Simulate the universe, starting with speedrunning Greek.

Her upper body was pressed tightly against the ground, and her head was lowered to the ground as a sign of submission.

Finally—after an unknown amount of time, and with the sting of the cold wind.

Suddenly, Persephone revealed its rebellious fangs once again.

Even the smooth, tender egg with its shell already peeled off will feel chilly.

At this moment in the underworld, I actually felt a sense of shame, as if I had returned to nature and the earth.

It was as if they were fighting the same battle on the ground, in the wild.

All around were the chirping of birds and the playful sound of the wind.

Under such intense mental tension, even every part of the body becomes tight and taut.

The goddess's powerful body nearly broke Night's weapon.

In the face of the abalone—no, in the face of Persephone's powerful counterattack after finally mustering his strength—Night almost couldn't resist unleashing an even greater force to crush his opponent.

However, he still felt that it was not the best time, and that to defeat the enemy, he needed to have enough patience and stamina.

finally--

After countless changes of fighting stances, and after sweat was poured onto these divinely constructed flowers as if washed away by rain and dew.

Holding Persephone's smooth back, and looking at the goddess who had been seriously injured and unconscious, sleeping soundly in his arms, Night had achieved the final victory and had become the winner.

After defeating the goddess a second time, he found himself stronger, with an even more powerful soul.

It seems that good things always happen when you're around a goddess.

Night also remembered this.

Although this wasn't something like Athena's blessing, what happened just now was much more exciting than a blessing.

It seems quite normal to receive feedback from a goddess, right?

However, it didn't have the same effect or as much effect as last time.

But that's normal; the night can accept it.

Perhaps this mutual support only occurs when the two beings were originally at vastly different levels of life.

Even a powerful god like Zeus, who roamed around all day, persecuting goddesses, beautiful mortals, and even mythical beasts, never seemed to become stronger through such means.

He is the king of the gods, not the god of love and beauty who controls desires.

He believed you when you said Aphrodite could become stronger this way.

As his power increased, Ye's perception also became stronger, and he suddenly heard the sound of a zither.

The melodious sound of a piano drifted from afar.

This is……--?

There was no problem with the barrier that Persephone had applied.

The music was coming from somewhere outside the barrier.

Persephone, awakened by the music, said, "It's Orpheus, the son of the god of light and music. He plays his harp every day at this time, and his music can reach the entire underworld, bringing peace to the souls of the dead. Hades likes him very much... well, he likes his music."

As she spoke, Persephone reached out and stroked Night's collarbone, her face slightly flushed as she looked at Night with eyes that seemed to drip with tears.

“We’ve already come to this, so how should I address you from now on? Should I just call you Griffith?” At this moment, she finally accepted the fact and stopped running away.

As for Hades?

Persephone's attitude can be seen from the fact that she no longer even bothers to call His Majesty.

Who is that? She doesn't know him...

She asked Lord Hades not to come looking for her, as she was genuinely afraid Griffith would misunderstand.

Even if... there was nothing between Persephone and Hades, even if Night himself had already verified this before.

but……

At this moment, Ye noticed a detail in Persephone's words—wait, you hesitated and paused when you said Hades liked Orpheus's lyre music, didn't you?

?!What's the meaning?

Are you sure Hades simply likes the sound of the piano?

Considering the Greek concept that everyone from gods to heroes has some degree of affinity for the south wind, Nan Tong?!

—The thought that Hades also wanted to recruit him made Ye's heart tighten.

Chapter 252 A gift upon meeting, though small, is rich and practical, what a good brother!

Even with a beauty like Persephone in front of him, he felt no desire. Perhaps this Hades really is a womanizer.

"You rest here for a bit, I'll go take a look," Night said.

The way the two of them looked at that moment was something that should not be seen by outsiders.

Although Persephone had created a barrier that ordinary people couldn't break in, it wasn't necessarily the case for the son of Apollo.

Son of the gods... the great hero Orpheus.

Persephone nodded, indicating that he was awake and able to take care of himself.

Night looked at his exposed upper body and chest muscles, then tore off a piece of true ether from the void, which transformed into starlight and was eventually woven into the shape of a cloak.

Just like when Vergil first arrived at the Order of the Sword in the fourth installment of the series, Ye wrapped his entire body in a cloak before heading towards the direction from which the sound came.

Since his soul manifested in the world, he has become increasingly unable to control the growth of his demonic charm. The radiance of his soul essence, his heroic deeds, and his demonic charm combined to unleash a power that even caused Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld known for her virtue, to repeatedly take bold actions.

To prevent Orpheus from also being affected by this bewitching charm, Night had no choice but to hide his form.

As he crossed the garden, he came to a stream.

There is no trace of death in the underworld. Just as flowers and green leaves cannot grow there, there are no real streams, but rather a tributary of the River Styx.

Ye silently kept it in her heart.

Since it is a tributary, if you swim along its source, you will inevitably reach the main stream.

He will leave the underworld sooner or later.

However, it's uncertain which route we'll take back then.

"The aura of Apollo... Are you a member of my father's retinue?" The music suddenly stopped, followed by a voice.

Looking towards the figure in the night, one could only vaguely make out a handsome Greek-style man with thick curly hair sitting on a rock, holding a harp. Beside him was a woman who, while not particularly beautiful, had a very gentle demeanor and was leaning on his shoulder.

"Orpheus..." Night's mind naturally conjured up the man's name as she spoke softly.

"Exactly."

“I am not a servant of Apollo, but a servant of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt.”

"Are you the great hero Griffith?" Orpheus suddenly realized and exclaimed in surprise.

Clearly—even in the underworld, even though he has never set foot on earth, is it because Night's reputation is so great that even the underworld has heard of his legend, or is it because Orpheus is so well-informed?

"Is that Griffith, who has the same musical talent as you, Orpheus, but whose martial prowess surpasses his talent, and who defeated Lord Poseidon and Lord Ares?" The person beside Orpheus, naturally his wife whom he left in the Underworld—the nymph Eurydice—said in surprise.

This is not the world view of the Saint Seiya series next door.

According to normal mythology, after losing Eurydice for the second time, Orpheus should have had no chance to see her again.

Even the River Styx was beyond their reach, and Charon refused to ferry them across, leaving Orpheus to retreat dejectedly back to the earth.

So they must be having a 'secret rendezvous' now, and one that happens with the Queen of the Underworld knowing but turning a blind eye.

Ye didn't believe that the two of them could keep such a big commotion from Persephone; she was indeed very kind-hearted.

No matter how cold and stern she may appear to be, the Queen of the Underworld is still, in essence, a gentle goddess of spring.

The night I figured this out—I suddenly realized it.

Orpheus was eventually discovered to have done this and was banished to Earth by Hades.

According to the myth's ending regarding this hero, who even participated in the search for the Golden Fleece, after leaving the underworld, he would develop a mad hatred for women, even offending a group of Dionysian followers—a group of Greek female boxers—who would then tear him to pieces.

Simply losing his wife wouldn't have made Orpheus hate women; rather, he would have hated his own incompetence or the cold-heartedness of the underworld and Hades.

Orpheus may have encountered something else during this time, or perhaps he was entangled with some troublesome woman.

Ye was thinking a bit too far ahead at this moment.

After listening to his wife's curious voice, Orpheus suddenly played his lyre—praising the story of the hero Griffith.

Orpheus, who maintained a gentle and calm demeanor with his eyes closed, did not feel jealous because his wife praised another man.

He deeply admired and recognized the series of great achievements Ye had accomplished, achievements that even he could not have made.

Even among the heroes of his time who searched for the Golden Fleece, apart from Hercules, there was probably no one else who could compare to him.

“Hero Griffith—I am delighted to have met you. Forgive me for not being able to properly entertain you and share a drink with you. My meeting with Eurydice must be kept secret from everyone. But you are a hero favored by Father Apollo and a member of Lady Artemis's entourage, so it is only right and proper that I present you with a gift.”

Greek heroes, especially those who admire a hero's character, often have a habit of giving gifts to younger heroes, and this is certainly true in the case of Orpheus.

The next moment, something miraculous happened. Perhaps because he was the child of Apollo, the god of light, and the Muse, he was a true son of God, fundamentally different from those demigod heroes.

He has more divine blood flowing through his veins, making him even more divine and infinitely close to a god, thus enabling him to do some extraordinary things that defy the rules of reality.

Orpheus opened his mouth and uttered many musical notes.

He poured all his passion and knowledge of music into these notes.

Orpheus: "I'm just a musician, that's all I'm good for, I hope you won't mind."

Night suddenly: "...!"

You're quite the musician. You helped Jason and his companions resist the allure of the Sylph, your song ignited the heroes' passion, and you even managed to lull the dragon guarding the Golden Fleece into a deep sleep, making it as still as a dead pig.

This level of control over the situation cannot be described simply as 'this little skill'.

Of course, Orpheus didn't just give away his life's skills for no reason.

After making the donation, he spoke, saying, "This is not to take advantage of your kindness, hero Griffith—I need your help. Perhaps only you can help my wife and me return to the surface. If you are unwilling to help me, I will not force or hate you. I only ask that you take the music I have composed over the years to the earth. It should not be buried here, will you?"

As a musician with a natural love for music and nature, Orpheus was constantly tormented; as long as he remained in the underworld, his free spirit could not find release.

But it would be even more impossible for him to give up his wife.

Ye smiled and said, "Of course, no problem."