It was not that the domain of death held no attraction for Aergia.
In fact, after obtaining the godhead of Cessation, her interest in the rules of death had grown increasingly keen.
Being able to directly come into contact with the authority over death and receive guidance from a ruler of rules like Thanatos would undoubtedly bring immense benefits to her future growth.
However, this did not mean she could disregard Hypnos without a second thought.
Aergia was well aware of the factors that had allowed her to grow so rapidly.
From the initial Drowsiness to the Sleep Induction she later formally condensed, to the Soothing born in the Underworld, the Rest that was further elevated, and the Cessation she had just acquired.
Though these achievements stemmed from her own exploration of the rules, they were equally inseparable from the protection and aid Hypnos had provided.
Without the Temple of Sleep, she might not have even safely survived her weakest phase right after her birth.
And while Hypnos always seemed languid on the surface, he had never truly restricted her growth.
He allowed her to touch upon the rules of the domain of sleep, permitted her to conduct all kinds of attempts, and was even willing to personally leave the temple for her seemingly odd research.
When she was preparing to journey to the earth to fulfill her divine portfolio of Sleep Induction, he had even specially arranged for Thanatos to look after her and help her find a suitable mount.
These were all things Aergia remembered.
Thus, she could not simply take the initiative to request leaving the Temple of Sleep just because the domain of death appeared more suited to her.
On the other hand, there was also no need for her to directly reject Thanatos on Hypnos's behalf.
The two were twin brothers, ancient deities who separately held authority over sleep and death within the world of Chaos.
Whatever final decision was made, it was not something a lesser deity who had just advanced to Second-Rank Divine Power could easily influence.
In that case, why actively get involved?
Aergia had an epiphany (or rather, she was out of options)—perhaps she had overcomplicated things.
Looking at the practical situation, regardless of which temple she ultimately stayed in, it would not truly hinder her continued growth.
By staying in the Temple of Sleep, she could continue researching the fully undefined rules of the domain of sleep to further refine her existing godhead.
If she were truly transferred to the Temple of Death in the end, she could follow Thanatos to patrol the earth and seek new avenues of development.
As for which of the two options was actually better suited for her, it was still difficult to judge at present.
Moreover...
Aergia lifted her head and looked toward the distant earth surrounded by ancient mountain ranges, a subtle flicker of resolve passing through her eyes.
She had never intended to remain a subordinate deity to any god forever.
Be it Hypnos or Thanatos.
They could be her current master deities, guides on her path of growth, or powerful beings who provided protection while she was still weak.
But one day, she would forge a path that truly belonged to herself.
Possessing an independent divine portfolio domain, possessing strength sufficient to protect herself, and no longer having to worry about her fate at the whim of some powerful deity.
This had never changed since the time she was Su Mian.
In her past life, she had worked her way up from an orphanage to a top national university, ultimately entering a laboratory to pursue her doctorate.
During that life, she had grown accustomed to relying on herself to seize opportunities, and accustomed to pressing onward when everyone else had already stopped.
Although working herself to death in the end proved that such a lifestyle certainly possessed rather severe flaws...
...there were still things she had no intention of abandoning because of it.
Such as independence.
Such as the right to choose her own future.
It was just that this time, she no longer needed to rush to complete everything within a limited lifespan like in her past life.
She was now a deity.
She possessed a lifespan far longer than that of mortals.
Furthermore, she had already found a way of growth that truly suited her.
No longer desperately forcing herself to push forward, but learning to leverage the rules to find the most suitable path.
All she needed was time.
With these thoughts in mind, Aergia completely laid down her present worries.
After all, the ones who ultimately needed to discuss this were the two brothers.
Why should she take on this trouble herself?
She was the Goddess of Sloth; surely there was nothing wrong with occasionally exercising her divine portfolio in a reasonable manner, right?
“Your Highness Thanatos.”
“Made up your mind?”
The young God of Death immediately turned his head.
Aergia smiled slightly, her tone remaining respectful.
“I believe it would be more proper for Your Highness and Lord Hypnos to discuss this matter personally.”
Thanatos frowned.
“Didn't I tell you to speak to him yourself?”
“However, Lord Hypnos is your twin brother, after all,” Aergia replied with complete sincerity. “Moreover, since this matter inherently involves arrangements between two temples, it is naturally far more appropriate for you to raise it personally than for a subordinate deity like me to speak rashly.”
“...”
Thanatos felt something was off, yet upon careful thought, he could not find any flaw in her logic.
“Then what about your own wishes?”
Aergia did not hesitate.
“Whatever the final outcome may be, I will accept it.”
Thanatos knit his brows; he had originally thought Aergia would lean more toward the Temple of Death because he was willing to grant her authority over death.
Yet as things stood now, the little deity did not seem to display any overly strong preference regarding her staying or leaving.
Still, that was fine too; at least she had not refused.
As for the rest, he would simply go speak directly with Hypnos.
The young God of Death finally let out a soft hmph.
“Suit yourself.”
Then he turned, the dark wings behind his back slowly unfolding.
“As for this matter, I will speak to Hypnos clearly myself.”
Aergia gave a slight nod.
“Then I shall trouble Your Highness.”
Thanatos's steps suddenly faltered.
For some reason, an odd sensation suddenly welled up inside him.
Clearly, he had been the one to proactively offer to recruit a subordinate deity, so why did it feel in the end like he was handling a troublesome errand on Aergia's behalf?
The young God of Death frowned and pondered for a moment before ultimately deciding not to dwell on it further.
Either way, he definitely had to secure the goddess.
Nothing else mattered.
On their return to the Underworld, Aergia finally had time to summarize the gains from her trip to the earth.
From initially taming Nephele, to fulfilling her divine portfolio of Sleep Induction, to the elevation of her godhead of Rest, and to the newly condensed Cessation.
This series of changes had occurred in almost rapid succession, leaving her barely enough time to digest them all.
Especially the birth of the godhead of Cessation.
It not only deepened Aergia's understanding of Sloth, but also finally granted her a divine portfolio with actual lethal capability.
Though she was still far from being able to stand independently against powerful deities, at least she was no longer as she had been upon her birth, forced to rely entirely on the protection of others.
Compared to Aergia's calmness and satisfaction, Nephele's reaction to the Underworld was noticeably far more intense.
The moment they passed through the dark fissure connecting the earth and the Underworld, the silver-gray divine steed ground to a sudden halt.
It raised its slender neck, its pale purple-gray eyes scanning the surroundings warily, while the coat that originally lay smooth against its body bristled slightly.
Its pair of pure white wings unfolded outward instinctively, as though the moment it sensed any danger, it would immediately carry Aergia on its back and fly back to the earth.
This could hardly be blamed on it.
Nephele was a life birthed through the joint nourishment of divine daylight divinity and the mountain origin.
What it was accustomed to was the light high above the heavens, the wind flowing among the sea of clouds, and the steady, heavy leyline aura deep within the divine mountain.
And the Underworld was clearly starkly different from all of this.
There was no true day here; heavy, ancient darkness shrouded the boundless domain, while the occasional distant whispers of dead souls added an uneasy atmosphere to this already unfamiliar world.
The soft luster interwoven with pale gold, misty purple, and light blue within Nephele's long mane appeared particularly eye-catching in the gloomy environment of the Underworld.
It clearly did not like this place.
Aergia could feel its anxiety through the bond between them, so she gently stroked the side of the divine steed's neck, letting her soft divine power flow forth.
That power originally belonging to Soothing had not vanished due to the elevation of her godhead.
For Nephele, who was not facing death, it still served merely to calm mental tension and allow its emotions to gradually settle down.
Nephele's ears twitched slightly.
Though it did not completely lower its guard, it was finally no longer in a rush to leave.
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