Chapter 59 - The Summoning of the Primordial God

'Thank you for your kind offer, Lord Hades, but as a goddess who presides over life, I prefer the vibrant earth. Additionally, I have responsibilities to fulfill during winter on the surface, so I must decline your proposal." Hebe spoke these words while secretly channeling her divine power in readiness. Although this lord of the underworld had always behaved quite normally and restrained, she had little hope for the integrity of Greek gods. It was not impossible for him to suddenly act out and attempt a forced marriage. '…" Hades naturally noticed the goddess's vigilance. Although he felt a bit regretful, he was not surprised by the outcome; he had anticipated that the position of queen of the underworld would not attract such a proud goddess. What a pity! If there were a queen of the underworld, he could legitimately delegate half of the complicated affairs to her… 'You need not be so tense; this was merely a suggestion. I fully respect your thoughts. Since you are unwilling, then let this matter rest." Having frightened her, Hades naturally sought to reassure her. Hebe sighed in relief but also felt a bit awkward. She truly did not want to linger any longer, so she decided to take her leave directly. 'Having come to the underworld, I haven't had the chance to properly appreciate its charm. I won't disturb Your Majesty any further with your duties." With that, she turned to leave. 'Your Highness should restrain your life energy a bit; this is the underworld, a gathering place for all things dead. They have an almost frenzied obsession with life. If you go out like this without an underworld deity accompanying you, I'm afraid that within three seconds, the souls in the underworld will start to riot." '…" She had almost forgotten about that. Upon hearing his words, the goddess immediately reined in her divine light. When she looked again, the life energy around her had been suppressed, replaced by a chilling aura that made one want to retreat. 'Thank you for the reminder, Your Majesty." Hebe expressed her gratitude to Hades. After glancing at him, who had returned to his duties, she hesitated for a moment before speaking again. 'Great Lord of Guests, do you really have to handle so many affairs every day? Is there no one to assist you?" 'The underworld deities are also quite busy. They already have enough on their plates, and even if we continue to create subordinate gods, it would only be a drop in the bucket; it's simply not sufficient." '…" After all, they are still deities. Having lived for so long, their minds become inflexible, guarding a treasure mountain without realizing it. Hebe sighed and offered a reminder. 'Master of Souls, you have yet to realize the wealth you possess. Why limit your gaze to the divine race? What is most abundant in the underworld? Souls. Many of the new generation of mortals have perished in the calamity of heavenly fire; their souls are personally endowed by wise seers, and their alertness and efficiency are no less than that of the gods. You could select a few outstanding individuals from among them, delegate some of the administrative tasks to them, and if they perform well, you can grant them divine authority and ignite the divine fire for them. Even the weakest third-tier divine authority would be a tremendous blessing for humans." Hebe's words made Hades's eyes light up more and more. Yes! How did he not think of this before? These underworld deities were also rigid in their thinking; having daily contact with the dead, they still hadn't discovered their potential for utilization! The cleverness of this goddess was truly admirable. 'Life's Hebe, thank you for your suggestion. This advice is invaluable to me. From now on, you shall be the most esteemed guest of the underworld!" Hades stood up excitedly, ready to go outside and have Thanatos select a group of souls for him to choose from. After taking a few steps, he turned back to Hebe and asked, 'Are you really not going to reconsider? If you nod, you will be the most esteemed queen of the underworld." 'No, thank you for your kind offer, Your Majesty." Hebe smiled lightly and took three steps back. I respect you as the Lord of the Underworld, but please do not push your luck! 'Very well." Hades nodded with slight regret. 'Then please feel free, Your Highness. You may roam anywhere except for the depths of Tartarus; everywhere else, you are free to explore." With that, Hades hurriedly left the temple to select his future capable assistants. Hebe shrugged and paid him no mind. After exiting the temple, she began to wander leisurely through the underworld. First, she visited the Elysium, where the golden humans slumbered, and after admiring the beauty there, she strolled on the Plains of Truth. The icy aura surrounding her kept the souls at bay, providing her with a rare sense of tranquility and leisure. This quietness seemed to calm her restless heart, and her thoughts gradually settled down, slowly giving rise to a sense of drowsiness. '!" Hebe suddenly opened her eyes, a flash of anger and coldness crossing her violet gaze. 'Since the Lord of Sleep has arrived, please show yourself. Is ambushing a guest the way to treat visitors in the underworld?" 'I sincerely apologize, beautiful and noble Lady Hebe. I only noticed that you seemed a bit fatigued and wanted to grant you a lovely dream." A white-winged deity with soft lavender eyes appeared before Hebe, a hint of regret on his handsome face. 'Thank you for your kind intentions, Your Highness." Hebe maintained her cold expression. Regardless of whether it was a good intention, she was wary of this deity's divine power, which had almost stealthily lulled her into sleep. No wonder legends claimed even Zeus had fallen victim to him. It seems I'm not liked… Hypnos showed a helpless expression. He had indeed taken an interest in this legendary goddess and wanted to see if she was truly as powerful as the rumors suggested. The reality, however, confirmed that her strength was beyond doubt. 'Lady Hebe, please believe that I mean no harm. I truly did offend you, and this is a small token of my sincerity. Please forgive my rudeness." Hypnos's hand shimmered with divine light, revealing a beautiful object. It was a circle woven from branches, wrapped in leather, with a complex and beautiful web made of cowhide lacing in the center, adorned with colorful gemstones, and drifting below were a few pure white feathers. A dreamcatcher; it could protect its owner from nightmares, capture beautiful dreams, and ensure a night of peaceful sleep. '...Alright, I forgive your rudeness this time." Seeing that he was genuinely apologetic, Hebe no longer kept a cold face. From her memories as half a Pallas, she knew that this deity's craftsmanship was indeed impressive. 'If you have something to discuss, please speak frankly, Your Highness." The underworld deities were busy with their affairs, and as Hades's chief steward, Hypnos couldn't possibly have come just to amuse himself. 'Esteemed goddess, master of life, Hebe, my mother goddess, Nyx of the night invites you to meet her." Hypnos's expression turned serious as he stated the purpose of his visit. Nyx wants to see me? Hebe showed hesitation. To be honest, she wasn't particularly keen on meeting this goddess at the moment. From her half-formed memories and that encounter on the divine mountain, Nyx had always given her an impression of being not only powerful but also unfathomable. The way Nyx looked at her held a depth that made her uneasy. '...Then please lead the way, Prince Hypnos." Being on someone else's territory, especially with a primordial deity, left her no room to refuse. 'Please follow me, Your Highness." The platinum-haired deity spread his wings and flew into the sky of the underworld. Hebe also spread her wings and followed closely behind. The two deities moved swiftly, and in no time, they arrived at the edge of Tartarus, before a palace built of black underworld stone. This was the temple belonging to Nyx, the goddess of night, and her husband, Erebus, the god of darkness. Hebe followed Hypnos into the temple. Inside, she saw that the great hall was illuminated by dim underworld flames, and at the head of the hall sat two magnificent deities: Nyx, with her gray eyes, and her brother and husband, Erebus, the god of darkness. 'Great Father and Mother, I have brought the goddess of life, Hebe." Hypnos stepped forward and respectfully bowed to the two primordial gods. 'Serene night, profound darkness, I praise your greatness and glory. Goddess of life, Hebe, pays her respects to you, Your Majesties." Hebe followed suit with a bow, then lowered her gaze, waiting for further words. 'You've worked hard, my child. You may leave now." Nyx looked kindly at Hypnos and spoke. 'Yes." 'Erebus, my husband who is always by my side, the Gate of Reincarnation still needs the essence of Chronos to inscribe the divine patterns. Go tell Tartarus to extract a portion for us." The goddess of night turned to her husband, indicating that Hades had likely informed this primordial god of her plans for the Gate of Reincarnation. 'Alright. Those sinners have been howling in there for days, disturbing your sleep. Extracting some essence to serve as a warning should keep them in line for a while. If they weren't descendants of Gaia, I would say just obliterate them." Erebus stood up, casually discussing the execution of the Titans as if it were as simple as killing a chicken. Is this what primordial gods are like? So domineering…