Chapter 53 : A Bet with Hercules

“You must be the owner.”

The amber-colored eyes, like those of a beast, stared at me.

The man had short, curly brown hair and dark amber eyes.

His muscular bronze body, revealed as he was not wearing any clothes, was impressive.

“I clearly entered Molorkos’ house, but this place unfolded before me.”

Despite Vanessa’s wary gaze, the man’s attitude remained relaxed.

“However, there are only things I’ve never seen before, so I was just looking around.”

He casually picked up a pair of goggles from the shelf and examined them with curiosity.

“It doesn’t seem like a work of Hephaestus…”

The man asked as he looked at me.

“What is this place?”

“……”

Through the man’s words, I deduced his identity.

– I clearly entered ‘Molorkos’ house, but this place unfolded before me.

Molorkos was a poor farmer whose child was eaten by the Nemean Lion.

The man had entered Molorkos’ house, but he said he had ended up in our general store.

Then, it made sense why the man was so relaxed in the face of Vanessa’s threat.

He was someone beyond Vanessa’s ability to handle.

If my guess was correct, the man might not be a threat to anyone I knew, not just Vanessa.

The man was a demigod.

He was Hercules.

The son of Zeus, the king of the gods, and the great hero born to stop the Titanomachia, the Great War of Olympus.

==

I met a failed version of the world’s Hercules.

• Hercules [Help Hercules complete the 12 tasks.]

[Reward: Nemean Lion’s Skin]

==

The man was none other than Hercules, the demigod from Greek mythology.

In other words, the world I had entered was one where the gods still had influence over the earth.

It was a time when myths were alive and breathing.

It was the ‘Age of Gods.’

According to mythology, Hercules, due to the madness inflicted on him by Hera, the wife of Zeus, ended up killing his own family.

The ’12 tasks’ were the twelve trials Hercules had to overcome to atone for the sin of killing his family.

Having completed all 12 tasks, Hercules would cleanse himself of his sins and become immortal, accepted into Olympus after death.

However, Hercules had not even completed the first of the 12 tasks yet.

The first trial he had to face was to defeat the Nemean Lion.

If he had already defeated the Nemean Lion, there would be no reason for him to stay at Molorkos’ house, nor would he be walking around without a shirt like this.

‘Hercules’ symbol is the Nemean Lion’s skin.’

Even after his death and acceptance into Olympus as a god, he continued to wear the Nemean Lion’s skin.

However, the system window was telling me it would offer me the god’s symbol as a reward.

It was probably referring to a piece of the skin.

The Nemean Lion was known to be a giant monster.

Of course, even just getting a part of it would still be an immense reward.

The Nemean Lion’s skin was said to be so tough that no spear or sword could pierce it.

If it was an artifact imbued with the power of a demigod like Hercules, the skin would surely not just be tough.

Of course, to obtain it, I would first have to help Hercules with his 12 tasks…

The key point that couldn’t be overlooked was that this was a ‘failed worldline.’

“The Nemean Lion is something I can easily defeat on my own.”

Hercules rejected my help without even considering it.

“The task set by Hera must be completed by me alone.”

He seemed unwilling to accept help in completing his tasks.

“Sir Seojun, he doesn’t seem to want to listen.”

“Just give it up, Eun-gong. Is it really that important to complete a single quest?”

“……”

Vanessa’s suggestion to give up showed just how stubborn Hercules was.

He didn’t even listen to simple advice.

To put it negatively, he was delusional, and positively, his self-esteem was high.

I even briefly considered Vanessa’s opinion.

I had been wasting time for three days after all.

However,

“Giving up is not an option. We can’t be sure if we’ll be able to return to the real world.”

The problem was, as always, that we couldn’t be certain if we could return.

In the case of Vanessa and Jeanne, history had twisted after their quests succeeded.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a ‘failure.’

Therefore, giving up couldn’t be considered.

The problem was that Hercules’ pride was so high.

‘Is this why it’s a failed worldline?’

The ‘real’ Hercules had high pride, but he wasn’t a stubborn man.

When he overcame his second trial, he received help from his nephew and half-brother, Iolaus.

‘Maybe he hasn’t escaped the curse of madness yet.’

Hercules had killed his family due to the madness inflicted on him by Hera’s jealousy.

Even now, in Hercules, there were glimpses of that untamed madness.

That madness, coupled with his high pride, was what was holding Hercules back.

When pride turns into dogmatism, thought becomes rigid.

Pride…

“Hmm.”

I came up with an idea.

That afternoon.
When Heracles visited the pawnshop, I said to him as he was admiring the relics.

“You won’t be able to catch the Nemean Lion.”

“Oh? Are you saying I won’t be able to catch it?”

A fierce light shone in his amber pupils, resembling those of a beast.
The savage aura of the demigod made my hair stand on end and sent chills crawling across my skin, but…

“Yes, that’s correct.”
I didn’t change my answer.

“I will capture the Nemean Lion.”

“You won’t. Even if you died and came back to life, you wouldn’t be able to do it in your current state.”

I deliberately provoked Heracles’ pride.

“Shall we make a wager?”

“…A wager?”

A hint of curiosity flickered in his amber eyes.

“Yes, a wager. If you catch the Nemean Lion using your method, I’ll admit I was wrong and apologize.”

I spoke toward Heracles, who was listening intently.

“If you fail, you’ll have to admit that you were wrong.”

It was a mere provocation.
But I judged that Heracles would accept the wager.
He was a hero whose competitive spirit was stronger than anyone’s.

And—

“Very well. If I fail, I will admit that I was wrong. But if I succeed, you will have to apologize to me.”

“Understood.”

Heracles lifted his club.

“Thirty days. I’ll catch the Nemean Lion within that time.”

Thus began a thirty-day wager with Heracles.

A demigod.
An extraordinary being with strength far beyond the limits of my imagination.

Kwaaaaaang!
The world trembled as if it were fracturing, and the landscape began to crumble.

Kwaang! Kwaang!
The valley, the mountains, and the plains—
The terrain was destroyed and reshaped.

Every time Heracles swung his club, Mount Treto screamed.

Krrraaaaang—!
Every time the Nemean Lion’s paw clashed with Heracles’ club, the space itself trembled.
The shockwaves alone distorted the surrounding landscape.

It was a terrifying display of destruction.
Heracles was an overwhelming monster that even an S-class Awakened would not dare to challenge.
Indeed, he was worthy of being called the hero of the gods.

However—

“He won’t catch it.”

“Yes, that seems to be the case.”

I agreed with Vanesha’s words.

We were sitting on the hillside, watching Heracles’ battle unfold in the valley below.

Every time the rough club swung, the Nemean Lion was pushed back or sent flying.
It was slammed into the mountainside, hid in caves, and fled from Heracles’ pursuit.

Heracles relentlessly cornered the Nemean Lion.
But the Nemean Lion showed no sign of injury, merely retreating.
Because the Nemean Lion was not a beast that could be caught with such methods.

One day, two days. Three days, four days…
Time continued to pass.

Ten days, twenty days—Heracles was still unable to overcome the trial.
He continued to swing his club, and the Nemean Lion continued to roar.

And finally—
On the last day of the thirty-day wager Heracles had promised,
Heracles climbed up the mountainside from the valley.
With an expression more hardened than ever before.

“Tell me. What should I do?”

Heracles sought advice from me.
At the end of the wager, this mighty hero had finally set aside his pride.

“Do you admit that you were wrong?”

“…I admit it. My current method isn’t working.”

In that moment, a shadow fell behind Heracles.

—Krrraaaaaang!
A massive lion appeared, roaring in fury.

The monstrous roar froze my body in place.
The lion’s front paw was raised as if it would strike Heracles down at any moment.

Amid the tense moment, Heracles’ amber eyes, shadowed under the dim light, were fixed only on me.

I spoke to Heracles.

“Throw away the club, Heracles.”

Meeting his gaze directly—

“A weaponless you is more fitting.”