At that moment, Morpheus confirmed one thing: something had definitely gone wrong with this adventure. Even if the author's mind was full of holes, no matter how deep, it shouldn't have twisted the Greek mythology into something like this!
With this setup, unless the gods themselves intervened, the Argo would surely sink right here!
Of course, that was assuming he wasn't present.
Just then, a bizarre roar, clearly with a feminine quality, emerged from the depths of the sea!
The monsters all cleared a path, as if welcoming their king!
It was a body like a mountain peak, with a white, feminine appearance and enormous breasts that seemed unnaturally swollen, as if afflicted by some disease!
Below these eerie maternal features was something like an octopus head, and further down, two serpentine tails!
This monster's body was even larger than the Hydra's... before it, the Hydra looked like an infant next to an adult!
The proportion of that gap might need to be doubled to be more accurate!
Everyone was shocked by the appearance of this monster, their astonishment surpassing the sum of all the others combined!
Artemis could no longer control her expression, and she murmured the identity of this creature in a low voice!
"Echidna!"
When Morpheus heard Artemis's words, a thought flashed through his mind.
"As expected, it's her!"
Echidna, the wife of Typhon, who together birthed numerous monsters, known as the Mother of All Monsters!
The monsters appearing here were all her offspring. Besides the harpies and the nine-headed Hydra, that hundred-headed dragon was called Ladon, the guardian of the golden apples, later slain by Heracles.
However, Morpheus wasn't sure if it was that one, because now there were multiple Hydras appearing, and this dragon might just be something Echidna had birthed on the spot.
Yes, he could confirm it now... the three Hydras that had suddenly emerged must also have been birthed by Echidna, because at that moment, the octopus-like head below Echidna slowly opened, and another monster emerged from within!
A creature with two dog heads and a serpentine tail!
That was Orthrus!
Like the three-headed Cerberus, it was one of Echidna's children!
As for why she hadn't birthed Cerberus, Morpheus figured it was because they were in the sea... a pure dog would struggle to fight in the water.
Jason's face looked extremely grim at this point: "I'd love to say I'll leave the rest to you all, but obviously, there's a huge problem here..."
Even the mightiest heroes had to admit that they were now in the greatest predicament, encountering the most unlikely enemy in the most dangerous place!
The ocean weakened their strength, but the enemies were unaffected!
Unless Poseidon appeared right then and bestowed his blessing on everyone, allowing them all to fight on the water, this disadvantage couldn't be reversed!
The dragon opened its mouth, flames gathering in its hundred dragon heads... it intended to burn the ship with its fire!
Once the ship was burned, everyone would truly have no chance to resist!
Morpheus sighed, gazing at Echidna in the distance, still acting as a barracks producing troops. He could feel her gaze, filled with hostility.
Hostility directed at him!
He now understood why these creatures had appeared... they were clearly here to block him!
"Because I killed her husband?"
Morpheus muttered softly, gently patting Artemis, who was about to act, signaling her to hold off for now. He then soothed Medea lightly before taking out the jewel from his pocket.
"Perfect timing... let's see if this thing works."
As Morpheus spoke, he held the jewel in his left hand, positioning it near the left side of his body, around his abdomen.
Then, he recited the incantation.
"9!"
...
Violent flames descended from the sky, massive enough to engulf an entire city!
A total of twenty-seven heads spewed venom, aiming to breach the protective barrier enveloping the ship and poison everyone!
The harpies screeched, sending waves of sound like invisible blades toward the group!
Orthrus roared, opening its massive jaws in an attempt to bite through the Argo's defenses!
Even though everyone on the ship knew magic and had fortified it with immense protection, cracks began to appear under this assault!
The emergence of those cracks struck like a heavy hammer on everyone's hearts!
No one doubted that once the barrier was breached, they would all perish here!
Unless a miracle occurred!
Atalanta stared at the flames now blanketing the entire ship. The air grew hotter, and as she took a deep breath, sensing death's approach, she remained unusually calm.
"Though Lady Artemis said I could try falling in love and getting married in the future, it seems I won't have that chance... In truth, up to now, I haven't met anyone I truly like..."
As Atalanta thought this, the image of the person who had taught her magic flashed in her mind, and she couldn't help but shake her head.
"What am I thinking? That's impossible. But since we're about to die anyway, what is he planning now?"
With that thought, Atalanta turned to look nearby and saw him holding a jewel, softly uttering a number.
"9!"
In the next instant, the world seemed to freeze!
Then, waves surged up from the sea surface out of nowhere!
The raging waves roared, transforming into a tornado-like torrent that swept toward the flames enveloping the ship!
The flames were extinguished, but the torrent didn't dissipate. The waves continued surging upward, accelerating faster and faster, sharpening into spikes like icy arrows, bombarding the hundred-headed dragon in the sky!
That was the power of Archangel Gabriel. Using the jewel crafted with Artemis's help, Morpheus had solidified the concept of the moon through multiple seals and summoned Gabriel's power with it... and the operation had indeed succeeded!
Compared to the Gabriel's power he had summoned through his previous spells, this invocation not only provided a greater total amount but also made control easier.
Now, he could manipulate far more power than before, as demonstrated by this exaggerated attack using Gabriel's might!
The ice crystals exploded in the air, turning into a hundred arrows, each piercing precisely into the dragon's heads. In an instant, the hundred heads lost their lives, and the dragon, lifeless, plummeted from the sky into the sea!
This sudden turn stunned everyone. They all turned involuntarily to look behind them, wanting to see who had acted, and saw Morpheus, enveloped in a faint glow and dense magical energy!
Jason was dumbfounded; he had never expected Morpheus to be the one to strike.
He had originally thought the other was just someone with a bit of prophetic ability but no real combat strength. Yet now, the situation left him gaping.
What was this terrifying combat power? Taking down that mountain-like giant dragon in a single blow!
And look at Morpheus's expression... utterly relaxed, as if he'd merely brushed off some dust.
At that moment, many people suddenly realized they didn't know much about Morpheus. At most, they'd exchanged greetings, without even knowing where he was from or why he had joined this adventure.
Heracles breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that with Morpheus taking action, this crisis would surely be overcome.
In truth, he hadn't been too tense to begin with. He knew how many powerhouses were hidden on the ship... whether Morpheus or Artemis, either could resolve this crisis.
The only concern was whether they would see this as a test for the crew and choose not to intervene.
Atalanta had watched the entire process of Morpheus activating the magic. Though she had learned from him, seeing this now, she realized she couldn't understand it at all.
The only thing she could grasp was that a powerful entity had descended here, becoming the source of Morpheus's power, which he then manipulated into that overwhelming surge!
But slaying the dragon wasn't the end, as several more waves rose from the sea, enveloping the three Hydras. In an instant, they froze, and the icy blades pierced through the Hydras' bodies, penetrating every part, every vessel!
Even their heads were encased in ice, freezing the immortal blood and brains within!
With consciousness frozen, even if the Hydra heads weren't dead, they could no longer pose any threat... they had forgotten not only how to regenerate but even how to think.
The harpies dared not linger and scattered in all directions, while Orthrus was caught in the waves freezing the Hydras, turning into an ice sculpture alongside them.
Now, the only enemy left on the field was the Mother of All Monsters, Echidna!
Her abdomen was still engaged in the work of creating soldiers, but Morpheus had no intention of giving her that chance. He raised his right hand without hesitation, and a book appeared in it. As the pages opened, a powerful force materialized in the air.
It was violent thunder, massive bolts descending from the sky, then gathering in Morpheus's hand!
***
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