Love Runs Deep, So Kick with Your Feet 3/4

Night falls in the Arima's Cave.

The Hydra lay in the shade, dozing with its eyes half-closed, its posture languid, and a sense of melancholy arose within it.

Because the Colchis dragon broke into Ladon's treasury and ran away with the money; the Nemean Lion, the Chimera, and the Sphinx had to guard Mount of Ares and couldn't leave; Ladon and the Caucasus Eagle were also very busy, one dozing around the Golden Apple in the Sacred Garden and the other watching over Prometheus; the Harpy heard that she was hiding on the Ayu Island, and had other important business; the Gorgon Sisters were very curious about the human world and went shopping and strolling every day, and they knew they couldn't possibly stay in this poor, remote place with no entertainment.

The increasingly indifferent Serpent Mother, who also seems to be a nobody, has left the entire Arima's Cave almost empty. The Hydra, has become the dominant force in the Arima's Cave.

Aside from killing a few unruly monsters for the nearby human settlements that worship her, Hydra spends most of her time sleeping in comfortably.

When she got hungry, she only needed to look up to see the smoked bacon and dried fish hanging above the cave—offerings from humankind, each with its own unique flavor.

When she was thirsty, she only had to turn her head slightly to see a pool of crystal dew collected by the Nymph, not to mention that there was also a lot of aged wine in the cellar.

This life couldn't be more pleasant.

Hmm, days without the Black Demon and the silly dog Cerberus are the good days!

Otherwise, with classes and arguments, how can one have such a peaceful time?

Nine snake heads lay comfortably on the hay, wanting to take another nap, when suddenly a faint light burst forth from the inside of the Arima's Cave.

It's not even spring yet, why has that Queen of the Underworld come up here?

Hydra looked back at the familiar light patterns in the Abyssal Layers and muttered to himself.

The Arima's Cave are one of the pathways to the underworld, and Themis, Goddess of Justice who once lived in a Water Marsh Treehouse, is a witness to this agreement.

Therefore Queen Persephone, who is released from the underworld, usually emerges from the Arima's Cave every spring, ascends to the surface, and meets Demeter, Goddess of Agriculture, accompanied by Themis and the Serpent Mother.

However, it's none of her business anyway; she can just eat well, drink well, sleep well, and have fun.

A listless Hydra lowered her eyelids, preparing to drift off to sleep, while in her mind, she gathered the consciousness of her nine heads to discuss the serious issue of whether to try something different the next day and go hunting.

Just then, as Hydra closed his eyes, a series of loud crashes came from the cellar, followed by a figure panting heavily approaching from around the corner.

"Thud..."

A drop of thick saliva fell onto Hydra's head, making a dull echo, and the strong smell of alcohol filled the air.

Hydra instinctively tensed its muscles, raised its head, and stared ahead with its scarlet vertical pupils. He Xin saw three dog heads the size of millstones, with scarlet wine dripping from their mouths, looking at her with a sly grin.

That damned dog! Juxin has come back from hell! And dares to steal her treasured drink!

As Hydra grumbled inwardly, it raised its head and hissed. The Cerberus rock wall opposite it slashed across with its claws, sending sparks flying, and responded with a low growl. It then circled its old adversary, looking for an opening to attack, its face full of ill intent.

"Hiss!"

"Woof!"

Before long, the two rivals were tearing at each other and fighting as usual.

For a moment, the Arima's Cave shook violently, and the sounds of barking dogs, hissing snakes, the screeching of scales and claws rubbing together, and roars of anger echoed through the cave.

"These are..."

Inside the underground cave, Atalanta and her companions, guided by Queen Persephone of the Underworld, used this path to return to the human world. Looking at the chaotic snake pit, they brushed the dust off their clothes with strange expressions.

"Oh, it's just a small thing, a way of expressing sibling affection..."

Samael, emerging from the nearby cellar entrance, tossed several jars of wine to his companions who had come ashore, and explained to Atalanta with a smile.

"You call this friendship?"

Atalanta stared at Cerberus, who had been swatted away by Hydra's tail and was now mostly Cerberus in the wall, her eyelids twitching.

"Hmm, a beating is a sign of affection, a scolding is a sign of love. If they don't love you enough, they'll kick you. Look how devoted they are to their love, so it's best not to bother them."

Samael casually fanned away the dust in front of him, took a sip of aged wine, and then adopted a nonchalant and detached demeanor.

However, after Cerberus dodged a spurt of venom from the Hydra, it headed straight for a certain bystander teacher.

The ancient snake's expression changed instantly. It cracked its joints with a ferocious smile.

"You dare to lay a hand on me? You've got some nerve! Come on! Let me give you a quick crash course in real combat!"

Without a word, Samael rushed into the cave and gave Cerberus and Hydra a sound beating. The dull echoes of their blows and the howls of the two monsters rose and fell in waves.

Half an hour later, the Cerberus and Hydra trembled in fear under the tyrannical power of the Black Demon.

The Serpent Mother, who rushed to the scene upon hearing the news, was overjoyed to see the familiar faces return. She took Samael's hand and inquired about his experiences after fleeing to the sea, and expressed concern about the absence of her old friend Tina.

As for the two unlucky kids who constantly bickered and got beaten up, she was already used to it and decided to selectively ignore them.

Only after Samael briefly mentioned his journey and subtly revealed Tina's whereabouts did the Serpent Mother feel relieved.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the ancient serpent learned that there were still three days left until the appointed time with the Poseidon, King of the Sea. So he bid farewell to the Serpent Mother and led a group of human Heroic Spirit to Mount of Ares to begin the next preparations.

He left Cerberus and Hydra in the Arima's Cave to recuperate and wait obediently for orders.

Along the way, in order to avoid being detected by Zeus, Samael constantly enveloped his teammates with his divine authority, disrupting the gods' perception of this upstart army.

After a day of intense, tense activity, as the outline of a magnificent marble city emerged from the horizon in the morning light, the ancient snake rubbed its throbbing brow and let out a long sigh.

Athens, we've arrived!

After paying a few Golden Zeus to the sentries at the main gate, Samael led the group into the city discreetly. Due to the bustling crowds, they walked and stopped frequently, and the prosperity of Athens gradually came into view.

It boasts a complete range of public buildings, including palaces, council chambers, theaters, clubs, galleries, hotels, shopping malls, workshops, docks, and stadiums.

In the square, there stand bronze sculptures of athletes with bulging muscles and beautiful lines.

The sculptures displayed here depict participants from various Olympus Games who, as Athenians, achieved remarkable results.

Others were heroes who made outstanding contributions to Athens, such as Chiron the Wise who founded the Athenian Academy; Pandion, the builder of Athens who followed the Three Goddesses to Olympus to resist Typhon's army; and the Chimera, the gods and monsters that repeatedly protected Athens from the Beast Calamity...

Their achievements are engraved on the bronze statues, and many passersby stop to touch the sculptures, hoping to receive their blessings.

When enthusiastic Athenians recounted these heroes and their deeds to outsiders, they unconsciously held their heads high and puffed out their chests, revealing a sense of pride in their association.

Besides human heroes, Athens numerous temples, the most striking of which is undoubtedly the magnificent temple on the highest platform, dedicated to Goddess of Wisdom Athena, Medusa the Goddess of Vengeance, Themis, Goddess of Justice.

Following the terrain downwards, the statues of the Eighty-Eight Constellations of Saint Seiya are also neatly arranged and placed in a temple of varying sizes, guarding the Three Goddesses.

Worshippers came and went in an endless stream to pray for blessings.

Within the temple complex, Samael also saw a calamity bell hanging on one side of the entrance, Temple of the God of Medicine one could pray to the god of medicine to eliminate large-scale epidemics.

The ancient snake smiled slightly, feeling quite gratified.

Not only themselves, but Athena and her allies are also stepping up their plans.

After gaining a brief understanding of Athens' development, Samael did not linger in the bustling areas but led the group through the Acropolis of Athens.

The architecture of the Acropolis of Athens is ingeniously integrated with the terrain. If the Acropolis is viewed as a whole, the hill itself is its celestial base, and the structure of the building complex and the arrangement of many parts are coordinated with the undulations of this base, forming a complete unity and turning it into a solid fortress that can rely on the terrain to resist attacks step by step.

Passing through the leaf-stalk-shaped mountain gate, the group followed the vein-like path towards the Mount of Ares in the northwest.

As they broke through the light barrier and stepped into the rugged foothills, Samael finally breathed a sigh of relief, having completed his thrilling but safe journey.

At that moment, streaks of light flew down from the temple above Mount of Ares, landing in front of everyone, dissipating their brilliance to reveal familiar faces to Samael.