Chapter 217. The Greatest Hero (6)
Mountains collapsed.
The earth split apart.
The battle between Heracles and Sun Wukong, two of the strongest beings in existence, was literally changing the surrounding terrain.
“Other Contractors will arrive soon too... I suppose there’s no choice.”
Merlin clicked his tongue as he watched.
“Merlin!”
I charged toward him.
While Sun Wukong kept Heracles occupied, I had to capture Merlin.
But the ground suddenly split apart.
Massive rocks erupted upward and blocked my path.
“Ghk...!”
“Heracles.”
Merlin spoke without even looking at me anymore.
“The plan has failed. Let’s retreat.”
“Don’t make me laugh!”
Heracles shouted while blocking Sun Wukong’s attack.
“Retreat from here? How could you ask me to do something so disgraceful?!”
“Stop being stubborn. In a situation like this...”
“Don’t order me around, magician!”
“You stubborn hero...”
For the first time, genuine irritation entered Merlin’s voice.
“Fine. From here on, we’ll each do as we please.”
“Merlin...!”
I leaped across the terrain, which now looked as though an earthquake had torn through it, and rushed toward Merlin.
I tried to attack with Joyeuse, Charlemagne’s holy sword.
But a violent wind suddenly began swirling around Merlin.
“That kind of trick...!”
I realized it wasn’t an attack.
It was an illusion.
So I swung Joyeuse.
The sacred power within the holy sword began breaking through Merlin’s illusion.
“I’m not that easy to deal with, Nameless King.”
"...!"
This time, the surroundings suddenly transformed into a field of flowers.
Petals rose into the sky and began obscuring my vision.
Within that dreamlike scenery...
I lost Merlin’s position once again.
“I’ll be leaving now.”
“I admit I underestimated you too much.”
“Merlin!”
“If I waste any more time here, other Constellations and Contractors will arrive.”
“That is not what I want.”
“Wait...!”
I kept swinging Joyeuse, trying to reach Merlin.
But new illusions appeared endlessly and blocked my path.
“So I’ll excuse myself for today.”
“We can have our real confrontation another time.”
Merlin’s voice gradually grew more distant.
“But you should remember one thing.”
“Because of what happened today... you have become our enemy completely.”
“Wait, Merlin!”
I shouted urgently.
“What exactly is Armageddon?!”
“Why do you need an absolute powerhouse for Armageddon?!”
“Answer me!”
“It is not yet time for me to tell you that.”
“But...”
Merlin’s laughter echoed faintly.
“Yes.”
“If you defeat me, I’ll tell you.”
“Everything.”
That was the end.
Every illusion blocking my path vanished.
And Merlin himself...
was nowhere to be seen.
He got away.
I sighed and let my shoulders drop.
Can’t be helped.
Kang Yujin had been in immediate danger, so I hadn’t had enough time to prepare.
Once I learned the opponent was Heracles, I hurriedly summoned Sun Wukong.
But I descended without making any other preparations.
If I had been given a little more time, I could have brought more reinforcements and made sure Merlin couldn’t escape.
There was no way I could capture Merlin by myself.
My plan had been to close the distance and defeat him in close combat.
But Merlin must have read my intentions.
He used endless illusions to prevent me from approaching and then immediately withdrew.
Half a success and half a failure, I suppose.
I had successfully drawn Merlin out, confronted him face-to-face, and confirmed his true intentions.
But I had failed to capture him.
From my perspective, it wasn’t a very satisfying outcome.
No.
Merlin is one of the greatest manipulators in existence, someone who has secretly controlled countless people from the shadows.
It would be stranger if I could capture him that easily.
Thinking that, I turned my head.
BOOOOM!
RUMBLE!
The fierce battle between Heracles and Sun Wukong was still raging.
At first, Sun Wukong had seemed to have the advantage thanks to the Ruyi Jingu Bang.
But once Heracles began fighting back, it became difficult to say who was stronger.
Apparently, Heracles had completely adapted to Sun Wukong’s fighting style.
“Just fall already, you gorilla!”
“You’re one to talk, monkey...!”
Heracles’s fist came crashing toward Sun Wukong’s head.
Sun Wukong raised the Ruyi Jingu Bang and blocked it.
Heracles grimaced in pain after punching the staff, but immediately raised one leg and drove a front kick into Sun Wukong’s torso.
“Ugh!”
Sun Wukong cried out in pain and fell backward.
Heracles immediately tried to stomp him into the ground.
But the moment his foot landed...
Poof!
Sun Wukong disappeared.
“What?!”
Heracles looked startled.
Then an unharmed Sun Wukong appeared above his head.
Transformation Art!
The Great Sage Equal to Heaven wasn’t merely a hero with overwhelming physical strength.
His Taoist arts were good enough to compete with the genius Taoist Yang Jian in transformation techniques.
Unless Merlin was supporting him, Heracles, who fought through pure physical power, would have difficulty responding to something like this.
“Ooooooh!”
Heracles roared and swung his arm.
It looked as though his blow struck Sun Wukong in midair.
But that was another fake.
The real Sun Wukong appeared crouched behind Heracles.
“Over here!”
"...!"
The Ruyi Jingu Bang smashed into Heracles’s shin.
The blow seemed to land perfectly.
Pain crossed Heracles’s face.
Using that opening, Sun Wukong raised the Ruyi Jingu Bang like a baseball bat.
“Eat this!”
The staff suddenly expanded.
Sun Wukong swung the enormous pillar-like Ruyi Jingu Bang with a full-force swing.
BOOOOM!!
Heracles’s huge body was launched away.
He flew an unbelievable distance before smashing into a nearby mountain.
A landslide erupted.
“Whew... I haven’t fought anyone like that since the Bull Demon King.”
Sun Wukong muttered with an exhausted expression.
Watching him, I let out a relieved breath.
Thank goodness he had Taoist arts.
Otherwise, Sun Wukong might actually have lost.
Heracles’s combat ability was that monstrous.
If Heracles had possessed a weapon on the same level as the Ruyi Jingu Bang...
the victory would probably have gone to him.
“Great Sage, good work.”
“Haha! For someone of my skill, that was nothing!”
He bragged, but apparently the places Heracles had hit still hurt.
Sun Wukong kept rubbing different parts of his body.
“Great Sage, now that the battle is over...”
“What?”
“Please give me back the Ruyi Jingu Bang.”
“What? Why would I?”
“You already have it as a Constellation Armament.”
Constellations could recreate the weapons they had used while alive as Constellation Armaments.
But manifesting a Constellation Armament consumed a substantial amount of Origin Power.
And if they carried that Armament down to the Material Realm, that required even more Origin Power.
