love and Desire, were slightly slower than Nyx and Erebus, who had been alerted by Tartarus, but they quickly reacted, swiftly reaching their destinations to fulfill their duties as one of the five primordial gods.
The Abyss, the Earth, Night, Night, and Love and Desire—the five most primordial divine powers converged in a place unseen by the other gods, mutually restraining and balancing each other, stabilizing the world that had drastically changed due to the birth of the new domain. The difference between the five primordial gods and the other gods was never merely power; they were directly connected to the origin of the world, and could not be simply measured by force.
Sensing the depletion of his divine power, Tartarus frowned, his expression grave, a hint of anxiety flickering in his usually calm, blood-red eyes.
Tartarus himself was fine; Erebus and Eros, being male gods, should be alright too. His concern was that Nyx and Gaia might not be able to hold on.
The birth of a new realm inevitably leads to changes in the world, but this is not the time of creation. There was nothing but chaos, and the instability of the world was not a problem. Back then, besides the Father God, there were only the five first-generation gods. Given the fragility of life in the world now, they would all be wiped out, leaving not even ashes. Who knows how many gods would survive?
If they all died, what was the point of maintaining the world all these years? It would be easier to destroy it and start over.
Fortunately, the instability of the world quickly ceased. All the gods, and even some powerful other beings, sensed the formation of a new realm, enveloping and protecting the world.
As all that had just happened unfolded, a slender figure gradually revealed itself, appearing before the gods, unharmed by the numerous, menacing cracks surrounding her.
The girl had long, silver-gray hair that flowed smoothly to her knees. Strands of hair on either side of her face were carefully braided into scorpion tails, adorned with two strings of black crystal bells. Her black robes were so dark they seemed to absorb all luster, yet the cuffs, collar, and belt were pure white. The smooth, black silk reflected exquisite patterns in the sunlight. Her fair skin had a sickly pallor. A lifelike black butterfly pattern adorned her forehead. Her narrow eyes held a striking contrast: one was a deep, inky red, the other a pure, snow-white silver. One eye throbbed with an astonishing melancholy, the other remained serene and unmoving—a striking beauty born of extreme contrast.
Equally captivating as her stunning beauty was her appearance—a mere twelve or thirteen years old—and her immense power, completely incongruous with her looks. Every deity present could sense a chilling, deadly danger emanating from her, like a blade slicing through the air.
After appearing, the girl first surveyed her surroundings, then calmly said, "Sorry to bother you. Please continue. Don't worry about me."
At this moment, the gods were all thinking the same thing: Don't worry about me… what a load of rubbish! It's as if you weren't the one who caused such a commotion.
The girl showed no remorse for being the culprit, so she completely ignored all the gods. Without a care in the world, she produced a spider lily from somewhere, crushed it, and vanished before their eyes, leaving a group of gods staring at each other, unsure of what to do.