King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 148

The King of the Underworld is Tired 149 (148/179)

The Story of Asclepius – (3)

This is Calydon.

Not long ago, a monstrous boar appeared and ruined the crops, but it was subdued by the heroes.

Perhaps because the boar hunt ended too anticlimactically,

the heroes who had gathered here did not return to their countries and held a banquet for several days…

“Kuhh…! Where did you get this venison?”

“Idas, why don’t you tell that story? The one where you competed with the god Apollo…”

“Competed? How could I dare to face the sun god? If Pluto hadn’t appeared.”

“The lord of the underworld is merciful to the living, as expected.”

The heroes hunted in the nearby forest, lit a bonfire, and sat around it, tearing at the meat and chatting.

Most of the conversation revolved around the boar they had killed a few days ago.

“That slightly larger boar we caught a while ago… I wonder if it had a mother?”

“I think so too. Isn’t that why we’re still here?”

“By the way, when we caught the cub, fog rose and the corpse disappeared. What happened to that…?”

“Well, maybe the nymphs [minor female nature deities] nearby were playing a prank. What would they do with such a thing…”

“Nymphs are a playful bunch, after all.”

They reminisced about the past and had a good time.

Meleagros, the master of javelin throwing, was smiling and cutting meat for Atalante, and the female hero, a master of archery, accepted it as if it wasn’t unpleasant.

“Hmm. Hmm. Atalante. By the way, you have a reputation from the Argo expedition [referring to the voyage of Jason and the Argonauts], and aren’t you a princess of Arcadia?”

“Yes?”

“But why aren’t you married? Is there some kind of prophecy involved?”

“I have never received a prophecy related to my marriage. It’s just that no one has caught my eye… and the goddess I serve is the goddess of chastity…”

“Ahem! But if you haven’t taken a vow of chastity, you might meet a good person, right? Like… a prince of Calydon who is good at throwing spears.”

“I haven’t taken a vow of chastity since I was in the underworld, but… Hmph.”

While Atalante and Meleagros were creating a good atmosphere,

Jason was boasting to those who had not participated in the Golden Fleece expedition.

“So then, Heracles beat the dragon to death with his bare hands!”

“As expected of Heracles. But I haven’t heard from him since…”

“Could it be that he has become a god?”

“But Jason, you’re a king, why are you here instead of taking care of state affairs?”

“Medea is ruling for the time being! She is a very wise and intelligent woman! Theseus, you’re a king too, why did you come here…”

“Ahem! My queen, Ariadne, is taking care of things instead…”

As the night deepened… a soldier ran up to them.

Judging by his attire, he belonged to Calydon. He ran up and stopped in front of Meleagros.

“Prince! A monster has appeared that cannot be compared to the boar that appeared a few days ago!”

“What?”

“It’s three times bigger than the previous one, its hooves spew fire, and it’s a terrifying creature that messes with people’s minds when you look into its eyes!”

Before the messenger could finish speaking… the heroes threw down their meals and jumped up.

Before they knew it, they were holding sharp weapons in their hands.

“See! I told you it probably had a mother!”

“Khehehe! It was worth spending time here!”

“A great deed! A great deed!”

Even with the news of a terrible monster appearing, the heroes raised their murderous intent with fierce eyes.

The soldier, who had come to deliver the news according to the king’s orders, stepped back.

“Hey, messenger! Where did that thing appear?”

“Yes? Near the upper reaches of the Acheloos River…”

“Let’s all go! This time, we can finally use the Great War God formation in a real battle!”

Do people usually react like this when they hear that a monster has appeared?

Are these guys heroes… or monster-hunting lunatics…

* * *

The heroes rushed to the vicinity of the Acheloos River, where the monster was said to have appeared.

They soon found a powerful monster at a glance.

KWEAAAAAAK!!!!

A huge body that seemed to be three times the size of the house-sized boar.

Hooves from which flames constantly sprang.

The power of madness that shook the minds of humans who met its eyes.

The monster that the goddess Artemis had deliberately infused with power seemed very strong.

So much so that it didn’t seem like the monster that had died so futilely in the heroes’ joint attack.

Perhaps not as much as the Chimera or Cerberus, children of Typhon [a monstrous giant in Greek mythology],

But wouldn’t it be a monster of the next level…?

It was truly a terrifying sight, but the heroes smiled with joy and burned with fighting spirit.

“That’s right, this is it! Finally, a guy worth fighting has appeared!”

“Theseus, Jason! You guys are precious, so step back!”

“No way! If you’re scared, you step back, Castor!”

Just before the powerful monster and the heroes, who were blinded by great deeds, were about to collide.

A clone of Thanatos [the personification of death in Greek mythology], hidden from the eyes of humans, yawned and quietly waved his hand.

Saaaahㅡ

And just as a chilling energy seemed to spread, the terrifying monster died as it was.

Without any signs. As if a mortal whose lifespan had expired had met its end.

Koo Woong!

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Did it die?”

The monster, which had been exuding tremendous energy until just now, suddenly met its death,

Naturally, the heroes were very embarrassed.

“It really seems to be dead?”

“There are no external wounds. Did anyone use a special ability?”

“There is only one explanation for this… a god?”

“Hmm. It’s not good to interfere in the affairs of the gods. Let’s just go back.”

“It could be a fight between gods. Could it be the god Thanatos?”

The heroes, who had been full of expectations for building great achievements, eventually disbanded with uneasy expressions.

Even if they became stronger, they knew very well that they could not dare to stand up to the gods unless they were Heracles.

* * *

I saw Artemis, who had rushed to the underworld after receiving my letter.

She didn’t seem to feel particularly guilty…

“Artemis.”

“Yes.”

“Why did you revive the divine beast of the dead boar and send it back to the humans? This is beyond the authority given to you.”

“…I didn’t expect that Apollo’s brother could really revive the divine beast.”

It seems like only half the truth.

“Don’t make excuses. I’m asking why you threatened humans to revive the dead in the first place.”

“But if the divine beast I sent as divine punishment dies too futilely, my dignity…”

“Then send another divine beast appropriately. Why did you threaten a mortal to revive the dead? Looking back at your memories, you even mentioned the oath of the River Styx [a river in Greek mythology that forms the boundary between Earth and the Underworld].”

Artemis lowered her head and said nothing.

Of course, she would have nothing to say since she had violated my jurisdiction as the god of the underworld.

Z2dKbDJFSCtSbEo3WFlpUEN0eDQxZFh3NUJXMWpQcG5UK0xFbTVNajZyQ3JKd3BlV1RHYVdxaTBjTzBqakloUw

Of course, I would have been very angry if she had continued to make excuses.

“Work in the underworld for a while as compensation for violating my jurisdiction. I will, of course, inform Zeus of this matter as well. No complaints, right?”

“Yes. Thank you for letting it go. I will never again…”

“Let it go? I don’t show mercy in these matters.”

“…?”

There is a common misconception among the gods who have committed wrongdoing and come to the underworld for the first time.

No matter how infamous the gods of Olympus are and how terrible the rumors they hear…

They think it’s nothing compared to having their divinity diminished or working as servants under humans.

Apollo, Hermes, Ares… they all thought so at first.

Immediately after the goddess of the moon and hunting left the audience chamber, I called for a messenger.

“Have Artemis, who just left, take the position of supervising the grand construction of the underground mine this time.”

“Hades-nim [term of respect]. But even the goddess Lethe had a hard time there…”

“Of course, she will have a hard time. If she refuses and collapses, tell Styx or Hypnos. Then they will take care of it.”

I said a few more things to the messenger, who had a convinced expression.

Informing Olympus of Artemis’s wrongdoing and having her stay in the underworld for a while… and recommending Asclepius, who revived the dead with the lower divinity of medicine.

Finally… about when the meeting on the battle with the Gigas [giants in Greek mythology] will be held.

Once the day is set for the invasion of the Phlegraean Plain, where the Gigas have gathered, I must visit Nyx again to get a definite answer.

In fact, creating Typhon, giving birth to the Gigas, and influencing all kinds of monsters, including the Colchian dragon, probably consumed a lot of the Earth Mother’s power…

Nevertheless, she will be stronger than us.

* * *

Meanwhile, the goddess Artemis, who went to work with a light heart, thinking that she only had to work in the underworld for a while.

She lost her mind at the sight of the documents piled high on her assigned desk.

The goddess, who had been looking at the documents for a while, jumped up from her seat and glared at the servant with a cold gaze.

She was about to inflict divine punishment, but she barely managed to hold back, considering the place.

“Get out of the way. It seems that Hades-nim has made a mistake, so I will have to meet him again and tell him.”

“Ah… about that problem. Please wait a moment!”

The servant who received the goddess Artemis’s gaze hurriedly left… and soon brought someone.

Black long hair. Divine power equivalent to the 12 gods. Wait, that face is…?

“…Artemis greets the goddess Styx.”

“Heeuhm. I don’t really like goddesses who don’t work and only vent their anger on innocent servants… Surely not, right?”

“……”

“Apollo and Ares are the same. Young gods are really… tsk tsk. I wasn’t like that back then.”

The goddess of the moon, who had been about to cause a riot until just now, had no choice but to lower her head again when the goddess Styx, with a vein bulging on her forehead, entered.

The goddess Styx was the first to help Olympus in the war against the Titans [a race of powerful deities in Greek mythology].

Her achievements and contributions are beyond words, a powerful old god.

“You can do it well on your own, right…? I believe there will be no need for me to come again.”

“…Of course.”

“Ah. And that’s just for one day.”

“…?”

The goddess of the moon realized why her brother, Apollo, shuddered whenever he heard stories about the underworld.