Mortal Realm.
In the far north.
The land of war.
At this very moment, Sparta slowly opened his eyes inside the temple. He stood up and walked out step by step, his gaze filled with endless reverence. He whispered softly, "Your Majesty, I will bring you war and death, sweeping across the entire world!"
Sparta closed his eyes devoutly.
Then, when he opened them again, he strode out of the temple, spreading one hand wide and shouting, "Everyone! The war is about to begin!"
"Roar!"
The response to Sparta was an earth-shattering roar.
After a year of waiting, the war was finally about to start.
War and death!
They would spread across the world, letting everyone know their strength. They would maintain unwavering loyalty, sweeping everything in their path.
Sparta's eyes gleamed with sharpness and ferocity as he growled, "Let the battle begin!"
"Let the battle begin!"
"Let the battle begin!"
"Let the battle begin!"
The deafening roars continued, growing more frenzied, demonstrating just how wild they had become.
Blood-red light shone in their eyes; they had long since grown impatient for this war.
In fact, both Sparta and the citizens of the land of war and death had been infected by the very essence of war and death. This was an inevitable test for them. If they could overcome this challenge, the road ahead would be smooth.
But if they failed, everything would become meaningless.
It was unavoidable, yet it was also destined.
The path lay before them, and they had no choice but to keep walking. No matter the difficulties, no matter how hard they fought, this was the road they had to take.
Nothing comes easy!
To succeed, they must press forward.
As Sparta led the army into action, every Underworld Warrior joined the battle, and even the Underworld God descended into the Mortal Realm.
The entire Underworld was ready and waiting!
Who was the target?
There was no specific target!
Or rather, the entire Mortal Realm was their target. This war wasn't just the first holy war; it was the prelude to the world's destruction. In this song of annihilation orchestrated by fate, everything would bring glory to the Underworld.
Sparta led his army forward, a force that would annihilate everything in its path.
Under his command were the Underworld God, the Underworld Warriors—each of them mere followers in this war. Their only task was to follow Sparta, nothing more!
...
"Let it begin."
Hestia quietly watched the marching army and whispered, "The outcome of this war will completely decide the future of the Underworld. What happens next will depend on the events to come."
Hestia understood this well.
The Underworld's preparations were divided into two parts.
Destruction!
Creation!
Destruction of the Golden Age.
Creation of the Silver Age.
Destruction of the Silver Age.
Creation of the Bronze Age.
At first glance, there seemed to be four opportunities. But with a bit of understanding, it became clear that there were only two chances, at most.
If the Golden Age's destruction failed, perhaps it wouldn't be exposed right away, leaving one more chance—the creation of the Silver Age.
But if the creation of the Silver Age also failed, then no matter what, it would be impossible to hide. Poseidon and Zeus would never allow the Underworld's power to grow uncontrollably beyond their grasp.
This was an undeniable truth.
The Underworld, the Sea Realm, and the Sky Realm maintained a triangular balance. If the Underworld truly became an unstoppable force, surpassing all description, then everything would become utterly meaningless.
Therefore, there were only two opportunities. If both were missed, it wouldn't matter how many more chances followed. Failure would remain inevitable.
"Hestia."
Kerr's figure appeared beside her, speaking softly. "Will you participate?"
Hestia shook her head. "For now, I cannot. The gods are watching me too closely. If I make any move, in their eyes, it would mean a tremendous boost to the Underworld's strength."
Hestia was helpless.
It was truly frustrating!
She was only following the instructions of the Mother Goddess, yet everyone seemed to be keeping an eye on her, as if each of her actions could bring massive gains to the Underworld.
How was that even possible...
In fact, Hestia understood. Just thinking about it briefly, she knew that every move she made had indeed brought the Underworld immense benefits, so it was only natural that others were cautious of her.
"Hehehe~~~"
Kerr chuckled softly. "Miss Hestia, it seems even you find this situation quite frustrating."
Hestia shook her head. "It can't be helped. This is just the way things are, and no one can change it! It's really such a headache!"
Hestia's face was filled with helplessness, but there was also a trace of a smile.
Kerr gently replied, "If that's the case, you'll just have to wait a bit longer. Eventually, the Mortal Realm will descend into chaos, and when that time comes, you'll be able to act."
There was no denying that the Underworld Gods held great respect for Hestia.
It wasn't just because of her actions.
Even though Hestia followed Rhea's guidance, not everyone would have dared to act, even with instructions.
It wasn't as simple as it seemed!
These matters were never easy. Not everyone could act as decisively as Hestia.
Though it seemed as if Hestia had a smooth path, in reality, whether it was retrieving the Heart of Space from the Star Realm or traveling through the Sea Realm to reach the Star Realm, the risks were equally great.
There was no doubt about this.
That's why the Underworld Gods respected Hestia. While it seemed she always succeeded, in truth, she walked a razor's edge to bring growth to the Underworld.
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