Chapter 129: Chapter129-Hades
Once they recovered, they had to figure out a way to escape.
Noticing Helena\'s gaze, Elaria stepped forward and asked softly, "Helena, do you have any ideas?"
"I\'m wondering if there\'s a way to escape beneath the stomach acid."
"That... seems unlikely. Even if there is a way, the corrosive nature of the stomach acid is so strong that if we jump in, we\'d be dissolved in no time."
"Sigh..."
Helena knew this too, but at the moment, there didn\'t seem to be any better options.
"Actually, I can give it a try."
Just as the situation reached a stalemate, the silent Qing suddenly spoke up.
"Qing, are you crazy? Even if you have a talent skill, if your muscles are corroded and you\'re left with just a skeleton, not even Lily and Elaria can save you!" Exiled Immortal was the first to oppose.
This was a suicide mission!
"Do you have any other ideas? Someone has to go down and check!"
"And then what? Even if the exit is below, how do we get through? No way, there\'s no room for discussion. Give me some more time to think of a solution..."
Exiled Immortal squatted down, biting his nails, his mind racing.
But in this desperate situation, his brain felt like mush, and he couldn\'t come up with a reliable plan.
"Come on, Exiled Immortal... think about what John would do!"
What would John do?
No, he couldn\'t think of it, he had no idea!
After all, he wasn\'t John. How could he possibly know what John would do at this moment?
This thought crossed everyone\'s mind simultaneously.
...
"But... yeah, I\'m not John, so how would I know what John would do?"
Helena struggled to stand up, looking at the bottomless stomach acid, and a thought gradually formed in her mind.
"Qing, I have an idea. Can you use your talent skill to summon the Shadow of War? If you can, limit the number to one or two, so you don\'t exhaust yourself."
"I... I don\'t know, but I can try."
"Please, Exiled Immortal, if I can create even a momentary wind field, can you seize the opportunity?"
"Even a moment is enough; the wind will heed my call."
"Lily, our escape depends on you." Helena turned to Lily, her gaze filled with hope.
"I know it\'s cruel to put all our hopes on your shoulders, but... we\'ll create an opportunity for you.
Once you make contact with the outside world, unleash your most powerful star magic.
Don\'t worry about hurting us; just aim it at the mountain toad. Can you do it?"
"I... I can!" Lily bit her lip and nodded firmly.
"Uncle Mac, Elaria, the rest is up to you!"
...
"[Deception], you know the price of lying."
"We\'re on the same side. Do you think I would deceive you?"
"I think you would. Do you know what this is?
This is the River of the Underworld! All the souls of the Underworld are in there.
Now you tell me Hera is suppressed beneath the River of the Underworld.
What am I supposed to do? Use a pump to drain the river and rescue Hera?"
"John, you asked me to tell you where Hera is suppressed. I\'ve told you the location. How to proceed is your concern."
[Deception] shrugged, feeling somewhat helpless.
Even if he could avoid the influence of the Underworld\'s aura and his soul wouldn\'t be lost, jumping into the river would mean certain death as the souls would tear his soul apart instantly.
"So, do you understand now why I don\'t recommend this? Do you think no one has tried to rescue them over the years?
They all failed. Even [Gods] can\'t defy the rules of the Underworld.
This is the final resting place for the dead, the end of everything.
You can\'t take anyone from here, do you understand?"
"...What if?" John looked up, struggling to stand, his body instinctively recoiling from the aura of the Underworld River, causing him to step back a few paces.
"You\'re right; this is the end of everything. But, looking at it from another angle, this is also the beginning of everything. Give me ten minutes. If I\'m not back by then, you can proceed with your plan."
"John, what are you going to do? Calm down! This is the River of the Underworld! If you jump in, there\'s no hope of coming back!"
"I\'m taking a gamble. What if I win?"
The invincible Hades, the formidable Falms.
From the start, coming to the Underworld was a mistake.
If things continue as they are, John will gain nothing.
He risked his life to come here and doesn\'t want to leave empty-handed.
"Wait, John!"
[Deception] instinctively reached out to grab John, but in his current soul state, he could only watch helplessly as his hand passed through John\'s shoulder, seeing John leap into the Underworld River!
...
"Foolish."
A sigh echoed behind [Deception], making him instantly tense. He recognized this voice all too well.
The ruler of all souls, the sole master of the Underworld, and the older brother of the current king of the Olympian gods, Hades!
"Hah... Hades? What are you doing here?"
"Is he the one chosen by that little girl?"
Hades walked straight to the edge of the River of the Underworld and looked down.
The turbulent river continued to surge, countless souls drifting within it. Yet, not a trace of John could be seen.
"Calm yet reckless, foolish yet clever, with just the right amount of madness. Indeed, only a person with such a character has the potential to create miracles."
Hades turned around, a cold gleam flashing in his inscrutable black eyes.
"So, why are you here? I don\'t recall inviting you."
"I... I came because my master sent me. She asked me to retrieve something."
[Deception] swallowed hard, barely daring to breathe, exuding utmost humility.
He was powerless.
The figure before him commanded respect even from his master.
Across the entire Olympian pantheon, those who could rival him could be counted on one hand.
"Oh... So the time has come? I neglected that. You should have what you came for, correct?"
"Yes..."
"Good. Saves me another trip."
With that, Hades fell silent, his gaze fixed on the River of the Underworld.
[Deception] felt utterly at a loss.
He had never expected Hades to appear at this critical moment, nearly disrupting all their plans.
Facing such an unpredictable presence, [Deception] felt as if his soul was about to be crushed under the terrifying pressure—the pressure of a superior being.
"Quiet. Do not disturb. Just watch and see how far he can go."
Hades spoke in a deep voice.
At some point, a stone throne had risen behind him.
Hades sat down, reclining on the throne, gazing imperiously at the river.
Meanwhile, beneath the River of the Underworld, John felt death closing in.
A bone-chilling cold instantly spread through John\'s body, covering him in a layer of frost.
His blood nearly froze, and his heartbeat slowed drastically.
He was on the brink of suffocation!
The souls continued to tear at John\'s spirit, and it was thanks to this excruciating pain that he remained conscious, preventing him from passing out entirely.
"Just... a little more!"
In a daze, John seemed to see a figure.
Bound by chains at the bottom of the River of the Underworld, constantly enduring the torment of souls gnawing at her.
She was kneeling on the ground, appearing utterly lifeless.