Red Gaia.

Taken literally, it meant Red Gaia.

Since Gaia was the goddess of the earth, it likely referred to earth turned red by lava.

As the final weapon of the Gigantomachy, Typhon was a monster Gaia had devoted exceptional effort to creating.

As proof of that, Gaia had given birth to Typhon by joining her own body with Tartaros, the deepest dark abyss of the underworld.

That said, if one were to ask whether Typhon was a living being, the answer would likely be no.

Tartaros had originally been a prison-like place where the Titans were confined, but after Gaia deified the deepest abyss of the underground itself—

the being Gaia created by joining herself with it was Typhon.

That was why Typhon was closer to a god than a living creature.

No, it was a god.

A very powerful one at that.

Because Gaia was part of its existence.

'According to the myth, it was said to be a monster capable of threatening the entire universe.'

Black Hercules of his previous life had said that, in the end, he failed to win in the Gigantomachy and failed the Hero’s Destiny quest.

He had not said why.

But now that he had actually joined the Gigantomachy, Su-ho felt like he understood why he had been defeated.

It was probably because of that gigantic lump of a monster, Typhon.

'If I had come here not as my current self, but only with qualifications on the level of Hercules’s incarnation, then I probably wouldn’t have been able to defeat Typhon either, no differently from Black Hercules.'

Typhon’s power was that overwhelming.

It was releasing an aura so intense that just standing together with it made the skin all over his body prickle.

Much less the lava it had spewed out.

Chiiiiik!!

When the lava splashed onto Su-ho’s body, a fierce heat rushed over him.

The moment he felt the stinging pain, Su-ho asked Jack through thought-transmission,

- This hurts like hell. Are you guys going to be okay?

- Honestly, I don’t think we will. The damage is bigger than I expected.

- Right? Then stay back. Don’t go wasting shadows for no reason.

- Understood.

At Su-ho’s judgment, Jack immediately reverse-summoned the Black Army.

There was no need to bring out his other summons either.

Now that he had grown in size, he could not ride Cheolma, and in a situation where even the gods were barely fighting, calling out the Vampire Quartet would not be much help.

Jack asked worriedly,

- Are you okay?

- Me? Who are you worrying about? Like I’ve never had an experience like this in my life?

Surprisingly, it was not bluster. It was true.

That experience was when he had met the Blast Furnace Dragon.

Back then, the key that had brought Su-ho victory against the insanely hot Blast Furnace Dragon had been the combination of his Incarnation Body and the Blast Furnace Dragon’s Iron Scale Fragments.

'The Blast Furnace Dragon’s Iron Scale Fragments come with a fire resistance option. I’ve got two with 23% each, and the S-rank Incarnation Body gives an additional 50% fire resistance. That puts my fire resistance at a whopping 96%!'

Back then too, he had not wasted time just to fill in the remaining 4%.

And this time was no different.

Su-ho quickly equipped the Iron Scale Fragments and set his stance again.

Around then, the lava that had surged up like a live volcano filled the land of Phlegrae and turned the entire area into a lava hell.

It was a spectacular sight.

This place, whose very name already meant Burning Land, had truly become burning land because of Typhon’s lava.

When Su-ho held up rather well and remained standing, Typhon moved its monstrous facial muscles and crooked up the corners of its mouth.

- Not bad for someone of human origin. To think you can dare to stand atop my Red Gaia.

“What do you mean dare? In the end, you’re just another bastard playing beneath a scrap of system. Enough talk. Since we’re all people who know what’s what, let’s wrap this up quickly.”

- ......?

Typhon made a face as though asking what the hell that was supposed to mean.

It was the face of something that really did not know.

Ah, so you don’t know?

Well, whatever. It was a fact only I needed to know.

Su-ho immediately took a boxing stance.

And as he approached the bastard first, he activated his skills.

[ Weaken is activated. ]

[ Seal of Pain is activated. ]

[ Enrage is activated. ]

[ Blessing of Rage is activated. ]

[ Curse of Rage is activated. ]

Kwaaaaaang!!

At Su-ho’s punch, Typhon instantly tried to grab him.

But with fluid movement, Su-ho avoided Typhon’s grasp and succeeded in planting a clean direct hit into the bastard’s jaw.

Yet despite having clearly taken a blow to the jaw, Typhon still kept Su-ho’s fist pressed against it and grinned.

- Krrk, what a pathetic soft punch. Looks like your trick is nothing more than having a tough outer hide.

Is that so?

Then try enduring this too.

[ Enhancement is activated. ]

[ Point is activated. ]

Two skills.

And this time, instead of a fist, Su-ho opened his hand into a knife-hand and launched a sharp thrusting offense.

[ Hundred Strikes is activated. ]

[ Enhancement is applied. ]

[ The power of Hundred Strikes grows even stronger. ]

An additional skill activated.

It was Hundred Strikes.

The moment he set his hand like a spear and took a thrusting stance, Hundred Strikes, which responded to thrusts, activated just as expected.

Arrogant Typhon did not even dodge.

Trying to show his superiority again, it merely attempted to grab Su-ho with sluggish, almost laughable movements.

But Su-ho, who held the technical advantage, once again avoided Typhon’s grasp and sharply drove Hundred Strikes into Typhon’s chest.

Gwa-dududuk!!

A thoroughly chilling sound.

That sound rang across the entire land of Phlegrae.

Seeing it, the Gigantes frowned, while the Olympian gods unconsciously clenched their fists tight.

Su-ho was certain too.

This attack had landed properly.

But—

- You’re putting on a little show.

Amazingly, Typhon looked at Su-ho as though it could not care less about the knife-hand embedded in its chest.

Looking at Typhon, Su-ho let out a hollow laugh as well.

“Wow, this one’s kind of scary.”

- Then this will be even scarier.

Typhon grabbed Su-ho’s wrist.

Then the countless snake heads embedded in its body lunged at Su-ho’s forearm and began biting at it like mad.

[ Heat Storm is activated. ]

Fwahwahwahwahwa!!

The moment the snake heads lunged at him, Su-ho immediately pulled his hand out of Typhon’s chest and activated Heat Storm.

For a second, he had wondered what he would do if the bastard’s chest refused to let go of his hand, but fortunately nothing like that happened.

Su-ho shook off the remaining snake heads with Heat Storm the way one blows dust away with a hair dryer.

At that moment, a thought-transmission came from Zeus.

- Would it be all right if we started helping soon?

At that question, Su-ho turned his head and looked at Zeus.

At some point, all of the Olympian gods had gathered beside Zeus and were watching Su-ho.

No one had been trying to help Su-ho.

It was not because they meant to put forward the hero of prophecy and have him kill Typhon.

It was because Zeus had ordered it.

That while his son Hercules was working so tirelessly, they still must not dare interfere in that fight.

Catching the intent, Su-ho let out a faint laugh and answered by voice transmission.

- It’s fine. Not yet.

- Good. We believe in you. But if danger comes, it’s fine for you to run at any time.

- Thank you. Just hearing that is already a huge encouragement.

It truly was encouragement.

After all, they were choosing not to step in and were trusting and supporting him.

It felt even better because it was Zeus of all people.

Because right now he was not An Su-ho, but Hercules.

And here, at least here, Zeus was his father.

Because it felt good to indirectly feel, even through a quasi-seat created by the system, the affection of the father who had died early because of Gate Shock.

'When I get back, I should beat the hell out of Pi Seong-yeol one more time.'

That fucking bastard.

If not for that bastard’s greed, his family might still have been alive even now.

When Su-ho shook off his hand and removed even the last snake head, Typhon laughed.

- Is that all the little tricks you can show?

“As if. But after throwing a few punches, I’m sure of one thing.”

- Of what?

“That if I’m going to be at my strongest, I need a sword, not this bare-knuckle brawling.”

- A sword? Puhahahahahahahahaha!

At Su-ho’s words, Typhon burst into rough laughter.

Why was it laughing?

I’m serious.

But Typhon laughed precisely because it knew those words were sincere.

Wearing a grin grotesque enough to feel bizarre, Typhon said,

- And that is why you are a lowly human. A true strong one should be able to crush everything without relying on some petty tool like that!

As it said that, it looked straight at the Olympian gods watching from far off in the sky, especially Zeus, and continued,

- So this is that son of the prophecy, the human hero, is it? Watch carefully. Right before your eyes, I’ll tear this one to shreds and scatter him across the earth, then over that I’ll grind up your other children and brothers, and finally you as well.

Zeus did not waver.

Instead, he folded his arms and stared coldly at Typhon.

Typhon shifted its gaze back to Su-ho.

- Now then, lowly human. If you’ve got no more tricks to show, it’s time to end this childish nonsense. I did not personally descend all the way here just to deal with the likes of you.

“Damn, you’re impatient. Fine. Then I’ll show you my final move too.”

Su-ho slowly raised his right hand.

“Guiyeong.”

“Woof!”

At Su-ho’s call, Guiyeong sprang up and landed atop Su-ho’s right hand.

Typhon’s eyes narrowed.

What exactly was he trying to do now?

That was exactly the look in its eyes.

But Su-ho’s preparation was not over yet.

“Jack.”

- Okay, I’ll start.

At that moment—

Shuaaaaaaa!!

A pitch-black current began condensing into Su-ho’s outstretched right hand.

It gathered around Guiyeong on Su-ho’s right hand, then in an instant lengthened and soon changed into a familiar form.

The Blood Sword.

It was the Blood Sword.

The very Blood Sword he had used continuously ever since his regression.

But to be precise, it was not the Blood Sword.

The Blood Sword was made of blood and therefore red, whereas what had formed in Su-ho’s hand was pitch-black.

Pulling the hilt of the newly formed black sword toward himself, Su-ho looked at it and grinned.

“Nice.”

- You like it?

“Very much. In that sense, starting today, its name is Black Sword.”

- A perfect fit.

Black Sword.

It was a one-of-a-kind sword in the world, created for Su-ho in his Gigantified state, born from Guiyeong’s Shadow Spear and the fusion of Divine Beast King Hollow Jack with the countless shadow knights under him.

If not for Hollow Jack, he would probably have kept on fighting with his bare hands instead of a sword every time he met a giant enemy from here on out.

Seeing the Black Sword formed in Su-ho’s hand, Typhon growled.

- Do you really think adding just one pathetic tool like that will let you accomplish anything?

“Want to see?”

- I’m sick of watching your worthless little tricks any longer!!

[ Typhon uses Ruler-Class Fear. ]

[ Dragon Blood is activated. ]

[ Due to the Dragon Mind effect of Dragon Blood, Fear is not applied. ]

[ Due to the effect of Ruler-Class Fear, all buff effects on the players are removed. ]

Typhon let out a savage roar.

Thanks to that, all buff effects were removed, but one thing alone—Su-ho’s Black Sword—brazenly remained intact.

- Kheooooong!!

Typhon charged at Su-ho.

All across the bastard’s body, the lava characteristic of Red Gaia surged forth, and Su-ho stayed right where he was and took his stance.

- Die!!

A collision with Typhon as it came right up to him.

At that moment, Su-ho’s sword flashed out like lightning.

Slice!!

Su-ho’s sword swung.

At the same time, Typhon overlapped with Su-ho.

More precisely, Typhon’s gaping maw bit into the nape of Su-ho’s neck.

The Olympian gods held their breath.

Smoke rose from Su-ho’s body.

Because Typhon’s lava had engulfed him.

But at that moment—

- How......!

A voice like a candle about to go out leaked from Typhon’s mouth as it bit into the back of Su-ho’s neck.

And Typhon’s body slowly began to collapse downward along Su-ho’s body.

Thud—splash!!

Typhon’s body fell onto the burning land of Phlegrae, and the lava pooled up to ankle height splashed far away from the impact of Typhon’s weight.

And Su-ho could see it.

[ You have defeated Typhon. ]

The utterly plain system notification saying he had defeated Typhon.