Cronus' system: Against the gods
Chapter 50 Cronus' Thoughts

Rex rowed the boat across the eerie river, his gaze fixed on the massive gates ahead. The ominous aura surrounding them sent a shiver down his spine. He casually leaned back, popping his knuckles as the darkened water rippled behind him.

"Alright, Cronus, hit me with it. What's behind door number one?" Rex muttered, activating God's Eyes to scan the gate.

Name: Doors of Hypnos and Thanatos

Rank: Harbinger level

Level required to pass for harbinger: 30

Weakest monsters within:

Shades

Rank: Common beasts

Description: Shadowy figures that appear as humanoid silhouettes with glowing eyes, these are souls that failed to cross into the afterlife and are now bound to the temple.

Abilities:

Soul Drain: Slowly saps the life force of any living creature nearby.

Intangibility: Can phase through walls and attacks.

Rex stared at the gate for a good minute before he exhaled, shaking his head. "Yeah... no thanks. I think I'll pass for now."

Cronus chimed in, his deep, Shakespearean tone dripping with amusement. "You seem hesitant, Harbinger. Afraid of the shades, are we?"

Rex rolled his eyes. "Please, I'm just being... strategic. I could probably take those spooky little soul-suckers. But the level 30 requirement? I'm, what, level 20?

I'd prefer not to become shade food, thank you very much."

He turned the boat around, rowing back to the other side of the river with ease. "I'll just come back when I hit level 30. Smart, right? Slow and steady wins the race. No need to rush into a deadly situation and become a snack for some shadow monsters."

"Wise decision," Cronus replied, but Rex could hear the amusement in his voice. "Though it is rather anticlimactic."

"Look, I've got a date with level 30, not the Grim Reaper." Rex stretched as he docked the boat. "Besides, I've got that Hunter's Faction thing Brenda was talking about. I'll just level up the slow way. You know, fight a few weaker monsters, build my way up, not die. That kinda thing."

He willed himself back to the normal world, aiming for the exact spot where he had killed Ralph Zipper. Instantly, he reappeared, except something was off. He was still standing where Ralph had met his end, but the scenery was slightly different. It was like an hour had passed since he left. He had a clear understanding of time so he instantly recognized the difference.

"Wait a second…" Rex scratched his head, confused. "Cronus, did we take a wrong turn in time? Why is everything still moving? I thought time was supposed to stop in the real world when I left."

Cronus sighed. "Ah, my dear Harbinger, you failed to will time to stop before leaving. Time flows naturally unless you specifically command it otherwise."

"Wait, what?! But I didn't do that before!" Rex screamed. The first time he had entered the underworld. Cronus had told him that time would stop on its own if he was there so..... why now?"

"Harbinger! When thou started the journey, I was in control of the system but now... slowly... the powers are now yours"

Rex blinked, then slapped his forehead. . Why didn't you tell me that before?"

Cronus chuckled. "I suppose it slipped my mind."

Rex sighed again, shaking his head as he headed home, feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion hit him. When he reached his house, the smell of food invaded his senses. His stomach grumbled loudly.

"First order of business: food. Second: sleep. Third: avoid any shades for the foreseeable future."

He wolfed down a quick meal, barely registering what he was eating, and then collapsed onto his bed. His thoughts drifted as his body gave in to sleep, his mind bouncing from one thing to another.

"Seraphina… I hope she's doing alright. "I'll check her in school tomorrow, I guess..." He rolled over, his eyes barely open. "And Magnus… Left him back with Brenda. Those two didn't even flinch when Sera got attacked! Never mind, I just hope Hope he didn't screw things up."

Rex yawned, closing his eyes. "Eh, he's probably fine. I'll worry about that tomorrow."

With that, Rex drifted off to sleep, his mind swimming with thoughts of battle, friends, and the ever-growing weight of responsibility that came with being a harbinger.

As Rex drifted off to sleep, the ever-present figure of Cronus remained within the recesses of his mind, quiet but vigilant. The Titan of Time had grown accustomed to Rex's banter and lightheartedness, a stark contrast to the gravity of the situation they were in. Cronus allowed himself a moment of reflection, something he hadn't indulged in for eons.

He thought back to the day he first met Rex, the powerless boy on the verge of death, caught between fate's cruel grip and the mercy of the gods. So much had changed since then. Rex, once an insignificant mortal, now wielded the powers of time, bending the fabric of reality itself. A second chance had been given, a gamble Cronus wasn't sure would pay off at the time.

But Rex had surprised him. There was a spark in the boy, a defiance against destiny, that reminded Cronus of something long lost, hope.

"Hope." The word lingered in his ancient mind, stirring memories of another time, of another life, before his fall from grace. Back when he, the mighty Titan, ruled alongside his siblings, before the betrayal of his son, Zeus. Cronus' voice, so often calm and detached, wavered as these thoughts surged to the forefront.

Zeus.

The name alone carried the weight of betrayal, pain, and anger. Zeus, his own flesh and blood, had overthrown him and cast him into the abyss of Tartarus, leaving Cronus to rot in darkness for millennia. And yet, despite everything, Cronus couldn't deny the small part of him that still felt sorrow.

Now, Zeus ruled the heavens with an iron fist, watching over his children with the same paranoia that once plagued Cronus himself. The cycle of fear and power repeated endlessly. Cronus sighed, wondering if things could have been different. Had he been a better father, had he not let the fear of prophecy consume him, perhaps....

No. The past was immutable, even for the Titan of Time.

Cronus turned his attention back to the present, to Rex. A mortal-turned-harbinger, brimming with potential but woefully unprepared for the dangers ahead. His reckless bravery reminded Cronus of Zeus, though Rex lacked the arrogance that had plagued his son.

Zeus was nothing if not meticulous, seeking to eliminate any threats to his throne, even his own children. The demi-gods lived under the constant shadow of death, just like Rex, though most were oblivious to it.

It was ironic, really. Rex had unknowingly become a key player in the cosmic game between gods and mortals, and yet, all he wanted was to live freely, to protect his friends, to survive. Cronus couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for dragging Rex into this battle. But the boy had chosen this path, and there was no turning back now.

"Harbinger..." Cronus whispered softly to himself, watching over Rex as he slept, lost in dreams. "You have no idea of the storm that is to come. Yet, I see the strength in you, something I never saw in Zeus... or myself."

For all his bravado, Rex cared. Deeply. About his friends, about the world around him. It was that care, that loyalty, that set him apart. Rex was reckless, yes, but his heart was in the right place, and that would be his greatest weapon.

Cronus allowed a rare smile to creep into his voice. "Perhaps... perhaps there is hope yet, not just for you, but for us all."

His thoughts lingered on Seraphina, Magnus, and the others in Rex's life. They were more than just companions. They were his reason to fight, his anchors in a world that was slowly unraveling around him. Seraphina's mysterious powers, Magnus' carefree spirit, Brenda's subtle guidance, all of them had a role to play. They were connected in ways that even Rex couldn't comprehend yet.

But with those connections came danger. Cronus knew that the more Rex cared, the more he would have to lose. He had already rewound time once to save Seraphina. How many more times could he pull off such a feat before the consequences became too great?

Time, after all, was not something that could be cheated forever.

"Zeus will come for you, Rex," Cronus murmured, his voice low, almost sorrowful. "And when he does, you must be ready. I will do what I can to prepare you, but in the end, it will be your choice, your will, that decides your fate."

The ancient Titan of Time, bound to watch over a mortal boy, couldn't help but feel the weight of it all. Fate was a cruel mistress, and destiny was a path filled with thorns. But for now, as Rex slept, Cronus allowed himself the rare luxury of hope.

Perhaps, just perhaps, this time, the cycle could be broken.