Vlad stood on top of the corpse of the Cerberus. His breathing was heavy, his heart pounding in his chest, his hands trembling from the adrenaline coursing through his body. He was completely drenched in sweat and blood and his right shoulder and arm twitched now and then from the pain. He took one last look at the Cerberus, his mind no longer filled with killing intent, before jumping off its corpse.
He landed on the ground, only for his ankle to ache from its wound. Looking down, he saw his foot soaked in his blood as it oozed out from the source. Vlad winced while bending down to tend to his injury. He rolled up his pant leg to get a better look at the wound, only to see his entire ankle covered in blood along with a nasty set of bite marks that dug all the down, exposing bone.
To cover the wound, Vlad ripped a piece of his shirt off and tied around it. His ankle surged with an indescribable pain, but he did his best to ignore it and continued performing first-aid on himself. With his ankle wrapped, the pain lessened, if only a bit. Now was the real problem.
Vlad reached over toward his right shoulder, before an intense burning sensation coursed over his wound, making him want to yell and cry. Glancing at the wound, he couldn’t help but feel disgusted with how it looked. A massive hole was present where his shoulder was, blood seeping out like a fountain. Not only that but upon closer inspection, there were actual pieces of his chest plate lodged in the wound, making the injury even worse than it already was.
Taking out the pieces was likely a bad idea, so Vlad took off the chest plate. This in itself was a bad idea since as he slowly tried to pull the armor off his body, his shoulder painfully ached as his entire arm seized up, preventing Vlad from moving it. Thanks to that, he had to remove his armor with only one arm. Even then, his arm kept throbbing in pain, especially when had to lift it to fully strip off the armor piece.
Once the chest plate was off, he took a quick look at it, scanning all of the damage it sustained. It was dented and was filled with holes thanks to the Cerberus’s teeth. At this point, it didn’t even look like a chest plate, but some mangled disfigured piece of metal you’d find in a junk yard. Still, it served its purpose and protected him, at least somewhat anyway.
Without giving it a second glance, the Divine Hunter tossed the armor piece away, hearing it clank on the ground as it landed.
“A-agh…” He groaned, feeling his arm once again throbbing from the wound.
He tried taking a few deep breaths, but due to his collapsed lung, he could only wheeze in pain, unable to take a proper inhalation.
Vlad needed to deal with this injury and fast. Due to his current injuries, he was surprised to even be alive. Then again, it was likely due to his [Divine Hunter’s Physique] skill that was keeping him breathing. But, even that skill had its limits. His vision started to get haze as his entire body was becoming numb. If he didn’t do something quick, he was going to die before making it to the gate…
Then Vlad realized something. “R-right…the gate.” His eyes trailed over to the gate that led into the castle of Hades.
He still had a mission to do. Get the key from Cerberus and open the gate to deliver the bow. By doing this, he might be able to save himself.
When he completed the Trial with the maidens, all of his injuries were healed after receiving the Hunting Goddess’s blessing. So, in theory, once he delivers the bow to Hades, he should get healed for his labor. Or at least, he hoped. He was making a delivery to the King and God of the Underworld. But, it wasn’t like he had any better option than this one. It was either give him to bow, or die from his injuries.
Seeing no other option, Vlad pulled himself up, feeling his entire body ache in pain, as he wobbled his way over to the three-headed guard dog.
Getting close, he went right for the middle head and reached down its neck, snagging the key attached to it. The key was joined on an old rope used as a necklace of sorts, but Vlad tore it off, ripping the piece of rope. With the key in his grasp, he grasped at it tightly and made his way toward the gate. He wasted no time and unlocked the entrance, allowing him inside the palace of Hades. The gate creaked open along with a slight breeze caressing him from inside.
Vlad looked through the entrance, seeing a dark and narrow hall from within. Before walking inside, he took a deep breath to prepare himself for what was to come. He was heavily injured, but could still fight if need be. With a limping stride, he then walked through the entrance, finally entering Hade’s castle.
He strolled down the dark hall leading further into the building. Every few steps, a torch attached to the stone wall lit up and flickered, ominously illuminating the narrow path for Vlad. However, unlike the normal orange flame, these torches were an ominous green. The emerald flames licked the air while erupting to life when Vlad walked past them. Traversing through here reminded Vlad of when he was thrown into the Greek temple, though this castle gave a more sinister vibe.
His hair stood on ends just by getting closer to the exit, which he could see up ahead. Aside from the green flames, there was another light source at the other end of this hall, showing him his way out. However, the closer he got to the exit, the more on edge he felt like he was walking toward his death.
Could it be that he was actually going to be encountering…Hades? Vlad nervously gulped, slowly realizing the situation he was being put in. If he truly was about to meet Hades, then that in itself was something he never expected. He only knew the God of the Underworld from books and TV shows. Especially the kids' animated Hercules movie where he had blue flaming hair. Though, he somewhat doubted that the real Hades would look like that.
Still, Vlad wondered what kind of person was Hades. The guy ruled over the underworld and was one of the three most powerful Gods in Greek mythology. If he was anything like what Vlad thought this god would be, then he was in for quite a ride. He feared that just being in the presence of the King of the Dead would put him on edge.
Regardless, Vlad still had a task to accomplish. Deliver the Divine Silver Bow to the King. He worried about Hade’s presence when he got there. Speaking of the silver bow, it wasn’t lighting up like before, despite him being in the home of Hades. He figured that the item would act like a beacon or something, lighting up brighter and brighter the closer he got to his destination. And yet…the bow was strangely quiet.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Speaking of the bow, Vlad started to wonder about who the Hunting Goddess was. Although he wasn’t knowledgeable of certain mythos, he still knew a few thanks to watching some movies and TV shows that showed them. And it’s thanks to that along with him knowing about Hades that he figured out the identity of the Goddess.
It was Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt and Moon. She was a deity that was known for being a godly hunter. This made a lot of sense for a lot of reasons, one of them being her “Hunting Goddess” alias. There was also the fact that his fight against those Maidens was during the night under a full moon. Then there was the bow he received from the Hunting Goddess.
Artemis was a hunter, and a hunter always used a bow for their hunts. A part of Vlad believed that this bow was The Divine Bow of Artemis, but he wasn’t sure about that. He also wasn’t certain that Artemis had her own entourage of hunting maidens, but that wasn’t important.
It was clear from the evidence from his encounter with Artemis and his current trek into the Underworld where Hades is located, that Vlad was somehow getting himself involved in Greek Mythology. Especially their Fables. But there was one nagging feeling in the back of his mind that made it hesitate. And that was the system, or in this case, The Yggdrasil System.
If Vlad remembered correctly, Yggdrasil was a world tree from mythology. But it wasn’t from Greek Mythology but Norse. Like Thor, Odin, and Loki. But that didn’t make any sense. Why was he going through Greek Mythology Fables when the Yggdrasil System was clearly Norse-based? Were they both connected somehow or…is it something else?
And why are both Mythologies involved with his world going through the Apocalypse? Were the Gods from their respective mythos behind this? Did that mean they actually existed and weren’t just Myths? Just what the hell was going on?
Before Vlad could question this further, he made it to the exit of the hall. As he emerged from the path, he found himself in a large circular room, much similar to the one from the Greek temple. From the columns surrounding a pedestal along with the walls made of a black marble material. The only difference was that the torches were flickering a green light while aside from the pedestal, there was also a massive statue with it as well.
Vlad walked further into the room to get a good look at the statue. It was a human sculpture made completely of black marble and stood at least over fifteen feet tall. The statue in question took the appearance of an older man with a beard and wore a robe that hung from one shoulder. His left hand wielded a long bident while his other hand was free and was lifted in the air as if he was gesturing something over a sermon in front of a crowd of people. This figure’s very presence gave off an overwhelming aura of power and authority, so much so, that Vlad almost felt the urge to bow his head to show respect to it.
It didn’t take long for Vlad to realize what the statue was. Or in this case; who. It was Hades, the God of the Underworld. It wasn’t just the appearance of the statue that gave it away from also the energy it was emanating. The sheer presence of it made Vlad’s stomach turn while goosebumps erupted all over his body. The inexpressible compulsion to just kneel before the statue is enough to tell him this.
Still, why was he encountering a Statue of Hades? Where was the Real Hades? Then again, the system did say that the Fables he was going to go through were mere simulations, so his chances of actually meeting the God of the Underworld were very slim. Hell, Vlad didn’t even get to meet Artemis, so it certainly tracked. Plus, there was no way that Vlad could actually defeat the real Cerberus. If anything, he would've instantly died the moment it slammed into him.
Back looking at the statue, Vlad couldn’t help but admire the work of art. It must’ve taken ages for someone to carve such a magnificent piece, to where even the God of the Underworld would feel prideful of its appearance. Out of impulse, Vlad walked closer to the statue, to fully admire its artistry, only to get blocked by the pedestal in front of him. He glared at the stone platform before his spiteful expression shifted into a calm one as he suddenly remembered his task.
“Right…give the bow to the King.” He muttered, reminding himself while taking out the bow from his back.
Once again, even when the bow was right in front of the platform, it didn’t light up like before. Maybe it only does that when it’s in front of the dead? The only time it ever worked was when the ghosts were swarming him. Though, it didn’t activate when he was up against the skeletons. Was this thing selective with its activation or something?
Vlad shook his head, realizing that he was off track. With the silver bow in his hand, he gently placed it on the pedestal in front of the statue. The moment he did, the item finally started to light up, radiating a silver-white glow as it got brighter by the second. After a little bit, the light soon faded as the bow dispersed into particles, much like with the Hunting Maidens from before when he killed them. As the particles scattered in the air before fully disappearing, a new message panel manifested before Vlad.
[You have successfully delivered the Divine Silver Bow to the King of the Dead!]
[You have completed the Second Fable!]
[You have proven your Faith to The Dead!]
[The King of the Dead is pleased with your actions and persistence to deliver the bow to him. The King has shown a great interest in you and believes you are worthy of receiving his gift.]
[The King of the Dead has claimed your soul. Your soul now remains in the Underworld. You are now a corpse without a soul.]
[You have received the [Undying One] Skill!].
Vlad gasped and collapsed to his knees, feeling his entire body go through another change. He clutched his chest while heavily breathing, feeling like he got the wind knocked out of him. More specifically, it felt like something was ripped out of his body. Something vital. He felt empty…hollow.
And he knew what was taken thanks to the message board. It was his soul. It was somehow claimed by Hades.
Vlad glared at the panel, feeling betrayed. “I give you the bow, and you reward me by taking my soul away?! What the hell?!” He slammed his fist into the stone floor, instantly shattering it and leaving a fist-sized crater in its wake.
The panel stated that he received a skill, right? Let’s see what the hell kind of gift he was given.
[Undying One – (S-Rank): You are a being without a soul, no longer affected by the hands of time and immune to all diseases. You are essentially immortal.]
Vlad furrowed his brows, an unspeakable feeling overwhelming him. “I’m…immortal? What the hell kind of gift is that?!”
He never asked for immortality in the first place. Becoming stronger and having his senses heightened was one thing, but losing his soul and turning into some soulless corpse was a different matter altogether. Plus, since Hades claimed his soul, doesn’t that mean he was bound to the Underworld? As in he can’t even leave this place? What was the point of not becoming part of the dead when that was what happened after achieving his mission?!
Vlad stood back up and patted his body down, making sure that he was fine. That’s when he realized that his shoulder and ankle wounds were no longer in pain. When he touched his shoulder, the gaping hole was no longer there. However, while touching his body, he felt something odd about it.
He felt cold, having little to no body heat being produced. He touched his hands and noticed just how chilly they were. It felt like he was touching the insides of a freezer. He was ice cold. Could this be related to him no longer having a soul? The message did state that he would be a walking corpse, but he didn’t think it meant that literally.
“Jeez,” Vlad groaned, rubbing his hands together vigorously to try and produce some kind of heat. “What the hell am I turning into?”
[Redirection Player to the third and final trial!]
“The final trial, huh…?” He muttered, staring at the message panels while his body slowly turned and dispersed into particles.
After enduring a lot of hell, Vlad was glad that he was near the end of these Fables. He just hoped that this last one would be easy so he could return to Earth and find his friends and family. Little did Vlad know; that this final Fable would ultimately change him. Whether it was for better or worse, would be up to him to decide.
Vlad’s vision soon went white as he was teleported to the last trial.