Death Knocks on Hell’s Door Chapter 49

Chapter 49 Jealousy

Venus held two completely unrelated divine duties: love and pleasure. Poseidon, on the other hand, had two entirely opposite divine nature: gentleness and violence. The gentle nature of the God of Sea firmly occupied the realm of Venus’ love, while his rage tightly controlled his lust. There could be no more fitting pair than them.

Venus now felt that love and lust were not as unrelated as they once seemed. He had once been fond of Adonis, and whenever they were together, he was far happier than when with any other god. He had since fallen in love with Poseidon, and the joy he felt during their games was infinitely magnified, his body and soul fully surrendering, with rewards beyond measure.

One could possess lust without love, but lust infused with love was a flavor many times sweeter.

Since lighting up his seafaring ability, Poseidon no longer constrained Venus’ freedom. He allowed him to roam the vast sea, with the sole condition that he could not set foot on land, let alone return to Mount Olympus.

As long as Venus remained in the sea, he would never escape Poseidon’s grasp. He wished to hide him away, for only his eyes to behold him, but Venus did not want to be a caged bird, and this was the greatest concession Poseidon could make.

The sea was Venus’ origin and final refuge. Its expanse was vast enough for him to wander without end.

Venus had no desire to leave the sea. Lately, he had been very career-minded. He shone brightly in his role as the protector of sailors, and his passion for pleasure had waned. Every morning, when Poseidon tried to drag him for some exercise, his mind would wander. “Hurry up, I have work to do.”

Poseidon didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He admitted that the great storm from the past had not been a coincidence. It had been his deliberate attempt to spark Venus’ interest in his role as the God of Seafaring, to show him that he too could protect others and find joy in it. However, things had quickly spiraled beyond his control. Venus had completely fallen in love with this new job.

Venus had protected many, earning the trust and admiration of fishermen and sailors. On land, temples dedicated to him popped up like mushrooms after a rainstorm. But these were not temples to the God of Love and Beauty. They were temples to the God of Seafaring. Once, only lovers and those seeking beauty, love, and fertility prayed to him, but now, many more believers came, seeking favorable winds and safe returns. The continuous flow of belief and devotion strengthened Venus, making him even more powerful.

Beyond love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation, Venus had discovered yet another divine purpose for himself.

He was revered by humans, but despised by sea monsters.

Scylla was one such creature.

Scylla was the daughter of Phorcys, the father of all monsters. She was a sea monster with six heads and twelve feet, residing in the Strait of Messina. Whenever a ship passed, she demanded the sacrifice of six crew members before allowing the vessel to continue.

Scylla believed she was being merciful. After all, on the other side of the strait lay the whirlpool of Charybdis, a monstrous force that devoured everything in its path, sinking entire ships without a trace. Ships wanting to pass through the strait could only choose one of two routes. Compared with the Charybdis whirlpool where the entire crew would be wiped out, people would choose to pass through Scylla’s side, so that at least they only needed to sacrifice six crew members.

Sometimes, sailors would even prepare six people in advance to die.

Venus could not stand this. He summoned the power of the sea to block off Charybdis. Now people would choose to pass through this side, and Scylla would not be able to eat people.

Scylla was furious, but she dared not challenge a god, especially not Venus, the Queen of the Sea. All she could do was complain to her sister, Medusa.

Medusa was also the daughter of Phorcys, and she was a beautiful monster in her own right. Centuries ago, she had competed for the title of Queen of the Sea and lived with a group of beautiful women. But the King of the Sea had shown no interest in them, dismissing them all, keeping only those who refused to leave as his servants. Medusa, unwilling to accept this, had tried to stay, hoping for another opportunity, but for hundreds of years, the King of the Sea had never once looked her way.

The King of the Sea had originally been obsessed with finding the perfect lover. Over the centuries, Medusa’s initial admiration for him had long since transformed into an obsession. She swore she would become the King of the Sea’s lover, and even wear the crown of the Queen of the Sea.

But now, the King of the Sea had married the Queen of the Sea, and he was none other than Venus, the God of Beauty, who was said to be deeply favored by the King of the Sea. Medusa’s jealousy twisted her face with fury.

She hated Venus far more than Scylla did.

“Venus has taken away my meals. I’ll find a way to get back at her. A god who is all show and no substance dares to stir up the sea, relying only on the King of the Sea’s favor,” Scylla raged. “You, don’t you like the King of the Sea? You’re the most beautiful of father’s daughters. Go seduce the King of the Sea and let Venus taste the bitterness of losing favor.”

Medusa’s eyes darkened. “Sister, if I had a way to attract His Majesty, I wouldn’t still be a mere servant after all these years.”

Scylla grew even angrier. “I can’t swallow this humiliation!”

“Sister, don’t you know Cetus?” Medusa said. “Cetus is a lustful fool, and he’s been drooling over Venus for ages. If you transform him into a handsome man and have him seduce Venus, the God of Pleasure will surely sleep with him. If the King of the Sea sees his queen cheating on him, he’ll surely despise him.”

Medusa prided herself on understanding the King of the Sea well. His perfectionism, his obsessive tendencies, and his possessiveness were terrifying. His divine nature would not allow him to tolerate his queen betraying him after their marriage. Once Venus was abandoned, she would have the chance to step in.

Scylla thought the plan made perfect sense and immediately went to find Cetus to discuss the details.

Cetus was a terrifying sea monster known for his insatiable lust. He had long coveted Venus, and upon hearing the plan, he eagerly agreed.

The plan was quickly devised. Years ago, the King of the Sea had kept the Queen of the Sea hidden away, treating him like a precious treasure, unseen by others. But lately, the Queen of the Sea had been making frequent public appearances, and the King of the Sea’s favoritism had also been publicized. Every few days, he would send a maid with piles of jewels for the Queen of the Sea. Medusa could easily mingle among the maids, enter the Queen of the Sea’s chambers, and, when the time was right, send a signal to Scylla. Scylla would then direct Cetus to act. Once Cetus had seduced Venus, Medusa would inform the King of the Sea of the affair, claiming to have discovered it herself.

Cetus had no idea that the sisters’ plan also involved the King of the Sea catching them in the act. All he wanted to do was to sneak into Venus’ bed. He wasn’t brave enough to face the King of the Sea directly.

Medusa thought the plan was well-thought-out, but she had underestimated her own jealousy.

This time, Poseidon had gifted Venus a necklace made of pearl from the East. Medusa gazed at the necklace in the box and couldn’t help but feel envy. What kind of beauty deserved such a jewel?

Dressed as a servant, Medusa snuck into the Queen of the Sea’s bedroom. The moment she saw the beautiful god, she was so stunned that she couldn’t find the words.

In the lavish palace, the golden-haired youth sat before a mirror, exuding grace and elegance, with a beauty that was nothing short of stunning. The head maid respectfully presented the necklace to him. “This is a gift from His Majesty, a necklace made of pearls from the East.”

Venus smiled and said, “Put it on me.”

The maid placed the necklace around the youth’s slender, swan-like neck. “You are more beautiful than the pearls themselves.”

Venus smiled at his reflection in the mirror, and all the maids in the hall collectively felt like they had lost their souls.

Medusa was also stunned by such unparalleled beauty.

Even compared to Amphitrite from back then, she believed she could hold her own. But in front of Venus, Medusa could only feel a deep sense of shame.

She lost, utterly and completely.

But her jealousy flared once again. He possessed such extraordinary beauty, a noble birth, and the King of the Sea’s exclusive favor. How could such a perfect being exist in the world?

Medusa wanted to shatter this perfection, to cloud the youth’s carefree smile with jealousy and sorrow, turning him into a creature as tormented as she was.

She should have left with the other maids after confirming the situation, but for some inexplicable reason, she stayed behind.

Venus noticed that one maid had not yet left. He turned around, his smile gentle. “Is there something else you need?”

Medusa, carrying malice in her heart, spoke up. “Your Majesty, I am the King of the Sea’s lover, Medusa.”

Venus’ smile did not falter. “So, is there something you need?”

“I’ve heard that you were raised on the divine mountain. I’m sure you know that King Zeus has countless lovers, and his brother King Poseidon is just as promiscuous. He once kept a whole palace full of lovers, and I was one of the ones he favored most, though I was still not perfect enough,” Medusa said, her voice tinged with a wistful tone. “The King of the Sea has always had an obsession with finding the perfect lover, and he has never been satisfied with any of us. He demoted us all to servants. I’ve often wondered what kind of beauty would meet the King of the Sea’s standards, until I saw you.

“You are truly perfect. Even if I were a man, I would still be unable to resist falling in love with you,” Medusa said with a smile, shaking her head. “I’ve said too much today. Please, consider it the ramblings of a fool. I should get back to my duties.”

With that, Medusa turned and left without hesitation.

Everything she said was the truth, although she conveniently omitted the fact that the King of the Sea had never touched them, and had barely even looked at them. The world believed them to be his favored lovers, and that alone should be enough to unsettle the God of Beauty.

Medusa felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

Venus, after listening to the woman’s inexplicable remarks, calmly called for a maid. “The King of the Sea once had an obsession with finding the perfect lover? He kept a whole palace full of lovers?”

The maid, trembling as she looked at the Queen of the Sea’s face, dared not lie. “……Yes, but that was all in the past. The King of the Sea only loves you now.”

The maid was newer to the palace, arriving only after those events, but she had heard the older servants speak of it. It seemed that there was indeed such a thing.

Venus called upon several more maids and guards to confirm, and each gave the same answer.

After dismissing them all, Venus stood before the mirror. The smile that had curved his lips faded little by little, and the joy he had felt upon receiving the jewelry quickly sank.

So what if he had kept lovers? The God of Pleasure should not care about such things. After all, he himself had had lovers before……

No. He cared deeply. Why, then, did he have only four lovers besides Poseidon, while Poseidon had an entire palace full of them? It wasn’t fair!

Poseidon locked him up in a palace, and he also used a palace to keep other lovers.

Also, he thought he had found love, but Poseidon might just be using him as a tool to satisfy his obsession? Poseidon chose him not because he loved him, but because he was perfect enough?

Venus recalled the countless times Poseidon had caressed his entire body while playing their games, praising his perfection.

Suddenly, he jumped to his feet. “I’m so angry!”

He was stunned by the angry look of the youth in the mirror, and the angry eyes quickly filled with confusion.

But why was he angry?

“If you were with someone else, I would be heartbroken. I would be jealous, I would be consumed by envy. Even knowing that, would you still do it?”

“Why would you be heartbroken?”

“If I told you I slept with Ares last night, wouldn’t you feel jealous? Wouldn’t you be upset?”

“Why would I feel jealous? Why would I be upset?”

Past questions surged in his mind, and at this moment, it seemed the answers finally came to him.

Poseidon had claimed him completely, body and soul. And so, he couldn’t tolerate anyone else occupying Poseidon’s body and soul.

“I’m angry because I’m jealous,” Venus said slowly, sitting back down, pressing his hand to his chest.

“I’m jealous because I love him, but he’s had relationships with others. I’m also a little sad because…… he sees me as an obsession, not love.”

Venus lowered his gaze, lost in thought. “That’s why I’m unhappy.”

“Who made our beautiful god unhappy?” A sharp male voice suddenly rang out.

Venus immediately turned around. “Who?”

A handsome man entered the palace, his eyes widening in awe as he gazed at Venus. He had heard many tales of the god’s beauty, but seeing him in person surpassed every description he had ever heard.

“I am Cetus. I’ve long admired your beauty, and I wonder if I might have the honor of sharing a moment with you?”

The ruins of the Nordic battlefield.

Hephaestus lay battered and bruised, collapsed amidst a fog, too exhausted to keep his eyes open.

But he couldn’t sleep. The battlefield was full of danger. Once he fell asleep, it would be an eternal slumber.

He could no longer recall how much time had passed, nor how many dangers he had faced in the fog.

If it hadn’t been for the obsessive drive to save Venus, he likely would have perished right there.

“Lucifer, there’s a god here, still alive.”

A gentle voice reached his ears, like a call from heaven itself.

“Lucifiel, this place is dangerous. It’s best not to get involved.” Another voice, equally sweet, but much colder in tone, followed.

“But I want to save him. My healing powers should not be wasted.” The gentle voice carried a note of pleading.

The cold voice sighed in resignation. “Do as you wish.”

Hephaestus struggled to open his eyes, trying to make out who was speaking. But he was too exhausted, only able to see a blinding white light, a brilliant mane of golden hair, and a single angel’s feather drifting gently down.

In the soft holy light, he closed his eyes.

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