System: Daily login!!, jackpot on the first day!!!-Chapter 329 - - Tartarus

"... Alright, I can only take you this far, the rest is up to you"

Said Hades after dropping Taufik and Aksara on the edge of Chasm which is the initial entrance to Tartarus.

Taufik and Aksara stood at the edge of the Chasm, staring into the abyss below. A dark, swirling mist rose from the depths, carrying whispers that seemed to haunt their minds.

The entrance to Tartarus was no ordinary gateway, it was a challenge in itself.

Taufik turned to Hades, his eyes narrowing.

"Anything else we should know before we jump in?"

Hearing that, Hades smirked.

"Just this... Tartarus doesn't welcome visitors...The deeper you go, the less the rules of the outside world will apply. Your Concept power will be tested, Taufik... And for your son…"

Hades said, then glanced at the Aksara.

"Your existence alone will make you a target... You'll be seen not just as an intruder but far more than even your father"

Aksara tightened his grip on his ninjato. He gritted his teeth and then said.

"... I don't care. I came here for my Mother, and nothing's stopping me"

Hearing what his son said, Taufik chuckled.

"That's my son... Thank you for bringing us here Hades, I appreciate it"

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Taufik said, taking a step forward and looking down into the abyss. The darkness below almost felt familiar, like the Shadow World, but heavier, more ancient, and unfriendly.

'... Well~ Shadow Wolrd was not that friendly too, but screw it!'

Then with a final nod to Hades, Taufik let himself fall forward. Aksara hesitated only for a second before following his Father's steps.

The descent was immediate and violent. The air was thick, pressing against them as they plummeted. They fell as if they were not in the air but as if they were falling into the depths of the sea.

Shadows twisted around them, and grotesque figures formed from the void, reaching out with clawed hands.

Taufik's Concept power flared to life, pushing back the encroaching darkness, but he could feel it resisting as if Tartarus itself was testing him. Meanwhile, Aksara swung his blade, cutting through the shadows that dared come too close.

Then, the void suddenly shifted.

A massive force yanked them sideways, slamming them into an unseen surface. Taufik gritted his teeth as he landed in a crouch, while Aksara rolled to his feet. They found themselves on a floating rock platform, surrounded by an endless chasm.

A deep, guttural voice echoed from the darkness.

"... You are not welcome here. Turn back or be devoured"

Hearing that voice, Taufik smirked. Then said.

"Yeah? Let's see who devours who"

A pair of massive, glowing red eyes appeared in the shadows, followed by an enormous clawed hand gripping the edge of the platform. A beast of pure darkness began to rise.

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- On the surface

After Taufik and Aksara plunged into Tartarus, Hades remained in his place and continued to observe the changes that occurred or will occur in the Chasm.

Not long after that, a three-headed hound wreathed in shadow and flame approached Hades. His obsidian fur shimmers with ember-like cracks, and his molten-gold eyes burn with intelligence and fury.

Each jagged fang drips eerie, glowing ichor, while a mane of ethereal fire casts haunting shadows.

His every step scorches the earth, and his serpent-like tail writhes with a will of its own. A being both terrifying and regal, the very embodiment of the Underworld's might.

The creature was Cerberus himself, Hades' legendary pet three-headed dog.

But what is of concern is someone who is walking with Cerberus.

Someone with both beautiful and powerful, with flowing hair that shifts between black and gold. Her striking green-gold eyes hold the wisdom of life and death. She wears a gown of shadows and blooming flowers, with a crown of pomegranate blossoms. Graceful yet strong, she was the Queen of the Underworld, Hades' wife, Persephone

"... Husband, why don't you take them to the bottom of Tartarus? I'm sure with your authority, you can do it"

"..."

Responding to his wife's question, Hades was stunned for a moment, before taking a deep breath and looking at Persephone.

"... I can, but something happened down there that I don't know about... It's a creepy and malice kind of feeling. I'm not entirely sure yet, but it's most likely them... The enemy of all living beings..."

Now it was Persephone's turn to be stunned after hearing Hades' words, and with a stutter, Persephone said.

"... T-Them... Are you referring to-"

"Yes, Demon..."

Hades interrupted, and Persephone could only cover her mouth in shock and then speak again.

"B-But How is that possible? Didn't Mother Gaia sacrifice herself to seal the Earth so that Creatures like them couldn't enter Earth?"

"The seal has weakened thanks to Mother Gaia's condition, who is currently on the brink of extinction due to what Zeus did... They were able to re-enter Earth and chose Tartarus as their initial camp because the environment of Tartarus is very similar to the environment of the real Hell"

"N-No, Something like that..."

Persephone said but stopped when she remembered Taufik and Aksara who had entered Tartarus. She immediately showed a worried face.

"Then why did you let the two of them just enter Tartarus without telling them this?"

"Sooner or later, they, especially Taufik will face the Demon... You must have felt it too; there is something special about that person, Something that even we, Gods, don't know about..."

Hades said with a mysterious tone, looking towards the depths of Tartarus with an unreadable gaze. Then continued.

"... I am not cruel; I let him enter Tartarus without telling them this in the first hand because I want to see that person's conviction... The Demon's strongest weapon is not their strength but their incitement... They can turn even the most upright person into an enemy of the whole world... I want to see if he can resist the incitement and stick to his guns... If he succeeds then that will be great, but if he fails, then..."

Hades turned his gaze from the depths of Tartarus to look at Persephone's face with a serious look.

"Then, We must prepare to face a threat worse than the destruction of the World... It's a dangerous gamble but I choose to believe in that person"

"... Why do you trust that person so much? Putting aside the fact that he is Mother Gaia's partner, isn't he Olympus' enemy?"

Hearing his beloved wife's words, Hades smiled, which was an unusual thing, which made even Persephone confused, and Cerberus growled uncomfortably.

"... Enemy? If he sees us as Enemies, believe me, Olympus no longer exists in this world, we can survive this far only because of the relationship that Mother Gaia has with us... Only a fool would make an enemy of someone who even defies the will of Fate and can still survive So far, Only a Fool would do that"

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- Back to Taufik.

"... Are you okay, Aksa? Are you still able to continue?"

Aksara wiped the blood from his face, his breathing heavy but steady.

His grip on his ninjato was firm, but his arms ached from the relentless battle.

After Taufik easily defeated the Beast of Pure Darkness that first greeted them, these Erinyes swarmed toward them, attacking them like mindless creatures.

"I'm fine..."

Aksara said though exhaustion tugged at his voice.

"These things... they don't stop coming"

Taufik smirked, glancing at the Erinyes's corpses sprawled across the battlefield. Their bodies twitched even in death, dark ichor seeping into the stone. He crouched beside one, inspecting its lifeless form.

"They're persistent, I'll give them that... But you handled them well... Good job"

Said Taufik, giving praise to Aksara.

Aksara sheathed his ninjato and exhaled.

"They called me an 'abomination' before they attacked"

Aksara said, his voice laced with frustration.

"Why? What do they see me as?"

Taufik's gaze darkened. He stood up and placed a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Because you're different, My son... Tartarus isn't just rejecting you, It fears you. You're something outside its rules, something that was born naturally, unlike most of them who are the same as you... They are imperfect creations, that's why most of them look ugly and scary... And that makes you dangerous because you're the Unknown"

# A/N - "(FYI) According to Hesiod's Theogony, the Erinyes were born from drops of blood that dripped onto Earth (Gaia) when Cronus castrated his father, Uranus"

Aksara clenched his fists. Said.

"... Good. Let them be afraid"

Seeing this, Taufik could only smile, remove his hand from his son's shoulder, and then look at the bodies of the Erinyes.

"... But there is something strange about these Erinyes, something seems to be controlling them... No, maybe influencing their minds"

"Hades! Is he planning to-"

"No, it's not as simple as that, it's something more, something-"

Before Taufik could say further, the air around them shifted. A deep, oppressive presence settled over the battlefield.

Then from the abyss, a towering figure emerged, a woman clad in blackened armor, her wings charred and broken, yet her aura burned with relentless fury.

Her eyes glowed like embers in a dying fire, and chains of divine origin rattled around her wrists.

"... What is that? A fallen goddess?"

Taufik murmured, narrowing his eyes and observing this newly emerged figure.

The woman raised her hand, and the battlefield trembled. The Erinyes corpses twitched violently, then rose, their wounds closed with unnatural speed.

"... You do not belong here"

The said, her voice echoing as if multiple beings spoke through her.

"Leave!"

Aksara stepped forward, his Ninjato gleaming from SwordMagic technique. Declared.

"We're not leaving, Not until we find my Mother"

The fallen goddess smiled, a cruel, knowing smile. Her beautiful face suddenly turned scary.

"... Then die!"

After that, The battlefield erupted into chaos once more.

....

...

..

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