The King of the Underworld is Tired

"Oh dear… A mortal suffers due to the curse of Ares..."

A voice that seemed to echo not only in Oedipus' mind but also from the earth itself – the voice of an old woman.

Could it be… a god?! Is a god speaking to him to punish him?

"Who are you?! Have you come to mock and punish me, O god?!"

Oedipus roared with a voice that seemed to boil up from the depths of his being.

After a brief moment of silence, a soft whisper reached him.

"You seem to be misunderstanding something. I am not one of the Olympian gods who ruined your life. In fact, I am their enemy."

"Their enemy…?"

A voice coming from a being so far beyond human comprehension.

As Oedipus tried to calm his excitement and caught his breath, the voice of the god swept through him.

"Do you know that Cadmus, the founder of Thebes, was cursed with misfortune for killing the dragon, the child of Ares?"

"A curse… you say? Could it be the one passed down through generations…?"

"You bear no guilt. It is all because of the Olympian gods."

Oedipus' eyes gradually began to turn bloodshot.

A strange energy flowed from the earth, driving him to madness and clouding his judgment.

"If it weren't for them, you would never have killed your father or married your mother."

"Hnn… Hnngh…"

Writhing in unbearable shame and despair, he suddenly received a revelation.

The pain in his head eased, and his thoughts became clearer.

Yes… those words are true.

If only the cursed gods hadn't existed…

All of this was not Oedipus' fault – it was the gods' doing!

In that case, what he needed to do was…

"Finally, you've found the right path. I, Gaia, grant you my blessing."

He must tear down every accursed temple of the Olympian gods in Thebes.

* * *

The first thing King Oedipus did upon returning to the palace was to banish the prophet.

Only Oedipus had heard the prophet's words, so if he exiled the prophet and later killed him, the secret would be kept.

"For the crime of speaking lies to the king, I will banish you. Leave Thebes at once!"

"…I understand."

"But, Your Majesty, the prophet Tiresias is…"

"I don't want to hear it! Guards! Take him away!"

Unlike the respectful manner in which the prophet had been summoned, Oedipus now drove him out with a completely different attitude, shocking everyone.

But that was not the end.

"Summon the troops. I will personally lead them."

"Your Majesty, why are the soldiers being gathered…?"

"The reason for the plague in Thebes is the temples of the gods of madness and the underworld. I intend to destroy the temples built on the outskirts of the city!"

All the ministers were alarmed and tried to dissuade Oedipus.

No one had forgotten how King Pentheus met his death for angering the god Dionysus.

And now, to go as far as to attack the temple of Pluto, the ruler of the underworld?

Had the wise king who saved Thebes from the Sphinx gone mad?

"Your Majesty, please calm down and reconsider. If you attack the temples, the gods' wrath will fall upon Thebes!"

"Lord Pluto rules the underworld but is also a god of mercy. Please, make the right decision…"

"I do not know what you heard from the prophet, but…"

Just yesterday, Oedipus had been a wise king concerned for his people suffering from the plague. 

Now, with his sudden change, everyone tried desperately to persuade him.

But for some reason, he was excessively stubborn.

As if something had possessed him.

"Silence! The plague in Thebes is the gods' fault. If we destroy their temples, the plague will recede!"

At the king's shout, the ministers fell silent.

Their faces were filled with dismay, but there was nothing they could do.

Soon, the troops were summoned to the palace, and Oedipus himself drew his sword and shouted.

His bloodshot eyes and strangely excited demeanor were far from normal.

"From now on, we march to the temple of Dionysus! Let us destroy the temples of the gods who spread this plague!"

The soldiers of Thebes were bewildered by their king's sudden and bizarre order.

Among them, murmurs began to spread.

"What is His Majesty saying?"

"Is the tragedy of King Pentheus about to repeat itself…?"

"To think he would fight against the god Dionysus?!"

"Why would the plague be Dionysus' fault…?"

Naturally, the general who led the soldiers moved to petition the king.

As the commander approached Oedipus to offer advice, their eyes met.

"Your Majesty, are you truly going to attack the temples? If you incur the gods' wrath…"

"Silence! The Olympian gods may dwell above the clouds, but I stand before you right now!"

"Guhk!"

Swoosh—

King Oedipus sliced the general's neck in a single stroke.

As red blood splattered, the crowd was gripped by fear.

Setting aside the fact that he had just killed someone he had favored, the real shock was…

The general's body had been cleaved in two by a casual swing of the king's sword.

"Does anyone else dare oppose me?"

The king's strength was clearly beyond human.

Everyone realized that the wise king had changed in some terrifying way.

* * *

The Temple of Dionysus faced an unexpected visitor.

Soldiers armed with menacing weapons surrounded the temple, their eyes filled with unease.

“What in the world is happening?”

“Drag everyone inside the temple out and imprison them! If anyone resists, feel free to cut them down!”

King Oedipus led the charge, threatening the priest of the gods.

His soldiers, too, pointed their spears at the worshippers, their faces filled with discomfort.

“Is this really the right thing to do?”

“Shut up! Do you want to die by His Majesty’s sword?”

“Ugh… we’re going to be cursed by the gods.”

The soldiers’ morale was low. 

No human could easily carry out the insane act of attacking a temple.

“Capture the worshippers immediately! Anyone who retreats will be cut down!”

Though the god Dionysus was nowhere to be seen, the king's blade was close at hand.

At the sharp command of the king, the soldiers with gloomy expressions began to drag the worshippers away.

That was until a massive leopard appeared out of nowhere and began to tear into the soldiers.

“Grrrr!”

“Aaaargh!”

“It’s divine punishment! Divine punishment!”

When the colossal beast, much larger than a regular leopard, began to target the soldiers, King Oedipus stepped forward.

“Step aside! A mere beast like this is nothing!”

As he, with feet much larger than any other, strode forward...

The leopard, as if recognizing the one who had threatened Dionysus’ worshippers, ferociously charged at him.

“Grrr! Hiss!”

Clang!

Oedipus’ sword flashed, deflecting the leopard’s claws.

The battle between the hero and the divine beast was enough to shake the minds of ordinary people.

“Hah!”

The sword of the hero and king who saved Thebes cut through the air.

The beast dodged the attack with agility, but...

“Heh... I’ve got you now, beast.”

“Grrrr!”

Oedipus discarded his sword and grabbed the leopard by the throat with his bare hands.

An impossible feat for an ordinary human.

But the power granted to him by Gaia had elevated his body to that of a hero,

And so, he managed to choke the divine beast to death.

Thud!

“Are... Are you mad...?!”

“His Majesty defeated the divine beast with his bare hands…?!”

“Did you all see that? A mere beast of Dionysus is nothing! Set fire to the temple!”

Oedipus roared, veins bulging from his muscular arms.

All the soldiers, filled with fear, set the temple ablaze.

“Is this... really the right thing to do…”

“I told you to be quiet! Do you want to die at the hands of His Majesty right now?”

As Oedipus laughed, watching the burning temple, 

Behind him, the eyes of the leopard he had discarded slowly began to regain their light.

“Look... Look over there!”

“It was definitely dead…?”

The fallen leopard slowly rose to its feet, glaring at King Oedipus, and spoke.

The bloodied mouth of the beast uttered human words.

“Are you the current king of Thebes?”

Was it the howl of a beast or the whisper of madness?

The low voice emanating from the leopard sent shivers down the spines of the humans.

“How dare you desecrate my temple like this? You will never die a peaceful death…”

After the words of divine wrath from Dionysus, who had briefly possessed the beast, the leopard once again fell still.

Though Oedipus’ fate was now sealed, he felt no fear.

“Bah! Even a god can only send a mere beast!”

He spat on the corpse of the beast, brazenly blaspheming. 

The once wise king who had cunningly defeated the Sphinx was nowhere to be seen.

“Is that all you’ve got? Threatening to curse me because your beloved beast was slain? But what of it! My very life is already a curse!”

Oedipus roared at the heavens.

The blood-red hue of his eyes and face created an eerie atmosphere, causing the soldiers to step back.

Though the temple of Dionysus was in flames,

The soldiers felt a small sense of relief that, at the very least, there would be no more blasphemy today.

Many of them thought to themselves that they would pray for forgiveness from Dionysus once they returned.

However...

Soon, they heard a voice like a bolt from the blue.

“Next, I’ll burn down the temple of Hades! All of you, follow me!”

What? Whose temple…?!