Chapter 397: Forging the Underworld's Earth Realm with the Essence of the Earth at Its Core! (Bonus Chapter 2)

Athena. 

Metis. 

Prometheus. 

Three gods. 

Two goddesses of wisdom, and one god of wisdom.

It could be said that when these three gods calmed down and freed themselves from external distractions, they understood much more than before.

At this moment, they were all deep in thought, their minds settling.

Because of this, after much discussion... 

Athena decided to take action, extracting three-tenths of the Earth's Essence and sending it directly to the far north.

Hypnos and Thanatos, who were in the far north, received the Earth's Essence and promptly returned to the Underworld.

In an instant!

Boom! 

Boom! 

The entire Earth Realm trembled violently, as if on the verge of collapse. The disappearance of three-tenths of the Earth's Essence was enough to cause massive upheaval, a natural reaction across the land.

However...

This turmoil lasted only for about an hour or two before everything returned to calm.

Now, the Earth Realm seemed no different from before. To the average observer, nothing appeared amiss. But the gods could see the truth—the absence of three-tenths of the Earth's Essence. Slowly, the Earth Realm was compensating for this loss. This was a direct consequence of Athena, the Earth Goddess and ruler, withdrawing that portion.

And yet!

Three-tenths was precisely the limit that could be taken without causing catastrophic damage or creating major problems.

It could be said...

Three-tenths was the maximum amount of Earth's Essence that could be removed without endangering the entire realm. Any more, and the consequences would be terrifying.

In fact...

If more of the Earth's Essence were taken, large parts of the Earth Realm could collapse. This was absolutely unacceptable, and if Athena had gone further, the gods would have swarmed to attack her.

Even the mythical world itself would have unhesitatingly taken action against Athena.

As for the Ancient Gods?

There would be no need for debate. All the Ancient Gods would have struck against Athena without hesitation, as such actions would have been seen as an assault on the very foundation of the realm.

It was like a company: some of its foundational assets could be withdrawn, and over time, these could recover.

But!

If too much of the foundation were taken, it would spell the company's doom. No god would want such a scenario, and no deity could allow that to happen.

Yet...

"Three-tenths of the Earth's Essence?"

"That's the absolute limit!"

"What kind of deal was struck between the Earth Goddess and the Lord of the Underworld?"

The gods were filled with shock.

To be honest! 

This period had been filled with one shock after another—the chaos in the heavens, Athena's emergence, her solitary venture into the Underworld, her safe return, and now, the handing over of three-tenths of the Earth's Essence to the Underworld.

This...

Was almost unimaginable.

It also signified that the Sanctuary and the Underworld had indeed struck a deal. Athena and Hades had successfully completed their transaction.

However!

This wasn't the core issue. The real question remained: what was the essence of this deal?

What exactly had they exchanged?

That was the key question!

Unfortunately! 

No one knew. No one, regardless of their rank or power, could uncover the details of the deal that had transpired.

...

In the Underworld!

Hypnos and Thanatos.

The twin gods, filled with respect, carried a dark yellow orb as they crossed through the gates of the Underworld and arrived at the Elysian Fields.

"Hail, Your Majesty!"

"The Earth's Essence has been brought back!"

The twin gods knelt respectfully on one knee. Hypnos raised the Earth's Essence above his head, offering it up.

Hades slowly opened his eyes.

In that instant!

The Earth's Essence floated into the air. Hades spoke calmly, "You may rest now."

"Yes!"

The twin gods retreated respectfully.

Now...

They could take a brief respite, perhaps for a million years. During this time, everything would progress steadily.

Until...

A million years later, when the Second Holy War would erupt. At that time! Everything would truly begin, and their work would resume.

As the twin gods departed...

A slender hand reached out to take the orb. It was Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld.

She toyed with the orb in her hand, speaking softly, "Three-tenths of the Earth's Essence... such a precious treasure. It's surprising that we obtained it. But honestly, for ordinary gods, this essence is nearly useless."

The Earth's Essence was like a panacea—capable of fulfilling almost any purpose one might have for it.

However!

If one were to use the Earth's Essence in that way, it would be a waste. In truth, using it for anything other than its highest potential was nothing short of squandering it.

The proper use of the Earth's Essence?

No one could truly say. After all, almost no god had ever possessed it, and no one knew the best way to utilize such a treasure.

For the Underworld, the greatest use of the Earth's Essence was to forge the Earth Realm beneath the World Tree of the Underworld.

"Hmm…"

Hestia, who had been nearby, approached, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "Using the Earth's Essence as the core to forge the Earth Realm shouldn't be an issue, but... something still feels missing. Is it lacking something crucial?"

She curiously glanced at her brother.

Hades responded calmly, "Sister, the other materials are abundant on the magic stars. The forging of the Earth Realm will only take time. What we are truly missing, or should I say, what the World Tree needs most now, is the Beast of the Wind."

Hades knew clearly.

Even if the Underworld were to complete the Earth Realm, Sea Realm, Sky Realm, and Underworld, forming a small but complete mythological world...

Even if more God-Kings arose, and more hells formed...

The increase in power would still be limited!

In fact...

There would only be small, incremental gains. To achieve a major breakthrough, the best solution would be for the elements of earth, water, fire, and wind to fully mature. Only then would the World Tree grow to its full potential, and everything would be freed from limitations!

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