(Greek Mythology) The Abyss of the Underworld
Chapter Thirty-Five
Meeting Iapetus was the most regrettable thing Chris had ever done in both his lives, without a doubt.
Being transmigrated into the body of a god of growth who would be imprisoned in Tartarus, and a cross-dresser at that, was bad enough. The system that was supposed to be his cheat code had turned into a matchmaking system, and that was fine too. But why was this lunatic here now? Was God playing a joke on me?
"…You are the light in my darkness…"
When saying these words, Iapetus's eyes were full of affection, his tone sincere, and his expression perfect.
However…
"Can we stop reading from the book?" Chris said, utterly exasperated.
"Actually, you could have been a little moved." Tossing the book aside, Iapetus dropped his feigned affection, reverting to his usual nonchalant attitude.
"Sorry, I can't be moved." Chris replied expressionlessly.
"How unromantic! At least play along a little."
Chris rolled her eyes at Iapetus. "I just don't have your thick skin. You can't just spout lines from third-rate romance novels like that, so can you stop disgusting me and yourself with these things?"
What "light in the darkness"? If you want light, why don't you go find Hyperion? He's the sun god, definitely bright enough! Or Phoebe, the moon goddess, would do too. Isn't the moon the light in the darkness? Why bother with him?
"Besides, even if you can't think of anything yourself and have to consult books, at least modify it a little. Reading it verbatim from the book, word for word, makes you think you've completely lost your literary skills and memory, right?"
"Don't worry about such trivial things."
Chris sneered and remained silent.
Receiving no answer, Iapetus didn't care and continued, "Also, don't learn from Charon. He's so unpopular because he's too sarcastic."
"Yeah, you're popular." This was what Chris found most unfair. This guy was so obviously capricious and ruthless, yet he had so many admirers and a ton of girls throwing themselves at him. It didn't make sense.
"Because I have good character. They're all captivated by my lofty virtues."
"...Could you be any more shameless?" Even Chris, who knew Iapetus well, was shocked by this utterly shameless statement. He knew better than anyone else; this guy was incredibly ruthless. He put on a kind and gentle facade, but secretly he'd swindled countless people. And this was just for fun when he was bored. Lofty virtues? Chris thought it was the opposite of lofty virtues.
"Don't say that, His Majesty the King of Gods has praised me."
"You dare bring that up? Do you really want to be imprisoned in Tartarus?" The rising tone at the end fully revealed the speaker's anger.
As a die-hard figure in mythology, imprisoned in Tartarus for supporting Cronus, Cress genuinely wanted nothing to do with Cronus. Of course, he wasn't stupid enough to oppose Cronus during his reign, but he generally avoided contact whenever possible. With the ambitious Hyperion protecting him, unless something like the creation of humankind happened, Cronus would never notice him. But Iapetus, on the other hand, eagerly sought to curry favor with Cronus. Now everyone knew that Iapetus, the god of death, was a staunch supporter of His Majesty the King of Gods, and Cress was included in that list as well.
He genuinely didn't want to know how Iapetus had managed to get Cronus, whose paranoia and delusions were appalling, to trust him completely, even though it was highly improbable. He just wanted to know what he should do next.
"So why did you have to be so desperate and stay near Cronus?" Chris declared, convinced that Iapetus was definitely there to torment him, absolutely. He became incredibly irritable whenever Iapetus was around.
"Don't you think it's fun to give someone a glimmer of hope and then shatter it? Being betrayed and defeated by a trusted confidant at the moment of impending success—that experience must be incredibly thrilling." Death was nothing; Iapetus's goal was to suffer a fate worse than death.
"That's going too far," Chris thought silently, hoping Cronus wouldn't go insane from the psychological shock.
"And besides, who asked you that? Of course I know you're not really there to help Cronus, but couldn't you have used a method that kills a thousand enemies while harming eight hundred of your own, dragging both of you down with you?" "Can't you at least not drag others down with you if you're courting death?"
"How could I? You're the person I love most, of course I wouldn't forget to include you." Iapetus's voice was gentle as if it could melt water, but his eyes held an undeniable, destructive madness.
What he wants, he must have; if he can't have it, he'll destroy it. He wants to keep people by his side while they're alive, and when he dies, he wants to drag his lover down with him—typical insane logic.
Chris, the unlucky guy targeted by this lunatic, just chuckled. Could he really stab this guy to death?
#The Tragic Consequences of Being Loved by a Lunatic#
#What Can Save Your Morals, My Lunatic Lover#
#Take Your Medicine If You're Sick, Don't Give Up on Treatment#
Chris sighed helplessly, then rubbed his temples as if in a headache and turned to leave. Fine, do whatever you want. He wouldn't ask or care anymore; he wouldn't get anything out of them anyway, and he couldn't control them anyway.
Iapetus watched Chris leave, only turning his gaze away after a long while. He looked down at the vibrant, blood-red spider lily in his hand, his expression unchanged from usual, but his eyes lacked the warmth and feigned emotion he displayed when facing Chris; only indifference remained.
His fingers tightened, but unlike ordinary flowers that would break or deform under pressure, the spider lily crumbled into dust and vanished when the force reached a certain point.
In the abyss, Tartarus opened his eyes and sat up in bed, brushing aside a few strands of hair that obscured his vision. His pale, almost translucent hands appeared delicate against the dark sheets, and a flicker of displeasure crossed his blood-red eyes.
"Iapetus!" Tartarus's voice was laced with gritted teeth; naturally, no one would be in a good mood after being repeatedly awakened.
From their first meeting, Tartarus knew Iapetus was a walking source of trouble. That's why he so readily agreed not to hinder Iapetus's plans when he approached him. Having someone cause trouble for the sea realm and the gods he disliked without him lifting a finger, without involving the underworld, and even providing a spectacle—Tartarus was naturally happy. But he never expected it would backfire on him first.
The spider lilies used as one-time keys, though seemingly no different from ordinary spider lilies, were actually created by Tartarus using divine power. They couldn't grow or wither, remaining forever frozen in time at the moment of their creation. But Iapetus didn't mind; he transplanted a whole bunch back, tearing them apart for fun. This gave Tartarus a headache.
So, sometimes being too perceptive isn't good. If it were any other deity, the shattering of an object formed from their divine power would likely only elicit a faint sensation, easily overlooked. But Tartarus, even in his sleep, would be startled awake.
It's not that this perception couldn't be blocked, but Tartarus was unwilling to do so. Blocking the flowers individually would be troublesome, but blocking everything would diminish his control over Hell. After all, Hell was also constructed from his divine power, and Tartarus would never allow that to happen. His control was based on the premise that Hell was a manifestation of his power, meaning nothing that occurred there could escape his control. Caution was an instinct ingrained in his bones; only by having everything under his control could he feel at ease.
So, being woken up was his own fault, right?
Chapter 35