Chapter 65 Illusion
"Get out of here, you bastards."
"Greetings, Lord of Cilicia, though I am not pleased to see you again."
Hermes was slightly surprised by what she was seeing. Although she had long suspected that Pan's existence was not so simple, she really did not expect that it would be related to the evil Lord of Cilicia.
The monster that Gaia said would bring disaster to the world in the future had been awakening in its habitat since long ago. It was not afraid of the gods at all—and was not even noticed by the gods. The malice that it sowed and spread throughout the land first controlled humans, who were as insignificant as ants.
This wicked monster not only defiled the realm of the Earth Goddess, but also greedily set its sights on Pan's body.
Hermes's mind raced, and suddenly an even stranger idea popped into her head.
Could it be that even the death of Periope... had another reason?
No, Periopel is not dead! The gentle and beautiful fairy is still alive, and as long as her frost continues to seal her fragile body, the shadow of death will never engulf Periopel!
It's as if she will eventually dismantle this mere, unrealistic illusion!
Hermes shook her head, and a green light flashed in her hand. The two snake spirits that had been petrified on her arms shattered instantly. As she gripped the winged scepter tightly with her five fingers, the snake spirits finally returned to their original positions and coiled around the deep golden scepter.
[Ouch~ It's so hot...]
What just happened?
Hermes did not answer Apistoni and Tokei, who seemed not to have reacted yet.
She raised her right arm and pointed the tip of her cane at the smiling goat boy.
"Because in every encounter you disgust me, you damned Lord of Cilicia."
So the snakes understood what was going on.
[I knew it! That's why Prince Pan acted so strangely before. It turns out that wasn't the real him, but an evil monster that had taken over his body!]
[Oh my god, what's going on? Why do I feel such pressure from that guy...?]
The oppressive feeling seemed to suffocate them.
When the divine power belonging to the goddess of nature burst forth from the top of the scepter, and a dazzling green light fiercely attacked the boy on the boulder platform, the green light disappeared, and the divine attack seemed to have never happened.
Because 'Pan' was still sitting there cross-legged, completely unharmed.
Hermes held her breath, trying her best not to lose her composure, because she sensed that this might be a carefully designed illusion by the monster, separate from the real world.
Otherwise, why would the Goddess of Light suddenly disappear? Even her probing attacks had no effect on that monster, while the humans of Crete…
Hermes looked at the humans surrounding the platform where the boy stood. They remained expressionless and staring blankly into the gloomy atmosphere, like old puppets manipulated by invisible threads.
Beneath the monster, they all stared at her, completely oblivious.
"Hahaha~ It's alright, I don't care if I disappoint you." The cunning and shameless monster that had taken over Pan's body grinned, its smile widening, adding a touch of bewitching charm to its already bizarre appearance. "Since that meeting, you seem to have become even more delicious, Goddess of Nature."
Delicious? That's an interesting way to put it.
Hermes narrowed her eyes, not missing the fleeting bloodthirsty killing intent in the other's violet eyes.
If the real Pan were facing her at this moment, would he also want to kill her?
Just as Hecate had warned her.
—If one day you are powerless to stop the arrival of cruel fate, Pan can bring us good luck.
—But if that day ever comes true, you will be the one destined to perish, Hermes.
Thinking of this, Hermes couldn't help but bite her lower lip, her gaze fixed on 'Pan' becoming sharp, like fangs that could kill with a light bite on an enemy's neck, revealing a ferocity no less than that of a giant under the dark sky.
She gripped the scepter tighter and tighter, leaving faint red marks on her fingers and palms.
"How dare you act so presumptuously in the realm of gods—even the goddess Gaia?" Hermes said coldly, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible anger and embarrassment. "And, shamelessly, you've taken over my child's body!"
She thought, "This is absolutely disgusting."
It was so disgusting that I felt like vomiting.
Your Highness, please pull yourself together!
Pan chuckled lightly, his purple eyes curving into crescent shapes. He said with the same delight, "Who can blame him when this child is so delicious? No wonder you share the same bloodline as me, Goddess of Nature. Oh, if I remember correctly, your name is Hermes, isn't it?"
Hermes smiled insincerely and said, "I am your mother."
Upon hearing this, 'Pan' seemed to be stunned for a moment, then clutched his stomach and burst into laughter.
"W-What? Hahahaha~ You're so cute, hahaha..."
He even laughed until tears welled up in his eyes, and the upturned corners of his eyes turned red under the glistening tears, making him look like an adorable child.
"If my bunch of bastards found out, they'd probably fight each other to get priority in enjoying you!"
It was that same contemptuous murderous intent again.
Hermes clicked her tongue impatiently. She was fed up with this inexplicable monster; even his words were disgusting.
[Those bastards...could they be referring to his own children?]
Have you noticed how hot it is getting? I just felt something was off...
That's normal, because it's obviously an illusion manipulated at will by a monster, just like what happened to her and Apollo in Cilicia that day.
Therefore, we must quickly break this damn illusion before it gets out of control and return to the real world.
The goat-like, blood-skinned youth finally stood up and looked down at Hermes.
Pan still wore a nonchalant smile, his slightly upturned purple eyes gleaming with a hint of curiosity, as if he had finally become interested in fighting.
“It’s delicious,” he murmured, “but this time, I won’t give you something this delicious again…”
Upon hearing this seemingly pointed remark, Hermes' emerald green eyes instantly darkened.
As the agonizing pain of a savage force crashing against her stomach and intestines surged through her, she stubbornly thought—she couldn't really take a shortcut; she had to get there before… she lost control.
At the same time, Pan's gaze was completely focused on Hermes, like a ferocious beast locking onto its vulnerable prey.
He tilted his head and disappeared from the giant rock platform in the blink of an eye.
"Phew~"
Hermes felt the warm, humid breath blowing against her ear.
She froze for a moment, then quickly jumped back, dodging the cruel attack that came with his malicious approach.
The spot where she had just stood was now firmly stuck to a corrosive purple liquid, emitting a scalding, foul odor.
Hermes raised her hand and touched her right ear. The burned ear was already festering and bleeding, and the intense pain tormented her brain nerves. Even the natural divine power from Mother Earth Gaia could not heal her in the slightest.
The culprit, however, stood casually amidst the venom, smiling as he looked at her.
"Mother."
The boy murmured softly and reappeared beside Hermes.
“You’re so delicious!” He smiled even more broadly and reached out his hand to her. “Mother.”
Hermes was bound by an invisible force within the monster's range and could not leave. She was forced to use her scepter to block the monster's arm in order to protect herself from being attacked again.
But this had little effect; the staff began to decay and disintegrate the moment it touched the monster's skin, and the snake spirits that were wrapped around it were so frightened that they jumped away and landed on the ground behind Hermes.
The snake spirits quickly transformed into human form, becoming two green-haired, yellow-eyed girls and boys.
They were intelligent and observant, and they realized that it was better to split up in this tricky situation. The reason was obvious—that damned monster was relentlessly pursuing their prince.
If they get too close to her now, they will be corroded and tainted by the venom, until they become a filthy, stagnant pool on the ground.
"Your Highness! Throw away the scepter!" Apistoni and Tokei shouted anxiously.
However, Hermes was completely unable to move.
She glared at the goat boy beside her, her expression a mixture of humiliation and resentment.
An unseen force returned, as if as long as this illusion existed, she would never be able to escape the monster's clutches.
As the corrosive liquid scorched the scepter to the point where she gripped it in her right hand, Hermes' palm and fingers also felt the pain of her right ear rotting.
"Your Highness!"
Apistoni and Tokei tried to rush forward to help Hermes, but an intangible barrier blocked their way, preventing them from taking even a single step.
"Get out of here, you bastards."
hateful!
Just how powerful is this monster...?
"Ha~"
Rotten flesh and blood continued to appear and spread, almost hollowing out half of the goddess of nature's body.
Hermes trembled and struggled cautiously.
She kept telling herself that it was just an illusion, that it had used illusions to bewitch her back in Cilicia, so it was no big deal, even if she died here.
But that wasn't real death, and she wouldn't die here.
Simply stay firm in your beliefs, remain rational, and then... don't lose control as that person wishes.
Whatever you do, don't lose control here.
Hermes' eyelashes trembled as she saw the monster caressing her already emaciated and gruesome hand.
As he turned her bones to ashes, he looked up at her pale face, his excitement and pleasure never leaving his blood-red cheeks.
“Delicious, absolutely delicious!” the monster exclaimed gleefully. “I should have enjoyed you first, Hermes. I regret it now. Those foolish bastards wouldn’t have gotten even a single bone from your finger!”
The words were chilling, and sounded just as disgusting as the text itself.
When Hermes finally regained complete control of her body, it instantly returned to normal, as if it had never been harmed at all.
The monster tilted its head slightly and saw Hermes grip the scepter, which had been restored to its original state, once again.
Under its unwavering gaze, she gathered all her divine power and viciously plunged the scepter, carrying the fatal blow, into its chest.
The powerful force of nature—passed through Pan's body and pierced the monster's soul.
Tiphius opened his mouth, as if he were breathing, or perhaps he was muttering to himself.
But the monster, which paid the price for underestimating its enemy, stared intently at Hermes. As Pan's body cracked and shattered, a stream of dark purple gas flowed out and quickly dispersed into the distance.
A hoarse roar came from the dawn sky.
"Next time, next time again—"
Hermes let the cunning monster go, because now was not the time to go on a killing spree.
Just as the monster said, the next time will be the end.
She glanced around at the group of humans who were still standing around the giant stone platform. They had witnessed everything that had just happened like spectators, but only within this illusion.
“…This is terrible.” Hermes couldn’t help but reach out and touch her still cramping abdomen, feeling the surging power of lightning within.
Sure enough, this is the old man's weapon.
Thanks to its constant seduction, she was able to maintain her rationality and prevent Typhoon from harming her further.
Hermes understood that if she truly died in the illusion, she would lose all consciousness once the illusion ended.
Like humans trapped in an illusion.
Just like Periope, who also died in the illusion.
Hermes discovered all of this, and perhaps this conspiracy had existed for a very long time.
Perhaps, it was even before she was born...
"Your Highness? Your Highness!"
Hermes paused for a moment, then turned around and saw Apistoni and Tokei surrounding her, looking at her with puzzled and worried expressions.
"What's wrong? We've been calling you for ages and you haven't responded. Are you thinking about something?"
"But you were really amazing just now, you chased that bad guy away in no time, as expected of our prince!"
Even though the serpent spirits were so worried about her, Hermes' mind kept replaying the words the monster had just spoken.
Typhon referred to his descendants as hybrids.
Get out of here, you bastards.
Typhoeos also called the serpent spirits that way.
Hermes found Apistoni and Tokei in Arcadia, they were the ones who first realized Periope was pregnant, they were the ones who stayed by Periope's side before her death, and they were the ones who supposedly followed Pan to Crete.
She even believed that they might also be loyal to the goddess Gaia.
"Your Highness?"
Hermes took a deep breath and, before the illusion ended, calmly asked the serpent spirits, "Is he your father?"
Apistoni and Toki were stunned.
The next moment, a familiar voice came from the dazzling light.
“Yes,” Apollo said. “His wife has the body of a serpent, and she lives in the underworld.”
The God of Light has been waiting for the God of Deception in the real world for a long time.
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