Chapter 4: Domain

Hades was back in his cave. Although the words of his mother did affect him, but he didn't let it affect his training.

He wanted strength. He wanted power. Happiness and anything else can come later once he obtained enough strength.

For another six months, he trained with spear, swords, and unarmed combat, refining the martial arts Kali that he had learned in his past life.

He learned it as a sport back in highschool, but now he had turned it into a deadly and practical martial arts that is used to kill enemies as fast as possible.

He had refined his authority over darkness and shadow, causing his power to grow exponentially.

He can summon up to ten thousand shadow knights now, each of them possesses strength comparable to Divine Spirits, with some having the strength of a Minor God.

Speaking of, gods do have their own divine rankings.

1. Demigods

2. Divine Spirits

3. Minor Gods

4. Major Gods

5. Elder Gods

6. Supreme Gods

7. Primordial Gods

Currently, Hades possess the power of an Elder God. He only lacks a fundamental domain before he can completely reach the level of a Supreme God.

In fact, if he utilized all of his powers, he can stand his ground against Supreme Gods.

Cronus, their father, is someone at the level of a Supreme God. But with the help of his divine weapon, the scythe, he can effectively fight even weaker Primordials.

As he is now, Hades is far too weak to even think of fighting Cronus.

Still, he was far more powerful than his brothers. Even though all three of them are at the level of Elder Gods, there still exist a massive gap that puts him heads and shoulders above Zeus and Poseidon.

If we put it on numbers, a level 100 is considered an Elder God, but a level 999 is also an Elder God.

Hades, at this moment, is level 999, while his brothers are still at level 100.

"...Guess it's time to go out again," Hades stretched his muscles as he stood up. "Mother has called for all her children to gather."

He fixed himself as he looks like a walking corpse.

Using his divinity, he created clothes for himself and cleaned up. Really, he's such a handsome man.

His appearance is that of a tall and handsome man with a long, stylish silver-white hair that spikes up at various spots on his head.

He wears a spiked choker necklace lined, and a bead-like earring on his left ear with many smaller piercings.

His attire is shown to be quite formal and extravagant, with a collar that spans all the way to his upper chest, and badges decorated on the left and right side of his coat.

Finally, he wears long white jeans and a pair of shoes filled with square patterns.

Yes, he looks good. No, calling his looks as mere "good" is blasphemy to his divine form.

Shaking his head, Hades stepped out of the cave, the bright sunlight momentarily forcing him to squint. He had spent so long in the darkness that the world outside felt almost too vivid, too alive.

The air was crisp, the scent of fresh earth filling his lungs as he descended from his secluded dwelling. He didn't have to go far as he saw his mother, Rhea, had already called all of her children to gather at the clearing below.

As he arrived, the presence of his siblings was immediately noticeable.

Zeus stood with his arms crossed, his ever-present arrogance barely concealed behind a mask of false indifference. His golden hair gleamed under the sun, and his sky-blue eyes flickered with poorly hidden disdain as he glanced at Hades.

Poseidon, on the other hand, was less subtle. He scoffed, his emerald-green eyes narrowing as he looked Hades up and down.

"So, you finally decided to show yourself," he muttered under his breath.

Hades ignored him. He had long since stopped caring about his brothers' opinions. If they wanted to measure strength through bravado, they were welcome to do so.

He knew exactly where they stood in comparison to him.

Instead, he turned his attention to their mother. Rhea stood in the center of the gathering, her serene presence commanding quiet respect.

Beside her, a new figure emerged—a woman whose aura was unlike anything Hades had ever encountered before.

She was tall, regal, and breathtakingly beautiful. Her presence was overwhelming, as if the very ground beneath them recognized her authority.

Her long, flowing black and green hair seemed to shift like waves of fertile land, and her deep purple eyes held an unfathomable wisdom. The very air around her felt older, heavier—filled with the weight of eternity.

Rhea turned to her children, her expression gentle but firm. "I have called you all here because our war against Cronus is fast approaching. The Titans are strong, but we do not stand alone."

She then gestured toward the woman beside her.

"This is my mother, your grandmother—Gaia, the Primordial of Earth."

A heavy silence fell over the gathering. Even Zeus, with all his arrogance, did not dare speak so carelessly now. They had heard of Gaia, of course. She was one of the oldest beings in existence, a direct manifestation of the world itself.

Gaia smiled, but it was not the warm, motherly smile of Rhea. It was something ancient, something that reminded Hades of the horrors he had seen in Chaos.

A being so old and powerful that even Elder Gods were like children in her eyes.

"I have watched all of you grow," Gaia said, her voice carrying the weight of the world itself. "I have seen your struggles, your triumphs, and your ambitions. The time has come for you to take the next step in your journey."

She looked at each of them in turn before finally resting her gaze on Hades.

"You will need allies," Gaia continued. "And the greatest allies you can gain are those your father cast into the depths of Tartarus."

Zeus furrowed his brows. "The Cyclopes and the Hecatonchires?"

Gaia nodded. "Yes. Your father, Cronus, feared their power and imprisoned them in the darkest depths of Tartarus. But if you free them, they will fight alongside you in the war to come."

Poseidon scoffed. "Easier said than done. If it were so simple, we would have done it already."

Gaia's expression remained unmoved. "That is why I have chosen the most suitable among you for this task."

She turned fully to face Hades.

"You."

Silence.

Zeus frowned. "Him?"

Poseidon openly scowled. "You can't be serious."

"I can do it better!" Zeus declared.

"I'm far more suited!" Poseidon retorted.

Hades, on the other hand, remained still, his gaze unreadable. He was neither surprised nor particularly pleased—he was simply waiting for Gaia to explain.

"I have been watching you, Hades," Gaia said, stepping closer. "You seek strength because you understand its necessity, not due to some pride nor desire to rule."

Zeus narrowed his eyes, taking a few short glances at Hades. "And what does that have to do with anything?"

Gaia ignored him, continuing to speak to Hades. "Tartarus is not just a prison—it is alive, filled with horrors beyond mortal and even divine comprehension. A mere show of brute strength will not be enough to navigate its depths. It requires someone who understands the nature of darkness, of shadows, of the unknown."

Her lips curled slightly.

"And you, Hades, have already touched something far greater than many other gods cannot even understand."

Hades' eye twitched slightly.

She knew.

She knew about Chaos.

Of course she does. Primordials are beings born from Chaos itself!

Gaia tilted her head, as if peering into his very soul. "You have seen them, haven't you?"

Hades exhaled slowly. "Yes."

The atmosphere became heavier, as if the world itself acknowledged his words.

Zeus and Poseidon glanced at each other, confused. They had no idea what their grandmother was talking about, but they could feel the shift in presence.

Gaia's smile deepened. "Then you are the only one suited for this task."

Hades crossed his arms. "And what do I gain from this?"

Gaia chuckled. "Clever."

She stepped forward, lowering her voice so that only he could hear.

"If you succeed… I will grant you a great domain."

Hades' eyes widened slightly.

A great domain.

The one thing separating him from the level of a Supreme God.

The final step before he could truly claim his place as one of the strongest beings in existence.

For the first time in a long time, a slow smirk spread across Hades' lips.

"Tartarus, huh?" he murmured.

He looked up, locking eyes with Gaia. "Fine."

And just like that, his path was set.