Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

But that wasn't the end of it; the magic circle on the altar lit up for the third time.

The illusory image of a goddess with skin as smooth and luminous as ivory converges amidst scattered golden light.

The goddess of wisdom, Athena, who appeared in person as a manifestation of herself, raised her scepter of victory and gently touched Samael's head, bestowing a blessing with a melodious voice.

"My beloved, you will bring me victory in this hunt!"

In an instant, a snow-white owl, carrying an olive branch, flew out of the pillar of light and landed on Samael's shoulder.

As the little creature slightly opened its mouth, the olive branch transformed into a vibrant green, disappearing into the body of the divinely favored one, spreading a rich, pure aura.

Powerful protection!

The three waves of divine favor, each more powerful than the last, came crashing down one after another, leaving even Circe, who had little concept of such things, unable to remain calm.

Two figures, one large and one small, one gripping the Staff of the Underworld tightly and the other stroking the Bow of the Sky, gazed at each other in silence, their eyes bloodshot.

The disparity in treatment between believers is far too extreme, isn't it?

It's just a wild boar, you can't do this!

Long after the strange phenomenon dissipated, Atalanta stiffly raised her head and looked at the god's chosen one who was standing blankly by the altar with a forced smile, her voice hoarse.

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to be Athena's illegitimate child, would you?"

Chapter 138 Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions (1/3)

The fact that Atalanta, who always revered the gods, could utter such outrageous words is enough to prove the shock this sacrifice had on her.

After countless efforts by the pioneers, the relationship between the Greeks and the gods tended to be one of mutual benefit and coexistence.

Humans offer sacrifices and provide the power of faith; in return, the gods bestow blessings and give corresponding rewards, including magic, revelation, weapons, and so on.

According to the basic rules, the more precious the offerings and the purer the faith, the more valuable the blessings received.

Sacrificial rituals have become an integral part of Greek life.

Even Atalanta, who lived deep in the mountains, and Circe, who lived in the sea, would often offer the things their gods liked on the altar and pray for blessings.

The Sky Bow in the huntress's hand and the Moon Staff in the Great Witch's arms are both rewards for the trade.

But after witnessing Samael's sacrifice, the two men began to have profound doubts about life.

This is no sacrifice; it's clearly a desperate fire sale by the gods, who are afraid they won't be able to give away their blessings!

You are Athena's illegitimate child, right? You must be Athena's illegitimate child, right?

At this moment, Samael, standing in the magic circle, looked at the strangely identical and bizarre eyes of the two figures, one large and one small, and couldn't help but laugh and cry.

Athena orchestrated this grand spectacle to solidify his identity as "Theseus," and once his actions were aligned, the path to becoming the future King of Athens would be clear and unobstructed.

From both a moral and logical standpoint, Samael had nothing to say about this gift from the goddess of wisdom.

However, the ancient serpent lowered its eyes to look at the golden armor with wings resembling those of the goddess of victory, Nike, and the matching golden bow and arrow, covered its face with one hand, and twitched its lips slightly.

Goddess's personal guard—Sagittarius?!

You actually made these things!

The materials used are all rare ores from the Earth Mother Temple. Gaia's inventory hasn't been emptied by you, has it?

Wait a minute, the gem on the bow looks a bit like the one on the head of the Earth Guardian King.

They even dismantled that thing? What a waste of money!

Just as Samael was considering finding a suitable reason to banish these things from the ground, the snow-white owl that had not left his shoulder stopped preening its feathers and emitted a clear chirping sound.

"Chirp!"

In an instant, a golden halo rippled out, and the holy garment on the altar deconstructed into armor plates, which, as if alive, flowed automatically toward the host, nesting and reassembling piece by piece from bottom to top.

Immediately, wings spread out behind him, and a golden bow and arrow fell into Samael's hand.

Medusa's shield, blessed with the power of the earth, and his cross spear, respectively transformed into divine runes, residing on his left and right arms.

When the light poured out, his first impression of this thing was—dazzling and arousing hatred.

Samael turned his head away, silently gazing at the sky, feeling his face burning. Fortunately, the night was thick, and no one saw the shame that filled his face.

However, Atalanta and Circe, who were observing, were somewhat dazzled.

After all, these golden armors were made from materials provided by the Temple of the Earth Mother, with fashion ideas brought by Samael, designs personally created by Athena, the goddess of art, and crafted by Hephaestus, the god of craftsmanship, using lava from Mount Etna. Moreover, Typhon, the king of gods and monsters, was imprisoned inside to blow air and enhance divinity and temperature.

Therefore, these things, whether in terms of appearance or actual function, can be considered impeccable divine-made weapons.

If I had known, I shouldn't have talked about "Saint Seiya Athena".

With so many good qualities in me, why didn't that girl learn them properly? Why did she inherit my bad habit of having a perverse sense of humor?

The ancient serpent led Pegasus on its leash, glanced at the pure white owl clinging to its shoulder, seemingly intending to stay permanently, and muttered to itself.

Now, the goddess of wisdom who was secretly watching everything must be lying on the bed, laughing so hard her stomach hurts.

“Pfft…Hahahaha!”

Meanwhile, on Mount Ares, in a magnificent and elegant palace, a silver-haired goddess, sprawled on a bed, curled up in a ball, letting out a hearty laugh.

"An illegitimate child? Pfft... Great idea, it's decided then."

"Cosmos, ignite! Pulse of light! Golden wind! Golden arrow! Hoo-ho!"

"Giggle, I can't take it anymore, I'm dying of laughter..."

Athena held her slightly sore lower abdomen and it took her a long time to recover from her burst of laughter.

A moment later, the figure under the blanket wriggled like a caterpillar, a corner of her disheveled silver hair falling out. Her head, which had been buried under the pillow, lifted slightly, her eyes gazing dreamily at the shimmering star map on the temple dome. Her pretty face flushed red, and she murmured softly.

"Sagittarius, be sure to protect your goddess..."

after all…"

Just as Athena was tapping her smooth chin with her index finger, her lips moving as if she was about to say something, she seemed to sense something. Her eyes narrowed instantly, and with lightning speed, she jumped out of bed and hurriedly tidied up the scene.

A moment later, the elegant goddess, holding a sheepskin shield and a scepter of victory, stood majestically, and a heavy knocking sound followed.

"Come in!"

After receiving a soft nod of permission, a silver-haired, blue-eyed, athletic female warrior, holding an arm shield in her left hand and a spear in her right, entered the room, put away her arrogance, and respectfully knelt on one knee before Athena.

"Your Majesty, what command do you have for me?"

Amidst the hissing sound of the golden armor plates, the female warrior revealed her healthy wheat-colored skin and the fiery red divine markings branded on her skin.

"I heard that the graduation trial you applied for at the Academy of Athens was to participate in the Calydon Hunt?"

"Yes!"

"Then let's also keep an eye on a certain hero who, like you, is heading to Calydon to hunt."

"What if that guy gets into danger?"

"You don't need to do anything, just keep an eye on him and report his condition to me every night."

"Your Majesty, if I may ask, who is he...?"

"My illegitimate child..."

"what?"

"Hehe, just kidding. He's a prince of Athens, from Trozon."

Trozen? A city-state that worshipped Poseidon?

Ugh, there's something about this that's unpleasant.

The female warrior frowned slightly, then suppressed a hint of resistance in her heart, pounded her chest with her right fist, and solemnly accepted the mission.

"As you command, Lady Goddess!"

"There's no need to be so serious. It's just a personal request. Go ahead, you should set off."

As Athena smiled and gently waved, the female warrior nodded, stood up, walked to the door, and with a wave of her arms, divine runes lit up, and the emitted ether formed two golden-red flame-shaped wings of light behind her.

Pierce through the storm walls, reach the sea of ​​stars, and soar, my golden wings!

"boom!"

The female warrior leaped into the air, rising a hundred meters, then found her direction and, like a burning phoenix, flapped her wings and flew south.

Athena looked at the large area of ​​collapsed rock outside the temple platform, gently waved her hand to close the cracks, and shook her head slightly.

If I remember correctly, her name was Katniss, right? From the coastal city of Thessaly?

It seems that because of a slip of the tongue, he learned about the rumors of the Ares trial and cursed Poseidon's son, the rapist who was killed in retaliation. He was then targeted by the sea god and had no choice but to seek refuge in Athens.

She's a rather impatient young girl, and sometimes acts without considering the consequences.

I just don't know who will take care of whom.

Chapter 139 Seals Come Ashore! (2/3)

The following morning, in Calydon.

Led by their leader, Atalanta, the three of them headed towards the royal reception hall.

Of course, aside from the owl scout he couldn't shake off, Samael would never reveal anything that might attract hatred, so he followed behind the huntress, keeping a very low profile.

As they passed through the central gate, two guards set up guns and shields to block their way. A priestess in white robes stepped out, nodded slightly in greeting, and then led them to a side hall. She lifted a black veil to reveal a crystal ball enshrined on the altar below.

The white-robed priestess gestured to the three people to place their hands on her arm for the test.

The three exchanged a glance and couldn't help but frown slightly.

"Gentlemen, this is a necessary procedure for participating in this hunt. All heroes must pass this test."

Seeing the three men's suspicious expressions, the white-robed priestess immediately began to explain the reason earnestly.

The Kalydon Boar is a super-powerful magical beast blessed by the hunting goddess Artemis. It can enhance its defense and magical power by consuming meat and armor.

This monster has been ravaging the land of Caludon for years.

Prior to this hunt, King Oenius had organized his own warriors and magicians, as well as recruited heroes from other regions, on several occasions to carry out the expedition.

As a result, the expeditionary force suffered repeated defeats, and their corpses and armor all became food for the demonic boars.

Each time it is seen, its size and magic grow stronger.

Now, the situation is even worse.

This demonic boar's tough hide not only possesses powerful magic resistance, but it can also greedily devour and transform the runes on lost weapons and magic array diagrams.

Not to mention ordinary heroes, even the dragons in the nearby forests were preyed upon and digested by it!

"You have come here in response to the call of justice to rid Calydon of this menace. We need to provide you with accurate information for comparison and to ensure your safety as much as possible."

The white-robed priestess's explanation was quite euphemistic, but the underlying meaning was self-evident.

The hunting party in Calyudon doesn't just throw in people of any skill level.

If you lack the strength to guarantee your safety, it's best to withdraw as soon as possible.

Samael, who habitually considers the darker side of humanity, believes that Calydon's actions are not merely about demonstrating humanitarian concern.

More importantly, the more you send, the faster the demonic boar develops, and the more difficult it becomes to hunt.

To this end, King Oenius spared no expense, generously opening up the national treasury, and with his beloved son Meleager as the leader, he rallied heroes from all over Greece to come and team up to conquer the dungeon.

Calyudon can no longer afford to be ruined. If they continue to fail like this, they might be destroyed by this beast.

Therefore, the other party's caution and seriousness are understandable.

After the reason was explained, the three had no objections and stepped forward to place their fingers on the surface of the crystal ball in turn, injecting ether.

Instantly, the magic array was activated, and three golden pillars of light rose up one after another, with the three divine seals—a verdant olive branch, a crimson moon, and a golden bow and arrow—converging and taking shape.

This ten-pull was incredibly lucky! I got three gold cards. In this era, I can't believe I can be a lucky player!

Samael withdrew his hand, shook his wrist, and recalled his card-drawing experience in games in his previous life, and smiled sarcastically to himself.

According to the white-robed priestess, this gacha pool—cough, no, this crystal ball—can display gold, silver, and bronze halos depending on the strength of one's bloodline and the purity of one's magic power.

This corresponds precisely to the capacity classification of citizens in Mesopotamia.

Since Greece was still in the prosperous period of the Age of Gods, there was no such thing as the Iron rank.