Once more immobilized, Poseidon was dragged by Raoul, the Black-haired Pig Demon, and Frank into the quagmire, squeezed tight in their midst.

Ming proceeded to slip a ring onto him while Da Vinci collected his outfit. At this moment, the only part of Poseidon that could move – his eyes – stared in despair at this assembly of beasts and men, thinking, "Such shameless creatures you all are!"

A thunderous crash resonated, shaking both mountain and earth.

Beyond the tent, the North Sea leviathan, Kraken, surged to the base of the cliffs. Its vast body emerged from the ocean, and its head – covered in marine life – rose to level with the mountain peak, glaring furiously at everyone. Immediately, two of its tentacles reached for the summit while another swung down from above!

"Everyone, to the other side!"

Mike shouted, urging everyone to take cover. He himself stood firm, yelling at the Kraken, "You unsanitary, parasite-covered octopus, look here!"

His reasoning was straightforward: matters inside the tent with Guterman were not yet resolved, so he couldn't allow this monstrous creature to intervene. Hence, he decided to divert it single-handedly!

Hiss~

The North Sea's Kraken turned its head upon hearing the sound; then, one of its tentacles, accompanied by a rush of seawater, hurtled towards Mike.

Mike swiftly dashed in the opposite direction of the tent, shouting defiantly, "Missed me! What's the use of being so massive if you can't even hit me? You're just a toy for me to play with – come on!"

Roar!

Though the North Sea monster didn't understand his words, each syllable that escaped Mike's lips was like a psychic dagger, fuelling its desire to obliterate this human.

Spotting the creature's gaze, Mike redoubled his taunts, "What's the matter? Trying to intimidate me with your murderous intent? Think about it – can your large eyes even focus on my petite figure without going cross-eyed?"

Roar!

Kraken bellowed in fury. It was resolute – today, this human would perish!

Inside the tent, the glimmer of hope that had appeared in Poseidon's eyes began to wane with the receding tremors. He had initially thought that he would be saved with the Kraken's arrival. Alas, his telepathic commands were evidently futile. For some inexplicable reason, the beast was moving further away.

At this moment, crushed and confined, Poseidon looked angrily and helplessly towards the tent. He realized the tent possessed a mysterious power, isolating everything from the outside world. Given this, he could only activate his "Godly Invincibility," making him invincible to all in the world.

[The tent's effect is triggered, silencing the opponent~]"…"

Silenced, Poseidon could only mutter under his breath, "F*ck, f*ck, f*ck…"

Godly Invincibility... rendered useless?

Damn it!

Grinding his teeth in frustration, Poseidon had a moment of clarity. The tent not only had the power to isolate and silence, but the quagmire's strong pull constantly dragged him downward. Movement was already arduous in the mud, and the three beings firmly restrained him to make matters worse. His true despair stemmed from the loss of his trident, disabling his full power.

Then, he felt the extraction of his last inherent gift...

[Your Da Vinci speaks to you, Ming, "Nearly drained him dry. I've had my fill too. After all, it's distressing to exploit someone this way. Look how pitiable he is~"]

[Feeling compassionate, Da Vinci sensed your kiss on its forehead. As you slid it back into your pocket, it murmured, "Ming, you're not... fond of me, are you? Both of us are 'men' after all. Why this~?"]

"~~"

Ming shook his head. This fool hasn't changed at all. In the next moment, he faced Poseidon, their eyes meeting.

Poseidon ceased his struggle, his eyes vacant. Glancing at the figure before him, he whispered, "Do it..." Then, he felt the man's hand on his head. Warmth spread, followed by a shattering, then rebuilding of his psyche...

Upon reopening his eyes, Poseidon gazed at the man before him, lowering his head to murmur, "In my current state, can I... claim some form of honor, even in defeat?"

"You overthink. True honor would have been to submit without a fight."

The Black-haired Pig Demon addressed the man standing at the edge of the quagmire, "Boss, right?"

Ming nodded in agreement.

Black-haired Pig Demon continued, "Boss~ I truly don't want to trouble you, but the mud's almost up to our necks. As you can see, our limbs are entangled within. Escaping is becoming exceedingly difficult~."

Mike was being loudly berated outside the tent, with the Northern Sea Monster hot on his heels due to his provocations.

A spectator from the opposite slope stood up, watching the man running back and forth on the mountaintop, and remarked, "Mike is truly fierce. Just with his mouth and his legs, he's managed to pin down that giant octopus."

"Best support player from Guterman, what did you expect?""How's it going inside the tent?"

"You're clearly not from the 109th. With the tent up, everything inside is fine. The longer the tent stands, the more it signifies that everything is under Guterman's control."

"..."

At the summit, Mike ran, continuously sipping on his energy and stamina potions, dodging the monster's constant attacks. He yelled, "Come on! I won't rest today, and neither will you!"

The Northern Sea Monster roared, opened its mouth wide, and spewed a vast amount of ink, engulfing Mike entirely.

"..."

Mike looked down at himself, completely drenched in black ink, then back at the monster, "Is it the drooling phase now?" Immediately, using a familiar tactic, he pretended to be immobilized, allowing a Kraken tentacle to ensnare him and hoist him in front of its eyes.

The Kraken wanted to savor the fearful expression of its prey before consumption!

Mike took a deep breath and coughed forcefully!

Hei~tui~. Striking precisely, he instantly activated his Divine Descent, his form enlarging and straining the Kraken's tentacle. However, the tentacle was too long; even after enlarging, he remained entangled.

Mike chuckled, deactivated Divine Descent, and swiftly shrunk. Seizing the opportunity before the monster could tighten its grasp, he gracefully landed, his movements fluid and refined. After all, with his vast experience battling solo and navigating countless dungeons, his combat skills were impeccable.

Seeing its prey escape yet again, the Northern Sea Monster angrily lashed out with its tentacles. Yet, in the next moment... it paused, retched, and then a huge column of ink spewed from its mouth...

Wiping his face, Mike smirked, "When it comes to saliva games, I've never been defeated~"

At that moment, Ming emerged from the tent, observing the vast ocean turned pitch-black by the monster's ink. He lamented, "Squandering resources again, huh, Mike? Spitting everywhere?"

Poseidon watched the Kraken struggling and spewing in the inky waters and then at Mike, covered head-to-toe in the black substance. He felt relieved... After all, just a couple of days ago, he had been at the receiving end of Mike's scathing words. That mouth... was truly nauseating~

Mike approached with a grin, telling Ming, "Boss, you saw that, right? It may have spewed all over me, but I made it dye the entire sea. I won~"

Ming nodded, "From the looks of it, you certainly did win~"

"Hehe~"

Mike laughed, glancing at Poseidon, and added, "Boss, you won too. Look at this guy; you've beaten him senseless. He's totally dizzy now."

Ming quickly waved his hands, "Don't make such claims; I haven't laid a hand on anyone." After saying this, he turned his gaze to Poseidon.

Poseidon nodded, "Indeed."

Mike sized up Poseidon and chuckled, "Regardless of everything else, those yoga pants do fit him perfectly."

Ming smiled gently, "They certainly do."