62. Monsters (1)
Jin-woo imbued his power into the whole of Olympus, causing it to turn black. If he couldn’t rule it, then he’d just keep it occupied. The gods up there wouldn’t be able to leave their residence for a while.
‘If all of them attack…’
It would be hard to win alone.
Still, he would likely emerge victorious if he used all his abilities. The gods’ weapons were imbued with the Devil’s power, making them unpredictable variables, but there was a simple solution to that.
He just had to create subordinates equal to the Olympian gods.
Jin-woo couldn’t care less about the means and methods he’d have to use. There was no such thing as a fair, just war, and that applied to theirs.
“I like this place.”
Scanning the World of Gods, he settled down on the barren land far from Olympus but closest to the underworld.
This place became barren due to how close it was to Hades’ former territory and because there it was connected to Tartarus, which lay deeper than the underworld and kept the beings resentful of the Olympian gods sealed. Although it wasn’t as the myths described, they were still similar in a broader context.
‘I should get ready.’
Unleashing his power, he stomped on the ground. Its impact flattened his surroundings, creating a perfect location to set up a base on.
Afterward, he summoned his allies.
[The Evil God’s subordinates have been summoned!]
[A convocation order has been sent to the authorities!]
A black portal appeared in front of him.
This was the first time he had summoned all of them in such a way since the Demon Realm. They only numbered a few back then, but with his reign now dominating over the 12 Emperors and the many dimensions in existence, he had gained numerous retainers.
All of them responded to his call.
The first to appear was the Golden Women’s Association members.
“So this is the World of Gods. It’s… nothing special.” Yoo-na said, looking around.
“O-oh! I’m getting stronger!” Luna’s body shone softly. Since she was also a goddess, her rank increased significantly when she entered this dimension, allowing her to become an Emperor. “I should be able to use Shining Gigantic Punch now.”
“That’s cool!” Maze exclaimed in admiration, watching Luna raise her glinting fists.
On the other hand, Hee-yeon seemed nervous. Now that he thought about it, it had been so long since he last saw her.
“Umm…” She tried to walk over to Jin-woo to talk to him, but the angels and demons appeared in her path.
As Luna became stronger, her minions became stronger as well. And through Jin-woo’s influence, the demons also gained even more powerful magic. Sarah Vriac was still weak, though.
The Heavenly Demon Supreme and the M-Dragon Association soon arrived too. The Heavenly Demon Supreme was wearing red rubber gloves that suited him quite fashionably.
Prof. Kim Dae-jin, his research team, and the Underworld Conquerors made their entrance last.
Yoo-na looked at the people who responded to Jin-woo’s call, then shifted her gaze to him. She had a rough idea of the situation because of Bread Jam’s broadcast, but she wanted to know more about it.
“What exactly is the situation?”
“Dimensional War.” He responded. Hearing the word ‘war’ made the demons enter a state of excitement. The M-Dragon Association licked their lips and smiled mischievously, and The Heavenly Demon Supreme clenched his fists out of sheer happiness.
He thought he’d finally be able to release the stress he had accumulated all this time.
After Jin-woo detailed out his plan, Yoo-na nodded.
“Capturing the monsters would be a great idea.” She said. “They probably know more about those gods than us, considering they were the ones that suffered directly from them.”
“Whoo…”
Prof. Kim Dae-jin smiled slyly. It was so creepy it startled even Yoo-na.
“Mythical monsters often lose because of exposed weaknesses or lethal weapons.”
“That’s right.”
“What if we not only eliminate their weaknesses but also upgrade their abilities?”
Jin-woo liked his proposition.
Having explored both the Sci-Fi World and the underworld, he became an expert in this field. Moreover, he gained knowledge about the gods’ anatomy due to Hercules.
If he had enough materials, he could proceed with the monsters’ reconstruction, the concept itself of which was beyond common sense.
Using Bread Jam as a reference, Jin-woo managed to easily understand his intentions.
“Great. I’ll leave that part to you.”
“Alright!”
Prof. Kim Dae-jin and the research team’s excitement exploded. At some point in their conversation, Jin-woo heard them talk about ‘cloning Hercules’s cells…’
Hercules worked in the World Tree Land by day and was a test subject by night. His immortal body proved convenient, allowing a wide range of experiments. Moreover, even he underwent remodeling, which he agreed to.
Yoo-na looked at Jin-woo, who stared right back and nodded.
“This war is real.”
She smiled softly, feeling like the Evil God’s second-in-command.
“Then let’s begin. It’s time to take over the World of Gods.”
Yoo-na’s words made everyone work twice as fast and hard. As for their leader, he busied himself by gathering experience points for his subordinates.
They established a forward base on the area Jin-woo flattened. Even though they would only use it temporarily, it was still as large as a city.
Prof. Kim Dae-jin and Se-yeon wrote a list of monsters they should scout and brought it to Jin-woo. They made it based on the myths they learned from Earth and Hercules and Radius’ stories.
Jin-woo took a look at it.
“… That’s a lot.”
They had included a multitude of monsters in it, the most notable of which were Uranus, the Titans, and Typhon. In the middle, familiar names such as Hydra and Medusa were also seen.
Uranus and the Titans were sealed in Tartarus, and Zeus locked up Typhon in Etna.
“The closest one is… Medusa.”
He got up from his seat.
The myth stated that Perseus cut off Medusa’s head and attached it to his shield, turning it into a weapon.
According to Hercules, he really did treat her that way, but there was more to their story.
When Poseidon tried to rape Medusa, he fed her Nectar, the drink of the gods. Hence, although weak, her body became immortal.
Prof. Kim Dae-jin clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“Her past is truly pitiful. She was originally a maiden of Athena until Poseidon horribly mistreated her.”
“Well…”
“Having lost her virginity, she was banished from the Temple of Athena. She tried to end her life at that moment, but the Nectar Poseidon gave her prevented her from dying.”
The immortality the Nectar granted and the curse the Temple of Athena imbued in her turned her into a hideous monstrosity.
Upon becoming the curse itself, her eyes turned anyone that met her gaze into stone, as in the myth.
“Medusa is currently sealed with Perseus’ armor in the Serpent Forest.”
Warriors didn’t stop visiting her prison to this day because of Perseus’ armor.
“She must have a deep grudge against Poseidon and Athena.”
“Yes, she’s suited to be a member of our ‘Avengers League.'”
“… Let’s use a different name.”
Prof. Kim Dae-jin didn’t want to change it, but he suggested new names anyway. Evil Gods and Monsters, Lee Jin-woo’s Monster Division, Exciting Monster Party…
After listening to him list terrible options for a while, Se-yeon spoke lowly.
“How about Ragnarok?”
“Ragnarok?”
“Yes, it’s from Norse mythology. There are similar events in Greek mythology, such as Titanomachy and Gigantomachy, but I don’t think those would work since both ultimately ended in the Olympian gods’ victory.”
Ragnarok ended with the fall of the gods.
It perfectly matched Jin-woo’s intentions, and it wouldn’t cause any copyright infringements. There seemed to be other gods in this dimension other than the Olympians, but what about it?
Even Prof. Kim Dae-jin agreed with it.
“That sounds great! Team Ragnarok!”
With the monster division’s name finalized, Jin-woo tried to leave for where Medusa was, but he noticed Prof. Kim Dae-jin’s eyes staring at him earnestly before he could, seemingly wanting to come with him.
Se-yeon felt the same way, but she had a separate mission.
“I want to go with you, but… Investigation of Tartarus comes first…”
He decided to take him in the end, reasoning that it would be great to make him Ragnarok’s leader. Giving him that position would make it easier for him to upgrade or remodel his members.
“You’re now the leader of Ragnarok.”
“Oh! It’s an honor!”
Prof. Kim Dae-jin shed tears.
He had been working on various concepts so far and having fun at World Tree Land, but his dream was to study and transform monsters in ways that would allow them to triumph.
In every story he saw as a child, the hero always won, leading him to sympathize with the beasts they defeated. If he had been the one to create them, they wouldn’t have fought in vain!
That passion was what motivated him to become a scientist.
Jin-woo boarded his spaceship.
The Serpent Forest was next to the city-state of Sparta, where they had their coming-of-age ceremony. Of course, they didn’t have to go that deep into it. Safely bringing home one of the petrified bones near its borders would be enough for them to be recognized as adults.
He could see the Spartans from afar.
“An oracle has descended upon us!”
“Warriors of Sparta! Prepare for war!”
“Acrisius and his warriors will take Medusa’s head, just like the oracle foresaw! If we use her gaze as a weapon, our victory is certain!”
Quite a large number of soldiers gathered, possibly because the Olympian gods had warned them ahead of time.
Huge temples and statues were all over their land, but with a press of a button, Prof. Kim Dae-jin destroyed every single one of them using the particle beam cannons.
Shocked, the Spartans looked up, finding the spaceship crossing the sky and landing near the Serpent Forest. When the two came out of it, a damp mist greeted them.
Sussuk!
Snakes grazed around.
Bump!
Prof. Kim Dae-jin grabbed one of them and stabbed its fangs into his arm.
“Hmm. Its poison is worth researching.”
“… I see.”
At this point, he could no longer be considered human. Even his present physical rank was quite high. He was no more than the average person when they first met, but his physical abilities now surpassed a knight’s.
What the hell did he do to his body?
“Oh? The structure of its head is unusual.”
Pressing on its forehead caused it to beep, erupting a loud noise. He did a few more times, seemingly finding it interesting, then put it in his subspace.
Most of the Serpent Forest had already been petrified. Even the trees, leaves, and grasses were in a fragile stone-like state, immediately crumbling upon being touched.
In the middle of the Serpent Forest was the cave where Medusa was located. Many warriors had entered it, but none came back alive. That was made evident by the many statues scattered in front of its entrance.
They were originally human.
Due to the thick fog that enveloped them, it was like watching a horror movie.
“This place’s atmosphere is no joke.”
“I know. It’s amazing.”
When Jin-woo looked around, he noticed Spartan warriors hiding among the stone statues. The one leading them carefully brought an item in front of the cave’s entrance, then set it on fire.
[B] Zeus’ Sleeping Flower
A flower that grows only in the temple of Zeus.
When burned, it releases smoke that puts those affected by it in deep slumber, preventing them from waking up easily. The supreme god often uses this flower at work.
The soldiers all carried mirror-like shields, as Perseus did, all of which emitted traces of the gods’ powers.
‘They’re going to put her to sleep and cut off her neck.’
Jin-woo didn’t know whose idea it was, but it was a pretty plausible strategy. The Olympian gods probably provided the plans for this operation since even Perseus couldn’t win against Medusa head-on.
Holding their breaths, the soldiers watched the situation in the cave.
“They’re using quite a well-thought-out plan.”
“Right?”
Tuk Tuk Tuk!
Jin-woo and Prof. Kim Dae-jin approached them while talking peacefully.
“Huh?”
“C-crazy!”
“Joen, be quiet.”
The Spartans floundered, beckoning and gesturing with contemplative expressions. They wanted to spit out curses at them, but they covered their mouths instead, knowing full well they shouldn’t make any noise.
The smoke was already permeating, but they had to wait two more hours for it to take effect. Medusa would come out if they made a fuss before then, leading to their failure.
If that happened, their lives would ultimately be at risk.
They didn’t know who Jin-woo was, but they gestured for him to keep quiet as best they could.
‘This is fun.’ He thought, smiling at them. They were at war, which made them his enemies.
He looked down at his feet, finding a snake crawling on the floor.
Whoops!
Gazing back at his opponents, he lifted his foot. The Spartans quickly shook their heads, pleading him not to proceed with what he had in mind.
When Jin-woo put his foot on the snake, they grabbed their heads.
‘Oh, no!’
‘You idiot! Don’t do that!’
‘Argghhhh!’
They couldn’t take their eyes off Jin-woo, but telling him not to do it only seemed to make him want to do it even more.
His smile deepened, then he stomped on the snake’s head.
Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!
Amid the silence, a siren-like sound echoed across their vicinity. The warriors looked at the cave in horror. Fortunately, it didn’t seem to have caused any reaction.
However, he was just beginning.
“Step on them.”
Prof. Kim Dae-jin did as instructed. The two stepped on every snake around them.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Deafening noises rang out.
The Spartan warriors jumped up and glared at them.
“Hey! You dogs! What are you doing?!”
“Are you Athenians?!”
“So stupid…”
Sususuk!
The Spartans cursed, but they soon shut up, hearing slithering sounds and sensing intense vibrations from the side of the cave.
“Damn it!”
“Prepare for battle!”
“Ha, but Acrisius! We need to push forward!”
“Calm down! We have the weapons of Hephaestus!”
They raised their shields and weapons upon hearing the sounds draw ever closer. Jin-woo had fun observing the anxious and tense expressions they displayed.
Prof. Kim Dae-jin also looked at their situation with interest, then searched through his subspace upon remembering crucial information.
“Ah! Take this.”
He took out two pairs of sunglasses and handed one to Jin-woo, who checked them out first before wearing them. Prof. Kim Dae-jin did the same.
Dudududud!
The stones on the floor vibrated, and some of the statues fell and shattered. The Flower of Zeus burning in front of the cave exploded, its fragments flying in different directions.
Medusa had emerged from her cave.
She was huge. Her lower body was serpentine, and her human upper body was covered in scales. She had the face of a beautiful woman, but her hair, made out of thick snakes, canceled out her charm.
In her hand was a trident that resembled Poseidon’s, but it seemed to have been made by herself.
“Aurgghhhh!”
One of the soldiers swung his sword recklessly with his eyes closed, only for Medusa’s tail to wrap around him. With his body being crushed ever so slowly, he was forced to open his eyelids again by the pain.
His gaze fell on hers.
Slur!
Hiss-!
“Lower your stances!”
“Hide!”
While the Spartans hid behind the stone statues and rocks, Jin-woo and Prof. Kim Dae-jin remained in the open, looking at Medusa.
“You’re brimming with power.”
“And bigger than I expected.”
They just admired her.
She threw her trident, shattering a statue and impaling the soldier behind it.
Medusa was swift and agile. Using swords and shields against her like Perseus did before didn’t make sense.
Her sharp scream shook the Serpent Forest as she chased the trespassers around, hunting them down relentlessly. Noticing Jin-woo and Prof. Kim Dae-jin after a while, she slithered towards Jin-woo and pushed her face right in front of them.
“Huh?”
But it perplexed her.
They remained unaffected by her gaze. Jin-woo was completely immune to the curse, and Prof. Kim Dae-jin had the Sanctuary’s protection.
“Agh! M-my eyes… Whoa! Ouch!”
Medusa staggered, covering her eyes with her hands. Any curse imbued on the people belonging to the Sanctuary would immediately be reflected to its caster.
Prof. Kim Dae-jin knew that all too well. He just chose to wear the sunglasses to lessen the damage that would return to her. It would be difficult to accomplish their objective if she turned to stone, after all.
Rubbing her eyes until they no longer stung, she looked at the two again.
“Ah! Ouch!”
She rubbed them again, the eyes of the snakes on her head already X-shaped. In the end, she was left with no other choice but to look at the two using the shield on the floor.
“Just keep doing what you’re doing,” Jin-woo said, pointing to the Spartan warriors hiding behind a rock.
That startled Medusa, but she nodded nonetheless.
“Kieh!” She screamed as she rushed at the intruders.
“Argh!”
“No!”
The Spartans died one by one, either by petrification or trident.
Seeing this, Prof. Kim Dae-jin nodded in satisfaction, took out a notebook, and checked various criteria listed on it.
“She passed.”
“She’s pretty great.”
Ragnarok’s first member, Medusa, was much better than they expected.
Comments