Translator-Sama - Chapter 54: Queen of the Underworld, Persephone
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Who could have guessed that a tiny golden trident hidden beneath Poseidon's statue would grant Kratos the power of Poseidon's Rage and further amplify Axis's own mastery over it? After absorbing the divine energy, the golden relic dissolved into motes of light.
Simultaneously, Poseidon's voice echoed directly into Axis's mind.
"My dear son-in-law, consider this a small gift for you and your friend. I hope you put it to good use. I know you are keeping secrets from me, but that matters little. You will soon realize that I am your greatest ally. A word of advice: if you intend to save the Queen of the Underworld, or claim the beauty for yourself, heed my warning. Under no circumstances can you allow Zeus to lay eyes on her."
Axis winced internally. None of the Greek gods were simpletons, and the Sea God was incredibly calculating. It made sense. Poseidon didn't become one of the three God Kings by being naive; his authority was second only to Zeus.
"This is the magic of Poseidon, Axis. It is incredibly potent," Kratos noted.
"You're right, Kratos. Let's move. It's time to rescue the Sun God," Axis agreed.
It was time to strike back. Kratos was eager to teach the ferryman a brutal lesson. Armed with his awakened divine strength and the God of the Sea's magic, the duo retraced their steps unhindered and quickly arrived back at the River Styx.
Charon tolled the massive bell and soon rowed his towering galley toward them.
"You escaped the abyssal prison just to die by my hand again?" Charon hissed.
"Your chains cannot hold me. You will not catch me off guard a second time, Charon," Kratos growled.
The Gauntlet of Zeus crackled with divine energy on Kratos's arm. Seeing the artifact, Charon finally realized the Spartan was no mere mortal. The surging divine power and the unmistakable aura of the God King revealed Kratos's true heritage.
"The gods have never shown mercy to their slaves. We are both wretched creatures, Kratos. You are just like me. No... I am even more pathetic than you," Charon muttered, a deep despair creeping into his voice.
The ferryman finally understood. Zeus had never intended for him to test Kratos. Charon was merely a stepping stone. The King of the Gods had orchestrated his death from the very beginning. His only remaining purpose was to fulfill Zeus's design and die at the Spartan's hands. He was just a sacrificial pawn in the grand saga of Zeus's bastard son.
"You underestimate me. I will not hold back this time. I will tear you to pieces," Kratos snarled, completely oblivious to the ferryman's existential despair.
Charon offered no reply. He simply laughed bitterly, raised his massive scythe, and launched a suicidal, frenzied assault on Kratos.
The sheer force of their clash forced Axis to retreat to a safe distance. Charon unleashed his full, terrifying power. However, it was futile. Facing a demigod wielding the Gauntlet of Zeus, the ferryman could barely hold his ground.
Battered and bleeding, Charon was completely outmatched. Every blow from the Gauntlet inflicted agonizing pain, driving Zeus's divine wrath deep into his bones. Desperate, Charon retreated to the bow and summoned three horrific orbs of necrotic energy. Kratos simply raised the Sun Shield, perfectly deflecting the volley right back at the ferryman.
Charon's magic was useless, while every strike from Kratos was lethal. After a brief exchange, Kratos knocked Charon to the deck, ripped the scythe from his grasp, and sliced the ferryman cleanly in half.
Reduced to a mutilated torso, Charon continued his frenzied attack, cackling wildly without a shred of hesitation. It was a pointless struggle. Kratos relentlessly pummeled Charon until the ferryman's skull shattered into bone fragments and gore. Charon died exactly as Zeus had planned.
"I am finally free," Charon whispered with his dying breath.
Upon his death, Charon's scythe dissolved into a sphere of dark green light and merged into Kratos. The Spartan had claimed Charon's Wrath.
"Let's go, Kratos. He was just a slave," Axis said, clapping the Spartan on the shoulder. The ferryman was a tragic pawn. Even knowing his predetermined fate, he hadn't dared to speak it aloud.
"Did he say that himself, Axis?" Kratos asked.
"Just keep moving," Axis deflected. 'One day,' Axis vowed silently, 'I will stop being a piece on the board and become the player.'
They sailed the rest of the way in silence. Kratos steered Charon's galley across the blood-red waters of the Styx, slowly approaching the Temple of Persephone.
They met no further resistance. As they disembarked, Kratos heard the familiar melody once more. A young girl in a white dress stood on the distant shore, playing a wooden flute. She paused and waved at him.
"Calliope! Wait! Wait for me!" Kratos sprinted recklessly toward the phantom in white. She was the only source of warmth and goodness left in his life.
Axis followed closely behind. They burst into a magnificent grand hall. Unlike the bleak Underworld outside, this sanctuary was a vibrant paradise. It was trapped in eternal spring, overflowing with blooming flowers, lush fruit trees, and playful nymphs.
In the center of the hall, a breathtaking woman sat with her back to them. She wore a sheer black robe that left her flawless, snow-white back exposed. Barefoot and radiating an aura of sheer elegance and nobility, her charm was absolutely intoxicating.
Axis stared in awe. Even at a glance, he knew her beauty and grace eclipsed Athena's. The Goddess of Spring truly lived up to her title. It was no wonder Hades had resorted to kidnapping her.
"Calliope! Calliope!" Kratos roared, charging blindly into the sanctuary. "Where is my daughter, witch?!"
Despite standing before the most beautiful entity he had ever seen, Kratos had no hesitation in spitting out the insult.
The woman turned around, her stunning face twisted in fury.
"Show some respect, Spartan," Persephone snapped.
'Witch?' she thought indignantly. 'I am more beautiful than Aphrodite herself!'
Who could have guessed that a tiny golden trident hidden beneath Poseidon's statue would grant Kratos the power of Poseidon's Rage and further amplify Axis's own mastery over it? After absorbing the divine energy, the golden relic dissolved into motes of light.
Simultaneously, Poseidon's voice echoed directly into Axis's mind.
"My dear son-in-law, consider this a small gift for you and your friend. I hope you put it to good use. I know you are keeping secrets from me, but that matters little. You will soon realize that I am your greatest ally. A word of advice: if you intend to save the Queen of the Underworld, or claim the beauty for yourself, heed my warning. Under no circumstances can you allow Zeus to lay eyes on her."
Axis winced internally. None of the Greek gods were simpletons, and the Sea God was incredibly calculating. It made sense. Poseidon didn't become one of the three God Kings by being naive; his authority was second only to Zeus.
"This is the magic of Poseidon, Axis. It is incredibly potent," Kratos noted.
"You're right, Kratos. Let's move. It's time to rescue the Sun God," Axis agreed.
It was time to strike back. Kratos was eager to teach the ferryman a brutal lesson. Armed with his awakened divine strength and the God of the Sea's magic, the duo retraced their steps unhindered and quickly arrived back at the River Styx.
Charon tolled the massive bell and soon rowed his towering galley toward them.
"You escaped the abyssal prison just to die by my hand again?" Charon hissed.
"Your chains cannot hold me. You will not catch me off guard a second time, Charon," Kratos growled.
The Gauntlet of Zeus crackled with divine energy on Kratos's arm. Seeing the artifact, Charon finally realized the Spartan was no mere mortal. The surging divine power and the unmistakable aura of the God King revealed Kratos's true heritage.
"The gods have never shown mercy to their slaves. We are both wretched creatures, Kratos. You are just like me. No... I am even more pathetic than you," Charon muttered, a deep despair creeping into his voice.
The ferryman finally understood. Zeus had never intended for him to test Kratos. Charon was merely a stepping stone. The King of the Gods had orchestrated his death from the very beginning. His only remaining purpose was to fulfill Zeus's design and die at the Spartan's hands. He was just a sacrificial pawn in the grand saga of Zeus's bastard son.
"You underestimate me. I will not hold back this time. I will tear you to pieces," Kratos snarled, completely oblivious to the ferryman's existential despair.
Charon offered no reply. He simply laughed bitterly, raised his massive scythe, and launched a suicidal, frenzied assault on Kratos.
The sheer force of their clash forced Axis to retreat to a safe distance. Charon unleashed his full, terrifying power. However, it was futile. Facing a demigod wielding the Gauntlet of Zeus, the ferryman could barely hold his ground.
Battered and bleeding, Charon was completely outmatched. Every blow from the Gauntlet inflicted agonizing pain, driving Zeus's divine wrath deep into his bones. Desperate, Charon retreated to the bow and summoned three horrific orbs of necrotic energy. Kratos simply raised the Sun Shield, perfectly deflecting the volley right back at the ferryman.
Charon's magic was useless, while every strike from Kratos was lethal. After a brief exchange, Kratos knocked Charon to the deck, ripped the scythe from his grasp, and sliced the ferryman cleanly in half.
Reduced to a mutilated torso, Charon continued his frenzied attack, cackling wildly without a shred of hesitation. It was a pointless struggle. Kratos relentlessly pummeled Charon until the ferryman's skull shattered into bone fragments and gore. Charon died exactly as Zeus had planned.
"I am finally free," Charon whispered with his dying breath.
Upon his death, Charon's scythe dissolved into a sphere of dark green light and merged into Kratos. The Spartan had claimed Charon's Wrath.
"Let's go, Kratos. He was just a slave," Axis said, clapping the Spartan on the shoulder. The ferryman was a tragic pawn. Even knowing his predetermined fate, he hadn't dared to speak it aloud.
"Did he say that himself, Axis?" Kratos asked.
"Just keep moving," Axis deflected. 'One day,' Axis vowed silently, 'I will stop being a piece on the board and become the player.'
They sailed the rest of the way in silence. Kratos steered Charon's galley across the blood-red waters of the Styx, slowly approaching the Temple of Persephone.
They met no further resistance. As they disembarked, Kratos heard the familiar melody once more. A young girl in a white dress stood on the distant shore, playing a wooden flute. She paused and waved at him.
"Calliope! Wait! Wait for me!" Kratos sprinted recklessly toward the phantom in white. She was the only source of warmth and goodness left in his life.
Axis followed closely behind. They burst into a magnificent grand hall. Unlike the bleak Underworld outside, this sanctuary was a vibrant paradise. It was trapped in eternal spring, overflowing with blooming flowers, lush fruit trees, and playful nymphs.
In the center of the hall, a breathtaking woman sat with her back to them. She wore a sheer black robe that left her flawless, snow-white back exposed. Barefoot and radiating an aura of sheer elegance and nobility, her charm was absolutely intoxicating.
Axis stared in awe. Even at a glance, he knew her beauty and grace eclipsed Athena's. The Goddess of Spring truly lived up to her title. It was no wonder Hades had resorted to kidnapping her.
"Calliope! Calliope!" Kratos roared, charging blindly into the sanctuary. "Where is my daughter, witch?!"
Despite standing before the most beautiful entity he had ever seen, Kratos had no hesitation in spitting out the insult.
The woman turned around, her stunning face twisted in fury.
"Show some respect, Spartan," Persephone snapped.
'Witch?' she thought indignantly. 'I am more beautiful than Aphrodite herself!'
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