Artemis

Two figures in golden armor flew closer through the sky, heading toward the spot where Sphinx had fallen.

They had barely landed when they saw the enormous beast with a lion's body, eagle's wings, and python's tail lying unconscious, having crushed a vast swath of forest beneath it.

Atop the giant beast's head stood a radiant, imposing god, high above them.

Poseidon and Apollo looked closely and soon recognized who he was.

"Hahahaha, Jiang Yang! I had a feeling. It really is you!"

Poseidon laughed heartily, planted his trident in the ground, and shouted.

Apollo gazed in awe at the hill-sized beast before him, filled with admiration for this senior he had not seen in so long.

"So this is the strength of the former Flame King? He's so powerful..."

Standing atop Sphinx's head, Jiang Yang had long since spotted the two figures flying through the sky, but only recognized Poseidon and Apollo once they landed.

He jumped down from Sphinx's head, walked over to them, and greeted them with a smile.

"Poseidon, Apollo, you're here. Where's Zeus?"

"Father went into seclusion half a year ago. He said he wanted to fully grasp the key to the emperor-rank second step, and wouldn't come out until he broke through."

Apollo smiled as he spoke, a hint of respect in his manner.

"Hahaha, Zeus really hasn't changed. Once he gets serious, he's like lightning, unwilling to wait even a moment longer."

Jiang Yang laughed. But this was also why Zeus had always remained one of humanity's strongest.

"Poseidon, Apollo, it's been so long. We have to have a few good drinks together. Oh, right, Poseidon, have you got your fine wine ready?"

"Hahaha, of course! Knowing you were coming, I specially fetched some wine I'd kept in the shelter for a thousand years and put it in the Temple of the Gods."

Poseidon spoke with a smug look on his face.

"That's so sneaky, Uncle Poseidon. Last time, you told me you'd drunk all the fine wine in your collection."

"Uh... did I say that?"

"You did..."

Watching the two start arguing, Jiang Yang could not help smiling. A thousand years had passed, and their personalities were still the same. How wonderful.

"Oh, right, Uncle Jiang Yang. When my sister Artemis heard you were still alive, she cried for an entire night."

"Artemis..."

At the sound of that name, Jiang Yang fell uncharacteristically silent. In his recollection,

Artemis was the same age as Ania. The two women had always been extremely close during the apocalypse, the best of friends.

Moreover, for a time, he had led that squad of awakened fighters, including Ania and Artemis, and they had swept unchecked through the apocalypse for a long stretch.

Only when the Olympian Shelter needed to be built had she gone to Olympus with her father, Zeus.

Artemis... it's been so long.

"Uncle Jiang Yang... what's wrong?"

Seeing Jiang Yang fall silent, Apollo could not help asking curiously.

"Nothing... Oh, right, I'm planning to take this emperor-rank ferocious beast back with us. He calls himself Sphinx. He's quite interesting, and he can even speak the human language."

Jiang Yang shook his head, turned around, and looked at the hill-sized Sphinx before him as he spoke softly.

"Oh, a talking ferocious beast? This is the first one I've ever seen."

Apollo sounded amazed.

"Hahaha, he did indeed talk when he defeated me. I was shocked at the time, too."

Poseidon scratched his head as he spoke.

"But with him being so huge, won't it be hard to feed him if we take him back?"

"It's fine. Let him go hungry. A mighty emperor-rank ferocious beast should have no trouble going without food for a few days."

Jiang Yang spoke calmly.

"Uh..."

"Oh, Uncle Jiang Yang, he's waking up."