[90] Ascension Amidst Hellish Catastrophes

"Devil Sashimi, Grilled Devil Skewers, Fried Devil Meat, Sautéed Devil Liver, Devil Intestines, Teppanyaki Devil Tentacles, Devil Thick Soup..."

Within the side hall of the Goddess Hecate.

A black-haired youth, clad in a chef's apron, began presenting dishes after dishes of "delicious and appetizing" delicacies to the table. With each dish he introduced, the complexion of the purple witch turned a shade greener.

Medea knew very well that Kratos's culinary skills were comparable to the divine blessings of Hestia. Initially enticed by the fragrant aroma, the purple witch's soul was already being lured away.

Then... Dum-dum-dum! The opening thunder struck!

Eyeballs, tentacles, viscera, intestines, brain tissue, flesh tinged with green and purple...

Looking at the table, the tantalizing aroma wafting from each dish, with presentations akin to 'delicacies from hell,' Medea's complexion gradually turned a shade of green and purple as well.

On the table, the unblinking, skewered eyeballs of devils slowly twisted and turned, gazing at her.

Inside the dishes, despite being thoroughly cooked by Kratos's flame magic, the devil tentacles twitched as if alive.

Plop...

"Ah!!!"

The purple witch let out a piercing scream and suddenly darted into the embrace of the young king.

"I don't want to eat this! Your Highness!! I don't want to eat these monstrous things!!!"

Even when encountering storms aboard the Argo, during the most dire scarcity of supplies, Alcides would dive into the sea, catch a shark, and prepare a feast right then and there to prevent the crew from resorting to eating devilic abominations.

Indeed, it smelled good.

But... eyeball skewers? Grilled brain tissue? devil spinal cord?!

Medea simply couldn't bring herself to eat! Her demure facade was on the verge of being completely shattered!

"Tsk."

As he embraced the purple witch's head, Kratos gently reassured Medea.

"...What should we do then?"

There's no choice, necessity knows no law.

In hell, apart from hastily grown herbs, devils were the only edible option.

Although he was the son of Zeus, Kratos didn't inherit His ability to transform into a bull.

A bit of vegetable broth, painstakingly cultivated by Hecate herself, was their only relief from consuming such diabolical fare.

Perhaps due to the unique characteristics of hell, these vegetables grew in various grotesque shapes... strawberries embedded with sinister eyeballs and gnashing teeth, biting and glaring as you ate them, offering a strangely delightful sensation reminiscent of cream puffs.

Within devils' bodies were all sorts of peculiar organs, with intestines being the most abundant. Kratos had cleaned them as thoroughly as possible, ensuring no accidental preservation of their original flavors.

"Not eating meat? Where will you replenish the nutrients and energy from? How will you grow up properly?"

Holding the picky purple witch, Kratos earnestly advised.

"You can close your eyes and eat, Medea. Shall I feed you myself?"

Though the underworld was the greek inner sea of the planet, within its deepest recesses, all the free ether was absorbed by the river Styx.

The waters were filled with the accumulated fears and malice of humanity over thousands of years, making them unusable directly.

Thus, Kratos and the others, even Hecate, mostly relied on consuming to replenish their minor magical reserves.

Pure, unadulterated magical energy was an extremely scarce resource here.

"If you continue like this, your magical energy will wither away."

"I won't eat! Ugh... I won't eat!"

The purple witch adamantly refused, tears welling in her eyes as she clutched Kratos's collar.

"Your Highness, give me mana transfer!"

"Well..."

Over the past few days, with all the devil-slaying, Kratos had indeed amassed some weighty magical energy and brutality. Going a day without replenishment made him uncomfortable all over, he felt like bursting and wanted to vent by squeezing out a cute purple witch cream puff.

And according to the first law of magic... transferring magical energy would result in loss, the farther the distance, the larger the area, the greater the loss.

So bodily fluid replenishment was the most efficient and least wasteful method.

"...Teacher is present, won't it be inappropriate?"

The entire palace of the moon, including a large area around it, was under Hecate's surveillance. She could count every single hair on Kratos's body at any time.

From the length and size of the young king's body to various parameters, nothing was a secret to the Goddess of the Moon.

To replenish magical energy with the purple witch. 

Wouldn't that mean feeding the big witch's eyes to her?

"Ah, little girls are so temperamental. Medea, you should grow up a bit and not always make your husband worry."

Sitting ten meters away, swaying her fair, bare feet, Hecate sighed softly, her voice gentle and immature, yet her tone carried an air of authority.

No, Kratos's lips twitched slightly, wasn't she a little girl herself?

Though, granted, a millennia-old girl.

Hecate beckoned, and the spoon on the table scooped up a braised devil eyeball, flying steadily through the air and landing in her open mouth, delivering the dish into her waiting jaws.

Mmm...

Swallowing the eyeball, she bit into it, bursting it with a crunch.

The flying juices instantly filled Hecate's mouth... a marvelous sensation, an extremely delicate balance of heat and seasoning, made her feel like she was ascending, unable to stop.

"Mmm!"

The girl's face flushed with intoxication, her slender bare feet trembling, her rosy toes curling and uncurling.

"Delicious! You truly deserve to have written Spartan Cuisine! Kratos, your hands are truly skillful! No, where did you even acquire such exquisite culinary skills? I've had Hestia's cooking before..."

If the dishes didn't make one blush and pant, then it wasn't cooking. This hadn't even reached the point of exploding clothes yet?

"Just ordinary seasoning... it's the quality of the ingredients."

Half humility, half truth.

Devil flesh was imbued with the purest magical energy, making its texture almost comparable to the finest magical beasts. Moreover, Kratos had only been killing well-known devils, far more delicious than mere foot soldiers.

Kratos skewered a still-wriggling devil tentacle and brought it to his mouth, biting down. Its tender texture resembled squid but with a resilient chewiness. Along with a myriad of peculiar sensations like numbness and burning slowly flooding his senses, it felt like a burst of splendid flavors exploding in his mouth.

He deliberately retained a tiny bit of devil toxin, which wouldn't affect the purple witch's constitution at all, but instead evolved into a uniquely flavorful addition to the food.

Poison must be consumed, nutrition must be consumed, only then could it be considered wholesome!

"If you really can't accept it... then I'll replenish your energy tonight."

It was a pity about his carefully crafted dishes, but he couldn't let the purple witch go hungry.

Kratos held Medea close, whispering softly in her ear with meaningful words, causing her face to flush with embarrassment.

She knew very well that her teacher was watching and listening, her earlier request for mana transfer was partly a childish, petulant gamble.

Yet, even so...

She didn't want to refuse!

"Your Highness... this is too much."

"Why is it too much? Wasn't it what you requested?"

Kratos blinked his deep crimson eyes.

A broad flush spread across the young girl's immaculate neck as Medea buried her face deeply into the embrace of the young king.

Hecate, meanwhile, maintained her composure, pretending she hadn't heard a thing.

For her, as the goddess who had lived for thousands of years, love had long been locked away in the depths of time. Time, the most numbing balm for the heart.

Or rather, for Hecate, thousands of years had nearly dulled her feelings of affection... she simply didn't believe she could find someone to fulfill her desires and stir her heart in matters of love anymore.

Kratos was indeed the most exceptional human she had ever encountered. But for Hecate, her feelings towards him were more akin to those of an elder towards a child: a mix of comfort, indulgence, fondness, and tenderness.

Zeus had entrusted Kratos to her care.

And Hecate wouldn't dare betray Zeus's trust. She would fulfill her duties.

Moreover... a fourteen-year-old boy.

How could he satisfy a goddess who had lived for thousands of years?

Hecate didn't harbor the intense passions of romantic love.

If the British witch were here, perhaps she could devilstrate to Hecate what it meant to satisfy.

But Hecate, at least for now, maintained her dignity as a goddess.

"Well then, let's not be polite, Medea."

The black-haired girl shook her head.

"Not eating is your loss~"

There were no airs of a goddess.

With Kratos absent, Hecate usually took on the form of a devil, feasting on the flesh of other devils to release the pent-up malice and cruelty.

Even the utensils and spices were made on a whim after she saw Kratos's cookbook.

As she roamed the mortal world in various forms of the dark moon, she could offer herself sacrifices at will, but it consumed her energy, so smaller items were preferred.

It was difficult to transport living creatures with souls to the deepest parts of hell. Even the great hero Heracles, thrown in here, would have a hard time replenishing himself under the siege of devils, making it a life-threatening situation.

Those who could survive smoothly in hell.

Except for the peculiar Kratos, there were only devils.

They lived on malice and fear. Hell was their paradise.

Facing the table full of hellish delicacies.

After tasting the exploding braised eyeballs, Hecate's mouth watered.

The goddess and the young man began to enjoy their meal without any psychological burden.

"This devil sashimi is authentic!"

"The taste of fried devil meat, so this is it..."

"Thick soup? Strange name, wonderful flavor."

Although the appearance was a bit bizarre, the taste was undeniable.

The black-haired girl smacked her lips.

Finally experiencing the heavenly days of having someone cook for her, Hecate softened her gaze as she watched Kratos, feeling increasingly satisfied with her disciple-in-law.

He could eat, he could work, he could fight, he could refine, and he even understood how to take care of the home. Medea truly found herself a good husband...

The dainty nose of the purple witch sniffed the enticing aroma.

Medea slightly raised her head, looking at Kratos and her teacher indulging in the feast with delight.

She glanced at the dining table, and suddenly, her eyes swept over the broken organs, coagulated blood, entwined tentacles, lifeless eyeballs, all rolling in the hotpot soup...

Um.

A shiver ran down her spine, and she...

"Gulp..."

Medea's trembling stomach let out an unbearable groan.

Kratos wiped the cream from the corner of his mouth, looking at the blushing face of the purple witch in his arms with a smile that seemed like a smile but wasn't.

No one could resist delicious food.

The purple witch's mental defense was wavering. Her rational mind told her that devil flesh was unfit for consumption, but her insatiable appetite was already entwining her.

Could she really... eat this?

"Ugh!"

Suddenly.

Kratos sealed her lips, feeding the devil strawberry cake into the purple witch's mouth.

It was obviously a solid fruit with gruesome eyeballs, a ghastly red color that sent chills down one's spine.

However, the sweetness that surged forth made the violet pupils of the purple witch begin to sparkle, and she couldn't help but savor the unique flavor.

Even after swallowing it, the lingering sweetness lingered on her delicate tongue like a sweet aftertaste.

"...Your Highness."

Looking at her delicate face, flushed with sweetness and embarrassment.

The feeling of nurturing a delicate maiden made Kratos feel an unusual sense of joy.

The food-savvy purple witch, unable to resist any longer, finally joined the battlefield of devouring hellish delicacies.

Ugly to look at, disgusting in appearance, but... so delicious!

Why did it feel like... even her tongue was going to twist strangely?

Sitting on Kratos's lap.

The young king's ambiguous and clear voice reached the purple witch's ears.

"Now that we've eaten, shouldn't we replenish our energy?"

"Gulp..."

Medea's expression froze as she held her utensils.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Why...?"

"Eat, eat." Kratos, unable to resist, teased her in a whisper, "We must eat to replenish our energy... that's what being healthy means."

"Your... Your Highness! Don't tease me!"

The delicate face, blushing like a ripe fruit, both enjoyed the food and began to anticipate... the affection from the young king that she hadn't received in several days.

"Cough... cough cough..."

Hecate coughed twice, signaling them to behave.

"If you're going to be lovey-dovey, don't eat here. Have the guts to do it in bed."

Then, a burst of laughter, and they continued to enjoy their meal with their heads buried.

Satiated and satisfied.

After a feast and thoughts... turned... amorous.

On the canopy floating with countless doors, the blood moon rose as expected.

Even in hell, there was day and night.

Although Hecate's luxurious palace of the dark moon, shrouded in shadows, seemed to be in perpetual night, even at this moment.

Inside Hecate's chamber.

The goddess allowed her resting place to be taken over by her obedient disciple and son-in-law. After all, this palace, built bit by bit in the underworld, had never been intended for guests, so there was only one bed.

At that moment, Hecate was just like Medea... redirected to the library.

The moonlight from the ceiling of the chamber gently illuminated Medea's face. Her violet eyes reflected a soft glow, shimmering like stars in the night sky.

Lying on the bed, the purple witch was embraced in a warm embrace. She had never tried riding on her king before, and naturally, being shy by nature, she had always maintained this grateful and passive demeanor. Those soft, slightly trembling curves and lines emitted a charm that belonged exclusively to a young girl.

"Do you miss everyone?" 

Kratos gently reassured her.

"Yes."

"Are you afraid here?"

"As long as you're here, I'm not afraid."

"Don't worry, I'll take you back-"

The soft lips of the purple witch sealed Kratos's lips.

Medea's breath softly brushed against him, like fingers plucking at heartstrings. The slightly tense breaths were clearly audible in the quiet chamber. The slender arms that reached out and wrapped around his neck were ready to receive all the suppressed desires he had accumulated. And those disheveled purple strands, like a bunch of budding orchids.

"Wherever you are, Your Highness..." Medea whispered in his ear, "That's Medea's home."

...

"Ahhn~ Y-Your Highness..."

Raising her head, feeling the reverberation of the moonlight on the palace canopy.

The black-haired girl, sitting on a pile of scrolls, with a slightly annoyed blush on her face, slammed the scroll onto the ground with a loud bang.

"Damn it!"

What a disturbance.

Hecate, angrily preparing to knock on the chamber door to quiet them down a bit, but her goddess-like keen senses inadvertently caught her disciple's exclamation.

"Your Highness, aren't we... being too much..."

The purple witch said intermittently and embarrassedly, expressing her respect and concern for her teacher even as she was about to ascend to heaven.

"Should we... be quieter-"

"The noble, compassionate, and kind Goddess Hecate will surely forgive our trespasses."

"..."

Noble, compassionate, and kind.

That's right.

Forgive... sigh, forgive...

The black-haired girl's chest heaved as she let out a slow breath.

Medea, my dear disciple, how did you end up like this!

Hecate had been trying very hard, very politely, not to look, but they were just too much.

Closing her eyes.

In the vision of the goddess of the dark moon, their intense skirmish would appear.

"Gulp..."

It had been two damn hours, they were just too exaggerated!

Calm down... Hecate, calm down!

You're the elegant and noble goddess of the dark moon!

Calm down, damn it!

Her body suddenly swelled, from a youthful maiden to a voluptuous and mature beauty.

A vast shadow rose up, completely blocking off the area from the library, shielding the chamber.

In this mature state, Hecate's brimming energy blocked off her ears, extinguishing the tremors of the moonlight, which still flickered in her amber eyes.

"..."

She raised her hand and extinguished the moonlight, using the sinister thoughts of her devilic aspect to help clear her mind of the clutter and embarrassment.

Just... this once!

Absolutely, not to be repeated!

...

In Kratos's embrace, the adorable purple witch slept peacefully, finally satisfied and content.

The magical energy infused this time was enough to support her practice of magic for over half a month.

The young king, quietly arranging the bedding for Medea, donning his robe, walked through the library, which was as spacious as a banquet hall, illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the dome, and began reading tonight's grimoire.

In the shadow cast by the side bookshelf, Hecate slowly appeared, her voluptuous figure enveloped in black gauze.

Even with an expressionless face.

The soft and delicate face of the goddess of the dark moon, adorned with a tear mole beneath her eyes, also exuded a captivating and enchanting allure.

"...Aren't you resting, Kratos?" 

Her cold voice rang out.

To this, the young man just shook his head.

"I don't want to waste time sleeping, respected Goddess Hecate."

He replied, his mind elsewhere.

Kratos's gaze continued to scan the scrolls incessantly, engraving various precious magical knowledge from different eras into his mind.

"For every day I spend here, ten days pass in the mortal realm. Time is pressing now, I must improve myself as quickly as possible."

As the conversation fell silent, Hecate remained quiet for a moment.

"How did you realize?" 

She didn't want him to become overly anxious, so she didn't reveal this secret.

"Medea has grown up." 

Indeed, Kratos had already sensed it...

In the deepest part of this inner sea of the planet, due to the distortion of the rules, time flowed almost ten times faster than in the mortal realm.

In these past few days, while Medea may not have noticed herself, Kratos had already keenly felt that the purple witch was growing rapidly... just in a few days, her body had become slightly more voluptuous.

Because of the vanguard of the wandering star's nature of the devouring of civilization, such time distortion feedback was reflected in Kratos.

As a goddess, Hecate's figure wouldn't change.

"This is not a reason for you to push yourself, Kratos..." Hecate shook her head. "Your spirit is nearing its limit."

"Every day is a limit, I'm used to it..." Kratos said softly. "Breaking limits is my daily routine."

"Heh..." Such arrogant words made the approaching goddess smile slightly. "You're an interesting little fellow."

Feeling the looming figure, as if some huge heart was overshadowing the moonlight above their heads.

Kratos couldn't help but raise his head, glancing at Hecate's beautiful and charming face under her guise as a mature woman.

"You're blocking the light I need for reading."

"..."

She stepped back two steps.

"Didn't you say not to come within ten meters of me?"

What a cheeky kid, not taking hints.

Hecate's lips twitched, her figure silently dissolving into the shadows, reappearing ten meters away from the young man.

"Truly exquisite shadow magic..."

Kratos gazed at Hecate's seamless displacement with undisguised admiration. He could only see such effortless releases in Morgan and his former self.

"Shadows, to the common folk, are omens of mystery, extinction, and death. In my view, shadows are a manifestation of tranquility and vitality... while light illuminates all, shadows nurture all."

"Interesting interpretation. Do you understand shadow magic?"

Initially somewhat annoyed, Hecate, upon hearing the young man's words, couldn't help but ask with genuine interest.

In this moonlit world without Nyx, Hecate was the embodiment of the dark moon, the mother of the night, and could be considered the pioneer of later shadow magic development, truly the master of shadows.

Now, merged with the devilic aspect of darkness, her mastery of shadow magic was unmatched in this land.

In today's Greek age of gods, this was an obscure and mysterious art.

Curious about him, Kratos just shook his head.

"I know a little."

"Interesting. Then let me test you. There are four common origins of shadow magic effects, what are they?"

"Concealment, slumber, fear, and adversity."

Kratos's answer without hesitation made Hecate pause for a moment.

She continued to inquire.

"How do you accurately determine the scope of shadow magic?"

"Extend the boundaries to perceive light."

Hmm, he's got something.

"How can shadow magic be made powerful in attack?"

"Two approaches: corrosion and annihilation on a special level, or thin and sharp physically."

He could answer all that?!

"How can shadow magic be sustained for a long time?"

"Light is shadow, understanding the unity of light and shadow allows for a self-sustaining cycle."

Thunk.

The book in the hands of the goddess of the dark moon fell to the ground.

This deepest secret she had comprehended as the goddess of the dark moon was casually spoken by the young man before her.

Ignoring the need to maintain distance, Hecate, with a flicker, reached out and incredulously touched the young man's face, as if wanting to see if he had several faces or if he was disguised.

Her massive and full chest, nearly pressing onto Kratos's face.

"Ten meters..."

He tried to remind the goddess.

But his face was directly blocked by Hecate's ample chest.

After scrutinizing the length and breadth of Kratos's face, the goddess of the dark moon looked even more puzzled.

Evenly proportioned, robust, and with talent that could make anyone surrender, no wonder her disciple was so joyful, but...

"Isn't it true? Your magic is of the fire element. How do you understand shadow magic?!"

"I know a little."

(ᗜ˰ᗜ)

"Gaze...."

Kratos had no choice but to point at the books on the ground.

"I'm a genius, I just realized it, after all, I have world-shaking wisdom."

"Are you taking me for a fool?" Hecate trembled with anger. "Do I look like someone with big breasts and no brains?"

"I am the goddess of the dark moon! A goddess!"

She forcefully pinched Kratos's face.

Until she heard the young man's hesitant voice.

"You... you don't have devilic... attributes," Kratos looked at her. "And you... didn't show any... signs of appetite."

Hecate's hands stopped, her expression somewhat stunned.

"...Curiosity."

Kratos gently pushed the goddess's hands down.

"Your desire has been crowded out."

"You..."

Feeling the surge of curiosity in her own thoughts.

The appetite of the devil was crowded out by another desire.

Hecate, in disbelief, looked at the young man before her.

"You're experimenting with your life-"

"I'm confident."

Kratos risked his life and proved this point.

Because, in reality, he was no different.

His wives helped him vent the accumulated anger and brutality.

"This, isn't something I initiated, esteemed Goddess Hecate." 

Kratos said with a smile.

"Shouldn't this be considered breaking a promise?"

Hecate looked at the black-haired youth in front of her in astonishment.

Curiosity.

His curiosity occupied the desire to devour his heart.

She hesitated and pinched Kratos's face.

"...Don't do this next time."

"Alright..." Kratos nodded with a smile. "I promise."

Silence.

For the first time, the goddess of the dark moon found herself unable to understand the young man in front of her.

Zeus...

What kind of child did you entrust to me?

"To approach you, I must maintain my curiosity about you, Kratos..." Hecate said softly. "Are you confident you can keep a goddess intrigued by you?"

"To know and think deeply, to think broadly and thirst for knowledge. To possess great wisdom and cunning, to study and learn the mysteries."

Kratos smiled and tapped his temple.

"Believe me, esteemed Goddess Hecate, within my mind, there exists a vast universe that will pique your interest."

"Are you really..." Hecate rubbed his face, "...a Spartan?"

"To learn, to strive... that is my battle."

"Where did you get this knowledge from?"

"Well..." Kratos pondered for a moment, "If I have to say... I stand on the shoulders of a titan called Dialectical Materialism."

"Titan?" Hecate's expression was somewhat puzzled. "The titans were all wiped out in Tartarus long ago, and now their bodies are piled up as fuel for Hades."

"Not that titan..." Kratos smiled, "It's a titan called Dialectical Materialism."

[You and Hecate conversed from deep into the night until dawn, discussing everything under the sun. Almost any topic you touched upon seemed to enlighten her, your vast knowledge left even the wise goddess of the dark moon feeling profoundly enriched.]

[Her devilic appetite was subdued by the overwhelming thirst for knowledge, leading you to realize that even malice has a pathway for release, understanding, or suppression.]

[In this quiet, devil-slaying life, you diligently nurtured the purple witch... Medea herself noticed that her figure was rapidly becoming plump under the tenfold flow of time, with her girlish dresses struggling to contain her.]

[Hecate bestowed her old clothes upon the disciple, the deep purple robe accentuating the witch's enticing curves. Medea, somewhat embarrassed by her growth, noticed your preference for 'bigger' and eagerly embraced the change, strongly urging you to continue helping her grow.]

[Each time you transformed Medea into a pastry, you switched to a refreshing mentor mode to discuss magic, astronomy, and geography with Hecate.]

[For some reason, Hecate's maintenance of her beautiful appearance began to lengthen over time, making her once delicate and cute girl-like figure nearly extinct. When you inquired about the matter of consuming energy, you only received a scornful glance from the goddess of the dark moon.]

[You noticed her thirst for knowledge seemed to be transforming, that gaze... was the devilic appetite creeping back? It had been a while since she last wore the skull of the devil.]

[A month later, Aatrox finally stirred from slumber, showing a faint flicker of consciousness. This filled you with indescribable delight, your plan could finally begin unfolding.]

"The entire River Styx, I want to harness its power."

Standing on the outskirts of the Palace of the Dark Moon, pointing towards the ink-black lake shrouded in chilly mist, Kratos' words left Hecate momentarily stunned.

"Are you mad?! Kratos! The River Styx is a convergence of humanity evil. I can only dare to extract a trickle of its water, for within lies an abundance of dark magic that would swiftly exacerbate my devilic appetite."

Hecate, using one of her three phases granted by her authority, embraced the concept of the Darkness Devil. This was crucial for her ability to maintain her sanity over extended periods... she inherently suffered from dissociative identity disorder, with the persona of the deviless not affecting her girl or mature woman personalities.

The other Olympian gods weren't as fortunate, especially since most of them had abandoned their ship, leaving only a machine god terminal.

Seeing Medea rapidly growing day by day, seemingly in defiance, the goddess of the dark moon proudly maintained her voluptuous figure, barely sparing a glance at Kratos.

"Aatrox, how are you faring?"

"Ah... no major issues. Just need to kill more devils to improve."

In a fragmented state, Aatrox initiated communication with the mainframe, although the terminal of the wandering star was still operational, Aatrox's consciousness had been dormant for a month.

"Can this water be absorbed?"

"I've experimented. In small amounts, it's fine..."

The tip of the demonic sword gently touched the icy waters of the River Styx.

Threads of profound dark energy gradually flowed into the blade.

Within a few breaths.

Kratos' arm holding the sword began to warp grotesquely, revealing a fierce network of purplish-blue veins.

A savage, bloodthirsty aura pervaded his deep crimson pupils.

"Kratos! It's reaching its limit!"

"Alright!"

With a whoosh, Aatrox was forcefully pulled from the River Styx. The black-haired youth's body suddenly swelled into a muscular, blood-red form. Amidst Hecate's astonished expression, it emitted a manic laughter, charging straight into the depths of hell.

"Teacher! I'm going to kill those damned devils! Remember to cook dinner tonight!"

"I'm the goddamn DOOM, hahaha!"

During this time, Kratos had learned to affectionately address Hecate as his teacher, finding it more endearing.

Hecate, in her confusion, couldn't determine who was teaching whom.

But she understood Kratos' intention.

To absorb the malice of the River Styx to the limit and then unleash it in hell!

Intelligence didn't matter anymore, after all, only devils were being killed, so there was no fear of collateral damage!

In this way, the energy carried by the river water was practically a gift!

Devils slain by the vanguard of the wandering star could further convert into Kratos' power.

This River Styx was his perpetual motion machine!

Hecate couldn't help but be amazed by such an intriguing approach.

"Kratos, you truly are a genius!"

The blood-red moon ascended in the underworld.

Amidst its crimson glow, the black-haired youth, drenched in blood, dragged behind a pile of devil corpses, walked towards the Palace of the Dark Moon, shrouded in shadows.

Amidst Hecate's subtle expression.

The god of hell wiped the blood from his face, revealing a radiant and kind smile.

"Teacher, it seems like there are fewer devils lately..."

Hecate glanced at the pile of devil corpses by the palace, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Isn't it excessive fertilizer...

Just a few days after resurrection, and they've already been killed by you. How could there be fewer?

"The efficiency of absorbing the River Styx is still too slow..."

Gazing at the endless dark water with a single glance.

The black-haired youth pondered for a moment, then began to utter words that left Hecate stupefied.

"Aatrox's civilization devourer can indeed cleanse the malice from this river, but the efficiency is too low. Perhaps with a complete vanguard of the wandering star, it could be faster?"

"By obtaining Hades' permission to communicate with the underworld and combining it with Sefar, I might be able to create a Partial Aetherophasic Engine to drive my form forward and further ascend beyond the Crisis."

"Kratos, you truly are a madman!"

Amidst the bloodthirsty laughter of the devilic sword.

Kratos cracked his neck, gazing at the other side of the River Styx, the ethereal gates of the underworld.

"The fate of godslayer... hmm?"

He smiled.

"I'm going to... drain hell directly."