A month passed.
In those days, many things shifted in the underworld.
In the central land, seven dominos from each clan were selected and trained for the elite unit. A demon who was gifted in the art of magic craft also joined the elite unit.
A new currency had been introduced—the Nether Coin—which spread rapidly until it became the lifeblood of trade. Cities prospered, infrastructure bloomed, and for the first time, the underworld began to glitter with progress.
The dukes, meanwhile, completely exploited their slaves in every way possible—as test subjects, food for beasts, miners, or toys for their pleasure.
They also developed their lands to the same level as the central lands, in their own way. But in the whole process, the population, which once stood at 70%, had been reduced to a mere 30%.
---
Meanwhile, in the dark cave, Hades studied divinity and conducted many experiments, such as fusing two or more divinities and creating new spells.
Gleam of Nightmare: It created an illusion of the most dreadful and scariest thing the opponent feared. It was made by the fusion of Secret, Fear, and Demon. He drew inspiration from Noctandrath and Miramor.
Nether Crown: It summoned a crown that enhanced the user's strength and granted absolute domination over every creature and divinity related to the underworld. It was made by the fusion of Underworld, Soul, Demon, and Minerals—the same crown that had been summoned during the fight with Miramor.
His eyes lingered on the cluster of divinity orbs, floating like luminous stars against the void. Their light pulsed slowly, as though the cosmos itself had been reduced to his grasp.
He leaned forward, his voice echoing in the cavern.
"When I look at the Underworld and other related divinities, and study their properties and nature, the result shows that the purpose of the Underworld and related divinities is… end."
He drew the Underworld orb into the centre, letting the other spheres orbit it.
Slowly, he connected each essence with the Underworld, mapping invisible relationships between them.
"But if one studies their property and nature more deeply and links them to other realms and other divinities, the result is that one thing is common in Underworld and related divinities, either directly or indirectly—and that is another hidden purpose, as a… preserver."
He looked at the web of divinities, then turned first to the orb of Fear, watching its black-red glow.
"Fear is a force of nature—an emotion that living beings create for themselves, drawing a boundary line for their life. It forces creatures to pause, to stay within lines. But the moment they cross that boundary, they begin to change and evolve."
He connected Fear to every essence. The web grew.
Next, he raised the essence of Demon.
"Demonic energy is present in all demonic and magical creatures, but it is completely misunderstood by others. They see it as chaos and an evil force. That's not true. They are hidden guardians of nature, regulators of population. They end excess so that balance remains."
He drew lines to Magic and Death. The orb of Magic shimmered faintly.
"Magic is flexible, adaptable… and a weak energy. It transforms itself into other forms of energy and supports them in their work, but remains weak so that it doesn't dare to replace others."
He bound Magic with Darkness, Soul, and Sleep.
Then came Imprison. Its essence radiated sharpness, like invisible chains.
"Another word for it is Rule. It is the law that binds the world, the framework of order."
He wove it to Darkness, Soul, Death, Secret, Sin, and Mortality.
Sin pulsed crimson, almost alive.
"Sin… born of negative emotions, yes. But negativity is not only corruption—it is also the fuel for growth, ambition, rebellion."
He tied Sin to Sleep.
Sleep drifted with tranquil radiance.
"Sleep and mortality are similar to fear and sin. Both remind us of limits. Both humble us into growth."
He linked Sleep with Darkness and Mortality, then Mortality with Death, Darkness, and Soul.
The essence of Death pulsed like a silent bell.
"Death is like the demon divinity. It ends one life so that another can begin. It is an opportunity for rebirth."
He tied Death to Darkness and Soul.
The Soul orb shimmered like glass.
"The soul is the vessel. It carries life and determines the end of life."
He bound it to Sin and Darkness.
The Secret orb flickered like a veil.
"Secrets… they hide dangerous truths. Truths that, if exposed, could unravel all things. By concealing them, secrets protect the world."
He linked it to every essence.
Finally, he looked upon Darkness. Its aura flowed endlessly, touching every orb.
"Darkness… it is like the underworld, like magic. A supporter. A silent backbone."
Only Minerals remained. Hades frowned.
"Last remaining: Minerals. But how do you support or preserve the world? Only your destructive side comes to mind."
He asked this question to himself and meditated on divinity like a madman, drowning in his own thoughts.
He leaned back against the cavern wall, his hand brushing against something damp and spongy. He turned and saw a small purple mushroom growing from a bloodstain on the rock.
For a moment, he froze. Then he remembered basic plant science from his past life.
His eyes widened.
"Yes, this is it."
He stood up and looked at the Minerals' divinity essence.
"Minerals present in the ground, water inside plants and creatures in different forms—they provide nutrition and help in growth."
He connected Mineral to Soul.
At once, the orbs began to pulse in resonance. The connections webbed together like a living constellation.
Then he compressed the sphere, collapsing it toward the centre and fusing them all. Radiance flared, and a wave of immense energy radiated out in all directions, forming a new type of energy that looked like a flame burning with golden, purple, blue, red, and orange colors.
Hades staggered back, smiling while looking at the fruit of his hard work. Suddenly, an earthquake occurred, and at the same time, an energy surge happened within Hades. He ascended to the peak level of a god chief.
The newborn energy glowed in his palm. Hades observed it carefully.
"Hmm… this energy can manipulate life force. It can make rebirth, evolution, and reincarnation possible. I name it Twilight Flame."
As a test, he enveloped his arm in the energy and raised his hand toward the mushroom.
Life Harvest.
In an instant, not only the mushroom but the surrounding earth itself was drained of vitality. The soil withered. Pebbles cracked. Even the faint aura of life deep underground was sucked dry, and all life force drifted inside him.
By mistake, Hades had created one of the most terrifying spells—a spell even more powerful than Hecate's Silver Judgement Lance.
Hades' eyes widened. He snuffed the spell at once.
"…Oops. Well. I might have just unlocked another forbidden part of the universe. Again."
He scratched his cheek, glancing upward as though the void could hear.
"Lady Ananke… you aren't going to condemn me again, are you? You know this was… just a little bit of curiosity and a little accident. I didn't mean to create it; it just happened."
He bowed deeply to the ground.
---
The quake tore through the entire underworld realm. Panic erupted. Citizens screamed, thinking a catastrophe or a primordial battle had begun.
In her office, Hecate also felt the tremor, but at the same time, her energy rose and her silver energy flared up inside her. She knew instantly what this meant.
Her smile blossomed… then froze. She pinched her temples, sighing deeply.
"Oh no. This fool. He's gone and unlocked another forbidden part of the cosmos. Lady Ananke will definitely scold us severely again. Or worse… punish us."
She quickly joined her hands in protest.
"Please, Lady Ananke, forgive that fool. I promise, when he comes back, I'll scold him properly."
A knock broke her muttering. She straightened her dress, changed into queen mode, and called out.
"Enter."
Druvak and Amazel hurried in, both pale.
"Big sis—Lady Hecate!…"
Both spoke in unison, their voices mixed. Then they looked at each other and said again in unison:
"The earthquake struck everywhere! It must be the work of those evil bastards!"
She cut them off coldly:
"No. It was caused by Hades."
They blinked. Druvak stammered:
"Just what could Lord Hades possibly do to cause this?"
Her gaze sharpened. She lowered her voice a little, and a chill covered the room; the atmosphere grew more serious.
"There are secrets that are kept hidden for the world's safety. These secrets we call Forbidden Secrets. And Hades just touched one of them."
Amazel's curiosity rose, but before she could ask anything, Hecate continued.
"I know both of you are curious about this secret. But I advise you—until you are strong enough, or time itself reveals this secret—never dare to search for it. Sometimes things are much better if no one knows about them."
A silence fell. The air grew even heavier. Both of them shuddered.
Amazel swallowed.
"Then… what do we tell the people?"
Hecate sighed.
"Say nothing. Time erases panic faster than explanation."
---
In a distant nebula, Lady Ananke stirred from her slumber. Rubbing her eyes, she waved a hand, and a cosmic screen shimmered into view.
She watched every moment: the forbidden ritual for the creation of the Fourteen Gates of Oblivion, and the creation of the Twilight Flame.
She pressed her temples.
"Wonderful. He's done it again. And this time, he broke his own record: three forbidden revelations at once."
She groaned, sinking back into her cloud pillow.
"Sometimes I think this underworld couple is competing with each other over who can cause me more headaches."
"At least I can rest a little, as Nyx and Erebus are watching over them, so… maybe nothing catastrophic will happen… Maybe."
She yawned.
"I'll deal with them later. For now… sleep is more important."
And the goddess of inevitability drifted back into dreams, muttering about fools who tamper with forbidden secrets.