Chapter 130: Chapter130-The Chosen One

"He has seen it."

Hades curled his lips into a satisfied smile, though to [Deception], it looked unsettlingly strange.

"Seen... seen what?"

"The death goddess Hera, the ruler of the Underworld in the Norse pantheon. Unfortunately, she's still just a little girl, not fully matured."

Hades seemed to be in a good mood and surprisingly willing to explain a few things to [Deception].

After all, to [Deception], the River of the Underworld was just an unending, dark river.

Indeed, John had seen it.

John's body continued to sink, his consciousness gradually fading.

His heart, which had been beating frantically, now slowed to an occasional spasm, each one barely keeping him alive.

Noticing the approaching presence of a living being, Hera looked up, her gaze meeting John's.

"Human..."

"Goddess..."

John finally fell.

Despite being at the end of his strength, he forced himself to stand and quietly looked at Hera.

She was bound by chains, kneeling on the ground, while he was barely clinging to life.

"What do I need to do to get her out of here?"

"Hera is bound by chaos chains, forged from metals found in the deepest abyss of the Underworld. To my knowledge, nothing can cut through them."

"So there's still a chance?"

"John! Calm down. If you keep going, you will surely die."

"You said the same thing before, that I would die if I jumped into the Underworld River. But look at me now... I'm not dead yet, am I?"

John grinned, stumbling towards Hera.

After enduring centuries of torment, Hera had long lost her divine demeanor, now a broken, almost insane figure.

But John had no time to dwell on that.

Either he pulled out the damned chains, or he became just another lost soul in the Underworld River.

"Good! A wise choice! His name is... John, isn't it? What an interesting human, no wonder he was chosen by her."

Hades laughed heartily, then suddenly stood up and, to [Deception]'s shock, leaped into the River of the Underworld.

In an instant, the river erupted in massive waves!

The water seemed to come alive, parting to create a path straight to Hera.

The torment that had been continuously eroding John's soul vanished, and even the cold began to subside.

Unfortunately, John's consciousness was too clouded to notice what was happening around him.

He was focused solely on pulling out that damned chain!

"But, I do have an intriguing proposition."

"Let's hear it."

"Accept my authority, become my chosen one, and gain a portion of the Underworld's power. This will protect you from the erosion. What do you think?"

Hearing this, John's eyes widened, and his foggy mind cleared. He stared at Hades in shock.

"You... you're serious?"

"Of course. I've observed this game long enough to find it interesting.

If they can send agents to assassinate you, I can also grant you power.

I don't care whether humanity survives or perishes, but you... you intrigue me.

If it's you, how far can you go? Accept my power, and I'll help you kill the dead dragon.

You won't be bound by any of my restrictions.

Face and change everything with your own ideas. What do you say?"

"...Deal!"

...

Mine Labyrinth, outskirts!

The mountain toad, almost fused with the entire mine, finally awoke, causing the ground to crack, the earth to shake, and the sky to change colors!

No one knew how long this monster had slept in Mine No. 3, but it seemed to have swallowed most of the mine.

But something strange was happening...

The mountain toad's originally large body began to swell, especially its belly, which inflated like a balloon several times over.

In the next moment, a green wisp emerged from the mountain toad's nostrils.

Then, a massive green tornado forcefully pried open the mountain toad's mouth, sweeping across the sky!

The astonishment didn't end there.

Through the gaps in the tornado, a colossal meteor could be seen tearing through the sky, plummeting rapidly!

"What in the world... is going on?"

The players, who were initially eager, lost their enthusiasm after witnessing this scene.

Whether it was the mountain-sized mountain toad, the all-encompassing tornado, or the falling star, it was evident that these were not challenges within their capabilities.

The apocalyptic scene made everyone hesitant to proceed.

Until the falling star crashed heavily onto the mountain toad, the explosion resonated, its deafening sound echoing across the entire Blazing Plains.

The mountain toad, shattered by the powerful impact, exploded into a mist of blood, staining the tornado with a gruesome red hue!

"Finally!"

"We did it..."

Elaria hugged the unconscious Lily, a glimmer of joy in her eyes.

They had succeeded in escaping from the mountain toad's stomach.