Inferno Engulfs All
The entire area was filled with flames. It felt like standing in the heart of a blast furnace, cheeks scorching hot. But though the blaze devoured everything around me, it inflicted no harm on me whatsoever. Fierce as it was, it held no hostility toward me.
Whoosh. The endless-seeming inferno soon died down. The air was thick with sweltering heat, like the breath from a kiln. The mechanical devices scattered across the semicircular cavern had all melted into sticky puddles, their original shapes unrecognizable.
But the one who suffered the worst damage was the old dragon, Cataphractus. Curled into a ball, he lay limp with severe burns. Flames still flickered here and there on his body.
This guy's totally toast. His hind legs had taken the brunt, charred black as coal. Below the knees, they had crumbled entirely, leaving him unable to even stand.
He looked up at me and let out a lament. "A god after all... I rue my foolishness... To strut before one without recognizing your divinity."
Krrr... So he took my Divine Manifestation for the power of some nameless god.
"Not a god—a human. You blathered on about human limits, and look how that turned out for you."
"Don't lie! I can't believe it. Look at this explosion! How could a human wield such intense heat? Even an old dragon like me falls in one strike, yet you stand unscathed, not a hair out of place. Where in the world is there such a human?!"
Man, he really won't buy it.
At that moment, Atalante popped out of thin air. "Kyaa!"
The Secret Book had spat her out, deeming the danger passed. She fell on her butt, rubbing it painfully as she asked me, "Eek? P-Peleus! I went somewhere weird for a bit. Am I still alive?"
Having visited the chaotic realm inside the Secret Book, Atalante was utterly bewildered, at a loss for what to do.
"It must be your doing! Peleus! Wait, no—these flames? When did the dragon turn into a charred barbecue?!"
Her head tilted in shock, Atalante's innocent charm was exploding in full force. The way she clung to me was kinda cute.
Oh crap, is my eye biased? Why does Atalante seem more adorable by the day? She's a scary woman...
"I'll explain everything, so just hold on a sec."
I soothed her first, then approached Cataphractus. The dragon promptly abandoned all pride and begged for his life. "...Save me."
"A beggar's tone lacks courtesy."
"Please, spare my life... Great One."
He won't even acknowledge me as human. Stubborn as ever, seeing only what he wants to see and hearing only what he wants to hear. I gave up trying to convince him.
If he's dead set on me being a god, what can I do?
"What do I gain from saving you? You, who dared betray me and strike from behind."
"How could there be no benefit? I've lived for ages... and amassed no small skills over that time. I can fight your enemies for you. In your exalted position, not everything bends to your will. Use me like a rag for dirty work."
"True enough—you need a shit-rag to clean up shit."
Cataphractus's face twisted at my words. He couldn't deny the role he'd just claimed for himself, but it must have wounded his noble draconic pride deeply. Still, his survival instinct was stronger than expected.
"If you just spare me, I'll do anything..."
"Why cling so desperately to life?"
"That's..."
He trailed off, as if hiding some secret.
Looks like he's got an agenda. Not thrilled about that.
"Grrr... Swear to spare me, and I'll tell you."
A tricky offer. He'd surely demand an oath on the River Styx. How could I save a dying behemoth like him? My divinity excelled at destruction, not healing a half-dead corpse. That was Python the mountain guardian's specialty.
If I heard the secret but couldn't keep the oath, I'd plummet to ruin.
"I refuse."
"Why? It would surely benefit you..."
"Because I'm human, not the god you imagine. And I don't need your paltry secret to figure things out."
I summoned the Secret Book.
-Eat this guy up. He's from chaos like Thematos, right? Can you store him?
-Of course. Time barely passes inside me. He won't die—he'll just stay on the brink.
-Perfect. The clearest way to use this dragon? Sacrifice him to the First Scribe. Whatever secret he's hiding, it'll be easy to extract. He'd never dream of becoming the sacrifice himself.
"Still spouting lies... Graaak! What is this?!"
Cataphractus suddenly screamed. His lower body was being devoured whole by the Secret Book.
Even with its maw stretched wide, swallowing a dragon wasn't easy. It gulped him down bit by bit, like a python devouring a deer, undulating greedily.
"What are you doing?!"
From his perspective, it was horrifying—being eaten alive by some invisible entity. Maintaining sanity would be impossible. He thrashed with his broken body, but it was futile. Physical attacks meant nothing against the Secret Book.
"This can't happen! It's almost done! My great undertaking is so close! Graaaah!"
With most of his body swallowed, Cataphractus clawed the ground in desperation. A truly pathetic sight.
"What the hell's going on?"
Even Atalante sounded scared. To her, most of the dragon's body was vanishing transparently. Bizarre, sure—but ignorance of the grotesque reality was a blessing.
"...Weird stuff. Hm."
I swallowed a groan. The Secret Book, now gigantic, engulfed him in vivid detail before my eyes. Viscous fluids dripped from its maw, slicking the way, while octopus-like tentacles from within grabbed and pulled at his body.
"Nooo!"
Terror filled Cataphractus's eyes. I muttered to him, "You've devoured countless lives, right? Call it karma. Feel what your victims did at life's end—not a bad lesson."
"I curse you! I curse you!"
"Sorry, low tricks like that don't work on me."
I bore the divinity of the Burning Nameless One, apocalyptic serpent. A mere dragon's curse? Laughable. I felt a sinister force approach and rebound on its own.
Cataphractus despaired further. "Spare me! Please! Let me live!"
Pushed to extremes, he screamed, begged, wept. But his final words were pathetic.
"Please!"
That was it. The dragon who'd once battled hero Bellerophon ended his life begging "please." How ridiculous. Even great beings don't always exit gracefully.
"Peleus, what the hell just happened?"
"Guess you need an explanation, Atalante. But first, let's find Endymion. Then I'll tell you everything."
I now saw her as a trustworthy ally. I'd share everything except the regression.
She thought for a moment, then nodded. "...Fine. You must have your reasons. I'll wait for answers."
"Thanks."
With her understanding, we headed straight for Endymion. We exited the cavern, opened the blocked entrance, and pressed on. Long passages, forks, traps followed. Dead ends and lethal snares were annoying, but hours later, we reached our goal.
A massive cavern, presumably housing Endymion.
"That must be it..."
In the vast underground space stood a grand marble mausoleum. Ornate and beautiful, like the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of Earth's Seven Wonders. Built entirely of white marble evoking moonlight, it brimmed with lavish decorations.
The largest, most stunning statue caught the eye—Selene, goddess of the moon.
"Is that Selene?"
Unlike me, with no Golden Book knowledge, Atalante didn't recognize the old moon goddess. Artemis had devoured her and usurped her throne, erasing all traces.
Even I'd only seen her image in the Golden Book.
"Yeah, the great moon goddess and lover of shepherd Endymion. Now just a faint remnant. Let's go in."
Inside the mausoleum unfolded breathtaking architecture. A high ceiling bathed in divine light from above. At the center lay a beautiful man, sleeping peacefully.
"Found him."
Undoubtedly Endymion. A beauty to enamor even a goddess, as legends said.
But bizarre machines cluttered around the slumbering Endymion. Parchments covered in fervent notes lay scattered too.
"Looks like experiment logs. Someone's been researching here for ages, right by Endymion."
Whoever found Endymion first had been tinkering. Cataphractus, maybe? Dragons could shapeshift into humans.
"Come to think of it, Atalante."
"Yeah?"
"Cataphractus made a long-term pact with the island's humans for eternal peace."
"Right, I remember."
"Maybe to avoid interference with these underground experiments?"
Plausible. And he'd lamented death, saying his great undertaking was nearly complete. Questions piled up.
But I had a better solution than pondering.
"Secret Book. Start the offering ritual now."
I spoke to the air, leaving Atalante baffled. "Secret Book? Who're you talking to?"
"Understood," came a reply from nowhere. Atalante jumped in shock.
"Eek? Who's here? My senses detect nothing! A ghost?!"
"You're impressive, but even gods can't sense the Secret Book. Show yourself."
Trusting my faith in her, the Secret Book appeared without protest and greeted her.
"Pleased to meet you, miss."
With its maw gaping wide and tentacles dangling, Atalante freaked out.
"Eek! Pervert!"
She hid behind my back. The Secret Book, now pervert #2 after Odysseus, was baffled.
"Peleus, hand over that insolent girl. She needs a lesson. Come out, little missy."
"No way! Get lost, pervert monster!"
"What? Calling the great Secret Book a pervert monster?!"
These two might not get along.
I quickly calmed Atalante. "He looks weird, but he's not bad. To hear the secrets I'm about to reveal, we need him."
"...If you say so."
Words aside, she wouldn't leave my side, gripping my clothes tightly, plastered to my back. I ended up half-carrying her for the ritual.
Nice and close, but those two firm, hefty puddings are tough to endure. Ruthless woman.
"Ahem."
I cleared my throat unnecessarily and began the offering.
"O god of secrets. Wise one who knows answers at every crossroads. You who place the single truth amid all chaos...
As I drew the magic circle and chanted the incantation, space rippled. Atalante sensed it keenly, lips pressed tight. The Secret Book was tense too—its boss might be a slave, but hierarchy remained.
"Now I call your servant. Descend and whisper the great records of the void to this chosen apostle, unveiling the world's secrets."
With the chant done, dimensions warped, transporting us to an unknown realm roiling with malice and chaos—a perilous place.
There emerged the massive snail-like First Scribe.
Atalante grabbed me desperately. "Ugh!"
Her face paled, nose trickling blood. She'd faint any second.
Trembling violently, she barely whispered, "God... Definitely a g-god... Beyond even Artemis...!"
His overwhelming presence was nearly killing her. I'd struggled meeting him first too, but not this badly—odd. Then it hit: humans shatter and die facing chaos divinities.
I yelled at the First Scribe, flaunting his aura. "Transform to human and come here. Now."
"Now!"
He swiftly became bald, fat middle-aged Choros, rubbing his hands slyly with a grin. "You called, Master Peleus?"
I slapped him hard instead. Smack!
"Hey! Who told you to show as a god? Atalante's about to lose it, you shitty slug!"
I stomped the fallen Choros mercilessly. "Still don't know your place? Huh? Feeling nostalgic for the good old ritual days?"
"Kweeeek! Ow! Forgive me, sire."
"Forgive what? You're still full of divine hot air. Yeah, definitely. Can't have you this sloppy—time for more lessons."
"Mercy, sire! Do you know how many dung carts I've hauled on your farm? Spare this humble one! Who'll haul them if I die?"
"Oh, that'd be a problem."
Thinking of next year's vineyard, I stopped. The Secret Book turned away, unable to stomach a cosmic entity whining about dung.
Atalante, recovered now that he was human, gaped in shock. "Peleus, you're beating a god? One higher than Artemis?"
Her pupils quaked, cheeks twitching—beyond her comprehension that a human would thrash a god.
"Higher my ass! He's just the slave at my house."