As I sat there, focused and determined to begin awakening the smaller orbs within my soul, Hestia suddenly gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh! I completely forgot to tell you something important!" Her cheerful expression shifted into mild panic.
"Awakening your orbs alone won't make you a high-level god. Even if you fully awaken your orbs—even the big one—your power will only rise to the level of a mid-level god at first."
I blinked, caught off guard. "What? Why?"
She nodded seriously. "Awakening godhood is just the first step. To ascend beyond that—to the level of high gods, chief gods, or even god kings—you need more than just awakening. You need two things."
She raised two fingers. "A high level of divine energy and a deep understanding of your godhood. Without those, your rank won't rise, no matter how many orbs you awaken."
I frowned. "Then… how do we increase divine energy?"
She smiled again, this time more patiently, like a teacher easing into an advanced lesson.
"Divine energy can grow in a few ways," she explained. "The most basic and slowest method is through age. As a god matures, their divine energy naturally deepens, much like a tree thickens over time."
"But there are faster, more efficient methods. Your divine energy also increases with your physical strength and your soul strength. When your body grows stronger and more refined, it can hold and channel more divine power. When your soul becomes purer and more stable, it can generate and retain energy more effectively."
I nodded, listening intently as she continued.
"This is one of the reasons Titans like our father, Cronus, are so powerful. Their bodies and souls are vast, their energy capacity naturally immense. Even before understanding their godhood, they can crush lesser gods through sheer raw power alone."
"So if I wanted to rise, I had to train my body and soul as much as I trained my understanding?"
"Exactly," she affirmed. "Divine energy is like a river. The stronger your foundation, the wider and deeper that river flows. You'll need that strength to bear the weight of a King-Class godhood. Otherwise, it might overwhelm you instead of obeying you."
I leaned back, absorbing the truth of her words.
Awakening was only the beginning. If I wanted to rise above the mid-level, if I truly wished to become a God King, then I would need to forge my body, hone my soul, and master every layer of power within me.
Without wasting another moment, I steadied my breath and sank back into meditation.
I focused inward, reaching once more toward the celestial vision of my soul.
The orbs floated around the central purple sun like a divine constellation. I extended my will toward the golden orb, which pulsed faintly as if responding to my recognition. I knew immediately that it represented Minerals.
With steady focus, I began channeling my divine energy into it, as Hestia had taught me—slowly, without force—allowing the energy to nourish the orb like roots drawing from rain.
The moment the divine flow touched the golden orb, something shifted.
My senses expanded.
I felt the presence of minerals—iron, copper, silver, gold, quartz, and even rare celestial stones—hidden deep within the fleshy walls of this unnatural prison. Each possessed a unique frequency, a texture within my soul. It was as if the very veins of the world whispered their names to me.
Then, I felt a connection.
My energy reached deeper, harmonizing with the essence of stone and metal. The divine signature of the orb merged with my soul, and slowly, I felt control settle within me. I could command minerals—not just sense them, but shape them, summon them, and will them into form.
A subtle grin formed on my lips.
—
Meanwhile, Hestia watched Hades awaken.
Her eyes widened in awe.
She saw his aura sharpen, condensing like a blade being honed. The once-chaotic haze surrounding his wings began to solidify, now gleaming with a metallic black sheen—jagged and sharp, like obsidian blades forged from the Underworld itself.
"This…" she whispered under her breath. "His essence… It's not just awakening. It's refining."
She had witnessed many gods awaken their first or subsequent domains, but this was rare. Most awakened with a violent surge. Hades was awakening with precision. The golden orb was not merely responding—it was submitting.
—
Hades—the Lord of Minerals, the unseen force beneath the surface—was being born.
As I completed the awakening of the golden orb, the sensation of minerals bending to my will still thrumming through my veins, I exhaled slowly and steadily.
One step forward.
But I wasn't done.
I turned my focus to the next orb—a dark blue sphere orbiting near the golden one, its surface swirling like a deep ocean beneath moonlight. I didn't need anyone to tell me what it represented. I knew.
Magic. Sorcery. Arcane power.
The thought of wielding the raw force that governed spells, enchantments, and mystical law stirred within me. I reached out and began channeling my divine energy into it, slowly feeding the orb as I had done before.
Almost immediately, I felt resistance.
Not rejection… but something strange. Familiarity.
It was as though this godhood already had a soul connected to it—yet, for some reason, it still opened itself to me.
It felt like stepping into a room that belonged to someone else, yet the door was unlocked, the fire still warm, and a seat left waiting.
I frowned slightly. Was this… someone else's domain? Or was I bound to it through something deeper?
I did not press further. That mystery could wait. For now, my task was clear.
I calmed my thoughts, ignored the strange pull, and continued feeding it divine energy. The process was slower and gentler this time, more elusive than the raw, tactile power of the mineral domain. Magic was subtle and fluid, like trying to grasp smoke. Still, the orb responded—not with a violent surge, but with a soft hum, like a hidden current beneath still waters.
Across from me, Hestia sat quietly, watching with curiosity. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she observed the shift in my aura.
"It's… different this time," she murmured. "More mysterious. Not as intense. But… not weak either. It feels like…" She trailed off, uncertain. "Like it's waiting for something."
She chose not to interrupt, allowing me to continue undisturbed.
—
Far beneath the world, beside the void of Tartarus, in the deepest region of the Underworld, stood a magnificent, eerie palace carved from black crystal and soulstone.
Within its highest chamber, before an empty obsidian throne, a woman stood in silence.
She possessed breathtaking long black hair cascading down her back like a waterfall of night, and piercing purple eyes that shimmered with secrets and shadow. Her presence was regal yet haunting, her aura ancient and serene.
As ripples of divine awakening stirred the fabric of the realms, she felt it.
A familiar power—touching something that belonged to her.
She turned her gaze toward the untouched, time-forgotten throne, and a faint, knowing smile curved her lips.
"So," she whispered, her voice like wind across cold marble, "the soul has begun to stir… and the path unfolds at last."
She stepped forward, placing one hand upon the armrest of the empty throne.
"It seems," she murmured with quiet certainty, "this throne will not remain empty for much longer."
And far above, unaware of the eyes now watching from the depths, Hades continued to awaken.