"ROAAAR!!!"
As if crashing headfirst into a wall forged of divine weaponry, the Hydra released a shrill, ear-splitting scream. The charging serpent head instantly exploded, splashing blood that blended with the torrential seawater.
Its remaining eight heads reared skyward simultaneously, letting loose terrifying roars.
The atmosphere of calamity grew thicker.
Storm, sea, and enormous serpent intertwined, merging into chaos.
"Mr. Rovi..." Heracles raised his gaze toward Rovi, who now stood at the bow.
Rovi spoke only one sentence: "Full speed ahead!"
Full speed ahead!
Having received his answer, Heracles inhaled deeply, ignoring all else as he firmly grasped the helm.
"Fuck it—full speed ahead!" he roared, gripping the wheel so hard it creaked.
What the hell was there to be scared of?!
Heracles raged inwardly; sometimes such crude words provided the strongest boost to morale.
Rovi stood tall at the bow, his sleeves fluttering in the violent wind.
The shining gates of the Gate of Babylon slowly faded; the Noble Phantasms that shot forth disappeared as they sank into the sea, returning to their storage.
Seawater continued pouring down like torrential rain, plunging heaven and earth into darkness.
And the Hydra rose once again!
Amid sickening squelches, the destroyed head rapidly regrew—splitting into two.
From the severed stump, two new heads emerged.
That was precisely what made the Hydra so formidable—its near-limitless regeneration. Unless one struck the core head decisively, it would become stronger with every blow exchanged. Without a precise kill, any battle would become a quagmire, slowly choking its enemies to death.
And the core head was always hidden deep within.
Yet, Rovi could see it clearly at first glance, concealed behind all the other heads.
That was the Hydra's weak point.
It was also its ultimate weapon—the poisonous fangs capable of killing a god of Chiron's caliber.
And that was Rovi's true target.
If not for this, he could have unleashed the full might of Ea from afar, annihilating the Hydra completely with power enough to rend the world itself.
No regenerative power would matter if utterly annihilated from head to tail.
But that wasn't what Rovi desired.
Thus, at that instant, as the Hydra's heads surged forward once more, Rovi gently pressed down with his feet.
With a creaking sound, the bow of the Argo dipped. Rovi leapt skyward like a meteor, charging straight toward the Hydra—toward its core.
"HISS! HISS! HISS!"
Serpent cries shifted from shrill to guttural as whipping heads lashed out at him like whips.
Rovi raised his hand, forming a fist. Crimson storms swirled around it, spreading outward in a vortex of scarlet radiance as he swung.
The Hydra's attacking heads were pulverized by the primordial force born from the rotation of stars. But just as one head shattered, another slipped behind him with explosive speed.
Its jaws opened, reeking of abyssal menace.
Clouds churned, and a moonlit streak of silver pierced through the sky, instantly punching through the serpent head.
Rovi paused briefly, following that trail of light to see Atalanta, bow raised, aiming directly at his location.
Her dark cloak was already drenched, the hood blown off by the storm, leaving her beast ears trembling slightly and long wet hair plastered down. She stood atop the highest mast, staring defiantly into the raging tempest. Her hands remained steady, and her gaze was razor-sharp.
"Tch—this battle isn't yours alone!"
Atalanta's eyes clearly conveyed her intent. As a hunter, she'd already marked the Hydra as prey…
Yet why did Rovi feel like he was the actual prey she'd set her sights on?
But now wasn't the time for idle thoughts.
To prevent overdoing it and accidentally killing the Hydra outright, he had to close in fast, coaxing it into delivering its deadly 'sting.'
With Atalanta's covering fire—perfect!
"Come!" Rovi kicked off once more, surging forward. The crimson storm propelled him onward.
Each punch threw a primordial gale forward, crushing any serpent heads in his path, while Atalanta's arrows kept the heads behind him at bay.
Working together seamlessly, they weaved through the Hydra's increasingly frantic barrage.
Its roars intensified as they drew ever closer.
Finally—
With a resounding boom, Rovi shattered the final barrier with a punch.
Right ahead, clearly visible, was the core head—the one whose eyes shone differently than the rest.
"Come!" Rovi surged forward.
"ROAR!"
The Hydra howled in fury, jaws wide as its fangs spat dark venom.
Here it comes!
Joy surged through Rovi's heart. He allowed the venom to coat him completely. At the same moment, his fist opened into a palm, and the crimson storm erupted around him.
First, a single beam of red pierced heavenward—then a burst of blazing wind and flame bloomed like a flower atop the sea.
The Hydra's colossal body instantly vaporized.
Massive amounts of seawater exploded into dense vapor. The dark clouds shattered, and the tremendous pressure drove the sea surface nearly a hundred meters upward, pillars of water piercing sky and earth alike.
Heracles strained with all his might, holding the Argo steady through the violent upheaval.
Atalanta remained perched atop the ship's lookout, staring anxiously into the dissipating mist.
Rovi… is he okay?
...
Rovi was definitely not okay.
After receiving a direct hit from Hydra's venom, although he'd managed a final blow, numbness overtook his body, sending him plummeting into the sea.
Strength drained away with every rise and fall.
Beneath the Aegean Sea lay endless darkness, broken only by faint streaks of azure.
As it turned out, a poison strong enough to harm someone at Chiron's divine level could also harm Rovi.
Though he possessed a primordial body of the highest purity, he remained, by classification, at the level of a regional chief god. More importantly, he was fundamentally human rather than divine. Even Tiamat had merely reshaped him—not recreated him anew. Undoubtedly, humanity held more freedom than gods, but even an overwhelming life force wasn't true immortality bound to nature itself. Especially since he'd willingly abandoned all defense to embrace the Hydra's poison.
Maybe this time, death would finally claim him…
Looking up through layers of seawater at Greece's sky, he vaguely glimpsed the gradually clearing heavens and scattered stars.
"Aren't you afraid of dying?" A clear, resonant voice rang softly in Rovi's ears.
A deity of the sea, perhaps?
Rovi deliberated briefly, deciding not to answer to avoid more complications—he'd had enough of those already.
"No reply… As expected, you have no fear. Sage from ancient Uruk, I've heard many legends about you."
"Today, we finally meet."
A faint glow appeared. Amidst brilliant azure radiance, a figure emerged.
Clad in armor, with long hair flowing like ocean waves, their beauty was genderless and ethereal.
"I am Poseidon, ruler of the seas. I was fortunate enough to meet the Sage of Uruk in the past, and from him, I received primordial purity."
"Now, from you, I've witnessed primordial wisdom and bravery."
"You have cleansed the sea of an abyssal monster, restoring its tranquility."
"Thus, I acknowledge your existence."
"In the name of Poseidon, the Sea God…"
"Henceforth, this eternal sea shall become a spring of purity for your life. You shall never perish from impurity."
"This isn't a blessing."
"It is a pact made between you and the Aegean Sea."
"From this moment onward…"
"This agreement—"
"Even should ten thousand years pass, shall remain unbroken."
The swirling glow slowly dimmed, the figure within bending slightly in farewell toward Rovi—and then raised a middle finger.
"Pffft—!"
Rovi's eyes snapped open, and he violently spat out a mouthful of venom.
"Cough—damn it. I survived again…"
Wait, did I just get flipped off?!
---
T/N: LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
discord.gg/wisetl
patreon.com/wisetl