Chapter 304: Nereus's Preparations – Nourishing the Ocean with the Earth for the Rise of the Sea Realm!

"Kere, we can leave now."

"Miss Hestia, please be careful."

Kere looked at the exhausted Hestia with a mix of tension and concern.

Hestia!

She had truly earned her place as the beloved of the entire Underworld through her hard work. This wasn't just an exaggeration. Some things seemed simple on the surface.

But!

Was it really without danger?

Everything Rhea had Hestia do brought tremendous benefits to the Underworld, but anyone with a bit of intelligence could see the dangers involved. There were extremely terrifying risks and potential chaos beneath the surface.

If!

If anything went wrong, it would lead to a massive upheaval. No god, not even the neutral ones, would show mercy once they learned of this.

Hestia's actions were simply too dangerous.

In fact.

Every action Hestia took came with enormous risk, yet she did it anyway, expending tremendous amounts of energy and spirit. Just by looking at her, it was clear how tired and drained she was.

Given that!

How could anyone not feel concerned for her?

Hah!

It was almost ironic.

The Underworld, the realm that governed death, under the rule of Hades, should have been filled with gods who only brought death. They were supposed to be the most despised beings in the world. Yet, these very gods had strong emotions—how amusing was that?

But!

It was undeniable—this was the reality.

For any god, the fact that they governed death and destruction didn't mean they lacked emotions. Quite the opposite. They might even have the strongest emotions of all.

This was true of the Underworld.

Hestia smiled faintly, her face pale. "Kere, don't worry. I'm fine. Everything that needed to be prepared is ready. Let's go back and wait for the good news."

"I just wonder..."

Hestia gazed into the distance, deep in thought.

Kere asked softly, "Miss Hestia, what is it?"

Hestia shook her head and said, "I'm just curious about what the Ocean Realm is planning. It's strange. They seem to have something special up their sleeve."

Kere thought for a moment and then asked, "Should I use the Law of Fate to investigate?"

"No need!" Hestia immediately refused. "Kere, it's best not to do that. Both sides are maintaining a balance right now. We shouldn't disrupt that. Besides, it's not in the Underworld's interest to stir up any chaos."

Kere nodded in agreement.

Indeed!

What the Underworld needed most now was stability. Forget everything else; just ensuring steady progress was enough. If they could achieve that, it would be the best possible outcome.

As long as they moved forward steadily, then!

The Underworld could gradually enter its era of glory.

So!

Why cause unnecessary complications?

There was no need!

With that, Hestia and Kere returned to the Hades Temple in the far north, then went back to the Underworld.

…

"Nereus," Ceto said softly, "The Underworld's assault is steadily overwhelming everything. If nothing changes, we'll be defeated soon."

"Don't rush."

Nereus shook his head. "Have all the preparations been completed?"

"Yes..."

"Yes!" 

Ceto, though a bit nervous, nodded seriously. Everything had indeed been prepared.

However!

Ceto had never imagined that Nereus would resort to such drastic measures. Or rather, she never thought their ruler would choose such a path—this was akin to snatching food from a tiger's mouth!

One-twentieth!

What?!

Yes!

Poseidon had prepared a special formation for Nereus. Through this formation, once set in place, they could forcibly seize one-twentieth of the Earth's essence—a portion that could never be restored.

What did this mean?

The goddess of the Earth, Demeter, would be severely wounded by this. If something went wrong... well, just imagining the outcome was enough to understand the severity.

Nereus shook his head. "This is the command of our king. No matter what, we must complete it. Besides, the Underworld has its own preparations. Naturally, we in the Ocean Realm have our own methods as well."

Nereus's eyes were filled with calm confidence.

After Zeus was removed from the equation, the Underworld and the Ocean Realm maintained a tacit understanding. Even though the Holy War continued, both sides were preparing in their own ways.

As for!

What the other side was doing?

Sorry!

We don't know!

And it doesn't matter!

We have no idea what the Underworld is up to, and it doesn't concern us. As long as we complete our own preparations, that's all that matters.

And!

It turned out to be true.

The formation had been set. When the Holy War ended and the apocalypse began, they could forcibly seize one-twentieth of the essence of the mortal realm and channel it into the Ocean Realm.

In fact…

Nereus pulled himself out of his thoughts and said softly, "Make sure everyone is ready. This is the best opportunity, especially for..."

Nereus paused in thought, but the meaning was clear.

If everything went as planned, the Ocean Realm would also give birth to its own God-King!

As for whether it would succeed?

Theoretically!

The chances were very high, almost without any issues.

After all!

From any angle, the Underworld had made far more preparations. Once they took the lead and claimed the position of God-King, triggering the apocalypse, the Ocean Realm could make its move.

This was a golden opportunity. As for where this strange formation came from, that wasn't for Nereus to question!

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