King of Underworld

Chapter 100 – The Expedition to Mount Athos (3)

Chrysaor, the golden sword.

A massive serpent-shaped monster manipulating a floating golden sword in midair.

After Medusa was beheaded by Perseus, Chrysaor was born alongside Pegasus…

Unlike Pegasus, however, it had stronger monstrous attributes. By the time Medusa sought it out, it had long since disappeared.

Orthrus.

A giant, two-headed dog with a snake-headed tail.

The eldest of Typhon and Echidna’s offspring, and the sibling of Cerberus in the Underworld, and the Chimera, who was slain by Bellerophon.

Though the two demi-god-ranked monsters were the most eye-catching, the other monsters following them were no less fearsome.

Among them were Harpies—creatures with the heads of women and the bodies of giant raptors—living trees, man-eating deer, and giant lizards.

“The ones hiding in the mountains are swarming down on us! Quickly take out the ones in the sky!”

“Do not back down! The gods are watching over us in this war against monsters!”

“It’ll take some time for the messenger to return from Macedonia for reinforcements! Hold on until then!”

“I dedicate this battle to Ares, the god of war!!!”

Krrrr! Kheeeeng! Shiiik—

As the monsters came in waves, the heroes quickly readied themselves for combat and engaged.

Soon, spears and arrows flew in all directions, while monsters charged in to devour the humans.

As the two forces, full of murderous intent, collided, human screams and beastly roars mixed together, echoing through the battlefield.

The clash of swords and spears against the claws of monsters created a symphony of battle, marking the beginning of the carnage.

Amidst this chaos, certain heroes stood out.

One of them was Orion, the leader of the expedition.

Whoosh—Thud.

Another of his arrows pierced through the throat of a monster. Known as the greatest hunter in Greece, the son of the sea god was able to target only the monsters, even in the midst of the chaotic battle.

Once again, Orion’s powerful arms pulled back his bowstring, aiming at his next target—a child of Typhon, a two-headed beast devouring humans.

Thud. Krrr?!

Orion’s arrow, true to his reputation, pierced through the leg of the beast.

Now having noticed Orion, Orthrus tossed aside the human it had been holding in its mouth and charged at him.

“You bastard…!”

“Orion! It’s coming your way! Be careful!”

The nearby heroes tried to block the monster, but their attacks only left scratches on its tough hide, failing to stop it.

Though its hide wasn’t as tough as that of the Nemean Lion, a sibling of Orthrus, it was still thick enough to withstand most heroes’ attacks without taking damage.

Krrr—

“Its hide is too thick! It’s not the Nemean Lion, but…!”

“Tch! Orion, maybe we should…”

“I know! Everyone, step aside! I’ll deal with it!”

It was only thanks to Orion’s immense strength as the son of the sea god that he had managed to pierce its leg with his arrow.

Understanding this quickly, Orion discarded his bow, pulling out a large club and shield that had been strapped to his back.

In the battlefield, where heroes and monsters clashed, Chrysaor, with its venomous fangs and flying sword, was relentlessly attacking the heroes, while the cries of humans being torn apart by the vicious, man-eating deer rang out.

Orion, however, crossed the heart of the battlefield, gripping his club tightly as he locked eyes with the charging Orthrus.

Krrrr!!!

“A child of Typhon, huh? You’re a perfect prey for my glory!”

With a snarl, Orthrus leaped at Orion, and Orion swung his club to meet the monster’s assault.

* * *

At the Olympian palace, Apollo stood with his arms crossed, gazing down below.

Though the sacrifices from the heroes trying to ascend Mount Athos had been offered to his father, Zeus…

“Apollo, you are to watch over them and assist where necessary.”

“Understood, Father. But what exactly do you mean by ‘where necessary’?”

“Just as I said. Gaia, who seeks to hinder the heroes, won’t allow them to reach Mount Athos without a fight.”

“And so…?”

“You may intervene ‘within reasonable limits’ based on your judgment.”

Zeus had ordered him to observe the expedition and assist appropriately.

Though Heracles had been born, Zeus was concerned that something unfortunate might happen, preventing Heracles from becoming the great hero he was destined to be, or worse, that Hera might kill him.

Zeus wanted to nurture as many heroes as possible, increasing the odds of producing a great hero for the upcoming war against the Gigantes.

As Apollo recalled his conversation with Zeus, he looked down through the clouds, sensing someone approaching. It was his sister, Artemis, the goddess of the moon.

“Little sister. What brings you here?”

“Brother, shouldn’t we help the heroes? They’re struggling down there.”

“But they need to pass challenges like this to become great heroes, don’t they? We can’t rely solely on that infant Heracles whom Father cherishes so much.”

“But…”

Worry was etched on the face of the beautiful goddess as she gazed down at the mortal world.

Apollo sighed, noticing the affection, concern, sadness, and anxiety reflected in her eyes.

His sister Artemis was a virgin goddess, sworn to purity.

However, at some point, Apollo had noticed her growing close to a mortal.

“That hero bravely facing Orthrus… Perhaps we could spare him?”

“…I’m not so sure.”

A mortal man, the only one Artemis, a goddess sworn to chastity, had grown close to—other than her family.

Or rather, he wasn’t fully mortal. His father was Poseidon, making him a demigod.

Given that Artemis was the goddess of hunting and archery, it was inevitable that she would grow close to Orion, Greece’s greatest hunter.

Still, how dare a mere mortal covet a virgin goddess who swore upon the River Styx? Especially while I, Apollo, am watching…

“…I don’t like him.”

“Hm? What did you say, Brother?”

“Nothing. If you insist, I’ll send the raven to lend them a hand.”

As the beloved son of their uncle Poseidon, Apollo couldn’t directly deliver divine punishment upon Orion.

But… what if an ‘unfortunate accident’ happened while he was fighting monsters?

* * *

Near the Kingdom of Macedonia, the battlefield had long since turned into a blood-soaked warzone.

The battle between the heroes gathered from across Greece and the mythical monsters was slowly tipping in the monsters’ favor.

The monsters had initially ambushed the humans, but these were seasoned heroes.

Many of them had honed their skills in Thebes and the Underworld, training to hunt the living monsters of the mortal realm. They would not fall so easily.

However…

“Damn it! Someone do something about that flying sword… Ugh!”

“Huff… Is there no one left with the blood of the wind gods?”

Shiiik—

Chrysaor, a massive serpent monster with venomous fangs, scales tough enough to deflect weapons, and a massive body that was a threat in itself, soared through the air, controlling its golden sword.

“Khh… Ugh!”

With a scream, another hero, who had introduced himself as the son of Notus, the god of the south wind, was impaled by the golden sword.

As Orion continued battling Orthrus, who would stop that dreadful monster?

Had it not been for the Theban heroes, who seemed oddly familiar with fighting giant serpents and distracted Chrysaor, they all might have perished by now…

Despite the prolonged battle, Chrysaor remained unscathed, and the morale of the expedition team was slowly crumbling.

Suddenly, something flew above their heads.

Kaaaawk! Kawk!

“What… is that sound?”

“This shadow… from the sky… Harpies?!”

Even amid the chaotic battle, the piercing cry of a bird caused the humans to glance up in relief.

The unique call, the large black form, and the divine aura that vibrated through everyone’s bodies.

“It’s the sacred bird Apollo raised, the raven!”

“The same raven that was burned after delivering news of Princess Coronis of Thessaly?”

“The god of the sun is watching over us! Praise the brilliant Phoebus Apollo!”

Once, Apollo had been in a romantic relationship with Princess Coronis of Thessaly.

He had sent his white raven to deliver messages to her.

But when Coronis had an affair with the mortal Ischys, the raven immediately informed Apollo of the betrayal.

Enraged, Apollo shot and killed Coronis with his bow but immediately regretted it and turned his wrath upon the raven…

Under Apollo’s scorching gaze, the white raven’s feathers had all been burnt black.

That same black raven, Apollo’s sacred bird, had now appeared here.

The divine bird circled the battlefield briefly before diving straight toward Chrysaor.

What had once looked like a mere dot in the sky grew larger and larger as it descended…

Soon, the colossal divine bird, now large enough to overshadow several men, swooped down and raked its talons across Chrysaor’s back.

Shiiik!

The serpent monster shrieked in pain as blood spurted from its back.

Seeing this, the heroes steeled their resolve and charged at Chrysaor once more.

The golden sword, which had been wreaking havoc in the sky, was now focused on fending off the raven… and Orion continued to

hold off Orthrus.

If these two demigod-ranked monsters could be eliminated from the battlefield, victory would be within reach!

The remaining monsters were nothing compared to the Sphinx, Python, and the other great beasts trained in the Underworld.

“That’s it, we can win! We survived the Theban training camp, didn’t we? These things are nothing compared to that…”

“Ares, god of war! Empower my sword!”

“Finish them quickly, then let’s help Orion…!”

If no new complications arose, the expedition would end in a victory for the heroes.