Just as Garon previously thought, there are definitely demons willing to relinquish some authority to rule the Abyss as puppet kings under the Pantheon's supervision.
The Dark Sovereign's statement indicated his willingness to be a puppet king.
After all, the Bottomless Abyss was vast and grand enough.
Most demon lords only controlled one layer of the Abyss. Even the more famous and powerful ones could only control a few layers simultaneously. However, becoming the king would make the entire Abyss their domain, able to accommodate immense ambition.
As for whether the Dark Sovereign's mindset would change after becoming the demon king or if he had deeper plans, these were not important to Garon or the gods.
After all, he was still just a demon archduke without enough power, so he needed the support and assistance of the gods.
"The Dark Sovereign is not a chaotic evil demon; he is rational and calm, suitable for cooperation."
He likely made his decision long ago, waiting for the envoy of the Dragon God System to arrive.
"However, the Pantheon prefers to eradicate the demon race and bring the Bottomless Abyss under divine control rather than raising a demon king who isn't fully controllable."
Garon whispered silently to himself.
---
In the Olympus Multiverse, God-King Zeus was very pleased with his previous decision to visit the Sea God's palace and seek answers from his brother Poseidon.
After a heartfelt conversation, he reconciled with his brother.
To Zeus, as long as Poseidon didn't vie for his throne, everything was negotiable.
"Poseidon, my brother, is indeed formidable. When he was against me, he was always the most troublesome god."
"Now that he stands with me and has even convinced Apollo, it is truly something to be happy about."
"If I had admitted earlier that I gained the throne through unfair means and sought Poseidon's forgiveness, perhaps the situation would be different now."
Zeus had a high opinion of Poseidon.
Recently, Poseidon somehow persuaded the Sun God Apollo to also set aside his grudge and join Poseidon in supporting Zeus's reign.
Zeus had many offspring, but the most powerful among them were Apollo and Athena, both members of the Olympian Twelve.
Ironically, these two powerful offspring were the least content, both coveting his throne, making the father-son relationship tenuous.
Now, with Apollo persuaded by Poseidon to support Zeus as the Sun God, it was a rare delight for Zeus.
"Apollo and Poseidon."
"With the Sun God and the Sea God as my left and right hands, how could my throne be unstable?"
Zeus then collected himself and secretly summoned one of his sons as planned with Poseidon and Apollo.
Soon, a deity in black robes, shrouded in the aura of death, arrived in the celestial realm and appeared in the God-King's palace.
"Father, how is Olympus recently? Is everything well?"
Under Zeus's gaze, this deity lowered his head and spoke.
His name was Aeacus, one of the three judges of the Underworld and also Zeus's son—both of the other judges of the Underworld were also Zeus's offspring.
"The celestial realm is as it always is."
After a pause, Zeus explained his reason for summoning the judge, his voice cold and majestic, "There is a heavily sinful soul that I want you to send to Tartarus, deep in the Underworld, to prevent the Underworld King from sheltering it. Do not let the Underworld King know."
Aeacus was slightly taken aback, "Tartarus?"
Zeus remained silent, his indifferent gaze carrying terrifying oppression.
He explained, "Father, Tartarus is the most dangerous and terrifying domain of the Underworld, where beings like the Titans are imprisoned. To send a soul there, it requires the simultaneous judgment of all three judges and the Underworld King's permission."
"Moreover, Tartarus has powerful guards that even the Underworld King may not be able to command."
The Titans, also known as the second-generation gods, were the gods that the current Olympian gods had overthrown.
After defeating the Titans, the Olympian gods sealed them in Tartarus.
Tartarus is the deepest part of the Underworld, but more accurately, the Underworld is an extension of Tartarus.
Zeus's eyes flickered with lightning, his grand voice echoing in the temple like rolling thunder.
"Aeacus, do not forget who is the king of the gods!"
"My will is an unquestionable divine decree!"
The overwhelming pressure almost suffocated the judge.
At this moment, seeing Aeacus struggling to endure, Zeus's tone softened slightly, "Aeacus, do not forget my favor to you. Now, as your father and God-King, I need you to do this for me."
Once, because mortals angered Zeus, he caused a drought, bringing devastation.
Aeacus pleaded with his father to forgive the mortals, and Zeus, for his son's sake, calmed his anger.
Aeacus remembered this.
But more importantly, how could a judge of the Underworld defy the will of the God-King?
He knew his father's tyrannical and unquestionable nature.
After serious consideration, Aeacus sighed softly, "Father, I understand. I will do as you wish."
Then, Zeus handed Aeacus a soul sealed in multiple layers.
Aeacus tried to sense this soul to understand its sins, warranting its confinement in Tartarus, but Zeus's seal prevented him.
"It is dangerous. Do not attempt to probe."
"Your task is to send it to Tartarus, in the name of the Underworld King."
"Remember, do not let the Underworld King know."
"As for the guards of Tartarus, they will not stop you."
Whoosh!
A lightning bolt descended from the sky, landing on Aeacus's palm, forming a lightning mark on the back of his hand, flashing briefly before fading.
Then, the judge of the Underworld left for the Underworld, to carry out Zeus's will.
After the judge left, Zeus murmured in the God-King's palace, "Hades, my brother, do not blame me for being ruthless. I cannot allow you to covet my throne."
---
Meanwhile.
Golden Sea God Palace.
The Sea God Garon was communicating through the Time Alliance contract with the Eternal Sun, temporarily disguised as the Sun God.
"Zeus should have already acted."
The Eternal Sun said.
To deal with Hades first, Zeus, Poseidon, and Apollo came up with a plan.
As long as the Underworld Judge sent the specially treated soul to Tartarus, Hades would be in trouble.
Garon's lips curled into a smile, "This God-King will systematically eliminate the gods who pose obstacles to me in Olympus."
"Zeus's paranoid nature makes him suspect every powerful god of coveting his throne. His actions already displease the gods. With us supporting him, his overreach will eventually lead to his isolation. The gods who once supported him will change their minds."
Then, Garon could rise up, overthrow Zeus at the right moment, expose his cheating to become God-King, and as the Sea God, gain support to rightfully become the God-King of Olympus.
As for the oath sworn on the Sea God divine status...
The 'Sea God,' righteously exposing Zeus's vile acts despite risking himself, leading to his divine status shattering, would have no choice but to painfully change his doctrine, relinquish the Sea God position, and gradually forge a new divine status.
Does that make sense?
It makes perfect sense.
---
In the realm of the dead, the Underworld.
A grayish-white mist pervaded, lifeless and ubiquitous, with the ground cracked and desolate, twisted gray-white trees clawing like demons. The mournful wind carried the wails of souls from afar, echoing endlessly.
Aeacus, as a judge, traversed the Underworld.
Passing through mountains of bones and crossing rivers filled with souls and ghosts, Aeacus finally halted before a dark veil.
Before him was a darkness deeper than darkness, a rolling black mist constantly shifting forms—begging humanoids, roaring monsters, exuding an aura of the deepest, darkest evil.
In the endless black mist stood a towering bronze gate.
It was tightly shut, covered in intricate patterns and symbols, and engraved with three massive Hecatoncheires.
Buzz!
The Hecatoncheires on the bronze gate trembled and protruded, seemingly coming to life.
Numerous eyes opened, staring at Aeacus.
The Hecatoncheires were ancient second-generation Titans who helped Zeus overthrow the second-generation God-King Cronus and now guarded the defeated Titans in Tartarus.
They didn't reveal their true forms, but their gaze alone brought storm-like pressure upon Aeacus.
"This is not a place for you. Leave immediately!"
A Hecatoncheires whispered.
The thunderous, deep voice echoed in Aeacus's mind, causing a splitting headache.
"I carry the decree of the Underworld's ruler, the King of the Dead, the great Hades, to send a heavily sinful soul to Tartarus."
Enduring the severe headache, Aeacus spoke with difficulty, extending his hand to reveal the sealed soul.
"Tartarus is not under the jurisdiction of the Underworld, even by the Underworld King's decree."
As the Hecatoncheires spoke, the lightning mark on Aeacus's hand brightened, shooting an arc of lightning onto the bronze gate.
As if receiving a message, the Hecatoncheires guarding Tartarus fell silent.
The Hecatoncheires, second-generation deities, were brothers of the second-generation God-King Cronus.
Initially, when the first-generation God-King birthed the Hecatoncheires, he saw them as ugly, deformed monsters and cast them into Tartarus. The second-generation God-King ignored their
pleas and left them to suffer in Tartarus.
It was Zeus who, to overthrow his father's rule, designed their release from Tartarus, becoming their benefactor.
However, they were of the same era as the Titans imprisoned in Tartarus. Despite helping the third-generation gods in the original war, they were still unwelcomed by the Olympian gods.
The gods saw the Titans as potential threats and wanted to imprison the Hecatoncheires back in Tartarus after the war.
But the God-King offered them a lifeline, a place to stay.
Thus, the Hecatoncheires could exist as Tartarus's guards.
Guarding Tartarus was their duty, but it was Zeus who assigned it to them.
They dared not defy Zeus's command, whether out of gratitude or fear. They had been sealed in Tartarus before and knew its darkness and terror, never wanting to return.
"If the Underworld King insists, the consequences are on him."
Creak... The Hecatoncheires extended their robust arms, gripping the center of the bronze gate, then exerted force.
Visible veins bulged on the giants' foreheads.
Creak... The ancient bronze gate, sealed for ages, trembled slightly, opening a barely noticeable crack.
As the crack appeared.
A deep roar echoed, conveying various emotions and auras—ancient, deep, withered, resentful, cold, angry, and hungry. Aeacus shivered.
The former rulers of the Olympus Multiverse, many of whom were imprisoned behind the bronze gate.
Though stripped of their powers and weakened, the tiny leaking aura still terrified Aeacus.
Aeacus dared not linger.
He hurriedly extended his hand, sending the sealed soul into the barely visible crack.
As soon as the soul entered, the Hecatoncheires, without hesitation, closed the bronze gate.
"Father, I successfully sent the soul to Tartarus."
Aeacus touched the lightning mark on his hand, sending a message to the God-King high in Olympus.
"Well done, my son. I am proud of you."
Aeacus smiled, wanting to say something, but suddenly felt his right hand burning as if touched by a hot iron. Startled, he looked down.
The lightning mark sizzled, emitting countless arcs of electricity.
The next second, before Aeacus could react, the arcs devoured him, turning him to ashes in an instant, leaving no trace.
Only the silent Hecatoncheires witnessed this.
They closed their eyes, speechless, continuing to guard Tartarus as the bronze gate's carvings.
_________________________
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