Chapter 883
Chapter 883
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 883
Chapter Title: God's Atlantis
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'...Did I get screwed? What the hell does that mean?'
I frowned at the cryptic words, trying to make sense of them. What was the Master of the Heavens getting at?
"It sounds like slapping noises are coming from somewhere."
I wanted to press the Master of the Heavens for more details, but he was deep in the middle of educating his child. Plenty of time anyway—I'd just have to puzzle it out myself.
A short while later.
Rustle rustle.
I sensed movement a short distance away. I quietly shifted my gaze to check it out. Two men. One gripped a spear in his hand, while the other hefted a massive backpack. The hunter's clothes were flashy. Obviously a noble at first glance.
Seemed like a hunting contest participant and his squire. They hadn't noticed me and were stealthily approaching their prey.
'Artemis's hunting hounds. That's the prey.'
The spear-wielding hunter charged wildly at the hounds. His movements were laughably clumsy. The hounds growled and lunged right back at him.
'The hounds are gonna turn the tables on this hunter.'
I was watching with bored indifference, already predicting the outcome, when suddenly the hounds' movements slowed. The hunter's spear pierced one's throat. It died without even managing a proper yelp. Way too weak for one of Artemis's hounds.
"Hahaha! Nailed another hunt! My skills are the real deal!"
"Incredible, young master!"
I got it.
The squire had used a skill to weaken the hound. The hunter was completely oblivious. They'd probably been pulling this stunt the whole time.
'...Squire intervention in the hunt is straight-up cheating. So why isn't the system slapping them down?'
Something was off.
Maybe because the hunter himself was unaware of the squire's meddling? No, the system wasn't that sloppy.
A thought struck me.
Why bother bringing a squire to the hunting contest if they couldn't intervene in the hunt anyway?
'......'
5th place.
I was in 5th.
I'd killed some fish in my duel with Artemis's underwater hunt, but contest prey didn't include fish. And I hadn't hunted at all since last night. Holding onto 5th place was suspicious.
'...Only explanation is Elena. If Elena's killing prey and funneling the points to me?'
No notification pops up for prey killed by a squire. No way to detect it. No way to check total scores in this contest anyway. Only info is the top 1-5 rankings.
I pictured Gidin Yustia, the leader. Yesterday, he looked too pristine to be a hunter. Leading nobles in the hunt. Couldn't imagine him desperately hunting.
What if his squire—supposedly his guard—wasn't who he seemed? If that mysterious squire was hunting in his place?
'No way the system allows that kind of loophole... Wait.'
I was overlooking something.
The host of this hunting contest wasn't the system. The system was just the referee. The real host was the imperial family. The rules came from them, not the system.
The imperial family must've burned a fortune in AP to rope in the system. Then asked it to officiate.
'Under completely different rules from the ones announced to the public.'
The system wasn't deceiving participants. It was just enforcing the rules per its contract with the imperial family.
'Imperial family, you bastards...'
I shook my head.
They said one squire per hunter, but maybe there was no real limit.
'Anyway. Can't trust a damn soul in this world.'
My mind raced.
I grasped what the Master of the Heavens meant by "got screwed."
'Artemis's summoned hounds were pathetically weak. Unbelievable for ones called by a goddess. She summoned weaklings from the start.'
One reason.
To conserve power.
Artemis forfeited the fifth duel. Let her nymph get ravished by me. She was cornered enough to sacrifice her servant.
Now focusing everything on the sixth—her chastity on the line.
'Extended the hide-and-seek time limit from 1 hour to 3 just to buy recovery time.'
I could guess where Artemis was now.
Her bathhouse. Using that mystical bath to shake off fatigue and restore stamina.
'Go interrupt her?'
No.
No telling what traps she'd set in there. She's the goddess of the hunt, after all—traps are her specialty.
Better to play it safe and secure the fifth win than risk it. Half the time limit was gone anyway.
'Time to fuck the fifth nymph.'
I glanced at the sky. The night had already darkened. Artemis would recover fast under the moon's power.
'Sixth event is her pick.'
I could guess what it'd be. My job: propose terms favoring me. But I wasn't confident. After five losses, she'd ditch her pride for victory.
'Seira might be in the bath... Did she bail?'
Not worried about Seira. She wasn't some kid, and not weak enough to get taken hostage by Artemis now.
???
"Haah... sob... aaaahhh..."
Face-off position. The nymph cradled in my lap heaved with tears streaming down her face. I suckled her breast while snapping my hips up bit by bit. Her reactions were hitting all the right spots.
Even as I ravaged her, Artemis didn't show. Focused on recovery.
Giving her time was idiotic. I knew that. Intellectually, yeah. But I couldn't stop my hips. Unlike the other four nymphs, this fifth one was syncing up with my rhythm.
'Shaking her ass like a whore to please me. Artemis's orders, no doubt.'
It worked. Couldn't pull out of her easily.
Like with the others, I fucked her for a full hour before rising. Wanted more, but superhuman willpower won out.
'Gotta fuck Artemis too.'
I called the system.
"System. Start the sixth duel. Where's Artemis?"
Teleported to the mountain peak. Artemis was there too. Freshly arrived, her body dripped wet, steam rising warmly from her skin.
I licked my lips at the sight. Far more stunning than any nymph. Wet black hair clinging to pale skin. Perky breasts with nipples jutting prominently. Thinking of defiling the goddess had my cock throbbing already.
"Heh. Bathed first to offer up that virginity?"
"Shut your nonsense. The sixth duel is a hunting contest."
As expected. Her specialty, no question. She picked hunt for the fourth too, but I turned it underwater. Not what she wanted.
"Hunt puts me at too much of a disadvantage. We already did one... Let's pick something else."
"I refuse. This is the final duel. Hunt or nothing."
She came on strong. Chastity over pride. Hunt it was. No way I'd back out now.
"...How about underwater hunt again?"
"Hah. I've accepted most of your proposed terms so far. Don't forget that was my mercy and consideration."
Couldn't argue. Scratched my head. Inside, I was on edge. Needed any edge, no matter how small.
Then a softly glowing blue butterfly fluttered into view. Artemis didn't react at all. She couldn't even perceive it.
'...Elena.'
Elena had tracked my location. Maybe even grasped my situation. The butterfly flitted around my field of vision.
'...Maybe...'
No.
Stop.
Can't ask Elena for help. That's cheating. Unlike the fourth duel, where the Song of the Sun aided Artemis uninvited. She never requested it; it interfered on its own.
System chalked it up to a natural phenomenon. Penalized the Song, sure, but let it slide.
"Fine. Tell me the details first. Can't be a plain hunt, right?"
"The point of this hunt is who performs it more skillfully."
"...Who hunts more skillfully? No points system, then. Who's judging?"
"The divine thrones watching us."
"Their judgment has to be absolutely fair."
"Only thrones who swore to fairness can judge. Satisfied?"
If they swore, I could trust it. Thrones prized authority; breaking oaths trashed that. With the system overseeing, no funny business on judging.
Artemis raised her hand. Her graceful index finger pointed to one spot. A massive boar had appeared out of nowhere.
"Basic prey. Hunt that Calydonian Boar or it's not a valid hunt. Fail to kill it... no need to judge. Instant loss."
"That goes for you too, right?"
"Hmph. As if I couldn't hunt a Calydonian Boar. Obviously. And one more thing: no interfering with your opponent."
Her confidence made my heart pound. Wanted to pin her down and fuck her right then.
"I'll accept your hunt proposal with no conditions. But I demand extra rewards."
"Extra rewards?"
Artemis furrowed her brow.
Stakes were me versus her. Lose, and she kills me—torments me even after death. No clue how, but brutal.
Win, and I claim her virginity. Goddess of chastity, defiled. Worse than death for her.
"If I win, you become my slave for a day along with your virginity."
"You dare make a goddess your slave? You have no idea of your place!"
Artemis bellowed.
"I accepted your hunt with zero conditions. Risk goes up, rewards scale accordingly. Hate it? I'll reject the hunt."
"Tch..."
She chewed her lip. Couldn't dismiss it outright. Didn't change the duel itself. She still had the edge.
From her view: just win. No virginity lost, no slavery.
"...Fine. If you win, do whatever with me as your slave. Won't happen anyway."
"We'll see about that."
"You going first?"
Artemis asked. I shook my head.
"You first."
Watch her moves. Gives me a slight edge.
"Your plan's transparent. But you won't win."
She spoke coldly and nocked her bow. Her fingers drew back the string smoothly. An arrow of moonlight materialized.
I looked up at the night sky.
Moonlight poured from the crescent moon, enveloping her. The fawning glow gathered into the moonlit arrow. All her power, mana, and divinity flowed into that single shot.
I let out a small groan. The divinity and might radiating from her were no joke.
And Artemis released the string.