King of Underworld

Chapter 41

A creature with the lower body of a giant snake and the upper body of a beautiful human woman, but the entity within is the god of time and agriculture, Kronos.

"Why, did you not expect me to return to the mortal world?" "More precisely, it's surprising that Gaia... Gaia was the one to summon you." "Ha ha ha! Mother must be quite desperate to have called upon me!"

With Kronos's laughter, time around us starts to flow erratically. The divine power of the first-generation Titan distorts the surroundings chaotically.

Damn Gaia. Was it Kronos you intended to summon by sacrificing dozens of humans? Are you so distraught over your children, the Titans, being imprisoned in Tartarus?

At least, it's fortunate that I could detect Gaia’s hidden dagger before it struck.

If I had ignored the ritual and killed Echidna, Olympus might have faced Kronos again somewhere, having regained strength in the distant future.

"Gaia intends for you to fight us, only to be cast back into Tartarus. Is that your plan, to be used and then discarded?" "Simply being able to breathe the air of the mortal world is reward enough. Ha ha!"

Even if weakened by his long imprisonment in Tartarus, Kronos is still the god of time and a Titan. He once held dominion over the world and remains a threat to us.

But the conditions to draw his divine form from Tartarus into the mortal world were:

Dozens of human sacrifices, Gaia’s immense divine power, a body to possess, and a bizarre ritual circle. These are not conditions that can be met multiple times without the gods noticing.

"Take a good look at the mortal world one last time. You won’t have another chance after this." "Have you not realized yet? I am gradually adapting to this body."

Kronos's presence strengthens as he draws upon his divine power within the monster’s body. Even Encelados, who had been watching me warily while clutching his club, smirked confidently.

However...

"You weren’t the only one buying time." "What?!"

If you raise your aura that much,

Won’t the sun above notice?

BOOOOOOOM!

A powerful beam of light pierced through the entire mountain and struck them. Yet, the force of the attack halted precisely before reaching me.

Clatter. Thud.

The dark cave vanished completely, revealing the brilliant sunlight illuminating everyone. A mighty attack wiped out part of the mountain, accurately targeting Kronos's power as it was being unleashed.

Above the clouds, Apollo, holding his radiant golden bow, gazed down at us. As he spoke, his majestic voice echoed all around.

"Mortals, close your eyes and do not look upon the sky. Seeing my true form will incinerate you!"

If a mortal gazes directly at the true form of a fully revealed god, they perish. Dionysus’s mother, Semele, serves as an example of those who died upon witnessing Zeus’s form.

An intense heat and brilliance radiated from him, and the mortals bowed their heads in terror.

But those present were gods, Titans, and monsters opposing the gods. All stared directly at Apollo’s true form.

The Gigantes rising and Kronos, who had blocked Apollo’s attack, frowned.

"Whew~! Nice to meet you, Grandfather!" "You’re late, Apollo."

"A sun god... reminds me of Helios. Are you Zeus’s son?" "Lord Kronos! That’s the sun god, Apollo!"

Apollo descended to the mortal world, unleashing his full might, as seen in his battle with Typhon. The sun’s bright rays further illuminated the half-demolished mountain, amplifying his presence.

The heavy blow flying toward me now must be a mere fragment of that power. The power to manipulate time, a power that shook the battlefield during the war.

Tap. Tap.

The sound of sand falling in an hourglass echoed as time unraveled uncontrollably. Kronos's derisive laughter slowly resonated through the slowed-down world...

My son

You still

Cannot defeat

Me...

In the slowed time, I saw Echidna's claws, possessed by Kronos, flying toward me. Kronos, wearing a triumphant grin, swung his hand through the monster’s mouth.

Sharp, hideous claws approached my face...

Twang.

I moved my hand, covered in inky black divine power, to grab the wrist. The space shattered, and the flow of time returned to normal.

"What...!"

Both Kronos and I were in an incomplete state, unable to fully exert our power. But he had rested for far too long in Tartarus.

The penalty for a god breaking an oath on the River Styx is a year of lethargy and nine years barred from council meetings. To an immortal, it is but a fleeting moment, yet the fear of this penalty is simple.

Even a mere ten years without overseeing one’s domain can result in great loss.

Every divine authority grows stronger the more crucial its domain is. It is no coincidence that the Big Three rule the underworld, the sea, and the sky.

Currently, the Olympian gods hold dominion over the world, weakening the Titans significantly. Even though they are both sun gods, Apollo is stronger than Helios.

Thus, how strong could Kronos be, as a defeated Titan who has languished in Tartarus for so long?

Thud!

"Urgh!"

The answer is: significantly weakened.

The domain of time is an immensely important and essential element of the world. However, from the moment of his defeat, Kronos’s power diminished drastically.

Of course, even weakened, he rivals the twelve Olympian gods...

"I am the king of the underworld. I will not lose to some relic." "You... you wretch...!"

I could break through the twisted flow of time surrounding me with my power. As I taunted him while piercing his chest with my hand, Kronos glared at me, bloodshot eyes full of rage.

"The walk ends here. Return to Tartarus." "If not for... this wretched body...!"

The light in his eyes, filled with the erratic movement of time, faded away.

The Titan of time, who descended to the mortal world,

was banished to Tartarus by the lord of the underworld.