Chapter 219 (1/2)

‘A stick...?’

Arethusa looked astonished as she glanced at the human beside her. The sword sheath he was holding in his hands shone gold before the apparition of a familiar club appeared, scattered, and disappeared. There was a great force that couldn’t be described in words.

At the same time, Park Muyeol swung it. The sword sheath created a long and attributeless sword energy that flew toward Ladon at high speed. Ladon, who was trying to breath out flames, was exposed in a defenseless manner and was hit by the sword energy. Ladon’s shadow could be seen falling through the fog created by a mixture of smoke and clouds.

“I’m surprised that it isn’t a big deal,” Park Muyeol exclaimed, but in reality, he felt different. Ladon only fell slightly. It rose through the fog with great pressure and Park Muyeol started to run away.

Michael followed him. “Teacher!”

“Who is your teacher? This guy!”

Arethusa watched the backs of two people running away with blank eyes. She hadn’t known that this human was associated with Hercules. Arethusa’s face turned red at the thought that he was a descendant. Then Aegle and Erytheia approached her.

“Sister, what are you doing?”

“Put Ladon to sleep, quickly!”

“...Uh, yes.” It was only then that Arethusa rang the bell again. Aigle and Erytheia also shook their silver bells and Ladon, who was roaring and crying out fiercely, finally fell asleep like a baby.

“Phew. We survived. However, what will happen when Ladon wakes up again?”

“Add the deception clouds over a stone around the same size to turn it into an egg.”

“Aha, Sister Erytheia is smart.”

“Huhut. I am your sister even if I look like this.”

Aegle and Erytheia laughed at each other. However, Arethusa couldn’t laugh at all. She quickly flew toward the place where the two men fled.

“Sister?”

“Sister, where are you going?”

Arethusa ignored her sisters’ calls as she kept searching for the two humans. Fortunately, they hadn’t fled the area. Indeed, how far could a human run away? She followed them while recalling the past.

‘Hercules...’

Hundreds of years ago, a human came here. His name was Hercules and he was introduced by her father, who was being punished at the time. Arethusa felt a strong attraction to Hercules who was strong, manly, and tough. It was definitely the emotion of love.

‘Then in the end...!’

However, he betrayed her and fled. He tricked her and her sisters to steal the golden apples and even killed Ladon using a poisonous arrow. Fortunately, Ladon had a baby, but it was unknown how much time she spent in order to raise it again. The three of them were punished for Ladon’s death by being imprisoned here for hundreds of years. Arethusa couldn’t forgive Hercules.

“I-will-kill-you!” Her loud roars entered the ears of the running Park Muyeol and Michael. The roar was so loud that the forest shook and a huge flow of magic power twisted.

“That crazy woman is going to kill us.”

“Teacher, should we get out of here now?”

“Of course. We have to go out.”

“Then I’m going to break the barrier. Get on.” Michael climbed onto his sand and reached out.

In Park Muyeol’s eyes, the power was distorted and this person was actually mounting the back of an evil spirit. “I don’t like it.”

“This is much faster.”

“It can’t be helped.”

Park Muyeol nodded and climbed up. Then the two of them rapidly moved to the place where the barrier was located. As his speed increased, Arethusa’s voice steadily faded away. Michael saw the barrier in the distance and made two giant sand fists, swinging them. The clouds barrier shook and Michael waved his fists again.

“Ohhhh!”

He could make Desert Calibur and cut it in an instant, but it took quite a long time to make it. Arethusa’s murderous voice was getting closer and Michael struggled with anxiety as he continued to punch. Just then, the clouds started to crack.

[The unknown power has temporarily weakened.]

[The phenomenon of distortion has temporarily disappeared.]

[The user’s face is revealed.]

[The scorpion zodiac, ‘Antares,’ has found you...]

Michael received many messages as he was punching. He gained more power when he was once again connected to Antares, and the power contained in the sand fists increased. However, Michael was more concerned about his face being revealed. Above all, he was curious about the face of the Sword Sage who would be his teacher. He smiled as he turned his head to the side. There was a familiar grandfather standing there. ‘T-This person...?’

The sword sheath in Park Muyeol’s hand was engulfed in a gold light and turned into a giant club. This was Hercules’s star relic that he experienced the other day, the Olive Tree Club. Park Muyeol’s mouth twitched when he saw a message from Hercules.

Then he told Michael, “This is why I said I wasn’t a Sword Sage.”

He jumped toward the cloud barrier and swung the club fiercely. A wave of great force shook the cloud barrier. It soon collapsed and caused an earthquake. Michael was shocked when he saw the fragments of the crumbling barrier.

* * *

I walked along the bustling streets of the Orca Kingdom with my group. This place had more users than anywhere else and it was so wide that I didn’t know how long it would take to walk around the entire city. Would it take a few days?