XP to next level: 110,000/190,000
Class: Cerberus Slayer (Effect: gains 2x more XP from killing wolf-like creatures)
Available ability points: 0
Temporal rift (Level 1) XP to next level: 0/100
Time rewind(Level 2) XP to next level: 0/100
Titan's will: Cooldown time left(30 hours)
Rex grinned as he looked at his not-different-from-the-last-time stats. "I'm not gonna let this Hercules guy steal my Exp!" He thoug Aht as he swung his sword, walking towards the barrier where Hercules was busy beating the Hydra with his club
A soldier quickly approached Jefferson, curiosity on his face "Why are you sending that boy? Although he performed well by destroying one of the Hydra's heads, that's only because it was stunned"
Jefferson arched a brow "What are you implying?"
"I mean he is just an academy student who's at least at the intermediate rank. Only a flick from the monster might end his life! This is an Arch-demon tier beast we're facing here, it is way above his league!"
"Do you mean you're more qualified to go?" Jefferson asked, his expression unreadable and yet a bit amused.
The Soldier didn't reply and yet just walked back and stood in line with the others.
"Ok, Crony... let's do this!" Rex yelled as he dashed toward the Hydra, his sword's hilt glowing with Aether energy while the blade was covered with dark flames. "Let's bring this big baby down!"
"Truly, thou art....."
"Yeah, yeah, I know that line already! Just watch me shine!" Rex said as he jumped up, using Aether on his feet to propel himself upward. Hercules had just smashed one of the heads of the Hydra with his club and Rex quickly followed up with a clean cut. The black flames quickly engulfed that head, burning it to a crisp, giving it no chance to regenerate again.
"I am impressed by thy courage young warrior! Thou art shown great strength at such a young age!" Hercules smiled at Rex.
Rex landed nimbly on the ground, panting slightly but grinning from ear to ear. "You bet I have," he boasted, twirling his sword. "But don't go getting all sentimental on me, old man. We still have plenty of ugly heads to chop off!"
Hercules threw back his head and laughed heartily, even as he sidestepped one of the Hydra's remaining heads, which snapped at him with a vicious, fanged maw. "Old man, thou sayest?" Hercules thundered, swinging his massive club to intercept the creature. The impact was so great that the Hydra's jaw cracked audibly, and the beast recoiled, snarling in pain.
"Less laughing, more smashing!" Rex called, dodging another head that lunged his way. His agility was his strongest suit, and he used it to full effect, weaving between the Hydra's relentless attacks. He briefly glanced at his Aether reserves. "Only 65... I've gotta be smart about this." ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ NoᴠᴇFɪre.nᴇt
The Hydra's heads thrashed wildly, three of them striking at Hercules simultaneously. The demigod met the challenge with his immense strength, bracing his feet and swinging his club in a wide arc. The club, carved from the indestructible Nemean Lion's bone, splintered the air with a bone-shattering impact, smashing one head straight into another. "That's two birds with one strike, young Rex!" Hercules roared, beaming.
Rex snorted, sprinting up one of the creature's massive necks with calculated footwork. "More like two heads with one whack," he corrected, barely maintaining his balance as the beast thrashed beneath him. He lunged forward, driving his Aether-infused sword into the base of the Hydra's leftmost head. Black flames exploded from the blade, scorching the stump and sealing it to prevent regrowth.
"That's three heads down!" Rex called triumphantly, leaping back to solid ground just as another head crashed into the spot he'd vacated. "But seriously, this thing has more necks than a dysfunctional octopus!"
Hercules wiped sweat from his brow and laughed again. "An octopus with heads instead of arms! By Zeus, young one, thou hast a peculiar humor!"
Rex rolled his eyes, dashing under the Hydra's legs to avoid being flattened by its whipping tail. "Less commentary, more beheading, please!" he retorted. One of the heads suddenly lunged down at him, jaws wide and dripping with acidic venom. Rex stumbled, barely raising his sword in time to deflect the strike, but he was thrown off balance.
"Get down, young warrior!" Hercules bellowed. With a mighty leap, the demigod swung his club down on the head that had almost bitten Rex, smashing it to the ground with a resounding crash. The head splattered into pulp, and Hercules gave Rex a triumphant grin. "I saved thy hide, little one!"
Rex grumbled, rolling to his feet. "Yeah, thanks... but I had it under control. I totally wasn't about to become monster chow." He dusted himself off, only to yelp as a stray blast of the Hydra's venom seared a crater beside him. "This thing really doesn't like us," he muttered.
Meanwhile, Jefferson observed from a nearby watchtower, his brow furrowed but a hint of amusement on his lips. "This boy is reckless," he murmured, shaking his head. "But perhaps that's just what we need right now."
The Hydra's remaining heads roared in unison, their eyes blazing with rage. The monster stomped its colossal feet, causing the ground to quake. Hercules and Rex exchanged a glance.
"Final push?" Rex asked, eyes narrowing with determination.
Hercules nodded. "Aye! We sever the last of its heads in unison!" He raised his club high above his head while Rex tightened his grip on his sword, its dark flames flaring brightly.
"Alright, old man. Let's do this." Rex leaped forward, Aether propelling him upward once more, while Hercules charged with a warrior's bellow that echoed through the entire battlefield. The Hydra lunged to meet them, its heads whipping forward with terrifying speed.
Rex's body tensed as he timed his strike. "Come on... come on... now!" He slashed with all his strength, severing one of the heads cleanly. The black flames raced across the stump, incinerating it instantly.
Simultaneously, Hercules delivered a blow that split the last two heads in a single, thunderous swing. The Hydra's colossal body thrashed fiercely, struggling with all its might. All of its heads were gone and yet, it still struggled with all its might.
"What a tenacious beast!" Rex gasped.
Hercules threw his club up and then caught it again with a loud thud. "Time to send you back to Tartarus!" Hercules said as he prepared to put an end to the Hydra's relentless struggle.
"No way, mythic one! I'll be doing the kill!" Rex said as he dashed forward at the Hydra, determination blazing in his eyes.
He could feel every ounce of adrenaline and Aether coursing through his veins, urging him forward. His feet barely touched the ground as he raced along the Hydra's massive, writhing form, dodging stray spurts of venom and the thrashing tail that tried to crush him into the dirt.
"Young one! Thou must not....." Hercules began, but Rex was already moving, a wild grin plastered on his face.
"Save the lecture!" Rex called over his shoulder. "This one's all mine!"
Rex focused his mind, his Aether energy surging and igniting the dark flames around his sword into a roaring inferno. He could feel the blade pulsing in sync with his own heartbeat, the weapon seemingly eager for the finishing blow.
As he neared the Hydra's last thrashing neck, Rex pushed off with all his strength, launching himself high into the air. Time seemed to slow as he soared, god's Eyes sharpening his focus and guiding his strike.
"Alright, big guy," he whispered. "Let's end this dance."
Rex angled his sword downward, the dark flames spiraling and intensifying around the blade. He aimed for the very center of the Hydra's neck stump, a spot still throbbing with chaotic, pulsing energy, as if the beast refused to die.
"Take this!" he roared, plunging the sword deep into the Hydra's flesh. The flames erupted in a brilliant, all-consuming inferno that surged across the monster's entire body.
The Hydra let out one last, defiant roar that shook the battlefield, its form writhing and convulsing as the flames devoured it from the inside out.
Then, with one final shudder, the Hydra collapsed in a heap, its colossal form crumbling to ash and embers. Rex tumbled to the ground, rolling to his feet and breathing heavily. He looked up at the remains of the beast and let out a breathless laugh.
"Now that's how you end a monster!" he declared, stabbing his sword into the dirt to steady himself.
Hercules approached, his expression one of amused astonishment. "By the gods," he rumbled, clapping a massive hand on Rex's shoulder. "Thou hast a warrior's spirit indeed, young one! But I daresay that was the most reckless act I've ever witnessed!"
{System Notifications}
"Wait, what? Three level-ups? That's...that's so not fair!"
"Ahaahaha! Thou didst not kill the beast alone, young one! And besides.....something doesn't seem right about this Hydra!" Cronus remarked.
As if on cue, Hercules spoke to Jefferson who had just walked to them after removing the barrier "This beast's strength differs greatly from before!"
"What do you mean? Did it get stronger?" Jefferson asked
Hercules shook his head "In fact, it isn't at a fourth part of its original strength!"
Jefferson frowned at Hercules' statement. "A fourth of its original strength? Are you certain?"
Hercules nodded, his expression serious. "Indeed. This beast felt... subdued, as though something..." He pau
sed, glancing at the fading ash where the Hydra had once stood. " or someone, weakened it before our battle."