Favors!
These things often seem insignificant, but at critical moments, their power can be astonishing. This is undeniable. Just think about it for a moment, and you'll realize how special and impactful these favors can be.
Poseidon now owed Hades a favor, and that debt wasn't going anywhere. No matter what, Poseidon would eventually have to repay it.
Of course.
This wasn't a huge deal. A small favor in exchange for a God-King-level subordinate was a clear win for Poseidon. However, the one most frustrated by all of this was Zeus.
At this moment!
Zeus felt like his head was buzzing, and this wasn't just a joke—it was a real, painful buzz.
Fine, fine, fine! So you're all leaving me out of this?
What are you two up to, Hades and Poseidon? You two bastards, are you intentionally excluding me?
In Zeus's heart right now, a raging fire was burning. His entire being was consumed with fury, and saying he was "burning with anger" wouldn't be an exaggeration.
"..."
"Hmph!"
Zeus merely snorted coldly, turned around, and left without a word. There was no point in saying anything more. The apocalypse was over. Given how things turned out, staying here and speaking further would only make him look like a clown.
Since that's the case...
Then!
It's better to leave it at this. There was no need for any more words, no need for pointless chatter. This was no joke—it was truly the end.
Hades and Poseidon merely watched Zeus leave, their expressions calm.
From beginning to end!
Hades remained filled with a deep, endless calm, as if all of this had never concerned him.
After Zeus left, Poseidon quietly said, "I'll remove all the barriers from the Astral Realm."
"No need." Hades knew exactly what Poseidon was referring to and said calmly, "There's no need to do that. The Underworld will handle this matter on its own."
Poseidon had been referring to the matter of the Solar Fire, but Hades didn't need him to interfere. Aether had already found traces of it, and from there, it was only a matter of time to track it down. There was no need for Poseidon to remove all his barriers.
A favor!
A favor!
Although it wasn't a particularly big favor, it wasn't something that could be easily repaid either. To settle this debt quickly? Sorry! That wouldn't be so simple. At the very least, it definitely wouldn't be as easy as Poseidon might hope.
"..."
Poseidon fell silent for a moment, thinking. He clearly understood the implications, but he didn't say anything further. He simply asked, "Hades, do you know if anything unusual is happening in the Heavenly Realm?"
Hades pondered briefly, then shook his head, replying, "I'm not too sure. All I know is that Prometheus betrayed Zeus and intends to have Abel, the fourth-generation God-King, replace Zeus."
Hades didn't know the deeper details. He wasn't lying—this was genuinely all he knew. That's why Zeus wasn't joking when it came to matters like this.
This was everything Hades understood, and it wasn't very much.
That's not surprising.
No matter what kind of backup plans Hades had in place, those would be the deepest, most hidden machinations in the Heavenly Realm. If he could easily uncover all of them...
Then...
That would be the strangest thing of all.
Clearly, such a situation was impossible.
Hades had no reason to hide anything because that was the truth. Trying to dig deeper was simply unrealistic.
"I see..."
What Poseidon knew wasn't much different from what Hades had gathered. After hesitating for a moment, Poseidon left without saying anything more.
There was no need.
Hades simply watched Poseidon leave, then calmly withdrew his gaze.
"My lord!"
The shadowy form of Persephone appeared, speaking softly, "Both the Heavenly and Sea Realms are making preparations for their next moves. It seems they have other plans."
"This is no surprise," Hades replied calmly. "Poseidon and Zeus both know that some things are starting to change. Naturally, they need to handle these changes accordingly."
Hades saw things very clearly. Poseidon and Zeus had different personalities. Poseidon was more cold and indifferent, while Zeus pursued power relentlessly.
But one thing was the same: both were searching for the path of transcendence. This was absolutely unquestionable. On such a path, both sides would naturally prepare everything in advance.
This was definitely, definitely, definitely undeniable. There was no need to doubt it at all. Sometimes, with just a little thought, it became very clear how many issues were lurking beneath the surface.
Persephone lightly pursed her lips and asked, "My lord, should we begin the next phase of our plan?"
The Underworld!
Naturally, they had many preparations of their own. It was very clear what needed to be done and how to go about it.
Hades shook his head slightly and said, "No rush. The Underworld's strength is still insufficient. To explore the myths beyond, it's obvious we aren't ready yet."
"However..."
Hades pondered briefly and continued, "We can send an expeditionary force to test the waters. If they succeed, all the better. If they fail, it's no big deal."
Hades understood this very well. Success and failure were right there in front of him. The dangers lurking behind the scenes meant failure was almost inevitable. But even so...
Sometimes, failure didn't mean achieving nothing at all. Even if they managed to steal just a small part of what lay ahead, the benefits could be enormous.
This was an extremely important matter. Failure didn't always equate to total loss, and it could have significant outcomes.
Hearing her husband's words, Persephone fell into deep contemplation.
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