I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 702 The Shepherd Boy and the Saint Seiya
Mars,

This planet, whether observed from the outside,

But once you actually walk on it, all you see are crimson mountains.

The weathered rocks lie across the earth like jagged blades; sandstorms, often lasting for months, whip up clouds of red sand, turning the sky red as well.

So when a splash of green suddenly appeared before the eyes of so many seasoned professionals, the shock was palpable.

Is this really Mars?

Rap veteran Alexander looked utterly bewildered.
Despite his background as a gangster rapper, he actually achieved straight A grades in school, and his company even referred to him as 'A+'.

In fact, most rappers have received a good education: without a good education, how would they compose music and write lyrics? As for their street experience, that's just a persona.

Therefore, seeing grasslands on Mars not only shattered his worldview but also challenged the knowledge he had learned and built up.

"Don't doubt yourself, Alex."

The middle-aged man, codenamed 'The Magician,' pointed to his eyes.
“My eyes, which I activated with ‘Eagle Eye’ and ‘True Vision’, told me that it was a grassland.”

"If there is an illusion that can deceive everyone here, then let's choose a comfortable position and wait for death to come."

There are dozens of them here, all of them elite veterans: those who were able to escape unscathed after being ambushed by those Spartan warriors are all here.

As for those unlucky souls who aren't good at escaping?
You've already ventured into the Nightmare Realm, and you still don't understand the importance of having a backup plan?!
There are various ways to complete a task, and you can fight the boss multiple times, but if you are defeated on the spot, there is no way to start over.

Therefore, these 'veterans' are all first-rate at escaping: as can be seen from their war with the 'Burning Legion,' they were all still alive and kicking after fighting for so long.

Anyway, Nightmare Space didn't stipulate that they had to fight to the death.

"indeed so,"

Fiona, dressed as a red-haired priestess, extends her hand.
A crystal-clear 'butterfly' flew back and landed on her fingertip.

This is her 'familiar,' an ability she gained after her vampire level was enhanced to Marquis. She can even transform her entire body into these 'shadow butterflies': each butterfly is her original form, and as long as there is enough blood, her entire body can be reconstructed, making it a top-notch enhancement for survival.

Essentially, it's an enhanced version of the physical bloodline limit 'Double Demon Attack', or you could say it's a inferior version of the Otsutsuki clan's ability to assimilate others.

"Although my butterflies don't feed on plant sap, they have already discovered quite a few creatures;"

"Follow me—"

As Fiona gracefully emerged...

Other experienced individuals quietly followed suit.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The question of why there are grasslands on Mars remains a mystery to seasoned researchers.
For the people who live here, it is something that has been 'since ancient times'; at least for the shepherd boy 'Aglaus', it is a natural sight.

The sky, thanks to the divine power of the goddess of wisdom, turned a clear blue: sunlight spilled across the earth, and a gentle breeze rippled across the grassland, constantly caressing the boy's bare, jade-like feet.

Dozens of black-hoofed white mountain goats roamed leisurely in the grass, grazing on the heather bushes with their heads down;
The golden bell around the lead sheep's neck makes a clear, melodious sound as it walks, echoing across the grassland.

A blond shepherd boy in a woolen robe walks among his flock, a scene of poetic beauty; if described in the style of ancient Greece, it would probably look something like this:
The boy was like the young deer that Artemis loved.
Its limbs are long and slender, as if woven from laurel branches.
Her golden hair cascaded down her shoulders like the strings of Apollo's lyre.
The walls of Troy, before him, became like a stone mirror for a shy maiden.

The handsome young man plucked violets from the grass, his lips making sweet sounds as he spoke:

"Cupid has made my limbs weak again~"
A sweet yet bittersweet, irresistible beast;
The petals you crumpled in your hair fell down~
I am weaving another crown of olive branches.

call----

A gentle breeze carried away the second half of his softly sung poem, while a white goat beside him nuzzled his knee with its wet nose.

A sudden gust of wind not only interrupted the boy's self-amusement but also caused the bouquet of violets in his hand to shatter; countless petals swirled up and drifted forward: there stood a woman with red braids hanging down in front of her, wearing a 'remarkable' priestess robe.

"Sir, who are you?"

The blond, handsome boy had sky-blue eyes like a lake, and his puzzled expression made Fiona pause for a moment.

Faced with this fawn-like boy, even seasoned veterans who had fought in the 'Nightmare Space' unconsciously softened their expressions.

“My name is Fiona, a traveler from a distant land.”

The red-haired priest bowed and answered in slightly stiff and slow, but unmistakably 'ancient Greek' language.

The colleague codenamed 'The Magician' had already compiled the 'Ancient Greek Language,' which could be copied and transmitted to others for just three points. Although it could also be exchanged from the 'Space,' the Space cost ten points, so everyone naturally chose to buy it from 'The Magician.'

All I can say is that a fully developed 'mage' is truly powerful and wealthy.

"We want to go to Athens, could you please give us directions?"

"you--?"

brush,

In a flash,

Suddenly, a group of figures appeared on the surrounding grassland.

"Hey?"

The shepherd boy was startled and instinctively hid behind the red-haired priestess Fiona.

Compared to this priestess who seemed like one of their own, these people could only be described as bizarre and unheard of.

Indeed, the superhumans in America are already quite different from those in Greece, and with all sorts of bizarre enhancements, they are even more frightening when they stand on this grassland.

"Don't be afraid, they're not bad..." Fiona subconsciously reassured the boy, but upon closer inspection, these 'veterans' were hardly 'good people' at all.

"In short, they won't hurt you, I promise."

Fiona reached out and grasped Shao Lai's hand, her tone sincere.
"By the way, what's your name?"

“Aglaus, Fiona, I believe in you.”

"Someone as beautiful as you wouldn't lie."

The handsome, blond-haired, blue-eyed shepherd boy answered, took the other's hand in return, and pointed into the distance.

“My village is over there,”

"I will take you to see Lord Cangmo."

As he spoke, the shepherd boy offered to explain to the red-haired priest:

"Lord Soma is the Saint who protects our village. If we want to go to Athens, we must get his permission."

"Thank you for your help, Agleius."

?

The handsome shepherd boy led Fiona out.

The white goats, led by their alpha goat, circled around the two of them.

The group of "veterans" exchanged bewildered glances: "We have dozens of interrogation techniques, various methods of mind control, and the ability to read memories, and you're trying to pull a 'honey trap' on me?!"

"This isn't so bad, is it?"

After thinking about it, old black Alexander came to this conclusion.

Having already fought a major battle with 'Sparta', and since they are preparing to go to 'Athens', it would be best to maintain a certain level of friendliness.

"Follow me,"

The middle-aged man, codenamed 'The Magician', rubbed his temples and greeted them.

Aglaos means 'the radiant one' in Ancient Greek!
Could it be? No, no, no, thinking too much will only make you unhappy—thinking this, the magician secretly glanced at Fiona.

To gain a foothold on this planet, someone has to 'sacrifice'; don't blame me, you chose to step forward and negotiate." With this self-consolation, the magician followed.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Are you travelers from a foreign land?"

After crossing a grassland hill, the group arrived at a village full of ancient Greek style.

The buildings are all constructed of white stone blocks, which are flat and finely laid with tight joints. It is unknown where these stones were quarried from. Stone pillars support the buildings, with straight vertical lines carved on them: exquisite, grand, solemn, and elegant.

And those who spoke up in confusion

He was a boy with short brown hair.

He wore a magnificent orange-yellow armor, with emerald green gems adorning the joints: it was more of a work of art than armor.

However, this very boy made the veterans tremble with fear, their muscles contracting and their spiritual energy surging.

legend?!
No, part of his power comes from his armor.

The mage's voice echoed in everyone's minds; this was the 'mind link' ability, which could also be called 'team voice chat' in a sense.

'This young man's strength is at the peak of the Master level, but with the added power of his armor, he's no less than an ordinary Legendary.'

Equipped with various abilities such as 'magic detection' and 'true vision', the magician scanned the orange-yellow-armored boy and was almost blinded by the 'magical aura' emanating from him.

If placed in the space, this armor set would be at least an A-level legendary magical equipment!
"Sir, it is impolite to look at others."

Noticing the 'mage's' gaze, the young man in his ornate armor gave an unpleasant reminder, clearly aware of the 'mage's' probing.

"I apologize, please forgive my offense."

With his head bowed and eyes downcast, the magician didn't want to get into a conflict with the other party.

With so many of them rushing forward, even if they can't kill the legendary figure, it's not impossible for them to repel it.

But don't forget, the other party is merely the guardian of a village!

"Lord Cangmo, is it not allowed?"

The armored youth smiled slightly at the question posed by the handsome, blond-haired, blue-eyed shepherd boy.

"how come?"

“Our Athens is not a barbaric, bloody place like Sparta.”

After calming the shepherd boy, the boy in orange armor faced the assembled veterans and confidently raised his hand in greeting:
"Welcome, guests from afar—if you wish to travel to Athens, please set off; no one will stop you."

"However, please do not do anything that would harm Athens."

The boy narrowed his eyes slightly, like a lion rising up.

"Otherwise, the Saint Seiya's fists and feet would surely blast even the enemies hiding in the Underworld into atoms!"

(End of this chapter)