The King of the Underworld is Tired

Chapter 132: Sea Monster Charybdis – (3)

Charybdis was absorbing seawater at a considerable speed, so I had to act quickly.

The bident materialized in my hand through sheer will.

The opponent was a divine being second only to Poseidon in the sea. I’d need to use a bit more strength.

It might not be proper to act recklessly in another god’s domain, but I’d received “permission” from Poseidon.

■■■■■■!!!!!

A deathly aura filled the space between sea and sky. Technically, I was driving it downward.

I watched as sea creatures and seagulls touched by the black pillar I created died and fell.

ㅡ?! ■■!!!

Charybdis, startled, closed her mouth.

I wasn’t sure if it was correct to say that a whirlpool “closed its mouth,” but there was no better way to describe it.

Her gaze assessed me, trying to figure out who I was. Golden ichor leaked from her and faded into the sea…

First, I needed to get the humans to safety.

I moved onto the ship and looked at Charybdis.

“I’ll send you to a safe place.”

I could feel those who had noticed me gathering their hands in prayer. The faith emanating from behind me.

Some knew who I was, others didn’t, but the emotions they felt were the same.

Relief. Reassurance. Joy. Gratitude.

“It’s not yet your time to come to the Underworld.”

I formed a black shield around the ship, pushing it toward the land, and then rose back onto the sea surface to face Charybdis.

Unlike before, she slowly emerged without drawing in seawater.

However, as if wary of me, she only showed part of her face and communicated a message.

The voice that resonated in my mind… was surprisingly beautiful, not what one would expect from a massive whirlpool monster.

[Why are you suddenly doing this to me, Lord Hades?]

“Charybdis, daughter of Poseidon. Stop tormenting humans.”

[What are you saying… The lord of the Underworld came all the way here just for mere mortals?]

“Mere mortals who, once they die, will all become my subjects.”

Charybdis paused, perhaps contemplating my words.

I meant what I said… Anyway, I only needed to convince her.

“You are a sea deity second only to Poseidon. How long will you continue living like this?”

[…]

“It’s time to stop tormenting passing humans. Poseidon and Demeter have promised to provide you with enough food so that you don’t have to devour humans.”

[Father… really?]

“Yes. Before coming here, I spoke with Demeter as well.”

She may have eaten too much nectar and ambrosia and was struck down by Zeus’s thunderbolt, falling into the sea, but…

It’s fortunate that she seems to have no resentment toward Poseidon.

If she had held a grudge, asking why her father didn’t shield her from Zeus’s thunderbolt, it would’ve been troublesome.

“Why do you think humans don’t praise your name or offer sacrifices to you? You lack nothing compared to Triton or other sea deities.”

[Are you… trying to persuade me?]

“Yes, I know your story as well. Had you not fallen into the sea, you wouldn’t have fallen this far.”

The world of divinity is somewhat complex.

Being struck by a thunderbolt from the king of the gods in the middle of a banquet, and being expelled from Olympus, carries its own meaning.

It’s a decree of exile from the king of the gods. That’s why a deity of Charybdis’s stature cannot return to Olympus.

Though she’s a high-ranking goddess, she has fallen to the point where she must devour humans instead of nectar and ambrosia.

No humans offer faith to Charybdis. If this state continues, it won’t be good for her either.

If her image solidifies as nothing more than a sea monster that preys on people, it’ll be hard to change.

“True faith comes from a mix of fear and gratitude. You know that. Stop tormenting humans now.”

[Then… would I be able to return to Olympus?]

“As you know, we are still at war with your mother, Gaia. But if we defeat the Gigantes and earn her acknowledgment, I could convince Zeus as well.”

Charybdis wasn’t consuming humans mindlessly.

A mixture of lingering attachment to Olympus, anger and resentment toward Zeus, sorrow over her own fallen status as a goddess…

All these emotions had probably driven her to prey on mortals.

The reason she’s quietly listening to my persuasion may be that she finally sees a path to return.

Poseidon already supports her, and if I also back her, even Zeus would have to reconsider.

* * *

[Understood. I will do as you wish, Lord Hades.]

“You’ve made a wise decision. Poseidon will issue an oracle so that those sailing in this area will also offer you sacrifices. We’ll periodically send ambrosia and nectar as well.”

[My father…]

“…?”

[Please tell him I’m sorry…]

“I’ll pass on the message.”

Like father, like daughter. They both feel sorry for one another.

With the persuasion done, I guess she won’t trouble humans anymore?

We gods don’t need to eat ambrosia and nectar to survive.

She’s already been cast into the sea by Zeus, so she’ll know when to hold back…

Ha. This should be enough. Poseidon can handle the rest of her education.

Things might be different now compared to the past.

[Then, until we meet again…]

I turned away from her as she sank back into the water and prepared to return to the Underworld, when I saw someone approaching, parting the waves.

Riding a dolphin, radiating the aura of a god.

“Uncle Hades!”

“Triton, is that you?”

So it was Triton, Poseidon’s firstborn.

“You must have come at your father’s command to see how my conversation with Charybdis went.”

“Oh… Haha. Father cares for his children, after all.”

“Tell him there’s no need to worry. I didn’t touch her, aside from a single blow.”

I continued speaking to Triton, who was smiling awkwardly.

“Heracles.”

“Yes? You mean that human hero?”

“Do you think he could become a god?”

In Psyche’s case, she was just an ordinary human… Zeus was able to make her a minor deity without issue.

As for Medusa, she was a demigod, and when she came to the Underworld after her death, I could take her as a deity.

However… if Heracles, the greatest hero, were to become a god, it would expand the Olympian Twelve to Thirteen.

For him to become a god, he must achieve feats worthy of divinity, but Heracles is already too powerful, which makes the threshold excessively high.

So, he would have to walk a similar path to Dionysus, who was born mortal yet ascended to the ranks of the Twelve Olympians.

To become a god, he would need divine mentality, spirituality, and faith, similar to the journey of Dionysus.

“Although he already has strength that rivals the gods… that very strength seems to hold him back. His mindset, too…”

“I see. So he hasn’t found a trigger yet.”

Someday, he will understand.

* * *

Meanwhile, the sailors who had narrowly escaped being devoured by the sea monster and met Hades, were pushed naturally to shore and reunited with their families.

“Sniff… Ugh. This voyage was truly dangerous. The whole ship was nearly swallowed by that whirlpool monster…”

“I’m telling you, a black pillar appeared between the sky and the sea!”

“That must have been a god. They saved us from the sea monster.”

The memory of the male god who appeared suddenly on the deck during their moment of life and death was seared deeply into their minds.

Even sailors who once only worshipped Poseidon began to consider holding dual faith.

“But… which god was he?”

“Black hair, and his attire… it wasn’t Lord Poseidon.”

“Then could it have been Lord Triton?!”

“I heard Lord Triton looks like a mix between a fish and a human, so it wasn’t him either.”

“…That was the Lord of the Underworld.”

Only a few identified him as the god Pluto.

Those who did were seasoned sailors, or middle-aged sailors who had studied theology in their youth.

“Black hair, black eyes. No wings, and his spear had two prongs. Those are characteristics of Pluto.”

“Why would Lord Pluto, who’s supposed to be in the Underworld, come to this world?”

“Did he appear to deal with the sea monster? Like when Lord Apollo killed the serpent Python in the past.”

“Though gods can disguise their forms, that god said clearly… ‘It is not yet time for you to come to the Underworld.’”

Not yet time to “come to the Underworld.”

Could it really be that they were saved by Pluto, who dwells in the Underworld?

“I’ve heard he’s a god of mercy and fairness… Hmm.”

“Things happened so quickly that I couldn’t get a clear look at who he was.”

“I don’t know. It’s still unclear to me. Maybe Lord Poseidon just appeared in a different form.”

“It doesn’t matter which god he is. We should give our thanks, shouldn’t we? How about we offer a sacrifice to Olympus?”

“Damn right. Let’s focus on preparing an offering instead of debating which god it was.”

Of course, it was hard to believe that Pluto would appear so unexpectedly on the open sea.

So, people prayed and offered sacrifices to an unknown god.

However, some were certain and prayed specifically to the Lord of the Underworld, expressing their gratitude.

From that day onward, oracles began to descend at the temples of Poseidon and the goddess Demeter…

And huma

ns came to know the name of the goddess Charybdis.

“To the goddess Charybdis, daughter of Lord Poseidon.”

“Please continue to protect us, so we may return to our families.”

The sailors prepared high-quality offerings for her, who dwelt in the sea.

A tradition also arose of dropping food offerings into the sea for Charybdis when sailing through certain areas.

Since then, tales of the sea monster’s sightings or sudden ship disappearances have vanished.