Trickster Wukong

"Why is he so late?" 

A few figures stood in a familiar dining hall, each of them taking frequent glances at the large twin doors as if they were expecting something.

These individuals were five of the twelve Gods of Olympus.

Zeus and Hera sat on small thrones as Demeter, Hermes, and Aphrodite stood behind them.

"You don't think he maybe…"

Aphrodite spoke her mind, Zeus scoffing as she did.

"He better hope I don't find him if he has." He muttered though somehow still loud enough for everyone to hear.

"No. He'll be here."

Zeus turned to Hera as she commented, staring at her for a few seconds.

It had been a week since Zeus had agreed to Illian's wager.

Since then, word had spread all through Olympus of the Great God of Olympus being challenged by a mere human child.

People didn't know whether to think highly of the boy or badmouth Zeus.

However, just the thought of one of these things terrified them to no end.

Knowing the boy's achievements, people naturally wanted to catch a glimpse of him.

But for the whole week, no one had once sighted the boy.

"He hasn't left his living quarters a single time in the whole week. What preparation could he have made in there?"

Aphrodite was the only one to speak throughout all this, the others being too deep in thought to entertain her chattiness.

"None that'll help him in the Underworld," Hera replied, never taking her eyes off the twin doors.

For a second, silence prevailed.

"Do you think there's a chance he can really…"

-CLANK

-TAP TAP TAP

Upon hearing the Clank of the opening door, everyone fixed their gaze on a single location as a figure soon stepped into the hall.

"Aw, I'm disappointed. I was hoping to wave off the God of War before I left. He was always my favourite."

A thin Golden-Eyed boy with unkempt black hair revealed himself from behind the door as his large grin revealed his rather sharp teeth.

"You're late." Hermes was the first to speak as he, too, cracked a smile.

"Well, I really would be crazy if I was so anxious to visit hell." Illian joked as his gaze averted to the colossal figure rising from his throne.

"You leave now. Hermes." Zeus called out, Hermes stepping toward Illian simultaneously.

"Already? No goodbye?" 

Illian chuckled, rubbing salt onto the wound as he could almost taste the bloodlust exuding from Zeus.

But contrary to him, Hera let out a smirk, to which Illian stared.

"Good luck, Illian." Aphrodite blew a kiss, to which Illian didn't spare a glance.

'I'd rather not have to keep biting myself.' 

"Are you ready?" Hermes outstretched his hand.

Before Illian took it, his gaze turned to the quiet mother in the back staring at him with an indifferent expression.

But Illian knew.

He knew there was more hidden under the void-like eyes.

'Good luck.'

"I'm ready."

Illian raised his deathly paws, taking Hermes' hand.

"Don't forget our deal, Zeus. I'll be back." Illian grinned widely.

He was leaving Zeus' jurisdiction. If there was a time to say something, it would be now.

Therefore, staring at Zeus' unfriendly expression, his grin widened.

"And I'll be sure to…"

-WHOOSH

"...savour the best treasures you own."

Darkness.

The expansive marble dining hall flooded with the bright orange light from the morning sun was no more.

But this was the least of Illian's worries.

His smile faded as his head slowly turned.

The very air was peculiar, almost suffocating and hot, every breath he took burning his lungs.

He felt it was almost impossible to take in a deep breath.

Not that he could try. His rapidly beating heart already made his breathing uneven.

'W-What is this…'

This feeling.

Illian had felt it before, but never to this extent.

Fear.

The darkness was almost alive, making him feel as though he was being watched.

But he could see. 

Despite the shadows that clung to the jagged rocks and the oppressive darkness that enveloped everything, he could see past it all.

He could see the surreal landscape: twisted, gnarled formations jutting from the ground, and the ground itself seeming to pulse beneath his feet, alive with an unsettling energy.

And if the cacophony of distant screams and the sound of something slithering around him weren't enough, the thick air with the scent of sulfur mixing with something rotten and ancient certainly gave him an unwelcome feeling.

'E-Expand!'

-VUAM

Ruyi stood straight before Illian as he instantly clung to it with his teeth, a cold sweat breaking on his forehead, the weight of dread settling heavily in his chest.

However, despite wanting to yell the command that would shoot him out of wherever he was, the words wouldn't come out.

For a few seconds, Illian stood there standing with Ruyi between his teeth.

'Come on, you fucking wuss. You've been here for ten seconds and you're already bailing. Where's all that big talk?'

A chuckle escaped Illian's lips.

Despite his words and laughter, his heart didn't calm for even a second.

He was scared. He wanted to run. 

But…

'I want this. I want to be the best. I can't be scared.'

Illian lowered his staff, still keeping it between his teeth as he took a second to scan his surroundings.

Despite the sounds he was hearing and the feeling of being watched, he couldn't see anything.

Forcing himself to breathe, Illian took a step forward, then another.

The steps became faster by the second before he was sprinting at full speed.

Finding a small cave-like opening with a perimeter provided by protruding stalagmites, Illian leapt in, putting his back to the wall as he kept his eyes on the only opening, breathing heavily.

'I'm completely tired after running for a few seconds.'

Illian noted. The air felt like oil on his skin, even heavier upon entering his body.

'So this is Tartarus, huh? Demeter wasn't kidding.'

***

"I've never been to the Underworld so I can't give you specific details. Only information a little more detailed than the common knowledge."

"But knowing Zeus, I'd say he'd send you straight to Tartarus." 

Sitting on his bed, Demeter opposite him, Illian sighed as he heard this.

From their small interaction, even Illian could tell Zeus was petty. He doubted this 'Tartarus' was anywhere pleasant.

"Contrary to common beliefs, the Underworld isn't the Hell most people think it is. It's a place where souls of the dead are sent to be judged."

"Believe it or not, the underworld has its own equivalent to Paradise and even a place for average souls to wander." 

"And let me guess, Tartarus is for the condemned souls to suffer." 

Demeter shook her head.

"Worse. It's a hell even the gods are wary of. A place fit to imprison the Titans." 

Illian raised an eyebrow as he heard this.

"What's a Titan?"

Demeter raised an eyebrow.

"Titans, immensely powerful beings who once ruled the earth? Imprisoned after losing a long war to Olympus." Demeter continued each word while seeing Illian's expression stay clueless.

However, she soon sighed as she rubbed her forehead.

"We'll get to that. But there's one thing you have to know." Demeter's professionalism returned as she held up one finger.

"You're a living being in a place meant for the dead. You'll stick out like a sore thumb. As soon as you set foot in Tartarus…"

***

'...I'll draw the attention of whatever is out there.'

Illian tried to remain calm by recalling all the important information Demeter had told him.

'She wasn't able to tell me much. But there is one thing…it's why I can't leave Tartarus yet…'

-GROWL

Outside Illian's small cave, a tiger-sized creature growled, drooling as it glared at Illian.

With blood-red skin and dozens of bones protruding from it, the wolf-like creature's black eyes with green pupils never averted from the fresh pink meet presented before it.

'Zombie Wolf? Well, that's not too bad. I was expecting Tartarus would have heavier hitters…'

-SLITHER

Illian froze as his gaze turned a few meters to the left, witnessing something emerge from behind a rock and move toward the wolf.

-THUMP

'W-What the hell…'

Illian's heart threatened to leap out of his chest as he completely forgot about the zombie wolf, staring at…something he couldn't yet comprehend.

It seemed the wolf shared in this caution as it turned its head violently, growling at whatever it was behind him.

However, as it did…

-WHIMPER

Illian watched the wolf stare at the figure, freezing as it whimpered. Despite its cries, it didn't run. Or rather, it couldn't.

From its feet up, the wolf's skin started to change from blood-red rotten flesh to grey, dull stone, the effect slowly rising upwards.

From its legs to its torso and finally its head, it wasn't long until the wolf was completely petrified and turned to stone.

Illian stammered as he watched with a gaping mouth.

It wasn't long until the figure snapped its head to the boy in the small cave.

To this, Illian was quick to turn away, keeping his eyes on the ground as sweat dripped down his face.

'Its eyes…'

It was all so hectic, but he still remembered the figures' features.

Its upper half was that of a human female, but the lower was identical to a green-scaled snake. 

But that was rather tame compared to the creature's head full of snakes for hair.

However, just looking away didn't help Illian, as he could still hear the creature slithering toward him. Therefore…

"Expand!"

-BOOM

All Illian could hear was the chaos that ensued upon Ruyi expanding and tearing through everything it came into contact with.

As the surroundings turned quiet, Illian slowly opened his eyes, looking up as he commanded his staff to shrink.

Stepping out of the cave and taking a second to acknowledge the pure destruction Ruyi had caused for miles to come, Illian sighed in relief upon noticing the snake creature was no more.

'I should probably…'

-GROWL

-SLITHER

-HISSSS

Perhaps it was due to the fact Illian was slowly adapting, however, contrary to his previous reactions, Illian instantly snapped into action as he leapt back, pressing his back against whatever was left of the small cave.

Darting his eyes between everything emerging from the darkness, Illian's breathing stopped.

In addition to a dozen Zombie Wolves in the pack, a handful of the snake creatures crept over a large boulder, clinging to it with their long-nailed fingers.

Countless gremlin-like creatures cackled as their red eyes glowed in the dark, each of them carrying rough yet dangerous-looking daggers.

In the air above Illian, three females with white skin, red eyes, fangs and large black wings of an eagle on their back paired peculiarly with their single goat leg, the other being a bronze prosthetic. Not to mention their red, fire-like hair.

However, as Illian had his eyes on them, something wet dripped onto his face.

He didn't even stop to ask what the substance was, instead looking straight up at the creature that stood perched atop his cave.

A lion…or at least a poor imitation of it.

With large bat-like wings and the tail of a scorpion, the creature glared down at the sweating Illian with bloodlust and malice.

Illian was cornered.

No tricks.

No preparation.

No scams.

Only now did the weight of his quest dawn on him.

He did want to be the best. But even he knew something came before that.

No, he had one goal at the moment.

To not die.

'Shit.'