Inside Kronos’s belly, time had no meaning.
There was no rising or setting sun, no changing of the seasons, only endless, unchanging darkness.
In a place where one couldn’t even see a hand in front of their face, the passage of time could only be measured by the growth of their bodies and the steady strengthening of their divine power.
Before they knew it, the boys of years past had shed their youthful immaturity and grown into broad-shouldered young men.
The girls, too, had quietly blossomed within the darkness, maturing into breathtaking goddesses, each with her own unique beauty.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Heavy blows echoed throughout the cavern, each impact making Hera’s irritation grow.
She was leaning against a relatively smooth section of the cavern wall, trying to meditate and organize the increasingly powerful divine energy flowing through her body.
Unfortunately, the relentless pounding made concentration impossible.
“Poseidon, enough!
You’re like a raging bull charging around every day.
It’s driving me crazy!” Her crimson eyes snapped open, flames seeming to ignite within them as they illuminated her beautiful yet furious face.
Time had left no mark upon her features.
Instead, it had refined her beauty into something even more stunning.
She wore a dark crimson gown that seemed to be woven from divine power itself, its soft fabric clinging to her graceful, mature figure, which rose and fell slightly with her anger.
In the distance, a tall figure continued throwing punch after punch into a section of the ever-shifting stomach wall.
Hearing Hera’s shout, he paused and turned around.
His deep blue eyes gleamed like gems resting on the ocean floor.
His once-slender body was now covered in well-defined muscle, while his sea-blue hair was tied loosely behind his head, a few damp strands stuck to his forehead with sweat, giving him a rugged charm.
“This isn’t just mindless punching, Hera,” Poseidon replied calmly.
“I’m searching for a rhythm.
This prison has its own pulse—its own weak points.
If I can find the right frequency, my strikes might resonate with it, weaken it… maybe even tear it apart.” His voice carried a natural confidence.
He rolled his wrists, where the white marks left across his knuckles were already healing at a visible rate.
“I don’t care about the pulse of this damned stomach!” Hera snapped as she rose to her feet.
The hem of her gown swept through the air, revealing her slender, snow-white ankles.
Dangerous waves of divine power spread from her body, and the surrounding air grew scorching hot.
Poseidon had experienced Hera’s magic firsthand.
It was no laughing matter.
Several years earlier, when they had faced a life-or-death crisis, the magical power Hera awakened under immense pressure had been terrifying.
Now that her strength had matured, it had become even more unfathomable.
He immediately raised both hands in surrender, though a carefree grin remained on his face.
“Alright, alright!
I’m going.
Happy now?” Before the last word left his mouth, he had already slipped away at full speed.
‘Tsk… this crazy woman.’ ‘Her temper keeps growing along with her strength.’ Still, he had to admit that Hera’s overwhelming presence matched the aura of a true queen.
It wasn’t simply anger.
It was majesty born from divine authority and wisdom.
“Oh?
Hera chased you out again?” A gentle voice sounded from ahead.
Demeter emerged from a nearby passage, a soft sphere of golden light floating above her hand and illuminating her warm, gentle features.
Her beauty differed entirely from Hera’s.
She reminded one of fertile earth and flourishing fields—natural, peaceful, and endlessly nurturing.
A simple flax-colored dress wrapped around her elegant figure, while faint phantoms of golden wheat swayed near the hem.
“Demeter, you should’ve seen the look on Hera’s face.” “I’m telling you, she’s definitely thinking up another nasty curse for me.” Poseidon immediately began exaggerating the story with animated gestures.
Demeter covered her mouth and laughed softly, her eyes curving into crescents.
“Hehe… that’s because you’re always asking for trouble.” “But honestly…” “She’s grateful to you.” “She just isn’t very good at showing it.” Poseidon nodded repeatedly, though his eyes were already wandering elsewhere.
Grateful?
If that was Hera’s version of gratitude… He’d rather keep his distance.
Better to find another hiding place before she came looking for him again.
As he wandered deeper into the cavern, Poseidon reflected on the years they had spent imprisoned here.
Unlike the others, he had transmigrated into this world with his original soul.
From the very beginning, he had inherited Poseidon’s divinity, while his body had gradually transformed into that of a true god.
Strictly speaking, he shared no blood relationship with the children of Kronos.
They were simply fellow gods destined to stand within the same pantheon.
In the beginning, he had experimented clumsily with his divine body, borrowing training methods from memories of his previous life.
His approach was brutally simple.
Strike the strongest wall with the greatest force possible.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The training bordered on self-torture.
Broken bones.
Shattered muscles.
Torn flesh.
Such injuries became commonplace.
Fortunately, a god’s regenerative abilities were astonishing.
Pain gradually became his greatest teacher, allowing him to sense the flow of divine power with increasing precision.
After throwing an unimaginable number of punches, quantitative change eventually became qualitative change.
He no longer heard only the impact of his fists.
He began hearing what came after.
The subtle vibrations hidden deep within the wall.
The echoes originating from the very depths of Kronos’ body… From the strange space imprisoning them… From the world’s most fundamental structure itself.
The fluctuations of divine defenses.
The rhythm of life.
The texture of existence itself.
He called it… The Echo of the World.
He became completely fascinated by it.
Within the endless darkness of their prison, it became the only light illuminating his soul.
Eventually, he stopped relying solely on brute force.
He learned to synchronize every strand of divine power within his body, allowing it to surge like an endless tide before unleashing it all in a single devastating strike.
Only Hera absolutely hated this self-destructive style of training.
She constantly scolded him for pushing himself too far.
Then, one day… Perhaps Kronos truly grew annoyed.
Or perhaps he finally felt threatened.
A deadly poison seeped into the cavern.
Even young gods could have perished from it.
At the critical moment, Hera awakened an overwhelming surge of divine magic under extreme pressure, instantly purifying the poison and shielding everyone.
Had she failed… Greek mythology might have ended before it ever truly began.
Apparently, Poseidon’s near-suicidal training had genuinely made Kronos feel threatened.
Yet that incident also became a turning point.
Afterward, everyone’s dormant divine powers began awakening one after another.
Even Hades admitted—for the first and only time—that Poseidon’s constant provocation had produced excellent results.
By making Kronos increasingly uneasy… They had forced both their father and themselves to grow stronger.
‘Though the disgusting things he keeps sending into the stomach have gotten even worse…’ ‘Still, the results speak for themselves.’ Poseidon muttered to himself.
If Hera overheard those words, she’d probably beat him half to death.
Eventually, he arrived at a warm, dry corner deep within the cavern.
A comforting aura lingered there.
Warm.
Gentle.
Like a welcoming hearth.
This was Hestia’s favorite place.
Simply by existing, she dispelled much of the cold emptiness surrounding them.
“Hey, Hestia.” Poseidon smiled as he approached.
The platinum-haired goddess sat quietly upon a flat stone, like a lamp glowing gently in eternal darkness.
Her moonlit hair flowed softly over her shoulders.
She wore a simple white gown whose elegance perfectly matched her tranquil personality.
The moment she noticed the overlapping handprints on Poseidon’s chest—along with several fresh burn marks—she sighed helplessly.
“You made Hera angry again, didn’t you?” “Hahaha.” “I couldn’t help it.” “If we’re going to escape this place and beat that old bastard someday, we have to keep getting stronger.” Poseidon scratched the back of his head with his usual carefree smile.
Hestia only looked at him with concern.
“You still haven’t given up.” “Never.” “One day we’ll get out.” “And when we do…” “We’ll take down that old bastard ourselves.” “I don’t know whether that’s possible…” “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” “Don’t worry.” “Hades and I have been training nonstop.” “With all five of us working together, can we really lose to one washed-up relic?” Looking into Poseidon’s deep blue eyes, which seemed to reflect an endless ocean beyond the darkness… Hestia remained silent.
A moment later, a gentle smile bloomed across her face like spring sunlight melting winter snow.
“…Alright.” “If you believe it’s possible…” “Then I’ll believe it too.” She patted her lap.
“Come on.” “You’re hiding from Hera again, aren’t you?” “Hehe.” “You always know me best, Big Sis.” Poseidon laughed before lying down as he always did, resting his head comfortably upon Hestia’s warm lap.
As the goddess of the hearth, home, and the eternal sacred flame, Hestia’s divine power naturally soothed both body and soul.
She gently combed her fingers through his sea-blue hair.
How long this rare peace within their dark prison would last… Perhaps only the goddesses weaving fate beyond the heavens knew.
… So the years continued to pass.
Within the lightless prison, the gods relied upon one another while tempering both their bodies and the divine power sleeping within their souls.
Just as Poseidon had declared countless times… Their only goal was revenge against the father who had swallowed them.
The endless rhythm of Poseidon’s fists striking the walls— Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
—became the only way to measure time inside Kronos’ belly.
Until one day— RUMBLE—!!
A violent tremor suddenly shook the entire world.
This wasn’t the usual vibration caused by Poseidon’s training.
The entire space lurched violently, as though someone outside had seized the world itself and begun shaking it like a toy.
The cavern walls groaned.
Fine cracks spread across the stone.
Hades was the first to emerge from the darkness.
His black robes resembled living shadows, while his normally composed face wore an unusually serious expression.
Hestia cried out softly as she steadied herself.
The sphere of light above Demeter’s hand flickered wildly.
Hera was thrown out of meditation altogether, nearly suffering a backlash from her own divine power.
Without needing to discuss it, all four instinctively rushed toward the place where Poseidon usually trained.
“Poseidon!” “What the hell are you doing this time?!” Hera’s voice arrived before she did.
Without hesitation, she launched a flying kick.
“Oof!” “Hera!” “It wasn’t me this time!” “I was just punching the wall like always!” Poseidon protested while clutching his side.
Hades clicked his tongue mockingly.
“Tsk.” “If it wasn’t you…” “Then who else could make this much noise?” “Our gentle sisters?” “Oh, shut up.” “Says the gloomy bastard who spends all day lurking in the shadows.” Poseidon shot back.
“It seems you’re asking for another beating.” Black mist began gathering around Hades once more.
Thump!
“Enough!” Demeter stamped her foot.
A heavy, grounding divine aura spread outward, suppressing both Hades’ darkness and Poseidon’s rising power.
Even she had finally lost her patience.
“If Poseidon isn’t responsible…” “Then what caused this?” While Demeter stopped the two brothers from fighting, Hestia and Hera had already begun analyzing the situation.
“Hera…” “You kicked Poseidon because you thought he caused this, didn’t you?” “No.” “I kicked him because I wanted to.” “This was simply a convenient excuse.” She answered as though it were perfectly reasonable.
Hestia nodded thoughtfully.
“I see.” “That makes sense.” “Besides…” “Poseidon is tough.” “A few kicks won’t hurt him.” “Exactly.” “My foot gets itchy every time I see him.” “But seriously…” “My magic tells me Father’s body is under tremendous pressure from something outside.” The two sisters discussed the fairness of beating Poseidon with complete seriousness.
Fortunately… He wasn’t listening too closely.
Otherwise, he might have exploded from sheer frustration.
“If that’s the case…” Poseidon suddenly stood.
“Then we should make an even bigger commotion!” Hera’s expression instantly became serious.
The playful irritation vanished.
In its place stood the commanding dignity worthy of the future Queen of Heaven.
“Right.” “If all five of us combine our divine power and tear this place apart…” “We might finally escape.” A brilliant blue light blazed within Poseidon’s eyes.
⸻ Outside Kronos’ body… The legendary scene recorded in myth was unfolding.
With Rhea’s help and Metis’ careful planning, the young Zeus had successfully tricked Kronos into drinking an emetic prepared by Gaia herself.
RETCH—!!
The second King of the Gods… Embodiment of Time… Lord of Harvest… Kronos staggered violently as the potion took effect.
His handsome face twisted with rage.
He glared first at Rhea.
Then at Zeus.
The young god possessed brilliant golden hair, emerald eyes flashing with thunder, and a divine shield gripped firmly in his hand.
“…Gaia…” Kronos growled through waves of nausea.
“Cunning as ever.” “To seize power…” “You would sacrifice husband and descendants alike.” Then his gaze turned toward Rhea.
“And you…” “My queen…” “You betrayed me as well.” Finally… He looked upon Zeus.
“My foolish son…” “Do you truly believe you are anything more than another pawn in Gaia’s game?” “Do you even know…” “…who truly guided that red-haired woman beside you?” Zeus’ body was already covered with wounds from their fierce battle.
Even so… His eyes remained sharp.
“Father.” “Even if that’s true…” “What choice did I have?” “Should I simply wait for you to swallow me too?” “Just as you devoured my brothers and sisters?” He refused to retreat even a single step.
Having witnessed both Kronos’ cruelty and Gaia’s schemes… He had already decided which side offered him the greater chance of survival.
Kronos’ face darkened.
He knew exactly what the potion was meant to do.
It would force him to vomit up the children imprisoned within his body.
Otherwise… Zeus, Rhea, and Metis together would never pose a true threat.
His real enemies… Were the children growing stronger inside his own stomach.
‘I have to stop time within my belly!’ Without hesitation, Kronos invoked his divine authority.
Time-Space Stasis!
The flow of time within his stomach slowed almost to a complete halt.
The potion’s effects immediately weakened.
At the same time, he drew the legendary Adamantine Scythe that had once overthrown Uranus himself.
Its cold blade shimmered with terrifying divine authority.
“Zeus!” Rhea cried.
“He’s frozen time inside his body!” “The potion can’t spread!” “Damn it!” Zeus tightened his grip upon the Aegis.
The divine shield forged from adamantine remained his greatest protection.
“Stay calm!” Metis shouted.
“Keep fighting!” “Lady Rhea and I will find a way to shatter the time lock from outside!” The battle erupted once more.
Only now… It became even more dangerous.
Kronos swung the Harvester’s Scythe while manipulating the flow of time around Zeus.
One instant… Time accelerated.
The next… It nearly stopped.
Zeus’ attacks repeatedly missed their mark.
He was forced completely onto the defensive.
Even more terrifying… As the God of Harvest, every strike Kronos unleashed carried the divine law of inevitable reaping— A predetermined end imposed upon life itself.
Zeus relied entirely upon the Aegis and his agility to survive.
The blade sliced away strands of golden hair.
It carved wounds into his arm.
Divine blood splattered across the battlefield.
Without the shield… He would already have fallen.
“My son…” Kronos sneered.
“You flee like a frightened rabbit chased across a field.” “I wonder what Gaia would think…” “…seeing her precious pawn reduced to this.” Zeus gritted his teeth.
Blood covered his body.
Rhea and Metis watched anxiously from afar.
“The other Titans will notice this battle soon,” Metis warned.
“I know.” “Lady Gaia can only conceal us for so long.” “As long as Uranus’ curse remains…” “She cannot intervene directly.” Rhea’s face had gone pale.
“Zeus hasn’t fully awakened his Divine Name.” “His authority hasn’t manifested yet.” “If this continues…” Her eyes shifted toward Kronos’ stomach.
Everything depended upon enough force striking the time lock… …from the inside.
Children… If you can hear me… Gather your strength… Just as despair threatened to consume her— THUMP!
THUMP!
THUMP!
THUMP!
Heavy impacts echoed from deep inside Kronos’ body.
Each one sounded like the heartbeat of a primordial giant.
The noise pierced frozen time itself.
It shattered the silence of the battlefield.
Then… Even greater surges of divine power erupted from within.
Darkness.
Flame.
Earth.
The endless sea.
And a fifth force— Pure.
Violent.
Unyielding.
A power that sought to smash every chain binding it.
Kronos staggered violently.
For the first time… Fear flashed across his face.
The time lock sealing his stomach groaned beneath the combined assault from within and without.
Then— Crack!
“Mother!” Zeus’ spirits soared as thunder blazed within his hands.
“They’re alive!” Rhea cried with tears in her eyes.
“My children!” “Metis!” “Help me!” “Strike the time node with everything you’ve got!” BOOM—!!!
Attacked from both sides, the seal imprisoning Kronos’ children finally began to split apart.