Chapter 102: Being Pouty (As the title, 8k)

Early morning, Knossos.

As the female hunter, wearing a corseted miniskirt and hunting boots, holding a bow and arrow and a hunting spear, and accompanied by several hunting dogs, went out, smiling heads appeared on the street.

They either waved or shouted.

“Sister Cynthia, I want to raise a rabbit.”

"Please bring me a pair of antelope horns and a pair of snake gallbladders for medicinal purposes. I will pay you according to the market price. Thank you."

"It's too cold. Could you please get some warm fur? My wife is good at handwork. She can make any style you want. Just leave some scraps for us."

"Here, some freshly dried figs for us to eat on the way... No, no, I'm old, and I can't chew the meat from the mountains..."

Artemis took the dried figs, and as usual, she looked at the streets on both sides with a faint smile, nodded slightly, and then strode out of the city with the guide who followed her.

Coming to an uninhabited path, the hunting goddess placed the end of her little finger to her lips and blew a clear whistle. A golden chariot pulled by two golden-horned deer came galloping out of the forest.

Loen pointed to the city of Knossos bathed in the morning light behind him and asked with a smile.

"So, first stop is to find the rabbit hole?"

It has been two months since the hunting goddess moved into the city of Knossos.

It seems that she likes the atmosphere here very much. Although Artemis has never revealed her true identity, she maintains a subtle friendliness towards the neighbors in the city.

As long as their requests were not excessive, she would nod and agree;

And basically, anything she nods to will be done.

Artemis climbed onto the chariot, rolled her eyes at the talkative guide, and threw the dried figs and reins in her arms to him.

"Now that you know, why don't you come up quickly?"

"Understood. I will follow your oracle, goddess."

Loen smiled happily, jumped onto the chariot, and drove the golden-horned deer chariot, carrying this hunting goddess who was more humane and less aloof, into the jungle of the Crete Mountains.

"Woof!"

As soon as the train arrived at the station, the golden retriever jumped out of the car impatiently, quickly escaped from the goddess' clutches, and circled around the trouser legs of its original owner.

Looking at the sharp contrast between the two, Artemis, who had been feeding the dog for two months, couldn't help feeling depressed.

Sure enough, for the magical hounds, food alone cannot lure them away.

Compared to the hunting goddess who couldn't let go of the dog, Loen, as the original owner, was much more straightforward in ordering his dog to suck up the dog. He kicked the dog's belly without any hesitation and cursed with a smile.

"Go to work and find a rabbit hole nearby. I'll give you a snack today."

But the dog just fell for it. After hearing the order, he immediately barked happily, turned around and rushed towards the hunting ground, searching for traces of the hare's burrow.

Seeing this, Artemis was helpless and could only take the weapons from the chariot, put on a gloomy face, and vent her anger on the blind beasts nearby.

Looking at the unlucky guys who were shot to pieces on the road, Loen was secretly shocked, and he became more and more convinced of the unpredictable character of the goddess of the moon and hunting. At the same time, he served this temporary bodyguard more carefully.

I have to say that the entire island of Crete has become much quieter in the two months since Artemis moved in.

Whether it was the monsters wreaking havoc in the mountains of Crete or the sirens landing on the Sea of Oceanus, they all became victims of the arrows of this female hunter.

Even these small fish and shrimps that appeared were not enough for Artemis to kill.

Look, the female hunter, who has nothing to do, has started hunting pet rabbits for the little girl.

The secretary, who had actually taken over the military and political power of the entire Crete, was even more eager for this.

After all, with this human-shaped turret in charge, his workload in public security control has been greatly reduced.

By noon, a nest of snow-white rabbits were captured and put into cages on the chariot. Antelope horns, snake gall, and wild animal furs for warmth were also collected by Loen from the unfortunate passing animals.

As the daily commissions were completed easily, he built a fire on the open ground, smoked and roasted a cleaned antelope, and stewed a pot of delicious mushroom soup with berries, wild vegetables and edible mushrooms.

As a guide, in addition to leading the way, his daily work also includes maintaining the bows and chariots for the hunting goddess, as well as preparing meals.

In the past, these matters were handled by the twenty nymph attendants under Artemis.

But for some reason, the goddess of hunting has not shown any intention of calling her nymph attendants over until now.

Therefore, the dignified secretary and the uncrowned king of Crete had to condescend to serve as Artemis's half-full-time nanny.

"This for lunch? It looks good. Give me a bowl of soup first."

As the rich aroma of meat and the salty taste of mushrooms spread, the hunting goddess in the distance came to the campfire like a gust of wind, picked up the bowl and wanted to taste today's game.

After a while, a bowl of warm mushroom soup is swallowed, and the slight sourness from the berries, the deliciousness of the mushrooms, and the crispness of the wild vegetables bloom on the taste buds, bringing a pleasant dining experience.

Soon, the antelope on the rack became crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Artemis took the lamb leg torn off by the guide and couldn't wait to take a bite. The rich juice burst in her mouth, and the perfect salty and refreshing seasoning made her unable to stop.

He is indeed a little guy who can make his aunt praise him endlessly. It is more useful to bring him than a whole team of nymph attendants!

The hunting goddess glanced at Loen, who was patiently preparing lunch next to her. She gave a high evaluation to the guide in her heart, threw away the white sheep bone in her hand, and stretched out her claws to the other leg of the antelope.

Putting aside other things, just in terms of cooking skills, she is beyond the reach of those nymph servants.

There was no other way. Those sea fairies were all very delicate and fragile. Asking them to maintain their weapons and surround the prey was still enough to barely cope with the situation.

It's not impossible to ask them to lower their status and make fire and cook.

But Artemis's evaluation of the food was that it was edible.

If you want to have a comfortable dining experience, forget it.

It was not until she enjoyed the guide's craftsmanship and brewing skills that she realized how much of a waste her tongue had been caused by the burnt or half-cooked barbecue, tasteless water, and wheat cakes that were so dry that they made her throat ache.

Moreover, in addition to cooking skills, the guide's performance in other aspects is also remarkable.

From small things like weapon maintenance to big things like schedule arrangements, everything can be arranged in an orderly manner.

No wonder even the discerning King Minos planned to choose him as his successor.

It must be said that with such an almost omnipotent follower by her side, she became increasingly disdainful of her own nymph attendants who were so expensive that they complained about being tired every day.

But unfortunately, in another month, I will have to return to Olympus.

At that time, not only this high-quality service, but also that top-notch golden retriever will wave goodbye to you.

Thinking of this, Artemis suddenly felt a little depressed.

But then, a flash of lightning flashed in her mind, and she came up with a brilliant idea.

"I still lack a qualified divine servant..."

The hunting goddess threw down another white sheep bone and spoke casually.

As a virgin goddess who has remained chaste, this is the first time she has extended such an invitation to a human of the opposite sex.

However, the guide who was flipping the roast lamb just responded with a faint "hmm", as if he didn't understand her implication.

Seeing this, Artemis simply let go of her reserve, cleared her throat, and made her point clear.

"I think you're a good fit."

"The meat is cooked, eat it while it's hot."

"oh……"

As another leg of lamb was handed over, the hunting goddess subconsciously took it in her hand and took a bite.

But soon, she realized that something seemed wrong. She immediately pulled the lamb leg out of her mouth and looked at the guide beside her with a dark face.

"What do you mean? You don't want to?"

What else?

At this moment, Luo En couldn't help but secretly complain in his heart.

Sister, Athena's bargaining chip for recruiting me was that she was a god, and she was generous enough to divide her own divinity and forge it into bronze snake armor;

King Minos wanted me to resist the thunder, so he not only gave me three of his own artifacts, but also sent me his daughter and the throne.

As for your aunt Hestia, needless to say, I can fool her from the inside out, and she and her throne will be mine sooner or later;

Now, you want to lure me over to be your babysitter with just a mere servant of God, and you also want to bring a dog with you. Isn't that too stingy?

However, even though he felt contempt in his heart, Loen still declined the invitation in a more tactful way.

"I haven't completed Lady Athena's request yet, and I haven't repaid King Minos for his kindness. Lady Hestia has also been very kind to me, so..."

As the above three people were pushed out to take the blame, the originally aggressive Artemis suddenly lost her temper and had to give up the idea of recruiting them.

There is no way. It is really difficult to snatch people from these three people.

I just acted on a whim, if it doesn't work then it won't work!

The hunting goddess, who failed to get what she wanted, snorted in disdain in her heart, and stood up with the sheepskin water bag in a bad mood.

"Clean up this place, I'm going to get some water up front!"

Having said that, Artemis stood up with a grim face and walked towards the stream in the valley ahead.

Looking at the hunting goddess who was obviously in a bad mood, Loen didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and was even more glad for his original choice.

As expected, Hestia is the easiest to fool and the easiest to satisfy.

Isn't it just good craftsmanship?

Isn't it just serving Chen Daodian?

Isn't it just a good dog?

What's the big deal? I have twenty servants!

Artemis, who had hit a wall, was muttering indignantly in her heart and trying to make excuses for herself. She went upstream and was about to bend down to put the water bag into the stream to get water.

And the moment she lowered her head, a reflection appeared on the water and then entered the goddess' eyes.

Anyone?!

Artemis subconsciously raised her head and looked towards the other side.

Suddenly, a handsome and sunny smiling face came into her eyes, and a strong idea arose in the goddess' heart.

——This is perhaps the most beautiful god who should not exist after the chaos. His golden hair and bright eyes are the most beautiful among all gods. No matter gods or humans, they must bow before him...

"Beautiful goddess, seeing you hunting alone in the mountains, I am deeply impressed by your heroic demeanor. Please allow me to become your attendant and serve you."

The low request in the voice poured into the ears, making people obey subconsciously.

Just as Artemis was about to speak, a figure appeared in her mind, and a kind of unwillingness made a brief trace of confusion flash across her eyes.

"Squire, I...I am pregnant..."

The unexpected echo visibly startled the figure on the other side.

But then, a hideous expression twisted to the extreme by anger appeared on that handsome face, and a deep voice was filled with a strong sense of gloom.

"Then if we kill him, won't the position be vacant?"

Those words seemed like a magic spell, as if constantly swirling and swirling in the river of heart, gradually filling up the entire mental world and becoming the only background color.

"Artemis? The water is not ready yet..."

The questions behind me and the footsteps approaching from afar were like hot oil poured on a raging flame.

Instantly, the hunting goddess grabbed her waist and back with both hands and stretched her body into an arc.

Almost instantly, as Loen was walking towards the bank of the stream, he suddenly felt a biting chill in his body, and the twelve-sided dice in his head buzzed and vibrated wildly.

Danger!

Loen subconsciously leaped forward and instinctively avoided the attack.

“Puff, puff, puff!”

And just as he fell down, a whistling arrow narrowly passed over his head and pierced through dozens of thick fir trees.

“Boom~~!”

Accompanied by continuous roars, ancient trees that were cut in half fell to the ground, stirring up thick smoke and dust.

When he saw a vast expanse of white space behind him from the corner of his eye, Loen couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

He almost died!

"Artemis!"

Loen shouted angrily and looked at the culprit on the river bank.

The hunting goddess turned her head somewhat stiffly, and the moment her eyes saw a certain face, an almost morbid smile suddenly broke out on her wooden face.

Yes, kill...

Since I've been rejected anyway, no one wants me!

The goddess stretched out her arms, the tough bowstring creaked, golden ripples spread in the air, and a golden arrow of light gathered and was ready to be launched.

As his breath was locked by some force, Lorne felt his scalp tingling, and the twelve-sided dice in his brain was shaking violently, almost leaving an afterimage.

Her white hands loosened, the bowstring trembled, and a bright golden light came in an instant.

Because of the locked breath, there is no escape and no avoidance.

Realizing the critical situation, Loen didn't have time to think too much. He subconsciously activated the divine power in his body. The war god belt around his waist emitted a strong blood light. The pure divinity of war was like a blazing red flame, attached to his body surface, and poured out madly as he swung the bronze sword in his hand forward.

"when!"

Amid a sharp clanging of metal, the bronze sword in Loen's hand, which had accompanied him for several months, shattered into pieces.

But at the same time, the indestructible golden arrow of light was deflected by several inches, brushing against the side of Loen's cheek by a millimeter and crashing into the dense forest behind him.

"boom!"

A violent explosion sounded, and a hole with a diameter of nearly 100 meters was blasted out in the hard rock ground.

A sharp wind whistled past his ears, and a stream of warm liquid slid down one side of his cheek. Loen raised his slightly trembling hands, looked at his cracked knuckles, and his face changed drastically.

Damn, this crazy woman is really ready to kill me!

If Athena had not left him the Ares Military Belt containing the god of war for protection before she left, he might have been able to start the feast with that arrow just now.

This sudden change made Loen feel like he was about to die, and he also felt a strong sense of disobedience in his heart.

Something is wrong. Even if he rejected her, he wouldn't be so yandere as to kill her to silence her, right?

As his thoughts surged, he subconsciously looked around and saw a figure who should have been dead on the other side of the river.

—Orion!

At this moment, the disguise on the face that usually had a simple and honest expression had been torn off, and the moment he saw Loen, he became jealous to the point of madness.

Damn bug, you are a nothing outsider, what right do you have to fight with me!

"Beautiful goddess, kill this guy who is in the way, and then nothing will be able to stand in our way."

The hunter urged, the madness of revenge in his heart turning into a twisted pleasure.

He wanted to watch with his own eyes this bastard who had repeatedly blocked his way being slaughtered in front of him.

He is the one causing trouble!

The moment he confirmed the target, Loen's mind raced, countless information and clues were integrated in his brain, and he deduced the real reason why Artemis lost control.

——Love God’s power!

Poseidon made peace with Hephaestus on behalf of Aphrodite and Ares, not just to seek pleasure from the god of love!

What he really wanted was the power of love given by Aphrodite!

Combined with the fact that during the beast disaster, Poseidon risked his life to rescue Orion, who was only half alive, the answer is obvious.

Not only did he want the entire island of Crete, he also planned to use his demigod offspring who possessed excellent hunting talent to establish a relationship with the goddess of hunting Artemis, form an alliance, and then drag her brother Apollo into the water.

If, through Crete, Athena was successfully forced to surrender.

Then, in Poseidon's camp, there are five main gods, including Ares, Aphrodite, Athena, Artemis, Apollo, etc., plus himself, they can occupy nearly half of the twelve seats of Olympus.

In addition, Hephaestus would mostly remain neutral due to the favor of the sea goddess Thetis, the god of agriculture Demeter was in a cold war with Zeus because of her daughter Persephone, the queen of heaven Hera was resentful of her husband's infidelity and could no longer tolerate it, Hestia had long withdrawn from the fight for divine power, and Hermes was best at changing his attitude according to the situation...

In this way, Zeus will be sidelined by Poseidon, who has been planning for a long time, and become a lonely man.

The supreme divine power of Olympus may not be impossible to replace.

In order to achieve this ultimate goal, whether it is using the Minoans as bargaining chips to force Athena to surrender, or using King Minos' golden hound to please the hunting god, the ownership of Crete is crucial!

Therefore, he went to great lengths to launch a beast tide just to gather these necessary conditions.

In the actual mythological record, Poseidon's plan seems to have succeeded.

——Orion, who liked to hunt in the jungle all day long, brought a loyal hunting dog and became a good hunting partner of the goddess of hunting Artemis and her mother, the goddess of conservation Leto.

——Soon, a rebellion against Zeus broke out in Olympus, in which Poseidon, Apollo, Athena, and Hera all participated.

These clues left on the pages of the book undoubtedly prove this point.

However, due to the emergence of the variable Rhoen, Poseidon's first step of trying to seize Crete and control Athena failed, and even the son of God Orion, who was related to the subsequent plans, was almost killed.

Seeing that the plan failed, he was unable to make any progress with the goddess of wisdom who was covered in thorns.

Poseidon had no choice but to settle for the second best and prepare to attack Artemis first.

Therefore, Orion's target this time was not him at all, but he came ashore just to seduce the goddess of hunting!

In order to help his son of God achieve success in one fell swoop, Poseidon apparently infused the power of love obtained in exchange for benefits into Orion's body.

Since there is no help from the golden retriever and it is impossible to influence things subtly, the only thing we can do is make things happen first.

The surging and intertwining of thoughts allowed Loen to see through the fog in just a few brief seconds and see the truth and conspiracy beneath the deep sea.

"Artemis, wake up!"

Loen shouted loudly, trying to awaken Artemis's mind which was bewitched by the power of love.

However, what he got in return was an even more morbid smile from the female hunter.

"I am very clear-headed. As long as I hunt, it belongs to me. It doesn't matter whether you agree or not."

As she spoke, Artemis pulled the golden bow, and new golden arrows condensed on the bowstring inch by inch.

"Yes, beautiful goddess, if you remove this obstacle, nothing will stop us from being together."

Orion on the other side of the river activated the power of the god of love, stepped up his efforts and encouraged them, his eyes filled with an indignant grin.

Why do you always get first place? These should all belong to me!

Go to hell! I want to see you die under the arrow of the one you love!

Seeing the arrow of light on the bowstring gradually taking shape, a chill ran from Loen's tailbone all the way to the top of his head.

This crazy woman!

Beads of cold sweat appeared on Loen's forehead. He cursed inwardly and racked his brains, frantically searching for a glimmer of hope for his own survival.

With Artemis, a crazy human turret, around, there was no point in running.

Why not just capture the thief and the leader?

But this thought only lasted half a second before he suppressed this tempting idea.

The distance was too far, and with Artemis standing in the way, he was afraid that before he could stab Orion to death on the other side, he would be shot to pieces by the crazy woman behind him.

Damn the power of love!

Luo En cursed subconsciously in his heart, but then a bolt of lightning in his brain exploded his chaotic thoughts.

Wait, love God's power?

He seems to have it too!

In an instant, faded memories became vivid.

At the critical moment, Loen couldn't help but think of the piece of junk he drew from the twelve-sided dice during the escape on the Sea of Oceanus.

"【Aphrodite's Favor】: The goddess of love and beauty will activate your Eros bloodline, granting you attraction to the opposite sex for a week."

In an instant, the divine blessing that had once been thrown into a corner in his eyes as useless, a pity to throw away, now became like a shining treasure.

——Thank you great-grandmother!

Suddenly, the unfilial descendant who had been cursing the god of love just now began to praise his nominal great-grandmother, and without hesitation used the accidental divinity of the twelve-sided dice to activate the blessing from the god of love.

As the boiling divine blood accelerated, a hint of charming pink appeared in the pair of crystal-like eyes.

A sudden inspiration came to Loen, and he moved his facial muscles, forcing a bright and gentle smile on his face, and looked at the mighty female hunter with burning eyes.

"Artemis, I do! I am willing to be your divine servant! I will always be by your side!"

He agreed? Just like that?

Their eyes met, and the promise that sounded like a love talk made Artemis, who was holding back a lot of anger, stunned, and a trace of confusion and hesitation appeared on her face.

But, that’s all.

Obviously, compared to the blessing of the god of love that Loen obtained after completing the trial, the power of the god of love that Aphrodite traded to Poseidon and could influence the main god was more overbearing.

But, that's enough!

Seeing the hunter goddess' expression relax, Loen immediately used all his strength to stimulate the divinity from the blood of the god of love and the madness from the god of wine in his body, and issued a thunderous wake-up call.

"Wake up! You've been bewitched!"

In an instant, Artemis, who was almost deaf, woke up as if from a dream, and her chaotic eyes suddenly showed a hint of clarity.

At this moment, Orion realized that something was wrong, his face changed drastically, and he hurriedly urged.

"Beautiful goddess, don't listen to his nonsense. Kill him and we can..."

"puff!"

However, a golden arrow pierced through the sky, accompanied by a dull tearing sound, pierced his shoulder, dragged him all the way, and finally nailed him firmly to a thick tree trunk.

"Ahhhhh, my shoulder!"

Orion was caught off guard and screamed miserably in pain, blood gushing out from the wound.

And those cries of pain poured into Artemis's mind like a spell, constantly tempting her to look back and show mercy.

“Ding-dong~!”

Accompanied by a sound of metallic clanging, Artemis dropped her golden longbow, knelt on the ground, covered her head with her hands, and growled towards the front with gritted teeth.

"Kill him! Quick!"

At the moment the Huntress opened her mouth, Lorne's figure had already passed her and rushed to the opposite river bank like an arrow. His empty right hand tightly grasped Orion's thick neck, blocking the incessant wails in his throat.

As the force on his throat continued to increase, Orion, who was nailed to the tree, struggled frantically, and let out terrified growls while gasping for breath.

"You...you...can't...kill me. Father God..."

“Crack!”

However, before Orion could finish his words, the clamp-like arm suddenly burst out with the scarlet blood light of the god of war, breaking through the last thin layer of ocean protection on the son of the sea god and directly breaking his thick cervical vertebrae.

A huge head with bulging eyeballs, full of resentment and fear, drooped down weakly.

The next moment, the scarlet blood light in Loen's palm turned into a blazing red flame, setting Orion on fire.

In the blink of an eye, the twisted and cracked corpses in the firelight, along with the charred tree trunks, turned into fluffy ashes and drifted away with the wind.

After destroying the body with skillful techniques, Loen's tense nerves finally relaxed. The hidden injuries that had been forcibly suppressed when facing Artemis broke out, and the severe pain in his bones, organs and muscles came like a tide.

Now, there is no way for Orion to be resurrected, right?

Looking at the small pile of ashes in front of him, Loen, who was also on the verge of his limit, collapsed on the ground after confirming it again and again, feeling relieved.

If Poseidon could pull his beloved son back from the underworld with just this little dregs, he should not be called the God of the Sea, but the King of the Underworld.

As the last trace of doubt was dispelled, Loen was just about to let down his guard completely and lie down to rest.

However, a stream of hot air poured into his ear canal, and the fragrance of musk and flowers filled the air behind him.

In an instant, Lorne's neck twisted half a circle stiffly like a rusty spring.

His purple eyes instantly met a pair of silver eyes that were dancing with hot flames.

Primitive animality and a kind of almost tangible desire are burning in it.

In an instant, Ron, whose scalp was tingling, realized a problem he had overlooked.

Although Orion, one of the sources of pollution, is dead, he is still alive.

Also, if I remember correctly, [Aphrodite's Favor] seems to last for... a week?

“Gurgle…”

Lorne moved his throat and swallowed a mouthful of saliva, trying to moisten his dry throat. He looked at the top forest predator who was rolling his pink tongue and licking his cherry lips just a few feet away, and forced a distorted smile from his stiff face.

"Are you hungry? How about eating first..."

"Bang!"

In an instant, before Loen could finish his words, a pair of slender but powerful arms grabbed his legs as he was moving backwards, and knocked him down easily.

Loen was knocked unconscious after being thrown to the ground. Before he could come to his senses, his body was dragged quickly towards the woods in front of him. His head kept hitting the rocks along the way, making his mind go blank.

It felt like a little white rabbit being dragged out of a cave by a female leopard and brutally trampled under its claws.

"Don't rip my clothes!"

"Don't mess around, I'm innocent..."

"It hurts! My wound is torn!"

“Woo…woo!!!”

Soon, under the absolute suppression of the mother leopard, the rabbit's helpless cries were completely drowned out by the overlapping and merging shadows of the forest.

The greedy beast gallops freely in its hunting ground, enjoying the prey that belongs to it alone under its claws!

(End of this chapter)