King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 81

Bellerophon’s Story – (4)

Bellerophon, astride Pegasus, flew with urgency to locate the Chimera.

The monster’s trail remained consistent.

‘Damn it… that monster…’

It was heading towards Lakia, the very city where he had received the request.

The ground, where the Chimera had clearly passed, was scarred by the monster’s sharp claws…

The grass and trees along the way had withered, poisoned by the venom dripping from the snake’s head.

Flap! Flap!

He hastily spurred Pegasus onward towards Lakia.

However, as he drew closer to the city, he heard the screams of people and the sounds of buildings collapsing.

Even as he pushed Pegasus to its limit, was he already too late? Which way should he go?

“Aaaaaah!”

“Monster! It’s a monster! Goddess Athena, have mercy!”

“Quick, get over here and take cover!”

The Temple of Athena, built on the outskirts of the city, was engulfed in flames.

The statue, a likeness of the beautiful goddess of wisdom, was broken in half and lay scattered on the ground.

People fleeing and heavily armed soldiers surrounding the temple were running around frantically, creating chaos.

Whoosh-

“That crazy monster!”

“Goddess Athena… We have failed to protect the temple…”

“It’s just spewing fire inside the temple now… but arrows definitely didn’t work on it!”

“We have to get inside somehow, but it’s not easy!”

“Damn flames, they just keep coming…!”

Once again, fierce flames erupted from the center of the temple.

Bellerophon flew Pegasus around the burning temple, searching, but the beast was nowhere to be seen.

The Chimera was definitely inside. But to enter the narrow temple, he had to dismount from Pegasus.

But without Pegasus, could Bellerophon, a mere mortal, defeat that monster?

Could he really avoid that steel-like hide and plunge a spear into its throat without Pegasus?

* * *

Soon, many people spotted Bellerophon hovering in the sky on the celestial steed.

Exposed to the monster’s threat, they desperately sought a lifeline, a sign of salvation.

“Hey, are you blessed by the gods? That monster hasn’t come out of the temple since earlier!”

“A winged horse…? Have the gods sent a messenger?”

“…You there, please, help Lakia!”

The hero, clenching his teeth, looked at the people covered in ash and horribly disfigured by burns.

Then, he heard King Iobates’ urgent voice.

King Iobates was visible among the numerous soldiers surrounding the temple.

“Bellerophon! You are clearly loved by the gods!”

“Your Majesty Iobates?! What brings you here…”

“What kind of king wouldn’t personally handle a crisis when a temple in his kingdom is in danger!”

King Iobates, though he had sent Bellerophon to his death based on his son-in-law’s letter,

realized his mistake as soon as he saw Bellerophon riding the winged horse and called out to him.

“Bellerophon! Come over here for a moment!”

“Yes? I understand!”

He abruptly handed over a letter from his chest and spoke to Bellerophon, who had dismounted from Pegasus.

His eyes were filled with regret and apology.

“No… this is…!”

“Yes, in fact, the letter from my son-in-law… it said that you seduced his wife, so he wanted you dead…”

“You mean, ordering me to kill the Chimera was… This is a misunderstanding! I…”

“…How could a hero blessed by the gods with such a steed covet another man’s wife? I realize my mistake now, I am truly sorry…”

King Iobates approached Bellerophon and placed a hand on his shoulder.

The old king’s eyes met the hero’s.

“I have wronged you greatly… but may I ask you to deal with that monster?”

“…!”

“…I beg you. You are the only hero here.”

The surrounding soldiers were shocked at the sight of the king bowing his head to a commoner.

Bellerophon bit his lip until it bled and shouted, kneeling on one knee before the king.

“Of course! The gods gave me Pegasus to kill that beast… I will complete my task!”

Even though the task was accepted with ambition, he was still a hero.

The sight of the goddess’s temple burning and people dying stirred his heart.

What sealed the deal was the king, who lowered his pride and bowed his head for the sake of his people’s safety.

He didn’t wait for the king’s reply and entered the burning temple with a lead-weighted spear.

Thud. Thud.

To face that monster with only a lead-weighted spear, without the Pegasus sent by the gods,

He would surely die. He would probably burn to death in agony.

But that is what a hero is…

“Bellerophon!”

“Please… be safe…”

“May the grace of Athena be with you!”

A hero does not back down even in the face of inevitable death.

* * *

Bellerophon, pushing through the flames and entering the temple, saw only a sea of fire.

As if the lion-headed beast had gone berserk, hot air pressed in from all directions, suffocating him.

“Cough…”

Black smoke, scattered ashes, fleeing people, and raging flames made it hard to see…

Where is that monster… where is it?

As he went deeper into the temple, he found the Chimera staring at him with bloodshot eyes.

He immediately dove behind a marble pillar.

Whoosh-

He hid to avoid the flames that were immediately fired at him upon being discovered,

But the environment was too unfavorable for him.

Even if not directly hit, the environment was too hot, and the air he breathed in felt like it was burning his chest.

The winged horse given by the gods was outside, and there were no other allies inside the temple.

It was a desperate situation where his life hung by a thread.

Whoosh-

“Ugh!”

He threw himself again, swallowing a groan.

He couldn’t just keep dodging. Walking on a tightrope would surely lead to a fall.

He was already out of breath, and his back was burning.

Did he get grazed by the flames? The monster’s growl was terrifying.

Grrr-

The Chimera was slowly approaching, searching for Bellerophon, who was hiding behind the pillar.

The monster’s reaction speed far exceeded Bellerophon’s.

Even if he threw the spear accurately into its mouth, it wasn’t like he was throwing it from Pegasus…

It would melt in mid-air, engulfed in those immense flames.

Then there was only one way: to plunge it directly into the monster’s mouth.

But then he would be engulfed in flames by the enraged monster…

Grrr-

Bellerophon, leaning against the hot marble pillar and hiding from the monster, tightly closed his eyes.

He had always wanted to become a hero, and beyond that, a god. So he was going to go to Thebes according to the oracle given to the whole world, but…

Because of the sin of accidentally killing his brother, he had to entrust himself to another kingdom.

There were rumors that if you went to Thebes, the gods would train you directly, that you would receive the blessings and weapons of the gods and go through an intense schedule…

Even if only half of the rumors were true, it was clear that those who passed the trials there would all become heroes.

Then, would he, who did not go to Thebes, not become a hero?

Thud.

The Chimera’s footsteps were getting closer.

If it found this place soon and spewed flames, he would be dead.

In Bellerophon’s mind, who bit his lip, flashed the images of people dying in the burning flames and…

King Iobates bowing his head to him.

And also the dream he had cherished deep in his heart since some time ago, the ambition to achieve amazing feats and become a god.

Thump.

Grrr!

Bellerophon didn’t wait for the approaching monster and jumped up and ran out.

Flames erupted from the Chimera’s open mouth as it discovered him, but he didn’t stop.

Whoosh-

“I, Bellerophon, will prove that you can become a hero even without going to Thebes!!!”

His body was covered in flames. Hot. Hot. Hot. So hot!

His skin, hands, arms, legs, his whole body was burning.

The trained muscles were melting, and the hand holding the spear was losing strength.

He couldn’t see because his eyes had melted, and his legs were screaming in pain.

But the hero did not let go of the spear in his hand until the end.

Stab.

Kkeuheoeong-!!!

Until it was lodged in the monster’s mouth, his target.

* * *

For a while, the monster’s painful screams subsided in the temple, and the flames went out.

The soldiers surrounding the temple brought water to extinguish the small embers and entered.

In the process, the soldiers at the front discovered something.

“This is!”

“Your… Your Majesty! You… you must see this!”

Once safety was secured, King Iobates entered and found two corpses in the center of the temple.

The Chimera, with a spear lodged in its mouth, was collapsed, spewing black smoke from its maw…

The charred figure, presumed to be Bellerophon, was standing, having plunged the spear into the Chimera’s mouth, and was dead.

Everyone was silent at the tragic yet sublime sight.

“To not let go of the spear in his hand until the end…”

“Your Majesty, it seems that the lead on the spear lodged in the Chimera’s mouth melted in the flames and went into its stomach.”

“With hot, molten lead in its stomach, even a monster couldn’t survive…”

“He is truly a hero…”

In the circumstances, the lead of the spear lodged in the Chimera’s mouth melted in the flames spewed by the Chimera,

And the molten lead flowed into its stomach… and it seemed to have died like that.

“Hmm… Recover Bellerophon’s body.”

“Yes!”

Swish-

Bellerophon’s body, or rather, the black figure that was hardly even a body…

As soon as the soldiers touched it lightly, it collapsed and turned to ashes.

Flap…

Pegasus, who had entered at some point, let out a short cry as if saddened by his death.

King Iobates, who had been staring at the dead Chimera and Bellerophon for a long time, spoke in a heavy voice.

“…Build a statue of Bellerophon, the hero who saved our Lakia.”

“Yes! I understand!”

“May the grace of Pluto be with the hero.”

“Athena…”

May he receive his reward even in the afterlife.