Academy’s Weapon Replicator

Odyssey (45)

When Frondior arrived.

“…This is quite something.”

The western coast was a complete mess.

The ground was torn apart as if a meteor had fallen, trees swept away, and it had changed so much that he could hardly remember what it originally looked like.

However, compared to the sea, the coast was somewhat better off.

Not long ago, Hercules had mentioned Poseidon’s whirlpool. Now that whirlpool was twisting, even holding lightning within it.

And in the distance, he could see,

“They’re still fighting.”

An octopus and a serpent.

The gigantic monsters occasionally revealed themselves from afar, baring their threatening jaws at each other.

Frondior flew closer to them with a light flight.

“Jörmungandr!”

Frondir called upon Jormungandr.

The two battling monsters turned their gaze towards Frondir.

The Kraken quickly opened its eyes wide and glared at Frondir.

“Frondir…!”

Ignoring the growl, Frondir spoke to Jormungandr.

“You’re struggling more than I expected.”

“This octopus is more tenacious than I thought. Moreover…”

Jormungandr glanced towards the dragon’s roar.

“It seems Poseidon is on the Kraken’s side.”

“They say his will still lingers; it seems to be true.”

Unable to contain itself during their conversation, the Kraken extended its tentacles.

Swoosh!

Tentacles flew towards both Frondir and Jormungandr. Jormungandr opened its mouth to bite, while Frondir sliced through.

“Frondir! Did you anticipate this since you broke me out of prison?”

“There’s no way I could have.”

Frondir shook his head in disbelief.

“I just hoped for it.”

“Hope?”

“Yeah. I don’t know how you’ve changed while you were in prison. You could be the you I knew, or maybe you’ve changed while staying in Obsidian.”

Frondir already knew about the Kraken.

It was a confirmed enemy in the game.

But he didn’t know the Kraken after being trapped in Obsidian. Usually, the game ends before they meet again.

So, it’s an exaggeration to say that Frondir foresaw this entire situation.

“But I’m glad you’re moving as I hoped.”

“Frondir…!”

“Indeed, you’re the Kraken I know.”

Swoosh!

This time, a cluster of tentacles reached out towards Frondir. The volume was incomparable to when it was human.

Frondir’s hands opened, and the black sky stretched out.

Szzzz!

“!”

Phrondeer, instead of cutting, bound the tentacles with black silk and pinned them to the ground.

“Ugh, you b*stard…!”

The Kraken tried to pull the tentacles stuck to the ground with all its strength, but it couldn’t overcome the power of the black silk.

‘Is there such a difference in strength? Even in the sea, my domain?’

That thought flickered, and despair soon followed.

Phrondeer spoke to the Kraken.

“I know that no matter how many of your tentacles are cut, they will keep growing back. But they have to be cut first, right?”

The Kraken’s tentacles were akin to its hair. Cutting them didn’t particularly hurt or itch. Moreover, they quickly regenerated due to rapid healing.

However, if the tentacles were subdued without being cut like this, the number of tentacles would naturally decrease.

“Besides, if you return to your true form like now, you can’t hide your tentacles, so the remaining number is all visible.”

“Grrr…!”

The Kraken couldn’t contain its anger, but it also couldn’t recklessly charge in.

If it did the same thing, the number of tentacles subdued by Phrondeer would only increase.

At that moment, Jormungand’s eyes gleamed. Some of the Kraken’s tentacles were bound. Moreover, it was distracted by Phrondeer. This time, it could surely bind its body and sink its teeth into its head.

But that thought was halted by Phrondeer.

Phrondeer read Jormungand’s thoughts and extended a palm toward him. It was a sign to wait.

“Kraken.”

In that state, Phrondeer called out to the Kraken.

“Don’t you think about living alongside humans?”

“…What did you say?”

“You’ve spent a long time with the Indus. Not like a monster. Didn’t you feel a sense of camaraderie with them?”

From Phrondeer’s perspective, the Kraken had upheld the most human-like loyalty among the Indus.

It was the only monster among them, but that was how Phrondeer saw it.

“What does it mean to return to the sea and grow stronger? There are no monsters in this sea that can understand you. What will you do rampaging in a place where nothing acknowledges your strength? You will only be lonely.”

“Shut up! You can say that. You must have become stronger than anyone else! That’s why you can look at me with such arrogant eyes! I can still become stronger!”

“…Huh.”

Phrondeer’s gaze settled. That gaze turned toward Jormungand.

“Jormungand. Give me a spear.”

“Hmm.”

Yormungand nodded at Prondior’s words and handed over the trident he had been guarding.

He had been tired from fighting while keeping that thing safe, but it was much better in Prondior’s hands.

“Is this trident the basis for your claim that you can become stronger?”

“Yes! With just this…!”

Whoosh.

As if cutting off that statement, Prondior threw the trident.

Not fast at all, nor threatening.

He simply tossed it gently towards the Kraken.

“What are you doing, Prondior!”

Yormungand shouted. Even the Kraken looked bewildered as it caught the trident.

“Then let’s make a deal. Kraken.”

“A deal?”

“It’s not too late even now. Give up the trident and come back to our side. You can live comfortably in human form. It would be great if you could use that amazing ability for humans. You could rise to a good position in no time.”

At Prondior’s words, the Kraken looked back and forth between the trident and Prondior.

The trident, which had been a dream come true, was now in his hands.

“…But if I refuse this offer and use the trident.”

Prondior’s dark energy surged.

“I will personally kill you as an enemy. This is the final offer. I won’t bother you anymore. As you wished, I’ll stop the useless chatter and fight you. With all my strength.”

Prondior’s deal.

If he sided with humans, he would be helped.

If not, they would have no choice but to fight.

It was a simple and clear story.

“…Huh, heh heh.”

The Kraken laughed.

“I am a monster. Being near humans was merely a curiosity.”

“….”

Prondior said nothing in response.

“If I’m going to die anyway, I will die as a monster!”

After saying that, the Kraken swallowed the trident. He intended to absorb all that power completely as his own.

At that sight, Prondior lowered his head.

“……Hoo.”

Originally, the chance of the Kraken obtaining the trident was extremely low, but it certainly existed. Even in the game.

At that time, it was obviously game over. No one could stop that immense power.

However, now it is different.

“Hahaha! Phondior! With this power, I am comparable to a god, ugh?!”

The Kraken, swollen with pride after absorbing the power of the trident, contorts its face in the process.

“What, what is this, this is surely…!”

“……As expected.”

Phondior looked at the suffering Kraken as if he had already anticipated it.

“Guh, ugh, cough, cough, gurgle, guuuh…!”

The Kraken moved its massive body back and forth, its tentacles trembling violently. Its eyes seemed to roll back, and eventually, it began to tear at its own body with its tentacles.

“Gyaaah!!”

And the Kraken’s body began to emit light. It started to shrink and transform into a humanoid form.

However, that was not the human form the Kraken originally used.

It was.

“You foolish thing.”

The Kraken, now completed in a human body, spoke in a different voice.

“Did you think you could easily make the weapon of this body your own?”

At those words, Phondior replied.

“……Poseidon.”

Phondior called that name precisely.

The whirlpool that continued to unfold in this sea.

Phondior felt a sense of unease at the sight of it moving threateningly, as if it had its own will.

Phondior had not seen Poseidon die. He had faced Hercules.

Hercules had killed Poseidon, and there was no doubt about that, but Poseidon had schemed.

“For the price of abandoning all bodily freedom, you have taken refuge in the trident.”

Poseidon had embedded his soul in the trident, waiting for someone to grasp it.

The Kraken felt a strong pull towards the trident not just because it was in the sea.

Poseidon had tempted it.

“Hmph. But well, I suppose it’s fortunate that even in the moment of death, you achieved what you desired. It must be the strength you longed for.”

The moment Poseidon took over that body, the Kraken was dead.

Poseidon shifted his gaze to Phrondeir.

“Now, it’s your turn. I’ll make you regret your arrogance. You might have expected to fight the Kraken, but—”

Swoosh—

The first thing Poseidon heard was that sound.

As the sound occurred, he shifted his gaze accordingly.

“…Huh?”

His left arm was gone.

Phrondeir’s eyes widened at the unbelievable sight, as the cold voice of Phrondeir flew into his ears.

“Did you not hear me earlier?”

Menosorpo

Weaving the air, simultaneous replication

Imperial armory

Full opening

Weapons spread out around Phrondeir. All of them glinted with blades aimed at Poseidon.

“Shut your useless chatter. That was the promise with the Kraken.”

“T-This b*stard…!”

Poseidon gritted his teeth, igniting a murderous intent. With a crack, his severed arm restored itself.

‘He possesses the characteristics of the Kraken.’

It seemed he had acquired the trait of rapid regeneration by taking over the Kraken’s body.

Swoosh!

Phrondeir launched the weapons. Poseidon swung his spear and deflected them all.

“Phrondeir, this much won’t—”

Swoosh—!

And once again.

This time, his right arm flew off.

“…?!”

Poseidon, flustered, looked at the fallen arm. He was right-handed. Naturally, he was holding the trident with his right arm.

“Ugh!”

Poseidon hurriedly reached out his left arm toward the trident. The trident returned to his hand as if obeying his will.

During that time.

Whoosh!

A spear pierced Poseidon’s chest.

It was also a trident. Of course, a fake made by Frondior.

“You, arrogant b*stard!”

Poseidon, enraged, pulled out the woven trident and threw it away.

“Do you think a mere human can defeat me in the sea!”

Poseidon gripped the retrieved trident and spun it around. As he did, the flow of the waves changed. The waves that should have headed toward the shore moved from left to right,

Crash─!

A massive tsunami rose, engulfing Frondior and pouring down upon him.

‘You dare challenge me in strength.’

Weaving, Black River

Rank – Main God Position

Mjolnir

Boom!

As Frondior lightly threw Mjolnir, it spun around him, smashing the crashing waves.

Waves that disintegrated without a single drop of water touching them.

“……!”

“How many times must I say it?”

And Frondior unfolded Excalibur with his other hand.

“Shut your mouth.”

Frondior Original

Jeong

Kaaang─!!

The blade of Excalibur shot forth. Not just by itself, but wrapped in black light as it flew.

“Ugh…!”

Poseidon could not bear to dodge and blocked it with his spear. Even that was not easy.

While Poseidon was fending off Jeong, Frondior thought.

‘I knew you would come.’

With Poseidon asleep in his trident, it was obvious that the Kraken, which absorbed it, would take over his body.

Phrondeer intentionally woke Poseidon.

“Your whirlpool was quite bothersome.”

Hercules said. He believed that if he died, the whirlpool would disappear.

That meant, in essence, that Poseidon, the very embodiment of the whirlpool, would also cease to exist.

So he called for him.

With Phrondeer’s hand, to ensure a definitive death.

“If the Kraken were to side with humanity, that wouldn’t be so bad in itself.”

But now, it was an irreversible matter.

Kraaang!

Poseidon barely deflected the blade. Fatigue was evident.

Watching Poseidon, who was breathing heavily, Phrondeer said.

“Come, Poseidon.”

I will witness your death with my own eyes.

So that there will be no more unnecessary matters.