Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

The meandering stream, brimming with ethereal energy, flows around the land. A handful of water tastes clear and sweet, and the air is filled with a magical, almost misty atmosphere. The vegetation on the land is exceptionally lush.

Along the roadsides and in the woods, shrubs laden with fruit and heavy with grains are everywhere, accompanied by the sounds of birds and insects. Wildflowers and grasses grow freely, exuding a pleasant fragrance, and bees and butterflies dance among them.

Compared to the sinking of the world bubble and the decline of the Age of Gods, this place is like a magnificent garden with abundant resources, where food from heaven is everywhere.

Water of life! Earth of birth!

No wonder the souls of these Greek heroes, after living here for a long time, could become flesh-and-blood spirits with physical forms.

The ancient serpent sensed the unusual water and soil, its eyes narrowed, and it gradually realized what Zeus had done, utterly astonished.

Such pure mana fills every space. When the inhabitants breathe in the air, drink the water, and eat the fruits and grains, these can be directly digested and absorbed by humans, gods, and even flesh-bound spirits to sustain their daily needs and even improve themselves.

Besides being free from the ravages of heat and cold, natural disasters, and the strife of war, and far removed from the disturbances of the world, the faces of the inhabitants are filled with peaceful and contented expressions. It is indeed no exaggeration to call it the "Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss".

However, this is on the premise that Zeus did not disperse the power that suppressed human desires and emotional fluctuations in this land.

At this moment, these flesh-bearing heroic spirits before them wandered aimlessly, or stopped to rest. None of them showed any vigilance or surprise at the arrival of these outsiders. The welcoming smiles on their faces, though clearly moving their muscles, were like the unchanging painted expressions on a puppet's face.

Looking at it for too long gives one a creepy feeling.

Furthermore, a careful observation of the residents' eyes reveals that they have clearly lost focus, making the heroic spirits appear as if they are indulging in a beautiful dream.

Samael looked down at the lush, green ground, his eyes flashing with a cross-shaped light pattern that pierced through the soil, revealing hundreds of spiritual veins, like mighty rivers, flowing from the boundless plains outside the Wall of Sighs, nourishing this small patch of pure land.

Understood!

It turns out that the endless stream of spirits in the underworld whose consciousness dissipates and are recycled as pure energy are the fertilizer that nourishes the Pure Land of Bliss.

Harvesting the souls of mortals to provide a vast amount of ether, thus supplying these heroes with massive resources to enable them to become flesh and enhance their strength.

You're something else, Zeus!

I used humanity to accelerate the decline of the divine age. You, through the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death, turn around and harvest humanity on earth like crops, taking back the ether they absorbed from the world.

Samael frowned and snorted coldly, withdrawing his gaze from the outside world and looking back at the underground spiritual vein.

Upon closer inspection, countless wisps of purplish-black negative mist can be seen mixed within.

They were extracted from the bodies of these fleshly heroic spirits and transported through the spiritual veins to the bottomless abyss below.

Is it another Pandora's Box-like tactic?

This intense sense of familiarity caused the ancient snake to mutter unconsciously, triggering unpleasant memories from the past, and its face darkened.

Zeus used this trick to cause an imbalance between good and evil and human emotions, thus ensnaring him and forcing him to flee to the Sea of ​​Oceanus for a while.

Based on Samael's understanding of the wise god-king over millions of years, Zeus's good intentions likely concealed far more sinister motives.

In short, the Pure Land of Bliss is definitely not a good place!

Samael's mind raced, his expression shifting between light and shadow as he secretly considered countermeasures.

At this very moment, the people who had entered the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss dispersed one after another, each with their own purpose.

Orion the teddy bear was the first to react. Like a big mouse in a field, it followed the familiar scent and excitedly darted into the nursery, making its way in a winding path.

As the grass and trees rustled, Orion stopped in front of a robust body standing in the grass, staring intently at it.

The image of him with a longbow on his back, wristbands wrapped around his arms, and muscles all over his body, dressed like a hunter, along with his iconic baby face, honest features, and the faint resonance of his soul, made Orion mutter to himself unconsciously.

"My body...?!"

As Orion trembled as he raised his hand to touch the skin of this body, a trembling hum emanating from between them, radiating a golden-blue aura.

A moment later, the teddy bear, which had been so excited, suddenly lost its spirit and slumped limply onto the grass.

Immediately, the honest-looking, baby-faced hunter, who had been "on standby" just moments before, suddenly had a glint of surprise in his eyes. He looked down and repeatedly examined his limbs, kneading his muscles and touching his facial features.

After a thorough inspection, the hunter seemed to have an idea. He furtively reached for his waist, then, hidden by the grass and flowers, pulled down his trousers and squinted to peek inside.

Wow, this young man is quite something!

Orion's smile had an indescribable lewdness and frivolity about it, making one want to punch him in the face.

"My dear, you are finally back!"

Upon seeing this, Artemis, the moon goddess who followed closely behind, immediately threw herself into Orion's arms, weeping with joy. Her fair arms wrapped around the hunter's neck, tightening excitedly to express her reluctance to part and her happiness.

Don't let Orion's reputation as a famous three-star hunter fool you; he's a burly man with terrifying strength. But Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, can also draw a powerful bow, chase after a golden deer at breakneck speed, and subdue a serpent with her bare hands. You can imagine the extraordinary qualities of her divine body.

Therefore, the moon goddess's almost frenzied love was so heavy that Orion, this muscular giant, nearly suffocated. His shinbone, which was being locked, kept making cracking sounds, and even showed signs of being twisted off.

"Wait...stop! Don't choke me—! Ugh...I'm...I'm going to die, Artemis..."

It wasn't until Orion began to plead for mercy intermittently that Artemis, somewhat overly excited, realized that her old lover, whose body she had just regained and whose soul had returned, had almost been killed by her once again.

The goddess stuck out her tongue with a girlish air, hurriedly letting go of his arms while gently patting Orion's chest to help him catch his breath.

After a brief moment of tenderness between the two, Orion composed himself, sighed, and pulled Artemis along to look around.

After walking a few steps, the hunter parted the grass and saw a green-eyed, purple-haired man standing in front of a flower bed, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

"Perseus, boss! You're really here! Haha, it's so good to see you!"

Orion stepped forward and gave him a hug, his powerful arm tightening so much that the young, handsome man's spine cracked.

Even so, Perseus's expression remained unchanged; he simply looked at his old friend with indifference, as if he were an empty shell without a soul.

Meanwhile, Hercules, walking through the forest, stared blankly at three boys practicing with wooden swords and blades in the clearing. Their faces had appeared in his dreams time and time again, driving the mighty god to the brink of madness with regret.

Chapter 237 The Heroes' Dog Leash (2/2)

hum!

At this moment, sensing the situation his two companions were in, Samael smiled with relief and gently stepped on the ground.

Amidst the air vibrations, the power of the Serpent of Original Sin spread, precisely severing several purplish-black threads underground that were absorbed by the spiritual veins. Its rich emotions and strong self-awareness immediately broke free of their restraints and flowed back into its master's body.

"Orion? Could it be that you also..."

The handsome man with purple hair and green eyes suddenly awoke as if from a dream, and his expression was one of astonishment when he saw the scenery in front of him and that unforgettable, honest baby face.

Before he could finish speaking, the trembling of his bones caused Perseus, who had just awakened, to contort his face slightly.

"Let go...let go...let go first."

Orion realized he had gone a bit too far with his enthusiasm, so he awkwardly let go of his old friend, chuckled sheepishly, and scratched the back of his head to cover up his embarrassment.

Perseus, having broken free of his restraints, rubbed his aching joints, looked around, and finally looked at Orion, sighing with a gloomy expression.

"When I woke up, there were quite a few new faces in the Pure Land of Bliss. It seems that His Majesty the God-King has sped up his actions considerably. I originally thought that you would be the first hero to escape the curse, but I never expected that even your entire soul would be bound here."

Orion scratched his head, a smug smile playing on his lips.

“Master Perseus, I actually forgot to tell you that I followed my friends and crossed the River Styx to find this place on my own initiative.”

Then, the Greek three-star hunter briefly recounted his journey to his old friend and explained how he had just regained his physical body.

"Idiot! You think this is a good thing?!"

Perseus, upon hearing the final account, turned grim, slapped his forehead in rebuke, and then revealed the sinister intentions behind the gift.

"Having merged with that part of the soul bound by Elysium, and now possessing a physical body, you are probably completely controlled by Zeus's divine seal and have become a servant apostle!"

Orion looked bewildered, then quickly picked up the teddy bear's soul container from the grass and stuck it to his forehead.

However, in any case, parts of one's consciousness cannot be transferred as before.

Even as he was about to curse the instigator, a subtle constraint came from his body, and his soul felt a sharp pain from this disrespectful thought, causing him to clutch his head and pound it hard.

Furthermore, a lightning bolt symbol with a flowing halo appeared on Orion's forehead, leaving a charred mark.

The pain, like a red-hot iron rod twisting in his brain, even made Orion, who was usually thick-skinned and enjoyed masochistic behavior, have bloodshot eyes and bulging veins on his forehead.

The three-star hunter's brow was beaded with sweat as he laboriously raised his hand to press on Perseus's shoulder, asking a dry, hoarse question.

"This is... Zeus's... mark? To actually implant something like this within a mortal body to control us, how insidious... Ouch!"

The moment the disrespectful thought arose, silver arcs of light surged wildly across Orion's body, causing him to scream in agony.

Perseus turned his head slightly, unable to bear to look at Orion. Only after Orion's convulsions gradually subsided did he pat his old friend on the shoulder and reply with a gloomy expression.

"It's not about burying, it's about awakening!"

In fact, almost every one of us heroes who inherited divine blood had a latent divine mark etched into our souls by the threads of fate at the moment of our birth.

Until we 'mature' and step into death in our destiny, the divine seal will take our souls to the Pure Land of Bliss, reshape our bodies, and serve the gods.

Upon hearing this secret, Orion's face changed drastically, and he couldn't help but curse.

"So that means our fate is mostly predetermined, and we're going to be manipulated and toyed with by the gods in the heavens? This isn't a divine seal, it's clearly a curse!"

If you're going to treat me like a dog, you'll have to put a leash on me beforehand... Ouch... It hurts, it hurts, it hurts..."

Once again suffering from the dual torment of soul and body, Orion was sweating profusely, his body trembling like a sieve.

"Darling, don't think too much, there will be a way, I will definitely find a way to save you..."

Artemis, who was also hearing this secret for the first time, couldn't bear to see her old lover suffer. She immediately pressed his head into her bosom to comfort him, and with her fingers pressed against the back of his head, she activated her power, trying to dispel the so-called divine seal.

However, the activated lightning-shaped divine seal was already inextricably linked to Orion's soul.

Let alone forcibly removing it, even the slightest movement would cause the host excruciating pain, as if their consciousness were being torn apart.

Moreover, the legendary spinning wheel of fate weaves the future of the world, and the patterns it weaves even encompass the fate of the gods, which insignificant humans are powerless to resist.

He thought his suffering was finally over, but after many hardships he finally found Paradise Island. Orion's torn soul was rebuilt and he was reborn with a new body, but he also became a prisoner here.

Once discovered by Zeus, the father god, even if both could save their lives, they would be destined to be separated and never see each other again.

Artemis's eyes were filled with sorrow, and a sense of resentment and bitterness welled up within her.

Orion, while temporarily suppressing his grumbling about the gods, patted his head, gathered his thoughts, and asked with difficulty.

"Hiss... Boss Perseus, you just said that our divine seals will be activated in Elysium after we die. What if we appear here as living people?"

"They'll be awakened prematurely! Assimilated by this land! Did you bring living people here?!"

Perseus's eyes flickered, his expression serious.

"Damn it! Atalanta and Hercules are in trouble!"

Upon receiving the dangerous reply, Orion cursed inwardly and immediately grabbed Artemis and Perseus, rushing towards the Wailing Wall, shouting a warning to Samael and the others from afar.

"Go! The Pure Land of Bliss will assimilate you and leave you behind! That old hag Hecate is up to no good!"

At the same time, upon hearing the warning, Samael's eyelids twitched. He stepped forward, shielding Atalanta, Medea, and Circe, who were a few beats slower to react, behind him. He then looked warily at Hecate, who was standing to the side, and narrowed his eyes.

Hearing the commotion, Hercules picked up his nameless axe and strode over. The three handsome young men, whose minds had returned to normal, also grabbed their javelins and shields and followed closely behind.

Sisyphus, who was feasting in the riverside nursery and filling his withered soul, hesitated for a moment upon hearing this, glanced helplessly at the good things around him, and then turned and headed towards the source of the sound.

In the tense atmosphere, the group arrived one after another, each carrying their own secrets and bringing in new reinforcements.

Upon hearing Orion's revelation, his teammates' expressions changed drastically. Samael immediately spread his palms and placed his hand on Atalanta's head, and his divine power pulsed and spread, carefully examining the abnormality within the leader's body.

As expected, after rigorous and repeated probing, the ancient serpent quickly found the invisible threads within Atalanta's soul fire that were intertwined with her memories and emotions.

Then, Medea had it, Circe had it, Heracles had it, and even Sisyphus was not spared.

And under Samael's power, the divine seal woven by the spinning wheel of fate appeared one after another on the heroes' bodies, behind their ears, on their foreheads, on their chests, on their lower abdomens, and on other parts of their bodies.

The ancient serpent gazed intently at the goddess of the underworld moon ahead, and asked in a low voice.

"Your Highness Hecate, are you aware of the potential dangers of lingering in Elysium?"

"Know……"

Why weren't you informed beforehand?

"How to see through things and how to deal with them is your business; I'm only responsible for guiding you..."

The goddess of the path and magic responded calmly, and when Hecate's eyes caught sight of a little follower struggling to protect her beside the ancient serpent, she paused briefly and added a sentence.

“If you need to ask me for help even for this little trouble, then you shouldn’t be looking for the Pure Land of Bliss, nor should you have such dangerous ideas.”

"Understood……"

Samael's gaze fell on Hecate's subtle movements, and he seemed to be deep in thought. He then raised his hand and gently stroked Medea's little head, before his fingertips slid down the side of the little girl's cheek, stirring up a captivating blush on the purple-haired loli's face.

Hecate, sitting opposite him, had a furrowed brow and white knuckles as she gripped the scepter; clearly, she was not at peace.

Samael became increasingly audacious, lightly rubbing and kneading the little girl's ear with his fingers, a playful smile on his face.

Circe was about to speak when Atalanta pulled her back.