Encountering the Black Scorpion Monster

The past ten days had gone by quickly.

During that time, they traveled on Wyverns early every morning and landed to rest at night.

Falan felt like he was about to overcome his fear of heights.

After all, being at a height where one's feet could not touch the ground was probably why many animals feared heights.

But riding Wyverns was safe overall, especially with a certain goddess around.

Guided by her kindness, she would rather make mistakes than see anyone suffer. Falan's acrophobia was adapting at an astonishing speed.

"Everyone, pay attention. The Ancient Altar at World's End is almost here."

"..." Falan really wanted to complain. World's End was only ten days away in this world?

Of course, this world was undeniably vast. If it were compared to the Earth Falan remembered—

the distance would probably be like traveling from the southernmost tip of Spain to the northernmost point of Northern Europe.

After all, this was a world with Orario, a world centered around Western mythology~

For such a world, reaching World's End after nearly ten days on Wyverns actually seemed fairly reasonable.

"Wait, everyone stop. There are monsters below."

Upon hearing Hermes, the adventurers on the Wyverns quickly guided them lower.

When they neared the ground, they jumped down and began preparing for battle.

After all, in the real world, monsters would not wait for adventurers to launch the first attack.

For example, Falan had only just landed and had not yet eased the discomfort caused by his fear of heights—

when a group of pitch-black scorpion-like monsters swarmed toward where he had landed.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—several arrows flew past. While instinctively evading the Black Scorpion Monsters' attacks, Falan—

suppressed his nausea and began chanting.

[Dark Spirit, I am an emissary of darkness. Hear my call—]

[Thorns in the thousands and tens of thousands, grow from the earth for the emissary of darkness—]

[—Become the most sinister blades and pierce forth from the ground! Emerge!]

At once, a vast stretch of ground centered on Falan turned into a black circle.

Countless thorn-like black substances pierced through one Black Scorpion Monster after another.

Countless Black Scorpions died immediately, though quite a few managed to survive.

But then, those black substances showed that they truly possessed the nature of thorns.

Even if a monster was only grazed, the thorns of darkness immediately clung to its body.

The black thorns caused those black monsters to let out shrieks like wails before dying.

After all, the black thorns did not merely cling to their surfaces. When the Black Scorpion Monsters let down their guard—

they crawled into the Black Scorpions' bodies, causing one Black Scorpion Monster after another to burst apart and die.

"This is... disgusting..."

"Little brother Falan, that move was fierce~ I can't believe you came up with it."

"After all... I used my trump card, 'darkness,' just to protect myself... Hermes, watch out. Those Black Scorpion Monsters were only the first wave..." As Falan spoke, he was left somewhat dumbfounded.

He now understood who had fired the arrows that had saved him.

It was Artemis. Even with an incarnation that had cast aside divine power, she was comparable to a first-level human adventurer.

One could say that if Artemis were not a god, she would still stand at the level of a "hero" in this world.

"Don't worry too much. That is Artemis, after all. Among the Greek gods who have given up their divine power, aside from Ares and Athena, she is the strongest fighter. Even Titans would not dare claim they could defeat her."

"..." She was that strong? Was there something wrong with a god like that?

Falan felt his thoughts turning chaotic. In theory, shouldn't the gods of this world all be like Hermes, someone who could be knocked down with a single punch without using divine power? Yet Artemis was not even the god most adept at battle. Greek mythology alone still had two more.

Ares and Athena? Well, one was the God of War and the other the goddess of victory. Perhaps it was only natural that Artemis could not compare to them.

Under the moonlight, arrows continually rained down among the monsters. Aside from Falan and Hermes, who watched from the side, the adventurers charged forward. Soon, the successive waves of Black Scorpions were all slaughtered.

"Artemis, you worked hard."

"...Hermes, as a god, you just stood there watching?"

"No, no, no. I was protecting little brother Falan. You saw the magic he used while landing, didn't you? His magic power is depleted. Isn't it perfectly normal for me to stay behind and protect him?"

"...I'm tired from fighting just now, so I don't want to talk to you. Falan, help take out some supplies."

"Mm, okay..." Falan opened his "Backpack" and took out some prepared water and healing potions, allowing the adventurers who had finished surrounding and killing the Black Scorpion Monsters to rest properly.

Not long afterward, the two Familia set up camp on the spot under the decision of Hermes and Artemis, the two higher gods.

The attacking Black Scorpion Monsters undoubtedly indicated that something was wrong with the Ancient Altar at World's End. Perhaps the seal had become unstable, or perhaps a monster tribe that had not been exterminated back then remained here.

Of course, the latter possibility was less likely. Before Falan and the others landed, they had noticed a human village not far from where they were currently camping. Fortunately, the anomaly likely had only occurred recently.

The Black Scorpion Monsters might have been numerous, but not enough to affect the lives of nearby people.

Still, they could not ignore it. It was precisely because such an abnormal situation had been discovered that Orario had received a mission to investigate it.

Today, I have all of you.

A group of like-minded companions.

Before us stands an immense hardship.

But when that hardship is overcome—

that will be the day your names are remembered by posterity.

Young people, rise up.

Become true heroes.

At night, the members of the Hermes Familia were all caught.

Watching those suspended men, Falan helplessly moved farther away.

Why were the people of this world all so childish?

Perhaps it was only the Hermes Familia. After all, they had all been influenced by Hermes.

"I'd better stay farther away..."

After all, perhaps not joining them in peeping proved that he possessed virtue and belonged to "justice."

But sometimes, "justice" was not so simple. For example, if a large group of people all did something and only one person refused, then that person would seem antisocial and might even be accused of seeking fame.

Falan felt that merely refusing to peep should not result in being excluded, but since he had not been hung up and was alone back at the camp, it still felt rather strange.

"Come to think of it, Lady Artemis isn't over there..." As he walked, Falan could not help thinking.

"Could it be that Lady Artemis didn't go wash..." Falan hurriedly covered his mouth with his hand, then silently turned around.

He intended to quietly leave. What kind of novel development was this?

He had no intention of peeping, but while trying to avoid trouble, he had not expected...

"Who's there?"

"..." I absolutely can't get caught...

Thinking of how a certain goddess had told him what Artemis had done to Hermes when she caught him leading gods—and people—to peep before, Falan resolved that he absolutely could not be discovered.

With a rustling sound, an arrow shot past Falan with a whoosh.

Feeling pain in his cheek, Falan reflexively reached up and touched only his own blood.

"Falan?"

"..." Thinking that running now would only make things impossible to explain, Falan chose to sit down where he was.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"So you were with Hermes after all?"

"No..." Falan thought that if she formed such a fixed impression of him, he would never be able to explain himself.

He could only keep his back to the goddess and explain what had happened at the camp.

"I see... I misunderstood you. Sorry. Hermes is just so irritating. I thought he would definitely bring people to peep, so I came here alone. I didn't expect you to run into me..."

"..." I see... my ass... Hermes... you've ruined me...

As more rustling came from behind him, the goddess spoke again.

"Turn around." When Falan turned his head, there was no delightful sight before him.

That was because Artemis had already put on her clothes.

"What is it? Disappointed?"

"A little..." Feeling that he would die if he did not explain himself, Falan hurriedly said, "After all, a beautiful god like Lady Artemis would surely be liked by anyone. It's appreciation, yes, the instinctive pursuit of beauty possessed by living things."

"Pfft~ All right... I'm not holding it against you anymore..."

"..." I could sense your killing intent just now, and you say you're not holding it against me.

Well, perhaps goddesses were not all that different from ordinary women after all.

Of course, it was also possible that this was simply a unique trait of this world.