Outside the border area surrounded by the Present Zone, it was still below the Deep Zone, far in the deepest part of the Withering Zone.
Here, even the surging of the Deep Tide could be clearly sensed.
Even though he had become blind, on the strange sampan, Hades could still sense the turbulent undercurrent outside, as well as the terrifying power brewing from the deepest part of the Abyss, the lowest level of hell.
"We're almost there."
The black-robed man who was rowing the oar spoke with a hoarse voice.
When the layers of dark fog were blown away by the undercurrent, what was revealed in front of the tiny sampan was a terrifying world so vast that it seemed to fill the entire Abyss.
The Hell of Hell.
After penetrating through the sixteenth level, it was the Supreme Palace that was forged into one by endless time.
The Withered King's territory was where the Fallen Kingdom was located.
At this moment, under the rainbow light of the Hell Body, there were countless legions advancing towards the Present Zone along the path at every moment. The large group of gray and black that gathered in one place was like the blood flowing in the veins.
It rose bit by bit.
Until one day, the entire Present Zone was completely covered by it.
A large hand formed by pale bones reached out from the deepest part of the darkness and grabbed the tiny sampan. But when the five fingers spread out again, Hades appeared in the deepest part of the palace from outside the Fallen Kingdom.
Under the cold and solemn door.
Behind him was the endless staircase formed by the stairs for an audience.
"Is this an exception for a disabled person like me?"
Hades flicked the dust off his sleeves as if mocking him. And right in front of him, the jester who was waiting there had a gloomy expression. He glanced at him with a displeased expression.
"You're late."
"That's true, but I still came, didn't I?" Hades looked at the door beside him with his empty eye sockets as if he could see the eerie and strange existence behind the endless darkness. "I came to receive my punishment."
"You have to understand that your incompetence has brought great losses to His Majesty and us," the jester said, "The consequences that await you will not be good."
"I know."
Hades nodded and said nothing more.
After a moment of silence, the ceremonial officer guarding the door did not step aside. Instead, he pointed to the side and said, "Since it's already late, there's no harm in waiting a little longer."
He paused for a moment and glanced at the huge shadow creeping up the stairs. "Let that idiot go in first."
Under the shackles and chains, the staggering giant was dragged up bit by bit by dozens of strong men.
The higher it went, the more the huge body trembled.
Even though he was the ruler of hell, in front of this majestic palace, he was as humble as dust.
In the territory of a fallen country, rulers were not rare, but there would always be only one supreme emperor. Anyone who dared to go against the will of the Emperor would receive absolute punishment …
As if it had foreseen the arrival of the end, the giant struggled with all its might. All the mouthparts on its body wailed, but when a door opened with a bang, all the sound disappeared.
At the highest point, a pair of eyes looked down indifferently.
Soon, the giant ruler who was brought in was brought out again.
On a golden frame inlaid with luxurious gems, in an exquisite tapestry, a skillful craftsman vividly recreated the face full of fear and despair.
It wailed eternally in the burning flames.
But there was no sound.
"After venting his anger on the idiot, His Majesty added a new collection. His Majesty should be in a better mood," the jester said. "You can go in now."
He did not disguise his words.
In such a short distance, the voice even seemed to be narrating in the ears of the King of Withered, but there was no response from the palace. It seemed that the King of Withered did not care that his subject was trying to figure out his emotions.
The door opened again.
After a short silence, Hades lowered his head and stepped in.
In the eternal darkness, he was actually a little absent-minded for a moment. He did not know whether he should hate Huai Shi for what he did, or thank him for taking away his eyes.
At least at this moment, he was glad that he was blind.
He could not see anything.
He could only feel the terrifying existence sitting at the highest point in the darkness. Just by looking down, it was as if the darkness was stirred, making it difficult for Hades to breathe.
"Why do you want to have an audience, Hades?"
A curious voice came from the throne.
The King of Withered looked down and asked coldly, "I remember that the last time I had an audience was not long ago."
In the dead silence, Hades lowered his head in the direction of the voice. He did not dare to play around with words and answered directly, "I have an important responsibility."
"Indeed, you should be afraid."
The King of Withered's tone became playful. "But do you think I should be angry because of this?"
"… …"
Hades was silent, breathing heavily.
In this short silence, he could only feel the gaze from the darkness, but he could not tell whether the words were a joke or something else.
The only thing he could be sure of was that his answer might decide his fate.
Would decide whether he could leave this place in one piece, or become a companion on the tapestry …
But no matter how hard he thought, he could not find a complete answer.
He Di took a deep breath and replied bitterly, "That's right.
"I don't know."
A sneer came from the throne.
It was impossible to tell whether it was mockery or praise.
"Very good, Hades, I love your honesty." The King of Withered said, "Honesty is the foundation of loyalty. You have never lied to me, so I will let you go."
Hades stiffened, not knowing whether he should be grateful or humble.
He did not dare to respond.
He could only kneel on the ground and accept the result that was his.
"Let us return to the original matter, about your mistake."
The King of Withered said, "It was indeed a crushing defeat, and it also delayed the march of the fallen country. The operation of the Nagilfa Fleet was also hindered because of this.
Hades, you betrayed my expectations of you, and this cannot make up for the loss you caused. You deserve to die ten thousand times. "
"That is true."
Hades replied, giving up on all hope.
"Then, after experiencing this setback, you must have made some progress, right?"
The King of Withered asked, "Since all of you jesters are proud of your wisdom and wisdom, why don't you tell me — how did you lose?"
"Delay and negligence."
Hades replied straightforwardly, "In order to be fully prepared, I gave my opponent a chance to attack, but in the end, I couldn't catch them in time and allowed them to escape, causing the fallen country to suffer the humiliation of defeat."
"Perhaps, but you are mistaken about one thing."
The King of Withered casually said, "For a fallen country, failure is never a humiliation. Victory and defeat are never rare. As long as there is a war, there will always be a victor, and then there will always be a loser.
Victory is naturally worth bragging about, but defeat is also normal. As long as you don't die, there will always be a day when you win. Whether it is recuperating or struggling at death's door, it is all for the sake of waiting for the future.
But your sin is not failure, Hades. "
The ruler on the throne coldly looked down, telling him word by word, "Failure is not a humiliation, fear is."
At that moment, Hades froze in place.
He subconsciously opened his mouth to speak, but did not dare to speak.
He could only tremble.
He was afraid that his words would be judged as a lie, but at the same time, he was also afraid … … that the King of Withered was telling the truth.
"Look, Hades, you are afraid, but you are not afraid of me, because you are not afraid of death."
The King of Withered laughed mockingly, "You are afraid, afraid of a person from the Present, afraid that he will bring you failure! Afraid that you will relive the humiliation of the past and not be able to raise your head again … …
Hades, tell me, am I right? "
In the silence, Hades was stunned, his face twisted, but he did not make a sound.
He did not have the courage to refute.
But at the same time, he found that he could not control his anger. Was that resentment after being humiliated, or was it anger after having her true thoughts exposed?
"Why don't you speak, Hades, you can speak freely."
In the long silence, the figure on the throne looked down at him and grinned mockingly, "I admire your talent, but I love your defeated appearance even more … … It's like a wet wild dog hiding under the eaves, seeking shelter.
You are unwilling to hide your claws and fangs, but you can't resist the charity of others.
Whether you intend to resist or offer your loyalty, I look forward to your actions. "
"I … …"
Hades pressed his fingers on the ground, trembling slightly, "I am afraid."
"There is no need to be afraid, no need to be ashamed, and no need to be afraid, because I have already enjoyed your performance." The King of Withered probed, full of curiosity, "I just want to know, do you have the courage to step on the stage again?"
"I … … I … …"
Hades was already sweating, and he pleaded with a trembling voice, "Please, give me another chance!"
"How many legions did you lose?" the King of Withered asked.
"Four."
"Other than that, how many losses were there?"
"Tens of thousands of curse vessels, and six large groups."
"Then, I will give you eight legions, double the number of weapons and curse vessels, and twelve large groups."
The King of Withered waved his hand, "Other than that, I will give Gala … … Forget it, Gala is bent on going to the Present State, and he may not be willing to cooperate with you. Let him be his vanguard.
Other than him, you can choose a few people from my subordinates to cooperate with you. Also, don't those workshop owners want to participate? Let those good-for-nothings bleed a little. "
"Yes."
Hades said hurriedly, "I will definitely … …"
"You don't have to promise, because I don't care."
The King of Withered interrupted him and just raised his finger, "As for this, take it as a reward for your repeated failures."
A tragic scream sounded from below the steps.
Just in front of Hades, a long rusty nail appeared out of thin air. In an instant, it wedged into his eye sockets, went deep into his skull, and grew rapidly.
It brought a pain that went deep into his soul.
It would accompany him forever.
"Now, you can please me again, Hades."
With the King of Withered's words, the door behind Hades opened again.
When Hades staggered out of the door, what he saw was endless shadows in the huge square. Only pairs of scarlet eyes slowly looked up, like ferocious stars that dotted the darkness.
They quietly waited for his orders.
Trembling in pain, Hades covered his face, and his smile gradually became hideous.
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