The God of Underworld Chapter 20 20: The Sky

Zeus sat on the steps of Astraeus' temple, his golden eyes fixed on the vast night sky above.

The stars twinkled in the darkness, shining like countless tiny flas against the void.

He had always thought the sky was his domain, that he was ant to rule over it.

And yet, tonight, it felt so distant—so far beyond his reach.

His fingers clenched into fists.

'I was too weak.'

Atlas had crushed him. Despite wielding the mighty lightning bolt forged by the Cyclopes, despite the raw strength that should have set him apart, he had still lost.

Hecate's words only hamred that truth deeper into his soul.

The way she had simply looked at him—no attack, no magic, just a simple gaze—and his body had frozen as though chained by an unseen force.

He had never felt such paralyzing terror before. If he had faced soone like her in battle, he would have lost without ever lifting a hand.

'Damn it.' His jaw tightened. 'If I don't get stronger, I'll never be able to stand against Cronus. Against Atlas. Against anyone who truly matters in this war.'

He exhaled sharply, forcing the thought aside.

"You seem troubled."

Zeus flinched slightly, turning to see Astraeus approaching, his long, regal robes flowing like the night itself.

His presence was calm, serene, yet undeniably vast—like the sky he presided over.

Zeus scowled and looked away. "Leave alone."

Astraeus chuckled. "Brooding beneath my sky, staring up at my stars… It's hard not to notice. Let guess—your mood has sothing to do with Hecate's visit?"

Zeus snapped his gaze to him, eyes narrowing. "How do you know that?"

Astraeus smiled knowingly. "I know everything that happens under my sky."

Zeus blinked, montarily stunned. His sky? He, too, was a god of the sky—he should have that power. Yet, he had no such ability.

His confusion must have shown on his face, because Astraeus let out a soft laugh. "There is more to the sky than simply blasting everything with lightning, young one."

Zeus gritted his teeth but said nothing. For the first ti, he truly began to wonder—how much did he not understand about the domain he was supposed to rule?

Astraeus smirked as he watched Zeus scowl, his irritation bubbling just beneath the surface. "Co now, don't look so serious. You remind of a storm cloud—always rumbling, never listening."

Zeus gritted his teeth. "You're really getting on my nerves, old man."

Astraeus chuckled. "Good. Annoyance breeds curiosity, and curiosity leads to understanding. Now, follow ."

Before Zeus could respond, Astraeus raised his hand.

Instantly, the world around them shifted. The sky blurred, stretching infinitely in all directions.

The ground beneath Zeus' feet lted away, and in the next mont, they stood in a completely different space.

Zeus' eyes widened as he took in the sight before him.

They were surrounded by stars—millions, no, billions of them. Bright constellations sprawled across the cosmic expanse, so familiar, so completely alien.

Enormous celestial bodies, burning with brilliant flas, floated in the distance. Strange, swirling masses of light and energy pulsed all around them.

It was as if they had stepped beyond the mortal world, into the very heart of the heavens.

Zeus swallowed hard.

'This… this is the sky?'

Astraeus turned to face him, a gleam of amusent in his eyes. "Tell , Zeus—what do you see?"

Zeus hesitated, then answered. "Stars. Light. Fire. Floating rocks."

Astraeus nodded. "Good. Now, let's see what you can do with that knowledge. Co, spar with ."

Zeus' expression darkened. "Fine."

He raised his hand, and in an instant, his lightning bolt materialized in his grip, crackling with untad power.

He leveled it at Astraeus, determination burning in his gaze.

Astraeus, however, remained perfectly calm. He raised a single hand, and suddenly, the space around them shifted.

The stars pulsed.

A great wave of light surged from Astraeus' body, and from the distant celestial spheres, great arcs of solar fire erupted.

Blinding streams of plasma spiraled through the void, dancing at his command. The very fabric of space trembled.

Zeus barely had ti to react before Astraeus moved.

A flare of burning light shot toward him. Zeus dodged, but another one followed imdiately, then another.

He raised his lightning bolt to counter, but the sheer heat of the solar flas forced him back.

"Is this all?" Astraeus' voice echoed through the vast expanse.

Zeus gritted his teeth and retaliated. Lightning surged from his weapon, splitting through the darkness like a wrathful god's judgnt.

But before it could even reach Astraeus, the very gravity around them shifted.

Zeus' eyes widened as his own lightning bent—warped—around Astraeus before dissipating into nothing.

"What—?!"

Astraeus smiled. "I told you. There is more to the sky than just lightning."

Before Zeus could respond, the stars themselves seed to move.

One mont he was standing, the next he was being dragged downward, crushed under an invisible weight.

His knees buckled, and he gasped as his body felt like it was being pulled into the core of a dying star. The imnse pressure pressed down on his chest, suffocating him.

"Gravity," Astraeus said casually, as if he hadn't just pinned Zeus to the ground with nothing but sheer force. "A fundantal power of the heavens."

Zeus clenched his jaw, straining to lift his body. But Astraeus was far from done.

Another flare of burning plasma shot toward him, engulfing him in searing heat.

Zeus roared in pain as he struggled against the weight pressing down on him.

His divine body resisted, but the power Astraeus wielded was beyond anything he had ever faced.

Finally, with a flick of his wrist, Astraeus released the pressure. Zeus collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath, his body covered in scorch marks.

Astraeus stood over him, smiling in amusent. "You rely too much on your lightning, boy."

Zeus glared up at him, panting. "Shut… up…"

Astraeus chuckled. "Co now, don't look so defeated. You wanted to get stronger, didn't you?"

Zeus clenched his fists.

Stronger.

Yes.

He had to get stronger.

Astraeus extended a hand. "Then let teach you what it truly ans to rule the sky."

Zeus stared at him for a long mont—then, reluctantly, he took his hand.

He grunted as Astraeus pulled him to his feet. His body still ached from the overwhelming forces he had just endured, but his mind was racing.

He looked at Astraeus warily.

"Why?" Zeus asked, narrowing his eyes. "Why do you want to teach ? What do you gain from this?"

Astraeus rely smiled, his gaze distant as if he were watching sothing far beyond what Zeus could perceive. "Because change is coming."

Zeus furrowed his brows. "Change?"

Astraeus gave a slow nod. "The world as you know it is shifting, young god. The balance of power that has ruled for ages is crumbling. Sothing new is on the horizon."

He turned his gaze onto Zeus. "And you, along with your brothers, stand at the center of it."

Zeus felt a chill run down his spine. He wasn't sure what Astraeus ant, but sothing about his words unsettled him.

He clenched his fists. "Then why not side with Cronus? He's the one in power. If you're so interested in this 'change,' wouldn't it be better to stand with the victor?"

Astraeus chuckled. "You assu the victor has already been decided. The war is not yet over, Zeus."

He crossed his arms. "Besides, I never said I support you or Cronus. I simply wish to see what happens next. For that, I want you to be prepared."

Zeus frowned. "So I'm just entertainnt to you?"

Astraeus shook his head. "No. I'm offering you the chance to reach your true potential. You were born with authority over the sky, but all you do is throw lightning like a child wielding a club."

Zeus scowled, but Astraeus continued.

"I don't expect you to master the sky on the sa level as —not yet, at least. But I can turn you into a true master of the heavens. One who can rule over the land and the seas." He smirked. "After all, what is a king of gods if he cannot control his own domain?"

Zeus' breath hitched at the words. King of gods? The very idea made his blood stir.

He looked down at his hands.

He had been defeated. Humiliated. He had always prided himself on his strength, but against Atlas, against Astraeus, against even Hecate, he had been powerless.

He clenched his fists.

No more.

He lifted his gaze and t Astraeus' eyes.

"Fine," Zeus said. "Teach ."

Astraeus' smile widened. "Then let us begin."