Chapter 344
C344
Atlas hesitated.
Thousands of teeth appeared before his eyes.
They were blocking the path between him and the Golden Apple.
"Release it..."
It was a hoarse murmur.
The Golden Apple appeared in the air and then fell back into YuWon's hands repeatedly.
Atlas's pupils followed it.
But he couldn't lift his foot towards the massive teeth in front of him.
And finally...
Thump!
Atlas took a step back.
He couldn't approach the Predator directly in front of him. It was as if he feared being devoured the moment he got too close.
However...
Crunch!
Something hard stabbed into Atlas's heel as he retreated cautiously.
Crack, crack!
Teeth bit into his ankle.
Atlas opened his eyes in surprise.
It was at that moment that he realized where he was standing.
He was already surrounded by the Predator from all sides. The moment he realized he had entered the monster's mouth, Atlas began to struggle.
"Kraaaah-!"
He tried to jump up, but it was impossible.
Once the teeth bit you, they wouldn't let go.
If he wanted to escape, it was impossible without cutting off his ankle.
While Atlas fought desperately to free himself from the trap...
Sniff, sniff!
A familiar scent irritated Atlas's nose.
It was a sweet and seductive smell.
It was similar to what he felt at the Golden Apple, but it had a much more enticing and intense aroma.
Gulp.
Even in this life-or-death situation, Atlas swallowed saliva.
Where does this smell come from?
There was no clear direction. The smell was strong and spread everywhere, like the fragrance of a garden full of flowers.
Finally, Atlas realized.
That smell was the power that made his mouth water.
A moment later...
Whoa-!
The Predator's teeth surrounding Atlas covered his imposing body.
Crack-!
"You did it."
The Predator's teeth trapped Atlas.
"You caught the boar."
[Danpung consumes Divine Power]
['Predator' starts to feed]
Divine Power.
It was the energy that Danpung possessed and the power that allowed the Predator to move.
The Predator had always moved using that energy. It had been the same since it was an unhatched egg.
Squelch, squelch.
Atlas tore off the Predator clinging to his body with pure force.
How strong was this power?
YuWon, who used the Predator, was almost exhausted.
"It's powerful."
The Predator not only fed on Danpung's energy but also absorbed YuWon's Arcane Power and tried to devour Atlas.
Of course, Atlas was different from the Outsiders the Predator usually consumed.
To obtain the power he now possessed, Atlas had killed Radon and eaten the Golden Apples that had ripened.
In other words, it meant that Atlas already had outstanding power even among the Giants.
But...
"Still, once it gets this power...".
Crack, crack.
The Predator's teeth clung fiercely to Atlas's body.
"You are my prey."
Crack, crack.
"Kaaah-!"
Atlas, covered by the Predator, was being devoured completely.
There was no significant resistance anymore.
Thus, the Predator's feast began.
Gulp, gulp.
It was a sensation similar to when he devoured Yamata no Orochi.
Enjoying it slowly.
As the Predator's feast continued, Atlas's resistance diminished more and more.
"Baah-".
Was it because he had spent too much energy summoning a Predator of that size?
Danpung, who had been lively until now, exhausted and collapsed on YuWon's shoulder.
"You did well."
YuWon patted the half-laid Danpung's shoulder.
"Now eat until you're full."
[Danpung's level has increased]
[Danpung's level has increased]
[Danpung's level...]
[Danpung's Divine Power has increased by 4]
[Growth rate increased by 18.98%]
[Arcane Power increased by 3]
[You have defeated 'Corrupted Appetite']
[You have obtained 300,000 points.]
-------------------
Hercules's Perspective
Crack, crack.
It was hard to believe what he was seeing.
What was happening right now?
"What the hell...?"
Atlas was being devoured by ferocious teeth. Unable to move, Atlas surrendered his body and was being eaten alive before his eyes.
Although it might appear as if he was wrapped in a black cloth.
It was an undeniable fact that Atlas had been subdued in an instant.
Whoosh.
It was then that Hercules accepted the Golden Apple that flew right in front of his eyes.
Crunch.
It was a Golden Apple the size of an adult man's head, yet it fit perfectly in Hercules's hand.
Hercules turned his head, confused by what was happening.
YuWon approached, seemingly unaware.
"Take it."
"What the hell are those teeth?"
"I can't explain it easily, so let it go for now."
YuWon didn't know much about the Predator either.
He just desperately wanted the power that Atlas had, and he simply fulfilled that desire.
Naturally, that answer was unsatisfactory to Hercules's curiosity.
"Even though you summoned that thing, you don't know anything about it?"
"I didn't summon it, so I don't know anything about it."
"What?"
"He did it."
YuWon pointed to his shoulder as he spoke. Danpung, who looked exhausted, collapsed on his shoulder, apparently out of strength.
Hercules leaned in to examine Danpung.
"He did it?"
"Baat," said Danpung, attempting to respond bravely, but his expression betrayed tiredness, making it hard to believe that this small, weakened being had subdued Atlas.
Hercules, once again, wore a look of suspicion as he asked:
"Is this real?"
"If I knew more, I would genuinely tell you, but I don't know anything. I don't lie, at least not to you."
His words were sincere. YuWon didn't think Hercules would reveal things he had said that could cause harm or inconvenience.
Though there were things he couldn't talk about at all, like the Clock Movement, he wouldn't lie or do anything that could harm him.
"Well, then..."
Hercules nodded.
Fine.
Certainly, YuWon tended to keep his mouth shut about things he couldn't say, but he definitely didn't draw a line.
While it might be so elsewhere, at least in front of him, it was like this.
And Hercules didn't insist on asking about things YuWon didn't want to talk about.
This time would be the same.
Hercules wouldn't ask further about things YuWon didn't know.
And YuWon wouldn't lie to Hercules about the questions he asked.
The relationship between the two hadn't changed from the past until now.
Crunch~
Hercules's gaze shifted to where Atlas was.
The sound of teeth piercing through Atlas's entire body could be heard as he was trapped within the devouring mass.
He was probably being devoured by the Predator.
"Is it over already?"
"No."
Crunch, crunch.
The Predator that had enveloped Atlas began to retreat slowly.
"We're not done yet."
Atlas emerged from the mouth of the Predator.
His skin was covered in marks, and his muscles appeared dehydrated and shriveled.
Atlas's staggering appearance was a great shock to Hercules, who had been fighting him until recently.
"What happened?"
Although it seemed like Atlas was being swallowed by some teeth, it wasn't the case.
Atlas's appearance, looking like he hadn't drunk a drop of water in years, was a major impact on Hercules.
"The greater the power, the greater the accompanying side effects."
"Side effects?"
"That's what I mean."
YuWon pointed to the Golden Apple that Hercules held in his hand.
Wung, wung.
Even at this moment, Yggdrasil's Club warned Hercules to be cautious of the Golden Apples.
Of course, he knew this Golden Apple was no ordinary fruit.
But he never thought it would have these kinds of consequences.
"So, this is a side effect of the Golden Apple?"
"Exactly, it's a side effect of being stripped of that power."
"Stripped? Who's stripping him of that power?"
"Guess."
"Don't tell me..."
Hercules looked at Danpung, who was hunched on YuWon's shoulder.
A faint murmur could be heard, as if he was breathing.
Could it be that this little sleeper had snatched Atlas's power?
"I don't want to believe it."
"It's not about believing or not," YuWon said as he shook his head.
"You don't know what this is, right?" Hercules asked.
YuWon understood what Hercules meant with his words.
"It might be dangerous, who knows."
It was a story he had been thinking about for a long time.
It was dangerous.
At this moment, this small being that had fallen asleep on his shoulder might be insignificant, but what about in the future?
Neither YuWon nor anyone else knew what might happen.
"Well, there's nothing to be done about it."
Despite knowing that, YuWon couldn't do anything other than take care of Danpung.
"If I don't do this, I won't be able to win."
"You won't be able to win...?"
Hercules asked what he meant, but YuWon didn't answer.
"I won't be able to win" didn't seem to be about his fight with Atlas. After all, that fight had ended.
What YuWon mentioned wasn't Atlas, but something much bigger.
'It doesn't seem like he'll tell me.' (Hercules)
'I won't be able to win,' those were YuWon's words.
He wouldn't speak about the things he didn't want to say, but he wouldn't lie either.
That was exactly what was happening now.
Hercules moved toward Atlas without pressing YuWon further.
Atlas, seemingly lost somewhere, raised his head upon sensing Hercules's presence.
"It's regrettable that this happened."
Crack.
Hercules, applying force to his hand, struck Atlas strongly with his Club.
Kwang!
Grrrrr!
At the same time, the ground opened up. In the moment Atlas's head was struck, his body was lifted into the air and spun several times in the void.
Thud!
With a heavy sound, Atlas fell downward.
Hercules checked Atlas's condition.
Atlas's weakened body couldn't withstand the blow from Hercules's Club.
The remaining fight was indeed instantaneous.
Hercules put the Club back on his shoulder and looked at the Golden Apple in his hand.
'With this, I've finished the Eleventh Labor...'
The Eleventh Labor turned out to be much more difficult than he had thought.
If YuWon hadn't been with him, what would have happened? Could he have defeated Atlas?
Suddenly, he remembered Atlas's smiling expression as he tried to tear his arm off.
He instinctively tilted his head.
'I'm still far away.'
Insufficient.
By a lot.
It seemed he had wasted a lot of time in the mountains doing nothing.
He wasn't Zeus, but still, he had ended up in a regrettable situation in front of a Giant whose name he didn't even know properly.
'I can regret it later.'
He had a lot to do now.
Swish.
Hercules turned his body.
All that was left was the final Labor.
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