Chapter 569
“Huff… haa…”
Ragged breathing.
Thick blood poured freely from Hades’s side.
It was unthinkable.
He was wearing the full set of the Ashen Armor of Tartaros, taken from the Titans, with the added buff from his base…
Yet his opponent had crushed him as if all of that meant nothing.
The gap was so wide it felt wrong to even call it a fight.
He had faced and broken countless strong foes before—
But never had his Temple of the Underworld been so easily dismantled.
“Kh… so this is the kind of opponent that could bring down Ares.”
Even now, after taking such a beating, he realized some part of him had still been underestimating his foe.
Hades steadied his breathing, erasing all expression from his face.
The atmosphere shifted in an instant.
“Here I come.”
[[Unique Holy Spear – Ruler of the Underworld] has been activated!]
Kukukukuku!
The black smoke scattered around them gathered behind Hades.
Like a black hole, it drew in even the wind and light, compressing it all.
Grotesque claws began to emerge—long, pitch-black talons like those of a demon.
“Not an insect, but you’ve got arms sprouting everywhere.”
“You’re surprised too early. Let’s see how you handle this.”
Shwaaa…
Hades’s shadow stretched to Jinhyuk in an instant.
From within it, black spikes shot forth.
“…!?”
Shushushuk!
Jinhyuk hurled himself into the air.
A moment slower and his whole body would’ve been skewered.
But before he could feel relief, more claws came crawling in—
Dozens, at a glance.
There was no way to dodge them all.
Jinhyuk quickly opened subspace.
A terrible cold poured out from the rift.
The [Spear of Frost Spirit] had released its mana.
[[Lost Era – Millennium Freeze] has been activated!]
Every place the spear’s tip passed was drawn with a line of absolute zero.
Crackkk!
The claws froze solid.
Hades’s eyes twitched faintly.
But it lasted only a moment—
If only the points touched by the spear froze, then all he had to do was summon more claws than could be frozen.
With [Ruler of the Underworld] active, he could create as many as he wanted.
[[Curse of Styx – River of Wraiths] has been activated!]
From each claw sprouted screaming faces, a grotesque sight.
“Kyeeee!”
“Kyaaaak!”
Thousands of claws surged like a flood.
Above them, Charon, ferryman of the Styx, swung a scythe larger than himself from atop his great boat—
The Wraith’s Scythe that reaped souls.
‘If that touches me…’
It was a power that forcibly dragged out a target’s deepest trauma.
The curse he’d felt earlier, magnified to its limit.
From the shadows consuming the ground, hundreds of spikes shot out wildly.
With [Heavenly Demon Shadowless Step], Jinhyuk dodged by a hair’s breadth each time, but there were too many attack routes—
Too many in number.
At this rate, he’d be exhausted before reaching Hades.
‘Damn, this’ll never end.’
Meticulously dismantling the attack didn’t suit him anyway.
Jinhyuk poured mana into the Spear of Frost Spirit.
Vwoooong!
The spear shone faintly as blue mana gathered at its tip.
Compressed again and again, the cold spread a wave of freezing energy through the air.
When it reached absolute zero—
The spear’s form changed.
The blade split into branches, each engraved with beautiful markings.
[[Divine Name Art – Words of the Frost Spirit] has been released!]
When a top-grade relic’s potential was drawn to the limit, it could unleash its own Divine Name Art.
He hadn’t used this spear before, but…
Relics of this tier were all the same in one way—
Proud and arrogant.
And they despised nothing more than being defeated while under someone’s control—
For it was the same as denying their own worth.
Jinhyuk synchronized perfectly with the spear’s mana.
It was delicate work few could even attempt, but for a veteran like him, it was no great challenge.
He matched the flow of the approaching waves—
…and released all his mana.
A fine thread of cold shot forward—
Followed by a storm capable of freezing the world.
“Kyeee…”
“Kyaaa…”
The screaming claws fell silent one by one.
As the second ice age swept in, everything in sight froze solid.
But Hades too had a top-grade relic.
The Ashen Armor of Tartaros unleashed its power, and green mist held back the cold.
Eyes and a mouth shaped like a demon formed on the armor, spewing green smoke.
It was a perfect display of attack and defense.
The difference was—
“Ghh…”
The defender had taken far greater damage.
Cough! Hrrkk… guhh!
Hades coughed out black smoke—
The souls of the dead that had come to the underworld.
It meant the blow had shaken him deeply—he was consuming what was most precious to his own life.
Meanwhile, Jinhyuk rested the spear casually on his shoulder.
The fight had only been going a short while, but the outcome was already tilting.
Crunch.
Hades ground his teeth.
He wanted nothing more than to smash Jinhyuk’s skull right now—
But every time he tried to stand, his body wavered.
For now… he had to buy time.
There were still plenty of wraiths; his body would recover soon enough.
“Come forth.”
Hades commanded the gathered shadows.
From within—
“Grrr…”
“Woof! Woof! Woof!”
“Haaah… haaah…”
A massive hound burst forth—
Cerberus, guardian of the underworld’s gates.
Or rather, a chimera version he had recreated.
Three patchwork heads barked madly.
“Now you’re bringing out mutts? That’ll only buy you time.”
“That’s all I need. Tear that arrogant human apart!”
Kwooom!
At Hades’s command, Cerberus leapt at Jinhyuk.
Jinhyuk channeled mana into his spear again—
Not the Divine Name Art, but still a heavy blow.
But—
Crackkk!
“Grrhh!”
Hit by the ice, Cerberus only faltered, taking little damage.
‘An undead… resistant to cold, huh.’
It must have been forged in one of the underworld’s coldest regions.
He could try fire or some other approach…
But there was a better method.
Like for like—summon against summon.
[[Subspace Inventory has been opened!]]
“Alright, your turn to earn your keep.”
“Hmph! After such long meditation, I was itching for—uwaaah!?”
Malang the Azure Dragon squawked in alarm as the chimera Cerberus lunged.
He’d expected an explanation before fighting, but to be ambushed at point-blank range was absurd.
And Cerberus was exactly the type Malang least wanted to face.
“Gahhh! That filthy maw—ugh, the stench! Damn it, this is not okay!”
Rotten drool splattered down like a waterfall as Cerberus snapped its jaws.
Malang’s face was instantly soaked.
“He was… a fine sacrifice—no, a dependable ally.”
Jinhyuk made the sign of the cross, then leapt off Malang’s back.
For situations like this, there was no better tank than a divine beast.
—
In a room filled with ornate wine bottles, Chun Yoosung appeared.
The rich scent of wine filled his nose.
Among the twelve Olympian gods, only one would surround themselves with this much drink.
“So this is where that drunkard Dionysus hangs out.”
He muttered toward the source of the strongest smell.
“This fragrant, sweet nectar is the greatest blessing a god has given mankind. Do you mean to say you’ve lived your short, fingernail-sized life without ever tasting it?”
“I’m not in the habit of drinking.”
“Oh? Then what is your hobby?”
“Let’s see…”
A hobby? He’d never really thought about it.
Feeding his cat, maybe.
Or challenging that bastard Kang Jinhyuk.
If he had to name one more—
“I do enjoy cutting things down. Especially narcissistic fools like you.”
He mimed drawing a blade across his neck.
Dionysus’s relaxed face twisted darkly.
Crunch!
The wineglass crumpled like paper.
“How amusing. I too greatly enjoy crushing arrogant humans.”
Without another word, Dionysus unleashed his signature ability.
[[Dionysus activates Unique Ability – Night of Indulgence!]]
A heady fragrance sank into Chun Yoosung’s brain.
Beautiful women appeared before him in a line—
Sensual, alluring, with the intoxicating scent of skin.
…An illusion.
He knew it.
But—
“Kh…”
Even knowing, his body wouldn’t move.
As if caught in a spider’s web, his grip on his sword and his stance locked up.
“Heh heh heh. No man can resist this.”
I’ll show you heaven—
And then drop you into hell.
A sly smile played on Dionysus’s lips.
—
At the same time—
Teresa and Andrea landed in a strange place.
“Oh, we… get to stay together?”
Andrea’s eyes widened.
She seemed more relieved to be with Teresa than concerned about how they’d ended up here.
“Looks like it…”
Teresa, on the other hand, scanned the area with suspicion.
If Hermes had promised to take them down separately, there was no way he’d group them together out of kindness.
It wasn’t a mistake either.
Which meant—
‘They think it doesn’t matter if we’re together.’
Perhaps there was a god especially confident against multiple opponents.
And since Chun Yoosung was sent elsewhere, it also meant they were likely weaker against melee fighters.
Then—
Rustle…
Before them stretched a vast plain.
The air shifted.
“Teresa!”
“Yeah, I feel it too.”
A powerful mana, at odds with the peaceful scene.
Focusing further, they saw a golden field of ripe grain—
And at its center, the goddess of harvest sat waiting.
Demeter regarded the intruders.
“A young girl and a lady… I take it you’re my opponents. Do you know who I am?”
“…I’ve heard your name.”
Teresa nodded.
Demeter was known as a relatively peaceful, gentle goddess—
But the gentler the nature, the more terrifying when they fought in earnest.
Just like now.
“In that case, we can skip the introductions. You’ve taken our peace from us—cost us brothers and sisters, perhaps even the existence of Olympus itself.”
So—
“I will stop you here.”
[[Demeter activates Unique Ability – Swamp of Thirst!]]
A strange, unfamiliar power began to take hold.