The Good Boy Orthrus
Geryon’s description of Orthrus having "lost his mind" was a massive understatement. The beast was radiating pure killing intent, his jaws and entire body were drenched in thick, dripping blood, and his mouth was foaming with a foul-smelling, crimson froth—a mix of saliva and gore. In short, he looked exactly like a rabid dog.
But this wasn't just any rabid stray. He was the son of Gaia, the son of Typhon—the monster who had single-handedly pushed Olympus to the brink. I’d actually been impressed by his lineage when he launched a Lion’s Roar at me like a surface-to-air missile, proving he was at least a sub-boss tier threat. Naturally, I’d countered with a double-palm strike, channeling Divine Energy in my left hand and Shockwave in my right.
“Hey, hey. Breathe. Just breathe!”
-99,999 HP
I hadn't expected the massive two-headed dog—who looked like he could devour a bull in one sitting—to go down in one go. Seeing him slumped over, tongue lolling out, was enough to make me lose my mind.
“Hey! Hey! You guys are supposed to be Typhon’s kids!”
Even if they were one-shot by a single arrow in the original myths, how could they just keel over from a casual, half-hearted blast of Ki meant as a greeting?
“……”
Despite my desperate pleas, Orthrus remained motionless, eyes rolled back and tongue hanging limp.
“Damn it… what do I do now?”
It wasn't as if I’d spent all my time just cheering, "Yay, I reached the next realm!" I had been studying the Divine Dan-jeon—the "Divine Core"—which showed distinct differences from the Dantian I had forged through demonic arts. In this era, "Divine Deeds" or "Great Feats" were essentially the equivalent of quests or status updates in an RPG. Achieve a great feat, and you gain fame and power; perform divine duties, and you gain the faith of followers and divine authority. It was a much more user-friendly system compared to the obscure, enlightenment-seeking path of martial arts.
However, the risks were equally high if you failed to perform your divine duties. Every time Chiron lectured us on the virtue of diligence, he’d bring up the pathetic tales of gods who lost their power and fell because they were lazy in their duties.
“On top of that, my divinity is half-rooted in the Heavenly Demon Arts…”
My hypothesis was that while my growth speed was doubled, the penalties for Qi Deviation or failing my divine duties were also doubled.
“…What do I do? Seriously.”
My first target for a divine deed was currently on the verge of going to greet the ferryman in the underworld. I felt a chill down my spine, fearing a nuclear explosion might go off inside him at any moment. I checked his pulse and eyes. Thankfully, he hadn't fully crossed the river yet, but his pulse was flickering like a candle in the wind—a very dangerous sign.
“Was he already this weak to begin with?”
“Grrr…”
“Whine…”
I hadn't noticed because he was covered in blood, but Orthrus’s body was a complete wreck. He had scars all over, some festering and some barely healing, clearly not inflicted by any land animal. Between his irregular pulse, ragged breathing, and eyes that twitched as if he were having a seizure in his unconscious state, it was clear: this was a classic case of Qi Deviation caused by extreme exhaustion. To think I’d witness a "monster" dog—neither god nor hero—suffering from Qi Deviation.
“Tsk tsk… they say gods who lose their divinity are more unstable and precarious than humans.”
Geryon had been raving about him, and Antaios had been acting so serious, so I’d struck him lightly, expecting a challenge. The fact that it had been such an effective hit suddenly made sense.
But that was then, and this is now. Whether he had Qi Deviation or rabies, I had to save him, or I’d be the one foaming at the mouth and collapsing next.
“Fine… do or die, I guess.”
It had been fun meeting Antaios, who had more potential than Heracles, but I hadn't expected a crisis like this at the very end. There were many ways to treat Qi Deviation, like feeding him medicinal herbs or striking his pressure points, but the easiest method for me was Jin-gi-do-in—channeling my own energy to force his blocked meridians open and calm his rampaging Ki.
“But where do I put my hands on a dog?”
I had mastered the Wei-pa-gong, which surpassed the Shaolin’s Prajna Divine Art, so channeling Ki was second nature, but treating a two-headed dog was incredibly awkward. I placed my hands on his chest—the most neutral spot—and began to slowly infuse him with my energy.
-Thump-thump, thump-thump!
His internal Ki was like a raging mountain torrent, while his core essence was bone-dry. It was clear this condition had been going on for a long time.
‘This is going to be a bigger job than I thought.’
The deeper one’s cultivation, the more dangerous Qi Deviation becomes. In this case, it wasn't just any energy; his very essence—his divinity—was drying up. Even my divine power and demonic energy struggled to heal it.
‘So that’s why he was attacking the cattle.’
His intelligence had been consumed by hunger, and his reason devoured by Qi Deviation. He must have eaten the hearts of the cattle and sheep belonging to Helios to replenish his dried-up essence. When he regained a shred of reason, he probably headed out to sea to hunt other monsters, fighting to the death to recover his divinity.
‘But that’s just a temporary fix. His essence is his divinity, his very nature. If his innate bloodline has been drying up like this…’
-Gulp.
It was a miracle Orthrus had held onto his sanity this long. If he had fully rampaged to restore his divinity, this ranch island would have turned into a living hell.
And this was surely a trial facing all of Typhon’s children, not just Orthrus.
This divine deed, which I had thought was just me taking on a portion of the hardships Heracles was supposed to face, suddenly felt incredibly heavy.
‘But now, what do I do?’
Replenishing his dried-up essence was impossible, even for me. Essence is one’s very nature, a sacred thing. If someone else tries to force it in, the core will reject it like a blood transfusion of the wrong type, shattering with agonizing pain.
‘…I’m screwed. Totally screwed.’
Creating something from nothing would be easier. Even Zeus couldn't restore what had been lost, and not even the Buddha could save a dead essence. If I didn't pull this off, I’d die with him. I was starting to wonder if Hera had sent me here just to bury me along with him.
-Twitch!
‘Wait!’
As if waiting for this moment, the Divine Core in my chest surged, and my energy began to seep into Orthrus through my arms.
“Woof!”
“Woof!”
“…Hm?”
At the same time, a loud barking sound rattled my eardrums. Startled by the sudden noise, I turned around to see four pairs of innocent, sparkling eyes looking at me.
“Woof, woof!”
“Woof, woof!”
“……Huh.”
That wasn't the only strange thing. The sky, which had been pitch black, was now bright with the midday sun, and the cliffside overlooking the crashing waves had been replaced by an endless expanse of green meadow.
“…Is this your inner world?”
Warm sunlight, endless fields, a cool breeze, and a flowing river. It was the perfect heaven for dogs with infinite stamina. I never imagined a dog, even one of divine rank, could possess such a clear inner world.
“Pant, pant!”
“Pant, pant!”
Looking at him now, Orthrus was far more majestic than any minor monster in mythology. He was twice the size of a bull, with a brave face that looked like a mix of a Doberman and a Hound, and black fur that shimmered like high-end silk. He was exactly how the "Divine Dogs" of Murim, said to rival dragons in power, were described.
“Oh, oh my. You guys…”
The voices echoing in my head were just like those of a sheepdog. Without a second thought, Orthrus smiled brightly and shoved his two large, wet noses into my chest.
Have you ever seen the eyes of a dog full of expectation? Those pure, sparkling eyes, devoid of any suspicion, had the power to make even the cruelest person smile.
“L-like this?”
I scratched behind his ears and under his chin with all my might, and his tail, which had already been wagging furiously, started spinning like a helicopter.
-Whirrrrr!
“Pant, pant, pant!”
“…I don’t even know anymore.”
The strangely addictive texture and the scent of the dog made me laugh despite myself. I sat cross-legged, letting them rest their heads on my thighs, and began to pet them vigorously.
‘If it’s their mom and dad… it has to be those two.’
Since my Divine Core—my divinity—had started moving, their divinity was likely being resolved one way or another. My job now was to carefully guide the consciousness trapped in this inner world back to reality before he was consumed by his inner demons.
“Is your name Orthrus?”
“Awooooo!”
Were they that excited that I knew their names? Orthrus jumped up, lifted his heads, and let out a howl, before drooping his heads and asking me,
“……”
I was left speechless by those eyes, eyes that believed without a shadow of a doubt that I would know, that I would find their parents for them. This was what the two-headed dog desired—the mental root cause of his Qi Deviation.
And their parents were names that anyone living in Greece could not possibly fail to recognize.