Starting in Type-Moon, but an A Certain Magical Index Magician — Chapter 19

Perhaps such beauty could be seen freely outside, but watching such a beautiful area emerge from an utterly empty place struck Artemis so deeply that she suddenly felt herself grow hot.

She felt the thing called a heartbeat, the surging of blood, the emotions humans spoke of—excitement, impulse, or involuntary emotional fluctuations. At this moment, she finally truly understood them.

Greece's pure maiden goddess fell uncontrollably to the ground at that moment. She gently embraced him, overflowing with passion.

"Artemis..." Mephistopheles spoke softly, wanting to look at her, but her no-longer-suppressed voice came from behind him.

"Don't talk... Just let me hold you for a while."

She trembled slightly, but even more than that was the heat radiating from her full body. It was as though that heat wanted to completely swallow Mephistopheles.

Just as Mephistopheles had said, he was a scumbag who fell in love with every woman he met. In such an atmosphere, he really could not restrain himself. Desire was rising, uncontrollably rising, like a flood pouring forth without end.

Thus, at that moment, Mephistopheles turned from passive to proactive. He broke free of her embrace, saw Artemis's somewhat dissatisfied and saddened expression, and directly pulled her into his arms.

That action made her reveal a surprised expression. Then, the girl's cheeks flushed slightly, and she smiled happily.

She embraced Mephistopheles again, holding him tighter, more firmly, more naturally, and more boldly than before!

Because Mephistopheles's embrace was already the greatest response he could give her. Artemis understood very clearly what that embrace represented.

Thus, with crimson cheeks, she whispered into Mephistopheles's ear, "I want to try the kind of thing you did with Medea too..."

Those words were like a switch, burning through the final shackles of reason in Mephistopheles's mind. He gently laid her on the ground. The soft grass became a bed at that moment, while the bright moon in the sky became a lamp upon the ceiling.

Looking at the girl's luscious lips, Mephistopheles gently kissed her.

Artemis responded as well, somewhat clumsily, yet eagerly.

No matter how carefree a girl might be, she was now bashful like a flower waiting to bloom. She gently removed his clothes, and then they slowly became one.

That instant became eternity!

No one knew how much time passed as one man and one goddess simply held each other.

There was nothing as exaggerated as a vise, a water pump, or a furnace. Instead, it was gentle as a clear mountain stream, secluded as a dense forest deep in the mountains.

There was none of industry's extravagance, only the flavor of nature.

When everything ended, the two lay quietly on the grass. The flush covering Artemis's body gradually faded, sparkling beads of sweat dripping onto the grass as she smiled. "That felt so good. Let's play like this every day from now on!"

Mephistopheles's eyes widened slightly. "Every day?!"

"Mm! Now I know why Medea had that expression back then. If I encountered something like this, I'd definitely have the same expression! No, I'd find someone to help you get rid of that poison!"

Hearing the moon goddess make such a declaration, Mephistopheles opened his mouth, about to say something, only for her to seal his lips again. Feeling her initiative, it was obvious that Artemis wanted another round of battle!

Thus, fire and sweat once again spilled across the grass!

Zeus's Proposal

After Mephistopheles and Artemis had worked up a sweat for nearly an entire day, the two finally entered their sage time for real and began considering how to leave this place.

Mephistopheles stroked his chin, looked around at the surrounding space, and said, "Would directly breaking this place affect the outside?"

Artemis shook her head. "Most likely not. Even if it does cause an impact, we just need to suppress it. Space won't remain shattered forever—it'll recover quickly."

Mephistopheles understood what Artemis meant. Space itself could heal, so even if it was shattered, it would soon close again.

It was like the surface of water. Even if immense force pierced through it, once the foreign object left, the water would flow back together and restore the pierced area to its original state.

Therefore, after hearing Artemis's words, Mephistopheles began gathering his magical power.

The magical power changed within his body, using his flesh as a whole to alter what lay inside.

And those internal changes began affecting the outside after only a brief moment.

Magic did not rely solely on Phases. There were many ways to cast magic, including magic that used the Microcosm to alter the macrocosm.

If it had to be compared to something, it was somewhat similar to Academy City's espers—using one's own Personal Reality to interfere with reality and thereby manifest the abilities within that Personal Reality.

The next instant, a wound split open on Mephistopheles's body.

The wound appeared on his arm!

At the same time, a crack appeared in the area before Mephistopheles. Space had split apart, and a vortex appeared within it once again. There was no suction; it simply told the two present that they could leave through there.

He paid no attention to the blood dripping from him, because before it could reach the ground, it was burned away and completely evaporated.

As a magician, Mephistopheles knew very well that blood and the like could be used to cast magic, so naturally, he would not leave such things behind.

"Let's go!" Mephistopheles smiled, grabbed Artemis's hand, and pulled her out with him.

Artemis allowed Mephistopheles to pull her along, following obediently behind him as they left the area together.

As the two departed, the oak trees in that place collapsed, the grass on the ground completely withered, and the silver moon in the sky disappeared.

This place became a wasteland once more!

Back outside, Mephistopheles took a deep breath of the fresh air and smiled. "Sure enough, it still feels more comfortable outside."

As a result, Artemis fiercely pinched Mephistopheles's waist when she heard that. A goddess's strength was naturally beyond what Medea could compare to. She even tore through Mephistopheles's clothes and twisted his flesh!

"Awwooo!" Mephistopheles cried out. "That hurts!"

Artemis pursed her lips. "What did you mean by that?"

How could Mephistopheles not know what she was thinking? He immediately smiled.

"I only said it was more comfortable outside. I meant that the environment inside, without our alterations, was inferior to the outside. But if a beautiful woman called the Moon Goddess is accompanying me, then the outside truly can't compare."

"You really weren't lying. You truly are a scumbag. That mouth of yours is pretty good at making girls happy."

Artemis said this, but it was clear that she was much happier now. Yet just as Mephistopheles breathed a sigh of relief, Artemis asked again, "But Medea is waiting outside. How will you choose?"

"A life-or-death question already?!" Mephistopheles froze. Those people who could build harems while satisfying everyone were truly impressive. No matter how one answered such a question, it was fatal.

However, as someone who dared to call himself a scumbag who fell in love with every woman he met, his skin was naturally extremely thick. At certain times, that was an advantage.

Thus, Mephistopheles answered without hesitation, "Why choose? Of course I want them all!"

It was a perfect answer, a shameless answer, yet Artemis could not find anything wrong with it. While marveling at how thick-skinned he was, she could not help secretly breathing a sigh of relief.

At least, her place would not be lower than anyone else's. The thought made her unexpectedly happy.

Just as the two were about to continue onward, a figure appeared not far away. Mephistopheles and Artemis looked at the person. It was a young man.

Seeing the young man, Artemis called out, "Hermes, why are you here?"

"Hermes?" Mephistopheles cried in surprise. The young man nodded slightly and gave Mephistopheles a small bow. "Greetings, one who slew the Primordial Dragon. I am indeed Hermes."

Mephistopheles quickly returned the gesture. "Greetings to you as well, honored messenger god."

Hermes did not seem much like a god. He was simply a very amiable person, one who gave off the air of an adventurer.

Mephistopheles was once again somewhat surprised by the appearance of this Greek god.

Although Mephistopheles appeared in Type-Moon's Greek mythology, he had not seen this god earlier. Especially when he had witnessed the Gigantomachy, Hades had appeared and used invisibility to assassinate giant after giant. That had made him think Hermes did not exist here.

Because according to mythology—or rather, according to the original texts—Hades was not among the Gigantes. Hermes wore Hades's Cap of Invisibility and carried out the assassinations.

Not to mention that Hades was not one of the Twelve Olympians, while Hermes was. Yet here, Hermes was clearly not among the Twelve Olympians, whereas Hades was.

That was why Mephistopheles had believed Hermes most likely did not exist.

Yet unexpectedly, this god existed, and he was also the messenger.

If he learns that in other worlds, he's one of the Twelve Olympians and holds an honored position in many places, I wonder what he'd think. Mephistopheles waited quietly for Hermes to explain why he had come.

Then, the messenger explained why he was here.

"The Father of the Gods hopes that Mephistopheles will go to Olympus. He wishes to see you."

Artemis whispered to Mephistopheles, "It seems killing Typhon has already reached Zeus. What do you think—does he want to reprimand you or reward you?"

As Artemis spoke, she wrapped her arm around Mephistopheles's arm, letting the soft fullness of her chest rub against it.

Hermes smiled and said to Artemis, "Congratulations on finding your own happiness as well, Moon Goddess."

Afterward, he turned around and led the way.

As the messenger, Hermes was extremely fast. Under his guidance, Mephistopheles and Artemis soon arrived at Mount Olympus. Within the Temple, Mephistopheles met the Father of the Gods he had already met once before—Zeus.

"Mephistopheles, your choice was far too reckless."

Zeus spoke with a hint of reproach in his expression. Though nothing had happened, based on his understanding of Typhon, Zeus could imagine the terrible disaster that would have unfolded if that monster had been released.

"I truly apologize." Though he could have explained how confident he was in fighting Typhon and how many contingencies he had prepared, Mephistopheles could not be bothered to explain. He merely offered a bland apology.

Sometimes, refusing to explain was the fastest way to end a matter.

It was like when you tried to explain something to your parents, proving that they had overthought it or were mistaken. They would then begin launching a series of attacks against your explanation.

And quite a few elders had this flaw to some extent.

Seeing Mephistopheles admit his mistake so quickly, Zeus was stunned for a moment. He had originally thought the powerful man before him would defend himself, but he did not even try to explain. His attitude in admitting fault was so straightforward and decisive.

This made all the words Zeus had intended to say as an elder stick in his throat. For a moment, he could not say a single word.

Thus, Zeus coughed lightly. "However, your actions did indeed resolve Typhon and completely remove this unstable factor. From now on, there will be no true crisis on this land that can threaten the gods.

"Then, what reward do you desire for making such a contribution?"

At that point, Zeus glanced at Artemis, noticed certain changes in the moon goddess, and said, "Perhaps you could become a god of Greece. What do you think?"

For a human to become a god, that human would inevitably have to endure many hardships and accomplish many heroic deeds.

Clearly, slaying Typhon was more than sufficient.

Artemis looked toward Mephistopheles. Although Zeus's words made her happy, she knew very well that Mephistopheles would not remain in this world. He still had to go to other worlds.

Therefore, he would most likely not accept this position.

"I'm sorry, but I have no plans to become a god for now. I am a magician walking the path of seeking the mysteries and seeking truth. Before reaching the necessary point, I will not allow myself to transcend humanity and enter a higher realm."

Mephistopheles could not be certain how greatly becoming a Greek god would affect his future cultivation, or whether it would cause irreversible problems in his ascent of the Kabbalah. Thus, he could only refuse at this moment.

Moreover, before confirming that he was truly prepared, Mephistopheles did not wish to abandon his identity as a human and enter a higher level.

"Is that so? Then I truly cannot think of any gift that would match your achievements." Zeus was so direct, while Mephistopheles merely continued smiling.

"With the Moon Goddess by my side, I am already very happy and satisfied. There is no need to give me anything else."

"Hahahaha!" Zeus burst into laughter. Artemis, meanwhile, blushed deeply, but her face was also filled with happiness and joy.

The Beginning of the Expedition

After refusing Zeus's reward, Mephistopheles went to Apollo's Temple and saw Medea reading with complete concentration.

Medea's attention was completely absorbed by the book, and she did not notice anyone arriving. After Apollo saw Mephistopheles and Artemis enter, he gestured for them not to make a sound, then led them outside.

"What happened to Medea?" Artemis asked in confusion. Apollo smiled. "Nothing. I merely used a few methods to divert her attention so she wouldn't worry too much."

"Divert her attention? I think Medea's attention is completely focused right now." Mephistopheles mocked Apollo, who did not deny it. "Just a bit of mental interference. Don't worry, there won't be any aftereffects."

"What kind of book is that?"

"An item that applies mental interference. There is actually nothing inside it. Medea merely sees content that was never there based on what she is thinking.

"Naturally, the content she sees will also be vague and difficult to truly understand.

"I told her it was a test, so what she sees will inevitably be the test she imagines. And that test will be difficult for her to solve, because a test conjured by her own mind would certainly be extremely difficult—a mystery she believes cannot be solved in a short time."

With Apollo's explanation, Mephistopheles finally understood what had happened. He complained, "Medea came to you for help, but you thought we didn't need help, so you simply used this to trap her?"

"Because I thought you needed some private time and space." As Apollo spoke, he glanced at Artemis, who still wore a blissful expression. "It seems I was right."

For a moment, Mephistopheles did not know how to refute him. Apollo had clearly done this to give him and Artemis the chance to properly battle within that sealed space.

"Then can you let her recover now?"

"Just apply a slight influence and guide her a little toward the answer."

Apollo spoke and lightly snapped his fingers. Then, the book before Medea changed.

Medea looked at the puzzle before her. She pondered it for a long, long time, yet still found it difficult to solve. Just then, inspiration suddenly struck her. She looked toward a mark at the side that she had never noticed before. It was as if lightning had split her mind, and she immediately felt enlightened!

"I found the answer!"

Medea was overjoyed. She immediately wrote the answer into the book before her. As she filled it in, an even more dazzling light radiated from the book, and then she sensed new knowledge!

It was magical knowledge related to the authority of light and the authority of the sun, knowledge connected to Apollo, the sun god!

Once she mastered it, Medea would be able to wield a portion of the sun god's authority even without being the sun god's priestess. It would be like gaining the sun god's recognition and receiving a pass to his authority!