How long have I been running, I wonder?
It feels like it’s been hours, but I really have no idea, and there’s no way to measure it.
Besides, who knows how time even works inside a dungeon?
Even though I’ve reinforced my body and I’m definitely taking the shortest route, I haven’t encountered any monsters, let alone the evil spirits or the evil god that’s my main target.
However, I’m sure I’m getting closer to my destination.
The unpleasant magical aura in the air is proof enough of that.
“I can understand why the spirits don’t want to come here…”
To spirits, who can sense magical power tens of times more acutely than humans, this place probably feels like a magma-filled active volcano.
“Normally, this is where a pack of Blood Dragoons should be lurking…”
But, disappointingly, there’s nothing here—no Blood Dragoons, nothing.
Standing in the middle of what should be the Blood Dragoons’ nest, which is unnecessarily spacious, I release the reinforcement on my body and instead cloak myself in lightning magic.
“Well—wouldn’t it be about time for you to show yourself, Mr. Stalker God?”
‘—Since when did you notice?’
Suddenly, a tornado strong enough to blow me away arises, gathering the unpleasant magical aura into one place.
That magical power gradually takes the shape of a human—a stern-looking man.
“Well… if I had to say, I knew from the very beginning.”
‘… My transformation into magical energy should have been perfect.’
“It’s simple. The dungeon is constantly circulating new magical energy. So, the fact that there’s always this unpleasant magic lingering around me is odd, don’t you think?”
‘… You’re right. I guess I still have a long way to go.’
Though he says that, he doesn’t seem to think he’s lacking in power at all.
But—this arrogance can be useful.
He probably thinks I’m beneath him.
That’s why he wouldn’t even consider that I’m deliberately suppressing my magical power and lowering my lightning magic to the minimum level I can activate.
And those who arrogantly believe they’re above others are usually the easiest to deceive.
I’d like to finish this quickly, so if he’s underestimating me, all the better.
Of course, I’ve also considered and prepared for the possibility that he’s stronger than me.
And, since I’ll have to fight the evil gods to save Hera, this is good practice.
When I asked Zeus about the evil god Hera had made a contract with—
‘That one… is either on par with us divine spirits, or possibly even stronger. The last time I fought him was over 10,000 years ago. I’ve grown stronger since then, but so has he, no doubt.’
For Zeus, who is overwhelmingly stronger than me, to be so cautious speaks volumes.
Compared to that, this guy is nothing more than a baby.
“Now then… Mr. Evil God, do you know why I’ve come here?”
‘Oh, I know very well… I can smell the magic of Zeus, the one who made me kneel. Could it be… you’re his contractor?’
“No, I haven’t made a contract with him yet.”
I shrug as I say this, and the evil god, after a brief moment of surprise, starts laughing.
‘Kuhaha… So, a mere human who couldn’t even make a contract with Zeus has come to defeat me? You’re quite the comedian! I’m not so weak as to be beaten by the likes of you!!’
The evil god’s face twists with rage, and in an instant, he moves to my back—faster than any opponent I’ve ever fought, except for Zeus.
Well—compared to Zeus, it’s not even close.
“You… you really are an idiot, aren’t you? Challenging a lightning mage to close combat…”
I move even faster than the evil god and position myself behind him.
Then, as I prepare to hit him with a lightning-infused fist to the back, he blocks it with black magic.
Moreover, the black magic clings to my fist, preventing me from moving.
“Tch—what a pain…”
‘You shouldn’t underestimate me, human… I could kill you in an instant!!’
As soon as he grabs my arm, he slams me into the ground.
The impact creates a crater, kicking up a cloud of dust.
But he’s not done yet. Grabbing my leg this time, he hurls me into the sky—
‘What’s wrong? You’re weaker than I expected for someone who dared to challenge me.’
The evil god catches up to me in mid-air, punching me in the solar plexus and launching me even higher.
And then—
‘… What a disappointment. I thought about taking you hostage to draw out Zeus, but… it seems you’re not his contractor after all. You’re useless to me now. Disappear—Black Cannon!’
The evil god gathers the black magic from his entire body into his palm and fires it at me.
I take the hit directly and plummet to the ground.
The black magic seems to have powerful mental attack properties as well, assaulting both my mind and body.
Well—it’s not much of an issue, though.
‘Wh-Why…!? Why are you unharmed after taking my attack…!?’
The evil god stares at me in shock, eyes wide with terror, as I stand unscathed after being slammed into the ground and hit by his magic.
Realizing he had unconsciously backed away, his face twists with humiliation.
Meanwhile, I casually stand up, brushing the dust off my clothes.
“…I thought you’d be stronger, considering you have ‘god’ in your name… but is this really all you’ve got? If this is the extent of your power—you’ll never be able to defeat me.”
I release the magical power I’d been holding back, filling myself with far more intense and dense lightning than before.
The lightning wraps around my body, transforming every cell into pure magic—pushing me to a higher dimension.
‘N-No…! Th-That’s impossible…! Th-That form…’
The evil god stares at me in shock, backing away once again.
But it’s no surprise, really.
After all—I look exactly like Zeus.
The lightning turns my eyes and hair a brilliant silver, while pale blue lightning writhes around me like it’s alive.
Just by standing, I cause lightning to strike the ground, thunder to roar, and the surroundings to become my domain.
I look at the panicking evil god and speak, as if delivering divine punishment.
“Here and now—I will kill you.”
