Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

Chapter 796: Chapter 292 Nine-Headed Snake

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Swoosh—

In Oroa City, he watched in disbelief as the “residents” he had killed earlier once again filled the streets, busy repairing the damaged houses.

The old man who was the first to be killed even had the time to apologize to the young hero, stating he never intended to deceive.

Clearly, for all the lives in this city, the material body was merely a vessel, and dying a thousand times over held no real significance.

If he could not destroy the “spirits” controlled by Ande’s “strings,” they were alternative undying beings.

Witnessing this, Heracles felt his knowledge was indeed lacking, even against a lesser-known evil god; he had no solution.

A seemingly powerful force felt like hitting the water’s reflection, unable to harm the moon in the sky.

Although Heracles did not know it, it was not his fault but rather due to the change in the authority of “Life” in the world, which once led to Spirituality surpassing material, so that strong spirit could affect matter, but strong matter found it difficult to interfere with spirit.

Yet he could only guess that there were others besides Ande with similar means, and he would have to face these beings sooner or later.

Especially toward his goal, the spiritual realm.

It was said to be the source of Spirituality in the world, home to life forms vastly different from the material world.

So, when Heracles left Oroa City, he couldn’t help but raise his doubts to Ande.

“Mr. Ande, since we are now fellow travelers, I have a question I wish to ask you.”

Wandering aimlessly through the forest, Heracles spoke while adjusting to the lionskin cloak that now belonged entirely to him.

“You want to ask me, if you encounter enemies like me again in the future, how you should deal with them, right?”

Click, click…

Heracles’s shoulder twitched, and in the next moment, a puppet-like figure emerged from it.

It looked almost like a living person but with subtle differences, giving off an inexplicable eerie feeling.

Yet under the unseen influence of the contract, Heracles felt no fear at all.

“Yes.”

The young hero nodded, not denying it.

“Since we’ve now signed a contract, we’re companions to each other.”

“You said you aren’t skilled in combat, so if I run into a similar situation again, how should I respond?”

“Well, this… actually, for gods, this isn’t a real problem.”

After pondering a moment, the puppet slowly said, “Pure strength is of no use. To deal with an existence like me, if you cannot wield similar methods, you need items containing the power of authority.”

“And True Gods, each one is born with authority.”

“So you mean—Divine Artifact?”

Immediately realizing what the other meant, Heracles understood at once.

Deities are naturally endowed with them, but mortals could also utilize the power of Divine Artifacts.

However, to his answer, Ande nodded first and then shook his head.

“Divine Artifacts are indeed useful, but they come in different kinds.”

“Ordinary Divine Artifacts may allow you to destroy the souls residing in my puppets, but if your aim is my true self, then their utility is likely limited.”

“After all, the mortal realm cannot contain Divine Power, and my true form is not here at all. What you see now is merely my vessel before fully becoming a god, it was once a creation that held the Divinity of [Drama].”

“It thus can endure my power, just as a deity’s incarnation bears them, but its destruction would not truly harm me. Only particular authorities, such as [Death], could allow you to trace the spiritual strands extended by me and inflict damage on my true form, or along a deity’s divine descent incarnation to wound their true self.”

“Besides that, there are authorities like [Judgment] or [Strength], the latter of which is most suited to your divine authority. It not only enhances your strength but allows you to harm things you otherwise could not.”

“Of course, as everyone knows, the authority of [Strength] belongs to the Titans Deities, to Atlas, the Bearer of the Sky.”

“So although it suits you, you likely have no chance to acquire it.”

“Is that so.”

“I understand.”

“[Strength]… [Death]…”

“Authority, this is the most precious treasure of All Gods.”

Pondering thoughtfully, the young hero silently noted these things.

Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles.

And now he carried the ten thousand books with him as he journeyed ten thousand miles.

Although currently lacking in many areas, Heracles believed he would one day fill in these gaps.

After all, this was only his first trial… Well, of course, counting the one Ande arranged, which made it two: one from Olympus and one from an extramundane evil god.

He wondered if his subsequent “trials” would also turn out like this.

Beyond those given by the gods, he would create one himself.

“Hmm?”

Just about to ask something more, Heracles suddenly heard a soft hum of surprise.

The puppet on his shoulder seemed to notice something, stirring clickingly, and burrowed into one of his pockets.

It must be said, whether due to the puppet’s special material or Ande’s undeniable power, once it nestled into the pocket, even Heracles himself momentarily felt it lost the presence of a living being, indistinguishable from a dead thing.

“Alright, I’ll stop talking for now. Someone is fast approaching.”

“Heh, almost forgot, you’re quite treasured in his eyes… Remember to come up with any reason, you should know this by now.”

The latter part resonated directly in his mind, and before he could reply, Heracles suddenly sensed a powerful gust of wind blowing from afar.

Containing a familiar power within, it was the breath of a god. Soon, the form of the God of West Wind appeared before Heracles.

“Ah—Heracles, I finally found…. Ahem.”

His wings swept up gusts of air.

It wasn’t until he saw the familiar figure that Zephyrus truly breathed a sigh of relief.

Swallowing back the words almost blurted out, the God of West Wind surveyed the missing person before him.

Compared to before, he seemed stronger now.

Draped over his shoulders was a crudely tanned lion’s skin.

With just a glance, Zephyrus recognized its former identity.

The Nomas Lion, the demon that even god-descended incarnations could not subdue, now reduced to a defeated soul under Heracles.

Seeing this, though not an eyewitness, the God of West Wind reconstructed the truth of the matter in his mind.

This Nameless Forest was likely a law-distortion area wrought by mighty Divine Power of the old era clash; this was why he had previously been trapped here unable to leave.

After all, compared to True Gods, Primordial Gods had power with a lingering potency sufficient enough. It easily permanently altered the rules of a place, one of the reasons why the contemporary world suppresses and repels them.

As for why the current world, even more powerful than they, could not mend these ruptures… that is no secret but rather a common understanding among the gods.

Much like the early Second Epoch, when the world had to wait for the Goddess of Justice to complete the great work of “legislation” to gradually eliminate the chaotic remnants under the current Order.

If the world itself had such intelligence, it would no longer be called the “Will of the Present World” but would tread upon the mortal realm in a persona directly.

Returning to the topic, regardless of how this place was formed, as a result, these abnormal law phenomena were likely exploited by the evil god behind the demons here, making it a protective shield against the gods.

But the opponent had never imagined that one so powerful a demigod would come.

Even with an abnormal law, its reaction when facing the target was different.

Therefore, compared to his own situation, Heracles was entirely unaffected. He found his target directly and slew the demon here.

With the demon’s death, the forest’s aberrations vanished accordingly. Thus, although he had looked for a long time earlier to no avail, he now found him easily.

Hmm… it should roughly be like that.

Still curious about the exact process, but as a god, Zephyrus wasn’t keen on displaying his ignorance, especially before Heracles.

Although the time spent together was short, he was well aware of the young man’s potential. Heracles willingly submitted to orders, which allowed him to command.

However, if one day he would no longer be willing, then perhaps even the God of West Wind could do nothing with him… Thus, before the young hero, Zephyrus merely coughed lightly and acted as if everything was within his grasp.

“Heracles, it seems you’ve successfully completed the task I assigned to you.”

“The evil demon has died at your hands. From now on, the northern people will no longer suffer from its ravages; you have done well.”

“…It’s what I should do.”

The young hero shook his head, speaking after a moment of silence.

“Hmm, regardless of anything else, you have done your part for the people of the North. From today, your name will also be known in the Mortal Realm.”

“Even though it was a good deed performed for atonement, yet Olympus and the gods won’t misappropriate your merits.”

Nodding with satisfaction at the young man’s reaction, Zephyrus felt that his conjectures were indeed correct.

He had no clue what had just transpired, nor that this place was a perilous zone where even True Gods could get trapped.

He only knew he had completed his task, seeing himself before him immediately after.

“As you can see, Heracles, you have completed the second task I gave you, and very successfully at that. But, young hero, you cannot stop now.”

“In this world, evil demons are everywhere, and those unwilling to submit to the gods abound as well. What you have done now is merely a trivial beginning.”

“To fully atone for your kin-slaying sins, you need to keep moving forward.”

Although the first two tasks had their share of mishaps, the results were always satisfying.

Accordingly, following his initial plan, Zephyrus pronounced the third trial.

“Go south, past the mountains and great rivers, head to the southland filled with mists and marshes.”

“There you will find the Hydra, offspring of the King of All Monsters, a demon far more troublesome than the Nomas Lion.”

“For the past millennia, it has devoured fields, ravaged people and beasts, destroyed cities; the venom it exudes has claimed thousands of lives, turning fields into swamps wherever it passed.”

“It is the Nine-Headed Demon, a monster with boundless life. It inherited Typhon’s bloodline and consumed the Divine Blood of the Goddess of Life fallen to the Mortal Realm.”

“Your third task is to eliminate it, and let this evil demon become a mere embellishment in your legendary life.”

Invisible currents swirled up branches and petals from the ground, forming a tableau in mid-air.

Heracles immediately saw the demon in the god’s words, the Nine-Headed Hydra.

He had heard of its name, a demon ravaging the southern water systems of the continent.

It possessed what could be called the world’s most potent venom, capable of inflicting unimaginable pain even on the undying gods.

Because of this, the gods dreaded it, but this was not the Hydra’s unbridled reliance.

Its true strength lied in its so-called undying life.

The Hydra had nine heads, of which eight could be severed, but the core one was immortal and unbreakable.

As long as that one remained, the other eight would regenerate continuously under the demon’s formidable body.

The War God had once attempted to confront it, but gods within the Mortal Realm were fundamentally not its match.

Lacking Divine Power to rely on, he could not do anything about this formidable demonic monster.

“The Nine-Headed Demon, huh… I will kill it.”

His eyes flickered southeast—Heracles remembered that Silver Moon City should lie there.

He wondered if he would have a chance to visit… He thought the new acquaintance Ande would find a way.

“Very well, Heracles, I witness your bravery, and the gods will be watching over you.”

Smiling approvingly, Zephyrus contemplated a bit more.

Although losing track of him earlier wasn’t his fault; it was mainly due to the enemy’s cunning and unfavorable site circumstances, yet one must always learn from past mistakes.

What if something similar happened again? He ought to prepare in advance.

Thus, the God of West Wind pulled out a feather from his body, bestowing upon it the blessing of the wind.

“To aid you in your mission and as a reward for your courage.”

“Heracles, I give this to you. It will let the formless wind favor you and heed your call.”

“The journey is long; may it assist you.”

“I await your success on Mount Olympus.”

Returning to Olympus was, of course, untrue, but watching Heracles accept his gift, Zephyrus felt this should ensure everything was secure this time.