“Wake up, you stupid mortal!” Hades’ voice shouted. “Wake up! He’s going to crush you!”

Roger snapped back into reality, just in time to see Talo's foot rise over him. He rolled to the left before the foot stomped on him.

On his feet, Roger spotted the bolt and raced toward it. The screw was big as a car tire with a golden bolt on it. How was he supposed to unscrew the giant bolt without a screwdriver?

Without thinking, Roger jumped onto the bolt, gripping it. He tried turning it, but it wouldn’t move.

Talos hopped up on one foot and juddered his ankle. Roger kept holding on, but his stomach spun. “Hades! Help me!”

“You can help yourself!” Hades shouted between his palms.

Roger groaned, struggling to twist the bolt until he finally fell off the mech’s ankle.

After he landed, Talos turned toward him, blasting steam off his back. Roger scrambled to his feet and pointed Hades’ bident up.

What would happen if he uses the pitchfork’s power on Talos? Would his attack hurt Persephone?

Although he probably couldn’t hurt her, Hades might punish him anyway.

When Talos lifted his left foot, green vines suddenly wrapped around his mechanic's body. Persephone was holding her left hand up, wiggling her fingers. Green sparkles rained from her fingertips, sprinkling along with the vines. The vines grew longer each time the magic touched them.

Roger’s breath slowly escaped from his mouth. She is….. Enchanting.

Talos fell to the floor after the vines bound his legs together. Persephone slid from his grip before the vines reached her.

"Get him, now!" Hades shouted.

Roger nodded to the god and approached the bolt. With his bare hands, he twisted the bolt, but it still wouldn't open.

"Let me help!" Persephone approached him as he stepped aside.

"Honey!" Hades shouted. "Let the mortal do it!"

Persephone snarled at him. "We don't have enough time!" She gripped her hands on the bolt and twisted it to the left without biting her lips. The screw twisted off easily and landed on the floor.

The goddess jumped back before golden oil burst out from Talos' ankle.

The mech screamed as his body vibrated. Steam blasted from his back as if he was about to explode.

Fearing about that, Roger took cover behind the goddess. He was sure nothing could harm her in case the machine blows up.

But Talos cooled down and remained silent on the stone floor. He sounded like a steam engine who just died.

Roger wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Thank you."

Persephone smiled. "It's alright. I was getting impatient."

Roger couldn’t stop blushing at the goddess's cuteness. It must be the same feeling Hades felt when he first met her. Still, how could he be her uncle?

"Persephone!" Hades marched toward his wife, like a schoolteacher, ready to smack his student with a ruler. "I told you not to help him!"

Persephone crossed her arms and glared at her husband. It looked like she was about to react the same way she did to the guard. "Why? He couldn't unscrew the bolt from Talos. It would be a waste of time if I did nothing."

Hades pursed his lips. "We are gods, my dear. Gods are not allowed to help mortals."

“Why?” Roger demanded. “I could have been killed!”

“Whether you like it or not, it is part of our law.”

“I still don’t get it. You can do whatever you want!”

Hades sighed. “The last time we helped, we almost destroyed your world. Zeus told us to avoid mortals unless they prayed to us.”

Roger glared. “But he interfered, didn’t he?”

“That was a long time ago. We gods moved on, so you pathetic mortals can have your world to your own.”

“Is that why you left us? Left us with wars, crime, and now monsters?”

Before Hades opened his mouth, Persephone stepped between them. “Enough! I told you we don’t have a lot of time.” She gazed at Roger. “We can explain later, but you need to free the Cerberus and fight King Acrisius. Please do this for us.”

Roger sighed, calming down his steam. “What will you both do?”

“My wife and I will reclaim the Tartarus so the prisoners will not escape again,” said Hades.

Roger frowned. “So I’m on my own?”

Hades smirked. “That is why I gave you my armor and weapon. Nothing will stand in your way now.”

That made Roger felt a little better. “Okay.”

“My helmet can make you invisible too.” Hades tapped his forehead. “Just tap on it, and nobody will see you.”

“Like this?” When Roger knocked on the Helmet of Darkness, his arms and feet vanished before his eyes. His entire body was gone. “Wow!”

“The invisibility will only last for an hour. If someone touches you, they will see you.”

Persephone poked Roger’s skin, and then his entire body returned in his sight. “Like that.”

Roger stared at his hands. “Incredible!”

“Just tap and touch nothing until you make your move,” Hades suggested. “And don’t screw this up.”

Roger nodded. “I won’t, for our sakes.”