By Ethan Lo

Once upon a time, there was a small town near the jungle of the Forbidden Lands. The Forbidden Lands was once a very peaceful place. It was filled with flora and fauna, when the jungle was once over-populated with biodiversity. Until the Beast came along. 

The Beast was an animal who once served as the Gods’ weapon for wars with other Gods. It was manufactured by the greatest of Gods, who lent their strength to the Beast himself. The Gods also dipped it into the Pot of Invincibility, which made his skin impenetrable by anything at the time. Nothing was able to break through the spell. One day, the Beast had enough and decided to betray the Gods and massacred most of them, then roamed loose. It found itself inhabiting the Forbidden Lands, as the sources of food were high and there. He caused terror for the whole forest.

The Beast devoured anything in its sight and was indestructible. The Beast quickly became the downfall of biodiversity in the Forbidden Land. It often raided the town for children to eat on Sundays, then took off once again. The Beast was slowly decimating the whole town; it caused devastating damage every time. The Beast also took all the food sources, so the villagers struggled to eat. Nobody was willing to stop the Beast, as death was the only path. With its sharp teeth, massive size, colossal horns, nobody dared challenge it. Except for one man, named Monos. 

Monos believed that forethought overpowers brute strength. This was the only way, as the Beast’s agility, strength and size combined made it a true murder machine. 

Monos gathered the villagers all together to think of a plan. 

“You shoot the eyes!” one man said.

“You decapitate its head!” another suggested.

“You shoot it repeatedly!” a woman shouted.

Suggestions were being tossed around in the room and echoed through the thick walls, still fragile enough for the Beast to shatter. None of these ideas stuck out to Monos, since he was a man, a mortal, not a God possessing the strength of Hercules. He contemplated deeply, considering what would the Beast not expect. Then a brilliant plan struck him.

He summoned everybody together, even the housemaids, even the guards, everybody to prepare the trap to stop the Beast once and for all. 

“We prepare a deep hole, covered with leaves and sticks to disguise it as a huge pile of trash. I will distract him over to the village once again to take his meal, then he will stumble across the pile only to plummet to his death. Celebration for all!” Monos suggested. 

Many didn’t agree with his plan, so he tried to call the Gods and ask for their opinion. 

Monos shouted the ancient Summon Code, and the Gods came. Monos asks for the Gods’ opinion and the Gods agreed, as this Beast was even a threat to Heaven. However, the Gods mentioned that falling from a height would not kill the Beast; they needed something that could blow it to pieces or evaporate it. The gods stored special lava, capable of breaking through the spell and melted whoever or whatever touched it. The villagers and the Gods both cooperated. The Gods went to Hell, the Underworld and asked Hades, the God of the Underworld for the special lava while the villagers prepared the trap for the Beast.

The villagers gathered wood, sticks and leaves and covered it over the giant hole Lurph, the god of speed, made. The villagers placed long sticks and laid them across the pit with no space to spare in between each stick, forming a steady surface for the leaves to be placed. The villagers then threw their leaves and small sticks onto the trap. They left a small gap in between the long sticks for the special lava to be poured into the hole. 

Meanwhile, the Gods bargained with Hades for the special lava. Hades mentioned that he was hungry for souls, since he hadn’t eaten in a year. The Gods made a good point: the soul of the Beast would arrive here in Hell and Hades could feast on his soul for eternity. Hades instantly made the deal, and the Gods came back to the village to deliver the special lava. 

Back at the surface, the Gods poured in the special lava, as bright as the sun, into the gigantic pit. The pit filled and it lit up. Then they waited for the perfect time to lure the Beast over. 

In the morning, the villagers gathered up once again. It was Sunday. They grabbed their torches and charged outside of the town. They waved their torches and chanted together in unison to attract the Beast. The Beast saw their signal, and darted towards the village.

“Food!” the Beast yelled.

The villagers led the Beast to the trap, and the Beast fell into the pit and dived into the special lava, yelling in pain. It was being burnt alive by the hottest substance on Earth. The Beast evaporated and instantly travelled to Hell. 

The villagers celebrated the whole night - singing and drinking, celebrating the death of the Beast. 

They are now free from the Beast’s wrath and can now enjoy life as it used to be, but earthquakes would occasionally happen. The Gods said it was Hades enjoying his meal.