King of Underworld

Chapter 101 – Expedition to Mount Athos (4)

Orion, son of Poseidon, the god of the sea, grappled once more with Orthrus, who charged at him, all the while thinking to himself.

‘At this rate, we will win. The divine raven is helping the other heroes hold Chrysaor in check, and if I can just kill Orthrus…’

Orthrus, a child of Typhon, was an opponent unlike any he had faced before.

The two heads of the dog constantly snapped at him, while the snake-headed tail struck at his legs whenever there was an opening.

And its hide—thicker than that of any other beast or monster Orion had ever hunted.

Krrrrng! Kiiing!

“Huff… You’re starting to tire, aren’t you?”

Still, as a demigod and giant hunter, Orion knew he wasn’t outmatched.

Though he was bleeding from bites all over his body, and his limbs ached from withstanding the creature’s powerful blows…

He was still in better shape than Orthrus, who had to fight while its leg was pierced by an arrow.

Panting, Orion looked down at the child of Typhon, who was now collapsed on the ground, tongue hanging out as it bled profusely.

Its once-impenetrable hide now looked pitiful, and its glossy fur had been tattered by Orion’s relentless clubbing.

The son of the sea god was on the verge of claiming a monumental victory by slaying the beast.

If only he hadn’t gotten entangled with Apollo’s sister.

As Orion staggered toward the exhausted monster, preparing to deliver the final blow…

Apollo’s sacred raven flew straight toward him.

The raven, which had been diving directly toward Orion, suddenly flapped its wings and soared upward just as it neared him…

And the golden sword that had been chasing the raven couldn’t change its course—it was now flying straight at Orion.

“What the…!”

Thud!

Orion turned his head with a gasp, but it was too late. He already felt the sharp metal piercing his side…

The cold touch of the golden sword, embedded deep in his flank, made Orion realize his end had come.

“No! Orion!”

“Damn it! Focus on the monsters ahead!”

“I’ll be there soon to help… Tch!”

He was the son of a sea god. With proper treatment, he might have survived, but this was a battlefield.

There was no time to focus on saving one man when the heroes and monsters were engaged in life-and-death struggles all around.

Realizing this, Orion used all his remaining strength to glare at Orthrus.

He knew he was already finished. Any hope of survival had long been abandoned. If that’s the case…!

“You’ll be a fitting companion to cross the Acheron River with.”

With the last of his strength, he raised his club. The wound in his side tore open further, sending searing pain through his body.

But the blow he brought down upon the monster’s head was unwavering and true.

Thwack! Splurch!

At that moment, Orthrus, child of Typhon and devourer of countless humans, fell into an eternal slumber.

However, the hero who had achieved this great feat staggered, his legs giving out as he collapsed to one knee.

“Urgh…”

Kaaak! Kawk!

The cries of the sacred raven rang in the ears of the dying hero.

Everything seemed to slow down. Was this his life flashing before his eyes?

The black raven, Apollo’s sacred animal, loyal only to the sun god’s command, had diverted Chrysaor’s sword to aid the expedition.

Yet, it had suddenly veered off right in front of him, leading the golden sword to impale him instead.

It couldn’t have been an accident. Surely, the raven knew the sword would hit him if it changed direction at the last moment.

But why? He had done nothing to earn Apollo’s wrath… Why?

As these thoughts raced through the hero’s mind, an image of a goddess flickered before him.

The goddess of the moon, Artemis, had grown close to him, sharing a love for hunting.

Her brother was none other than the god Apollo.

Ah. Ha. Haha… So, this is what happens when you get entangled with the gods…

Realizing the truth, Orion let out a bitter smile, overcome with a sense of futility.

Was it his side wound that rendered him immobile? Or was it the emptiness in his heart?

Even as his body grew cold, he felt no desire to survive.

‘I’m… not sure… I’ll have to think about it… in the Underworld…’

As the giant scorpion monster approached the fallen hero from behind, its stinger poised to strike…

Orion didn’t move an inch as death finally claimed him.

***

Above the clouds, in the palace of Olympus.

The beautiful goddess of the moon glared at her brother as though she wanted to kill him.

But Apollo only shrugged, unconcerned.

“You were the one who had Orion killed, weren’t you, brother?”

“Sister, you don’t understand. The battlefield is always like this. A moment of carelessness leads to death.”

“Why did you kill the man I cherished?!”

“Why would I kill that man? What would I gain from it?”

The moon goddess glared even more fiercely at the sun god.

She knew the raven, which had lured Chrysaor’s sword, had changed direction in front of Orion because of Apollo’s influence.

But she couldn’t push him further.

There was no clear evidence that he had controlled the sacred bird, nor was there a clear motive for her brother to kill Orion.

She wanted to demand that he swear on the River Styx that he wasn’t involved in Orion’s death…

But forcing another god to swear on the Styx was an immense insult. Even Zeus, king of the gods and their father, never compelled such an oath.

“Why are you so upset over the death of a mere mortal? And even if I had killed him, what does it matter to you?”

“Orion was…”

“Don’t tell me you value that mortal more than me, your own brother?”

A voice, trembling with barely suppressed rage, escaped between her bloodied lips.

He was right. Lashing out at the sun god over a mere mortal was absurd. Besides, Apollo was far stronger and more versatile than she was, even though they were both part of the Twelve Olympians.

“Argh! I’m leaving!”

“Artemis.”

Apollo grabbed her as she hurried off somewhere.

For a moment, his gaze, as it locked onto his sister, turned icy.

“Don’t get too attached to them.”

“…!”

“You’re a goddess sworn to chastity. If you keep worrying about such mortals, you’ll only end up suffering.”

On the battlefield where the expedition and the monsters fought fiercely…

As both Orthrus and Orion fell dead beside each other, the tide of battle shifted once more.

The Theban heroes, experienced in fighting both the dead and the monsters of the mortal realm, had turned the tide with their efforts.

Thanks to them, the surrounding monsters were gradually being dealt with, increasing the pressure on Chrysaor and his golden sword.

Shiiik!

For the first time, a long gash was made in the massive serpent’s scales.

Where previous attacks had merely scratched the surface, this was the first meaningful wound inflicted.

Red blood sprayed everywhere as the demi-god-ranked monster howled in pain and fury.

Shyaaaaa!!!

“Finally! Our attacks are getting through! Focus your strikes on that spot!”

“Damn it, Orion…”

“While the raven keeps that golden sword distracted, let’s inflict as much damage as possible!”

Though Chrysaor had killed many heroes, countless monsters had also fallen.

Among the sea of blood was the body of Orthrus, Typhon’s child.

Chrysaor, a monster of both immense strength and intelligence, surveyed the battlefield, seeing hordes of humans rushing toward him.

Along with the blaring of horns and the stench of metal.

Bwoooo—

“Huff… Huff… Reinforcements from the Kingdom of Macedonia!”

“The army is here! Hold on just a little longer! No, let’s kill them all here!”

“Glory to the gods! Let’s honor Orion’s death with the corpses of these monsters!”

From the distance, they could see the army approaching, armed with spears and shields. It seemed the kingdom had sent its full military force, a formidable number.

The heroes cheered, while the monsters bared their teeth and snarled.

Realizing the tide had turned against him, Chrysaor unleashed all his strength, pushing the surrounding heroes away.

The expedition, terrified by the monstrous strength of his massive form, retreated, but his goal wasn’t to fight—it was to flee.

Shiiiik—

“Wait… He’s trying to escape!”

“He’s heading for that crack in the ground… But we can’t follow him there…”

“Damn it, we’ll have to let him go. We can’t chase him underground.”

Despite his massive size, Chrysaor moved with startling speed.

The monster, clutching the golden sword in its mouth, disappeared into the ground like a retreating defeated soldier.

Moments later, the army of the Kingdom of Macedonia arrived, and the tired monsters, having fought the heroes, were overwhelmed by the military’s sheer numbers.

Aside from powerful monsters like Chrysaor and Orthrus, the rest could be easily handled by the combined might of the army and the remaining heroes.

Kheooong! Kweeeek!

Though Apollo’s aid and the efforts of the Theban heroes had led to the defeat of most of the monsters, the expedition had also suffered significant losses.

Many heroes, including Orion, were either dead or gravely injured, with some even left crippled.

Still, Orthrus, the child of Typhon, had been slain, and Chrysaor had fled in disgrace.

The remaining monsters were eradicated, so it could be considered a partial success.