ranker-who-lives-twice-05122221
chapter-384

“Are you serious…?!” Poseidon was the first to collect his wits. His face had not only turned red, but he was trembling in rage from head to toe. He had been trying to keep his composure since he was in Hades’ territory, but he had reached the end of his patience.

Of course, Hades wasn’t one to care. “Don’t shout, Poseidon. No one here is deaf.” Hades’ smile deepened. “Didn’t you say he’s a mere mortal? How ironic. Since you’ve been bested by that mere mortal several times, what does it make you? A loser? Idiot? Something along those lines?”

“Don’t mock me!”

“Mock? If speaking the truth is mocking you, I’ll do it to no end.” Hades dropped his right hand from under his chin and straightened his back. “The same goes for the rest of you.” His eyes swept over the rest of the gods, which included Hestia, Hera, Demeter, and their subdeities.

“Because the past is not simply the past.” Hera shot up from her seat to defend their position. As Zeus’ wife and the queen of Olympus, she had the right to speak as much as the three brothers, since she had been ruling over Olympus in their stead.

“Then what is it?”

“It was our identity. One that allowed simple shepherds like us to sit on the thrones of Olympus.”

After Kronos had been brought down, the Black King was trapped in the Void, stripped of his power. Not long after, they managed to gain Olympus. But if the Black King rose once more, it would mean that the ember that they believed had already died would ignite again.

It was a root that needed to be pulled up before it could grow. However, Hades snorted as though they were being unreasonable. “We are stronger now and rule over more superior domains compared to the time of the war. We have the throne and our influence. Even if Kronos were resurrected because of the Black King’s return, he would have little of his previous power. They won’t be able to break down the stronghold we built, will they?”

Hera pressed her lips together. Technically, Hades was right. They had brought the Black King down at a time before the Tower’s system had established its current structure. It had been a turbulent time with many fights, and those who occupied the throne changed from one day to the next.

After the system was established and eons passed, the heavenly world became steady, and a few gods and demons remained part of the system, expanding the influence of the Tower.

The Tower grew larger in scale and accepted new players every day. The gods and demons grew in direct proportion to this.

The Black King was a great being of the past who existed at the beginning of the universe, ruling over darkness, death, and chaos—which was why the gods of Olympus feared him. But now that the order of the universe had been settled, Hades believed that Olympus no longer had any reason to fear him.

“Perhaps we could bring the Black King back as an ally against that cowardly Gaia.” Hades’ words made an odd light shine in the eyes of Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, and Athena—the younger generation. Unlike the old-fashioned older generation, it was clear they believed the Black King was necessary.

“So that it won’t just be a bunch of fools from Olympus,” Hades muttered to himself. Then, he asked Poisedon another question. “Or perhaps you don’t have the confidence to defend the throne you’re sitting on? Is your position that low?”

“You…!”

“Of course, I don’t think any of you will change your minds just because of my words.”

Gods were self-righteous and narrow-minded; they continued on the path they believed was right. Hades observed that even though they had brought Kronos down, they were behaving just like Kronos had in the first place. It was part of the reason why Hades had volunteered to descend to Tartarus in the past; he didn’t want to be associated with such fools. “I will also move forward with my decision. Once that child sheds his skin and actualizes the Black King, I shall promote him to this position, so stop with your complaining.”

The position Hades occupied was essentially the Black King’s, and it seemed fair to return it to its original owner. Poseidon could only glare at Hades, realizing that he couldn’t convince him. “Do you think that bastard will gain divine power?”

“Why not?”

Hades recalled the wing of death and the wing of fight that Yeon-woo had used in the war. Death originated from the Black King, but fighting didn’t. It was entirely the child’s possession. His accomplishments were already being recorded in history, and when he received the chance, it wouldn’t take much for them to be turned into legends.

“It’s something that hasn’t occurred in thousands of years, ever since the Tower was erected. Even Allforone couldn’t gain a divine level, but you’re saying that bastard will? Nonsense!”

“That’s not the entire truth, and you know it. Allforone hasn’t become a divine being out of his own choice, and even if there were dozens of you, you wouldn’t be able to defeat Allforone.” Poseidon clenched his fists at the additional humiliation he received from his brother. His veins pulsed as if they would explode any minute, and he was holding back with preternatural effort.

Regardless, Hades continued to ruffle Poseidon’s feathers as if it didn’t matter to him whether Poseidon became angry or not. “The same goes for the other players. Have you taken a proper look at the lower world? There are over ten players who are ready to ascend to a divine level and shed their skins. A few of them are powerful enough to become higher divine beings, but they haven’t been able to accomplish it. Do you know why?”

It was related to what Yeon-woo had been curious about: why were the generals of Dis Pluto at the same level as—or even below—the Nine Kings even though they were divine beings? Why did Astraeus die?

The answer was simple: “Allforone has completely cut off the heavenly world from the lower world, forcing the system’s functions to pause. There is no way players that are bound to it can become divine beings.”

No one could speak at first.

“Does that mean you believe if that child