Chapter 101
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Dance with Artemis
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“Pick up a weapon. Or will you die bare-handed?”
The goddess's spear aimed precisely at me. I pondered for a moment, a faint smile playing on my lips.
“A spear? A spear, huh...”
This fight wasn't just some ordinary brawl.
It was time to fine-tune and adapt to my newly overhauled body and senses, much like adjusting to a freshly tuned car—just as superiorly evolved as Extreme Demon level.
I'd fully calibrated my reflexes, muscle power, and speed using unarmed Demon Subduing Arts without channeling inner energy, testing their peaks and limits.
Now it was time to test the demonic energy and divine power I'd casually stirred up as an experiment.
'And the perfect lab rat just walked right in on her own two feet.'
Moreover.
This was my chance to thoroughly crush this arrogant goddess of chastity so she'd never dare raise her head to me again.
To engrave fear into her mind so deeply that even seeing her own black hair would make her shudder at the thought of me.
As long as I wasn't absolutely certain that a god couldn't die—without completely ruling out the risk.
If I couldn't kill her, then keeping her in a state worse than death, or even better than having killed her, would be ideal, wouldn't it?
'Figuring out just what that state should be... that's going to be quite enjoyable.'
The flowers atop the highest peaks are worth the pluck, and the rarer the stone fish, the sweeter its flesh.
A genuine thrill stirred in me after so long. I chuckled softly and extended my hand, channeling divine power.
-Whoooosh!
With the distinctive whoosh of air that came when divine power activated, a pitch-black surge formed in my hand, flickering before solidifying into a single spear.
From tip to shaft, it was entirely black—a jet-black spear.
About 180 centimeters long. When I swung it lightly, it bent flexibly like a whip before springing back like a spring.
“Nice elasticity.”
“A spear? Ha! You mean to challenge me with a spear? Even if Chiron sparred with you as practice, I've been wielding a spear since before you were even born...”
And then, the moment a leaf drifting on the wind covered Artemis's lips.
-Crack!
My spear tip shot forward like the wind, piercing through the leaf in an instant and halting right before her lips.
“This counts as a passing warm-up.”
Artemis's beautiful face, twisted in fury, cooled into ice.
The distance between the spear tip and her petal-like lips was no more than the thickness of that single leaf.
It was blatant provocation, blatant mockery.
But she couldn't miss the warning rippling beneath it.
“What do you think, Goddess? Not bad craftsmanship for a novice demigod, right?”
This arrogant goddess still harbored one delusion even after coming all this way.
The premise that she was the hunter and I was the prey.
That no matter how I flew or crawled, I'd still be in her palm—so she pondered how to catch me, fantasizing in her hubris about how to torture me to death. That arrogance still wafted off her.
To cut off any excuses or rationalizations about losing due to her own carelessness, I decided to correct that premise from the start.
“Listen up. To you lot, I'm just a casual snack right now—peanuts to kill time. Earlier, while your big bro was racing across the sky, I had a blast laughing my ass off for the first time in ages.”
Just recalling it sent shivers down my spine—that exhilarating, thrilling battle.
Facing down the full-force might of an ancient great hero I'd personally awakened, along with lightning powers reminiscent of the supreme god Zeus.
Wielding the asura's battle spirit summoned from some distant past or unfathomable future without restraint—that fight was one of the most joyous I'd ever had, across both my past and present lives.
It thrilled me so much that I even resolved to pass on my genuine divine arts for the first time.
So, whether it was one of Olympus's Twelve Gods or the infamous Crescent Moon Goddess etched in history.
Judging by the power she'd shown so far, no matter how she flew or crawled, she wouldn't excite me like Heracles had upon awakening his divine power.
But her level wasn't low, so I'd treat this as a chance to test my body—savoring the fight leisurely, like enjoying an assortment of desserts and drinks.
“Even if you can't match that thrill, come at me with everything you've got and make my heart race a bit.
That way, killing you will feel worthwhile, right?”
“.....”
I wiped the smirk from my face, growling with infused rage. Only then did Artemis seem to grasp the situation, her mouth slowly closing.
And in her eyes burned bewilderment, confusion, and a hint of fear.
The natural emotions that should rise in an enemy's gaze when beholding me—a dark joy surged in my chest.
“If you want to at least qualify as a post-meal dessert, stay sharp from now on.
If you displease me, chastity be damned—I'll turn you into bloody mush and ship you back to Olympus.”
And that mob? I'd neatly behead them and send them along as a bonus.
My little courtesy, a service.
“Wha... ugh?!”
-Kclang!
The jet-black spear whipped out in an instant.
Artemis hurriedly blocked the horizontal sweep that painted black afterimages in the air like ink on canvas.
But her slender frame couldn't withstand the impact and was sent flying far away.
“Kyaaak?!”
Still, the title of Eternal Huntress wasn't for show—she didn't commit the folly of the owl.
But her two hands gripping the silver spear trembled from the shock.
Seeing this, a sneer crept onto my face. I looked around, tilting my head.
An empty clearing in the heart of the humming forest.
The stream of tenacious life force flowed heavily, covering the dirt I'd blasted away.
Gloomy swaying trees and frail things hid in the shadows, trembling.
The sharp crescent moon overhead shone brilliantly, spotlighting the black demon and the chaste goddess like a stage highlight.
“What a fine land. A magnificent place where myths and legends breathe.
Beautiful enough to turn a blood-drunk asura into a poet singing of elegance.”
“Urgh...”
I stood tall, leisurely twirling my spear.
The goddess glared at me with eyes filled with humiliation and fear.
Excitement and rage welled up naturally. I murmured a poem-like chant as I gazed at her.
If I had the leisure, I'd sip clear liquor and recite poetry to savor the moment, but something even more delightful awaited.
Time to break the ice.
“Right, it was a night with a crescent moon like this too. Remember?”
“Wh-what are you talking about..”
Huh, how disappointing.
It was the night I first met a goddess in this reincarnated life—a night I couldn't help but admire the blindingly beautiful huntress.
“A smaller me back then looked up at the beautiful goddess and said something like this...”
What did I say again...?
Ah!
“If you don't come, I'll come to you?”
Sneer.
Under the moonlight, a hellish demon grinned wickedly, and the chaste moon goddess could no longer endure the insult.
“Uwaaaah!!”
-Swaaaaah!
Artemis charged at me, trailing radiant moonlight afterimages.
An elegant strike like a furious leopard, swift as a deer bounding through the woods.
A sharp attack befitting the goddess of the hunt, who had slain beasts and demons for ages.
In contrast, my movement was simple.
Just half a step.
No more, no less—half a step back as I traced a circle with my spear tip.
-Clang!!
Black and white spear tips entangled in an instant.
The white spear strained to pierce the black circle and reach me, while the black spear bit and shook it like a viper—the clash shook the entire forest.
-Kiiiiieeee!
A grudging wail like a vengeful spirit's scream amid the metallic shriek.
With the clamor of war I loved so much, Artemis's spear tip couldn't overcome the spin and flew high into the sky.
-Kkang!
“Th-this!”
“Basic spear art against humans: Don't thrust unless it's a sure strike.”
Otherwise, your body opens up, leaving you vulnerable to counterattacks.
That was what the Mad Wind Divine Spear had growled at the back of my head while only thrusting for single, decisive blows.
“When you end it with a thrust, do it like this.”
“Eeeeek!”
Artemis hastily yanked her spear down to smash my head.
But the black spear tip had already perfectly replicated her attack.
Just as she had, I thrust forward now, sensing victory.
Anticipating the sight of golden blood painting the air, certain of triumph—
“Huh?!”
-Boom!
This time, it was my turn to be shocked and bewildered.
It was a sure strike she couldn't dodge or block, yet this hollow sensation—what was it?
The moment moonlight exploded upward and the handfeel tore through empty air, splattering my face—
As if answering my question, a silver form burst through the moonlit dust and lunged.
“Kyarrung!”
“What's this now...!?”
It was a massive leopard.
Beautiful fur gleaming silver, black eyes blazing with murderous venom.
White fangs and claws sharp as blades burned with silver flames, aiming for my throat.
“Ha!”
Now it was my turn to marvel in surprise.
That beast with venomous black eyes was surely Artemis.
Transforming in an instant from a beautiful goddess stirring male hearts into a divine beast anyone would admire.
“So this is how gods fight!”
A novel variable unseen in the martial world of human clashes—the thrill differed from Heracles, electrifying my spine.
-Kwaduduk!
“Krung?!”
But the white snow leopard's fangs and claws tasted no blood.
She had shredded only an afterimage of Phantom Veil, while I'd already retreated, spear at the ready.
“Does this count as one-on-one now?”
As I readied my spear, the crouched, growling leopard—Artemis—spoke via mind link.
[You use strange sorcery. A blessing from Hera?]
“Krrrng!”
“No, I told you—it's not magic, Goddess, it's not... Fine, never mind.”
Not that it's completely different from magic in mechanism—this superb power, the pinnacle of humanity's ode forged by sages and demons spilling blood over ten millennia...
Heracles hit by Heaven-Splitting Strike, Nerina and Atalanta seeing my qigong—all called it magic or sorcery, exploding in outrage. Now I just let it slide.
“Sigh.”
[Hmph. Even if you borrow a god's power, I must acknowledge what's due. Had you been born a woman, I'd have recruited you to my huntress band without fail. Such a pity for that skill.]
Artemis licked her chops, expressing admiration—never expecting her transformation attack to be dodged.
Usually, if the enemy curses and pads you, you've done well; if even they admit it, you've truly excelled.
But I just found her smug confidence in regaining the upper hand laughable.
“Transformation, huh. It surprised me as unseen magic, but aren't you folding too quickly?”
I scoffed in disbelief. The silver leopard snorted, chin raised in arrogance.
[Hmph, you know not that a god's authority isn't limited to this. You grow arrogant seeing mere fragments. No need to reveal divine might just to punish a human, so I held back—but from now on, you'll repent that irreverence in agony, as I pierce your heart.]
“Look at my little kitty full of fire. My place is spacious; get it house-trained, and I'll set up a cat bed.”
Artemis, regaining her leisure in silver leopard form. Me, dusting off my shoulders, preparing the hunt.
The delightful second round began.