The King of the Underworld is Tired

An oracle was delivered from Athena’s temples across Greece.

The oracle announced the recruitment of an expeditionary force to exterminate the monsters gathered at Mount Athos, alongside Poseidon's son, Orion.

The assembly point for the expedition was the Kingdom of Macedonia, near Mount Athos.

“They say all the monsters to be exterminated have gathered there?”

“Athena's oracle confirmed it, so it must be true. Many monsters have gathered on Mount Athos...”

“No wonder I couldn’t find any monsters when I went to hunt them.”

As a result, many who couldn't find monsters to slay flocked from all over Greece to Macedonia.

They came with the hope that joining a divine expedition would allow them to accomplish great feats and become legendary heroes.

“If Poseidon’s son is the leader of the expedition, we’ll surely receive the sea’s blessing.”

“I heard Orion is recruiting for the expedition in Athens! Will you go?”

“I’ve heard that anyone from Thebes’ Hero Training Academy is accepted without question, which seems a bit unfair…”

“Hmph. Are they favoring people from the same academy?”

The fame of Orion, the giant hunter, was widespread throughout Greece, so most heroes accepted him as the expedition leader.

His arrows were famous for never missing, having dominated numerous hunting competitions in Greece.

However, many were displeased with the idea that anyone from the Thebes Hero Training Academy was automatically accepted.

That dissatisfaction boiled over when Orion selected a small, scrawny man just because he was from the same academy.

“Hey, Orion! Why was I rejected, but that skinny guy passed?!”

A bald Spartan warrior with black tattoos spoke with a face full of displeasure to the giant blue-haired Orion.

But Orion brushed it off casually.

“Well, it’s because that man over there, Perieres, is stronger than you.”

“What did you say?! Maybe I could accept that from you, but that scrawny guy doesn’t even look properly trained!”

At those words, the man called Perieres stepped forward and responded in a laid-back voice.

Though, to be exact, it sounded like he was choking on something as he tried to continue speaking...

“Hmph. Not properly trained, you say? Have you even fought a monster before? A Sphinx—ugh!”

“…? What kind of nonsense is this? Where are you from and what do you do?”

“Well, I graduated from the Hero Academy, and I was thinking about becoming king of Messenia… Then I decided to come here.”

This comment caused those around, who had gathered to join the expedition, to burst into laughter.

Yet, for some reason, none of the graduates from the Thebes Academy laughed at him.

“Hahaha! King, you say? This guy is hilarious.”

“He looks like he should be in a comedy troupe as a clown! Is it right for Orion to accept someone like him?”

“Orion, maybe your method of selecting expedition members is flawed.”

As the crowd in Athens grumbled, Orion exchanged an awkward glance with Perieres.

Perieres shrugged when he met Orion’s gaze and shouted loudly.

“Then how about we settle this cleanly with pankration? If I lose, I’ll recommend you instead.”

“Hah! A pankration match? Fine. But don’t blame me when you meet Thanatos!”

* * *

Thus, what was supposed to be a recruitment event turned into an impromptu pankration match.

The spectators gathered in a circle around the two fighters and took their seats.

Orion, holding a staff, acted as the referee, while the heroes prepared for battle.

“Alright, as agreed by both fighters, this will be a Kato pankration match! So watch accordingly!”

In Kato-style pankration, the fight continues even if a fighter is knocked to the ground.

As soon as Orion finished speaking, the two men, now stripped down for the match, rushed at each other.

The Spartan warrior attacked first, shouting as he swung his right fist, his powerful muscles surging with force.

But the punch missed Perieres, passing by his side.

Then came Perieres' counterattack.

Born to Aeolus, the god of the winds, the demigod Perieres could even control part of the wind.

His fists, wrapped in wind, struck like a storm, pounding the Spartan’s solar plexus, chin, and head.

“Guh... ugh!”

The Spartan warrior, beaten repeatedly, stumbled backward.

However, as a warrior, he fiercely kicked his foot toward his opponent.

Yet, despite the force behind the attack, it again missed its mark…

Perieres dodged it easily, taunting his opponent with an infuriatingly smug expression.

“Tsk, tsk. You can’t just charge in recklessly like that. I can’t trust someone like you to have my back in the expedition.”

“Shut up, you bastard! Hyaah!”

Blinded by rage after taking so many punches, the Spartan charged again, but something caught his foot, and the world turned upside down.

Perieres tripped him and then lifted him into the air, slamming him into the ground.

Thud—

The Spartan landed headfirst, and though he could’ve died from a concussion, he was still alive, as his chest faintly rose and fell.

The foam-mouthed Spartan was carried away by others to a doctor, while Orion declared the victor.

“As you all saw, the winner is Perieres! If anyone thinks I’ve made the wrong decision, come forward. I’ll personally take you on.”

“Huh. That huge guy was taken down in an instant.”

“He knocked him out without taking a single hit. What kind of movement is that…”

“What kind of training do they give at Thebes?”

“Did he offer that Spartan’s ankle to Zeus?”

“Well, it didn’t break, so I guess not.”

Though the Spartan looked strong with his muscular build, 

People quietly withdrew before the giant hunter Orion, who was twice his size…

Once the complaints about Orion’s decisions faded, about a few hundred people were chosen as members of the expedition.

Some were heroes from Thebes, but there were quite a few others as well.

* * *

Before setting out for Mount Athos,

The expedition moved to a mountain some distance from the Kingdom of Macedonia to perform a special ritual, seeking the blessings of the gods for their journey.

Dozens of game, including deer, leopards, and birds—caught by the heroes—were piled up on a wooden altar, while the armed heroes stood beneath it.

Orion, the leader of the expedition, approached the altar with a torch and lit the fire, loudly proclaiming:

“O gods of Olympus, watching from above the clouds! Bless these brave warriors who seek to hunt down the monsters!”

Kwoarrr!

As if the gods themselves responded to his cry, a sudden blue lightning bolt struck the altar from the clear sky.

The brief but intense lightning vanished, and all the animals placed on the altar disappeared as well.

“Li-l-lightning?! Does this mean Zeus himself is watching over us?”

“Not just Athena, who sent the oracle… but all the gods of Olympus are paying attention to this expedition!”

“I knew coming to Athens was the right choice. This expedition is definitely…”

The heroes, thinking this was a divine response, cheered.

This was clearly a chance to make a name for themselves. There wasn’t a single hero whose heart didn’t race at the thought of the gods watching over their journey.

Orion, too, raised his voice again and shouted:

“I swear to hunt every beast and monster that walks this earth and offer them to the gods of Olympus!”

A boastful, nearly arrogant declaration from a demigod.

Yet if anyone could say such a thing, it would be Orion, the greatest hunter in Greece.

At least, until a voice resonated from the ground beneath them.

Hunt every beast and monster on this earth? Son of Poseidon. Can you bear the weight of such a claim?

The sudden, soft voice startled the heroes. What is this voice?

This pressure… It was undoubtedly from a god. But weren’t the gods of Olympus blessing this journey?

“Wh-who are you?!” Orion demanded of the mysterious goddess, while the heroes quickly drew their weapons.

A brief silence followed, and then that majestic yet soft voice filled their ears.

…I am Gaia, goddess of the earth. You will pay for daring to insult the earth.

Gaia, the goddess of the earth? According to myth, she is Zeus’ grandmother…

A Protogenoi?! What is happening…

Though their minds raced with these thoughts, they could think no further.

The ground in the distance suddenly began to crack open.

Rumble… Craaaack.

Like an earthquake, a massive fissure spread across the earth.

The tremors shook the surroundings for a while, and the heroes couldn't hide their shock at the sudden disaster.

But it was too soon to be merely surprised.

From the gaping fissure… countless monste

rs, supposed to be at Mount Athos, began crawling up to the surface.

Grrrr… Bark! Ssshh—

“T-that… the golden sword of Chrysaor! How can this be… The monster born from Medusa’s severed neck is here?!”

“Oh no… That two-headed dog with a serpent’s tail… that’s Orthrus! Typhon’s child is here too?!”

“Send a request for reinforcements immediately, we need more backup!”

“Damn it all! Zeus, help us!”