Chapter 56 : Lernean Hydra

“The content of the task has changed.”

Early in the morning, this was the first thing Hercules said when he arrived at the general store.

I could tell that Moira had granted my request.

However, the subject was still Hercules, and the condition was that only someone without the “thread of fate” could help.

I already knew this, but I asked again to make sure.

“Are you saying that the content of the task has changed?”

“The dreams came to me and conveyed my father’s will.”

“Those would be the Oneiroi, right?”

“That’s right.”

When Hercules spoke of “dreams,” he was referring to the dream gods, the Oneiroi, who carried Zeus’s will.

The Oneiroi, who were essentially dreams themselves, were the messengers that Zeus mostly used to deliver his will.

“Though they were mostly used to sow discord rather than deliver messages.”

Zeus manipulated humans through dreams.

The mistaken judgments of the Greek coalition during the Trojan War were also due to Zeus’s interference through dreams.

The Oneiroi were primarily Zeus’s personal messengers.

There was an official messenger of Olympus, separate from them.

That “official messenger” visited Mycenae that morning.

Tweet tweet tweet tweet

The birds chirped as Helios’s chariot of the sun signaled the beginning of the day in Mycenae.

The golden roof of the palace gleamed dazzlingly under the sunlight.

The garden was full of fragrant flowers.

The guards, holding heavy spears, stood in various places, and the courtiers hurriedly passed through the colonnade.

Then, at some point.

Whiiiiiing—

A strong gust of wind blew from the sky.

The sudden wind swirled around the palace in the stifling air, and people instinctively looked up at the sky.

There, a boy was floating with his back to the sun.

The boy was wearing a golden hat adorned with feathers.

In his hand, a staff wrapped with two snakes was held, and he wore winged sandals.

Every time the sandals cut through the air, faint light traced their path, leaving an afterimage.

The boy lightly descended as if walking in the air.

The courtiers and guards at the palace looked up in awe at the sight.

I stood among the courtiers and gazed at the boy.

When the boy’s feet touched the ground, the air around seemed to lighten.

A gentle breeze rustled the grass, and the birds sang.

It was as if the very space was welcoming the boy’s presence.

After the boy touched the ground, he swept his gaze around.

His golden eyes, full of mischief, glistened as they caught the sunlight.

Those eyes seemed playful, but they were certainly not the gaze of a ‘human.’

It was obvious.

The boy was not a human but a god.

The boy’s gaze, which had swept around looking for someone, stopped when it reached me.

The golden eyes narrowed, and the boy’s lips moved.

• It’s you.

The wind whispered in my ear.

• The child who twisted Zeus’s will.

“…….”

I didn’t answer.

The boy already knew the answer, so I didn’t need to speak.

The boy smiled slightly and turned his gaze away from me.

At the same time, the boy’s lips parted.

“Mycenae’s king, Eurystheus, will follow my will and that of Olympus.”

The boy’s voice flowed like a gentle breeze, yet it resonated deeply.

“The messenger of the gods, Hermes, has come to deliver Zeus’s will.”

The messenger of the gods.

The one who conveys the will of Olympus.

The voice of Hermes, the god of travelers, rippled and echoed through the Mycenaean palace.

King Eurystheus of Mycenae hurriedly ran out and knelt before Hermes.

“E-Eurystheus will follow the will of Olympus.”

Having likely rushed out of bed, Eurystheus was in disarray.

“Where is Hercules?”

“Here.”

Hercules confidently walked out and stood before Hermes.

He looked as though he had foreseen the situation and was calm.

Hermes smiled at Hercules and spoke.

“I will deliver Zeus’s will.”

Whoo—.

The staff of Hermes, entwined with two snakes, struck the ground.

“The content of Hercules’s task has changed.”

Destiny began to move.

The message delivered by Hermes was simple.

A helper can now join Hercules’s 12 labors.

However, the helper must be someone not bound by the laws of fate, and Hercules must remain the central figure.

But if Hercules deems it a “necessary situation,” the helper will not be involved, no matter who they are.

“Is this a regulation for Iolaus?”

Hercules had brought his nephew Iolaus into the hunt for the Hydra.

That was part of Hercules’s history and a fate that Moira had set, one that could never be changed.

Eurystheus, having heard Hermes’s words, asked.

“Do you mean someone not bound by the laws of fate?”

“Yes.”

Eurystheus looked bewildered.

It was understandable because even the gods could not escape the laws of fate.

It was practically saying that no help should be given.

A clause that seemed unnecessary to change.

But Hermes did not answer Eurystheus’s curiosity and disappeared.

Just as he had appeared, he flew away into the sky.

‘He’s covered himself in relics from head to toe.’

That was my impression of Hermes.

That afternoon, after Hermes delivered the news of the change in the task.

Hercules was preparing to leave for the Lernaean Swamps.

Hercules’s appearance had changed.

He was wearing the lion’s skin that Vanesha had tailored for him over his usual bare torso, and a bow and a broadsword were slung over his back.

“How does it look?”

“It suits you well.”

Now, with the lion’s skin, he looked like the Hercules I knew.

The Nemean lion’s skin was truly the symbol of Hercules.

“Goodbye, I’ll see you at the swamp.”

“Goodbye, I’ll see you later.”

Vanesha and Jeanne waved at me and disappeared.

Since they had to wait, they had to make the most of their time.

“Let’s go, Hercules.”

“Let’s.”

I left the general store with Hercules, just the two of us.

We were leaving the southern metropolis of Mycenae and heading for the Lernaean Swamps, where the Hydra lived.

When I and Heracles arrived at the swamp, it was already late at night, and the surroundings were dark.

The atmosphere of the forest, shrouded in darkness, was eerie beyond words. Somewhere, the cries of beasts echoed.

But I had no intention of turning back.

“Let’s start by scouting.”

“Scouting?”

“I heard that the Hydra is a nocturnal beast. Night would be the best time to confirm its presence.”

“That makes sense.”

Heracles agreed.

To catch the Hydra, we first needed to gather concrete information about it.

Since the Hydra slept during the day and moved at night, this was the perfect time to observe it.

To prepare for any situation, I also called Vanessa and Jeanne. Then, I shared my plan with them.

“Hmm, so you’re saying we should observe it secretly?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Eun-gong, please hold my hand.”

Vanessa held out her hand.

“???”

I was puzzled but carefully took Vanessa’s outstretched hand.

The moment my fingertips touched her soft skin, Vanessa tightly gripped my hand.

I was briefly startled.

“Huh?”

A strange sensation washed over me.

It felt as if—

I had disappeared.

My breath, body heat, even the air itself…

My very existence became faint.

When I looked at Vanessa in shock, she smiled gently.

“As long as we’re touching, I can share my ability with you.”

“Oh, I see.”

I hadn’t known this before since there had never been a need for it.

I felt slightly flustered, wondering if we really needed to interlock our fingers like this.

“Jeanne, please hold my other hand.”

Vanessa extended her remaining left hand toward Jeanne.

Jeanne looked displeased but reluctantly took Vanessa’s hand.

“If we’re ready, let’s go.”

“Understood.”

And so, with our hands linked to Vanessa, we moved toward Lerna Swamp, where the Hydra resided.

In the dense forest, it was difficult to distinguish our surroundings.

Not even the chirping of insects could be heard, let alone any signs of animals.

It was as if the entire forest had fallen into silence.

“Eun-gong, watch your step. There’s a tree root ahead.”

“Okay.”

Since my vision was limited, I relied on Vanessa to guide me.

How long had we been walking?

Heracles suddenly stopped.

“We’ve reached the swamp.”

A thick mist spread over the ground. Beyond the mist lay the swamp.

Lerna Swamp was covered in deep darkness.

Only the faint reflection of bluish moonlight illuminated the decaying trees scattered throughout the swamp.

“Eun-gong.”

Suddenly, Vanessa tightened her grip on my hand.

She was staring at the swamp with narrowed eyes.

As if she had sensed something lurking there.

And then—

Bubbles began to rise from the water where Vanessa was looking.

The dense mist around the swamp writhed and twisted.

Swish, swish.

A sound of movement came from the water.

Dark, murky water splashed as a massive form slowly emerged.

One, two—giant serpent heads rose from the depths.

It was a beast with twelve heads.

“3222…”

The heads moved in different directions, each seeming to have a mind of its own, writhing and growling.

Twelve pairs of glowing red eyes flickered ominously in the darkness.

A deadly poison seeped from its gaping jaws.

This was no ordinary beast.

Even if one head was severed, two would grow in its place—an immortal monster that defied death.

A creature unleashed upon the world by the evil god Typhon and the mother of all monsters, Echidna.

It was the Hydra.

Ssshh—, ssshh—.

The swamp rippled as the Hydra’s massive body advanced.

As it moved, the fog in the swamp thickened.

I held my breath and swallowed nervously.

‘This is worse than I imagined.’

Its breath, blood, saliva, body fluids—

Every part of the Hydra was infused with deadly poison.

This wasn’t something that could simply be burned away with fire.

With that, our reconnaissance of the Hydra was complete.

As we exited the swamp, Heracles spoke.

“I will bring my nephew.”

“Against that monster?”

“There will be no problem.”

Heracles remained unfazed even after seeing the Hydra.

He seemed to have absolute faith in his nephew.

I understood why the moment I saw him.

“I greet you, Lord Heracles.”

A towering figure, with a body of pure muscle.

Before us stood another Heracles.