King of Underworld-Chapter 181

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"Oh my, Olympus is filled with such beautiful flowers tonight."

"It’s a shame Athena isn’t here. She’s quite... haha."

"Wow! Me too, I...!"

"Who’s shoving—? Hades, my lord?"

Shoving aside the male gods who were drooling as they admired the goddesses, I scanned the room.

There was Aphrodite, wearing a colorful outfit and dancing provocatively, seemingly competing with Hestia, who was equally energetic. Even Dike, whom I had granted some time off, was there, along with Selene, the goddess of the moon, and Eos, the goddess of dawn.

But Melinoe was nowhere to be seen. Where could she have gone?

"Oh? Hades?"

My eyes met Aphrodite’s, and I walked over to her.

"Have you seen my daughter?"

"The goddess of nightmares? Hmm... Perhaps if you spent a little time with me, I might feel inclined to tell you," she teased, flashing a provocative smile as she extended her hand toward me.

Behind me, I could almost hear the jealous grumbles of male gods.

A married man with children, and yet she says this to me? If she wants to dance, she should go find Ares.

Sigh. "Never mind. Hestia, have you seen Melinoe? She’s run away again, and I’ve come to Olympus to find her."

"Oh? Oh! She was here at the banquet hall earlier with Morpheus, but they left for the mortal realm. I’m not sure where exactly..."

"Eek! Why would you say that out loud, Hestia? Really!"

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"What? Everyone already knows you’ve been with twenty different people—"

"Shut up! Don’t you dare spread that here!"

"Why not? It’s not like anyone doesn’t already know about your behavior!"

The two goddesses immediately stopped dancing and began bickering.

Whether they were close friends or rivals, I wasn’t sure, but I ignored them and continued to search the area.

If Hestia was correct, Melinoe was now somewhere in the mortal realm.

But without knowing her exact location, searching the vast mortal world was nearly impossible.

In situations like this, there was only one option...

"Pan."

"Y-Yes?! Lord Hades! It’s been so long!"

The god of nature was my best bet to find her.

After explaining the situation to Pan in detail, I awaited his response.

His reaction, however, was a bit ambiguous.

"Hmm... That would’ve been easy in the old days. But these days, it’s a bit tricky, you see."

"Why?"

"Back then, I could summon the entire forest to search, but now, with all the attention humans pay to the world around them, it’s not so simple. At most, I can rely on plants or small animals that can move discreetly."

Ah, of course. Times have changed.

In the age of mythology, animals moving in unison might have been seen as divine intervention.

But in this era, where the existence of gods is doubted, such an event would cause an uproar.

If I were to issue a divine oracle now, the mortal world might respond like this:

Breaking News: Reports are flooding in of a voice claiming to be the god Hades speaking directly into people’s minds...The government expresses concern over potential religious conflict...We bring you the shocking revelation that Greek mythology might be real. Faith in Pluto, the god of wealth, is surging...A rise in suicides nationwide is being attributed to the appearance of a man claiming to be the King of the Underworld...

Hmm. Hardly an ideal outcome.

While my faith remains widespread among mortals, directly intervening with an oracle or manifesting myself would cause chaos.

Even the divine powers mortals perceive as supernatural must now be used sparingly.

The world today is different from the past.

Gone are the days when honor, fame, devotion to the gods, or love for one’s neighbors were considered virtues. Hospitality is nearly forgotten, and the belief that sins would be punished by the gods or atoned for in the Underworld has all but vanished.

This is an age ruled entirely by material wealth. If the god of wealth were to appear, their reaction would be all too predictable.

"...Then search for her discreetly, drawing as little attention as possible."

"Understood, but don’t expect too much, my lord."

"Very well."

I watched as Pan closed his eyes and drew upon his divine power.

His attire caught my attention: overalls, a round hat, and black shoes. Even the god of nature couldn’t resist modern trends.

After some time, Pan’s eyes shot open, and he exclaimed,

"I found her! She’s in a country called South Korea, in the mortal realm, with Lord Morpheus!"

"Tell me exactly where she is."

"I’ll assign a divine beast to deliver my instructions to you. It will guide you there..."

It seems I’ll have to bring her back immediately.

Nightmares, as much as mortals despise them, are still a part of the world.

She’s old enough to know better—running off with Morpheus, of all people!

Whisper, whisper.

"Hey, what’s that on his shoulder?"

"A bird? Maybe a pet eagle?"

"But are eagles normally that big? Is it some kind of mutated species?"

"Maybe it’s an exotic bird from another country? That guy looks foreign."

Not bothering to conceal myself with divine power, I stepped into the mortal realm, drawing some attention.

I had planned to disguise myself as a human and explore the world while searching for Melinoe, but perhaps the eagle-like divine beast perched on my shoulder was the problem.

Screeeech!

- The location Pan mentioned is that way, oh revered Hades!

"Whoa, whoa...!"

"Is it angry because we’re staring at it too much?"

"Better look away before it causes trouble."

This divine beast was attracting far more attention than I expected.

Even though it was speaking to me, mortals only heard the sharp cry of an agitated eagle, making it all the more conspicuous.

Ignoring the stares from all directions, I continued walking, only to be approached by a group handing out leaflets.

Specifically, one elderly man stepped forward to block my path.

I glanced at the banner they had set up nearby. Elysion Church?

A religion focused on reaching Elysium after death? What nonsense is this?

"Wait a moment, young man! Let me share some good news with you!"

"...?"

"Judging by the eagle on your shoulder, you must believe in Zeus, but that won’t do! You’ll end up in Tartarus!"

The fleeting joy of finding a mortal who still recognized the eagle as Zeus’ divine symbol was quickly overshadowed by irritation.

What utter nonsense was this old man spewing?

"If you don’t believe in Lord Hades, you’ll fall into Tartarus when you die! Throw that eagle away and start growing mint at home from today! You know, mint is—"

Screeeech!

- How dare this pitiful human! Do you even know who stands before you?!

The old man grabbed my hand, forcing a small potted mint plant into it.

But it didn’t end there.

"This costs just 200,000 won! Pay up, and you’ll be guaranteed a spot in Elysium after you die! Come on, hurry..."

"Are you aware of the sins you’re committing right now?"

"What?! You insolent brat! How dare you speak to me like that?"

"If you don’t want to end up in Tartarus after death, I suggest you stop these actions immediately."

The audacity. These people were claiming to be my followers? No, not even that—there wasn’t an ounce of faith emanating from them.

The stench of deceit was overpowering. It was clear they were exploiting gullible mortals, conning them into giving up their wealth under the guise of faith.

And they dared to use my name for it?

When they arrive in the Underworld... No, I’ll need to assign more work to Melinoe.

"You don’t have much time left in this life. I suppose I’ll be seeing you soon."

"You—! You insolent little..."

Screeeech!

- Lord Hades! Shall I rip the liver out of this insolent wretch for you?

Shrugging off the old man’s grip, I memorized the souls of these blasphemers who dared to sully my name.

Calming my divine beast, which had never before experienced such an insult, I resumed my search for Melinoe.

Humanity has indeed progressed remarkably. With a broader understanding of the world, their reverence for gods has naturally diminished.

After all, they now wield weapons as destructive as Zeus’ lightning and can travel to the heavens and beyond while still alive.

- We’ve arrived! Pan said the two are inside this building, oh revered one!

So, this is the place—where Morpheus and Melinoe are.

But why all the commotion?

"This way! Someone suddenly collapsed...!"

"Did someone call 911? Why would emergency services show up at a department store?"

People dressed in orange uniforms were carrying away a man who had fainted.

I could sense Melinoe’s power emanating from him. Did she cause trouble as soon as she stepped into the mortal realm?

"Oh... Oh! L-Lord Hades!"

"Gasp...! Father?!"

Found them. These troublemakers.