Chapter 300
Chapter 300
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 300
Chapter Title: Fate's Grasp
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ZZZAP, ZZZAP-.
The prayers of the gods gathered in the massive temple pressed down on his body.
Each step felt heavy, as if gravity had suddenly increased.
Of course, none of them blatantly revealed their power or emitted killing intent. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't commit such rudeness in this place.
'They've got some serious fire in their eyes.'
The corners of his mouth twisted beneath the mask.
Even without overt killing intent, their expressions made it clear. Their hostility toward him was genuine.
'So all these bastards are gathered here.'
Hermes had stalled on the first day to assemble the gods present here. With the God of Thunder, Thor, by his side, he must have judged that thorough preparation was necessary.
The gods assembled here under the pretext of witnessing the new challenger.
But none of them had any intention of acknowledging Soo-hyuk as a candidate for kingship. Just the overt animosity they displayed was enough to weigh on his shoulders—if they weren't already on the verge of attacking, that would be the strange part.
Fortunately, Thor blocked it all in front of Soo-hyuk.
He strode ahead with his shoulders squared proudly, meeting the gods' gazes head-on without flinching.
Thor asked in a low voice.
"Scared?"
His tone sounded more like teasing than concern. The chat window flooded with dozens of 'Chicken?' messages.
Soo-hyuk didn't hide his amusement as he shot back.
"You think I am?"
"Getting the picture now. You've got no fear."
"Same goes for you, coming along with me."
"Yeah? Guess it's contagious. Or did I catch it from you?"
In a situation that hardly called for it, the two exchanged jokes.
A few gods watching them furrowed their brows. It wasn't a pleasant sight to see the one who should be trembling in fear beyond tension remain so nonchalant.
As they walked slowly without greetings, Thor halted.
This was the path Soo-hyuk had to take alone now.
Soo-hyuk stopped in front of Hera. Following Zeus's throne, she was the queen temporarily leading Olympus.
"You're quite late."
Her words toward Soo-hyuk carried a subtle rebuke.
For not coming straight away and taking so long.
"I am late. Until the lightning found its master."
The surroundings erupted in murmurs at Soo-hyuk's words.
"I'm here to claim it now."
"Does that mean you're declaring your intent to take Olympus right here?"
Hera followed up her question immediately.
"Choose your words carefully from now on. The gods leading Olympus have gathered here to see you, and every word you say will be officially recognized."
"Doesn't matter. I won't say anything lightly."
As if they'd rehearsed it, Soo-hyuk answered without hesitation.
"I have no interest in Olympus. All I want is the lightning."
"Can you stand by those words?"
"Of course."
With his response, Soo-hyuk scanned all the assembled gods.
His gaze felt like a declaration of war. The lightning was already his—don't even think about coveting it.
Caught off guard by his attitude, some gods unwittingly leaked killing intent, while others were impressed.
In the face of the temple's grandeur and the gods' majesty, anyone might cower, but Soo-hyuk showed no sign of intimidation.
"He's a cheeky one."
"Strutting because he's friends with the God of Thunder?"
"Nah, the God of Thunder's friends with him because he's like that."
Among the gods who had viewed him through colored lenses as a mere human, some began to see him properly.
At first, they'd only looked at him because he was Thor's friend. Some even despised and belittled him as a human.
But a few recalled painful memories from long ago.
And among them.
"Perhaps..."
Hades, who had remained silent until now, spoke for the first time.
"Zeus... that guy might have already decided. To return the lightning to a human."
Zeus's face appeared before his eyes.
A handsome middle-aged man with radiant golden hair. A guy so bright and positive it bordered on foolish.
No one could fathom what went through his head. So when he heard Zeus had died, or that he'd left a will bequeathing the throne to the one chosen by the lightning, it hadn't seemed strange.
If anything, it seemed just like him.
But what if the condition to wield the lightning was being 'human'?
That changed everything.
"He abandoned us. That damned brother of mine."
Hades cursed his dead brother without a hint of hesitation.
Not far away, Soo-hyuk and Hades's eyes met.
In that moment, Soo-hyuk felt as if he and Hades were the only ones standing in this vast temple.
No.
It might not have been an illusion. Somehow, Soo-hyuk had entered the space Hades had invited him to.
A realm where no one else could interfere, just the two of them.
CRACK-.
Invisible teeth bared from all directions. Massive yellow eyes embedded in the sky glared down at Soo-hyuk.
A deep, dark abyss. The domain ruled by Hades.
He showed Soo-hyuk a glimpse of the hell he commanded.
Not to harm him specifically. The teeth that could pierce steel like tofu, the eyes that made legs buckle just by meeting them—they were merely on display.
In other words, he was saying: Can you even handle this hell?
WHOOSH-.
Soon, the teeth and eyes vanished, and the darkness lifted.
The hell enveloping Soo-hyuk and Hades dissipated, restoring the temple's scenery.
Gazing at Hades amid the throng of gods, Soo-hyuk twisted his lips into a grin.
'Get lost, huh?'
It was a warning, plain and simple.
You're nothing—I could dump you at the bottom of hell anytime. Leave quietly.
A brutally savage warning, but Soo-hyuk found it utterly childish.
From another angle, it just proved how pathetic this brother was, still greedily eyeing his little sibling's possessions despite such power.
"All these gods have gathered to watch you. You must honor those words."
Hera turned and began walking.
"God of Thunder, your escort ends here. From now on, only he accompanies."
"Sure thing."
Thor didn't push it. He was Soo-hyuk's friend, not his babysitter.
The audience ended here.
Even Thor, who came with him, and the watching gods—they couldn't go further.
Step, step-.
Soo-hyuk followed Hera deeper in. The place where the lightning rested, where the crown would be raised, lay even further ahead.
Soo-hyuk and Hera walked the passage extending from the temple.
The same path from the first day he'd come straight to Olympus and seen the lightning.
"You're being reckless."
At Hera's sudden words, Soo-hyuk looked surprised.
He hadn't expected her, who disliked humans so much, to even speak to him.
"Weren't you afraid of Hades?"
"You knew?"
"No. I just figured. Uncle's like that."
"If you knew, why not stop him? It was scary."
Hera stopped, turning her head slightly in disbelief, but soon resumed walking.
"You know all this assumes you can pull the lightning, right?"
"Obviously."
"Confident?"
Soo-hyuk didn't answer yes or no.
The lightning no god of Olympus had claimed.
No one could have such certainty about obtaining it.
"A friend waiting outside told me this: the power and luck that come to me might just be fate."
So Soo-hyuk could only respond like this.
"If it's truly fate, won't it work this time too?"
"......"
She should say something after his question, but Hera's mouth stayed shut.
Her expression blank, she stared at Soo-hyuk for a long while.
As the silence stretched, Soo-hyuk asked.
"What's wrong?"
"You really look alike."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. Forget it."
Shaking her head, Hera turned away with a wry smile.
Her attitude screamed no more talk. Feeling awkward, Soo-hyuk turned the mic to the viewers.
"Did I say something wrong?"
The reactions made him wonder if he'd said something dumb. The viewers were thrilled, hunting for more ammo to tease him.
Corny? Really?
Hera said nothing more until they reached the next room. Thus, Soo-hyuk arrived at the lightning's chamber in an awkward atmosphere.
ZZZZAP-.
In the temple's center, the lightning was embedded like a spear.
If this were his first time seeing it, he'd have just marveled. Oh, so that's the lightning.
But seeing it again, it looked different from before.
As one viewer questioned, the lightning shone far brighter than last time.
Soo-hyuk, who had just regretted invoking "fate," now had to take it back.
If he were focused on the stream right now, he might have asked:
Even like this?
After watching the lightning flicker for a moment, Soo-hyuk asked.
"How many gods have tried to pull the lightning so far?"
"Too many to count. Everyone's attempted it at least once."
Not even Excalibur, but every god had challenged it.
Hoping perhaps they were born to be king.
"And every time, did it react like this?"
"No."
Hera was equally astonished.
"......Not once."
Different from any other god's reaction. Even last time, when Soo-hyuk and Thor visited, it hadn't responded this way.
As if alive, the lightning reacted to Soo-hyuk's will.
Hurry up and pull me out. I've been waiting.
Step-.
Soo-hyuk walked toward the lightning without another word. Hera started to remind him of the procedure but soon lowered her outstretched hand.
What did procedures matter in this situation? Ultimately, the lightning decided its master.
ZZZAP, CRACKLE-!
As Soo-hyuk drew near, the lightning flared brighter, as if raising its voice.
The temple chamber lit up brilliantly. Hera shielded her eyes half-covered with one hand, struggling to look.
Unlike Hera, whose eyes stung, Soo-hyuk's vision remained clear.
A strange sensation washed over him. The closer he got, the more it felt like the lightning was pulling him in.
A voice he shouldn't hear echoed faintly.
Soo-hyuk was certain. Someone was inside it.
CRACKLE-!
Soo-hyuk reached out and gripped the lightning's hilt.
Fate.
That corny word was now in his grasp.