Hypnos, Nereus, and Prometheus.
These three gods discussed many things.
In the end, Hypnos left with Thanatos, Nereus departed with Keto, and Prometheus left alone. Each went in a different direction, leaving the dead star and exiting the astral plane. As for what truly transpired there? No one knew, and no one could know. But the truth was, it was indeed an interesting turn of events.
...
The Underworld.
Elysium.
At this moment, Hades sat upon his throne, exuding an aura of calm and indifference, but deep in thought, pondering the situation.
"Hmm~~~"
Hestia sat in a massive throne beside him, showing none of the typical godly grace. Instead, she resembled an aristocratic young lady indulging in her whims.
How should one put it?
Hestia's position in the Underworld was truly special. She was cherished by Hades and respected by all the gods of the Underworld, essentially behaving like a pampered young lady.
"Brother."
Hestia asked curiously, "Do you think Prometheus really knows about the Earth Goddess' schemes? It almost feels like he's just making things up as he goes along!"
Hades replied calmly, "Sister, it's hard to say. But even if Prometheus doesn't know for sure, the fact that he has raised the issue means there's a possibility. We'll proceed accordingly."
Hades wasn't overly concerned about whether Prometheus truly knew the Earth Goddess's plans. After all, from his perspective, whatever Prometheus did was actually beneficial to the Underworld. It wasn't harmful to the Sea Realm either, since Poseidon had no interest in taking first place. All he desired was second.
Therefore, in this situation, the real question became: who would end up in third place and bear the embarrassment? Since Prometheus was willing to let the Celestial Realm take that position, and was even willing to stage a play for it, why not go along with it? As a party gaining an advantage, there was no reason to refuse, was there?
That was the heart of the matter.
Hestia agreed with her brother. She reclined on her enormous throne, swinging her slender legs back and forth, muttering, "Even so, if Prometheus really does know about this, it's terrifying!"
She patted her chest, expressing her shock.
And she wasn't joking.
Although Zeus often doubted Prometheus, one had to admit that under Zeus's rule, Prometheus was the most capable and highly regarded god under his command.
If Prometheus truly was involved in the Earth Goddess's schemes, what would that mean? The implications would be clear and extremely alarming.
It would mean that the Earth Goddess's influence had already infiltrated the innermost circle of the third generation of god-kings, possibly reaching its very core.
At that point...
Who could be trusted?
"That's unlikely," Hades said calmly. "Sister, you're overthinking it. I believe Prometheus and the Earth Goddess are merely collaborators, nothing more."
Hestia tilted her head and asked curiously, "Why, brother?"
Hades explained, "Prometheus has his own ambitions. He wants to help the god-king he serves become the true ruler of this world—the rightful god-king."
To master martial skills and serve an emperor—that was essentially Prometheus's thinking. He had always pursued his own goals with unwavering determination. No matter what happened, Prometheus would never betray his own aspirations. This was absolute.
That was simply Prometheus's nature, and it was impossible to change. This was something Hades was certain of.
From this perspective, everything became clear. From any angle, it was evident that this was the crux of the matter.
Therefore, what would happen next? The outcome was obvious.
At most, Prometheus and the Earth Goddess were temporary allies. The notion that Prometheus had become her subordinate, intent on resetting everything and starting anew, was utterly implausible.
"That's impossible."
"Hmm~~~"
Hestia pondered for a moment. "I see! If that's the case, it does make sense. But still, if Prometheus realizes Zeus is incompetent and plans to replace him with a new god-king—the fourth generation—then that's clearly part of the Earth Goddess's scheme. Their collaboration must stem from that."
Hestia was calculating all the possibilities, and it was hard to deny that, from any angle, her reasoning was spot-on.
In fact, Hestia's conclusion was almost certainly correct.
Hades nodded slightly. "Indeed, given the current situation, it appears to be exactly that."
Hades saw the situation clearly as well. Things were exactly as they appeared.
Hestia shook her head and sighed, "Even so, it's still terrifying! How many contingency plans did that Earth Goddess leave behind? Restarting the cycle of life and death—seriously! Is she really that obsessed?"
She thought about Pontos and Prometheus.
At this moment, Hestia felt completely exasperated. It was enough to give anyone a headache.
What was this mess?
It was utter chaos, plain and simple. Chaos laid out before their eyes.
Hades spoke calmly, "Sister, this isn't something we need to worry about. Some things are like a thin sheet of paper between us; as long as we don't break through it, nothing will happen. But if we do break it, then things could get unpredictable."
Hades saw the situation clearly. It was better not to poke at it unnecessarily. Otherwise, what the outcome might be—who could say? Who would dare predict it?
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