Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

Chapter 793: Chapter 290: The Relative Trial_2

“Of course, not much.”

Kolon, who appeared elderly, was no longer as tall and robust as in his youth, yet he was still noticeably taller than the average old man.

He raised his wine glass and smiled as he spoke,

“In fact, there are no other tribes in this forest, and Oroa City is the only settlement.”

“Within a hundred miles, there are no traces of human activity—you must have seen that on your journey, right?”

...

Nodding silently, Heracles indeed saw no traces of human activity.

In fact, had he not witnessed it himself, he wouldn’t have believed there was actually a city here.

However, the truth lay before him, so the young hero merely smiled.

In front of him, Kolon stood up, raised his glass, and invited him,

“Heracles, hero from the southern lands of earth, you have earned our respect with your abilities.”

“In the presence of the gods, allow me to toast you, to express my esteem for you.”

Kolon raised his glass, and the attendees of the feast all raised theirs as well.

Even though there was a language barrier, Heracles still felt their enthusiasm.

Among them were farmers, priests, craftsmen; there were elders, youths, and children…

For the first time, being revered by so many, the young hero couldn’t help but raise his own glass.

He made eye contact with each person, preparing to say something.

If not counting the time at Eryxis, this was his first battle since making his debut, a moment truly worth commemorating…

…?

Raising his wine glass high, Heracles’ smile suddenly vanished.

The words he intended to say were swallowed, and he looked solemnly at the crowd, as if facing an enemy.

“Huh?”

Kolon seemed somewhat surprised, looking at the hero holding the glass, he couldn’t help but ask,

“Seeing you now, is there something unsatisfactory about our hospitality?”

“Why are there no women?”

Taking a deep breath, without turning around, Heracles suddenly asked.

“…Well, that’s one of our traditions. At feasts welcoming heroes, there shouldn’t be any women.”

After a moment of surprise, Kolon replied.

“Is that so? But there aren’t even any girls here…”

His gaze swept the crowd, and at that moment, the previous strange feeling became clear, the young hero’s mind was sharper than ever.

“I’ll consider it your custom. Then please tell me, what is this food here?”

“…Food?”

Kolon was puzzled.

“Is there something wrong with it?”

“No farmland, no livestock, no villages or towns, and as you said, no other settlements in this forest.”

“A solitary city, built in such a vast forest, tell me, where does your food come from?”

“…Of course, it is because of the presence of gods.”

Kolon replied, still smiling.

“The power of the gods can solve many things… So do you have any more questions?”

“If not, in reverence for the Oroa people towards you, please allow me to continue to toast you.”

“And if I refuse?”

Setting down his cup, Heracles asked calmly.

“Refuse… why refuse?”

Unchanged smile, Kolon’s eyes bore a hint of inexplicable emotion.

“You have no reason to do so.”

“Indeed, why refuse?”

This time, the voice came from behind, causing Heracles to instinctively turn his head.

The speaker was a presence clad in ceremonial robes, seemingly marked with the War God’s symbol.

“This is…”

“Yes… why refuse…”

Before he could react, hundreds of voices rang out simultaneously, and Heracles turned once more.

The entire feast gathering maintained their toasting posture, smiling at him in greeting.

Voices in unison, smiles strikingly alike.

In that instant, even Heracles felt a chill in his heart.

This didn’t mean he was afraid, as this was a human’s instinctive reaction to the unknown.

Living or dead, or non-human… Though this world has no concept of the ‘uncanny valley,’ the effect was no different.

Yet right in front of Heracles, it was far from over.

In his past experiences, he had never encountered such a situation.

“…Indeed…”

“…Why…”

“…Why——”

“…Why!”

Voices came from within the city, and from outside it.

He saw people standing on rooftops, birds flying to treetops.

Whether human or beast, whether earthly or skyward.

Countless lives sang in unison, like a grand choir performing a majestic symphony.

“Why… must you refuse?”

His expression changed drastically, and this time, to his shock, Heracles realized the voice was coming from himself.

He looked down… seeing the talking pelt of a giant lion.

······

Boom—

The ground trembled slightly, and at the edge of the city, a young man carved with a wooden sculpture in hand.

With just a few strokes, a rough outline of a puppet emerged.

The tumult at the city’s center, like accompaniment, did not affect the steadiness of his arm.

As if nothing was happening, Ande quietly completed his work.

“Where there is smoke, there must be fire,” this saying held much truth.

Just as rumors had it that the Nomas Lion was controlled by the Evil God, that was indeed the case.

Long ago, when Ande first discovered the lion, its fate was already sealed.

After all, despite the giant lion’s invulnerable body, it was clear that Ande’s real reliance had never been physical.

As the saying goes, for Ande, controlling the giant lion was far easier than controlling a strong human.

This was because the latter usually possessed a firm will, whereas the former did not. Under such circumstances, the outcome was obvious.

Until today, it was killed. Yet the ‘lines’ connecting it had not been severed.

“…Aside from brute strength, it seems he has some observation skills, but not much.”

“However, his will is indeed strong, even if he hadn’t consumed my nectar, looking now, even if he had drunk it, my ‘line’ wouldn’t have been able to affect him.”

Though not present, everything happening in the city was clearly within the young man’s observation.

Bathed in the lion’s blood and cloaked in its pelt, in a certain mystical sense, Heracles and the Nomas Lion could be equated in distortion.

Therefore, the ‘lines’ on the lion inhabited by Ande had the potential to change masters.

But judging by the final result, although the young hero was somewhat lacking in caution, he did indeed have the ability to handle the trouble arising from being insufficiently cautious.

Of course, this could also be because he had never encountered such bizarre means, unaware that simply bathing in the blood would lead to such consequences.

“Not bad, if he couldn’t even resist my abilities, how could he accomplish what I couldn’t?”

“If he couldn’t achieve what I wished to do, it would be better to stay here, replacing that lion, serving as my ‘gatekeeper’.”

With rough carving, once the puppet’s shape was outlined, the remainder was a matter of fine detail.

So Ande’s movements became gentle, no longer as bold and expansive as before.

Simultaneously, in the city’s center, much like the accompaniment to his carving, continuous loud noises never ceased.

The young hero exerted his martial power to break free, attempting to discover the mastermind behind the scenes.

Boom—

Boom, boom…

…

The vibrations continued, an ever-growing aura of blood energy surged towards the sky.

Though not yet comparable to divine power, it seemed far stronger than many demigods.

Ande couldn’t help but glance sideways, realizing this person was still quite young, and his potential hadn’t been fully tapped… For a moment, the young man partially understood why a god followed Heracles.

For a long time, the commotion in the city’s center finally gradually subsided.

Until a certain moment, low footsteps approached from afar, seemingly closing in on where Ande was.