My Love Debts Are Everywhere!-Chapter 705: The Hydra

From the direction of the magma sea below, Barbarossa’s figure slowly emerged.

However, his form no longer resembled a dwarf—it had become a black, pulsing mass of flesh, unnaturally fused into the shape of a grotesque sphere.

At the center of the blob, a mouth began to take shape, its lips parting wide.

"Don’t fool yourself, Fated One. You lost the moment this began... hahaha!" he bellowed, his cruel laughter echoing through the air.

The chilling sound rang out in all directions, sending Leon instantly on high alert.

"What does he mean? Lost from the start?" Leon muttered, disbelief thick in his voice.

Suddenly, Miranda’s panicked voice echoed in his mind. "Master, it must be connected to that Hydra! This is dangerous—we’ve walked right into a trap!"

Leon’s eyes widened as a wave of dread crashed over him.

"Damn it... I let my guard down!"

Ever since entering the hall earlier, he had sensed an unusually strong life force coming from the egg.

Its pulse had been clear and intense—like something inside was just moments away from hatching.

And now, thanks to Miranda’s warning, Leon realized the truth—he had left the egg completely unguarded.

*Boom!*

A surge of holy power burst from his body as he prepared to race back toward the palace. But in that instant, an invisible force pressed in from all directions.

It was the power of the law of time.

Everything around him froze. He couldn’t move a muscle—only his thoughts remained, racing in panic.

"Damn it... this is bad!" He shouted inwardly.

Fortunately, it lasted only a moment. Within seconds, he could move again.

But before he could gather his thoughts, Miranda’s panicked voice burst into his mind.

"Master, what happened? Why did you go silent?"

"Master! Hurry—Barbarossa has returned to the hall!"

"Master!?"

Her voice echoed in his head, making Leon’s heart race.

"Miranda, what just happened to me?" he asked, confused.

Miranda let out a breath of relief upon hearing his voice. "Thank goodness you’re awake, Master. I thought Barbarossa had hypnotized you. I kept calling, but you wouldn’t respond... I was really scared."

Leon’s brow tightened. "How long was I out?"

"I don’t know exactly... maybe a minute or two," she answered, uncertainly.

Leon’s eyes widened as a cold sense of dread crept over him.

"Damn... So that’s the power of a law?" he cursed silently. "Insane... and terrifying."

To him, it had felt like only a few seconds—but in reality, a full minute or two had already passed.

In battle, even a single second can mean everything—let alone a full minute.

A mere instant could decide victory or defeat, life or death. And now, two whole minutes had passed without him even noticing.

If Barbarossa had truly intended to kill him, it wouldn’t have been impossible. But that didn’t seem to be his goal—or perhaps he simply couldn’t do it.

Most likely, using the power of the law of time to restrain him came at a steep cost.

And what kind of cost was that? Leon had no idea.

What he did know was clear: he had to return to the hall before the Hydra fully awakened.

*Buzz!*

Holy power surged from his body. At the same time, his eyes blazed with brilliant white light, and a golden star slowly etched itself onto his forehead.

Without hesitation, he darted toward the metal door and, in a flash, reappeared in the hall.

There, Barbarossa was already waiting with a wide grin. His form remained unchanged—a ball of writhing black flesh with a gaping mouth at the center.

"Welcome, Fated One! I’ve been waiting for you... hehehe..." Barbarossa sneered.

Leon’s brow furrowed. He summoned the Holy Sword of Zenith into his right hand.

"Waiting for me? Then are you ready to die?"

Barbarossa chuckled darkly. "Die? Oh, I will—of course I will. But before that, I want to see you... and this entire world... drown in ruin! Hahaha!"

"Master, stop him quickly!" Miranda’s panicked voice rang out in his mind.

*Whoosh!*

Leon vanished from his spot and reappeared right in front of Barbarossa.

Without hesitation, he swung his sword in a sweeping arc, cleaving Barbarossa’s body in half.

But he didn’t stop—strike after strike followed from every direction, each one surging with holy power that poured directly into Barbarossa’s form.

That way, even if Barbarossa could revive, it would take a long time.

"Hahaha! It’s useless, Fated One! All your efforts are in vain!" The mocking laughter rang out from the mouth at the center of the mangled mass of flesh.

Fury surged within Leon. Without hesitation, he shifted his target—not Barbarossa, but the egg behind him.

*Scrk!*

His blade sliced the egg cleanly in two. Within seconds, a blast of black liquid erupted violently from inside.

But before Leon could react, a pitch-black object suddenly tore out of the egg and smashed into him with brutal force.

*Whoosh... Boom!*

His body bounced off, slammed into a pillar, shattering it, and then tore through the wall behind him.

"Argh!" he groaned, clutching his chest.

Bright red blood seeped from his mouth as intense pain radiated through him.

Fortunately, the Life Crystal Ball materialized in the air, releasing a gentle glow that healed his injuries and soothed the burning agony.

Leon quickly got back on his feet and stared ahead—at the forty-meter-tall monster now standing beside Barbarossa’s reformed body.

It was a nine-headed Hydra, grotesque and terrifying, just like the creatures from the legends of his former world.

Its body stretched long like a serpent, but its thick, rugged scales resembled those of a dragon.

Nine heads loomed high above, each one radiating an aura of horror and death.

Even without moving, the creature exuded overwhelming pressure—just looking at it made Leon feel as if it could truly kill him.

"It’s really here! Master, we—no, the whole world is in danger!" Miranda exclaimed, her voice trembling with fear.

Leon’s heart skipped a beat, but he steadied himself and forced his mind to stay calm.

"Miranda, do you know how to defeat it?" he asked, his tone steady yet hopeful.

In his current state, he wasn’t sure he could take on the Hydra alone. His only hope now rested with Miranda.

"There is a way, Master—but this Hydra feels different from the one in the past. I need some time to identify its weaknesses," she replied quickly.

"No problem. I’ll try to hold it off. The rest, I’ll leave to you," Leon said calmly.

While the two conversed within their minds, Barbarossa floated over and stopped directly in front of the Hydra.

"Welcome, Hydra! How was your long slumber? Are you pleased with my gift?" he asked excitedly.

But the Hydra showed no interest. In fact, its gaze burned with hatred.

Without warning, one of its nine heads lunged forward and swallowed Barbarossa whole.

"N-No! Hydra, what are you doing!? I’m the one who brought you back! I—!"

Before he could finish, his body was torn apart and devoured.

The horrifying sight made Leon’s hair stand on end. Then, all nine heads turned toward him at once, their eyes brimming with hatred and rage.

*Roar!*

Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om