For Su Mo, slaying gods had long become second nature.
But defeating one without relying on the power of Ultraman Tiga—this was a first.
Especially when the opponent had abilities that directly countered his own.
All things considered, Su Mo was satisfied with the result of the battle.
However, when Perseus collapsed and dissolved into light, vanishing from sight, Su Mo didn't lower his guard. Instead, he stood silently, as if waiting for something.
A few minutes passed.
Roughly a few hundred meters from where Perseus had fallen, particles of light began to sparkle and swirl before snapping together like clay, re-forming into the shape of a man.
The rogue god Perseus had revived.
But this time, he didn't look pleased.
He stared at Su Mo, who had remained quietly on guard the whole time, and looked more troubled than he'd ever been—even more than the time he had to face Polydectes, the man who coveted his mother.
"Can you see the future or something?" Perseus asked with an un-heroic grimace.
"You even guessed I had a resurrection ability?"
Just like how the sun sets each night and rises again the next day, Perseus' revival was a legacy granted by the solar divine power—an expression of vitality and rebirth.
Don't be fooled by the sun's destructive nature in physics; in mysticism, the sun is a symbol of abundant life. The healing powers Perseus had displayed earlier were part of that solar blessing.
Using the last of his divine power, he had brought himself back from death.
He had intended to rest and recover before challenging Su Mo again.
He hadn't expected Su Mo to see right through him—and to patiently wait at the very spot of his rebirth.
In gaming terms, this was the equivalent of camping the respawn point. A brutal and unsportsmanlike move.
"Rather than seeing the future," Su Mo replied, "I just like recalling the past."
Recalling the past—events he had seen in the story before.
Perseus didn't quite understand what that meant, but he could guess that Su Mo had known all along who he was and what abilities he possessed.
Realizing this, his expression relaxed slightly.
"I see. Then I can't complain about losing to you."
"But even so, I have no intention of surrendering."
Surrender was not the way of a hero.
Even though he had foreseen his own defeat, Perseus still gripped his blade tightly. He believed he could still fight.
And then—
Ten seconds later, Perseus collapsed again.
This time, he truly returned to myth.
The confirmation didn't come from Su Mo's eyes—but from the call he felt from Pandora.
Drawn by her summoning, Su Mo stepped into the Netherworld once more.
The twin-tailed purple-haired witch beamed with joy upon seeing him respond.
"Well done, my dearest child!"
"When dealing with scum like Perseus, that's exactly what you should do—crush their pride, defeat them with sheer skill, and make those arrogant steel-hearted jerks submit!"
"Teach them a lesson they'll never forget!"
As soon as he arrived, Pandora leapt onto Su Mo with all the enthusiasm of a proud parent whose child had just gotten into Tsinghua or Peking University.
Her smug delight was honestly kind of cute.
Though—
"Isn't that grudge a little too intense?"
Hearing her words, Su Mo couldn't help but complain, "So you summoned me all the way here just to say that?"
"What do you mean just for that? This is a very worthy reason to celebrate!" Pandora pouted in protest.
"…This reaction is a bit over the top," Su Mo sighed, though he couldn't entirely blame her. Pandora, after all, was not only a witch but also one of the Earth Goddesses. And the Steel Heroic Gods, led by Perseus, had always taken pride in slaying dragons and serpents—creatures often considered the offspring or incarnations of the Earth Mother.
In truth, the tales of heroic gods slaying serpents were little more than mythologized records of the Steel gods subjugating Earth Goddesses, downgrading them to wives, daughters, or followers. From that perspective, someone like Pandora naturally bore deep resentment toward a Steel god like Perseus.
So, seeing her own child—one of the Campiones—slay such an enemy was more than just satisfying. It was vindicating. Like a mother watching her son finally grow strong enough to protect her, Pandora was beaming with pride.
"This is not an overreaction!" she huffed, puffing out her cheeks and trying to push Su Mo to sit down. But given her petite frame and the fact that she could barely reach his shoulder, she settled for tugging at his sleeve, pouting like a spoiled child.
Though Su Mo never fully acknowledged her "motherly" identity, he had to admit that Pandora was a reliable ally. So, after some thought, he humored her and sat down.
Seeing this, Pandora's eyes sparkled. She cleared her throat and took on a teacherly tone as she warned, "Steel isn't just the enemy of witches like me. They're also the enemy of Campiones. While you did defeat this Steel today, there's a much stronger one lurking in the Far East. You'll need to be extra cautious."
Su Mo nodded, thoughtful. "A stronger Steel…" That had to be the King of the End, the ultimate antagonist in the world of the Campiones. The strongest of the Steel Heroic Gods, his very purpose was to eliminate god-slayers. Once every age, he would descend, and no Campione could avoid the battle.
"Exactly!" Pandora nodded seriously. "Because of the Covenant between the gods, I can't say too much… But the King of the End is an incredibly dangerous enemy. Even though you possess the power of the Giant of Light, you mustn't take him lightly!"
Though she sounded worried, Pandora also recalled Su Mo's overwhelming display of strength just days earlier. With the power of the Light Giant he had demonstrated, even the King of the End wouldn't be unbeatable. Her concern eased, and she smiled faintly—her child could win, even against fate.
"All right. I understand," Su Mo said calmly. He already knew plenty about the King of the End, so he didn't need Pandora to spell out the rest. What caught his attention more was something else.
"The new Authority… not bad. It's exactly what I was hoping for," he muttered, feeling the fresh power coursing through his body. Normally, after a Campione slays a god, they don't get summoned to the Netherworld—only their Authority is added directly. But Su Mo was different. Pandora always gave him special treatment, so only after arriving here did he realize what he'd gained.
"Authorities are born from your desires," Pandora explained beside him. "It's extremely rare for a Campione to be dissatisfied with what they receive."
"Is that so?" Su Mo chuckled and shook his head. "Well, I am dissatisfied."
"What?!" Pandora was visibly shocked. "That can't be right! The Authorities are supposed to reflect your inner will!"
Her brow furrowed, clearly upset. For a 'mother' whose job it was to bestow gifts upon her children, Su Mo's complaint stung. Had she messed up the ritual somehow?
"Which part are you unhappy with?" she asked nervously.
Su Mo gave his answer immediately. "The number. Wouldn't it be great if I could get ten, maybe even eight, Authorities in one go?"
"…"
Pandora stood there stunned for a good few second. When she finally came to her senses, she glared at him in mock anger. "You meanie! Don't scare your poor mother like that!"
"Seriously… you gave me a heart attack. Ten or eight Authorities? Even most heretic Gods don't have that many! You're being way too greedy!"
"Reflect on yourself, you naughty child!" she puffed angrily.
Naturally, her scolding had little effect on Su Mo, who let her words breeze past his ears. After a few more rounds of teasing and banter, Su Mo finally said his goodbyes and returned to the real world.
After he left, the pale world of the Netherworld grew quiet again. But the smile on Pandora's face didn't fade. Sitting on the ground with her arms around her knees, the purple-haired twin-tailed witch stared blankly in the direction Su Mo had gone. After a long silence, she sighed softly.
"When will he come by again?"
Ever since Su Mo became a Campione, this place had grown lively. Every few days, he'd drop in for a chat. For someone like Pandora, who had waited alone for centuries, it was a warm light in her endless solitude.
Yes, part of the reason she summoned Su Mo this time was because she was genuinely happy about Perseus's defeat, and yes, she wanted to warn him about the King of the End… but deep down, she had simply wanted someone to talk to.
Not that she would ever admit that to herself.
—A mother's love, quietly changed.