Persephone and Hestia's departure was, of course, noticed by the gods, but after a brief glance, they let the matter pass.
Did it even matter?
For starters, the Mortal World was now the territory of the Underworld, with the God-King being the Lord of the Underworld. Secondly, and most importantly, Persephone was the Queen of the Underworld. What could they do—try to eliminate her? Clearly, that was impossible, so there was no need to pay it much attention.
Moreover, the birth of the Queen of the Underworld wasn't exactly out of the ordinary. There was no reason for the gods to react in a peculiar or overly dramatic way.
If you thought about it, everything made sense. The gods understood the situation well enough.
After Persephone and Hestia left, one by one, the gods of the Underworld also departed. It was time to leave. The Queen had been born, and their presence was no longer required.
As for whether the Queen and Hestia might encounter danger?
That was a joke!
If there was any real danger in this place, it would mean the Underworld might as well cease to exist. The sight of the Far North, typically covered in eternal snow, transforming into a spring paradise for three months was awe-inspiring.
The transformation was not something to be taken lightly. The ice and snow of the Far North had been a fundamental part of the Mythical World since its creation—something absolutely unchangeable.
So, what would come next? That was the important question, one that weighed heavily on everyone's minds. The mere presence of life and death, or more accurately, the laws of Persephone, showed just how remarkable she truly was.
"..."
In the midst of the restored calm, a dark figure gradually emerged. His pace was steady as he strolled through the springtime beauty of the transformed landscape.
Before long, he arrived at a beautiful flower bed. He stood quietly, appreciating the scenery without any urgency.
It was Hades, the Lord of the Underworld.
Yes!
This man was Hades, standing there as if waiting for something—or perhaps searching for something. Persephone and Hestia had left with full knowledge that something of extreme importance was about to emerge at this spot. For the Underworld, for Hades, this divine item was almost as important as the Demon Stars themselves.
By leaving, Persephone and Hestia had deliberately downplayed the event, making it seem as though nothing significant was happening.
One by one, the gods of the Underworld had also left.
Though they were aware of the divine artifact's existence, it wasn't exactly a secret. They all knew about it. But their abrupt departure left them puzzled.
Wait!
Wasn't this divine artifact supposed to emerge alongside the Queen of the Underworld? Or...
Could it have fallen into Hades' hands instead of Persephone's?
Hmm?!
The gods were metaphorically like the old man on the subway with a question mark over his head. What had gone wrong? Something definitely felt off, but they couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.
In short!
From any angle, the situation felt extraordinarily odd. The more they thought about it, the more it didn't make sense.
But for now, the issue was set aside.
Hades stood before a seed, as black as ink, which was gradually materializing. Threads of divine power—his own and Persephone's—intertwined and merged into it.
Perfectly absorbed, this power coalesced into a single, ink-black seed.
Hades reached out, and the seed landed in his hand.
"Mulanzi," he whispered softly, gazing at the seed. The Mulanzi was a very special seed, one that could only grow in the Underworld. After its birth and growth in the Underworld, it would eventually mature into a Mulanzi Tree, bearing 108 fruits.
Yes!
The Mulanzi Tree was the source of the 108 Demon Stars. For Hades, the Demon Stars were his most vital divine artifacts, fundamental to his power.
As the Mulanzi Tree grew, it would perfectly absorb all available energy and materials, feeding this energy back into the Demon Stars, enhancing them significantly over time. This was the symbiotic relationship between the Mulanzi Tree and the Demon Stars.
But at the same time...
They restrained each other.
The relationship between the Mulanzi Tree and the Demon Stars wasn't just one of mutual growth; it was also one of opposition. The two were intricately bound in a way that both complemented and restrained each other.
Once the Mulanzi Tree matured and its 108 fruits were fully formed, aside from feeding energy back to the Demon Stars, the fruits could also be refined into a special set of prayer beads.
These prayer beads could perfectly seal the Demon Stars, weakening them bit by bit with each sealing. In fact, in the original story, one of the reasons for Hades' eventual defeat was that the Demon Stars had been weakened too much. The depletion of resources and materials wasn't the core issue—the weakening of the Demon Stars, his essence, was the real root cause.
That was the fundamental reason why Hades had been reduced to his most vulnerable state.
However!
That was in the original story and didn't apply to this current Hades. He merely glanced at the seed in his hand before putting it away. Without a word, he turned and left.
As Hades departed, nothing around him changed.
It was as if...
None of it had ever happened. The endless calm and tranquility remained unchanged, giving the feeling that everything was perpetually serene and peaceful.
However, with the birth of the Queen of the Underworld, it signified that the Mythical World was continuing to evolve.
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