The Villain of Ancient Greece

Several days later, at the edge of Tartarus Hell in the Underworld.

A rustling sound came from the dim Arima Cave, and Cerberus, the three-headed dog of the Underworld, hearing the commotion outside, immediately rose from the ground, snarling and growling at the dark, cavernous dungeon.

”Shh, don’t make a sound, it’s me!”

However, upon hearing that familiar voice, the guardian dog of the Underworld immediately reined in his fierce expression, joyfully scampering to the entrance of the dungeon and excitedly sticking out his tongue at a certain stowaway who was crawling out.

”Good boy! Here’s your reward, eat up.”

Having successfully infiltrated his destination, Lorne reached into his magic array diagram and took out pre-prepared honey cakes and ambrosia, throwing them to the eagerly watching Cerberus.

The sweet aroma filled the air, and the three-headed dog of the Underworld, whose taste had been completely corrupted by human delicacies, immediately leaped high, skillfully catching several falling honey cakes, and squatted to the side, feasting with relish, completely forgetting his duty of guarding the Underworld.

While stroking the middle head of Cerberus, Lorne quietly inquired about information related to the Underworld.

The three-headed dog of the Underworld, while enjoying the ”fellow species” feeding service and petting, responded to Lorne’s various questions with simple growls.

Soon, with the disclosures from Cerberus, the insider, Lorne had a general understanding of the current situation in the Underworld.

Due to the capture of the overly high-profile Sisyphus and the discovery of Thanatos, the God of Death, the order of life and death in the human world and the Underworld had returned to normal operation.

However, after that God of Death brother took up his post, in addition to his usual duties of detaining and guiding souls, he had an additional task.

—Supervising Sisyphus pushing the rock.

Originally, this job belonged to Hypnos, but recently, something seemed to have gone wrong with Dreamland, and he had to lead the three great Dream Gods and three thousand Dream God Race members back to Dreamland to defend it;

And most of the souls who had originally escaped from Garden of Truth had also been successively captured and brought back; currently, the order there is being managed by Moon Goddess Hecate on her behalf;

Garden of Truth is operating normally, still overseen by the three great judges of the Underworld;

But for some unknown reason, the atmosphere in Tartarus Hell has become much more tense recently.

Not only are Thanatos, the God of Death, and The Furies stationed there, but even Hades, the King of the Underworld, has personally taken action.

Lorne had a faint guess as to why the Underworld was mobilizing such a large force.

—Most likely, those old fellows in Tartarus are causing trouble again...

’If I remember correctly, when their group retreated from the Arima Cave before, they encountered Devil Ancestor Typhon, who showed signs of revival.’

That was probably the beginning of the unrest.

One must know that Tartarus Hell, where that guy resides, is filled with a large number of Titans and monsters who do not submit to the order of Olympus.

There are three of the twelve Titan Gods alone...

If everything inside were to escape, it would certainly be enough to give the Olympus Gods a run for their money.

Now, even Hades, a seasoned homebody, has left his dwelling; it seems that those old folks in Tartarus Hell were causing quite a stir down there.

However, to have the powerful Hecate guard Elysium...

’Isn’t that place full of souls like marionettes? Is it that important?’

Lorne suddenly recalled that the obvious revival of Typhon’s head and the subsequent unrest in Tartarus seemed to have occurred after he caused a ruckus in Elysium.

His eyes narrowed slightly, lost in thought.

It seems that Elysium was not as simple as they previously perceived on the surface; there might be some kind of connection between it and Tartarus.

Those souls raised in that blessed land were probably not just for ornamental purposes...

However, due to a lack of sufficient supporting information, Lorne thought for a while but found no clues.

So, he had no choice but to temporarily give up, take out a scale from Snake Mother Echidna, and beckon to Cerberus beside him, instructing him.

”Doggy, lead the way. Take me to the Queen of the Underworld’s garden.

Try to avoid encountering patrol teams during the process.”

”Woof woof!”

The well-fed three-headed dog of the Underworld immediately let out a loud reply, then, with joyful steps, ran wildly along the River Styx towards the distance.

Lorne then concealed his figure and activated the Goat’s authority, quietly following behind Cerberus.

Since the main forces and most of the gods of the Underworld were concentrated in Tartarus and Elysium, responsible for dealing with the recent unrest, the defenses in other areas were quite sparse.

And under the guidance of Cerberus, the insider dog, Lorne safely bypassed various defenses and Underworld outposts, soon arriving at the lush garden from his memory.

”Alright, just lead me here. You can go back now.”

Lorne stroked Cerberus’s head, tied a package full of honey cakes and ambrosia to him, and then watched the reluctant three-headed dog of the Underworld disappear into the mists of the Underworld.

Although he was revisiting an old place, he remembered leaving a considerable amount of trouble for the Queen of the Underworld before he left last time.

The current situation was still unknown, and there was no need to let Cerberus also take risks.

After briefly recovering his expended divine power and replenishing his state, Lorne cautiously walked through the lush garden towards the inner courtyard from his memory.

Along the way, although the surrounding vegetation showed some signs of wilting and damage, it was generally still verdant and full of life.

It seemed that even if she had let them go, the Queen of the Underworld had not suffered any obvious punishment.

Thinking about it, Lorne gradually relaxed as he passed through a patch of bushes, and arrived at the pavilion where he first met Persephone in his memory.

Looking around, a familiar feeling immediately surged into his heart.

The gurgling water twisted and turned, colorful fallen petals drifted with the wind, the greenness of life came into view, and the fragrance of flowers and plants filled the air, making one feel refreshed and at ease.

And amidst a patch of verdant greenery, the Queen of the Underworld from his memory was standing on tiptoe, reaching out to press down a golden branch.

”Queen Persephone…”

Upon hearing the summons from behind, the graceful figure in the forest visibly paused slightly, then quickly reacted, turning to look at the guest who had made the sound, lightly coughed, and spoke indifferently.

”Ahem, speak, what do you want from me?” Lorne was startled at the words, then a humble smile bloomed on his face as he bowed.

”It concerns the Titan Gods in Tartarus. The higher-ups encountered something and sent me to verify it with you in person…”

As he spoke, Lorne, who had appointed himself as a messenger, walked forward.

”What? Tell me…”

The Queen of the Underworld in the forest seemed to have grown interested as well.

Her eyes flickered, and she released the golden branch in her hand, walking forward curiously.

However, the moment their figures met, both of them simultaneously changed expression and threw a punch.

”Bang!” Accompanied by a dull explosion, strong winds swept through the forest, and leaves scattered.

The Messenger and the Queen of the Underworld looked at their colliding fists, their faces simultaneously darkening.

How could they both think of doing the same thing?

Soon, Lorne reacted and spoke first to gain the upper hand.

”Who are you? How dare you impersonate the Queen of the Underworld and try to steal the golden branch from the garden!”

In fact, as soon as they met, the Queen of the Underworld’s reaction made Lorne suspicious.

He had already removed his disguise and revealed his true appearance.

How could Persephone be so calm upon seeing his return, and even act as if she didn’t recognize him?

So, he probed a little and confirmed that the person in front of him was definitely not the Queen of the Underworld herself.

At this moment, hearing the accusation from the other side, the latter snorted disdainfully.

”Hmph, cut it out, you’re not clean either! Persephone just went to Tartarus to deal with the trouble underground. You don’t even know this, and you still dare to try and fool me?”

As she spoke, the Queen of the Underworld frowned, as if she had thought of something as she scrutinized Lorne from head to toe, and a sinister glint gradually appeared in her eyes.

”Wait, judging by your appearance, and the way you’re sneaking around in the woods alone, could you be her lover she keeps outside?!”

”Lover my foot!”

Lorne’s face turned dark, his heart filled with frustration.

He was always the one slandering others, but this time, he had just entered the door and was already being splashed with dirty water by someone else?

”Alright, alright, the more violently you react, the more correct my answer is!”

’The Queen of the Underworld’ in the forest immediately made a definitive judgment, her raised arm cutting a black arc through the air, like a sharp sword forged from death energy.

”Die, adulterer!”

With two accusations thrown at him in quick succession, the veins on Lorne’s forehead throbbed wildly, and his gaze became sinister.

He immediately activated his authority, and with lightning speed, he reached out and grabbed the incoming pale arm.

Then, he bared his teeth in a sneer, unceremoniously swinging his arm in a wide arc and slamming her towards the ground.

He, at least, had nine divine incarnations.

Without saying he could walk sideways in the Underworld, he would at least need an opponent of the Twin Gods’ level to claim to suppress him.

Did she really think some cat or dog that popped out of a corner could control him?

”Boom!”

Instantly, a dull explosion roared, and smoke and dust rose in the forest.

And under Lorne’s astonished gaze, in the enormous deep pit, the originally full-figured, tall Queen of the Underworld actually emitted a large amount of black mist, shrinking in an instant into a rebellious teenage girl about 1.6 meters tall, with a yellow hairband and a slender physique.

”You dare to hit me? Do you know that even Hades has never laid a hand on me! You’re dead!”

Suffering such a heavy blow, the girl in the deep pit suppressed the tears welling up in her eyes, gritting her teeth and uttering harsh words, as the dual divine power of life and death surged wildly within her body.

Gradually, her skin turned into a half-black, half-white bicolor, and her body transformed into black mist, breaking free from Lorne’s restraint.

Then, she appeared in the dense shadows in a strange and peculiar form, sometimes clearly visible, sometimes blurry, and sometimes flickering in the darkness.

Looking at the scene before him, and sensing the two familiar auras emanating from the girl, Lorne didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

He finally knew who this was.

—Melinoe, the Goddess of Ghosts, a member of the Underworld in the legends of Orphic Mysteries (Dionysus Cult), and the biological daughter of Hades, the King of the Underworld, and Queen Persephone.

And, in a sense, his… sister?