King of Underworld

Chapter 48

The Tragedy of Oedipus - (3)

“I will burn down the temple of Hades next! All of you, follow me!”

The soldiers couldn’t believe their ears. Was the king really planning to destroy the temple of Hades after already burning down the temple of Dionysus?

Dionysus was one of the Twelve Olympian gods, the god of madness. Years ago, when King Pentheus of Thebes defied Dionysus, he met a horrific death. Some people sympathized with King Pentheus and bore a grudge against the god of madness.

King Pentheus had merely imprisoned the worshipers who caused disorder while drunk, but in return, he was stoned to death by his own mad family.

In Thebes, the name of Dionysus was spoken with a mix of fear, reverence, and resentment. He was a merciless god who could kill a king and spread the madness of wine just for offending him.

“But Lord Pluto...” “It was one thing to burn down the temple of Dionysus, but...” “Should we flee?”

However, the name of Hades (Pluto) carried a different meaning in Thebes.

He was the god of the underworld, wealth, and mercy. He granted the living blessings of wealth and mint leaves to mask the stench of decay, and there were even rumors that he had descended into a priest’s body to save them from a monster.

The fear associated with Hades was unlike that of Dionysus—it was a more primal fear of punishment after death. As the ruler of the underworld, often called the Zeus of the underground, he commanded immense authority and power.

“If we burn down Pluto’s temple... we’ll end up in Tartarus after we die...” “This is no different from destroying Zeus’s temple...” “Is King Oedipus not afraid of death?”

“What are you waiting for? Follow me quickly!”

King Oedipus, wielding his sword, threatened the soldiers. But unlike before, they could not move.

Even though Pluto was known as a god of mercy, if his temple were attacked, he would not merely forgive such an offense—no god would. The soldiers all imagined the terrifying punishments he could inflict.

“Your Majesty! Please withdraw your command! This is like stirring up a hornet’s nest!” “The temple of Pluto contains the statues of other gods as well!”

Indeed, Pluto’s temple housed statues of other gods, including Thanatos, the god of death, Lethe, the goddess of forgetfulness, and even the Furies, goddesses of vengeance whose names people feared to speak.

The soldiers begged Oedipus to retract his order, but all they received was the crazed king’s wrath.

“Hmph! Even if Hades himself descends, he’ll flee to the underworld after meeting my sword! Move now! If you don’t obey, I’ll cut you all down!”

“If you don’t obey, I’ll cut you all down!”

Mad King Oedipus attempted to force the soldiers into action with sheer power. He believed that by killing the general and slaying the divine beast, his display of strength would compel everyone to follow him.

But...

“If we touch Pluto’s temple, aren’t we dead anyway?” “No, we might suffer eternal torment even after death.” “Damn it... in that case, we might as well...”

Even if they feared the sword in front of them, nothing could be more terrifying than the god of the underworld. Eternal suffering after death was a punishment worse than death itself.

The soldiers’ gazes toward Oedipus began to fill with resentment, anger, and murderous intent. Even if Oedipus had the strength of a hero, perhaps they could still overpower him if they all attacked together.

Noticing their rebellious looks, Oedipus turned and laughed maniacally.

“Oh... you dare to defy your king’s orders?”

“Hades! Didn’t you tell me to inform you if people started dying under strange circumstances?” “Yes, I did. Have the Gigantes attacked a city?” Could it be that they’ve finally made their move? Where did the attack occur? Athens? Delphi?

“There’s a madman in Thebes slaughtering people. The death toll is already in the dozens.” “A human, causing such a massacre in the city?”

Just as I was puzzled by the news of a human, rather than the expected Gigantes, wreaking havoc, Lethe, the goddess of forgetfulness, rushed in, her long silver hair flowing behind her.

“Hades! The king of Thebes is killing everyone! But my powers don’t seem to work on him...?” “You mean your power of forgetfulness doesn’t work?”

Even without descending to the mortal world or using my full power, Lethe’s powers should have caused most humans to lose their memories.

“There must be some divine blessing or curse at play. Or perhaps a special bloodline...” “Could it be the influence of Dionysus, driving him mad?” “I don’t think so. I’ll take a look at the mortal world.”

Even though Dionysus is the god of madness, he doesn’t usually drive people to massacre others. Especially not in a city like Thebes, where both my temple and Dionysus’s followers are numerous.

I temporarily shifted my consciousness to the mortal world. By borrowing the eyes and ears of a follower, I could observe the mortal realm without needing a direct prayer from a priest.

There, I saw a madman wielding a sword, slaughtering people.

“God of mercy... please help us.” “King Oedipus has gone mad. Please...” “Lord Pluto... the streets are filled with corpses and blood...”

The followers praying to me trembled with fear. Some even believed that this was a punishment from the Olympian gods.

And that madman was...

“Ha ha ha!! Die!!”

With blood-red eyes, an expression twisted with madness, and a maniacal laugh echoing through the air, Oedipus was no longer the wise king who had once saved Thebes. The power of the earth goddess Gaia had driven him to insanity, causing him to slaughter countless people. It was clear that this was Gaia's curse, intended to wreak havoc in Thebes, where both my temple and Dionysus’s temple stood.

“Ordinary mortals won’t be able to stop him. Thanatos, I’ll bring that human to the underworld myself. Please summon the goddess Mnemosyne.”

“You’re going yourself? The lord of the underworld doesn’t need to bother. I have followers praying to me, so...”

“I know you planned to take a break like you did when you dealt with Sisyphus.”

“W-Well... Ahem...”

I cut off Thanatos before he could make an excuse and closed my eyes. The best vessel to descend into was the body of a priestess who had already accepted me once before.

'My priestess, Penedeye.'

“Yes...! Your servant, Penedeye, is ready to receive your command.”

'I need to borrow your body for a short time, as I did before.'

“It is an honor...! Lord Hades!”

A poor soul ensnared by Gaia’s curse... A swift death would be a mercy for him.

With those thoughts, I began to descend into the mortal realm, taking control of Penedeye’s body. As I did, the consciousness of the priestess was pushed to the background, allowing me to fully take charge.

Now, it was time to deal with Oedipus and bring an end to his tragic, cursed life.