Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

Unexpectedly, the world-encircling giant serpent did not do anything to him, but was even willing to communicate. From the other's words, Hypnos learned some basic information about this place, such as the structure of the nine-layered world, the existence of demons, and the Lord of the Nine Hells who created it all.

In the end, the giant serpent gave him three choices: As an Outsider, the God of Sleep could not simply linger in someone else's domain. To work for them, work for the Lord of the Nine Hells, or be expelled from Hell to wander in the Abyss, Hypnos could only pick one out of these choices.

When faced with the choice, after little thought, Hypnos chose the first one.

Having lost the power of "Dream," the divine power of the God of Sleep could not compare to the past, and he also re-evaluated the gap between himself and the truly powerful beings. In this situation, rather than hoping that the Lord of the Nine Hells would be a more approachable entity, it seemed better to temporarily follow the orders of this fearsome giant serpent.

Moreover, it seemed the other did not have any extra constraints in mind for him, and until departure, the God of Sleep had only received one task.

To manage the third circle of Hell, alongside the lords of the first two levels to fend off the forthcoming Abyssal Demon Lord. If he performed well, the Ancient Serpent would truly make him the Archduke controlling the third circle of Hell, granting him the rights to appoint lesser lords.

"Third circle again, what a coincidence."

Shaking his head slightly, Hypnos released the lives from the Spirit Realm that were in the midst of forming bodies. Since he was here, he might as well settle down.

For now, it was impossible to return to the Mortal Realm, and besides, having done such a thing, the God of Sleep knew without thinking that even if he managed to leave the Abyss, his exposure would bring about relentless pursuit by the angels of the Spirit Realm.

By comparison, it would be better to rest and recuperate in Hell for a while, and in the meantime, experience what it was like to be a lord akin to a territorial god and see how much it could enhance him.

In deep thought, Hypnos stood on a desolate hill, quietly observing his future domain.

"Eh—Respected God of Sleep, it's been quite some time."

"However, what brings you here?"

Suddenly, a voice came from afar, and Hypnos swiftly turned around. Perhaps still unaccustomed to the environment of Hell, he hadn't noticed the approach of the newcomer before.

At a glance, he immediately recognized the newcomer.

"It's you!"

With eyes slightly narrowed, the God of Sleep locked onto this deceptive-looking young man with a smile. Not long ago, they had conspired together.

Even until the moment the other stole souls, Hypnos was fantasizing about how to deal with him afterwards, but he never thought they would end up in the same place.

With today's experiences, Hypnos vaguely understood why the other aimed for souls; Hell needed souls, and Mephisto had probably gone to the surface for this purpose.

There didn't seem to be any conflict between them, just mutual exploitation, yet vaguely, the God of Sleep always sensed that the other knew from the start that he was doomed to fail, but he did not expect him to also come to Hell.

Even putting that suspicion aside, in Hypnos's heart, there were still some thoughts he found inconvenient to express.

He and Mephisto had taken action one after the other, both treating each other as 'tools', yet the other had successfully completed his task, whereas he fell to his current state. No matter how he thought about it, the God of Sleep was not willing to see him at this time.

"Yes, esteemed Highness. The Lord of the Nine Hells once said that the third circle of Hell would welcome a new manager, and now it appears to be you?"

With a smile still on his face, seemingly oblivious to Hypnos's subtle hostility, Mephisto took a couple of steps forward.

The respected prince of the Spirit Realm actually falling into Hell was indeed beyond a demon's expectation.

"...Something you need?"

Laconic, the God of Sleep spoke coldly.

"Haha, I primarily came to visit my future neighbor. If all goes as expected, the second circle of Hell will be my domain in the future. Of course, it might just be a part of it to start with, but I don't think the rest will prove too much trouble for me."

Raising an eyebrow, Mephisto paused for a moment, then made a suggestion:

"If you're willing, I might take you on a tour of Hell. Along the way, we can let the demons of the third level know who their future master is."

Without answering immediately, Hypnos took a careful look at the demon before him.

In terms of aura, even in Hell and under the bolstering of the energies from the barriers, Mephisto could hardly be considered a powerful being, but now the God of Sleep had learned a lesson: mere pretence and strength might not be enough to achieve his aims.

So, although he didn't know his purpose, Hypnos eventually nodded.

·····

Mortal Realm.

Above the Western Sea, the sky was cloudless. As if all the moisture had been gathered in the East, the sea was unusually dry.

The closer one got to the West, the sky seemed nearly to touch the ocean surface. Under this inexplicable pressure, few creatures wished to linger nearby. By comparison, even the icy northern seas seemed more vibrant than this place.