A Villain's Journey Begins in the Type-Moon World

Every word was like a heavy hammer blow to Artemis's heart.

"What...!?" Artemis trembled violently, her fingers, which were about to release the bowstring, froze instantly, and the shock in her heart was like a tidal wave.

If Orion's biggest creditor is Wang Chong himself... then even if he kills all these lackeys in front of him, it will be of no use at all! On the contrary, it will only completely enrage the other party.

What's even more terrifying is that if he were to kill these pirates, it would be tantamount to openly denying that Orion had borrowed money from Wang Chong! That would make the situation extremely serious!

The best outcome would probably be that she and Orion would be sent back to Valhalla by the enraged king.

As for the worst-case scenario... Artemis dared not think too deeply about it. Based on her understanding of Wang Chong's ways, she knew he had countless ways to "deal with" them that would terrify even the gods.

At this moment, Artemis felt utterly "checkmated." All paths seemed blocked, leaving only one option filled with humiliation and unknown risks.

She glared fiercely at the pale-faced Orion in her hand, her eyes filled with disappointment, anger, and a hint of barely perceptible fear.

Artemis took a deep, deep breath, as if trying to suppress all her anger and resentment.

She forced herself to calm down, her voice regaining its coldness, yet carrying a barely perceptible hint of weariness and helplessness:

"Good...very good. In that case, I will personally discuss this matter with Lord Wang Chong. Let him uphold justice and decide how to handle it. That...shouldn't there be any problem, right?"

"Yes...yes! Of course, no problem! Please, sir!"

One-Eyed Dragon felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and let out a long sigh of relief, feeling his back soaked with cold sweat.

He knew that his life was temporarily saved, and the task assigned by Boss Wang Chong was finally completed.

He quickly stepped aside to make way, and the other pirates also retreated.

Artemis stopped looking at anyone, but held the distraught Orion tightly, as if dragging a heavy burden, and walked slowly and heavily toward the cabin where Wang Chong was.

The moonlight stretched their shadows long, making them appear exceptionally lonely.

……

Only Artemis herself knew the heavy, humiliating, and intensely uneasy feeling she carried as she walked step by step to Wang Chong's tightly closed door.

The corridor was dimly lit, with only the flickering oil lamps on the walls casting a yellowish glow that projected her shadow onto the cold wooden floor.

She had already learned more or less about what kind of person Wang Chong was from the words of the gods.

Even among the gods, there was a belief that Wang Chong bore a striking resemblance to a certain god-king—her father, Zeus.

They share the same egocentricity and strong desire for control; and they also occasionally show a bit of kindness and gentleness when dealing with "companions" or "kindred spirits" they approve of.

But what remains the same is his ruthless and merciless approach to dealing with enemies, as well as his meticulous and strategic planning, which is enough to instill a deep-seated fear in anyone who opposes him.

And then there's that most important, and most unsettling, rumor... that he's equally lustful.

After calming down, Artemis's keen intuition, that of the goddess of the hunt, told her that Orion's recent "bad luck" and debt quagmire were probably not unexpected at all.

This is more like an elaborately woven web, the ultimate target of which is very likely herself!

Otherwise, why is everything so "coincidental"? Why is it that at the most critical moment, the heaviest and most unavoidable debt is in Wang Chong's hands?

Moreover, she had learned the whole story from Orion's intermittent and shameful confession, and she also knew what Orion, that fool, had promised as "collateral" when he borrowed the money.

Repay with "labor"? Labor?

Artemis's lips curled into a bitter and ironic smile.

These were probably the most hypocritical and unsettling words she had ever heard in her long divine life.

She could almost foresee what awaited her behind the door.

However, the die was cast, and she knew she couldn't escape this ordeal tonight.

"Dong dong dong."

Finally, Artemis raised her hand and gently knocked on the door that seemed to block out fate.

A crisp knock echoed in the silent corridor, carrying a heavy sense of destiny.

"Come in."

Wang Chong's slightly magnetic voice came from inside the door.

Artemis took a deep breath, trying to calm her pounding heart. Her fingertips unconsciously curled and relaxed, but she finally pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside.

Inside the room, Wang Chong seemed to have been waiting for a long time. He sat upright behind a large desk, his hands casually folded on the surface, his posture composed.

The warm yellow candlelight outlined his clear features and illuminated the gleaming wooden chair opposite him, which had been specially prepared for visitors.

That patient and waiting posture silently proclaimed that everything was under his control.

Artemis glanced at the chair and understood.

She stepped forward, sat down as instructed, straightened her back, and stared directly at Wang Chong behind the table with her golden eyes. For a moment, a thousand words were stuck in her throat, and she didn't know where to begin.

Seeing her remain silent, Wang Chong broke the silence with a faint smile playing on his lips:

"Miss Artemis's visit so late at night must mean...something important?"

His voice was gentle, yet it possessed an undeniable penetrating power.

Artemis's fingertips trembled slightly before she finally made up her mind and spoke: "I... came about Darling."

She paused, her voice carrying a barely perceptible strain: "He told me... he borrowed a lot of gold coins from you, and now... he is unable to repay them."

Artemis chose to bring the issue to the forefront.

"One-Eyed Dragon has already explained this matter to me." Wang Chong nodded slightly, his tone calm and revealing no emotion.

“When I first lent him the money, I warned him to quit gambling.” He sighed softly, with a hint of regret. “Unfortunately, he still went his own way and ended up like this.”

After speaking, Wang Chong's gaze returned to Artemis, a scrutinizing look on his face, and his smile deepened slightly: "You seem quite nervous, Miss Artemis. Did I put pressure on you?"

He leaned forward slightly, his tone carrying a strange blend of reassurance and intimidation: "Aren't we here to resolve this issue? In the end, it's just a dispute over some gold coins. You did consider eliminating my men, but ultimately didn't act on it, did you?"

Wang Chong shrugged, appearing quite magnanimous:

"So you can rest assured. I will not do anything excessive to you or Orion... After all, I always hope to maintain a relatively good relationship with you Greek gods."

Artemis pressed her lips together, her sharp gaze fixed on Wang Chong's face as if it were a physical object, trying to pierce through his gentle facade and confirm the truth in his words.

After a long while, she seemed to have a heavy burden lifted from her shoulders, and sighed in resignation, "Darling already told me... he used my labor as collateral to pay off the borrowed gold coins. Now that he can't repay them, I'm the one who has to pay them back..."

Artemis raised her eyes, looked directly at Wang Chong, and asked, "Lord Wang Chong, how do you intend to 'use' me? What...do you need me to do?"

Chapter 662 Payment Terms

"rest assured."

Wang Chong stood up, walked around the desk, and calmly strolled to a spot a few steps away from Artemis.

“I won’t ask you to do anything that goes against your conscience or your divine status. I only need you to temporarily become my ‘follower.’” Wang Chong emphasized the last two words. “Just obey my commands and fight for me.”

He crossed his arms, speaking casually as if discussing a routine transaction: "Just like Miss Miyamoto Musashi, or any other servants who serve me. All I ask of you is your loyalty and power, to be used by me."

Wang Chong paused briefly, as if calculating, and then gave a definite timeframe: "As for the duration of the term... well, based on the value of the gold coins I lent out, about a hundred years should be enough."

"Of course, all I need is your service. As for your partner Orion..."

Wang Chong waved his hand, as if dismissing an insignificant figure, and said:

"Let him go back to where he came from. He can't really be of any help here."

"One... one hundred years?!"

Artemis repeated the number in disbelief, her delicate brows furrowing instantly. The duration of this timeframe far exceeded her expectations.

What hurt her even more was that Wang Chong so casually asked her to separate from Orion! How could she accept that?

"It seems that Miss Artemis cannot accept this."

Wang Chong took in her reaction, a knowing smile curving his lips. He spread his hands, making a gesture that was both helpless and slightly mocking.

"But there's nothing I can do; I don't support idlers here."

He shook his head, his voice devoid of any apology:

"And the reason it takes so long is because the value of your 'ordinary' labor, Miss Artemis, is not much higher, which requires you to pay such a long time price to repay it."

He leaned forward slightly, his eyes revealing a knowing understanding, and added:

"After all, I have no shortage of Servants, and my own strength is sufficient to handle many things. You should understand that, shouldn't you?"

Artemis clearly understood the hidden meaning in Wang Chong's words. Suppressing her surging emotions, she took a deep breath, as if making a firm decision, and asked with a barely perceptible tremor in her voice:

“Then… what if I do 'unusual' labor?” Artemis’s gaze was fixed on Wang Chong, trying to catch any change in his face.

Upon hearing Artemis's almost suggestive words, Wang Chong couldn't help but smile slightly, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. He seemed quite pleased that she had so "smartly" understood his subtext.

But this satisfaction was fleeting, so fleeting that it almost seemed like an illusion.

Wang Chong quickly regained his detached calm, slowly shaking his head, his tone carrying a hypocritical concern and an undeniable rejection:

“There’s no need, Miss Artemis. There’s no need to ask about things that can’t be done. It will only make things worse.”

"Once some things are brought to light, once that thin veil is pierced, the relationship can never go back to what it was before, and even superficial peace becomes difficult to maintain."

Wang Chong paused, softening his voice, but it sounded more like a condescending reassurance:

"At least, if we only do ordinary work, we can still maintain our 'companionship' and preserve this dignity, right?"

Artemis cursed inwardly, "Knowing that they are your companions, how can you still scheme against them so meticulously? How utterly hypocritical!"

However, she couldn't openly refute Wang Chong. This was not only because he held an absolute advantage in the "logic" of repaying debts, but more importantly, because his unfathomable strength far surpassed her own.

This made Artemis's proud power seem so pale and powerless at this moment, unable to directly resort to force to resolve conflicts as she had in the past.

Artemis understood that the other party was intentionally pushing her to her bottom line step by step.

So she could only suppress her humiliation and anger, enduring it while tentatively asking in an even more humble tone, "Is there... no other way, Your Excellency Wang Chong?"

There was a barely perceptible plea in his voice.

“Miss Artemis, I’m sorry. If it were anyone else, I probably wouldn’t have said these things…”

Wang Chong's smile deepened, but it seemed even more meaningful. He shook his head again, his tone carrying a peculiar regret:

“But you are a god who has sworn an eternal vow of purity. Even your majestic father Zeus cannot covet you, so how can I force you? If I were to try, it would only lead to an awkward and unpleasant situation for both of us.”

He spread his hands, as if to demonstrate his "sincerity" and "helplessness": "At least with the strength I currently possess while sealed, I am not capable of breaking your unbreakable vow of virginity. And if I were to use overly violent means to forcibly break it..."

Wang Chong's eyes suddenly sharpened, and he said, "It will only lead to your untimely death and your soul returning to the Hall of Heroes. This is absolutely not the ending I want to see."

"So, you'd better just accept ordinary labor as payment. I think I've made myself clear enough."

Wang Chong's tone became authoritative again, implying that he was closing the conversation:

"These words have likely already caused an irreparable rift in our pitiful 'companionship.' There's really no need to say anything more; it would only make things more awkward."

Yes, the words have already been laid bare, so how could Artemis not understand what the other party truly coveted—her most core symbol as a virgin goddess: her purity.

She was a deity who had made a vow, a virgin goddess of high purity in the pantheon. This vow was like the strongest bulwark, protecting her from the covetousness of her philandering father, Zeus.

It is precisely because of the absolute nature of this vow that Wang Chong cannot force her purity. Even if she is willing to sacrifice herself to repay the debt she owes, the power of the vow will still prevent her.

Otherwise, she would have already truly united with her beloved Orion, instead of maintaining that Platonic, superficial partnership.

This is why Artemis, despite her strong possessiveness, often had to reluctantly tolerate Orion being attracted to other beautiful members of the opposite sex.

Because she was truly unable to meet Orion's basic needs in this regard, that sense of powerlessness always lingered with him.

Now, the cruel reality seems to be right in front of her: it seems that she really has no choice but to submit, become Wang Chong's follower, and spend a whole hundred years to finally redeem her freedom.

"Can't do it...?"

Artemis's voice suddenly rose, carrying a sharpness born of desperation and a desperate resolve. She abruptly looked up, the last trace of hesitation in her eyes replaced by burning fury:

"I don't think so! Since you have meticulously set up this trap, forcing me into this situation, and openly revealing your ambitions."

"Did you go through all this trouble just to turn me into a pretty but useless vase to be displayed next to you for a hundred years?"

Artemis finally chose to completely tear off the veil of hypocrisy as "companion," laying bare their tacit scheming in the sunlight.

Things have already come to this point, so why should she suppress her disgust and pretend to serve this scheming guy for a hundred years?

Who can guarantee that, over the course of a hundred years, the other party won't find some mysterious way to break her vow and force her to do something even more unbearable?

By then, wouldn't she have endured a century of humiliation in vain, only to ultimately meet her doom?

Rather than enduring prolonged suffering, it's better to throw caution to the wind and sacrifice your purity now! After all, a short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one.

If she could just get through this damned singularity, she would immediately return to Valhalla with Orion. After all, once the oath was broken by external forces, she would no longer be bound by it, and then she could make amends to Orion for all the injustices he had suffered over the years!

Upon hearing Artemis's blunt and even provocative question, Wang Chong not only did not get angry, but instead clapped his hands lightly with an approving tone.