Chapter 82
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Ares's Unexpected Charm
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After a brief lull, Ares and I went completely wild, losing all track of time.
"Realizing it anew, but this barrier is something else."
The endlessly vast wasteland, encircled by Ares's colossal colosseum-shaped barrier towering imposingly into the distance.
Whether it was dawn without a sunrise outside or the dead of night without a moon, the sky here was always a blazing blue afternoon. And no matter if you spent a day or even a month inside, only about an hour would pass in the outside world.
Thanks to that, I could clash with Ares without any external interruptions, letting loose completely.
The extreme battles I'd schemed to draw out against Heracles—I could indulge in them endlessly, unburdened by time or space. It was such a massive boon for me that I intended to milk this opportunity for all it was worth.
And my opponent was none other than the God of War, who had lived for thousands of years amid endless conflict and slaughter.
If nothing else, in pure combat, Ares was a fiercer, rougher warrior than any fighter I'd ever witnessed. Whether martial arts or tactics, he was the perfect match for my full strength.
"What, getting all hyped over this? You could pull it off too once you learn the trick."
Ares, inwardly pleased by the praise if his pursed lips were any indication, waved it off like it was no big deal.
He snapped his fingers, and the ground restored itself in an instant. Naturally, he pulled two small porcelain bottles from thin air and offered one to me.
A week-plus by outside time, but it felt like nearly a year of sparring—the War God and I had grown quite close.
"Still nothing but jaw-dropping techniques. Damn, even I'm impressed."
"Your masters would be over the moon. The War God they revered as a divine being acknowledges your martial arts."
"Gild a god's face, and you won't scrape off a speck of gold dust."
Tch, he's thrilled about it.
Watching Ares grumble gruffly while the corner of his mouth twitched upward, I couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
"Not empty flattery, though? Honestly, back home, no one walked away unscathed from taking both the Reverse Heaven Palm and Cattle Herding Sword at once."
They were among the Twelve Divine Demons whose prowess shook heaven and earth, but the Cattle Herding Sword Demon and Asura Warlord stood on another level entirely.
The Shaolin monks and Nangong fools hadn't gawked at their signature arts for nothing.
"You have no idea how thrilled I am. How long's it been since I found someone who can take those head-on and strike back?"
During the martial world conquest, none of the Five Great Experts, Three Sovereigns, Five Emperors, or previous generation masters who boasted they'd take my head could properly withstand even one of those twelve demonic arts.
Through training, I'd mastered the demonic qi to the point where, ignoring the strain on my body, I could nearly perfectly recreate my past life's realms.
The destructive power was already at the level of shattering mountains and drying rivers.
Yet here was an opponent matching those twelve demonic arts at full power blow-for-blow. It meant even they weren't perfect yet—which implied there were higher realms to surpass.
"Ahem, thrilled... heh heh."
"Great Queen, Hidden Sorceress. Alongside Hera, you're my guiding light, my compass on the path forward. I can't thank you enough."
This was pure sincerity, without a shred of ulterior motive or exaggeration.
As a martial artist, as a demon cultivator, how could one discuss the martial path without respecting those who revealed the next realm beyond what you'd thought was the end?
"Shut your trap, kid! You gonna drink or what? It's getting cold!"
"Ah, right away."
Embarrassed, perhaps? Ares barked gruffly and shoved his bottle forward.
I uncorked the one he'd offered and chugged it down. In an instant, my lingering fatigue and depleted energy began flooding back.
"Kuh~ Nothing beats a drink after working up a sweat."
"Phew... I really wanna snag a huge barrel of this to stash away. You always treat me to the good stuff."
The spicy bite unique to liquor, paired with a fragrant warmth that tingled nose and mouth.
The flavor evoked memories of Seonhyangju sipped at the heart of Lake Dongting, while its restorative power rivaled the finest golden elixirs. I couldn't help but marvel anew.
Nectar, the gods' sacred brew—I'd only sampled it once before thanks to Asclepius's prank.
So precious that even Apollo's son had to ration it out drop by drop, yet Ares handed it over generously every time we met.
"Ahem. Go on and savor it. What other demigod gets to drink nectar poured by Hebe herself?"
The more I saw of him, the more Ares struck me as that gruff big brother type—spoiling his favorite junior without fanfare.
Casual and grudge-free, he'd surprise you with gifts if he took a liking, then brush off praise with a straight face even as his lips curved upward.
And if you poked him just right...?
"Speaking of, how's your daughter doing these days? You were gushing about her talent, how she takes after her mom..."
"Ah, Hippolyte? Hey, drop it. That nursing brat somehow grew up and..."
We often paused our spars like this to snack on nectar or ambrosia, trading casual stories.
Surprisingly, both Hera and Ares enjoyed this everyday small talk.
Thanks to them, I learned tales of the gods beyond myths and comics—plenty of useful intel among them.
"Ah, get this: the other day, that tiny tot I'd seen before offers me a sacrifice.
So I wheedled bro Hephaestus for a girdle as a gift. Time flies, huh?"
"Oh, what a doting dad."
"Doting dad? Any father worth his salt does that much.
Otrera threw a fit when I got back after months, but come nightfall, she's melting in my arms—irresistible charm."
And with nectar flowing, out came the kid-bragging and wife-boasting.
Unlike his bloodthirsty maniac image, Ares proudly called his human lovers his wives—no absentee dad like Zeus ignoring one-nights' fates.
You could feel how tenderly he cherished his children, just like any father.
"Ah, speaking of. What about you?"
"Me?"
"Yeah! Last time I peeked, two beauties were all over you. Closed the deal yet?"
"Ah, ahahaha. Well..."
Not some flaming Confucian scholar, and I'd bedded all sorts of exotic women, but their blunt ancient Greek 19+ banter still made me flush. I pinched my cheeks awkwardly.
"Atalanta, right? Last I saw, you were beating her mercilessly. And still, her eyes dripped honey for you. If she's your girl, go easy—even a grudge needs limits."
"Pretty tame talk for the God of War. Makes me sound like a brute swinging wildly. It's proper martial training."
While sparring with Ares, I'd started properly teaching Atalanta the Fighting Demon Art.
But rather than forms from scratch, she internalized its essence from within, reshaping her own style around it.
So instead of drilling stances, I let her pick it up through brutal, battle-like spars tailored to her flair.
Though the art in question was called Fighting Demon for a reason—brutally aggressive.
"Can't compromise there, no matter what. What she's learning isn't some lovers' pillow play."
Whatever the method or bond, she'd taken the Fighting Demon Art's ultimate essence into her very core from my intent.
I'd accidentally become her master in passing it on, so my role was simply to forge her into a powerhouse worthy of the name.
"Ah... fair enough. No complaints from her, then. Nice~ Soulmates who just get each other~"
Ares nodded like some uncle thrilled by young love stories and took a sip of nectar.
"So, how about my distant cousin? Had all the forest nymphs in a tizzy.
Said your seaside courtship was too damn romantic."
"Nesria? She's..."
If Atalanta felt like lover and disciple now, Nesria was... precious enough I'd accepted her without a second thought, but...
"Too young."
"Pffft?! What?!"
Ares spat out his nectar at my words, eyes bulging like I'd spouted nonsense.
But what could I do? From my perspective, laying a hand on Nesria was straight-up criminal.
"Dunno if it's the nymph thing, but she looks five or six years younger than me.
Something about it just triggers this aversion to going further."
"Get a load of this guy... what a freak."
Sure, by Greek romance standards, beauty was beauty regardless of gender.
But viewing through my two-thirds Confucian Asian lens, Nesria was off-limits—pure crime.
"Told Atalanta I'm only spending time with her, but Nesria nags occasionally, so I teach her flute and smithing now and then.
Just no bandwidth for more with Atalanta."
"Gah, what a stuffy bastard. You a eunuch or something?"
"...What?"
How'd it veer there?
I shot him a baffled glare, but Ares stared back like I was the ridiculous one.
"A warrior babe throws herself at you post-thrashing, an eternal sea nymph gazes with honeyed eyes, and your heart doesn't stir? Better visit that priest's son pronto..."
-Rumble!
As if to silence Ares, a massive roar echoed. The sun hanging in the sky plummeted in an instant, replaced by a brilliant full moon illuminating the pitch-black heavens.
"Whoops, my sisters are calling. Catch you later."
"If only you'd let that slide..."
"Hahaha! Ever seen a lion flee from meat?"
Grinning like the mischievous big bro he was, Ares clapped my back in farewell.
The world spun wildly around me, and suddenly I was perched atop a massive tree.
"Great work today. You were impressive as always."
"Bro Ares fed you nectar again? He's always so wasteful."
Two goddesses descended toward me, flapping enormous wings overhead.
Second-period magic class was about to begin.