The roar crashed through the cave like thunder rising from the bowels of the earth. A deep, primal vibration slithered along the stone walls and sank into Hercules' bones, calling to him. It wasn't a warning. It was a challenge. A call to death.

Hercules stepped forward without hesitation. The darkness did not unnerve him, nor did the thick air, heavy with the stench of rotting flesh and dried blood. He had seen horror up close—felt it in his own hands when the life of his family slipped away before him. He did not fear death, but he wasn't seeking it. Not yet. Not until his debt was paid.

His footsteps echoed against the damp stone as he pressed deeper into the monster's lair. He ran his hand along the rough cavern wall, feeling the cold seeping into his skin, the moisture clinging to him. How many warriors had come before him, thinking themselves brave, only to be reduced to forgotten bones?

Another growl, closer this time.

Hercules clenched his fists. His mind raced through every possible way to kill the beast. Could he strangle it? Snap its neck with a single strike? Drive his sword into its chest and pierce its heart? It didn't matter. The strength in his body was a divine gift, a legacy of Zeus himself. No creature could match him. None.

He exhaled slowly and moved forward.

The lion was waiting.

The stench was unbearable.

Hercules stepped into the heart of the cave—a vast, uneven chamber lined with jagged rocks. The floor was littered with bones, some still wrapped in strips of decayed flesh. Skulls of men and beasts were stacked in the corners like trophies.

A beam of sunlight filtered through a gaping hole in the ceiling, casting light upon the grotesque display. Three tunnels opened in different directions, snaking into the shadows.

And from the shadows, the beast struck.

The roar was an explosion that tore through the air. A golden blur shot forward, a mass of muscle and fury, moving with monstrous speed.

The impact hit him from behind.

A brutal, crushing force—like being struck by a catapult stone. Hercules was sent flying, crashing to his knees amid shattered bones. A burning pain flared across his back. He reached for his side and found blood.

"Alright, you bastard…" he growled, rising to his feet. "Let's begin."

He turned, sword in hand, and swung a powerful strike at the lion's head.

Steel met flesh—

But instead of cutting through, sparks exploded in the dark.

The impact felt like striking a wall of bronze.

"…Shit."

No time to think.

The lion lunged again, claws slicing through the air. It was fast—too fast. Hercules barely ducked in time, feeling the rush of wind as death passed inches from his skull.

Then he heard it.

A sound that chilled his blood.

When the beast's claw struck the cave wall, the solid rock didn't resist. It crumbled like wet clay, breaking apart in a cloud of dust and shattered stone. A massive gouge was left in its wake.

Hercules swallowed hard.

For the first time, he considered what would happen if he took a direct hit.

"Damn it!" he cursed, swinging his sword harder.

The lion lunged again, and this time, though Hercules barely dodged, the beast's claw raked across his chest. Searing pain tore through his skin as blood trickled down his torso.

It had been a long time since anything had wounded him like this.

But he wasn't backing down.

With a roar of fury, he charged.

Hercules tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. He took a deep breath and put everything into a single strike. The blade came down in a powerful arc, aimed at the lion's skull—a blow strong enough to shake the cave itself.

Metal met the beast's flesh once more. The impact echoed like a hammer against an anvil.

But it wasn't the lion that broke.

A sharp, splintering sound filled the chamber.

Hercules' eyes widened as his sword shattered in his hands. The blade was reduced to fragments, falling uselessly to the floor.

For a brief moment, he stood still.

"…What?"

Then—he saw it. A small detail, almost imperceptible.

The lion's snarl had changed.

Not in rage—but in pain.

Its skin remained unscathed, yet for the first time… it had reacted.

There was no time to think.

With a deafening roar, the lion lunged at its prey. Hercules barely managed to lift his arm in defense as the beast's claws raked across his forearm, sending him crashing against a jagged rock. The impact cracked the stone beneath him.

The monster gave him no respite. It pounced again, fangs ready to tear into flesh. Hercules spat blood and, without hesitation, discarded the shattered remains of his sword.

"Alright, you bastard," he growled, cracking his knuckles. "We'll do this my way."