433 - The Gathering of the Strong #2

*Clank-. Clatter-.*

The door to the personal office of the Saintess of the goddess Venus creaked open, emitting a metallic sound.

"Keeeugh-. Hoooough-."

Following that, a beast-like panting could be heard.

As I turned my head, I saw a woman clad in pink spiky armor approaching me, looking in my direction.

Her hair was a voluminous, curly blonde. Her eyes were blue, her skin white. Her face could be described as quite beautiful, but the gag-like object in her mouth was unsettling.

"Keeeugh-."

Because of that gag, unnatural breaths kept escaping her mouth, making it seem as though this woman exuded a wildness like a beast rather than a human.

When she finally stood behind the Saintess, the Saintess added a few words.

"We will lend you Psyche, the highest combat power of our Sodomora Venus Goddess Temple. We've met before, so introductions aren't necessary, right?"

"...."

I nodded silently.

Psyche.

The name instantly brought back the memory of how I had a bitter experience at this Venus Goddess Temple.

Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, and Psyche, her holy warrior.

This gagged woman was wearing such spiky armor and restraints on her hands and feet for a reason.

For holy warriors are like punishments for those who bear the sins of the gods.

The Saintess of Venus added an explanation.

"Psyche has only one final task left. Once that task is resolved, she will be forgiven of her sins and become free, living an ordinary life."

"The final task?"

"To go to the end of the underworld and retrieve a box of eternal slumber. However, that was an impossible task for a living person. But now, she has an opportunity."

"I see."

I nodded and quickly scanned the holy warrior Psyche. I knew she was strong from her breaking Calidour's leg.

But whether she would be truly helpful was uncertain.

"Excuse me, but may I touch Psyche's wrist for a moment?"

The Saintess chuckled behind her mask.

"You should ask Psyche, not me. I am not her master, nor is she my pet."

"I see."

I had no choice but to admit my mistake.

So, I turned to Psyche, who was just standing there blinking her eyes, and asked again, like a pervert, "May I hold your hand-?"

"...."

Of course, there was no answer. So I glanced at the Saintess's mask, and she simply shrugged her shoulders.

Since she didn't refuse, it was as good as permission.

And so, I slowly reached out my hand towards the wrist of the woman named Psyche.

"Grrrgh-."

As my hand got closer, the holy warrior Psyche narrowed her eyes and began to growl menacingly, like a Shiba Inu about to have its treat snatched away.

*Flinch.*

Seeing that, I paused my hand, and the Saintess chuckled, "Fuhuhu-."

"It's okay. Psyche doesn't bite. She hits, though."

"Shit, then it's not okay at all."

"Still, Psyche seems to like you. Usually, it wouldn't just end with growling."

"Is that so?"

She threatened me so fiercely, and yet that was considered liking me? There were many things I couldn't understand.

It felt like the owner of a wildly barking and jumping pit bull, unleashed and eyeing me with a hungry look, was saying, "My dog doesn't bite-."

Shit, now that I think about it, I'm getting angry.

This is a seriously grave problem.

Dogs are, in fact, wolves.

Even the smallest and most docile dogs like Chihuahuas or Shih Tzus, being descendants of wolves, have a primal hunting instinct lurking within them.

And that instinct often leads them to bare their fangs at seemingly weaker prey, like young children.

In reality, many young children have been injured by attacks from small dogs off their leashes.

If I ever gain power, I will propose a strong law that fines dog owners who walk their pets without leashes.

As I was thinking this, something slowly approached me. It was none other than Psyche's wrist.

As I was lost in thought, she extended her wrist towards me first.

Could it be that she had opened her heart to me?

With a touch of emotion, I placed my fingers on her wrist. It felt like communicating with a wild beast.

*Ding-.*

『Name: Psyche Pureheart Lv. 41

Status: 《Sinner of Love》 《Electrophilia》』

Psyche's level was 41, as the text indicated.

I had thought she wasn't an ordinary person since she broke Calidour's leg, but she was indeed a strong woman, worthy of being called the highest combat power of the temple.

Given that many are called heroes from around level 40, this woman named Psyche could be considered to have met the primary condition for becoming a Gold Tier adventurer.

That meant she would be of great help in the expedition to the underworld.

"However, this mission could be life-threatening. Are you alright with that?"

"...."

*Nod.*

Psyche simply nodded without a word.

With this, I had gained two excellent combat powers from the Sodomora Venus Goddess Temple: Calidour and Psyche.

However, I still felt it wasn't enough.

* * *

"It's been a while since I've been here too."

Beyond the north gate of Sodomora, there's a high cliff.

Below that cliff lies the darkness called the Abyss of Erebus, and within it, all sorts of vicious monsters, including Manticores, lurked.

However, in the valley of the abyss, the most dangerous beings were not Manticores, Wyverns, or other venomous insects, but an undead.

And I am now descending into the darkness to meet that undead.

I always feel tense when descending into this darkness.

*Grrrk, Grrrk-.*

As I descended into the depths of the abyss by gondola, I saw a corner of the cliff carved into the valley. There was a lit brazier and something like a dilapidated hut.

"Are you there?"

As I announced my presence there, with the sound of heavy objects colliding and shaking, a skeleton clad in clothes, with glowing blue eyes, appeared and greeted me.

━It's been a while, Hassan.

His name is Achilles, or Arthas.

He is a Weapon Master and Death Knight resurrected by Pluto's curse.

━You've grown stronger in the time we haven't met. I almost didn't recognize you. Ordinary swords or arrows wouldn't even pierce your skin now.

Achilles seemed to have instantly grasped that I had leveled up and become stronger in the meantime.

Of course, just as he perceived my strength, I, who had also become stronger and more sensitive, once again realized what a formidable warrior Achilles was.

Even with nothing but bones, there wasn't a single opening.

I could foresee a future where any attack I launched would be easily blocked and even countered.

What kind of being is this?

Is he like a super skeleton?

━So, what brings you, who must be busy with the temple's operations, all the way down to this humble abyss?

"I have something to ask you. I came to see if you have any interest in leaving this place and joining an expeditionary force."

━Expeditionary force? Are you planning a war?

"A war... it seems similar. I'm thinking of forming a rather large expeditionary force. At least twenty Gold Tier adventurers will gather."

━Gold Tier... You mean the graduates of Kairos Academy, those wearing gold necklaces? Each one of them could be called a hero.

"That's right."

━So it will be a battlefield where brave warriors like myself, Achilles, and my adversary Hector, Odysseus, Ajax, and Menelaus abound. There will even be scoundrels like the cowardly Paris.

I knew the names Achilles was rattling off were those of the heroes who fought in the Trojan War.

I had borrowed and read books about the Trojan War from the library to learn about this Death Knight Achilles of the abyss.

Incidentally, it was interesting.

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Anyway, I nodded.

"Many strong individuals will be clamoring."

━I see. My heart pounds, though I have no heart. A battlefield. A battlefield-. Has the peaceful Kingdom of Zeruit decided on war?

Achilles' reaction was quite positive.

He had been stuck in this abyss for so long, hunting monsters with Agumon, a Wyvern. He must have been bored.

It's like a max-level player who has completed all content is getting a large-scale war event update.

Thinking of it that way, I could understand Achilles raising his expectations. Lack of content is a major problem in any game or life.

━Who are the opponents? Are they descendants of the eastern land of Troy? Or the ambitious western desert principalities? The southern island's Ideope barbarians cannot be ignored either. Or perhaps the newly discovered northern elves?

However, all of Achilles' guesses were wrong.

I need to correct him on this.

"We will not be invading anywhere, east, west, north, or south."

━What?

*Swoosh-.*

The skeleton's blue eyes narrowed slightly. Even after seeing them many times, they were quite eerie. He asked again.

━If you're not invading anywhere, east, west, north, or south, then what kind of expeditionary force are you planning to form?

"The place we will be heading to is-"

*Snap.*

I pointed downwards with my thumb.

"Underground."

━....

Whether he understood my simple explanation or not, a brief silence fell between Achilles and me.

A few seconds passed.

Achilles narrowed his blue eyes and opened his skeletal mouth.

━Hassan, I'm sorry, but that's not called an expeditionary force. It's called a suicide squad. Not even the greatest heroes, let alone the mighty gods of Hypnos, have ever dared to venture into the underworld.

His words were quite pessimistic.

But I couldn't back down now.

I felt the need to solidify my stance.

"It would be impossible for me alone. That's why I need the help of the strong. In that sense, I want you to be part of the expeditionary force."

Then, Achilles let out a low, gloomy chuckle.

━You don't know, Hassan, or rather, little Pluto. You don't know how immense the power of the underworld is-. I know it well. And I tell you, everyone will die. Like dogs. Like insects.

*Swoosh-.*

His blue eyes flickered.

I could read one emotion in his eyes, something that seemed utterly unfitting for this man: 'fear'.

"Are you afraid?"

━Afraid? Even I, Achilles, the protagonist of a brilliant epic, could not overcome the power of the underworld. Why am I in this state-.

Achilles started to speak but then fell silent.

I sensed that there was important information in the words he swallowed, but Achilles seemed unwilling to speak of it and changed the subject.

━You are trying to accomplish something that would make the tasks of countless heroes and gods seem like child's play.

"...."

━As I said, there's no good in living for glory and merit. Hassan, give up. You already have so much in your hands, don't you? Enjoy it and live a comfortable life forever.

Achilles' words seemed to resonate in my bones. If I were the old, commoner Hassan, I would have nodded and stepped aside.

But if I agreed with him here, everything I had done so far, and the hardships my companions had endured to help me, would all be in vain.

Oaths and promises.

My goal to surpass my father.

All of that would be shattered.

A Hassan without a purpose would be no different from a mannequin.

"...."

As I was racking my brain to find a counter-argument, Achilles drew a long sword from his waist, seeing that.

━However, a man who has made up his mind cannot be persuaded. I know this well.

*Gooooo-.*

━Then prove it. Son of Pluto, Hassan.

A powerful aura emanated from Achilles, who had drawn his sword.

━That you possess the power to surpass the grand epic of all gods and heroes, history itself.