The power Qing displayed far exceeded John's expectations.
Under the influence of [The Underworld King's Intimidation], Qing fought more fiercely with each passing moment, even managing to hold the line on his own!
Of course, upon closer inspection, Qing was inevitably falling behind.
Every attack from Kaldaram left a mark on Qing, and after dozens of exchanges, Qing's HP was critically low, forcing him to activate his class skill, Undying Fury.
At that very moment, John's figure suddenly vanished.
"Now!"
A spear of black flame condensed in John's hand, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared behind Kaldaram, aiming a heavy strike at his neck!
However!
The black flame, which even Falms couldn't withstand, had no effect on Kaldaram.
It didn't even leave a scratch on his body!
But in that brief moment of distraction, Kaldaram's attack came swiftly!
Seeing the giant hammer crashing down, John felt a surge of panic and instinctively tried to evade, but the chilling aura locked onto him, rendering him immobile!
At the critical moment, Exiled Immortal waved his hand, and a gust of wind wrapped around John's waist, flinging him away with great force, causing Kaldaram's attack to miss.
Qing seized the opportunity to strike with his halberd!
However...
Just as Qing's powerful blow was about to land, a massive shockwave erupted from Kaldaram, sending Qing flying a hundred meters away, crashing heavily!
Seeing this, Lily's heart tightened, and she rushed forward to help heal Qing's injuries.
"Damn... He's like a block of iron, tougher than a turtle shell!"
Qing shook his fingers, which had been fractured in the battle.
As the adrenaline wore off, the pain finally set in.
Seeing his HP recover to a safe level, Qing struggled to his feet, ready to rejoin the fray, but Helena stopped him.
"Qing, be careful. You can't go head-to-head with him anymore!"
"Then what should we do? If I don't take the pressure, John and the others will be in danger."
"Qing, how familiar are you with joint techniques?"
Upon hearing this, Qing frowned and asked in confusion, "Joint techniques, like an armbar or something?"
"Something like that. I'm thinking if his body is so tough it can ignore most attacks, joint techniques might be our only option."
"Well... I'll give it a try."
Qing nodded slightly, agreeing with Helena's suggestion.
The problem was, Qing had only learned basic military hand-to-hand combat techniques and wasn't well-versed in technical grappling, especially against a monstrous opponent like this.
...
Meanwhile, in the underworld!
Hades watched everything unfold, a smile flickering in his eyes.
He was increasingly amused by this game—it was utterly fascinating!
Watching those bearing divine wills fight each other, what could be more thrilling?
Unfortunately, the arrival of an uninvited guest disrupted Hades' pleasure.
"Hephaestus, I don't recall inviting you. What brings you to the underworld so suddenly?"
"I came to clarify something."
From behind Hades, a tall man engulfed in scorching flames stepped forward, stopping behind him.
"You interfered in this game, didn't you?"
"That's right. Like the rest of you, I placed my bet. What? Are you here to accuse me?"
"I don't have the power to do that. I'm just a humble blacksmith; how could I compare myself to the King of the Underworld?"
"What truly puzzles me is you. If I remember correctly, you have always sided with humanity. Why the sudden change?"
With a wave of Hades' hand, a throne emerged. Hephaestus sat down, taking a long breath.
"Zeus... has started his reckoning."
"Heh... my worthless brother loves to do such things. So, to protect yourself, you decided to switch sides?"
"I had no choice. In this long life, the one thing I've learned is never to make too many enemies. You, my old friend, are a prime example of why."
"Mocking me, are you? You've got guts. So, how does it feel to replace me and become one of the Twelve Olympians?"
Hades glanced at Hephaestus and, through the mask of flames, saw his grotesque face before silently looking away.
"Not great. Being revered is far more bitter than I imagined.
Every moment, I have to guard against the ambitious [Gods] and make every decision perfectly. I'm just a blacksmith; I can't handle all that."
Hephaestus shook his head, his words full of resentment.
"What do you plan to do?"
"I gave that hammer to my emissary. Although it's unfortunate that he's become a pawn in this, a sacrificial lamb, it's all I could do.
Once John and his team kill Kaldaram and obtain the hammer, my goal will be achieved."
"Aren't you afraid of the reckoning that will follow?"
"If that day comes, I will break the pillar that connects Mount Olympus and the underworld, completely muddying the waters."
Hearing this, Hades smirked and shook his head in helplessness.
"You're a madman."
"Same to you. If you hadn't made that foolish move back then, the throne of the king wouldn't belong to Zeus, even if it didn't go to you. I think Poseidon would have been a good choice. He has a very simple mind."