King of Underworld-Chapter 132: Sea Monster Charybdis - (3)

Sea Monster Charybdis - (3)

As Charybdis’s rate of water consumption increased, I quickly took action, summoning my bident into my hand.

The opponent this time was second only to Poseidon in terms of sea divinity. I would have to apply more force than usual. Though it’s not proper to cause a disturbance in another god’s realm, Poseidon had given me his "permission."

■■■■■■!!!!!

The air between the sea and sky filled with a deathly aura as I slammed my black pillar into the sea. I watched as fish and even seagulls that came into contact with the aura fell, lifeless, from the sky.

ㅡ?! ■■!!!

Charybdis hesitated, closing her gaping mouth. I wasn’t sure if "closing her mouth" was the right description for a whirlpool monster, but it was the only way I could describe it. Her gaze, filled with caution, locked onto me as she tried to discern my identity. Golden ichor trickled from her form, dispersing into the water.

First, I needed to get the mortals to safety.

I moved over to the ship, looking at Charybdis as I spoke.

"I will guide you to a safe place."

I could feel those who spotted me joining their hands in prayer, their faith washing over me from behind. Some knew who I was, while others didn’t, yet their feelings were all the same.

Relief. Reassurance. Joy. Gratitude.

"It is not yet time for you to come to the underworld."

Encasing the ship in a dark barrier, I pushed it in the direction of land. Then I returned to the water’s surface and turned my attention back to Charybdis. Unlike before, she had stopped drawing in seawater, slowly revealing herself.

Only her mouth remained visible as she spoke to me in a mental voice—surprisingly delicate for a giant whirlpool monster.

[Why are you doing this to me all of a sudden, Lord Hades?]

"Charybdis, daughter of Poseidon. Stop troubling the mortals."

[Are you telling me the lord of the underworld came all this way just for some mortals?]

"Mortals who die eventually become my subjects."

Charybdis paused, possibly pondering the meaning of my words. I meant it exactly as I said it, but as long as I convinced her, that’s what mattered.

"You, a sea deity second only to Poseidon himself, don’t need to live like this."

[......]

"It’s time to stop tormenting passing humans. Poseidon and Demeter have agreed to provide you with food so you don’t need to consume mortals anymore."

[My father... really?]

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

Although Charybdis had been struck down by Zeus for consuming too much nectar and ambrosia, she didn’t seem to harbor any hard feelings toward Poseidon. A relief, as it would have complicated things if she resented her father for not protecting her from Zeus’s wrath.

"Do you know why humans offer no sacrifices to you or sing your praises? It’s not because you lack anything compared to Triton or the other sea gods."

[Are you trying to persuade me?]

"Yes. I know your story as well. Had you not been cast into the sea, things would not have come to this."

The divine hierarchy is complex. Being struck down by the king of gods during a feast, then cast away, held its own symbolic meaning. An exile directly imposed by the king of the gods—a reason why a deity of Charybdis’s level couldn’t return to Olympus.

Though she held a high rank, she had been reduced to consuming mortals instead of nectar and ambrosia. There wasn’t a single mortal who worshipped Charybdis. This state of affairs was not sustainable for her. If she continued like this, she’d be forever remembered as nothing more than a monstrous sea creature, making it almost impossible to change her reputation.

"Genuine faith arises from a blend of fear and gratitude. You know this. Stop tormenting the mortals."

[Then... does that mean I could return to Olympus someday?]

"As you know, we are still at war with your mother Gaia. However, if you help defeat the Giants and earn Zeus’s favor, it may be possible to persuade him."

Charybdis hadn’t devoured humans entirely out of mindlessness. She had lingering attachment to Olympus, anger and resentment toward Zeus, and sorrow over her own fall from grace. These emotions had all driven her to become the creature she now was.

The reason she was listening to my persuasion so intently was likely because she saw a glimmer of hope—a path back to her former status. With Poseidon on her side and my support, even Zeus might reconsider.

[Very well. I will do as you say, Lord Hades.]

"Wise decision. Poseidon will issue an oracle instructing sailors passing through here to offer sacrifices to you. Ambrosia and nectar will be provided periodically as well."

[Father...]

"...?"

[Please tell my father that I’m sorry.]

"I’ll convey the message."

Like father, like daughter. Both of them carried unspoken guilt toward each other. With this settled, Charybdis would stop harming mortals.

We gods could live without ambrosia and nectar. Now that she had experienced Zeus’s wrath once, she would know to exercise moderation.

This should suffice. I’d done enough that Poseidon would see to her further discipline himself. He seemed different from before, anyway.

[Then, until we meet again...]

As I turned away from her retreating form and prepared to return to the underworld, I spotted someone approaching, cutting through the waves on the back of a dolphin. The aura unmistakably belonged to a god.

"Uncle Hades!"

"Triton."

It was Poseidon’s heir, Triton.

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"You must have come to check on how the talk with Charybdis went, as per your father’s orders."

"Ah... haha. Yes, my father worries about his children."

"Tell him there’s nothing to worry about. Aside from one blow to her head, she wasn’t harmed."

Triton gave a sheepish smile as I continued.

"Heracles."

"Huh? The mortal hero?"

"Do you think he could become a god?"

With Psyche, it was possible because she had started out as a normal human; Zeus could elevate her to a lesser deity. Medusa had originally been a demigod, and I was able to bring her into the realm of the gods since she had died and entered the underworld.

But if the great hero Heracles were to become a god, it would mean expanding the ranks of the Twelve Olympians. He would need to accomplish feats of even greater magnitude to be worthy, especially as his natural strength already set an extremely high bar.

Therefore, his journey to godhood would need to resemble Dionysus’s path to Olympus. It would require a divine mindset, spirit, and faith.

"His strength is enough to challenge the gods, but ironically, it’s that very strength that holds him back. His mindset still needs refining..."

"I see. So he just needs the right trigger."

Perhaps, in time, he would come to understand.

Meanwhile, the sailors who had narrowly escaped being devoured by the sea monster and had been saved by Hades were safely swept to shore and reunited with their families.

"Sniff... Sob. That was a close call. We almost got swallowed by that whirlpool monster..."

"No, seriously, a black pillar rose from the sea to the sky!"

"That was definitely a god. Someone saved us from the sea monster."

The memory of the god who had appeared in their most desperate moment was etched deeply into their minds. Even sailors who usually worshipped only Poseidon were contemplating paying homage to this new deity.

"But... which god was it?"

"Black hair, dark clothes... well, it definitely wasn’t Lord Poseidon."

"Could it have been Lord Triton?!"

"I’ve heard that Lord Triton has a form that’s part fish and part human. It couldn’t have been him either."

"...That was the lord of the underworld."

Only a few realized it was Pluto, god of the underworld. Among them were a middle-aged sailor who’d studied mythology in his youth and a seasoned captain with a wealth of experience.

"Black hair, black eyes. No wings, but a bident with two prongs... those are the traits of Lord Pluto."

"Why would Lord Pluto, who belongs in the underworld, appear in the mortal realm?"

"Maybe he came to deal with that sea monster, just as Apollo once slew the serpent Python."

"The gods can disguise themselves, but he definitely said, 'It is not yet time for you to come to the underworld.'"

'Not yet time to come to the underworld.'

Had they truly been saved by Pluto, god of the underworld?

"I’ve heard he’s a god of mercy and justice... hmm."

"It all happened so fast that I didn’t get a clear look at him."

"Well, I still can’t be certain. Maybe Poseidon just changed his form."

"Does it matter which god he was? We should give thanks regardless. How about we offer a sacrifice to Olympus?"

"Alright, enough debate about which god it was. Let’s prepare the offerings."

The idea of Pluto manifesting out on the sea was a hard one for most to believe.

Nevertheless, the people prayed and offered sacrifices to the unnamed god. But a few specifically directed their prayers and gratitude toward Pluto.

In the days that followed, oracles were issued from the temples of Poseidon and Demeter, and mortals came to know the name of the goddess Charybdis.

"We offer this sacrifice to Lady Charybdis, daughter of Lord Poseidon."

"Please watch over us and bring us safely back to our families."

Sailors prepared high-quality offerings for her, and whenever they sailed through certain areas, they developed a custom of dropping food into the sea as a tribute to Charybdis.

From that time on, there were no more tales of monstrous sea creatures or ships disappearing without a trace.