Of course, this position was all kinds of wrong. It completely looked as if Atalanta had intended to take advantage of Rovi...
"I get it—you really lack fatherly affection, but no need to be in such a rush," Rovi teased, glancing sideways.
Due to the ship's violent shaking, the beast-eared girl had fallen right onto him, her slender legs clamping instinctively around his own. The sheer black fabric stretched tightly, clearly outlining the slender yet gently curved shape beneath. Her modest chest pressed against him, the triangular space between her thighs brushing silently against him, freezing in place as her breath suddenly grew rapid.
Though her teeth were sharp, when she bit Rovi's neck, all he felt was a gentle, ticklish sensation and the soft glide of her lips...
Atalanta froze completely.
She had no idea how to react.
What do I do?
The normally fierce, cat-like girl was now in complete panic.
Then, the next second, she felt a warm sensation trail upward along her waist as Rovi's hand gently stroked her through her clothes.
Oh no… he wouldn't really—
Though inexperienced, Atalanta wasn't naive. She instinctively tried to struggle, only to find her body utterly limp, strengthless.
She felt anxious, fearful—and what was this strange anticipation she felt?!
Lord Enkidu, Lady Artemis... I'm sorry—
"Eh!?"
Atalanta's eyes snapped open.
She realized… he had grabbed her collar and lifted her up.
Her eyes met Rovi's amused gaze. "So reluctant to leave my embrace?"
D-Damn you...
Atalanta bared her teeth but didn't dare move another muscle.
She let Rovi pick her up and gently set her down to the side of the bed.
Her breathing slowly steadied, though her embarrassment lingered.
Having grown up in the forest, she couldn't quite understand her own reactions, but right now she genuinely wanted to either bite Rovi to death or kill her own previous self.
"Let's go take a look," Rovi said, glancing at her before turning toward the window. Outside, the nighttime sea was dark as ever, but the bright moonlight that had guided them moments before had vanished entirely.
The ocean howled, waves crashing upward like torrential rain.
An aura of "disaster" filled the air.
This explained the ship's sudden lurch just now.
Though, admittedly, for a brief instant earlier, even Rovi had reacted.
But as a Child of the Primordial Origin, he maintained perfect control over himself.
He would never be blinded by mere desire.
"Hmph!" Atalanta's face was still faintly flushed, but she quickly put on her cloak and followed Rovi.
Once a wildcat discovered warmth, it would find it very difficult to leave.
And she was no exception.
...
On deck, Heracles stood solemnly, staring ahead at the massive figure causing the violent waves blocking their path.
That was—
"A monster from the abyss… the Hydra. Why has it appeared on the surface?"
Towering on the violently swaying deck, his short black hair blown wildly by the fierce ocean wind, Heracles gazed intently at the colossal shape looming over the sea.
The mountainous nine-headed serpent whipped the wind and sea into chaos, its enormous tail slamming the ocean's surface and hurling massive waves skyward.
The Abyssal Beast—Hydra.
Unlike any of the beasts Heracles had encountered before, Hydra wasn't merely a monster—it could rightly be called a demonic god.
It was the embodiment of oceanic disaster, the offspring of Typhon, born from the lingering grudges of the defeated Titan. Even the Olympians had sealed it deep in the abyss out of fear.
Its strength was terrifying, surpassing even ordinary gods.
On the sea, not even most chief gods could deal with it.
Heracles had no confidence that he could break past its blockade.
At that moment, the cabin door swung open. Rovi and the cloaked Atalanta stepped onto the deck.
What is that?
Atalanta's cat-like eyes narrowed beneath her hood, stunned by the monstrous creature before her.
So, that thing was responsible for embarrassing me?
Where's my bow?!
Her feline ears trembled, the pale skin of her cheeks still tinged red.
"That's the Hydra," Rovi explained calmly. "A legendary monster."
"I know what it is. I don't need your explanation!" Atalanta growled through clenched teeth.
Heracles came over, glanced at Atalanta, noticed the bite mark on Rovi's neck, and wisely chose to ignore these troubling details.
"Mr. Rovi, our path is blocked," he said simply.
Should they detour, or—?
"You don't have the confidence?" Rovi raised an eyebrow.
Heracles replied honestly, "I don't."
Heroes weren't reckless fools.
Accurately assessing the gap in strength between oneself and the enemy was crucial for any adventurer.
While he'd grown tremendously, both mentally and physically, since leaving Mount Pelion's cave, Heracles knew clearly he still wasn't a match for the Hydra from the abyss.
From his perspective, even Rovi—who once fought Ares evenly—might not defeat it head-on at sea.
Rovi found Heracles's reaction understandable. After all, if he remembered correctly, the Hydra was one of Heracles's future Twelve Labors.
Defeating it was something yet to come.
"In that case—" Rovi smiled brightly, "we'll charge straight ahead!"
"You're serious?" Atalanta's eyes widened. She'd assumed they'd change course.
"Mr. Rovi... Understood." Heracles instantly grasped Rovi's unwavering decision.
Indeed, it was unwavering.
Hydra on the sea was a cataclysm capable of overwhelming even a typical chief god.
Rovi looked forward to seeing whether it could crush his Original Body.
Even more, he looked forward to Hydra's deadly poison. In the original myths, even Chiron—the son of the second-generation king of gods—had died from the Hydra's venom.
Could it possibly kill him too?
Rovi eagerly anticipated the answer.
The Hydra was certainly strong—but not beyond his grasp.
In that case—
"Continue sailing straight forward!"
At that moment, pushed by the churning sea, the Argo swiftly approached Hydra. The waves grew fiercer; had the three aboard not been extraordinary, they wouldn't have been able to stand.
A piercing roar shattered the sky. One of Hydra's massive heads noticed the approaching ship and lunged forward, its jaws opening wide to reveal fangs glinting sharply.
The ship rocked violently. Heracles firmly gripped the helm, maintaining course, while Atalanta braced herself against the railing to avoid being blown away by the gale.
Only Rovi strode forward, directly toward the enormous serpent's head.
A dark world without sun, moon, or stars.
The gods' radiance obscured by the serpent's immense body.
Hydra roared in the boiling sea, as though intending to overturn the very world.
Heracles struggled mightily to keep the ship's direction.
Atalanta could scarcely draw her bow.
Hydra charged forward, its poisonous fangs revealing the terror of the abyss.
Aboard the ship now devoid of heroes—
The hero once titled Sage opened the treasury that housed all things.
Radiant ripples illuminated the world, awakening all existence like the dawn.
Instantly, day broke.
Amidst the spray of seawater filling the sky, Rovi spread his arms wide. The Gate of Babylon's treasury manifested on all sides of the Argo.
Thousands of portals opened, countless blades and spears arrayed like forests.
With each step forward, weapons thundered forth, crashing relentlessly upon the Hydra.
In that moment, the catastrophic waves of the ocean surged so grandly that even a god who had witnessed every wonder would gaze in awe.
---
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