Chapter 1400: Side Story 9
Chapter 1400 - Side Story 9
Philos felt as if the taste and flavor of the Golden Apple that she had eaten yesterday were still lingering in her mouth. She could not forget the sweetness of the juice that burst in his mouth the moment he took a bite of that apple.
[You have eaten a Golden Apple.]
[All of your stats…]
The weird notifications rang in her ears just like usual, but she was way too engrossed in the delightful taste of the Golden Apple that lingered in her mouth that she did not hear anything.
Before she completely left Hera’s arms, Hera turned to her and said, “Let me teach you the greatest power that I can bestow upon others.”
[You have acquired the Skill: Most Beautiful Warrior.]
“This is an Olympus-rank power. It is also the power that represents me.”
An Olympus-rank power was equivalent to an Absolute God-rank power. Regardless, Philos’s lips puckered into a pout. “I’ll give you something tasty,” Hera said, as she patted Philos on the head.
“Philos, if you can win the hearts of the other Gods of Olympus, then you will be able to get something as delicious as the Golden Apple.” Hera continued, “The Gods of Olympus all have something that represents them. Take, for example, Dionysius. Dionysius has a shine muscat.”
Philos’s eyes sparkled. Was she saying that there were many ingredients like the Golden Apple that she ate yesterday?
***
Today was the day Philos was supposed to follow Dionysius around. For some reason, all of the Gods of Olympus, except for Hera and Ares, appeared in front of her.
“Lady Hera and Ares had told us about you. Thus, we’ve decided to give you two options.”
“Options?” Philos looked at them in confusion.
The Gods of Olympus grinned. It was a small trick. Nonetheless, there was a chance that Philos would choose the option where they wouldn’t have to take her around.
“The first option is for you to stay with us for a few days. The second option is for you to remove Copying Monarch Delard from the Gaia Continent on our behalf.
“The Copying Monarch possesses a special power. His power allows him to copy the power of the opponent that he fights against the moment the battle starts. And the power that he can copy is precisely the opponent’s secret skill.
“And whenever he copies his opponent’s power, he will say, ‘Let’s have a contest. Let’s see who can last longer and use your ability more brilliantly.’
“Delard can only use the power that he copied using his copying ability temporarily during the contest. But if his opponent loses in the contest, the opponent will lose all power completely to Delard.”
“So, you’re saying that you want me to stop that guy named Copying Monarch roaming around the continent?”
Dionysius nodded. “If you can do this, then we will give you the ingredients we have. We will also help you grow and bestow our powers upon you.”
Philos’ eyes sparkled. ‘Is he saying that I can get all of those ingredients at once?’
Was she given the chance to obtain a large quantity of ingredients, comparable to the Golden Apple, all at once? That was an excellent condition to propose.
“Ah, from what I recall, the Copying Monarch also possesses an ingredient called Dragon Eggs. These eggs were said to be larger than ostrich eggs.”
She had just heard the information, but Philos was already imagining herself eating it. How delicious would it be if she made a fried egg with such an egg? Then, what about using it to make some soy sauce egg rice?
Philos immediately made her choice. “Then, I’ll go and meet the Copying Monarch! Where is he now?”
The Gods of Olympus kindly and patiently explained to Philos where Delard was. After Philos left, Zeus breathed a sigh of relief.
[With this, we won’t need to take care of that annoying kid.]
There was something that they did not tell Philos. Of course, they wouldn’t have told her even if she had asked.
[That guy came out alongside Kronos when he broke free from Tartarus.]
The Copying Monarch was the source of a headache for all of the beings living on the Gaia Continent. Zeus had given an order to the Gods of Olympus to try and solve this problem one way or another. This was because among the countless gods, aside from the Gods of Olympus, in the Gaia Continent…
“Sixty-eight of the gods have already suffered in his hands,” Artemis said.
Zeus nodded in agreement.
“Normally, if someone copied your abilities, the one who will be at an advantage in a competition will always be the one who owns the skill.”
Alas, Delard completely ignored this logic.
“The problem with Delard is that when he copies his opponent’s abilities, it will be 10% more efficient and outstanding than the original owner’s abilities. Not only that, he can also persist longer because the duration will be longer.”
Because of this, all of the gods who competed with Delard had been defeated. Furthermore, rumors were that Delard was already planning to challenge the Gods of Olympus. Of course, none of them believed that Philos could solve this problem. They just suggested this to deal with her because they found her annoying.
“What if she succeeds?” Apollo asked.
Zeus smiled wryly. That would be an even bigger headache.
[The sixty-eight gods deprived of their abilities are asking us to solve this problem.]
[If these gods truly lose their most powerful abilities, then they will also be deprived of their position.]
[The gods hold a deep grudge and resentment toward Delard. If she succeeds, then they will find Philos completely endearing.]
Zeus looked at the distant horizon.
[And didn’t we promise? We will give her our skills and our ingredients if she deals with Delard.]
[I’m sure we’ll also end up adoring that precocious girl and find her cute.]
Of course, they believed that something like that would never happen.
***
Copying Monarch Delard was two meters tall. Not only did he have a large set of teeth and a deep overbite, but he also had a face filled with acne that was red and seemed to be ready to burst. His eyes also looked as if they were infinitely tired and sleepy, and his nose resembled a pig’s nose.
Although he did not look good, he was able to take away the power of many of the gods of the Gaia Continent. Unbeknownst to everyone, his cheat-like skill has a fatal flaw. According to his skill’s description, he would not be able to find out what ability his opponent had until the match began.
At this moment, Delard saw a young child running toward him.
‘What’s this? What’s with this kid?’
“Have a match with me, Delard!” The child shouted boldly.
Well, Delard had nothing to lose. After all, it did not matter to him who his opponent was. The moment the match started, he could copy his opponent’s best power. He could even make it 10% better. No matter who they were, they would succumb to him, and he would be able to take the power away. So, regardless of what power this girl had, Delard had nothing to lose. So, he readily agreed to the match.
[You have copied the Heart Thief.]
[Every little thing that you do gives you a chance to capture and win over the heart of your opponent.]
‘...?’
He was doomed. Delard did not like this kind of power at all. It was challenging to win over someone else's heart, even if they had a power that specifically targeted this. Perhaps this was the most incompatible power with Delard. Nevertheless, Delard was still able to use a Heart Thief that was 10% better than that of the girl’s version.
Delard pressed his index fingers on his cheeks and said, “Have I stolen your heart?”
The moment his fingers pressed down, a pimple burst open. Philos stared and remained unmoved.
Then, Delard puffed his cheeks and pouted.
“No. Then, how about this? Pyung~”
A few more pimples popped open when he puffed his cheeks. Undeterred, Delard raised his arms and took on a “charming” and “bewitching” posture.
“Th-then how about this?”
At that moment, Delard’s armpit hair popped out. As an ugly person, he could already tell how disgusting, dirty, and hideous he must have looked. In fact, the reason why he was trapped in Tartarus was that he was ugly. This was also the reason why he decided to copy all of the abilities that he could copy, become stronger than anybody else, and crush them all the moment he got out of that hell.
Delard felt regret. It was impossible to win over the heart of this young girl with his horrible and ugly appearance, no? For the first time, Delard was defeated.
“Damn it! It must have looked disgusting, huh? Kid? Anyway, since I lost the bet, I’ll grant you a wish.”
Delard had always offered to grant his opponent’s wishes as one of the conditions of their match.
“My wish?”
The girl named Philos was the best person to use the Heart Thief passive skill. No. The word “use” could not describe it well. It was as if she were the personification of the skill.
“My wish is…”
Philos pulled out a handkerchief and stood on her tiptoes, motioning for Delard to bow down. Delard bowed his head in confusion. At that moment, she used her handkerchief to wipe the pus that was dripping down his face.
“...for you to know that you’re also a precious person. Appearances are not everything in the world.”
“Eh?”
“So what if you look a bit ugly? Uncle, you’re cute in your way, you know?”
“Huh?”
At that moment, Delard felt something that he had never felt in his life. For some reason, he felt as if he had been possessed.
[Your heart has been stolen.]
[Your heart has been stolen.]
[Your heart…]
[Your heart…]
[Your heart…]
[According to the Heart Thief, you have been 100% bewitched.]
***
A grave and somber atmosphere hung over Olympus. Why? It was all because of Delard. Just a few hours after Philos left, the gods, who had been deprived of their powers, rushed into Olympus and began to make noise.
In the Gaia Continent, Olympus played the role of the Battle God. Since they stood at the apex and loomed over all of the gods, they had the responsibility to help those below them achieve what they wanted, relieve them of their worries, and help solve their inconveniences.
Right now, the gods strongly demanded…
“Lord Zeus! We beg you. Please punish Delard and search for my power!”
“If things continue like this, then I will completely lose my ability! If that happens, then I will be disqualified from being a god!”
If the inherent ability that represented the gods had disappeared for more than one month, then they would be disqualified and deprived of their position as a god. In one go, they could lose sixty-eight gods. This would be a massive blow to the Gaia Continent.
Alas, there was nothing that they could do for now. Zeus had to send them away first.
[For now, we have already sent someone…]
Unfortunately, there was one thing that Zeus had overlooked. Rumors had started to circulate after they learned that Ares and the Gods of Olympus had been deceived before.
“Lord Zeus! How can you say that?! You just sent a little girl!”
“You are the supreme and greatest god! Please hurry up and dispose of him and help us get our powers back!”
“I hope that Olympus will not turn its back on us!”
“We do not wish for that girl to go and deal with it!”
“Are you hoping for the impossible?!”
Zeus was left flustered and embarrassed. The same was true for the Gods of Olympus. Why did the Gods of Olympus decline to step forward and deal with the matter personally?
[‘My strongest power, Lightning, might be taken away from me.’]
Zeus could not bear to tell them what he was thinking. The gods grew increasingly violent.
“Lord Zeus, if things continue like this, we might have to use force to subdue them.”
However, doing that would cause them to lose faith in Olympus.
[If there’s no other choice… then we have to do it.]
Bzzt, bzzt, bzzt!
Zeus made an extreme choice. He decided to subdue them by force first and let them settle down. It was a necessary choice.
“I’m back!”
With a flash of light, a young girl appeared in Olympus. The gods frowned when they saw the girl.
“Minhyuk’s younger sister?”
No one in the room held any expectations for the girl. But then, they saw Delard appear right beside the girl. Delard raised his head and looked at all of the gods staring at him. The Gods of Olympus flinched simultaneously. After all, Delard was someone who would grow stronger the more power of the gods he absorbed.
Then, Delard declared, “This child has defeated me. I no longer wish to take away the power of the people here.”
“...?!”
“...?!”
Before leaving, Delard wanted to present something to Philos, the girl who had stolen his heart.
“I will also return the power of the sixty-eight gods whom I’ve defeated before.”
This was the greatest gift that he could give to the child.
“However, I want the gods to cherish and love this child. Give her the gods’ authority, your praise.” Delard stared at the Gods of Olympus. “And the same goes for you.”
[Delard returns the power of the sixty-eight gods!]
The gods, who had regained their lost power, stared at Philos. Delard had personally demanded something in exchange for their powers. Regardless, even if Delard did not say anything, they had already received a vast and overwhelming grace from the girl the moment he gave them back their powers.
[God of Wind Genen’s favor has reached MAX.]
At the same time, Philos’ Heart Thief was activated, strengthening the bond between them and the young girl.
[God of Recreation Kianan’s favor…]
[God of Land Viejen’s favor…]
Ring!
[You have acquired the Title: Gaia Continent’s Gods’ Beloved.]
[The gods bestow upon you their praise.]
Light struck Philos constantly.
[Cannot measure the praise.]
[Cannot be measured.]
[Cannot…]
[The story of Philos, the Gaia Continent’s beloved, is being spread to the world.]
All of the Gods of Olympus stared at Philos.
“Did I do well?” The child asked with a pure and bright smile on her face.
Zeus nodded in answer.
[You did well.]
The gods thought that they acted very disgustingly and showed an ugly side of an adult to this child. At this moment, they finally realized why Hera and Ares cared for this child.
Dionysius said, “I’ll give you the power to create alcohol.”
Aphrodite declared, “I’ll bestow upon you the power to shine like the moon.”
Apollo added, “I will give you the power that can make you as strong and as hot as the sun.”
Poseidon said, “I will grant you the power to stand against any tidal waves.”
Hades murmured, “I will confer on you the strength to not be afraid of anything.”
Then, the greatest and most powerful god, Zeus, declared…
[I will make you the most precious and most beloved child in the Gaia Continent.]
Everyone turned to look at Zeus.
[I will give you my lightning.]