"I mean, why go through all this trouble?"
Under the tree, the Ancient Serpent shook his head slightly but still accepted the energy potion.
Jason raised the small vial with a grin, clinking it lightly against Samael's. Tilting his head back, he downed it in one gulp, then let out a satisfied sigh before replying casually.
"What can I say? Compared to heroes like you blessed with divine talent, I'm painfully ordinary. If I hadn't been lucky enough to study under Chiron, I doubt I could even handle a regular soldier."
The blond youth spread his hands helplessly, then his smile returned, light and easy.
"But you know, on the stage, I'm the best audience. Among the audience, I'm a pretty good performer. As long as no one tries to compare, both sides seem to like me well enough. That's not so bad, right?"
"Yeah, not bad at all. Cheers."
Samael gave a faint smile, raised his vial, and clinked it against Jason's.
Jason's shoulders, which had been a little stiff, slowly relaxed.
The Ancient Serpent looked at Jason's brightening smile and thought quietly to himself.
Popular? Maybe.
This social butterfly, who had been drinking and laughing with the other heroes the night before, hadn't been chosen right away.
Even Heracles and the Prince of Calydon—teams he was friendly with—had long since filled their spots.
Sure, friendship existed. But in this hunt for glory and reward, no one wanted to include Jason—the one known for "covering the rear."
Had his situation not grown increasingly awkward, the ever-charming "party darling" wouldn't have come to join their equally sidelined team, asking to tag along.
Samael had noticed Jason's predicament and decided to give him a hand, bringing him in.
Partly, it was because of a certain fondness from memories of a game in another life. But more importantly, Jason's connections were exactly what the Ancient Serpent needed for his plans.
After all, the legendary Argonautic Expedition—fifty of Greece's greatest early heroes—had been gathered from across the land by Jason himself.
That kind of charisma and leadership was something even Samael had to respect.
...
"Buzz!"
Just as their rest was about to end, an arrow shot into the sky with a piercing whistle.
A warning signal! Another team had spotted the Demon Boars!
Atalanta's expression hardened the moment she identified the direction. She immediately signaled the team to advance toward the source of the sound.
"Watch the left flank! Don't let those beasts break through!"
"Roar! Roar!"
"Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!"
On a sloped stretch where trees had been toppled in clusters, two muscular warriors bellowed in unison, their shouts resonating with Ether. Raising their shields, they braced against the charge of four or five brown-haired boars over a meter tall.
"Spear! Thrust!"
After withstanding the impact, they seized the opening, slightly parting their shields. Their rune-engraved spears drove straight through the boars' eye sockets and snouts, plunging deep into their skulls and twisting violently.
Thick red-and-white fluid sprayed across the grass, staining the greenery beneath. Even in their death throes, the boars thrashed and gnashed their tusks, letting out crazed, guttural howls.
Then, one among them—its brown hide now streaked with glowing crimson divine markings—suddenly rose upright like a man. It slammed its hooves down hard, shaking the ground beneath it.
A surge of earthen light rippled outward as the soil cracked open, jagged rock spikes bursting forth one after another.
Caught off guard, the two warriors stumbled back, their shield formation breaking apart.
The remaining boars bared their tusks and roared, charging into the opening with feral fury.
Just as the beasts were about to crash into the line, two figures flashed forward. Golden-black swords wove a web of steel, slicing through the charging boars and reducing them to chunks of flesh that tumbled to the ground. The stench of blood filled the air, seeping into the grass.
But the moment the two advanced, the ground began to quake.
Rows of trees were uprooted as a colossal Demon Boar—seven or eight meters tall, its body covered in glowing red divine markings—charged over the slope, its hooves pounding like thunder, with a horde of smaller boars surging behind it.
At the rear, a thin, pale warrior's hands trembled around his spear and shield, his face drained of color.
Damn it!
The two figures who had charged into the herd of wild boars froze mid-step, their faces twisting in alarm as they turned to retreat. But the frenzied rush of the beasts behind them was too fast to escape.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
At the last moment, a downpour of radiant white "light rain" fell from above. Dozens of charging boars were pierced through by the dense barrage of arrows, collapsing to the ground like hedgehogs, lifeless.
However, with its Mana dispersed, this volley could only sweep away the weaker ones with little resistance—it wasn't enough to completely neutralize the threat.
Right after, two figures burst from the bushes on either side, spears flashing as they charged in and struck down the boars blocking their path.
"Keep your eyes forward! Don't let a single one escape! Leave this to us!"
Atalanta's sharp voice rang out as she appeared just in time. Leaping and weaving between branches, she fired arrow after arrow, raining down suppression fire on the emerging herd.
"Hahahahaha! Kill!"
Caenis bellowed with a mad grin, slashing and thrusting through the stampede. The beasts wailed in agony as the air grew thick with the scent of blood. Her bloodshot eyes gleamed brighter the more she killed, and soon, she charged straight toward the massive Demon Boar.
That idiot! Only cares about her own thrill! Serves her right to get buried!
Samael rolled his eyes at the sight, his gaze narrowing as he sensed the shift in the surrounding air.
"Roar!"
Just as one wave was quelled, another surged forth—a colossal Demon Boar, easily seven or eight meters tall, barreled in from the flank.
"Bang!"
At that instant, Samael lunged forward, his spear whistling through the air before plunging straight into the monster's eye. The Demon Boar stumbled mid-charge, bellowing in pain as it flailed wildly.
The Ancient Serpent quickly slung his shield over his forearm, drew his longbow, and sprinted forward, loosing arrows in rapid succession to clear out the smaller beasts rushing their way.
"Out of my way!"
At the front, a dying boar—its body riddled with arrows, eyes bloodshot—made one last desperate charge, only to be sent flying by a powerful shield bash.
"You alright?"
The frail warrior standing nearby froze for a moment before nodding on instinct.
"Move!"
Before the young fighter could voice his thanks, the man in front of him scowled and barked, yanking him aside.
As he stumbled into his rescuer's arms, he turned back—just in time to see dozens of sharp stone spikes erupt from the ground where he had just stood.
"We're hunting Magical Beasts! If you want to live, stop spacing out, understand?"
Samael shot a cold glare at the distracted hunters. The frail one quickly broke free and nodded timidly.
"With so many corrupted boars in the forest, it's practically turning into a beast tide. You two, stay close to me!"
The Ancient Serpent grabbed a spare spear from a nearby burly warrior's back and tapped his shield in a distinct rhythm as he gave the order.
Recognizing the signal, the two warriors instinctively fell into position, forming a defensive formation centered around Samael.
"And you! Can you at least finish them off with that sword? Stay with us and don't run off!"
The frail participant was immediately pulled into formation by the Ancient Serpent.
A Spartan phalanx—of course.
Once the formation was set, Samael turned slightly, casting a brief glance at the uneasy, thin warrior behind him. His brow furrowed.
Why was there a woman mixed in among them—one who was practically dead weight?
...
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