King of Underworld

Chapter 99: Expedition to Mount Athos – (2)

An oracle was delivered at Athena’s temples throughout Greece.

The oracle called for an expedition to join Orion, the son of Poseidon, in eradicating the monsters gathered on Mount Athos.

The assembly point for the expedition was the Kingdom of Macedonia, near Mount Athos.

“They say all the monsters to be hunted have gathered there?”

“The oracle from the goddess Athena said so, so it must be true. Many monsters are on Mount Athos…”

“No wonder I couldn’t find a single monster to slay when I went hunting.”

As a result, many people from all over Greece, who couldn’t locate the monsters they were meant to hunt, flocked to Macedonia.

They came with hopes that, by joining an expedition backed by the gods, they too could achieve great feats and become legendary heroes.

“If the leader of the expedition is the son of Poseidon, we’ll surely be blessed by the sea.”

“They say Orion is recruiting members for the expedition in Athens! Will you be joining?”

“I’ve heard that graduates of the hero training school in Thebes are being accepted without question. It’s a bit… concerning.”

“Hmph. Is he showing favoritism to those from the same training school?”

Orion’s fame as a giant hunter was widespread across Greece, and most heroes recognized him as a suitable leader for the expedition.

His arrows were known for their unfailing accuracy, as he had triumphed in countless hunting competitions held throughout Greece.

However, many were displeased with the decision to automatically accept graduates from the hero training school in Thebes.

That dissatisfaction boiled over when Orion selected a scrawny-looking man, while rejecting a warrior with a massive build solely because they didn’t share the same background.

“Hey, Orion! Why did you reject me but accept that skinny guy?”

A bald Spartan warrior, adorned with black tattoos, glared at Orion, the giant man with blue hair, his face filled with discontent.

But Orion dismissed it nonchalantly.

“Well, that’s because Perieres over there is stronger than you.”

“What?! You may be strong, but that guy who looks like he hasn’t even trained properly?”

At those words, the man called Perieres stepped forward and responded in a smooth voice, though it seemed as if something caught in his throat, causing him to cough midway.

“Huh. Haven’t trained properly, you say? Have you even fought a monster before? A Sphinx, perha—cough!”

“…What kind of nonsense is this? State who you are and where you’re from.”

“Well, I graduated from the hero training school and thought about becoming king in Messene… but then I decided to come here.”

His remark made the people gathered for the expedition burst into laughter.

However, for some reason, none of the graduates from Thebes laughed at him.

“Haha! King, you say? What a funny guy.”

“You look more suited for clowning around in a comedy troupe! Should someone like this even be part of the expedition, Orion?”

“Orion, it seems there’s something wrong with how you’re selecting members for the expedition.”

As the grumbling from those gathered in Athens grew louder, Orion exchanged a brief look with Perieres, his expression slightly troubled.

Perieres shrugged and shouted loudly.

“Well then, why don’t we settle this with a pankration match? If I lose, I’ll recommend you instead.”

“Hah! A pankration match? Fine by me. Don’t blame me if you meet Thanatos!”

—

Thus, what was meant to be a recruitment event for the expedition turned into an impromptu pankration match.

Spectators gathered in a circle, sitting down to watch the two men face off.

Orion, holding a staff, acted as the referee, while the two heroes stretched and prepared themselves.

“Alright, by mutual agreement, the match will proceed under Kato rules! Be aware of that while you watch!”

Kato-style pankration allowed the fight to continue even if one fighter was knocked to the ground.

As soon as Orion finished speaking, the two, now stripped for the match, charged at each other.

The Spartan warrior, with a powerful shout, swung his right fist first, his bulging muscles rippling as he put all his strength into the punch.

But his strike missed, narrowly grazing past Perieres.

Then came Perieres’s counterattack.

As the son of Aeolus, god of the winds, the demigod could manipulate the wind to some extent.

With the force of a storm, his wind-clad fists struck at the Spartan’s solar plexus, chin, and head.

“Urgh…!”

The Spartan warrior stumbled backward, his body battered by Perieres’s relentless blows.

Yet, being a warrior, he still managed to lift his leg and aim a ferocious kick at his opponent.

But, despite his impressive strength, the attack failed to land once more…

Perieres nimbly dodged, wearing an annoyingly smug expression as he taunted his opponent.

“Tsk tsk. Charging in blindly like that won’t do. I can’t trust you to cover my back in the expedition if you fight like this.”

“Shut up, you bastard! Haaaah!”

Enraged by the blows he had taken, the Spartan warrior charged, but as he did, his leg caught on something, and the world turned upside down.

Perieres had swept the warrior’s leg, causing him to trip and then slammed him into the ground.

Thud!

The warrior’s head struck the earth hard. He could have died from a concussion, but fortunately, he survived, his chest still rising and falling faintly.

Foaming at the mouth, the defeated warrior was carried off to a healer, and Orion declared the winner.

“As you’ve all seen, the winner is Perieres! If anyone else thinks my judgment is wrong, step forward. I’ll face you myself.”

“Huh. That massive guy went down so fast.”

“He knocked him out without taking a single hit. How did he move like that…?”

“What kind of training do they do in Thebes?”

“Did that Spartan’s ankle get sacrificed to Zeus?”

“It didn’t break, so probably not.”

Even the Spartan who had just been carried off had a strong, muscular build,

But those gathered could only stare in silence at the much larger giant hunter, and soon, no one challenged Orion’s decisions.

About 200 people were selected for the expedition, a mix of heroes from Thebes and others from various regions.

—

Before departing for Mount Athos,

The expedition moved to a mountain some distance away from the Kingdom of Macedonia to conduct a special ritual seeking the gods’ favor.

Dozens of animals, including deer, leopards, and birds, were stacked upon a wooden altar, all slain by the heroes.

And below the altar stood the fully-armed heroes.

Orion, the leader of the expedition, held a torch and approached the altar, lighting it as he spoke loudly.

“Olympian gods, who watch from above the clouds! Bless these brave warriors who seek to hunt the monsters!”

Boom!

As if in response to his call, a blue bolt of lightning suddenly struck down from the clear sky, enveloping the altar.

When the brief but intense lightning faded, all the animals placed on the altar had disappeared without a trace.

“L-Lightning?! Does this mean Lord Zeus is watching over us?”

“Not just the goddess Athena, who gave the oracle, but the Olympian gods are watching this expedition too!”

“I’m glad I came to Athens. This expedition will surely…!”

Believing the lightning to be a divine sign, the heroes let out cheers of excitement.

This was clearly a golden opportunity for glory. No hero could resist the thrill of knowing the gods were watching their journey.

Orion, too, raised his voice once more, shouting loudly.

“We will hunt every beast and monster upon the earth and dedicate them to the Olympian gods!”

A statement so arrogant it was almost blasphemous.

But coming from Orion, Greece’s greatest hunter, it didn’t seem impossible to believe.

At least until the voice that echoed from the earth itself.

Every beast and monster upon the earth? Son of Poseidon, can you truly bear the weight of those words?

At the sound of the sudden, soft voice, the heroes were taken aback. Who could it be?

The pressure in the air was unmistakable. It was clearly a god. But weren’t the Olympian gods supposed to be blessing this journey?

“W-Who are you?!”

Orion questioned the mysterious goddess, while the heroes hurriedly drew their weapons.

After a brief silence, the majestic yet gentle voice reached their ears once again.

I am Gaia, the goddess of the earth. You will pay the price for your insolence in defiling the earth.

Gaia, the goddess of the earth? According to myth, she was the grandmother of Zeus…

The Protogenoi?! How could this be…

Their minds raced, but they couldn’t dwell on it for long.

Suddenly, the ground in the distance began to crack open.

Rumble… Crack.

Like an earthquake, the enormous fissure spread across the land.

The tremors shook the ground for a while, and the heroes couldn’t hide their confusion in the face of the sudden catastrophe.

But it was too soon to panic.

From the massive cracks in the earth… countless monsters that should have been on Mount Athos began to crawl out.

Growl… Bark! Hissss—

“T-The golden sword of Chrysaor! How is this possible… The monster born from Medusa’s severed neck is here?!”

“My gods… Orthrus, the two-headed dog with the serpent’s tail… Even Typhon’s offspring are here!”

“Send word to the city at once, we need reinforcements!”

“Damn it all! Zeus, save us!”