King Of Underworld [EN]: Chapter 99

The King of the Underworld is Tired 99 (99/140)

Mount Athos Expedition – (2)

Oracles were delivered from the Athena temples throughout Greece.

The oracle spoke of recruiting an expedition to subdue the monsters gathered on Mount Athos, led by Orion, the son of Poseidon.

The gathering place for the expedition was the Kingdom of Macedonia, near Mount Athos.

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

“The oracle of Athena said so, so it must be true. Many monsters on Mount Athos…”

“No wonder I couldn’t find any when I went to kill monsters.”

Thus, countless individuals who couldn’t find monsters to subdue flocked to Macedonia from all over Greece.

With the hope that an expedition blessed by the oracle of the gods would surely allow them to achieve amazing feats and become great heroes.

“If Poseidon’s son is the expedition leader, we can receive the blessing of the sea.”

“Orion is recruiting those who will join the expedition in Athens! Are you going to go?”

“I heard that graduates from the Thebes Hero Training Center are accepted without question, which is a bit…”

“Hmph. Isn’t that discrimination in favor of those from his own training center?”

The fame of Orion, the giant hunter, was widespread in Greece, so most heroes acknowledged him as the expedition leader.

His arrows, which dominated numerous hunting competitions held in Greece, were renowned for their unerring accuracy.

However, many were dissatisfied with the decision to unconditionally select those from the Thebes Hero Training Center.

That dissatisfaction finally erupted when Orion chose a man of small stature, simply because he was from the same background as himself.

“Hey, Orion! Why am I rejected, but that scrawny guy is accepted!”

A Spartan warrior with a bald head and black tattoos spoke to Orion, a giant with blue hair, his face etched with discontent.

However, Orion casually brushed it off.

“Well, isn’t it because Perieres over there is stronger than you?”

“What?! You might be, but that guy doesn’t even look like he’s had proper training!”

At those words, the man called Perieres stepped forward and replied in a smooth voice.

Or rather, he tried to continue speaking but seemed to be blocked by something, as he coughed.

“Huh. Didn’t even have proper training, you say. Have you even fought a monster? Sphin… Ugh!”

“…? What nonsense are you spouting? Reveal who you are and where you came from.”

“Well, I graduated from the Hero Training Center, and I was thinking of going to Messene to be a king… That’s why I came here.”

At those words, the people around who had come to join the expedition burst into laughter.

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

“Hahaha! Playing king? This guy is quite amusing.”

“Looks like he should be a clown in a comedy troupe? Is it right to pick someone like this, Orion?”

“Orion, I think there’s something wrong with the way you’re choosing expedition members.”

Faced with the outcry from the numerous people gathered in Athens, Orion looked at Perieres with a slightly troubled expression.

Perieres shrugged his shoulders when he met Orion’s eyes, then shouted loudly.

“Then how about we settle it cleanly with Pankration [an ancient Greek martial art]? If I lose, I’ll recommend him.”

“Ha! With Pankration? Good. Don’t blame me even if you face Thanatos [the personification of death]!”

* * *

Thus, an unexpected martial arts competition, Pankration, took place at the recruitment site.

The spectators, encircling the two men competing, took their seats.

Orion, holding a stick, acted as the referee, and the heroes warmed up.

“Now, according to the agreement between the two fighters, we will proceed with Kato-style Pankration [a more brutal form of Pankration where the fight continues on the ground], so be aware of that as you watch!”

Kato-style Pankration is a form where the match continues even if a fighter falls to the ground.

As soon as the referee Orion finished speaking, the two, now naked for the match, rushed at each other.

The first attack came from the Spartan warrior, who roared and swung his right fist, his massive muscles rippling greatly, adding to the force.

However, the punch missed Perieres and swept past him.

Then, Perieres counterattacked.

A demigod born from Aeolus [the Greek god of the winds], he could also control some of the wind.

The demigod’s fist, wrapped in wind, surged like a storm, striking his opponent’s solar plexus, chin, and head.

“Kuh… Ugh!”

Eventually, the Spartan warrior was hit relentlessly by the barrage of strikes and staggered backward.

But perhaps he was a warrior after all, as he fiercely raised his foot and kicked out at the enemy in front of him.

However, despite his fierce momentum, the attack missed again…

Perieres dodged the warrior’s attack with ease, taunting him with a very annoying face.

“Tsk tsk. How can you rush in so recklessly? At this rate, I can’t trust you to watch my back even if you join the expedition.”

“Shut up! You bastard! Haaap!”

The enraged warrior charged, fueled by the impact of numerous punches, but he felt something catch on his foot, and the world turned upside down.

Perieres lifted and slammed the warrior, who was staggering from the tripped foot.

Thud-

He fell headfirst to the ground, so he could have died from a concussion, but fortunately, he didn’t seem to be dead, as his chest rose and fell slightly.

The warrior, foaming at the mouth, was taken to a doctor by the people, and Orion judged the winner.

“As you all saw, the winner is Perieres! If anyone still thinks my judgment is wrong, come forward. I’ll take you on myself.”

“Huh. That giant was taken down in an instant.”

“He knocked him out without getting hit once. What’s with his movements…”

“What kind of training did he receive in Thebes?”

“Was that Spartan’s ankle offered to Zeus [king of the gods, often associated with lightning and oaths]?”

“It’s not broken, so I don’t think so.”

The warrior who was just carried away had impressive muscles, but

People quietly stepped back, intimidated by the giant hunter’s size, which seemed twice as large as him…

As those who questioned Orion’s judgment disappeared, approximately several hundred people were chosen as expedition members.

Some of them were heroes from Thebes, but there were quite a few who weren’t.

* * *

Before departing for Mount Athos,

They moved to a mountain quite far from the Kingdom of Macedonia and prepared a special ritual to receive the protection of the gods for this expedition.

Dozens of prey caught by the heroes, such as deer, leopards, and birds, were piled up on a wooden altar, and the armed heroes lined up below it.

And Orion, the leader of the expedition, personally held a torch, approached the altar, lit it, and spoke loudly.

“Gods of Olympus, watching from above the clouds! Protect these brave warriors who seek to hunt monsters!”

Kwaroooong!

As if the gods were responding to his cry, a blue lightning bolt suddenly fell from the clear sky and struck the altar.

When the short but intense lightning stopped, all the beasts placed on the altar had vanished.

“Li… Lightning?! Is Zeus watching over this place?”

“Not only Athena [goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare], who gave the oracle… but the Olympian gods are also paying attention to the expedition!”

“I’m glad I came to Athens, this expedition will surely…!”

The heroes, thinking this was a response from the gods, cheered.

This was clearly an opportunity to make a name for themselves. There was no hero whose heart didn’t race, knowing that the gods were watching their journey.

Orion once again raised his voice and shouted loudly.

“I will hunt down all the beasts and monsters that exist on the land and offer them to the Olympian gods!”

A boastful and arrogant statement from the demigod.

But Orion, the best hunter in Greece, could well say it.

Until a voice that seemed to resonate from the earth was heard.

‘Hunt down all the beasts and monsters that exist on the land?’ Poseidon’s child. Can you take responsibility for that statement?

The heroes were taken aback by the sudden, gentle voice. What was this voice?

This pressure. It was definitely a god. But… weren’t the Olympian gods blessing this journey?

“Wh… Who are you?!”

Orion questioned the unidentified goddess… and the heroes hurriedly drew their weapons.

After a moment of silence, that magnificent and gentle voice was heard in their ears.

…I am Gaia [the primordial goddess of the Earth], the goddess of the Earth. You will pay the price for daring to insult the Earth.

Gaia, the goddess of the Earth? According to mythology, she is Zeus’s grandmother…

Protogenoi [primordial deities]? What is this…

They were spinning all sorts of imaginations, but they couldn’t continue thinking any further.

Because the earth suddenly began to crack apart from a short distance away.

Ddddd… Crack.

The huge cracks in the earth, as if an earthquake had occurred, gradually spread.

The vibrations that shook the surroundings continued for a while, and the heroes couldn’t hide their bewilderment at this sudden situation.

But it was too early to be bewildered.

From the greatly split cracks… countless monsters that should have been on Mount Athos crawled up onto the land.

Krrr… Woof woof! Hiss-

“The… Chrysaor [a giant in Greek mythology] of the Golden Sword! This can’t be… Why is the monster born from Medusa’s severed head here…!”

“Good heavens… A two-headed dog with a snake’s tail… That’s Orthrus [a monstrous dog in Greek mythology]! I can’t believe there’s a child of Typhon [a monstrous giant and one of the deadliest creatures in Greek mythology] too!”

“Request support from the city immediately, we need more reinforcements!”

“Damn it! Zeus…!”