The God of Underworld
Chapter 138 - 37

Chapter 138: Chapter 37

The skies above Herion churned like a cauldron of ash and shadow.

From the highest wall of the city, Erebus stood unmoving, a silhouette of void against the storm.

His dark robes flowed unnaturally, untouched by the winds.

Around him, the Olympians gathered, all tense and determined as they stared at the darkness that was approaching.

Athena stepped forward, her voice sharp and measured. "...so, we just have to wait until Gaia arrives and beat her down?"

Erebus shook his head slowly. "Sorry, no. According to Hecate, even with the help of the Patrons, creating a massive gate that can pull Gaia down would take at most three days."

A tense silence fell. Three days may sound short, but in a war where your opponent is a literal mother of life and completely unkillable, three days feel like an eternity.

Even Zeus and Poseidon, with all their pride and arrogance, dared not claim they can hold on for three days.

"Three days..." Ares muttered, his hands clenching into fists, blood-red aura rising. "Then all we need to do is delay her. Just delay her until the gate is finished."

"I like your optimism," Artemis crossed her arms, "But is it really that easy? Three days is a long time now that I think about it. We might die before we can see the light of the next day."

"Who cares?" Apollo patted her shoulders, "We do what we must. That is our duty as the gods of this realm."

"That is right." Astraea nodded at Apollo, "No matter what, we must stand our ground. Maintaining the world’s justice and order is our duty."

Erebus stared at them. Thinking that these arrogant pricks are finally starting to act like real gods and not just oppress mortals and indulge in their depravity.

Seriously, he was so disgusted with the current ruler of the cosmos. He would rather have the Titans rule with tyranny than the Olympians who just indulged in their selfish desires and not bother maintaining the law and order.

Of course, he wasn’t talking about Astraea or Themis, or even Hestia. Those three have always been the most just and fair amongst the current ruler of cosmos.

"Hm?" Erebus raised a brow as a mortal presence drew near.

At that moment, Varn, the Sentinel leader, arrived.

He wore the scars of war proudly, his armor battered yet clean, his stance like stone, unwavering.

He offered a respectful nod to the gods but did not kneel.

The silence that followed was almost louder than the winds.

Poseidon’s eyes narrowed. "Hmph. Mortal, you are in the presence of the gods. Kneel, such is the proper respect when meeting with us."

Zeus, beside him, thunder crackling faintly along his shoulders, remained silent but watched with visible displeasure.

Varn met Poseidon’s stare unflinchingly. "You are not the god I worship. I kneel only to Lord Hades,"

His voice was calm. Not arrogant, simply a plain voice as if stating a simple fact.

The air thickened. The sea gods’ divine energy surged, and for a moment, it seemed as if Poseidon might lash out.

But Erebus stepped between them like a shadow shifting into form, completely stopping the growing tensions in an instant.

"Varn, did you come to report something?" he asked, his voice firm.

Varn nodded. "Yes. Reports have arrived from our scouts, several corrupted Giants have descended upon other cities. Kingdoms lay in ruins and all life seems to have been devoured."

Gasps and mutters rose among the gods. Even Themis’ composure faltered and Hestia clutched her robe tighter.

"Destroyed... and consumed?" Themis whispered.

Erebus gritted his teeth. "The entity is not wasting time. It strengthens itself before reaching Herion. It wants to consume as much divine and mortal essence as it can before confronting us directly."

"If this continues," he added grimly, "probably not even Hades and Nyx will be able to stop it."

Just then, Athena stepped forward, her eyes calm.

"I anticipated such a move," she said. "And I’ve already done my preparations. They should reach other cities to help by now."

*

*

*

Far across the lands, battlefields were forming.

In the burning forests of Pindaros, the fleet-footed Atalanta stood beside the goddess Iris, her bow drawn, arrows glowing with divine light.

On the ravaged steppes of Delphora, Alcides, the son of Zeus, roared as he smashed his mace into the face of a grotesque, twisted giant, aided by the goddess Hebe herself.

Across mountains, deserts, and drowned coasts, champions chosen by the gods moved like blades of fate.

Lesser gods and demigods guided them — not to save the world outright, but to cut down the swelling strength of the enemy before it reached its climax.

Their mission: eliminate the corrupted giants and halt the entity’s plan to devour more power.

*

*

*

Back atop the walls, Erebus let out a rare breath of relief. "Athena, your foresight... may be the reason we have a chance."

"As expected of you, my fellow god of war. Hahaha!" Ares laughed, patting Athena on the back.

Athena frowned and elbowed him on the stomach, "Knock it off, you brute."

"Hahaha!" Ares just laughed it off.

"That is to be expected of my daughter." Zeus looked smug.

Athena only gave a short nod. "Let us hope our champions hold."

Varn, ever stoic, added grimly, "Even if they do, monsters have already been spotted marching towards the city. They’ll be here within the hour."

The gods suddenly stiffened.

"Can your forces hold the walls?" Erebus asked.

Varn did not flinch.

"We will handle it," he said, steel in his voice. "... That is our duty."

Even Poseidon’s scowl softened slightly.

Erebus turned, his obsidian eyes narrowing as he stared into the thick black clouds to the north.

There, lightning flashed, not golden or blue like Zeus, but green, twisted, and completely unnatural, as if it was a lightning that doesn’t belong in this world.

"Then our task is clear," he said. "Delay Gaia. Keep her and her horrors from this city for three days. That is all."

He spread his arms. Shadows coiled around him like a living cloak.

"Hold the line."

Without another word, Erebus leapt from the wall and soared toward the darkness, his form dissolving into smoke.

Athena, Ares, Apollo, Artemis, Themis, and the rest of the gods followed.

Their divine forms igniting the skies in brilliant color — sun, flame, moon, law, and war, all flying forward into the oncoming abyss.

*

*

*

Far ahead, the first waves approached.

Beasts with eyes where mouths should be. Giants stitched with the bones of cities. Winged abominations that dripped with ooze that killed grass and stone.

At their center, like a mountain rising behind death itself, Gaia, twisted and puppeted by the entity, walked with apocalyptic purpose. Her steps left cracks in reality itself.

She had no expression, no emotion. Only hunger. The land whispered in agony beneath her.

The final battle was approaching.

And for three days, the gods would have to endure the storm.