No one understood the destructive potential of a Campione better than these two who had studied magic from childhood.
Naples might be the largest city in southern Italy, but in the face of a God-Slayer, that meant little. And worse still, there was a live volcano—Mount Vesuvius—right next door.
If the shockwaves from a battle were to accidentally trigger an eruption, Naples could easily become the next Pompeii, wiped from the map in flames and ash.
In the face of such disaster, Erica and Liliana were understandably flustered. But panic wouldn't help—their strength was insufficient to stop a battle between a Campione and a Heretic God.
Moreover, Su Mo's full intentions were still unclear.
Before long, they arrived at their destination: the underground ruins known as Napoli Sotterranea.
After disembarking, Liliana—who had done her research in advance and was familiar with the area—took on the role of guide, leading Su Mo through the ruins. Erica, following Su Mo's earlier instructions, went to coordinate with the local magic associations and begin preparations for a possible evacuation.
If a Heretic God really did appear, they'd need to get civilians to safety.
With Erica gone, Liliana took a deep breath. Now was her chance to shine. She had seen Su Mo praise Erica for her capable handling of logistics, which meant Erica currently held the upper hand.
If she wanted to surpass Erica and earn the right to issue orders in Su Mo's name, she needed to prove her own worth.
Otherwise, if she kept falling behind, she'd be tormented endlessly by Erica!
"Most parts of Underground Naples have already been developed as tourist attractions," Liliana explained. "But those are just the surface-level ruins. The ones with real magical secrets have been hidden away by Naples' witches."
As she spoke, Liliana, whose body naturally hosted a witch's constitution, didn't take Su Mo to the public tourist paths. Instead, she led him into a seemingly ordinary old clothing shop.
The shop was run by a local woman in her late twenties or early thirties—completely unremarkable at first glance.
However, Su Mo immediately sensed the faint trace of magical energy within her. She was undoubtedly part of the magical world, and likely one of the so-called "Witches of Naples" Liliana had mentioned.
The woman clearly recognized Su Mo's identity. The moment he stepped into the store, she respectfully retreated to the side.
Liliana greeted the shopkeeper briefly before leading Su Mo deeper into the unassuming old clothing store. Hidden in its depths was a place no one but a witch could perceive—an entrance leading underground. This was the secret site protected by the witches of Naples—the true underground ruins.
Su Mo and Liliana stepped forward and entered the passage. It was a narrow, tomb-like corridor, lined on both sides with ancient murals. The walls depicted various serpentine creatures—coiled cobras, multi-headed hydras, and even snakes with bat-like wings. To anyone with even basic magical training, the imagery was unmistakable—these were symbols of the Earth Mother goddess.
"This was once the location of a secret underground shrine," Lilian explained. After Christianity became the official religion, priestesses who had once held sacred roles were branded as witches and persecuted. Forced to flee underground, they constructed these subterranean temples to preserve their myths and traditions.
"Earth Mother, snakes…" Su Mo murmured, studying the murals. "So this place is dedicated to Queen Hera?"
"Yes," Lilian nodded. While most people only knew Hera as the wife of Zeus in Greek mythology, she was originally the Earth Mother goddess of the Peloponnese. After the sky-worshipping Indo-European horsemen—embodied by Zeus—conquered the region, Hera was forcibly relegated to a subordinate role.
"Interesting," Su Mo smiled, clearly intrigued. In the world of god-slayers, mythology wasn't just taken at face value—it was shaped by history, rewritten through conquest, and masked with different identities. Gods often wore different faces, and their relationships were far more complex than the myths let on.
Setting aside the murals, they finally reached the central chamber of the underground ruins. In the center stood a towering, pitch-black stone pillar—its obsidian-like surface radiating with magical energy.
"The Heraneion," Su Mo said with a glint in his eyes. He had found his objective. In the original story, this artifact was one of the few relics capable of luring down a heretic god with ease.
"Lilian, let me borrow your sword for a moment," Su Mo asked gently.
His tone was unusually soft, and the way he called her name held a note of closeness. Dazed by his sudden warmth, Lilian absentmindedly handed over her longsword—II Maestro—only to immediately realize what had happened.
—Oh no… I fell for the king's pretty-boy trick!
The silver-haired knight stared blankly as Su Mo held her sword, his expression eager. A terrible realization began to take shape in her mind.
"Your Majesty… what do you plan to do with the sword?" she asked, nearly in tears, clearly dreading the answer.
Any normal man might have relented seeing her face so full of pleading—but Su Mo was not a normal man. He was a man who moved like the wind, and women, to him, only got in the way of drawing his sword.
Wearing an innocent smile, the usually calm and composed new king answered, "Don't worry. I just want to slice this thing apart. I won't damage your sword."
Lilian was completely stunned.
—That's not what I'm worried about at all!
—Why are you cutting down a divine artifact!?
Before she could stop him, Su Mo's eyes shimmered with a prismatic glow. The Mystic Eyes of Death Perception had been activated. Upon the Heraneion, faint death lines began to emerge.
As expected of a divine artifact, the number of death lines was scarce, and there were even fewer death points. But after locating one of them, Su Mo didn't hesitate—he gripped Silver Master and swung.
Clang!
The obsidian pillar shattered like paper beneath scissors, splitting into seventeen fragments. The broken pieces scattered across the floor, no longer a holy artifact, but just ordinary rubble.
And then—
Woom...!
The magical energy stored within the Heraneion burst forth like a geyser, surging into the air with tangible force. The underground shrine shook violently, as if struck by an earthquake. In truth, it might have been a minor earthquake. Though the ruins didn't completely collapse, they became dangerously unstable.
Looking up where the pillar once stood, they could now see open sky—a massive hole had been blasted through the ceiling.
"GEYAAA—!!"
A monstrous roar echoed through the sky.
Hearing it, Lilian's expression changed drastically. "That's… a dragon's cry!"
In the world of Campione, the manifestation of ley lines or magical currents often took the form of dragons—Yang-aligned beasts that appeared wherever magic surged. Which was why dragons featured in myths across the world: sometimes they controlled weather, sometimes they stirred magma, other times they breathed poison.
Their appearance, abilities, and strength varied by region, but one fact remained true—they were divine beasts, and among them, dragons stood at the very top.
"Was the dragon your target all along, my king?" Lilian asked, still reeling.
"But… a beast of this level wouldn't grant you any Authority even if you killed it, would it?"
Indeed, to ordinary people, dragons were terrifying creatures. Even for trained mages or knightly orders, dragons were apex threats. Not even a paladin was guaranteed to survive an encounter, let alone slay one. That's why the slaying of a dragon was such a mythic feat—it was something only legendary heroes could achieve.
But that was for ordinary people.
To heretic gods or god-slayers, even dragons were nothing more than "just another divine beast." Against a serious god-slayer, a dragon wouldn't last more than a few minutes—and defeating it yielded no new powers.
Which was why most god-slayers weren't particularly drawn to dragons. At best, they were amusing distractions—something to pass the time.
And so Liliana was utterly confused. Why had Su Mo gone to the trouble of coming all the way here just to summon this dragon?
As that question hung in the air, she turned to Su Mo, awaiting his answer.
Su Mo smiled faintly and shook his head. "My goal was never some mere magical beast," he said calmly. "The dragon itself doesn't matter—but the presence of the dragon does." He glanced upward, his gaze sharp with intent. "Where there is a dragon-serpent manifestation, how can a hero who slays the dragon-serpent be far behind?"
In the world of Campione, dragons and serpents symbolized the spiritual veins of the earth—the land's life force. According to its mythology, these beings were often defeated by heroes symbolizing steel and conquest. The narrative of a steel-clad god vanquishing a mother goddess wasn't just symbolic myth—it represented the historical shift from matriarchal to patriarchal society. Su Mo's intent wasn't some idle whim to slay a dragon—it was a calculated move to summon a heretic god.
"A hero who slays the dragon-serpent…" Liliana murmured, her eyes widening as she finally grasped Su Mo's plan. "Oh no…"