Chapter 15: Demons of the Abyss – Puppets of Desires

The sky was dim and overcast.

The earth beneath was a deep, dark red.

In essence, this is the standard appearance for worlds aligned with the Hell element, and the Abyss of Hades was no exception. Hades was intimately familiar with such landscapes. As he stepped into the Abyss, he immediately sensed an insidious power trying to drain all his divine energy.

In this era of abundance, even the air is thick with divine power. However, within the Abyss, there was an absolute void of divine energy. In fact, the entire Abyss actively siphoned it away. Gods entering this realm would find their power rapidly depleted, except for Hades, whose divine energy was endlessly replenished by the Demon Stars.

"Lord Hades…" Mephistopheles' form flickered as he materialized beside Hades, his voice serious. "I can sense a familiar aura of infernal demons here in the Abyss."

"I know," Hades responded calmly. It was indeed intriguing. Typically, entities like demons wouldn't exist in the Greek Pantheon's Mythological World.

For instance, *demons*.

Normally, the Greek Pantheon's Mythological World doesn't host demons. This world is inhabited by gods, even those aligned with the Hell element are still considered gods, not demons.

Take Mephistopheles, for example. Is he a god or a demon? Technically, he's a demon god. Originally a demon, he evolved into a demon god by absorbing countless souls through his contracts. His essence remains demonic.

In the context of the Greek Mythological World, the presence of demons is unexpected. Just as figures like Yama or the King of Hell wouldn't appear in this world, each mythological world is distinct in its inhabitants.

Since this world hasn't collided with others and remains separate, the emergence of demons in the Abyss is particularly curious.

"Lord Hades," Mephistopheles continued, "These demons are highly unique. They blend seamlessly with the Abyss, becoming part of it, and can drain the divine power from any god."

As a demon transformed into a demon god, Mephistopheles was an expert on demons. He immediately recognized the peculiarity here. These demons had integrated so thoroughly with the Abyss that they seemed to be a natural part of it.

"Interesting…" Hades mused. He pulled out the Invisibility Cloth once more, draping it over himself. With the cloth's protection, the continuous drain on his divine power significantly slowed.

"Even so," Hades thought, "The Invisibility Cloth can only reduce the power drain to a minimal level. It can't stop it entirely. This makes the Abyss even more intriguing. What lies within it?"

Hades rarely displayed interest, but the mysteries of the Abyss fascinated him. In the original story, by the time Hades was born, the Abyss had already vanished, collapsed completely. All he knew was that the Abyss held a unique divine artifact. As for the Abyss itself? That was a mystery.

Venturing deeper into the Abyss, Hades began to hear seductive whispers.

"Come, give us everything you have."

"God, surrender all you possess, and you will experience endless joy."

"Every pleasure you can imagine is yours to enjoy."

These alluring voices seemed to promise power and pleasure. Visions of power—being crowned with golden authority—and numerous beautiful women teased him, trying to lure him.

Yet, these temptations met with Hades' profound indifference. He remained unaffected, his demeanor cold and detached.

Mephistopheles watched in awe. From his perspective, he could see the myriad temptations clearly, making him even more amazed at Hades' terrifyingly rational mind. These were the purest lures of desire, yet they had no effect on Hades.

After a while.

Realizing they couldn't tempt Hades, the seductive voices faded into silence. Hades paused briefly.

Reflecting on what he had learned, Hades spoke, "The essence of these Abyss demons is that they are gods once exiled here. They were drained of their divine power and injected with overwhelming desires, becoming mere puppets of these urges. Essentially, they are pitiful creatures, controlled by their own lusts and cravings."

Hades had swiftly discerned the core nature of the Abyss demons. However, another question lingered: why did this transformation occur?

It was a serious question. The Abyss, born from the Greek Pantheon's Mythological World, logically shouldn't produce demons. Fallen gods turning into spirits driven by pure desire or resentment could be understood, but demons were an anomaly here.

"It seems…" Hades murmured, "There's something in the Abyss that I do not yet understand."

Without dwelling too much on it, Hades continued his exploration. With the Invisibility Cloth shielding him, the power drain from the Abyss demons was minimal. While the Abyss itself couldn't restore divine power, for most gods, this would spell doom. Trapped in the Abyss, cut off from replenishment, they would inevitably perish.

Once a god enters the Abyss, it locks down completely, offering no way out unless one can control the Abyss or find its elusive exit. If it were easy, the Abyss wouldn't serve as a place of exile. For most gods, entering the Abyss meant certain death.

However.

Hades was not most gods. As the inherent Lord of the Underworld, he could leave the Abyss with relative ease. Moreover, with the Demon Stars continuously supplying his divine power, he could endure the Abyss for tens of thousands, even millions of years. This gave him ample time to uncover every secret the Abyss held.

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