Tartarus / Zeus's Sincerity...

The earth began to tremble, and a warship burst from the ground, rushing towards Mount Olympus. Clearly, the Earth Mother Goddess, who had maintained a neutral stance, had finally made her move.

Kronos's brutal "Suck-Suck Fun" behavior touched a nerve with her, otherwise she would never have suddenly attacked at this moment, but this is not the time to investigate further.

Upon seeing the arrival of the Earth Mother Goddess, Fujimaru Kyoya stopped trying to hold on and immediately left with Zeus and the others, as the warship crashed into the mountain and created a deafening roar.

The battleships that could originally traverse the Universe and the Gundam body of Kronos were all petrified, seemingly trapped in some kind of seal.

This was Gaia buying them time, but...

"Tartarus? Are you serious?"

Unlike Zeus and other newer generation Machine God, the location of Tartarus was a taboo subject for the older generation of Machine God.

It's almost like the mere mention of it triggers PTSD.

As for the other children Gaia mentioned, they were clearly the six Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires, who were sealed away in that terrifying place.

Chapter 288 Tartarus 91/165

The original so-called Greek Pantheon was nothing more than an interstellar fleet in the Universe. Although they had relationships like "parents and brothers," it would be better to call them colleagues.

Due to an unexpected event, the fleet was forced to land on Earth, and Earth's Counter Force was about to activate in order to eliminate these invaders. To avoid this situation, on the advice of Fujimaru Kyoya, they became gods.

Integrating into Earth meant a change for them; their former "parents and siblings" became terms for closer relatives, and they also began to worry about other things.

At that time Greek Pantheon was not only too small in number, but also had not yet adapted to the planet. Therefore, the first generation of King of Gods planned to expand their power by having the Earth Mother Goddess Gaia "give birth".

This method of childbirth was not about creating Gundams, but rather about creating something like a weapon— the Hecatoncheires and the Cyclopes.

Three sets of Transformable Exoskeleton Armor, and three powerful weapons.

These six items greatly increased its strength, and at the same time, it extensively modified the original abandoned fleet body, turning it into an extremely difficult cage to escape from, used to deal with those Machine God who disobeyed its orders.

"I will not go to that kind of place. If you still want to fight Kronos, then go by yourselves. I will absolutely not go."

After leaving these words Celestial God Koios, took his wife Phoebe with him. Clearly, they both understood the terror of Tartarus.

Even the first King of Gods who went inside was like Squirtle doing sit-ups—he couldn't turn over.

They wouldn't even dare mention such an unlucky place, let alone go there.

"I need to help you take care of those humans, I really can't spare the time."

Ocean God Okeanos, also hurriedly waved his hand, clearly suffering from some kind of PTSD related to Tartarus.

What kind of place is Tartarus?

Zeus looked at Fujimaru Kyoya with puzzlement; he truly found it hard to imagine that a god could be so afraid of a place.

"In short, it was a place without internet."

Fujimaru Kyoya answered casually, but in reality, it was not just that. If it were just a matter of losing internet access, that wouldn't be so terrible. What was terrible was the other aspects.

"Tartarus is a remnant of the original fleet, some unusable parts. They have no consciousness, so they cannot integrate into Earth like us. Therefore, under the correction of the Counter Force, they became an Abyss."

With Fujimaru Kyoya's explanation, Tartarus's true nature was revealed.

An "infinite" space formed by Space Folding Technology, whose true size even the Machine God do not know. The environment within is harsh and there is also electrical interference. The most direct impact on the Machine God is the loss of internet access.

"Unable to use any means of communication to learn about the outside world, and with even a single Machine God finding it difficult to break through the seal and escape, what awaits him is the torture called 'boredom'."

For those who live forever, "boredom" is probably the most unbearable poison.

This is why those gods without proper Divine Role eventually became people who sought entertainment; they were so bored that they had to find amusement, which led to this outcome.

"Most of the gods of Kronos' generation were thrown into Tartarus alone. Due to the different nature of the space, the flow of time inside was different from that outside. However, a day inside might be equivalent to several months, and the intensity of the torture undoubtedly increased dramatically."

This information was, of course, something Fujimaru Kyoya had heard from other gods. He himself had never been to Tartarus. After all, at that time, as the fleet's chief "diplomat," he was busy dealing with the identity issues of the Machine God with the Counter Force. Even if he had caused trouble back then, he wouldn't have been put in solitary confinement.

"Since it's such a dangerous place, does that mean Mother Goddess Gaia wants us to go there...?"

Hades is a handsome, dark-haired man with a cold demeanor. Compared to the more carefree Poseidon, he is more composed. He doesn't really want to go to such a dangerous place, at least not until he's sure it's his last resort.

"It might not be that dangerous, right?"

Although Zeus was the youngest of the six, as the one who saved his brothers, he still carried considerable weight among them, but unfortunately, this was nothing more than a bluff.

As the person present who was most familiar with Zeus, Fujimaru Kyoya could naturally see that Zeus was merely siding with Fujimaru Kyoya.

"It's not that dangerous. Although that place is isolated from the outside world and has a near-'infinite' space, that 'infinity' only applies to one person."

Fujimaru Kyoya understood that Gaia wouldn't risk offending Kronos by sending them to their deaths, and that Tartarus's interior wasn't actually that dangerous.

"Once multiple individuals enter, the so-called 'infinity' becomes impossible. As we become able to communicate, the possibility of dying of boredom decreases infinitely. As for breaking the Barrier that isolates the inside from the outside, the solution is to attack different directions with sufficient power, which can temporarily shatter it."

Before Kronos overthrew his father, the Greek Pantheon was in a state of constant fear. Although Fujimaru Kyoya was the least likely person to be thrown into it, he couldn't possibly be left unprepared.

Figuring out the internal workings of Tartarus was not difficult for him, given his "Insight Eye," and he naturally understood why such a place could only hold one person at a time.

Once the number of people increases, the place becomes nothing more than a prison, serving no other purpose.

"Then the only danger is the first King of Gods — Uranus."

The original King of Gods Uranus was so powerful that even Kronos, who had successfully rebelled, could not kill him. He could only seal him in Tartarus, where he wore armor made of three Hecatoncheires and wielded weapons made of three Cyclopes. He was undoubtedly a formidable foe.

"That happened hundreds of years ago. Considering the time flow, that guy is probably insane by now. This is our chance to defeat him."

Fujimaru Kyoya didn't know the exact flow of time within Tartarus, but he conservatively estimated that Uranus had been inside for ten thousand years.

Ten thousand years of "boredom" was enough to corrupt this King of Gods only developed emotions later in life.

Madness may grant him greater power, but it also creates greater weaknesses. The so-called battle is not simply a matter of adding or subtracting combat power, but about defeating the opponent first. From this perspective, Zeus and his party do indeed have a chance of winning.

Chapter 289 Zeus's Sincerity

[You can sense that the Gods, having just escaped Kronos, are reluctant to go to the dangerous place of Tartarus, but with Zeus's help, they eventually agree.]

[You watch Zeus trying so hard to appear dignified, acting like the big brother when he's clearly the younger brother—it's a little funny, but you also understand that the reason he's doing this isn't funny at all.]

[You summoned Zeus the night before you set off.]

"Honestly, I originally thought you would leave immediately after retrieving your original body, but I didn't expect you to actually go to Tartarus."

Fujimaru Kyoya handed Zeus a cup of wine, but perhaps because of the precedent set by Kronos, Zeus inexplicably developed some PTSD about the wine offered by Fujimaru Kyoya.

Zeus reluctantly set the wine aside, but he answered Fujimaru Kyoya's question readily.

"Actually, there's not much else we can go. After all, that's Kronos. If you hadn't been constantly interfering with him, we wouldn't have been able to hold out against him for so long."

Zeus once returned to his own body to free his brothers. At that time, he also sensed the power of Kronos. If that power to manipulate time had been released, they might have collapsed before Gaia could intervene.

"You can escape, if you're willing to give up."

Fujimaru Kyoya like a rigid teacher, pointing out a correct answer to his student.

"Abandon everything and flee to a distant land, join another pantheon, and gain the protection of some Goddess. That's something you can do, and then even Kronos won't be able to do anything to you."

When it comes to dealing with women, Fujimaru Kyoya is completely at ease with Zeus. This guy is a complete Assassin. If he were to join a Chief God of female deities, it wouldn't be difficult for him to rise to the ranks of immortals.

"If I leave, what will happen to you? What will happen to all the humans?"

"I'll die. I can't go far with those humans."

"Then forget it. I haven't forgotten the feeling of being weak, that feeling of being powerless. It would be better if there were less of that feeling. Besides, you also said that 'ruling by using fear is not a long-term solution'."

Zeus's nonchalance was real, but so was his talent; he remembered perfectly even the words that Fujimaru Kyoya had said only once.

[Can you be certain of Zeus's sincerity? Zeus, once a weakling, would not use power to inflict terror on humanity. His compassion also prevents him from watching humanity die. The "King of Gods Forging" talent level has increased.]

This answer was beyond Fujimaru Kyoya's expectations. Even if Zeus had told him that his previous appearance was all an act and that his true nature was that of a ruthless and powerful figure, it wouldn't have shocked Fujimaru Kyoya so much.

"Although I am not human, unlike other Machine God, I have always been able to act in human form. Rather than saying I am closer to Machine God, it would be more accurate to say I am closer to humans."

Due to his unique childhood circumstances, Zeus, unlike other Machine God, didn't simply view humans as "livestock." After all, if Zeus could have intercourse with livestock, that would be truly...

"You rascal, you're not thinking about something really rude, are you?"

Zeus, being a professional lesbian, immediately guessed Fujimaru Kyoya's thoughts. Even if he was controlled by his lower body to have sex with men, he wouldn't go so far as to have sex with animals.

"So Zeus, will you believe me?"

Fujimaru Kyoya looked at Zeus seriously. In his view, even if Tartarus and his party went smoothly, it was still not guaranteed that they could really defeat Kronos.

"If I didn't trust you, wouldn't I have run away before?"

"Then leave it to me. I will definitely help you defeat Kronos, but..."

Fujimaru Kyoya understood that people's hearts are fickle. This saying originally did not apply to the Machine God, but Zeus did grow up as a human. He was not simply Machine God, but a human who had mastered the power of Machine God.

"If one day you do the same thing as Kronos, then you will follow in Kronos' footsteps, and your children will overthrow your rule."

Fujimaru Kyoya made a "prophecy" here, or, to put it more maliciously, a "curse," which was an "insurance" that Fujimaru Kyoya placed on Zeus.

The statement itself contained no inherent power, but did the words Uranus left behind exert any power?

The essence of language is to make people believe. If the other party believes what you say, then your words have "power of words," which was perfectly reasonable in the Age of Gods.

If Zeus were to become corrupted in the future, this statement would be his death sentence.

"Brother, you're technically my teacher, isn't it okay for you to curse your own student like that?"

Zeus gave a wry smile, and Fujimaru Kyoya told him everything without reservation about why Kronos had become so obsessed and about the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy.

"I won't change. If I do change, then let your prophecy come true."

Zeus's answer was unusually decisive. If Fujimaru Kyoya's "curse" was something that only existed if you believed in it, then this time it had been acknowledged by Zeus, and it would become a reality.

This is Zeus's sincerity.

[You understand that with Zeus's agreement, the curse has come true. This is not only a warning you give to Zeus, but also a warning Zeus gives to himself.]

Fujimaru Kyoya understood that even if the future Zeus had truly changed, the current Zeus had still left a flaw for his future self who might change.

"Your future self may deeply regret the decisions you make today."

"It doesn't matter. Anyway, the regret will be borne by my future self. Right now, I'm 100% certain that the decision I'm making is absolutely correct."

Zeus's words were incredibly firm. He still possessed the vigor of youth. In Zeus's mind at this moment, if he were to become the kind of person he hated in the future and die because of this curse, it would be like popping champagne.

[You've gained a newfound respect for your student; he possesses a strong humanity, not just the basest aspects of human nature, but also its shining qualities.]

[You and Zeus had a rare long talk that lasted all night, during which you told Zeus about your plan to deal with Kronos —a strategy that required his complete trust to execute.]

The night passed quickly, and led by Fujimaru Kyoya, Zeus and his six brothers arrived outside Tartarus. Due to some degree of PTSD, only all seven of them could enter together this time.

Chapter 290 The First King of Gods

[You led Zeus and his entourage into Tartarus. Since Uranus is still wandering there, you cannot stray too far apart, but you can still expand your search area.]

[You've explained the characteristics of Tartarus. This place is actually a space similar to Möbius Strip, which is the essence of Tartarus's "infinite" property. If someone were to be deep inside this place, it would essentially be an endless cage.]

[You are walking through it with Zeus and his entourage. Even if you haven't strayed too far and can be considered a single entity, when two individuals appear within this Möbius Strip, the illusion of "infinity" will quickly be shattered.]

Fujimaru Kyoya and Zeus's group wandered around here for an unknown amount of time. Since there was no reference point to keep track of time, they quickly lost their sense of time. Fortunately, their large numbers prevented them from being easily consumed by boredom.

After all, this is an infinitely looping world. Whether Uranus stops, moves slowly, or moves quickly, as long as his speed is not consistent with that of Fujimaru Kyoya and his group, he will eventually be caught up by Fujimaru Kyoya, or he will catch up with Fujimaru Kyoya.

"Boom!"

That was the sound of the Mech Thruster. Something was hurtling towards them at high speed from behind. In that instant, everyone tensed up, because they all knew that there was only one other person here besides them— Uranus.

"Intruder detected. Enter annihilation mode."

It was a pure white mech with exoskeleton armor constructed in three different colors. It had countless turrets on its body, held a scepter in its left hand, a Trident in its right hand, and wore a jet-black helmet.

"Boom!"

The Drone Cannon attached to Uranus detached from his body and flew into the air, indiscriminately unleashing firepower on Fujimaru Kyoya and his group.

This is his territory; he won't allow anyone to set foot here.

This was its final command, engraved inside the mech.

"What's wrong with this Old Bastard? Has he completely gone mad?"

Zeus was overwhelmed by the firepower, and the group was scattered by the barrage. Fortunately, the damage over such a large area was not too high, so Fujimaru Kyoya and his group did not suffer too much harm.

At most, it'll just chip a little paint.