Chapter 735 — King of the Underworld

Hermes’ mind was blank.

Following his death, he had entered a peculiar state.

His soul seemed to float between life and death, his consciousness spreading far and wide.

He didn’t know if his situation was special or if this was what death felt like for every person. But either way, he had no way to escape that situation.

Yet just as he believed he would remain in that state forever, suffering loneliness for eternity, something suddenly changed.

Hermes felt his soul gradually reemerge under the control of an invisible hand. Then, it shot forward.

Before Hermes could realize what was happening, his vision cleared.

When his gaze swept across his surroundings, Hermes discovered that he was sitting inside a glorious palace.

Terrifying statues supported the ceiling, while his "seat" was made out of eerie bones.

Unfortunately, he had no time to pay attention to his surroundings.

A set of words constantly echoed in his mind, as though trying to hypnotize him.

"From today onward, you shall serve as the King of the Underworld..."

At the same time, Hermes felt that he was different.

Although his previous human body had been powerful, he had only been a slightly more powerful Demigod.

Let alone Divine Beings, even the Dragon leaders could suppress him with ease, as they had already done so.

Yet that was no longer the case.

Hermes felt that his body contained an unfathomable power.

His body was stronger. His Mana had transformed.

Even his soul was different.

... And the reason behind these changes was the black orb gently floating in his soul space.

At first, Hermes was shocked by all these changes, as well as by the appearance of an unknown item within him.

But when his consciousness touched the orb, he realized everything.

King of the Underworld.

Godhead of Death. Lower God.

God of Death.

Various terms emerged in Hermes’ mind, all at once.

If he were still human, he would have been unable to digest them all, even as a powerful Demigod.

But now, Hermes immediately grasped the information contained within the orb.

He understood his current identity as well as his duties.

"Who would have thought that the first God would not be born in the Mortal Plane, but in the plane I built by sacrificing myself?" Hermes couldn’t help but sigh.

Excitement and shock flashed through his eyes.

He knew that he didn’t deserve to become a God.

The reason he had become one was not due to his achievements, but due to the favor of that unknown being.

Thinking of this, Hermes forced himself to calm down.

Although he was powerful, he shouldn’t lose his composure.

He would remain a God only as long as that being was satisfied.

If he failed to meet their expectations, let alone maintain his position as a God, even retaining his life would be impossible.

"The King of the Underworld is the supreme ruler of the Underworld. All I have to do is establish a Path of Reincarnation and ensure its continuation."

"Moreover, although I’m only a Lower God for the time being, my combat prowess within the Underworld far surpasses that realm."

"According to the Godhead, even Higher Gods would have trouble defeating me."

Hermes calmed down.

He raised his head, his gaze passing through the palace and landing on the sky.

Under normal circumstances, the King of the Underworld should not involve himself in the affairs of the Mortal Plane.

However, Hermes knew he had to do something—even if it meant slightly overstepping his boundaries.

--

The Mortal Plane had entered a strange state.

Although the war was over, with the Dragons emerging victorious, the human race was still alive and well.

The previous changes had been obvious to all. Before they understood what had happened, no one would dare touch them without a reason.

Every race had this same thought.

Yet the ones who were the most troubled were the two Dragon leaders.

In a demi-plane at the edge of the Mortal Plane, these two divine beings had gathered, trying to find a solution to their predicament.

As always, their opinions differed. However, it seemed to be only a matter of time before they reached a unified decision.

"The human race must be suppressed! Even if only to investigate what happened!" the Evil Dragon spoke, and, in a rare occurrence, the Lawful Dragon nodded in agreement.

But just as it opened its mouth and was about to speak, both Dragons were shocked.

Their eyes widened.

Subconsciously, they looked toward the sky above them.

To the naked eye, there was nothing there. But through their own perception, they sensed a flow of energy gathering.

Not Mana, nor bloodline power.

This energy seemed to be of a far higher level.

Divine Power! The energy of the Gods!

Under the two Dragons’ astonished gazes, the Divine Power gathered together, transforming into a giant face.

An unfathomable oppression spread with it as the center.

The moment the face appeared, the Dragons felt themselves losing control of their bodies.

Whether it was the Evil or the Lawful Dragon, they immediately collapsed to the ground, kneeling instinctively toward the face.

A God!

A God had actually been born!

Moreover, judging from the face in the sky, the newly born God was someone very familiar to them!

Instantly, both Dragons trembled in fear.

--

Although she was still in the Underworld, Liora knew full well about Hermes’ visit to the two Dragon leaders.

At the same time, she understood his purpose. To help the human race deal with the aftermath.

Seeing this, Liora shook her head lightly.

"It seems that even after becoming a Divine Being, Hermes retains some of his previous attachments. At least for now, he wishes to protect the human race," she whispered.

"...But as long as it doesn’t interfere with the Veythalis World’s development, I won’t care."

If Hermes had planned to kill the two Dragons, she would have stripped him of his authority on the spot. Since he just wanted to reach an agreement with them, however, Liora wouldn’t stop him.

No longer paying attention to this matter, Liora stared at the River of Forgetfulness.

With a move of her hand, two souls emerged.