A million years passed in the blink of an eye.
Time!
It was always the least valuable commodity, especially when one is busy. Hypnos and Thanatos had been tirelessly working, preparing the mortal world, making sure all contingencies were in place, and dealing with the remaining tasks.
And over this million-year period, they had finally completed everything.
The Golden Age!
Now!
It was time for it to completely fall into the annals of history.
In the void.
Hades' shadow slowly emerged, hovering high above, silently observing the mortal world below. His dark, black cloak swayed gently, as though he were waiting for something.
As time passed.
The shadows of Poseidon and Zeus, the two kings of gods, also gradually appeared. The three god-kings exchanged only brief glances, remaining silent as they looked down.
The Apocalypse!
The complete end of the Golden Age of mankind. From any perspective, this was a matter that required the utmost seriousness, and naturally, the three god-kings needed to be present.
Of course.
This time, all necessary preparations for the Apocalypse had been made in advance. Because of this, nothing more needed to be done.
In other words.
All that remained was to wait for the Apocalypse to unfold, and that was enough.
The three god-kings stood silently, waiting.
Meanwhile, the twin gods, Hypnos and Thanatos, were finalizing their last preparations and adjustments. Although everything appeared to be in order, Poseidon and Zeus couldn't help but sense something was amiss.
Wait!
Why did it feel like...
Something wasn't quite right?
Which part was off?
The two god-kings felt uneasy—something was definitely wrong, very wrong. Yet, they couldn't pinpoint exactly where the problem lay. It was a strange feeling, one they couldn't explain or understand.
But the problem was.
They couldn't find any visible issues. Everything seemed perfect. From every angle—up, down, left, and right—everything appeared flawless.
However, their instincts kept warning them that something was definitely wrong. The biggest issue was that the Apocalypse had been entrusted to Hades, and since they couldn't detect any problems, they had no grounds to intervene.
If they were to speak out without reason, Hades would surely not allow it. Because of this, the two god-kings had no choice but to suppress their growing sense of unease.
Perhaps, maybe, Hades had made some extra preparations, using some additional methods. This was understandable. After all, an event like the Apocalypse, or even the creation of a new world, carried enormous benefits.
It made sense that Hades would prepare additional measures. Thinking it over, this was actually quite normal and natural.
But!
Poseidon and Zeus couldn't have imagined in their wildest dreams that the Underworld had laid far more plans than they could fathom. The best chance to stop it had been during the first holy war. Having missed that opportunity, attempting to dismantle the Underworld's arrangements now?
Heh…
It would be nearly impossible.
Hades was well aware of Poseidon and Zeus' unease. As a god-king, he understood how they felt. Though they couldn't detect anything due to his concealment, their instincts were still warning them of impending danger. This was only natural. Yet, no matter what, the fact remained the same.
Hades stood calmly, waiting for what was to come. As for how things would unfold? Who could say? Perhaps it would be simple, or perhaps it would be incredibly difficult.
But…
No one knew exactly what would happen next. All that could be done was to wait patiently.
Hades looked down from above. Since the end of the Titanomachy, the Underworld had been scheming for many years, and now, the moment of harvest had finally arrived—an abundant harvest. If the Underworld seized this opportunity, if they grasped it fully...
Even just once!
Then!
For the entire Underworld, this opportunity would be enough. It would allow them to break through their current limitations and truly ascend beyond them. This was the core of everything.
This was more than enough.
Hades remained expressionless, while below, the twin gods began the final step to initiate the Apocalypse.
...
In the mortal world!
Hypnos and Thanatos moved at a steady pace, yet there was an air of urgency about them. Soon, they arrived atop a mountain, overlooking the entire mortal world as though they could see everything below.
"Thanatos, have you handled the issues in the far north?" Hypnos asked first.
The Apocalypse!
This was a catastrophe that would sweep across the entire mortal world and the golden-age humans. It wasn't as simple as sparing someone just because you didn't want to involve them. No one could be excluded from its reach.
Even the kingdom of Sparta, located in the far north and inhabited by the Underworld's own descendants, could not avoid this fate.
However!
The Apocalypse, after all, was still the Apocalypse.
No matter what, life would still find a way to endure. In other words, not everything would be completely destroyed. It wasn't as if everything would be wiped out, disappearing without a trace forever—that would be impossible.
This was an incredibly important point.
There would always be a spark of life remaining. Thus, they needed to ensure that spark for the people of Sparta in the far north.
Thanatos nodded, "It's been taken care of. The impact on the far north will be minimal."
"Good!"
Hypnos nodded seriously. With that taken care of, it was time to proceed. The great flood to destroy the Golden Age could now be unleashed, and the first stage of the Apocalypse could truly begin!
Or rather.
It could be said that it was now truly beginning.
The Golden Age would now come to an end, completely consigned to history. Under the great flood that would wash away everything, the Golden Age would vanish forever, leaving no trace behind.
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