The Netherworld, also known as the realm between life and death. This was a world fundamentally different from the present one, a world where spiritual priority was higher than that of the material.
In Western occultism, it was also called the Astral Plane or the Spirit World.
In Tibetan Buddhism, it was generally known as the Bardo. Not the present world, nor belonging to Heaven or Hell, it existed in a position between these realms.
To someone with a high degree of spirituality like Su Mo, he had sensed this in-between layer clinging to the present world as soon as he arrived, but he had not entered it rashly.
The concepts of time and space were very vague within the Netherworld. If he were to step in recklessly, he might even end up in a point in the past.
Now, with Pandora's guidance, there was naturally no need to worry about that.
Upon entering the Netherworld, the first thing that greeted his eyes was a pure white space. In a space devoid of any furniture or decorations, a slender girl with purple twintails and a divine, beautiful face was staring at him intently, her expression eager.
"Waaah! My dearest, most special child! I am your mommy Pandora! Let mommy see you! Let mommy help you examine your body!"
The girl, who looked no older than fourteen or fifteen, cheered and threw her arms out, rushing toward Su Mo in a headlong charge.
It was their first meeting, yet the girl seemed completely unguarded.
Seeing her move, so full of openings, Su Mo had a hundred ways to kill her.
Of course, Su Mo didn't do any of that. He wasn't a murderer, and the girl before him wasn't an enemy.
As the witch who brought all the calamities and all the hopes in mythology, Pandora presided over the Pandora's Dark Rite, the grand mystery that could create God-Slayers.
One could say that she was the creator of all the God-Slayers in this world. Calling herself "Mommy" wasn't too far off. But he didn't accept Pandora's overly enthusiastic approach. Instead, he placed a hand on the girl's forehead and stopped her from getting any closer.
"Behave yourself!" Su Mo said.
"I'm always like this!" Pandora blinked, answering with a slightly aggrieved expression.
"..."
Su Mo was momentarily unable to retort. What kind of pervert behavior is this?
"What a cold child! And mommy went out of her way to open a passage to welcome you, and you won't even give mommy a basic hug. Waaaaah... Mommy is so sad! I'm not getting up until you give me a hug." Seeing that Su Mo was unmoved, the girl who called herself "Mommy" started to play the sympathy card, covering her eyes with her hands and pretending to cry.
It had to be said, the girl's acting was extremely convincing, even carrying some genuine emotion, making it difficult to distinguish. But in Su Mo's eyes, her purpose was as clear as a firefly at night.
"If I'm not mistaken, you seem very eager to touch my body?" Ignoring the girl's pouting and antics, Su Mo's tone was calm and sharp. As he spoke, he subtly raised his palm, and dozens of spells began to weave themselves together in his hand.
Although he hadn't sensed any hostility from Pandora and knew enough about her personality, he wouldn't let his guard down.
Hearing Su Mo point out her intention, Pandora's slender body stiffened slightly. She had wanted to say something witty to ease the atmosphere, but seeing Su Mo's defensiveness, she hastily waved her hands in a flustered manner, afraid of being misunderstood.
"No! Don't be angry, okay... I-I-I really don't have any bad intentions. I'm mainly just a little curious about the bodily structure of someone from another world!" "Please believe me on this! As your mommy, I would never do anything harmful to my child!"
To avoid creating any resentment with her newly born child, Pandora obediently knelt on the ground, proactively raising her hands in a gesture of surrender. In this posture, even if Su Mo wanted to harm her, she wouldn't even have the chance to mobilize her divine power for defense.
This act of completely entrusting her safety to another was almost foolish. But it did show that Pandora's identification with the role of "mother" was not just lip service.
However, even so, Su Mo didn't completely accept her explanation. "You said the main reason was curiosity about a person from another world. What's the secondary reason?" He continued to press.
"Can I not answer that question?" Pandora's gaze began to wander.
"No!"
"Ugh~ Okay, okay! I just think you're really handsome! Is there anything wrong with wanting to touch you a little?" Under Su Mo's questioning, Pandora shouted out the reason she had been too embarrassed to say.
The reason itself was already absurd. What was even more absurd was that, according to Su Mo's detection, the statement was actually true.
So, gods also care about looks?
"..."
Su Mo's expression was somewhat speechless.
Seeing his look, Pandora, having given up on trying to salvage the situation, puffed out her slender chest and declared righteously, "What's wrong with it? As a mother, what's wrong with wanting to cuddle with her child!"
Seeing her upright and righteous stance, Su Mo finally understood why the God-Slayers' attitudes toward Pandora were always so negative. This witch had some serious personality issues.
Just as Su Mo was gaining a deep understanding of Pandora's witch-like personality and was about to ask about the God-Slayer rebirth ritual, the voice of the war god Verethragna suddenly echoed above the white space.
"To think you were a hero from another world. No wonder you were able to push me this far! As a war god, I acknowledge your strength!"
There were many parallel worlds in the Campione! universe, too.
While it might be secret information to ordinary people, it was common knowledge to the gods. Therefore, both gods weren't too surprised even after knowing that Su Mo was from another world.
"Put aside whether you acknowledge it or not, Verethragna. I have a question to ask you."
"What is it?"
"You are staying here because of the Pandora's Dark Rite, correct?"
"Yes. As a loser, I should naturally entrust my Authority and the crown of victory to the victor. That is the most basic etiquette for a warrior."
"That's not what I'm asking. I want to know, where will you go after the rebirth ritual is complete?"
Su Mo shook his head, asking what he was most concerned about.