The Myth of the Greek Heavenly Demon

Chapter 37 – Quiet A Decent Companion

In the long history of the Heavenly Demon Cult, spanning tens of thousands of years, if there was one absolute rule, it was the law of the jungle, the survival of the fittest.
Only the strong reign and only the strong dominate, becoming the absolutes who would conquer the hypocritical Justice Faction occupying the vast and prosperous land of the Central Plains as the representatives of Asura, the ruler of the endless war-torn land of Sura.
Therefore, most of the cult leaders were powerful martial artists who dominated an era, but among them, there were also those who made one wonder how this person became the leader.
A prime example was none other than my master in stealth and invisibility techniques, Ghost Night Riding Thief.
Like riding the chariot of the underworld that could go anywhere in the world, from the Grand Library of the Nine Great Sects One Union to the secret vaults of the Five Great Families, he was the notorious great thief who could not be stopped.
He claimed that in his heyday, he entered the hidden treasure vault of the Nine Great Families and swept away all the treasures.
He said he sneaked into the bedroom of the renowned beauty of the Namgung family and kidnapped her.
When training with him, the tales he told were so extraordinary that it was hard to tell if he was the leader of the Demonic Cult or a top-class martial artist of the Lower District Clan.
However, when he carefully opened the hidden vault of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, which was said to be a graduation gift from him, his disciple could only be moved again and again by the greatness of his master.

“So, at that moment, I deactivated the last formation and opened that door!”

“At that moment?”

“…What’s the point of saying it? The golden Buddha statue, or rather the god, brought by the esoteric monks from beyond the mountains hundreds of years ago, was staring right at me! Below it, dozens of rare artifacts and piles of gold and silver treasures reflected the light of the luminous pearls embedded in the ceiling, dazzling my eyes!”

“Wow…! Just thinking about it makes my mouth water… It’s fantastic!”

As I thought.
I quietly smirked and nodded at Hermes, who was so excited about the story of Ghost Night Riding Thief that he was hopping up and down.

When Hermes, the god with golden curls, first met me.
Even if it was just for a moment, the emotions that crossed his face were clearly vigilance and confusion.
Moreover, the fact that he did not come in immediately and instead had a secret conversation with Chiron, and Hermes’s reaction to the medicinal tea I offered him as a test earlier.

Passos was an island city in the northern region, so it was rare for Hermes’s followers to visit on pilgrimage, and the main gods worshiped were the god of war, Ares, and the sea god, Poseidon.
But when I offered the traditional Chinese medicinal tea, his reaction was that such customs didn’t exist in Passos?

This swift god had thoroughly investigated me, uncovering something about myself that even I didn’t know, intending to test me.
The thought crossed my mind that perhaps Artemis had seen blood on my hands, and the king of the gods had sent him to watch me or mark my coordinates.
If that were the case, he would have monitored me from afar instead of meeting me directly.

‘Then, Chiron? Indeed, he was very surprised to compare me with Hercules.’

If Chiron had commissioned him, it would have made some sense.
From the beginning, he received a vague oracle in a dream and went all the way to Passos to bring me back.
If he was close to Hermes, he could have asked to gather some information.
If he approached me cautiously after collecting information at Chiron’s request and discovered some secret about me, what could that secret be?

‘Is it information about my blood?’

The thunderous strength that Hercules showed, which should probably be called divine power, and my Godly Demonic Qi, which showed a similar yet completely opposite power.
And above all, when I fainted earlier, recalling the gigantic presence beyond the mist in my dream, it was highly likely that it was neither my mother nor my father, but not an Olympian god.

Then who could it be?
Who could be the one that made this god, who laughed so cheerfully at the tale I shared about Ghost Night Riding Thief, be wary of me, who was still weak?

The answer to that question was the very purpose of me generously sharing the stories of my previous life.

Even if it wasn’t that, honestly, Hermes was quite a good companion for conversation.
He talked when he needed to, listened when he should, paid attention well, and had good reactions.

I was tormented by twelve ancient beings who only appeared young.
Among them, there were truly respectable masters like Crazy Wind Godly Spear or Ruined Emperor’s Ghost Yin.
But most were old men who, bored with the mundane life of the Three River, would endlessly recount their glorious past whenever they saw me.
If I had been a member of the Demonic Cult, or at least a martial artist, each story and word would have been precious secrets of the martial world.
At that time, I was a pitiful Korean who, after dying, was kidnapped right before crossing the Three River, witnessing my escorting grim reaper being beaten to a pulp.
Drawing on my past experience dealing with difficult customers during part-time jobs, I had to muster all my strength to listen until I memorized all those tedious stories.
Even if I dozed off or my attention wavered for a moment, the cult leader’s punch would immediately fly, making it truly a brutal daily life.

“…So I returned with the military funds to fight against the corrupt cult leader’s family and the divine artifacts to gift to my followers, who would later become the Four Heavenly Kings.”

“Wow! That was an amazing story. I can’t believe such a history existed in a land I didn’t know about. If I ever get the chance, I definitely want to visit it someday.”

“If your wings guide you to that land, mention my name or the name of Ghost Night Riding Thief to the millions of demons dwelling beyond the Hundred Thousand Mountain Peaks. They will likely treat you with the utmost respect.”

Surprisingly, Hermes seemed to believe all the stories I told about the Central Plains Murim World.
Compared to the mythical era of Greece, not only was the Republic of Korea where I lived, but even the Central Plains Murim World was a story of a far-off future.
I began by revealing that I had come from another world.
I was a little worried whether this god would believe it, but fortunately, Hermes was rather excited and listened intently to the story of another world.
Naturally, I started talking about the great thief, Ghost Night Riding Thief, who swept across the Central Plains and his secret.

“If that happens, I will definitely do as you say. If my divine duties lighten up someday, I promise.”

Hermes was as happy as a child who heard that a gift was on its way, thinking about how exciting it would be.

“But you take the news that I am a soul from another world quite lightly?”

“What of it? It’s an act by the primordial night itself. Nothing is impossible.”

Bingo.
It seemed my efforts to weave the tale had paid off. Hermes casually gave me the answer I wanted in response to my light-hearted question.

“The primordial night?”

Feigning ignorance, I tilted my head, and this time, Hermes chuckled softly.

“Well, wasn’t it worth it, spinning the tale of your homeland and the great thief so earnestly?”

Oh dear.
As if exacting a small revenge for my earlier probing, the golden-curled messenger god flashed a sly smile.

“In response to your audacity to play a guessing game with a god, and for sharing such an unheard-of and astonishing story, I shall grant you one opportunity.”

“An opportunity, you say?”

“Yes, the chance to ask one question to the messenger of the gods, who knows everything in Greece.”

So, it was my turn to be tested now.
With a sly smile, Hermes extended his hand to me, speaking in a dramatic tone like a skilled actor.

“Hmm…”

“Just tell me. From the most beautiful woman in the world to mountains of gold and jewels, no less than the mysterious thief you mentioned! Even the rarest delicacies that cannot be found in all of Greece and the sea! I can tell you anything.”

The twelve Godly Demons, who were the most powerful leaders in the history of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
The twelve gods of Olympus, who ruled over Greece, filled with all sorts of monsters and heroes.
If there was one common trait among these powerful beings who have lived for such a long time, it was that they pursued their own amusement in any matter.
Whether things went as expected or not, those starved for stimulation sought entertainment even in small matters and enjoyed watching others’ reactions.

Look at that elegant god.
I could see the mischievous smile on his face, as if he already knew what question I would ask and was pondering how to answer to catch me off guard with those bright eyes!

Well, he was the god who declared to his father, Zeus, the king of the gods, that as a messenger, he would never lie, but also would not tell the whole truth. A born trickster god. What more could I say?

However, I had no intention of missing this opportunity with the question he expected.

“Then, I will ask my question.”

“Whoa, whoa, calm down. Have you thought it through? You only have one chance. I will not mix any lies into my answer to that question. But how you interpret it is entirely up to you, got it?”

“….”

At first glance, he seemed like a god worried about a young hero recklessly using a precious opportunity, but his eyes were saying…

‘Sweet!’ ‘Fun!’

‘Strong young men these days…’

I shook my head internally, but straightened my attire and nodded while looking at him directly.

“I understand. Then I shall ask the grand god of Olympus, the master of Caduceus, who knows everything.”

“Yes, I am listening. Young disciple.”

This hedonistic trickster.
Let’s see if things go your way.

“Who was the one who sent you, who protected me earlier and also protected Atalanta?”