Chapter 75 Empowerment

"You all chose me, didn't you?"

Tartarus, are you there?

Hermes' call echoed strangely in the abyss.

It's like some kind of deeper resonance, subtly distorting the surrounding darkness itself.

Then, Hermes felt a subtle change in the 'ground' beneath her feet. It was not a physical tremor, but a slight shudder in some spatial sense.

Something in the depths of her being stirred something within her soul.

"I am here."

A voice answered her.

Tartarus actually... responded to her.

Hermes felt that the violent power she had managed to suppress was about to gain the upper hand again.

The voice didn't come from any particular direction; it seemed to emanate simultaneously from every corner of the abyss, from every inch of this void. It was ancient and hollow, carrying a kind of indifference unique to inanimate objects.

But Hermes could clearly discern from it... weariness?

At the same moment, Cronus's smile froze, and the bizarre body that Typhoon had conjured began to fluctuate violently in space. Even Apollo's eyes widened slightly.

Tartarus—the embodiment of the abyss of hell, one of the creator gods. He has existed since the beginning of the world and almost never communicates directly with any living being. Even the sinful gods and monsters imprisoned here rarely receive a single word from him.

Tartarus responded to Hermes' call, and everyone present heard it clearly.

The creator god did not manifest a physical form, yet they could still sense the terror.

"Who is it? Which great deity has appeared?"

"Why is it still pitch black in front of me? Damn it, I hate this place!"

"Cronus! Cronus, you bastard! Answer us!"

"..."

The Titans were still making a fuss, but they could only be ignored.

However, the mermaid prince, who may be innocent, stands out as particularly out of place.

Triton wanted to rush to Hermes' side, but he couldn't. All he could do was anxiously call out to her, "Hermes! Are you alright?"

Hermes regained her balance, and although her face was still pale, her emerald green eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.

"I'm okay, but I can't hold on for much longer."

Having finished speaking, Hermes no longer looked at anyone present. She closed her eyes, her resolve strengthened by the surging Gaia's will within her, and continued her communication with this abyss of hell.

“Hello, Your Excellency Tartarus, thank you for responding. I would like to make a deal with you,” Hermes said.

Upon hearing this, Apollo lowered his eyes and pondered.

Tartarus remained silent for a moment.

“A deal.” Tartarus repeated the word, his voice so somber that it was impossible to discern any particular emotion. “And then?”

Usually, only prisoners and guards come here, but today Hermes and a few other oddballs have arrived; they should have been banished by Tartarus.

At least he hasn't directly rejected her yet.

"My child, you are too naive, but I have tolerance and patience for you."

"You can't do anything without me."

Gaia began her annoying seduction again.

Even though her body was still in excruciating pain, Hermes remained calm.

"I would like to work with you."

Hermes took a step forward, and Apollo instinctively tried to stop her, but she shook her head.

"Or rather—a tenant?"

"You want to live here?" The hollow voice seemed to carry a faint hint of interest.

“Not entirely. I want to… borrow a portion of your power.” Hermes gripped her scepter tightly. “If it were all of it, I would be eternally grateful.”

Hermes was too bold, but in this critical moment, she had no other choice.

Moreover, she wasn't without a chance of winning. After all, the creator god had indulged her for some unknown reason, and Hermes was confident from the moment he responded.

Without a doubt, Tartarus is extremely powerful. He was born from chaos along with Gaia, Nyx, Erebus, and Eros, and possesses the power to bind all living beings. His origin is so terrifying that all living beings tremble at the mere mention of his name.

Apollo instantly understood Hermes's intention.

Typhoeos gasped, his voice hoarse.

"Are you insane?" Typhoons exclaimed incredulously. "You want to use the power of the abyss? For... Hiss! My mother is the earth, the mother of all things, and part of her power is even connected to my father!"

"Do you want to use it to imprison her? Or to imprison the 'seed' she planted inside you?!"

Tsk, Tefios still finds it hard to sever ties with these two.

And he was so reckless...

Hermes sensed that the Gaia's will within her was falling into stillness, perhaps the calm before the storm.

“It’s not imprisonment,” Hermes corrected, a smile curving her lips. “It’s isolation.”

Hermes wanted to use Tartarus's power to completely isolate the influence of Gaia's will within her. She knew the seed would remain in her body, but from then on, Gaia would no longer be able to directly manipulate her through the seed, nor would he be able to flood her consciousness with his will.

Then, Hermes opened her eyes and continued speaking towards the abyss of hell: "Your relationship with her is complicated, and together you gave birth to many terrible beings, including Typhoon."

As she spoke, she glanced at the monster behind her. It conjured up even more eyes, which blinked incessantly, looking quite eerie.

These terrifying beings were ultimately brought under the control of Tartarus, whose origin became an eternal prison, as evidenced by the sinful gods and monsters trapped within.

"It's insanely twisted... if you don't mind me describing it that way. I think you might not like this kind of 'duty,' right?"

Gaia chose Hermes but ignored her wishes, even disregarding her ability to glean something unusual from her immense power.

She gradually came to understand why Gaia was so determined to create a new order, because the other's will was still influencing her continuously, with anger, grief, and determination.

The only breakthrough point right now is Tartarus, and Hermes hopes he will respond to her again in any case.

Apollo looked at Hermes, his blue eyes calm and serene.

“Madmen, they’re all insane, even more insane than I am!” Typhoons muttered to himself.

"Hahahaha..." Cronus, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly burst into laughter, tears welling up in his eyes. "What a show, Olympus!"

In this situation, Tartarus remained silent for a moment.

This child named Hermes is incredibly confident and extremely greedy, reminding Tartarus of Hecate with her white hair and blood-red eyes.

The surrounding darkness seemed to grow thicker and deeper, as if silently scrutinizing the audacious young goddess standing within it.

"She's too stubborn."

Tartarus finally spoke again, now that all other living beings were isolated from him and Hermes, this was a secret communication between the two of them.

Hermes noticed the anomaly and became even more focused.

"No, this is not the same."

Gaia's will seems to be stirring again.

“She was obsessed with being in control; she believed herself to be His successor.”

He—referring, of course, to Chaos, the Chaos.

Hermes trembled uncontrollably, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

"Isn't that right?"

Gaia was not confused by this; she genuinely believed it was her duty.

“She had already gained so much, yet she still kept our brothers and sisters in eternal slumber and imprisoned them within my origin.”

"They are dead, but I am still alive."

This is yet another secret.

Mother Earth has gone to such extremes.

Hermes was shocked; no wonder she had never seen the other three creator gods, yet their origins had not disappeared.

She suddenly remembered Aphrodite, who was pregnant and might give birth to 'Eros'.

Is this the new order that Gaia hoped for?

After a long silence, Tartarus sighed, sounding like a helpless old man in his twilight years.

“I’m fed up,” the abyss of hell said calmly. “I can grant your request, but what will you do?”

What price will you pay for this, Hermes?

She was born of Maia and Zeus, yet became Gaia's child, both sacred and tragic.

“I will share your burden,” Hermes said without hesitation. “If you wish to be free from this suffering, then transfer all this pain to me.”

This includes the most heinous Titans and monsters, and naturally, many other things, since the abyss of hell, which merged with the other three creator gods, was so alluring to her.

The price... might also be a gift.

Because this is clearly empowerment.

Hermes is both ambitious and compassionate and responsible.

This suggestion was not unexpected for Tartarus, who remained silent, for he too had long desired to be free from this endless torment.

Tartarus had lived too long, so long that even this form of living bored him.

But before that, as the son of Chaos, he wanted to help his sister one more time.

—Aren't you ever tired of this, Gaia?

"..."

"My dear child."

"I told you, come to me."

A chill ran up her spine, and Hermes felt as if her body was being crushed, her bone marrow almost bursting open in an instant. This pain was even more intense than before.

No, we absolutely cannot let things fall apart like this and let everything be destroyed!

She must stay strong and pull herself together!

"You disobedient child!"

Gaia was furious, and Hermes had little time left.

"ah……"

Hermes crouched down in pain, bright red blood shimmering with gold flowing from her eyes, nose, and mouth.

"Bear with it a little longer, little genius, everything will be alright." Apollo hurriedly began treating Hermes, but the results were minimal. "No..."

Apollo could see that this was a sign of Gaia's madness. After he shot Python and built his temple at Delphi, the usually gentle Earth Mother was so enraged that she almost killed him.

If it weren't for the intervention of Zeus, Athena, and Prometheus, Apollo might have already disappeared from the world.

And now, Hermes is also suffering from this torment.

Apollo's heart clenched, and he held her in his arms, his strong and powerful body trembling slightly.

“You can get through this. I will always be by your side.” Apollo kissed Hermes’s sweat-drenched face and whispered in her ear, “I foresaw that you are special, that you will change everything.”

Even though Hermes and Tartarus's conversation had been cut off, Apollo could guess what they had said.

Not only was she confident, but he was too.

He believed she could definitely do it.

Upon seeing this, Cronus let out a sarcastic laugh, while Typhus felt a strange sense of unease.

“I need your help, Tartarus,” Hermes spoke again, her voice trembling with unbearable pain. “I will not accept this.”

"Foolish child, who do you think gave you everything you have now?"

Hermes refused to be anyone's puppet, whether it be Zeus, Hera, or Gaia. And why should this so-called new world and new order be imposed upon her?

"Come back to me, Hermes!"

"I don't want to lose everything I have, I don't want to lose myself, I don't want to lose what I care about..."

Hermes' eyes flickered, her gaze falling on Apollo beside her. She bit her lower lip, trying to remain calm.

In an instant, Apollo felt a tightness in his throat and a pang of sorrow in his heart.

His little strategist had far too much on his shoulders.

Tartarus then said, "But you are too weak."

“Yes.” Hermes’ eyes curved into a smile, then she suddenly laughed again. “But so what?”

"You all chose me, didn't you?"

At that moment, the air seemed to freeze.

If there's still air here.

"..."

Tartarus was speechless, and just when Hermes was about to give up completely, he finally gave an affirmative answer.

“…Then, I grant your promise, Hermes.”

"No, Tartarus..."

Success!

Without any earth-shattering display or dazzling light, an extremely profound and cold divine power silently seeped into Hermes' body.

It wasn't a simple infusion of power, but rather the bestowal of a 'rule,' which was imprinted deep within her soul like a brand.

In an instant, the turbulent Gaia will within Hermes shattered, as if an invisible yet absolutely solid wall had been erected. The pressure that had attempted to assimilate and dominate her was forcibly confined to a specific area. Even though it still existed, it could no longer manipulate her consciousness, much less distort her thoughts.

Even Gaia's incessant murmurs no longer echoed in his mind; Tartarus's power was indeed effective.

She succeeded! At least for now... temporarily!

Hermes, supported by Apollo, was panting heavily, her eyes shining brightly.

Even as her soul grew heavier, she didn't care, for she had established a strange connection with the abyss of hell, and she could perceive more and more things, including the memories of Nyx, Erebus, and Eros sealed there.

Hermes was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of things she had received, but she was also very excited.

"Thank you for believing in me and helping me, Tartarus."

“Alright,” said Hell Abyss, “now go do what you need to do, Hermes.”

He paused.

"I will wait until all of this comes to an end."

Tartarus did not want to be Gaia’s enemy, but he also did not want to see her continue to be so stubborn. The era of the creator gods should have ended, but she still missed Chaos’s existence and was still immersed in the glory of the past.

Hermes' arrival brought new opportunities.

Tartarus couldn't help but think of Hecate, the girl who was also a variable; she had once resonated with his soul, but she was too active.

"Oh, right, I'm taking you with me, Triton!"

"Thank you, Hermes..."

"Why? Don't you really know what that stinky mermaid has been up to?!"

Unbeknownst to Tartarus, he watched the goddess Hermes and tacitly approved her taking the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite out of prison, with him and Typhus, the son of Gaia, standing guard beside her as she turned against him.

The God of Light, who possessed precognitive abilities, looked at him with a glimpse—a gaze that seemed to penetrate endless constraints and reveal his entire being.

That's really interesting.

Hermes was absolutely right about one thing.

Tartarus was willing to share his power with Hermes because he had also chosen her.

[Author's Note]

The story is planned to be completed within 100 chapters. [Dog head with rose in its mouth][Dog head with rose in its mouth][Dog head with rose in its mouth]