Poseidon's deep laughter echoes through the water as he stares at me with a sneer, his eyes narrowed. Without warning, he charges towards me, his trident poised to strike my heart. I quickly dodge to the side, feeling the rush of water as his weapon misses me by mere inches. In one fluid motion, I swing my bident towards him, aiming for his arm. He parries my attack with his trident, causing a sharp clang to ring out in the underwater arena.
I charge forward, my bident spinning in my hand as I unleash a series of rapid strikes against Poseidon. Each blow sends powerful waves rippling through the water, and the force of his trident's counterattacks brushes against my face. We clash fiercely, our equal strengths allowing us to exchange hits without gaining the upper hand. The sea churns with our battle, and the sound of metal clashing echoes through the watery depths.
I hadn't considered his level, but if we were going to be evenly matched, he should be at my skill level. With a grunt, I swing my bident once more, aiming for a hit.
But Poseidon is one step ahead, and he blocks my strike with a precise sway of his trident.
The force of our weapons colliding sends vibrations coursing through the water, creating small bubbles around us.
His eyes glint with both determination and amusement as we continue to clash. It's clear he's enjoying this battle, but I refuse to give up. I can't let him win, not when I've come this far.
The stakes are too high-I must find out what's going on with my key and Poseidon's involvement.
The battle rages on, our weapons-making deep echoes in the water, and our movements precise and fluid. As I dodge a powerful strike from Poseidon's trident, I notice a slight change in his expression, a fleeting moment of doubt. Could it be a clue to his weakness? I capitalize on the opening and lunge forward, swinging my bident with everything I've got.
Poseidon reacts just in time, deflecting my weapon away from him with a quick jab of his trident. But as he does so, I notice him grimace in pain. Could this be the opportunity I need?
Without hesitation, I take advantage of his momentary weakness and launch a swift combo, each strike aimed at exploiting his vulnerability. My bident slices through the water like a sharpened blade, each strike reverberating in the quiet undersea battlefield.
Poseidon grunts in pain with each hit, struggling to defend himself against my aggressive onslaught. Despite his best efforts, he's visibly weakening, the once fearsome fighter now slowing down.
Seeing my chance, I strike one final, decisive blow - a powerful strike that sends Poseidon reeling backward with a sharp cry. I watch as he crashes against the rocky walls of the underwater cave, his trident falling from his grasp.
As the echo of my victory fills the water, I approach the unconscious Poseidon, my heart pounding with a mix of triumph and relief. I reach down to check his pulse, making sure he isn't dead or mortally wounded.
With a sigh of relief, I realized that Poseidon was still breathing, I didn't want to kill him.
I turn my gaze back towards the city, uncertain of what to do next. Consulting my inventory, I locate the item I need and proceed to pull Poseidon away from Atlantis and prop him up against a nearby cave wall. Taking precautions, I tie him securely before unscrewing a potion obtained from a previous quest - a healing potion. I pour it into his mouth and within moments, his eyes snap open as he greets me with a sneer.
I take a step back and cross my arms, addressing Poseidon. "Listen, I didn't come here looking for a fight, but it seems like you've left me no other option. Or rather, the game has forced my hand." Despite our battle, I haven't received any notification that the quest is complete, meaning my encounter with Poseidon is far from over.
Poseidon's gaze narrows, fixed on me with intensity. "Zeus mentioned your ability to charm even the most hideous of creatures with your words."
I couldn't contain a burst of laughter. "Me? A charmer? In the real world, I couldn't even get a girlfriend! I was too shy to ask for a girl's number. How could I possibly possess the power to charm monsters?" My tone is incredulous as I speak.
Poseidon's eyes flicker with amusement, but his voice remains stern. "You seem to have a warped sense of reality. In this game, and life, perception is everything. You may not have been successful with your powers of persuasion in your mundane life, but as Hades, you possess an aura of power and influence that others cannot resist." His gaze lingers on me, and I can feel the weight of his scrutiny.
"But enough of that," he continues. "You've defeated me, for now. And as you well know, the game is never truly over." He smirks, and I can sense that there's more to come.
I swallow hard, trying to hold on to my newfound victory. "Then what are you suggesting?"
Poseidon's voice still carried a hint of malice as he spoke, "I suggest we call a truce. Zeus has told me about you and how much he would enjoy seeing me defeat you. But my main objective is not to defeat you, Hades. My goal is to take down Athena. If you assist me in defeating her, I am willing to offer you whatever you desire. I can only assume that your journey here has a purpose."
I raise my eyebrow, skeptical but intrigued. "And what makes you think I could help you if I even wanted to?"
Poseidon grins, "I know your true nature, Hades. I heard all about you. You're not a man of goodwill, but a cunning strategist. Your goal isn't to save the world but to gain power and control. If you can help me defeat Athena, you'll gain a significant advantage in the grand scheme of things."
My jaw drops in shock. The last thing I desire is power and control, and I am anything but cunning. These must be more false stories spread by Zeus. I'm sure the other players in this game fear me as well, when in reality it's Zeus who is the master manipulator. I couldn't help but laugh at Poseidon's accusations. "You must be mistaken," I said, smirking. "I'm not here for power or control. My goal is to eventually take down Zeus. Taking down Zeus isn't apart of my quests given to me by this game but rather a personal vendetta, if you haven't realized by now Poseidon this game is life and death, meaning if we die in this game we die back in the real world."
Poseidon's eyes widened at my words, his amusement fading, replaced by a mixture of confusion and fear. "What are you saying? Are you telling me the players I have killed in this game are dead in real life?" Poseidon's personality changed dramatically, his once-casual tone now filled with dread.
I let out a sigh and bent down to Poseidon's level, "Zeus is aware of this, I'm not sure who you were back in the world we called home, but I know the player that is now Zeus, I went to college with him. He has turned power hungry, not me." I tried to reassure Poseidon, "Look, we've both been manipulated by Zeus. We're not enemies here, but I'll help you as long as you can tell me what this key means." I pull out the key and show it to him.
Poseidon's gaze remained fixed on the key, his eyes narrowing as he examined it closely. "That key..." he muttered, a look of realization crossing his features. "I believe I know what it unlocks, but first you must untie me and I will reveal the truth."
Reluctantly, I freed Poseidon from his bonds and helped him to his feet. He steadied himself before turning to face me.
Without warning, he threw a punch that landed square on my jaw. I stumbled backward, trying to regain my balance. "What the hell?" I exclaimed, rubbing my throbbing jaw.
"I wanted to deliver the final blow," Poseidon smirked, flexing his knuckles. "Now we're even."
As if in agreement with Poseidon's joke, a notification appeared on my screen informing me that I had completed my quest and would receive my rewards shortly.
Unbelievable.