Chapter 84: The Underworld Ferryman: Charon, Between Life and Death

Buzz~~~

Buzz~~~

One by one, divine hearts floated in front of him, emitting a dazzling light. What they represented was clear: these gods were the offspring of ancient gods, and at this moment, they had offered everything of themselves.

Hades did not collect the divine hearts immediately. He simply watched Erebus and Nyx. The two ancient gods quietly observed the scene before Nyx spoke, "Hades, take them. This is probably the last time we can help you."

"Alright."

Hades nodded silently and gathered all the divine hearts. In an instant, he could feel a deep connection to each of these gods, much like with Mephistopheles, knowing he could command them completely.

Subordinate gods!

Every deity had their own subordinates. His father, the Titan King, had the twelve major Titan gods as his core subordinates, and Poseidon had 3,000 sea gods and 3,000 river gods. As for Zeus?

Zeus's situation was more unique. In the original stories, Zeus's ruthlessness had nearly destroyed those who followed him, forcing him to choose another path. Zeus, a great demigod himself, started creating subordinates from his own offspring.

Normally, all the offspring of Erebus and Nyx should have served as underworld gods, subordinates of Hades.

However!

In the original story, due to various issues, aside from Hypnos, Thanatos, and the eldest of the four fate goddesses, Ker, the other gods had followed Zeus.

But that was the original story. Now, they had followed Hades, becoming underworld gods and handing over their divine hearts. There was nothing more to be said.

"Greetings, Lord Hades!"

All 19 underworld gods knelt on one knee, saluting Hades with the standard etiquette.

Hades only glanced at them briefly before raising his hand. A beam of light appeared, opening the gate to the underworld, clearly indicating his intent.

Hades calmly said, "Enter, and a god will guide you to create your own realms."

"Understood!"

The 19 underworld gods entered, finding Mephistopheles waiting for them. He didn't mind having so many new colleagues; it didn't change anything for him.

Moreover, Mephistopheles was eager for Hades to quickly increase his power. The stronger Hades became, the more likely Mephistopheles would advance and possibly break through to become a major god.

As each underworld god entered the underworld, Hades pondered for a moment and said, "Erebus, Nyx, one of your children is missing."

"…"

Erebus and Nyx paused, a touch of melancholy in their expressions. "Indeed."

"Charon…" Nyx fell silent. For Erebus and Nyx, they didn't know what to say.

Erebus and Nyx had a total of five children together.

The first was Aether, the God of Space.

The second was Hemera, the Goddess of Daylight.

The third was Charon, the God of the Underworld River and Ferryman of the Underworld.

The fourth was Hypnos, the God of Sleep.

The fifth was Thanatos, the God of Death.

The rest of the gods were self-generated by Nyx. Among their five children, the youngest, Hypnos and Thanatos, were the most beloved and cared for by the ancient couple.

However…

They cared deeply for all their children. This couple, unlike the unfaithful Zeus, valued their family and love very much.

Now.

They had given all their children to Hades. There was no reason to keep Charon back. Moreover, Charon was the God of the Underworld River, truly meant to be with Hades.

In the original stories, aside from Hypnos, Thanatos, and Ker, none followed Hades, but that didn't matter now. Charon's situation was the most pressing issue.

"Alas!"

Nyx sighed softly, saying, "Hades, Charon represents the Underworld River. Essentially, his existence corresponds to it. However, in the Mythic World, the Underworld River does not exist. Its existence is unique, and even Tartarus cannot create it."

"Because of this," Nyx said helplessly, "Charon has been in a weakened state since birth. As time passes, he is slowly approaching death."

Nyx's face was tinged with sadness. Although Charon was the least attractive of their five children, it didn't matter to her.

To this ancient couple, unlike the unfaithful Zeus, they just wanted their children to be safe and not face any accidents.

However!

Charon's situation was something even ancient gods couldn't resolve. The essence of the Underworld Rivers is extremely special. While Hades could create them as the King of the Underworld, other gods couldn't. Not even Uranus or Cronus, only Hades could do it.

Charon, as the God of the Underworld River, without the river's existence, would continue to weaken and eventually die. This was Charon's predicament, an unchangeable fate.

"Is Charon already dead?" Hades continued to ask.

Erebus shook his head, "No, Charon is not dead. We've barely preserved his essence, keeping him on the brink between life and death."

Erebus and Nyx were deeply frustrated because Charon, representing the Underworld River, couldn't escape his origin. He would always correspond to the river.

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