Chapter 51 Cilicia

"Please stay with me, dear Apollo."

Nature is wondrous and magnificent.

Nature has created countless magnificent sights and nurtured countless innocent creatures.

"This is utterly incomprehensible, how could he do that again..."

Hermes fled the turbulent sea in panic at Apollo's affectionate address. She was ultimately unable to confront the pounding in her heart when she was with him; it swept through her chest and brain again and again, suffocating her and plunging her into a dazed and confused state.

It was an uncontrollable tremor of the heart that longed to respond to his call and to be closer to him.

This is so shameful, it's an absolute disgrace.

Although they are partners who can travel together on an adventure, they are also waging a war without bloodshed in private. She uses and suppresses him, and he does the same.

If this is a hoax, wouldn't it be like falling into a trap set by Apollo himself and having to admit defeat to him in a sorry state?

She thought she had to steal all his things quickly so he wouldn't tease her so cruelly anymore.

As I said before—who would like an arrogant and hypocritical Apollo!

He should spend his whole life with his silly goose and big-billed crow!

As Hermes flew at breakneck speed over one mountain and island after another, she sensed danger.

Perhaps it was more sinister than the siren; it was so familiar, exactly the same clue she had uncovered in the human settlements of Delphi. The papyrus scrolls, inscribed with strange runes, that had been the human possessions constantly monitored by her avatar, still carried that malevolent scent.

After all, in her mind, those gold and silver gradient runes that resembled both words and graffiti definitely depicted an ancient and powerful monster.

The budding of love, wavering and uncertain, cannot compare to the innate curiosity and desire to explore.

Just like humans who, knowing that there are ferocious and cruel monsters greedily waiting for their sacrifices to fall into their traps on the vast and endless ocean, still choose to bravely embark on a ship and sail towards the unknown.

Hermes flew toward the coastal peninsula shrouded in mist, her golden scepter dispelling the pungent smell of smoke.

But the deeper she went, the more the poisonous mist and smoke gathered, and layers of sticky, burning sensation spread throughout her body, making it almost impossible for her to open her eyes.

No humans live here, and it is not suitable for any kind of life to inhabit.

Even she, a powerful deity, almost couldn't endure such a harsh environment.

Fortunately, the natural forces within her protected her, allowing her to find her way forward in the darkness where she couldn't see anything clearly, and to find the source of all her unease.

It was a vast, hidden cave, nestled high in the steep, rugged mountains, like Mount Curene in Arcadia or Mount Parnassus in Delphi. The more difficult a place is to traverse and reach, the more likely it is to reveal incredible sacred sites.

But how can miracles be revealed to all living beings in places and corners where not even a ray of sunlight can reach, and in thin air where living beings can hardly breathe?

A series of low, hoarse roars came from afar, like the mocking grumbles of a wild beast before tearing apart its prey, carrying a sense of nonchalance yet also an eagerness.

The only unknown being living in this sacred place patiently—or rather, impatiently—waited for the arrival of the pilgrims.

But she was not a devout believer.

Hermes is no longer surprised by strange things.

She stood firmly on the uneven ground, the oddly shaped pebbles tearing at her legs and feet, and the thick, thorny, poisonous vines gradually binding her neck and limbs, causing the divine blood, tinged with gold, to slowly flow down.

The nature goddess, who possessed the power of the Earth Mother Gaia, was scarred, and her noble and pure blood stained this untamed and wild land.

However, she was not crushed by this attack that could have endangered her life, nor was she afraid of the still unknown dangers ahead.

She marched forward with her head held high amidst the tight vines and the jagged rocks, the winged scepter in her hand shimmering with a vibrant green light that seemed to shatter this monstrous realm like the dawn breaking.

It's not difficult to detect its presence.

Hermes used her divine power to shatter the cave. After the surrounding mist and smoke dissipated, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, which had been itchy and teary from the smoke.

When I opened my eyes again, a new cave had miraculously appeared on top of the original ruins, completely covering them, as if nothing here could be destroyed by any force.

"You ever-changing monster, ruler of Cilicia."

Hermes stared intently into the deep, dark cave entrance ahead. In this remote, forested, and mountainous region far from the coast, she, as the goddess of nature, sensed even more life.

Monsters were born here, and countless monsters multiplied from them. But it itself is composed of them.

“This mere illusion is powerless to harm me in the slightest. In this land rejected by the gods, the glory of Mother Gaia is with me.”

Hopefully, these provocative words, tinged with prayer, will enrage it and cause it to reveal its true nature.

Because she is the true hunter, she will be more ferocious than the invincible hero Apollo, annihilating all evil in the world.

Nature could not tolerate such a domineering and greedy evil entity devouring its territory.

She is the embodiment of the greatness of nature.

A gust of wind swept by, and Hermes inhaled the foul stench, picturing the appearance of the ruler of Cilicia in her mind and eyes.

It possessed the heads of a hundred dragons and a long, black tongue, while its many large, round, pupil-less eyes spewed forth flames resembling scorching magma. This enormous monster's body was taller than the sky and covered in dark-colored feathers.

feather--

Amidst the howling wind, Hermes suddenly looked up and saw the dark, lightless sky gradually vanish into nothingness.

At the same time, more and more feathers fell, carrying corrosive venom as they crashed onto the ground covered with rubble and vines—a trap created by the ferocious and brutal ruler flapping its wings.

The corrosive venom was also encountered by Cerberus, the three-headed dog of hell.

Hermes instinctively retreated into the cave, frowning as she disappeared into the deeper darkness.

Almost the instant her body leaped inside, a boulder rolled down, blocking the entrance and preventing her from escaping the trap.

If this mountain is also part of the monster's body, then what do the caves in the mountain symbolize?

The golden scepter gleamed, and as waves of warmth flowed into Hermes' body, she opened her lips and spat out one green snake after another.

Her creatures swarmed into the darkness and scattered throughout the cave.

They possess the same deadly venom as the monsters.

With the determination to destroy everything.

"..."

"...Pi Tong".

Hermes paused, astonished that the hoarse voice, echoing in all directions, sounded remarkably like that of a god or a human.

It seemed to be whispering in her ear.

"Pitong, Pitong, Pitong..."

In an instant, the green snakes, still spreading venom, exploded. As the light of the scepter suddenly weakened, their mangled corpses turned into smoke and vanished completely.

What happened before our eyes happened in the blink of an eye.

Hermes twitched her lips, her fair and delicate face turning extremely gloomy. Her already unsettled heart was now ablaze with rage because of the destruction of what she owned.

"Tsk."

"Does calling upon the name of a shameless serpent that died a humiliating death by the arrow of the God of Light make you more powerful? Or do you wish to die like it in the very place you live?" Hermes said coldly to the unseen monster. "My patience has its limits, Lord of Cilicia."

"You are neither a god, nor an elf, nor a human. I tolerate your immaturity and baseness because you possess the blood of the Great Earth Mother, you noble monster."

She remembers, she has always remembered.

Gaia, who bestowed upon her immense power, is not only the mother of the gods but also the mother of monsters.

"So before my merciful patience runs out completely, you might as well use the heads of your hundred dragons to seriously consider the consequences of angering me, Hermes."

“I love the creatures of nature, but I am the god of nature, so I also abhor the creatures that defile me.”

After delivering these words with a chilling air, Hermes sincerely hoped that the monster who had refused to face her would not be so ungrateful as to continue trampling on her sincerity.

She truly and deeply loves all life in the world.

Even if not all lives deserve to be loved.

Cilicia sits atop the world's largest passage to the underworld, its mists and illusions deterring and killing any life that dares to attempt to reach it.

At the very end of this underground place lies Erebus, which symbolizes 'darkness'.

Hermes had already sensed these primal evils during her journey with Apollo to the underworld to bring back Persephone.

But is this related to the underworld? That ever-changing, cunning monster.

In an instant, a name filled with ominousness and distance surfaced in Hermes's rapidly working mind—Tartarus.

Tartarus, one of the five creator gods and the incarnation of the abyss, is the blood brother of Gaia, the goddess of the earth.

Perhaps there are even more untold secrets hidden within.

"...the god of nature."

Hearing that deep, hoarse voice, like the roar of a beast, again, Hermes secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The unseen monster was finally willing to ease the tense relationship with her.

She could no longer sense its murderous intent.

But the exhausting war was far from over.

"Ah... my foolish and ignorant brothers and sisters, my descendants..." The monster's intermittent murmurs echoed in the dark cave, as if it were swallowing saliva dripping from its mouth, or tearing apart the entrails of its dying prey, "...I shouldn't have disappointed her... just like them, foolish and ignorant..."

Hermes didn't understand; she couldn't comprehend what this enormous monster was trying to express.

The monster seemed to be responding to her, or perhaps it was simply talking to itself.

A truly rude and ignorant fool!

Even Gaia, the goddess who has been using her all along, has never treated her so poorly!

...

...But then again, how could Gaia have given birth to such a hateful monster?

Hermes suddenly realized this.

At the same moment, she blinked her eyes, which had become blurred from the long darkness, and quite keenly noticed the faint, indistinct glow emanating from the deepest part of the cave.

No, the light was not faint; it was gradually expanding.

Suddenly, bursts of lightning and thunder, like a howling hurricane, resounded throughout the cave where the monster dwelled, accompanied by a sudden surge of daylight.

Hermes stared at the sacred artifact that should never have been here, her pupils contracting sharply.

That, that is—

Hermes!

Hearing a familiar voice coming from behind, Hermes instinctively turned her head and saw that the giant rock blocking the cave entrance was still broken open. A tall figure bathed in holy light was drawing his bow towards her.

That handsome face, as if sculpted from hard, smooth marble, was tinged with coldness and austerity, and his dark, light blue eyes seemed to be brewing a storm.

He narrowed his beautifully shaped eyes, looking like a divine being descended from heaven.

"Get out of the way!"

Hermes was not even stunned by Apollo's sudden appearance and behavior; without a second thought, she flew swiftly behind him.

In the instant Hermes brushed past the God of Light, who was raising his arm and drawing his bow, he locked onto yet another illusion of that despicable monster and shot a golden arrow imbued with powerful divine energy at its weak point.

He controls disease and brings healing, and is in charge of the light that repels and destroys all evil.

He could once destroy the giant python Pitong, which wreaked havoc on the mortal realm, and now he can also kill this ancient monster that is barely clinging to life and hiding its brilliance—even though they are both under the protection of Mother Earth Gaia.

Apollo remained in the bow-drawing posture, his Adam's apple bobbing heavily, his chest rising and falling slightly, and a few breaths of annoyance escaping from his tightly pursed lips.

He rejects those who oppose him and loathes all monsters that are born ugly.

Even before he was appointed one of the twelve Olympian gods, he tirelessly fought monsters all over the world and built his own temples in the places where they were destroyed. This factor was also part of the reason behind his tireless efforts.

“You vile spirit,” Apollo said in a low voice, his tone like a short, decisive melody, “that Cilicia should have been your final resting place.”

Hermes peeked out from behind Apollo's imposing figure, her inquisitive gaze fixed on the so-called 'illusion' pierced by the arrow of the god of light.

The darkness inside the cave has been replaced by light, and even the world outside the cave is bright.

There is no more fog and darkness, no more danger and monsters.

...But is that really the case?

Hermes pointed her scepter at the 'illusion'.

It lay quietly amidst the broken vines and rocks, with a faint crackling of lightning clinging to it.

Its staff is slender, but its head is a sphere containing violent lightning.

It was none other than the thunder scepter of Zeus, the king of the gods.

“That is not true,” Apollo’s voice rang out again.

Hermes saw Apollo turn to look at her. His slightly lowered blue eyes had gradually regained their calm, and he didn't look as terrifying as when he had just shot his prey.

He is the god of prophecy, able to see the future.

But she still used frost and snow to freeze the thunder scepter, whether it was real or not, and absorbed it into her body, just as she had swallowed Triton's fish scales not long ago.

A layer of grayness rose in Apollo's eyes, like a bottomless swamp.

"Thank you for saving me, Apollo."

Hermes did not explain why she did not trust Apollo. She stroked her flat belly, feeling a turbulent power within it, like molten lava, and her heart was filled with turmoil.

"However, I had a more cautious approach to luring the snake out of its hole."

Upon hearing this analogy, Apollo raised an eyebrow.

A subtle, almost imperceptible shadow settled in his eyes.

“You’ve alerted the snake.” Hermes looked out at the bright sunlight shining through the cave. “It’s already gone.”

"By the way, how did you end up here?"

"..."

"Because of you, you brat."

Later, Apollo healed Hermes' wounds. Together they explored Cilicia, trying to find clues about this monster who was adept at creating illusions from the shadows—they intended to gather some leads before informing the gods of its existence.

Unfortunately, since the towering fog and vines dissipated, the peninsula has become a peaceful natural place, and even wild animals such as rabbits, monkeys and cheetahs have appeared, showing that this place was originally full of vitality.

As night fell, Hermes started a fire at the foot of the mountain by rubbing sticks together, and directed Apollo to hunt meat to fill her stomach.

Apollo was already fed up with the feeling of not being trusted by Hermes, so he was unmoved by her request and turned to get on the swan chariot to return to Delphi.

"Honestly, you stingy brother Apollo."

But he still paused and stopped because of her muttering, whether intentional or not.

"Aren't you hungry? I was hoping to show you my cooking skills!"

"Wouldn't it be better if we went back to Delphi together after we've eaten and drunk our fill, Brother Apollo?"

Apollo glanced to the side and saw the girl sitting cross-legged beside the orange-red fireball, tilting her head and smiling at him. Her clear emerald green eyes curved into crescent moons in the night sky, looking so adorable.

She said gently, "Please stay with me, dear Apollo."

"..."

Finally, Apollo looked away and turned his gaze away.

What would you like to eat?

He ultimately succumbed to her carefully crafted, sweet facade.

Hermes winked slyly with her right eye: "How could the all-knowing and all-powerful Apollo ask such a question?"

Apollo sighed and then strode away.

A short while later, he turned back from the depths of the woods, with a large pile of hunted food floating behind him.

Wild rabbits, wild boars, fish, shrimp, goats... and even all kinds of fruits.

The dead animals didn't have the stench of blood from their corpses, which showed that he had handled them carefully.

Apollo snapped his fingers, and the items instantly fell beside the campfire with a crisp sound.

Hermes stared in disbelief at the scene, her gaze shifting from the pile of things on the ground beside her to a fixed stare at the indifferent Apollo.

"W-so much?" Hermes asked in astonishment. "Can the two of us finish it???"

Apollo sat down opposite Hermes.

He replied, "I believe you."

Hermes: "..."

How can the word "absolute" possibly describe it!

“At worst…” Apollo looked at Hermes’s bitter face and curled his lips slightly, “You can make a small bag and bring the rest to Pan.”

Hermes fell silent again.

Apollo's words reminded her that in her panic during the day, she had left Pan stranded on the beach thousands of miles away.

Pan has been inseparable from her since he was a child. So much time has passed, he must be very anxious, right?

Not to mention, even Apollo left.

Pan is left there alone... I hope nothing bad will happen.

Hermes wasn't worried about Pan's fate, but about other living beings.

As Pan's mother, she knew his nature very well.

"Didn't you say you were going to show me your cooking skills?"

It was another statement from Apollo that drew Hermes' thoughts and attention back.

Hermes glanced at the large pile of fresh ingredients beside her, then at Apollo, who was staring intently at her.

This time she was silent for a moment, then chuckled and said, "But, but I want to try your cooking, Brother Apollo."

"Apollo, who is all-knowing and all-powerful, must be able to do anything, right?"

Apollo: "..."

That brat really won't change his ways.

However, he had anticipated this moment.

In the end, the two gods still enjoyed a delicious meal together in harmony.

It's worth mentioning that Apollo was quite good at grilling meat. He even carefully cut the fully cooked meat into small portions for Hermes, while he himself simply peeled a fig and savored it.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Hermes asked, chewing on the roasted pork.

Apollo shook his head: "No need." He paused, then added: "This was originally prepared for you."

"All right."

Hermes nodded knowingly, then picked up a piece of leg meat with a wooden stick.

She stood up, walked over and sat down next to Apollo, and offered him a piece of meat that smelled enticingly delicious.

"Then as a token of my gratitude, please eat it, Brother Apollo."

Hermes smiled again, shining as brightly as ever in the dim night.

Apollo had no reason to refuse Hermes, nor did he want to, so he parted his thin lips slightly and gently bit the cooked meat on the wooden branch.

The meat was roasted to a golden brown color; it looked delicious.

The campfire continued to burn, and the two of them indeed did not finish the pile of food.

Hermes made a small bag on the spot, put all the rest in it, and planned to take it back for Pan.

“Goodbye, Brother Apollo,” Hermes said to the god of light who had summoned the swan chariot. “I must go find Pan.”

Apollo stroked the white swan's head, turning his head to look at it; his light blue eyes revealed no emotion.

“Remember to keep your promise,” he replied calmly. “Come to my Delphi.”

He actually remembered what she had said—it was just something she made up to keep him around.

However, it's not like I'll never go again!

Hermes waved to Apollo and said with a grin, "Of course, dear brother Apollo!"

"And don't forget to build a statue of my god, and move it to your temple so it can stand shoulder to shoulder with you!"

Apollo paused, his ear tips turning a light red.

He immediately turned around, hopped onto the chariot, and sped away.

After a long time, the God of Light has begun to flee in panic again.