章 102: The Black Magic Sword capable of Destroying the World
[T/N: Sorry for the long break, I will try to compensate for it...]
[T/N: 3 x Chapter]
In the endless abyss of Underworld, Tartarus.
"Ladon?...My child?"
Typhon, who at this moment had turned his huge body into that of a white-haired adult woman with the face of a goddess, upon hearing Jason's words, couldn't help but feel confused and showed a hint of doubt in his strange-looking eyes because he actually doesn't remember ever having any child.
"The child you had with the half-human half-snake monster Echidna." Noticing obvious confusion on Typhon's face, Hecate added indifferently.
"Oh." Hearing this, Typhon soon guessed the origin of Ladon, so he replied with a smile: "So, it turns out this has happened... I really didn't expect that she had actually created a child from my blood... even though, I had given her only a little of my blood because of obviously different reasons..."
Due to being the strongest known monster, Typhon is aware of the fate of monsters better than anyone else.
Therefore, when he encountered Echidna and learned that she is also a monster but much weaker, he had given her some of his blood containing his powers so that she can improve her strength.
But now he found out that she had given birth by using his blood, so he asked curiously: "Well, then, Goddess Hecate, do you know where she is now? "
"Dead, she was killed by Argos, the hundred-eyed giant, a servant of Hera, Queen of Gods."
Hearing this, Jason also remembered that Hephaestus had also mentioned this fact once but at that time Jason was unaware of Echidna's identity and thought of her as a very strong monster.
However, now Jason understood that Echidna is actually the mother of Cerberus, Chimera, Ladon, along with many other monsters, and she is also, in a way, the wife of Typhon, so Jason subconsciously looked at Hecate while feeling a little surprised.
Because Jason obviously remembers that the one who had killed Echidna, the hundred-eyed giant Argos is also the one who is guarding princess Io, who Jason needs to save for offering tribute to Hermes.
"Right." Upon noticing Jason's gaze, Hecate nodded and confirmed Jason's guess: "Argos is the same hundred-eyed giant guarding Io and the one you will be encountering while offering the next tribute."
"Dead..." Typhon was stunned for a moment, but he had already expected something like this to happen sooner or later, so he shook his head while saying in a regretful tone: "That's really unfortunate..."
Then, Typhon changed the subject and spoke: "By the way, if I haven't guessed wrong, defeating my child is a tribute... but why does this child need to defeat my child Ladon for offering tribute? And who is he offering this tribute to?"
It obviously isn't difficult for Typhon to draw out such a conclusion from the words of Hecate and Jason, but after speaking, Typhon immediately thought that he might have asked for too much information from the long-awaited guest.
So, Typhon paused for a moment, then added with a smile: "Sorry, I seem to be talking too much, but in this abyss, I had almost forgotten when was the last time I had conversed with someone, so I hope you two don't mind."
After hearing this, because this matter is not something worth concealing, Jason briefly told Typhon about the twelve tributes he needs to offer and that defeating the hundred-headed dragon Ladon is his tribute to God of War Ares.
"I see." After listening to Jason's words, Typhon nodded in understanding.
Then, immediately after a very brief contemplation, Typhon raised his head and smiled at Jason while saying softly: "Child, I will help you."
Typhon agreeing to help Jason after learning about the twelve tributes and twelve gifts isn't actually out of Hecate and Jason's expectations.
After all, both are naturally aware of Typhon claiming to sense the aura of destruction in Jason.
And the fact that no destruction can be achieved without a corresponding strength is obvious to all of them.
Therefore, Hecate and Jason believe, also Typhon really does feel that he has no reason for refusing to help Jason, rather, he is very happy to see Jason becoming even stronger by offering a successful tribute.
"On what conditions?" So, Hecate immediately asked Typhon.
"No conditions are needed, I will help this child unconditionally..."
"No!" But before Typhon managed to finish speaking this with a delighted smile on his face, Hecate interrupted Typhon and said: "We need conditions... and if you don't have any condition, then pretend we haven't been here today!"
Hecate is aware that Jason had decided to meet Typhon because he wants to turn the random interaction with Typhon into a controllable interaction so that they can clearly understand Typhon's situation before correspondingly dealing with it.
Therefore, Hecate believes that the interaction between Jason and Typhon must not include anything like free favor, especially from Typhon's side.
So, upon hearing Hecate's words, there is no way Typhon, who possesses unparalleled evil wisdom, wouldn't understand what Hecate is trying to do.
Therefore, Typhon couldn't help but stare deeply in front of him at Hecate, who is wearing a long black dress with black hair and vermillion eyes.
And as the two stared at each other, the scene fell into a brief silence.
But during this short silence, Jason doesn't know if it was his illusion, he actually felt the chaotic flow of time for the first time after entering the endless abyss Tartaros, a place where the concept of time is supposed to not even exist.
"...Goddess Hecate, I used to think we had a good chance of becoming friends."
"No, such a chance had never existed in the first place!" Hecate flatly denied Typhon's words, then after a short pause, she added in a light tone, as if she herself doesn't believe that such a thing is possible: "But as long as you don't disturb me or try to contaminate what belongs to me, then we would not become enemy."
"I see." Typhon nodded, then turned his head to look at Jason before shaking his head again while saying: "...That's really regrettable."
"In that case...child, help me kill Argos, this is the condition from me in return for assisting you in defeating Ladon."
Hearing the conditions given by Typhon, Jason thought for a few moments, then he looked at Typhon and nodded while saying: "I understand, then, the great King of Giants, Typhon, I will follow the agreement..."
But before Jason managed to finish speaking, Hecate interrupted Jason and spoke: "Under the witness of the great primordial god, Tartarus, the god of Hell and Abyss!"
Actually, although Typhon is considerably powerful compared to most of the gods, he eventually isn't a god, rather he is a monster, so pledging to Styx won't be too effective on Typhon.
Therefore, Hecate asked Typhon to pledge under the name of Tartaros, a primordial god and father of Typhon.
But in response, Typhon just smiled and pledged: "Under the witness of the great father, Tartarus, God of Hell and Abyss, defeating Argos is one and only condition from me..."
Because Typhon had already concluded that he can't be too impatient while dealing with Jason, especially in presence of Hecate.
Therefore, finally, Typhon can't bear but add: "Child, I have to say, you have a good teacher."
"Yeah." Jason nodded and said to Typhon with a smile: "I've always felt that way."
Then, the next moment, Typhon slowly raised his right hand and under his guidance, the power of the abyss, in other words, the power of his father Tartaros, began gathering in his hand.
Simultaneously, the skin on Typhon's hand began cracking, and through these cracks, soon black blood carrying the power of absolute destruction began flowing out to join the power of abyss gathering in hand.
After a relatively long while, the black blood carrying the power of absolute destruction perfectly blended with the power of the abyss to finally turned into a black spear.
Then Typhon handed the black spear to Jason and said: "Take this spear and fight, as long as your opponent is my child, it will not be able to exert its full strength."
"Also, no one will be able to restore the wounds created by this spear, unless you allow it to happen."
Although Jason guessed that there must be a limit to the extent of stopping wounds from healing, he obviously understood that at the very least it is absolutely effective against someone at the level of Ladon, after all, this spear contains the blood of the very embodiment of destruction.
So, Jason stepped forward and took the black spear.
Then, since their goal had been completed, Hecate and Jason turned around to leave...
"Child, we will be definitely meeting again."
Watching Jason leave, in the end, Typhon wasn't able to hold himself back from speaking, but his voice reached the ears of Jason alone: "Also, child... I will not give up on you, I believe that one day, you will certainly come and find me!"
Typhon's words made Jason's steps pause for a brief moment.
But Jason neither nodded nor shook his head, after all, he had heard these words just too many times.
Then, acting as if nothing had happened, under Typhon's gaze Jason followed Hecate and walked out of the endless abyss, Tartaros.
*****
Soon, amid the flying butterflies, Hecate brought Jason back to the temple, where simultaneously the illusions of both working in the temple disappeared.
And immediately after returning to the temple, Hecate held out her hand to Jason and said: "Give that to me."
Naturally, Jason obediently handed the black spear to Hecate.
Immediately after holding the black spear, Hecate frowned as she instantly sensed the evil and destructive power of the spear.
So, the next moment, Hecate began checking if this spear is harmful to Jason.
Then, after repeatedly confirming, Hecate began to chant a spell while simultaneously pouring her divine power into the black spear.
Therefore, soon, silver brilliance began gradually emerging on the pitch-black magic spear, which slowly embellished the black color and covered the evil and domineering aura of destruction.
And finally, when Hecate finished executing her spell, a few ghost butterflies flew to the spear and melted into the spear to turn into the patterns of ghost butterflies, indirectly marking this spear as a creation of Goddesses of Paths Hecate.
Therefore, in this state, unless a strong God directly holds this magic spear, they won't be able to easily sense any destructive aura from it and will conclude that this magic spear is an artifact created by Hecate.
Then, after again checking that Jason can freely use this spear, Hecate handed the magic spear back to Jason and said to him: "I have suppressed the destructive aura on this spear so that gods can't perceive Typhon's power on it, but this is only a temporary measure...because over time, even my divine power that will soon be corroded up by endless destructive strength on it!"
"So when this matter is over, go to your teacher Hephaestus by yourself, and she will find a way for you to...."
But after saying till here, Hecate, who is sitting in the hall of the temple, suddenly froze because she had just thought of something.
Because she is now going through a scene in her mind, the scene regarding Jason's path that had left a very deep impression in her memory.
It is the scene in which berserk thunder and lightning are singing a symphony over the whole of Greece and night had covered the land, but in this endless darkness, Jason dressed in white is standing on Mount Olympus and pointing a pitch-black sword at the God-King Zeus.
Hecate remembered this scene because she suddenly discovered that the pitch-black sword is giving her the same impression as that of the black spear given by Typhon to Jason.
And as one who had originally discovered this path in Jason, Hecate obviously knows that the pitch-black sword in that scene is an artifact powerful enough to destroy the whole Greek Pantheon.
Therefore, now Hecate couldn't help but think: 'The most outstanding god-smith Hephaestus and the spear crafted from the blood of the embodiment of destruction Typhon...'
"Teacher Hecate, what's wrong?"
Putting away the now silver and black magic spear, Jason looked at Hecate, who had suddenly fallen silent, and asked in doubt.
Upon hearing this, Hecate turned her head to look at Jason.
And her beautiful vermilion eyes continued staring straight at Jason in silence for quite a while, so much so that Jason even began feeling awkward.
"...Come here."
Seeing Hecate telling him to walk to her after speechlessly staring at him for a long while, Jason, after being stunned for a moment, couldn't help but subconsciously cover his cheeks, then he looked at Hecate with a pitiful expression on his face and said: "Teacher Hecate, this time, can you directly tell my mistake and not pinch my face?..."
"Come here." In response, Hecate just repeated lightly.
Therefore, Jason had no choice but to slowly step forward and walk to Hecate.
But, just when Jason was mentally preparing himself, Hecate didn't pinch Jason's face like usual, rather, she reached out and pulled him into her arms to hug the surprised-looking Jason.
Then, while holding Jason, she placed her chin on Jason's head, and after a while, Hecate said in a straightforward tone: "Jason, you should already know that most of the things in this world don't interest me, not even the gods and their rights."
"So even if the world gets destroyed, as long as it doesn't affect me, I will probably not even go out to take a second look."
"Therefore, I don't care whether the ruler of Olympus changes or even gods continues to exist... Do you understand what I am trying to say?"
After being silent for a few moments, Jason nodded slightly.
"I know Typhon had said something to you before we left Trataros, you don't have to tell me, anyway I can guess that it is nothing more than not giving up on you... but, Jason, you are my student, even if you are a scoundrel, you are still my apprentice, and I will always be with you, understood?"
"So, although I might try to direct you in following a certain path, I will never force you to choose any of the paths, I have given you every right in choosing the path you want to walk on."
"And, I hope...you can be happy."
Hecate's words echoed in Jason's ears and heart, but Hecate continued: "You should still remember our agreement?... The agreement we had made when we met for the first time."
"I remember." Hearing this, Jason replied softly: "I have to unconditionally promise one thing to you..."
Jason obviously won't forget this agreement, after all, it was exactly because of this unconditional agreement Jason was able to become Hecate's student.
"Then keep this in your heart...because this is the only absolute constraint I will ever put on you."
クリエイターの想い 
GlaiveIris
GlaiveIris Do you know, the equivalent of Typhon from Greek Mythology in Babylonian Mythology is actually Tiamat, who is a female serpentine monster-like goddess and was defeated by Marduk, a god who uses lightning as weapons, quite similar to Zeus.
Well, this one is in case someone was wondering why the Author suddenly decided to turn Typhon into a genderless monster...
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