Chapter 35 Journey to the Underworld ②
Finally, all the darkness vanished.
Above the white clouds, Hermes stared blankly at Apollo. He appeared calm as usual, but she could clearly and keenly detect a hint of bewilderment in his light blue eyes.
What's more, Apollo had just treated her like that, pulling her into his arms... she could almost still remember the strong, powerful heartbeat in his hard chest...
That's so embarrassing!
Ugh, Apollo!
"Don't get me wrong, I just came up with an idea to find the path to the underworld more easily, and I actually put it into practice." Hermes tried to change the subject so as not to get too entangled with a certain god on a certain unspeakable matter. "I saw Hades' chariot emerge from a crack in the ground before, which gave me a huge inspiration!"
Apollo realized Hermes's intention to change the subject.
He knew she didn't want to confront the fact that he had just interacted with her, which suited him perfectly, but he still felt a little conflicted.
“Do you know how dangerous what you just did was? Opening a path to the underworld on your own might anger the god of the underworld,” Apollo couldn’t help but say. “There’s a ready-made deep hole beneath the vein you’ve dug.”
Beneath the clouds, a massive crack in the ground conceals boundless darkness.
Apollo frowned slightly.
The goddess Gaia actually granted Hermes the right to govern the land; her trust and affection for her extended to such a degree that they shared power—something he hadn't anticipated.
Did Hermes have no thoughts about this at all?
Apollo stared intently at Hermes, secretly burying his doubts deep in his heart.
Like Athena and Hecate, he could not fully trust the revered Mother Earth.
Hermes pouted after hearing Apollo's words: "But I think this might be better. We still need to dig through that mine a little longer. Wouldn't it be great to take a shortcut?"
Of course, he wasn't the one digging a mine, so he couldn't empathize with her, arrogant Apollo!
"Besides, no Hades is bothering us, so there's no problem~"
Hermes immediately smiled brightly, waved her hand to shrink the triangular cauldron and raven cage floating in mid-air, threw them into the money bag tied to her waist, and leaped into the crevice before Apollo, heading straight for the darkness.
It's crucial to be one step ahead of him in everything you do!
Left behind, Apollo sighed in exasperation, rubbing his forehead.
She ran so fast, as if afraid of being overtaken by him, which made him both annoyed and amused.
He hadn't even reminded her to hide her precious treasures properly.
Meanwhile, Hermes was falling deeper and deeper into the earth. All she could see was darkness, and she could hear eerie sounds that seemed like the mournful howls of a million people.
Thanks to the blessing of the Earth Goddess, she at least did not encounter any dangers during her descent, although the feeling of being in an unfathomable and endless abyss was truly unpleasant.
I don't know when we'll reach the bottom.
Hermes was eager to complete the task Gaia had given her, so she couldn't wait that long and immediately flipped over and swooped down.
She had to hurry, hurry, and hurry again, for the mission of bringing Persephone back to Demeter, for the sake of her beloved goddess Gaia.
And that's exactly what she excels at!
Almost in the blink of an eye, Hermes found herself underground.
She stretched out her left hand to support herself on the rock at the bottom, and flipped herself onto the ground.
He was still gripping the scepter tightly in his right hand, the money bag tied to his waist was still there, and he had successfully reached his destination. It was perfect!
but……
Hermes glanced around and raised an eyebrow.
It's really good; it's still pitch black, and there really is no end in sight.
Hermes hesitated for a long time before deciding not to rush in blindly. The underground was the domain of Hades and the gods of the underworld, and there was no guarantee what they might encounter.
She cannot act recklessly countless times just because she has the protection of the goddess Gaia.
So, in the pitch-black unknown, Hermes sat cross-legged on the rock, resting her cheek on her left hand, and waited idly for the arrival of the God of Light.
Brother Apollo is so slow.
She thought to herself.
However, no one can match her speed.
"Wah...wah...wah..." came the weak cries of the little crow from the money bag.
"Okay, okay." She patted the bulging money bag at her waist and reassured them, "Don't worry, I'm a thief with professional ethics. I'll protect you."
Then the long wait continued.
How much longer until he arrives...?
Just as Hermes was about to fall asleep, a voice from a male god suddenly called out from above.
Hermes.
She looked up and was amazed to see a dazzling ball of light slowly descending towards her.
The God of Light must be shining with golden light no matter where he is, right?
Hermes stared blankly as Apollo steadily stepped in front of her, his face expressionless, looking just like a marble statue.
It would be great if the flash could be less intense; it's blinding me.
"You've finally arrived, Brother Apollo!" Hermes jumped off the rock, her fair and delicate face instantly brightening with a happy smile. "Then let's hurry and continue our journey!"
Apollo stared at her and asked, "Have you been waiting for me here all this time?"
Hermes was taken aback by his question, paused for a moment, and then nodded.
“Yes,” she said. “Without you, I might have had a hard time completing this task.”
"However, I can do it all by myself, there's no doubt about that!"
Is she being hypocritical? It sounds like she's just making excuses.
They're quite cute.
Apollo's eyes tilted slightly upwards, and he seemed to be in a better mood.
He softened his heart towards her again.
“Then let’s go together,” Apollo said, wanting to reach out and touch her little head covered in a soft cloth hat, but he restrained the sudden impulse. “We will definitely complete this mission safely.”
Upon hearing this, Hermes blinked and surprisingly realized that the annoying Apollo wasn't actually that annoying after all.
"Yes, my good partner~" she said with a smile, and ran up to take his strong arm. "With my dear Apollo brother here, I have nothing to worry about!"
She seemed less resistant to physical intimacy with him.
At least for now.
Apollo was taken aback by Hermes' sudden display of affection. He lowered his hazy eyes and glanced at her, his handsome cheeks slightly flushed.
But instead of breaking free from her closeness and embrace, he allowed her to do as she pleased.
He murmured, "Is that so?"
She nodded without hesitation: "Of course! Brother Apollo!"
Because the God of Light is pretty reliable most of the time, right?
The road ahead is endless darkness, but the light he brings will surely illuminate everything for her.
After all, this is the dwelling place of Erebus, the god of darkness!
Hermes never did anything that would harm her.
And so, the two gods groped their way forward in the endless darkness.
Apollo is the god of light, and from birth he was bathed in a dazzling golden light that illuminated almost the entire world, and this time was no exception.
His entire body shimmered with light, dazzling yet warm, dispelling the darkness and unknown that hindered Hermes, who was leaning on him, and paving a smooth path for them.
There were no surprises, no horrors, because he was there to give us peace of mind.
Hermes was overjoyed.
As expected, you can still trust Apollo in crucial moments! His golden brilliance came in handy!
Apollo, however, cautiously observed his surroundings. He did not sense Erebus's presence, which explained why he and she were able to pass through here so easily.
Finally, all the darkness vanished.
They reached their destination—the Gates of Hell, the entrance to the underworld.
Hermes looked back at the indistinct mist behind them, the very place from which they had emerged—it was incredible.
Just as she turned her head back, a large hand gently pressed down on her shoulder.
"careful."
Apollo stood in front of Hermes, his body so tall that it seemed he could shield her from all hardships and dangers.
It's the same every time.
Hermes watched his retreating figure, a foul-smelling roar echoing in her ears.
It was composed of three barks that rose and fell in succession.
It was Cerberus, the three-headed dog guarding the gates of Hell, who warned them.
Hermes peered forward from behind Apollo, glancing at the infamous Cerberus, behind which stood a black iron gate adorned with purple patterns.
Besides that, a fog still shrouded the door, preventing them from seeing what was behind it.
Cerberus was born to Echidna, the daughter of Gaia, the Earth Mother, and Tartarus, the god of the abyss, but its father is unknown.
The goddess Gaia not only gave birth to many Titans, but also to vicious monsters.
Hermes suddenly realized this.
Apollo, who was blocking her way, spoke up: "Cerberus, we have come to the Underworld on the orders of Mother Earth. Please open that gate for us!"
But the enormous monster merely pawed at the ground with its sharp forepaws, its three deep red heads on its thick neck grotesquely displaying dog-like faces—even its large, round eyes were deep red, and sharp fangs dripped with what appeared to be a corrosive liquid. When the liquid fell to the ground and emitted a pungent fumes, it disappeared.
Cerberus was covered in blood, filling the air with a rusty smell that, combined with its own foul stench, made people want to vomit.
"Roar—Hiss—"
Cerberus stared intently at the two Olympian gods in front of him with his three pairs of wild eyes, as if he were hunting delicious prey.
They didn't know its true nature, but it was proving to be quite troublesome.
It did not want to let them into the underworld.
In fact, judging from its seemingly threatening manner, this behemoth even seemed to want to attack them.
"Tsk."
Hermes heard Apollo's deep voice.
"The souls of humans who die here can enter the underworld."
"But can't we do it?"
Hermes was puzzled when she heard these words.
What does that mean?
[Author's Note]
Wuhu~ At this point in the story, the gods were unaware of Typhon's existence!
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