Standing on the coast like a giant seemingly reaching for the clouds, Crisaor looked at the sea with a strange gaze as it gradually calmed down.
He could sense the power that was moving to calm the sea, and he was puzzled.
"Why would Poseidon, who placed this protection, suddenly be removing it?"
Not only that, but why was his Authority moving in such a rigid manner? It was as if it resisted the control of the caster.
"This isn't the work of Poseidon... I can smell the sorcery behind this act."
Sorcery?
He was aware that sorcery was different from the magic used by the two Gorgon sisters. They used magic, invoking the favor of the gods. But sorcerers utilized the power contained within legends and words that gained power over long periods of time.
"Why would a sorcerer come to the island? I'm sure no one should have known about my mother's death yet. Perseus is already dead, and no one could have leaked this information."
Stheno seemed to ponder something before her expression turned grim.
"It might be another hero of Athena's. It's not uncommon for her to send one or two to kill my sister and seize our hand. Although this time, my sister is no longer here."
Crisaor's expression became resolute. This time, it seems he has to take on the role his mother played and kill anyone who tries to take the Gorgon sisters' hand.
"Aunt, I can protect them."
"I know you can. The problem is whether you should. If a hero of Athena arrives, it means she'll be watching closely. That will expose your existence."
"What's the problem with that? I don't think the gods will come directly to kill me, not when my father is the king of the seas."
Stheno looked at Crisaor before sighing.
"That's the main issue. The wives of the three major gods are simply unpredictable. Anfitrite might end up wanting your head, and even if she doesn't come after you, Hera herself might kill you to avoid complications."
Women can be much more dangerous than many believe in Greek mythology. It's rare to see a male god hunting down a bastard child. "Hephaestus," for example, is a bastard within a certain range and was never killed by Zeus. But Hera has attempted to kill more than one of Zeus's children, and many have indeed died at her claws. There are more individuals cursed by Athena than those cursed by Zeus by a wide margin. And undoubtedly, the bloodiest wars were initiated due to competitions among goddesses. It can be said that the true evil in this Greek world is not a lustful Zeus or an equally lustful Poseidon—it's the goddesses.
To be hated by a goddess is a condemnation for anyone, no matter who they are. Even Aphrodite cursed an unfortunate soul simply because he was walking in the forest near a spring that Aphrodite used for bathing.
Damn it. Why would a goddess bathe in a damn spring so close to a human kingdom?
So, Crisaor simply didn't know what to say. He knew it was true, no matter what he did, he would gain an enemy one way or another, even if he doesn't kill the hero who's coming. And most likely, that enemy would be a goddess with an itchy curse-trigger finger.
Looking out at the sea, growing calmer by the moment, as he pondered the goddesses, he thought of another myth about a woman cursed by Athena.
Arachne, who weaves the looms of fate with her silken threads.
"She... she might stand by my side if she knows whose son I am."
"Aunt... Do you know Arachne?"
Stheno furrowed her brows at his question, really wondering, "Where did he hear about Arachne?" But even with that doubt, she simply answered his question.
"She's a mortal woman who was cursed by Athena for looking into the future and weaving it into tapestries even better than Athena herself. She's half spider and half woman. Why do you ask?"
"Do you think if I find her, she'll be on our side?"
Stheno furrowed her brows but nodded after thinking for a while. To her, Arachne would indeed help them. In the end, her sister/mother suffered the same fate as she did, and they share a common hatred—Athena, the witch with a penchant for cursing every woman she doesn't like.
"I believe she will, but it's complicated to find her. Firstly, she has died, and just like your mother, her soul is bound by a curse that will grant her a body in Tartarus in exchange for an insatiable hunger."
In short, if he wants her on his side, he first has to find her, and for that, he has to literally surf through the flames of Hades and delve into the depths of that same world until he reaches Tartarus.
"No one wants to make things easy for me, huh?"
Sighing, Crisaor directly accessed his status. It was time to use his stat points. He needed to be as strengthened as possible and fully accustomed to that strength before the arrival of whatever was sent to hunt his mother and kidnap his aunts.
[Status]
Name: Crisaor
Race: [Giant God]
Core: [Giant's Heart (A++)] [Divine Core (D+)]
Divine Authority: [Strength (B+)] [Earthquakes (A)] [Charm (C)]
Condition: [Healthy]
Age: 1 (Month)
Racial Level: (D++)
Personal Level: 24 (Level Up from Racial Experience in natural growth)
Body: (A) [102]
Mind: (D) [38]
Spirit: (C) [146]
Status Points: 69
Passive Abilities: [Herculean Body (A+)] [Giant's Heart (EX)] [Giant's Growth (EX)] [Magic Resistance (A+)] [Physical Resistance (A+)] [Purity (A+)] [Goddess's Whim "Charm" (A)] (+) [Eternal Youth (A)] (+) [Archery (C)][Novice Swordsman (C+)] [Bronze Body (B)]
Active Abilities: [Mana Control (A)] [Mana Sense (B)] [Giant Language (B+)] [Blessing of the Giant (C+)] [Flight (C+)] [Earth Magic (A)] [Call of the Sea (D)] [Presence Concealment (A+)] (+) [Vampirism (C)] (+) [Siren's Song (A)]
He was a giant, and his greatest advantage compared to other races wasn't his tremendous magical power, but rather his superhuman physical strength.
With a Mana Core of such power, every part of his body was bathed in a ridiculous amount of magic, providing magical and physical resistance comparable to that of gods.
So, it was better for him to improve his body. If he enhanced his body almost linearly, his magic would improve, and with his magic improving, his overall power would increase.
[-69]
Pure power surged through his body. Every vein, nerve, and essence were burned and remade in a matter of seconds, but when the warmth subsided, drowsiness overcame his senses.
His sleep time had been brought forward by such enhancement.
Yawning, Crisaor spoke, "Aunt, I'll sleep for a bit. Wake me up if anything happens."
Without waiting for a response, Crisaor went to the center of the island and lay down beside the mystical tree created and maintained by the Gorgon sisters.
According to myths, one of its fruits could rejuvenate even the oldest mortals.
Like dragons, giants increased their power just by surviving. But they also gained power during "Dreams," periods in which their body, spirit, and soul gave birth to what's called a "Dragon Vein" or "Giant's Pulse."
At this point, a giant is still considered an "adolescent" like a dragon, and usually has a minimum of 500 years of existence.
But Crisaor was special. By obtaining two EX-level Divine Cores and Pegasus's abilities, his growth had accelerated at a terrifying pace.
In the depths of the island, the magic of the giant's heart began to call upon the Aether from the planet's depths.
The mystery and Aether, "Mana," began to increase in density around the island, and the elements of earth and strength seemed to fill every part of reality in this place.
The earth trembled, causing the island's territory to expand. The fauna mutated into a sturdier and stronger form. And of course, the 20-meter giant nestled beside a tree that seemed to glow with life and mystery...
As the island began to change under the pulse of the giant, on the shores of the storm created by Poseidon around the island, a ship was anchored.