King of Underworld

Chapter 123

The Second Labor - Slaying the Hydra (2)

Heracles arrived at the Lernaean Spring, where the Hydra was said to reside. All around him, the air was filled with a toxic mist, and even the small plants nearby had withered and died, leaving no trace of life. The entire place was blanketed in a dangerous green fog, yet Heracles was able to move about freely in such a perilous environment...

‘Asclepius mentioned this was something he received from Apollo’s temple. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to return it intact.’

Heracles had wrapped himself tightly in the impenetrable hide of the Nemean Lion and covered his mouth with a sacred cloth, holding a sturdy iron club in his hand. The cloth, blessed by Apollo, the god of medicine, allowed him to breathe freely in the overwhelming toxic air.

Even though Heracles’ body was strong enough to resist most poisons, he remembered the teachings of his mentor, Chiron, and remained cautious, never letting his guard down.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, something flew toward him through the air—swiftly. A golden, elongated object... a sword?@@@@

Whoosh. Clang—!

A glowing golden sword sliced through the air, heading straight for his heart, but it was deflected by his iron club, clattering to the ground. Wait, a golden sword? Could it be...

Hisssss!!!

A massive serpent, larger than a house, slithered toward him, with a golden sword flying around it, striking freely. It was none other than...

‘Chrysaor, the Golden Sword? What’s that monster doing here?’

The creature, born from the severed neck of the goddess Medusa, was now targeting him, its enormous body crashing toward him with thunderous force. The impact sent Heracles flying through the air.

Guh!

Boom! Crash!

Of course, the hide of the Nemean Lion protected him from any real harm, but the sudden surprise attack caused him to lose his grip on his iron club, which flew from his hand and fell to the ground.

Heracles immediately tried to retrieve the fallen club, but someone else reached it first.

“Oh my... So you’re the hero Gaia spoke of?”

"...?"

The voice belonged to a stunningly beautiful woman, smiling like a delicate rose. However, her lower body was not that of a human but rather that of a serpent.

Heracles had learned about this creature from Chiron. She had once been Zeus’ lover, but was cursed by Hera, becoming this hideous form...

"Lamia?! Aren’t you supposed to be hiding near the mountains of Athens?"

“Oh, how flattering! It’s an honor to be recognized by such a tragic child, cursed and tormented by the gods.”

Lamia’s wide grin, stretching to her ears, gave off an eerie vibe. As she smiled, she turned to Heracles and spoke.

"Naturally, Gaia, in all her greatness, offered me a chance for revenge against the cursed gods."

"Gaia, one of the Protogenoi?"

“You’re the son of Zeus, aren’t you? That bastard Hera cursed me while your father just stood by and watched... Heh heh... When you’re involved with the gods, things never end well. Your fate will be no different."

Her eyes, once filled with sarcasm, now glistened with madness as her sharp nails extended. With terrifying strength, she easily lifted the heavy iron club that had fallen to the ground.

“Even though the gods favor you now, will they still, once your usefulness is over?”

Heracles glared at the half-human, half-serpent monster, and at the giant serpent Chrysaor beside her. It seemed he had a strange connection with serpents throughout his life.

He didn’t remember, but as an infant, he had strangled two snakes to death. In the underworld, he had fought a mighty serpent named Python in a fierce battle.

With a mighty swing, he brought the club down on the nearest head.

"Die!!!"

Splat!

One of the Hydra’s heads exploded under Heracles’ immense strength. Unlike the Nemean Lion, the Hydra’s skin was not so tough as to withstand such blows.

However...

Splat! Sizzle...!

The crushed head spewed a foul liquid, which was dangerous. The Hydra’s blood and all its fluids were lethally poisonous, and even a drop could be fatal.

Fortunately, the hide of the Nemean Lion was impervious to the Hydra’s poison, and the venomous fumes rising from the spilled liquid could not penetrate Heracles’ body.

Ssss—

But the Hydra, a child of Typhon, had more than poison as a weapon. It possessed incredible regenerative abilities, rivaling that of the giants who stood upon the earth.

"Huh. It’s regenerating immediately."

The head that Heracles had crushed began to regrow almost instantly, while the remaining heads took turns lunging at him. One bite, and the venom would surely send him to meet Thanatos. Heracles twisted his body, dodging the serpent’s attacks.

In battles between man and monster, no matter how strong a human is, it’s difficult to endure a monster’s direct assault. The sheer mass and force of the creature could throw anyone off balance, leading to a fatal mistake.

Of course, someone as supernaturally powerful as Heracles didn’t have to worry about such things.

Still, he had to dodge every single one of the Hydra’s attacks.

Ssssss!

Because of that damned venom.

‘Should I retreat for now...?’

Even though he had severed three of its heads, they continued to regenerate. The ground was gradually turning green from the spreading poison. The Hydra’s enormous size and strength couldn’t be ignored.

Heracles briefly considered retreating but then came up with a plan.

‘Should I burn them...? My pride stings a little, but there’s no other choice.’

The plan was to cauterize the wounds with fire to prevent the heads from regenerating. He had thought of this method earlier but wanted to complete the task using his own strength to accumulate divine achievements. However, there was no dealing with the Hydra’s venomous blood.

‘If it weren’t for that poison, I would’ve finished this long ago.’

Heracles backed away from the Hydra, reached to his belt, and pulled out a small piece of flint. He grabbed a nearby withered tree and set it ablaze.

Crack! Sizzle—!!

With his iron club, he smashed one of the Hydra’s heads and immediately seared the wound with fire...

Hissss!!!

But even with fire, the Hydra’s head still regenerated. Worse, while Heracles was busy burning one head, another struck at him, forcing him to roll away quickly.

Luckily, the poison on the ground didn’t affect him because of the lion’s hide, but Heracles looked at the monster in frustration.

‘What the... It’s regenerating even with fire?’

Why wasn’t the regeneration stopping?