Chapter 13: Secret Beneath the Surface
Victor gazed at the unconscious Leon for a few moments, stroking his chin while contemplating his next move.
It would be a waste to just leave Leon lying on the ground.
Not long after, an idea popped into his mind. A wide grin formed on his face. "This is going to be interesting."
He then approached Leon and tore off all his clothes, quickly rendering Leon completely naked.
With the torn clothes, he wove them into a longer piece.
He then executed his final act skillfully.
-------
Back at the expansive grassy field, in the hidden underground chamber...
Herakles stood in the center of a grand room with gleaming white floors. The space stretched over 200 square meters, surrounded by various objects like glass bottles, plants, and an assortment of weapons.
His expression was a blend of seriousness and bewilderment. It was hard to fathom that such a magnificent room lay concealed beneath the unkempt grassy field.
Descending the stairs had taken him five minutes, illustrating the considerable depth of this subterranean chamber.
Herakles wasted no time and strode forward. With purposeful steps, he navigated the clutter of items effortlessly, showing no interest in them.
Soon, he came to a halt before a colossal door, towering over 20 meters high, constructed of black steel and securely sealed. A "Danger" sign with a skull emblem was prominently displayed at its center.
Stroking his chin, Herakles murmured, "Hmm, just as he described. A giant door made of magical steel indeed," he remarked, running his fingers over the steel surface and detecting the magical formation that rendered the door seemingly impenetrable.
"He made the right call sending me here," Herakles smirked.
With that, he pounded his chest vigorously, causing a red rune to appear. Instantly, his body expanded until he towered over 20 meters tall.
Balling his fist, he delivered a powerful punch to the steel door.
Bang!
The resounding impact of his blow dented the door immediately, obliterating the magical formation.
Herakles then tore the steel door off its hinges and flung it aside.
Surveying the room's interior, his eyebrows knitted together in mild surprise. The inner chamber was far more spacious than the outer room, spanning over 1,000 square meters.
But it wasn't the room's size that startled him; it was the sight of a four-legged creature with a lion-like head, long sharp fangs, and dragon-like whiskers standing there, staring at the broken door.
The creature appeared menacing with two horns on its head and a body covered in scales that seemed impervious to sharp objects. What stood out most was its size, more than 20 meters tall, even taller than Herakles at that moment.
Herakles, though somewhat surprised, remained calm. Victor had briefed him about the creature and even its weakness.
"A chimera... Well, let's play, little kitty," he sneered with a grin.
The chimera, sensing Herakles' formidable aura, shifted into battle mode. Its expression turned fierce, regarding Herakles as a worthy opponent rather than prey.
"Raarrgh!"
With a thunderous roar, it lunged at Herakles, its mouth wide open, revealing its deadly fangs.
Herakles, unperturbed, stepped forward and seized the chimera's upper and lower jaws mid-air, causing the creature's eyes to widen in shock.
Without mercy, Herakles tore the corners of the creature's mouth.
Scratch!
The ear-piercing sound of flesh ripping apart echoed as Herakles brutally split the chimera's jaws wide open, exposing its throat. Strangely, no blood flowed, revealing that the torn parts were pure flesh.
In the next instant, Herakles was astonished as the chimera's torn mouth rapidly regenerated, enveloped in a thin blue aura, taking only seconds to return to normal.
"Raarrgh!" The chimera roared again, this time clamping down on Herakles' shoulder due to their close proximity.
Instead of encountering soft flesh, it felt as if it had bitten into solid steel.
Herakles swiftly punched the creature's abdomen with tremendous force, sending it hurtling forward.
His expression shifted to one of admiration, not for the chimera's regenerative prowess, but for Victor's precise knowledge about the chimera's abilities.
"Well, then I don't need to hold back," he declared, grinning.
He launched himself at the chimera, unleashing a barrage of deadly punches and physical strikes.
The creature became a helpless punching bag before Herakles, the demigod.
Their battle, though taking place hundreds of meters underground, caused tremors and quakes that were felt above ground, even kilometers away.
In a famous roadside café, people frantically rushed out, fleeing from the building.
"Aahh, an earthquake!"
"Fuck, it's an earthquake!"
"Run for your lives!"
Various shouts filled the air. The tremors were strong enough that many assumed it was an earthquake. Although the quakes didn't collapse buildings, the common assumption among the public was that earthquakes happened at varying intensities.
Inside the café, the manager hurried out of the restroom, still in his underwear, running in panic. But he was shocked to see a young man sitting at one of the tables, calmly sipping coffee.
The young man, dressed in luxurious attire and strikingly handsome, was none other than Victor.
"Hey, you! There's an earthquake! Why are you still sitting there?" he bellowed in warning.
Victor remained serene, enjoying his coffee. Instead of responding to the manager, he glanced at his watch, which read 11:40.
The manager, seeing this, shook his head before bolting out of the café.
After taking the last sip of his coffee, Victor decided to leave.
Stepping outside, the atmosphere was eerie, with no one around. Only the sound of a car horn, seemingly pressed by something, echoed through the empty streets.
It wasn't surprising since the city was mainly inhabited by ordinary humans, not sorcerers.
"It should happen any moment now; I need to meet him," he murmured with a smirk.
-------
While many sought shelter from the quake, back in the underground chamber, Herakles and the chimera were still locked in a fierce battle.
Despite their similar size, Herakles dominated, effortlessly slaughtering the chimera.
At this moment, Herakles punched the chimera's face, sending it tumbling backward. As the creature rolled on the ground, he leaped and grabbed its neck.
At a certain point, he managed to grasp a thin thread.
"Gotcha!" he grinned.
Without hesitation, he yanked the thread. The magical formation holding it in place shattered under Herakles' immense strength, revealing a necklace with a small, pitch-black stone pendant.
Examining the stone, Herakles' expression turned to astonishment. Once again, Victor's words proved true about the stone's presence and its role as the chimera's weakness.
"Grrrrrrrgh!"
His attention snapped back to the chimera, which growled defiantly.
"I guess that's enough playing; I'll end this," Herakles declared.
He then shot towards the chimera, which the creature responded with a sharp claw swipe from both its hands.
Unfazed, Herakles grabbed the chimera's hands and, without mercy, tore them apart.
Scratch!
The brutal ripping sound marked the chimera's hands being torn off its body.
Not stopping there, Herakles grabbed the chimera's upper and lower jaws and tore them apart once more.
Scratch!
This time, the tear was so extensive, reaching halfway down its body, and the creature didn't regenerate.
Standing amidst the aftermath, Herakles remained calm and said, "Mission completed."
He then deactivated his gigant magic, returning to his normal human form. Now holding the thread, it felt long, measuring over 10 meters.
He cut the thread and took the stone, now the size of a palm.
Without further ado, he exited the room.
-------
Shortly after, Herakles emerged to the surface, greeted by Victor standing beside the secret entrance.
"I got it, young master," he reported, handing the stone to Victor.
Victor took the stone and examined it, unable to hide his satisfied grin. He knew well about the stone and its location in the underground secret room with the chimera.
Sending Herakles there was indeed a wise decision. He could have faced the chimera himself, but given the creature's size, it would have been challenging to defeat it in time before the incidents at the Sky family party occured.
"What's our next move, young master?" Herakles inquired.
Victor was about to respond when a hologram suddenly appeared, interrupting him.
[You have successfully cut off Leon's golden opportunity by obtaining the 'Life Stone' first. Reward: 'Teleportation Exchange Ring']
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone