Chapter 9: Mortal vs. Myth
Hyun-woo slumped alone in the enchanted garden, his ass planted on a cold, hard stone chair that was worlds away from the warm, silky smooth bed he'd shared with Ebonara back in her cavern. But hey, it'll have to do—no point whining about it.
The air hung thick and heavy, loaded with the intoxicating sweet scent of those glowing night-bloom flowers. Their petals shimmered softly in the dim light, pulsing like they were breathing.
Even though a sun shone somewhere far above, not a single ray of direct sunlight pierced the garden—it was all filtered through the long trees, keeping everything in an eternal, cozy twilight. Shadows danced gently on the twisting vines and ancient stone columns, making the place feel mysteriously alive.
Instead of brooding over the earlier drama with the Gorgon sisters, Hyun-woo decided to kill time by messing with his status window. He flicked it open in his mind's eye, the glowing blue interface hovering like a video game HUD.
The stone chair wasn't exactly comfy (it numbed his butt after a while), but it wasn't torture, either. At least he was alive and chilling.
But then—bam—new notifications flooded in, scrolling like crazy.
[Charm has been resisted successfully]
[Charm has been resisted successfully]
There were literally thousands of these messages stacking up, an endless wall of text. Hyun-woo's jaw dropped, eyes wide in total shock. Holy shit... I kinda suspected they might try some sneaky charm magic on me—but damn, this many? They've been blasting me with it non-stop since I got here? Sneaky fucking bitches.
He scrolled through the endless list, half-annoyed, half-impressed. Then a new, brighter message popped up:
[System: Creating antibodies. Your body is now building immunity to charm effects.]
Fuck yes, Hyun-woo thought, a grin creeping onto his face. That's a goddamn beautiful message. Looks like I don't have to keep worrying about their mind games turning me into a puppet.
That aside, there was one thing he was really curious about: Ebo. Or more specifically, her "hunger." Was that some ancient curse, or just a biological thing for scorpion monsters? Hmmm… maybe I should ask her straight up next time instead of wondering what it is.
But man, I'm so glad I have this class. Without it kicking in during our hot session, I'd be scorpion shit right now—eaten alive in her cavern.
Before he could dive deeper into those horny memories, a sudden, weird sensation hit him—like invisible hands wrapping around his throat and squeezing hard. His breath caught, vision blurring at the edges, focus slipping away. What the fuck—? Panic spiked, but just as black spots danced in his eyes, the pressure vanished as quickly as it came.
He gasped, rubbing his neck—no marks, but it felt soo real.
Then he looked up and froze. The sky—the massive, glassy magical barrier enclosing the whole realm—was cracking. Huge fractures spidered across the sky, glowing faintly with ominous red light, like shattered glass about to rain down.
And then—boom—the ground trembled violently. Not some gentle quake; this was a full-on rumble that shook everything, making vines whip wildly and the glowing flowers dim like scared fireflies.
Hyun-woo's chair rocked hard, nearly tipping him off, and he gripped the stone arms tight, heart slamming into his throat. What the actual fuck is happening now? Another attack?
From the main house beyond the arched doorway—the fancy inner part he was strictly banned from—angry voices exploded.
"What the fuck is this?!" Stheno bellowed, her voice sharp and furious, echoing like thunder.
Then Medusa's cooler but super tense reply cut through: "Sister, stay alert. Someone's created a barrier!"
The fractured sky darkened fast, swirling black clouds boiling up like a nightmare storm in fast-forward. Thunder cracked loud enough to rattle his bones, the light reflecting off the glassy cracks of the sky in weird, distorted directions.
The air turned heavy and thick, suddenly loaded with the sharp, salty tang of ocean spray—like being hit by a wave on a beach.
Hyun-woo jumped to his feet, legs wobbly as jelly. This can't be good. Run? Hide in the vines? But then he glanced at his status window again—his level was ∞—and calmed down.
He steadied his breathing, eyes locked on the cracking sky, adrenaline pumping. Whatever was about to crash this party... he hoped that his strength would be enough.
The very next second, a massive, ear-splitting crack ripped through the fractured glass sky—like reality itself was tearing open with a violent snap. Shards of the magical barrier glinted as they hung in the air for a moment, reflecting the chaos below.
From that jagged rift poured a roaring torrent of white-foaming water, slamming into the Gorgon's house like a full-on tidal wave. The impact boomed like thunder, shaking everything.
But it wasn't just water—huge serpentine sea monsters coiled inside, scales shining wet, fangs bared in nasty snarls, hissing loud and challenging, basically screaming, "Come out and fight, you Gorgon bitches!"
In seconds, the whole garden flooded ankle-deep with icy-cold brine that soaked right through Hyun-woo's boots, chilling his feet to the bone and carrying that sharp, salty ocean smell that stung his nose.
Then—he appeared.
A towering figure rose from the crashing waves, easily 20 feet tall, built like a walking storm. His wild sea-green hair whipped around like living kelp in a raging gale, his beard a messy tangle of coral chunks and sea foam dripping everywhere.
His eyes glowed fierce, like deep ocean trenches lit by lightning strikes. He wore heavy armor made of shimmering seashells that clinked with every move, and in his huge hands, he gripped a massive trident that crackled with electric blue energy, sparks dancing along its prongs.
He looked exactly like Poseidon—the infamous Greek god of the seas, earthquakes, and wild horses, known for his explosive temper and... less-than-consensual "conquests" in the old myths.
Poseidon paused for a second, scanning the sisters' grand home with a smug, appreciative smirk—like he was admiring the fancy architecture and the massive ancient tree in the courtyard that somehow still stood tall, untouched even after his sea serpents had smashed into everything around it. Then his glowing eyes landed on Hyun-woo, standing there soaked and wide-eyed in the garden.
The god's face twisted into pure rage.
"You dare shelter a man in your cursed lair?!" he roared, his voice booming like massive waves crashing against cliffs, deep and shaking the ground so hard Hyun-woo felt it in his chest.
He jabbed his crackling trident toward the house. Right on cue, Medusa and Stheno burst out from their home, their snake hair hissing wildly like a nest of pissed-off vipers, eyes hidden behind thin veils but ready to unleash that deadly petrifying stare any second.
"After what I gave you, Medusa... Stheno—immortality, raw power—and you betray the gods by harboring this pathetic mortal filth?!" Poseidon bellowed. "I'll drown every last one of you in the deepest fucking abyss!"
Medusa snarled back, her snakes rearing up like angry cobras ready to strike. "You 'gave' us? You took everything, you fucking bastard god! This is our home—no one, not even a god or some ancient primordial shit, comes barging in without our permission!"
With that, she ripped off her veil and unleashed her legendary gaze—a bright, deadly beam of petrifying energy that hit one lunging sea serpent square in the face. The monster froze mid-air, turning to gray stone before crumbling into harmless dust that scattered on the wind.
Stheno didn't waste a second—she charged forward like a green-scaled blur, claws extended sharp as knives. "Fuck off back to your shitty ocean, you rapist prick!" she screamed.
Her slashes were fast and brutal, carving deep gashes straight through Poseidon's watery armor. The cuts smoked and tried to reform, but way too slowly.
Poseidon swung his massive trident at her, but Stheno dodged it effortlessly, twisting like a shadow. Then she countered hard—spitting a glob of burning venom right into his glowing eyes. He roared in agony, clutching his face as the poison sizzled.
These sisters were straight-up legends for a damn good reason—immortal Gorgons who'd honed their powers over thousands of years. They outclassed this divine bastard by miles.
Together, they tore through the sea serpents like it was nothing: Medusa petrifying a bunch into crumbling statues, Stheno shredding others with claws and venom. Their movements were so fast they blurred into green streaks, a deadly dance of fury and grace.
Poseidon staggered back, his giant form flickering and weakening under the nonstop assault. "You... worthless insects!" he growled, voice cracking with frustration.
But the sisters just pressed harder, totally dominating the fight. Hyun-woo watched from the flooded garden, mouth hanging open in awe. Holy shit, they're absolute badasses. This Poseidon is fucking toast.
But then—everything flipped.
Poseidon's eyes suddenly flashed with a creepy, unnatural crimson glow—not his normal stormy blue. A surge of thick, dark energy crackled all around him, like black shadows slithering and weaving straight into his body, feeding him power from somewhere else.
His wounds sealed up instantly, muscles bulging bigger, trident humming louder with way more juice.
"Enough games," he snarled, voice dropping deeper, layered with a creepy echo that would've made any normal person shiver in terror.
The air dropped colder in an instant. The flooding water reacted weirdly, too—it wasn't just sitting there anymore; it writhed and slithered like it was alive, tendrils snaking up legs.
With this scary new power rushing through him, Poseidon went full beast mode. He slammed his trident down, unleashing a massive, roaring wave that ripped the ground open like paper.
The earth split with a deafening crack, sending Stheno flying backward—she smashed hard into a stone column, the impact echoing like a gunshot and cracking the marble.
Medusa didn't hesitate; she locked eyes and fired her petrifying gaze. But Poseidon was ready—he threw up a thick wall of that empowered, living water, deflecting the Gaze harmlessly into steam.
Then he countered brutally, blasting a tidal surge right at her. It hit like a truck, slamming Medusa against the wall with bone-jarring force. She slid down, coughing up salty brine that burned her throat, snakes hissing weakly.
Dead serpents reformed out of the writhing water, bigger and stronger than before. They swarmed the sisters in a frenzy, pinning both against the cracked wall with crushing coils and snapping jaws. The Gorgons slashed and stared back fiercely, turning a few to stone mid-attack, but there were too many now.
The sisters were legends—who'd survived gods and heroes for ages—but this sudden, cheated power-up flipped everything. Their raw strength wasn't enough anymore; they were getting overwhelmed, pinned down, struggling just to breathe.
Poseidon loomed over them, raising his crackling trident high for the killing blow, electric energy buzzing like a storm. "End of the Gorgons!" he boomed, voice full of smugness.
Without a single fucking thought, Hyun-woo bolted forward, splashing wildly through the icy, living water that tried to trip him.
"Hey, asshole! Leave them the fuck alone!" he yelled, adrenaline pumping.
He snatched up a thick fallen vine off the ground—dumb as hell for a weapon, but it was right there—and whipped it hard at a serpent harassing Stheno. The vine snapped harmlessly against its scales, but it worked: the beast whipped around, pissed, and lunged straight at him with jaws wide.
As that beast shot toward his face, Hyun-woo didn't flinch. He looked right at the serpent—muscles bulging in his arm. With a primal roar that echoed, he swung and punched the monster.
It connected with the serpent's jaw—CRACK!—shattering scales like glass and disintegrating the whole fucking thing into misty foam right there. The impact boomed like thunder, and the water around his fist flash-evaporated in a steamy hiss.
Poseidon whirled around, actually looking surprised for the first time. "A mortal dares challenge me? Interesting... it's been eons since something this fun!"
He thrust his trident forward, firing a thick bolt of empowered water energy—straight at Hyun-woo.
But Hyun-woo dodged it like he'd gone superhuman, twisting with speed he'd never had before, the bolt blasting harmlessly into a column behind him.
"How fucking dare you dodge that?!" Poseidon snarled, eyes flashing. "Then have more, you little shit!"
This time he unleashed hell—a barrage of energy bolts plus a swarm of reformed serpents, all rocketing toward Hyun-woo at once.
Hyun-woo moved like a blur, dodging every single one with insane reflexes, weaving and jumping. He even used the last bolt as a ricochet—grabbing a serpent mid-lunge and hurling it into the energy blast, exploding it mid-air.
He closed the gap in seconds, grabbing Poseidon's massive arm—skin rough and crusty like old barnacles—and twisted with pure beastly force, bones creaking under the pressure.
"You piss me off, motherfucker!"
Up close, Hyun-woo's aura hit like a wave. It even messed with Poseidon; those glowing eyes widened in confusion. Hyun-woo twisted harder, wrenching the arm with a sickening pop.
Amid the chaos, the sisters stared in total shock, still shaking off coils. Medusa gasped, wiping brine from her mouth: "What... how the hell?" Stheno, finally freeing herself with a venom spit: "This is... what the actual fuck?!"
Before Poseidon could even scream in pain, Hyun-woo didn't waste a second—he leaped high onto Poseidon's massive back like a wild animal claiming its prey.
His arms locked tight around Poseidon's thick neck in a brutal chokehold, muscles bulging with power, squeezing hard enough to make the god's watery veins pop and creak.
"Get... off... me, you fucking mortal!" Poseidon gasped, voice gurgling as he clawed at Hyun-woo's iron grip, thrashing wildly and sending waves splashing everywhere.
But Hyun-woo held on like a goddamn vice, roaring as he poured every ounce of his surging strength into it. With one final, savage surge—CRACK!—he twisted hard, the sound echoing like a breaking tree trunk as Poseidon's neck snapped unnaturally.
The giant figure staggered forward, knees buckling, his massive form flickering wildly like a bad hologram losing signal—edges blurring, colors glitching between blue and shadow.
That creepy crimson glow in his eyes faded.
Poseidon managed one last, twisted smile before his whole body disintegrated into swirling wisps of sea foam and dark shadow. As they faded, a low, ominous whisper lingered: "That was... interesting, mortal."
The cracked glass sky above started mending itself slowly—fractures sealing with soft, glowing pulses until it was smooth and perfect again, like nothing had happened.
The writhing floodwaters drained away fast, gurgling down invisible cracks in the earth, leaving behind muddy debris, shattered stone, and the heavy scent of saltwater.
The sisters stood there panting, soaked and battered but alive, snakes hissing weakly as they caught their breath.
Medusa approached first, stepping carefully over the mess, her eyes wide and stunned now that she had no veil on her eyes. "You... you saved us," she said, voice softer than usual, almost disbelieving. "Why the hell would you do that?"
Hyun-woo dropped to one knee, grinning wide despite his burning muscles and red-flushed cheeks from the adrenaline rush. "Couldn't just stand there and let you two get hurt," he said, catching his breath. "Plus... even though you both acted like total bitches, you're still Ebo's friends. And she's... important to me."
Stheno rubbed her bruised arm, wincing a bit, but a weird red flush crept across her scaly cheeks—embarrassment? Or something else?
"Dumbass," she muttered, looking away with a huff. "But... thanks, pretty boy." Her voice was gruff, but there was no real bite in it anymore.
Little did they know, this whole attack was just the opening move in some divine conspiracy. That "Poseidon" wasn't real—it was a clone, a disposable test dummy sent to probe their defenses, scout for weaknesses in the monster guardians protecting Eden's Vault.
Someone bigger was plotting to breach the place. Didn't know why, didn't know how.
And Hyun-woo's powers? They'd definitely drawn eyes.
The real players were watching closely now, intrigued by this mortal.
But for the moment, the garden was safe and quiet again. The glowing flowers perked back up, the air warmed, and even the sisters' usual deadly glares had softened—just a little—into something almost... curious.
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Chapter 16 is now available on Patreon.
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