The Greece Antagonist

Several hours later, four deities gathered in the secluded valley outside of Knossos City.

Then, as the hostess, the Goddess Athena, dressed in bronze armor, clashed her Aegis Shield and Spear of Victory against each other, producing a crisp, resonating sound.

The Gorgon Sisters, possessing serpent-like divinity, pulled on the reins that bound the three celestial horses, driving a bronze chariot that sped forth from the sacrificial grounds within the city.

The Goddess of the Hunt, Artemis, placed the ring of her thumb and forefinger to her lips and blew a sharp, urgent whistle.

A breeze swept through the forest, and first to arrive were three droopy-eared dogs, two mottled dogs, and one spotted dog, along with seven swift Spartan hounds, immediately followed by two long-horned does with golden bits in their mouths pulling a golden chariot towards their mistress. Behind them, twenty hunt-clad nymphs with bows and spears on their backs—and nearly two meters tall—quickly assembled in the valley, their long legs carrying them with rapid strides.

The God of Light, Apollo, elegantly raised his hand and fetched the seven-stringed lyre that materialized in his embrace, gently plucking its strings.

The nine Muse Goddesses, their sashes billowing in the wind, gathered in response, accompanying Apollo with laughter and song to his left and right.

They were the nine daughters of King of the Gods, Zeus, and Titaness Mnemosyne, Goddess of Memory, each with her hair bound in a golden ribbon, representing the nine ancient muse goddesses of Greece, presiding over art and science, embodying the myths and legends expressed through traditional music, dance, and poetry passed down through the ages. And the God of Light and Prophecy, Apollo, was their chief god.

Looking at the three chief gods ready for the hunt and their respective lesser deities, Luo En and Hestia exchanged glances.

What game on the island could possibly be worthy of their hunt?

"Are we heading to the Cretan mountains?" asked Hestia, swallowing nervously, uncertain.

Even if the entire Cretan mountain ranges brought all their living species to bear, they could hardly last a single round against such a formidable assembly, right?

Athena shook her head gently, revealing a smile with deep meaning.

"No, to hunt the biggest and best prey, of course we must go to the Sea of Okeanos!"

In an instant, Luo En understood everything, and a grin of schadenfreude appeared on his face.

As expected, according to his understanding of the goddess of wisdom, this woman could hide several plots within a single sentence.

How could she possibly ask Apollo to visit her bearing the grudge of Hestia?

Athena was only this enthusiastic when there were no good banquets to be had!

And currently, the only threat to Crete Island was naturally something from the sea.

Conveniently, Artemis had just been targeted from afar and was looking for a place to vent her anger.

Having a common enemy, the two parties naturally hit it off, and Apollo, who had his sights on Hestia, was brought along for the ride.

Which means that they were not merely forming a party for a mundane hunt, but to raid Poseidon!

Now this would be a spectacle!

Realizing the true purpose of this journey, Luo En immediately put on an expression of deep regret and brought his complaint to the three chief gods.

"Not long ago, the Sea of Okeanos was overrun with monsters, brazenly unleashing a tide of beasts that destroyed thousands of ships and obliterated countless farmlands, with several hundred thousand Minosians killed by these creatures. Among them, the most powerful and hateful were Scylla, the six-headed, twelve-footed sea monster in the Strait of Messina, the great whirlpool Charybdis, and the three Siren Sisters," he reported.

"Then let it be them!"

Suddenly, Artemis, who had developed a tacit understanding with Luo En, immediately took up the thread and set their first hunting target.

"Everyone, I'll go ahead! The first kill is mine; you all can fight for second place!" she declared.

Saying so, the Goddess of the Hunt pulled Luo En onto the chariot without another word and thrust the reins into his hands.

"Quick, lead the way!" she ordered.

Before Luo En could speak, Artemis cracked her whip on the rear of the long-horned deer.

At once, the two deer neighed lowly and charged forward, pulling the chariot into the vast expanse of sea, leaving everyone behind in the dust.

The twenty accompanying nymphs, also lesser deities, followed closely, treading effortlessly through the surging waves.

They were not only nymphs but also descendants of the sea, naturally close to water.

"Ah, too cunning, Artemis!"

Seeing her lesser deity being abducted right before her eyes, Hestia's anger made her eyes bulge.

At that moment, Athena smiled and reached out, extending an olive branch proactively.

"Aunt, do you need help?"

"We chase! We absolutely cannot let Artemis get ahead!"

Hestia nodded furiously, though it was unclear whether she was referring to this hunt or something else.

"Of course!"

The Goddess of Wisdom gladly consented and immediately pulled the Goddess of the Hearth onto her chariot.

The three Gorgon Sisters, tasked with driving the chariot, shared a common fury driven by animosity and a chaotic excitement fearful that the world would be too calm, each snapped the reins and commanded the Pegasus, which they had personally raised and were usually white with two wings.

"Pegasus, good children, go go go!"

Instantly, the three pure white Pegasus snorted aloud and fluttered their snowy wings, rushing over the sea at high speed.

In the blink of an eye, of the three hunting parties that had been advancing in unison, only Apollo was left behind, standing alone.

Watching Artemis and Hestia speed away, the usually center-of-attention handsome god showed a face where dark and light crossed.

"Go!"

Eventually, Apollo squeezed out a harsh word between clenched teeth. Noticing their chief god's somewhat displeased mood, the nine Muse Goddesses dared not say much and immediately began singing an uplifting tune to incite the horses' passion, propelling them to rush toward the teams ahead.

Upon the sea, the three hunting parties tore through the tumultuous waves, racing forward.

Deep underneath, the Sea Beasts that were rudely awakened roared as they surfaced.

But as soon as they emerged, they were met with an inhumane slaughter.

Silver arrows multiplied into thousands, dense as rain;

Gold arrows fell like shooting stars, striking from above;

Spear-like lights swiftly cut through the waves like lightning;

The huge Sea Beasts, towering like mountains, and the smaller ones, tens of meters in length and varying in shape, all suffered a dire fate, dead before they could even glimpse their foe.

Beneath them, blood turned into rivers and the thick stench of blood spread in all directions. The turbulent aether, nearly solidifying into substance, protested the bloodshed and brutality of the invaders.

Then the Nymphs swiftly fanned out in an arc, skimmed over the sea, and collected the magical cores as trophies;

The waters, like swarms of serpents, churned and swallowed the flesh, pushed aside the heavy debris, and cleared the path;

The nine Muse Goddesses, either singing loudly or humming, paid tribute to the departed souls, purified the sea from the miasma and death emanating from it, and prevented the spread of pestilence...

In this comprehensive assault of massacre, clean-up, and post-battle care, the previously noisy and chaotic coastal waters became instantly silent.

Along with the three hunting parties' sweeping progress, they soon arrived at the Strait of Messina, the stronghold of the Sea Beasts, knocking on the doors of a few of Poseidon's Demigod kin, offering a heartwarming and cordial greeting.

"Boom!"

Apollo, who had not had a chance to show off, slightly lifted his hand and a golden halo sank into the sea and erupted with a thunderous roar, spreading his majestic divine power in all directions.

For a moment, the deep sea kin, sensing the danger, scattered like frightened animals, fleeing in terror.

And in the midst of this chaotic stampede of beasts, the four chief gods easily spotted Scylla, the huge whirlpool Charybdis, and the Siren Sisters mingling within, and promptly commenced their respective first hunts.

Artemis, taking Luo En with her, headed straight for Scylla, the easiest to deal with, eager to win this first battle quickly and then enjoy the post-victory celebrations.

For the best reward was already in her hands!