The Quiet Night, The Quiet Hour
“For a long time, he and we were good allies.”
“Thanks to his Aura, even the most formidable monsters and magical beasts couldn’t touch our farm.”
“Because of that power and divine presence, we were too blind to notice his suffering...”
Not long ago—about two hundred years, to be precise—Orthrus began acting strangely. The beast, who used to need to circle the massive ranch—ten times the size of Athens—at least ten times just to warm up, gradually reduced his rounds. Lately, he couldn’t even manage two laps before panting in exhaustion.
“That’s not all. He never touched the livestock in his life, but lately, he’s been attacking them constantly.”
“I should mention, we always leave sheep and cattle available for Orthrus whenever he wants.”
“And not just any, mind you! Only the most tender, delicious ones!”
In other words, they had built a private ranch within the ranch for Orthrus. The problem was that lately, Orthrus would attack and tear into any cow or sheep as if he were having a seizure.
“He used to be a beast who would quietly separate a target from the herd, kill it instantly, and eat it cleanly, just like a true hunter...”
Watching him attack the herd indiscriminately and tear into living, screaming cows starting from their entrails, Geryon and the shepherds knew something was terribly wrong.
“And the first one to realize something was wrong... was Orthrus himself...”
Orthrus, sensing the madness within himself, would quietly disappear whenever the fits of insanity struck, only to return covered in blood.
“But now, he has reached his limit.”
There was no need to hear more. As Hera had anticipated, Orthrus was the first to lose his divinity and devolve into a mere monster.
“That is so. Eventually, he lost his mind, hid among the sheep, and attacked the shepherds. I ended up like this while trying to stop him.”
Even though Geryon was Poseidon’s grandson, Orthrus was a divine hound of a high order. He had held on just long enough for the other shepherds to evacuate to another island, but eventually, with his life threatened by Orthrus’s assault, he had plunged into the sea protected by his father, Poseidon, and barely made it to Antaios’s city.
“Ahem... Orthrus, consumed by madness. Could it be a curse of the gods?”
Antaios wiped his face, looking devastated, but I had no time for such sentiments. There was nothing left to hear, so I stood up abruptly and left the infirmary, with Antaios following me in a hurry.
“Dianes-nim, why are you in such a rush!”
“Antaios. Lend me a ship, or rather, a map.”
The divine task and mission Hera had entrusted to me was to save Orthrus so he could remain a divine beast rather than falling into monstrosity. But Orthrus had already lost half his divinity and was on the verge of corruption.
‘If I’m not careful, I could suffer from Qi Deviation for failing to perform my divine duty.’
That was the conclusion I had reached after long study and contemplation. This divinity of mine was not born of enlightenment or reflection, but sprouted from my own deeds, narrative, and challenges.
“Antaios. Every second counts.”
If I were to show deeds or a narrative inconsistent with that divine duty, I would face Qi Deviation, or in the worst case, the collapse of my Divine Dantian.
In short, this was no time to be drinking leisurely.
“O-of course!”
Sensing the gravity in my voice, Antaios led me to his office and spread out a detailed map of the Erytheia archipelago.
‘It’s a larger archipelago than I thought.’
Erytheia, meaning the Red Island, was known as the place where the sun sets and Helios rests his chariot. Indeed, the primary gods worshipped here were Poseidon and Helios, and their symbol, the golden ship, could be seen all over the city. Anyway, located in the Sea of Tribulation at the western edge, I had thought of it as just an island. But revealed like this, Erytheia was a massive archipelago, with small and large islands forming a donut shape around Antaios’s largest territory.
“And among them, Geryon’s ranch island is less than a day’s journey by ship from here.”
“Then it would be faster to fly.”
Heavenly Movement or Walking on Air were basics, and I could even fly using divine power or transform into a bird. But at my words, Antaios shook his head.
“That is impossible.”
“...Impossible?”
What could be impossible? As I looked at him with a questioning gaze, Antaios tapped his large finger on the text written as ‘Sea of Tribulation,’ or ‘Oceanus Sea’.
“In this Sea of Tribulation, flight and transformation—that is, all divine power and divine presence—are restricted.”
“Hoh?”
“To be precise, this sea drags down and devours those who try to cross it using the wrong methods.”
Even the current Olympian gods and the Titans before them were not free from that law. Even the giants, Poseidon’s sons, and the Nereids, daughters of Oceanus, would not set foot in this sea unless their father opened the path.
“...Does that mean not even Oceanus-nim’s influence reaches here?”
“That is correct. Even Cronus, Uranus, and Zeus cannot handle the Sea of Tribulation, so they pay respects to Oceanus, the only one who can manage it, and respect his divine work.”
A place that restricts even the absolute divine power of Greece, a place feared by gods and giants alike.
“For now... should I try to steer a ship?”
Time was of the essence, but since things had turned out this way, I was contemplating whether to borrow a ship from Antaios, when he asked me with a puzzled look.
“But, Great One, is there any need to worry?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well... you have brought with you the great sea beast that no god in the world has ever tamed.”
....Ah.
Right.
Didn’t I just cross the Sea of Tribulation and meet Antaios?
“Did we fight too enthusiastically?”
“Hahaha! That the god was excited to spar with a Great One such as yourself is only an honor for Antaios!”
To think I had completely forgotten that I had crossed a sea that supposedly takes days and nights of sailing in one go.
“I wonder if Neri has come to her senses?”
“Uhi, hihi, hehehe....”
“Oh, my...”
One unfortunate thing was that Neri still hadn’t come to her senses, and the moment I tried to find her, she clung to my back and refused to let go.
-Thud!
-Ppi-rorong!
The fortunate thing was that Carcinus appeared at my call and offered his shell, perhaps because he had become friendly with the Firebird or perhaps he had sensed something about me.
“Geryon’s ranch was originally the biggest business in Erytheia, receiving cattle and sheep from Helios-nim. And Orthrus, though his lineage is extraordinary, has been mistreated and excluded until now... Please, I beg you, protect your subjects!!”
-Protect us!!
Antaios, who had become my Direct Disciple and High Priest in name and reality, bowed to me as I slowly drifted away, as if sending off a god. As the giant brutes followed him, chanting and waving torches, the sea under the deep night sky was as bright as day.
“Come to think of it... yes, there was a time when I set out on a journey receiving such a farewell.”
Is this the magic of giants? I waved back at them, evoking old memories, and turned my head toward where Carcinus was heading.
“Back then, even if everything was painful and difficult, everything felt so vivid and enjoyable.”
No matter how much of a Direct Disciple of the Twelve Demon Lords and a master of the Extreme Demonic Realm I was, when I first stepped into the Demonic Cult, I was a man with nothing but my bare body. However, the Twelve Demonic Arts I showcased were legendary techniques that had lost their lineage in the Cult at the time, and as I unleashed them, suppressing all the demonic warriors who blocked me from the entrance of the Great Mountain to the main gate of the Cult, it was only natural that the entire 100,000 Great Mountains were turned upside down.
The Cult Leader and the high-ranking powers were desperate to extract the true teachings I knew, and the younger generation, whose blood boiled due to the long-corrupt leadership, worshipped me and became the foundation of my power.
“Yes, back then... everything was clear, and everything was full of vitality.”
Those hot-blooded fools. They were strong, yet pure. But because they followed a leader who was still lacking, they were driven to death while he was foolishly tied down.
And.
The poor souls who laughed and ran out, entrusting the future of the Cult to me as they went to their deaths, not one of them returning alive.
“....”
That laughter was still vivid before my eyes, so I could not bear to look at those who cheered, wanting to follow me anew.
“Hoh, you are still tied up.”
Turning a moment of regret and a touch of longing into a melody, I stroked the white hair resting on my lap as if plucking a Geum-hyeon.
“Uung...”
“....”
As the loyal Carcinus cut through the water, guided by the Firebird, the cheers behind us and the torches that lit the sky had already quietly vanished.
-Swoosh....
The Sea of Tribulation, where even the moon fears to drive its chariot, was led by brilliant stars, and as I enjoyed the cool sea breeze, I was able to indulge in the luxury of the feast of stars above and the most precious treasure of this sea below.
“Neri, you’re awake, right?”
“...U, uung~”
The way she flinched and tried to pretend she was still drunk was enough to make me wonder if she was really the Goddess of the Sea who had been so coldly submerged when we reunited.
“You heard everything, didn’t you?”
-Flinch!
“Pfft!”
“U, uung...”
Ah, what should I do with this goddess?
She was so cute and lovely that I wanted to make Neri, who was pouting while pretending to be drunk, pant breathlessly, forgetting the situation. But unfortunately, now was not the time.
“Orthrus. I only heard he was a sheepdog, but he was no ordinary beast.”
Geryon, who had made me sweat just by using Pressure Point Striking. Orthrus had driven that giant of three heads and six arms, who showed outstanding intelligence and wisdom despite his appearance which could be treated as a half-monster, to the brink of death.
“....”
“I have one goal. Those connected to me, those with whom my ties have deepened. To ensure they are not torn apart or struck down by external forces. To ensure no one can touch them.”
To do that, I had to break through my realm and obtain a divine presence that even the gods of Olympus could not disregard.
“Neri, for the sake of the child between you and me.”
-Flinch!
Neri, who had somehow ended up bearing the prophecy of the Trojan War that should have been carried by her sister, Thetis. The prophecy that the child would become greater than the father might be a source of fear for narrow-minded Greek kings, but for me, it was nothing but joy that my child could inherit my legacy and achieve even greater feats. However, I could not bear to see a child who would grow up like that be caught in the conspiracies of gods who feared my name and suffer from a young age.
So, I am hurrying my steps, even if it upsets Neri, to make the future of our promised child a little smoother.
“I’ve never had a child... but I suppose that is a father’s heart.”
“....”
Is she really sleeping?
Or is she pretending to sleep?
Just hoping that my feelings, my heart, had been conveyed. As I looked at the horizon, a familiar scent was felt amidst the cool sea breeze.
“From here on, I will go alone.”
I took off my outer garment and covered Neri with it, and placed her head on a pillow I had brought along in case her neck hurt.
“...Carcinus, I grant you permission. If anyone disturbs the goddess’s deep sleep, if anyone attacks with hostility, whether they be god or giant, tear them all to pieces and feast on their blood and flesh.”
-Da-da-dak!
Carcinus, his energy heightened by the Divine Demonic Qi I had infused, responded by flickering black flames on his pincers and slowed his speed.
In the distance, a massive island revealed itself.
A place where the thick scent of blood, all too familiar to me, wafted over.
I had arrived at Geryon’s ranch.
-Grrr!!
-Woof, woof, woof!!
“Oho, look at this fellow.”
It was still a long distance away, but perhaps he had noticed me, as a cry like thunder echoed everywhere.
“Let’s see, how powerful is the monster of my first task.”
Afraid that Neri might wake up, I stepped off Carcinus’s shell and kicked off the water surface.
-Splash!
With a small ripple, my body slid across the water as if skating. It was the moment when the Water Movement, which I had never had a chance to use, finally shone.
Just as Geryon’s island was rapidly approaching.
-Kuaaah!
-Kuaaah!
“Oh!?”
A scream escaped my lips at the massive wave piercing the air and rushing toward me.
“A Lion’s Roar?!”
The wave wasn’t the problem. The cause of the wave, that roar echoing throughout the sea, was clearly that of a Lion’s Roar.