Dungeon Raider System-Chapter 929: Loxias Apollo

Things got so bad for Apollo he couldn’t tell which side was up or down anymore and while he was no stranger to pain like other gods who didn’t start their lives as humans like himself, it had been a long time since he experienced it. Still, he endured it with a smile on his face knowing the soldiers would need to reload at some point or the hunters would get tired, after all their technology was flawed and they were only humans.

"You seem like a well read person, what point is there in telling stories about overwhelming victory? Plot twists are the best part." Apollo spoke the first chance he got.

"You’re not winning this one, pal." Jon looked down at Apollo before stomping him, only now his feet got caught by the god of poetry with an amused smile.

"Oh, really? Will they keep firing at me if I do this?" Apollo stood up without letting go of Jon despite his persistent kicks and struggles to be released. "or this?" Apollo clenched his fist cracking Jon’s bones.

"First muse, history," Scofield fumbled as he knelt on the ground channeling a vast amount of flux energy. "Second muse, music."

"I’m not dead yet, quit praying and help me!" Jon shouted still attempting to get back at the god who smacked him over and over with the overwhelming power of a god. In a matter of seconds, Jon went from the likely winner of the fight to a plaything as Apollo tossed him around like a ragdoll, but that ended when Scofield joined in.

Just as Jon suspected, Scofield was praying. Only it wasn’t the vain act of reverence or hopeful wishing born of religious belief Jon assumed it was, but an actual request to tap into the power of the gods that bestowed their blessing upon Scofield.

The former librarian lunged forward and threw a punch the god of poetry didn’t care to dodge. After all, no matter what kind of power a hunter possessed could not possibly compare to that of a god’s avatar in its prime. Apollo expelled a vast amount of flux that should have sent the librarian flying away, but what happened instead was Scofield’s fist resisting the wave of energy and pressing forward.

"Third muse, comedy. Fourth muse, tragedy..." Scofield kept muttering before releasing a similar amount of energy in an instant allowing him to penetrate Apollo’s flux field and hit him on the face. Yet even that was not enough since Apollo’s body was now empowered by the flux he released.

Thankfully for Jon, that single punch was enough to free Jon from the godly grasp and he took the chance to retreat to recover from his broken bones. A group of no less than five field doctors worked on him while a larger group of engineers covered them with heavy alloy shields as the fight was not yet over.

"Talk about a plot twist, but you can’t harm me... even if a god gifted you with power... I’m a god myself." Apollo said with a smug despite his heavy breathing.

"That is where you are mistaken." Scofield replied coldly as he took off what remained of his army uniform revealing through a tight sleeveless white shirt a fit body no man his age could ever dream to achieve.

"You’re not blessed by a god?" Apollo tilted his head in disbelief, which turned into utter horror when Scofield replied.

"It’s not one... they are nine," Scofield’s eyes lit up brightly in the colors of the rainbow before continuing his prayer. "Terpiscore, muse of the dance." With that, Scofield was able to move at a speed that defied the laws of physics.

Had Luna been present she would have immediately understood what Scofield did with each of his prayer, which was to progressively unlock the limit the brain imposes on the body on how much can a person strain their muscles. It is a measure to protect the body from harming itself and without it, the general of the army and former librarian was now able to move at a speed not even Apollo with his godly senses could follow with his eyes. In fact, it was so fast Scofield himself did not know what he did anymore, but that didn’t impede him from landing hit after hit.

His fists would elegantly transition into elbow strikes followed rhythmically by knee strikes at an opposite angle to keep his enemy in place. Even the slightest miscalculation could have send his opponent flying away at a distance or allowed him to block, but Scofield wasn’t making any calculations or thinking about anything else than the muse that followed.

"Polimnia, Urania, Caliope..." Scofield muttered, his body brimming with inconceivable power sending Apollo into a state of disbelief, confusion and panic. The figure of Scofield did not resemble that of a human anymore, nor that of a beast or a monster either. It was something beyond what reason could describe or depict to the point where a few of the soldiers who despite all warnings watched the fight became pillars of salt on the spot. A phenomenon caused when people bumped into the forbidden realm.

"Please, stop... if you summon Erato I’m dead dead, not just my vessel! I swear upon my name to surrender to you." Apollo managed to speak despite the beating due to his only out of fear for his life.

"He’s ready." Scofield declared and Jon rushed in to seal Apollo by placing on him as many religious artifacts as he could, all representing gods that Apollo supposedly didn’t get along with. Each artifact on its own did little against a god, but with his vessel so weakened, the sum of all the trinkets Jon placed on him were sufficient to block the god from channeling any flux turning him into the likes of mortal men temporarily.

"Nine goddesses... huh," Jon pondered for a few seconds before asking with a glare. "how many have you used against me?"

"Don’t ask questions you don’t want answers to." Scofield replied, though he made a circle with his hand.

"Really? None!?" Jon’s jaw almost hit the floor. His humiliating defeat against Scofield was one of the turning points in Jon’s life and one his top motivations to become stronger, but the gap in their strength only seemed to become wider and he thought that even if he was to become a divine rank hunter, which was the same as becoming a god, he still would not be a match for the former librarian. freёnovelkiss-com

Such thinking was taking place in Jon’s mind when Mister Scofield dropped on his knees breathing heavily and vomiting blood. His skin became red and he grasped his chest as if to prevent his heart from coming out of his mouth.

"Stop what you’re doing right now or I swear to my wife I’ll end you." Jon said to the god of poetry deeming him responsible for what happened to Scofield.

"It’s not me, I couldn’t even if I wanted to." Apollo said, his previously charming face now a surreal painting of broken bones, crooked nose, bruises and blood after the beating he received.

"It’s a consequence of brandishing the power of the muses." Mayhem, now unsure if she was a colonel, a general or if she belonged in the army at all, said after rushing in and signalling the medics to approach. "he warned us before that should he use all his power he would die."

"Guess it’s a good thing he didn’t summon Erato... that bitch can turn anything into a memory of the past. I don’t even want to think what would have happened to the city if he did." Apollo said through broken teeth splashing blue blood and saliva as he spoke.

"Why do you care if the city gets destroyed. You wanted to use people as human sacrifices anyway." Jon scoffed.

"Me? Why would I want that? Maybe people don’t pray much to me these days, but I can get by with the admiration I get when I tell stories at bars." Apollo shrugged so casually it was difficult to even think he was lying.

"Then why the fuck did you attack us?"

"It was too good a story to let the opportunity pass. Besides, you wanted to banish me from the city which shouldn’t have been an issue before. I could have just waited for a couple centuries and then return when no one remembers me. But the thing is, this is the only place where you can buy ambrosia."

"Wait... wait... wait...," Jon held up his hand as a headache suddenly erupted in his mind. "something’s wrong."

"You felt their presence too? I don’t think they’re enemies either." Apollo said leaving Jon puzzled for a few seconds, until two women showed up at the scene. One fast as a lightning bolt and the other just as fast, tailing her like a shadow.

"Darling! Something’s wrong," Dana said to Jon, then she turned to the helpless figure of Loxias on the ground. "Loxias? tell me you’re not the one behind this." Dana buried her face in her palms.

"I’m sorry, but if you want to learn more about poetry... my hands are tied right now." Apollo laughed.

"Finally! I’ve been trying to reach you two for a while. One of Nikki’s friends gave us a list of enemy gods and their locations... he also gave us a kirlian camera to identify them and we could really use your help fighting them."

"Let me see..." Dana snatched the list from Jon’s hands and became paler and paler as she read in the most foreboding way.

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