Atalanta's thirst gradually faded. She lifted a hand to wipe away the droplets that had run down to the corners of her lips and chin, her eyes sweeping calmly across the battlefield.
At that moment, Samael's gaze lingered briefly on her lips—moist and glistening like rose petals—and on her slender neck, faintly traced with drops of water. His tongue unconsciously brushed against his own dry lips and teeth.
He realized he was thirsty again.
"So this is the Demon Boar that's plagued Calydon for over a decade? Doesn't seem that impressive."
The younger of the twin swordsmen stepped forward and kicked the massive creature—towering seven or eight meters tall—with open disdain.
"That can't be right. An old hunter from Calydon told me that the Demon Boar was over ten meters tall two years ago, covered in red and blue magical markings and bristles. These smaller corrupted boars nearby, and even this one, must just be degenerate descendants of that god-blessed beast."
Leaning back on his shield, Jason casually argued while massaging his temples. His tone was firm despite the complaint in his voice.
"I'm telling you, that heart-pounding feeling hasn't gone away. That Demon Boar's still alive, I'm sure of it!"
Samael stroked his chin, eyeing Jason with faint amusement. The kid's mind always sharpened in dangerous moments, and his knack for sensing threats was uncanny—he'd make a fine living danger detector.
"You're not wrong. If that Demon Boar were truly so easily slain, Prince Calydon wouldn't have called together every hero in Greece for this hunt."
The Ancient Serpent pulled his spear free from the creature's eye socket, wiping it clean as he spoke.
Atalanta lowered her gaze from the battlefield, a flicker of approval passing through her eyes as she looked toward Samael. Then she turned to the Spartan group, her voice steady and serious.
"You've been in the forest for some time now. Other than the Demon Boars, have you encountered any other types of Magical Beasts?"
The twin swordsmen frowned in thought, exchanged glances, and shook their heads.
"We're the same," one replied. "We were attacked by another type of monster near the outskirts, but I dealt with it easily enough."
Atalanta nodded, though her expression grew heavier.
"From my experience living in the wild, the ether density here should be enough to sustain at least a dozen or twenty Magical Beast species. Yet not a single one's in sight."
The siblings seemed to grasp the implication at the same time. Their pupils contracted slightly as their voices wavered.
"You mean... they've all been..."
"...eaten by the Demon Boar?!"
Circe wrinkled her delicate nose, clutching her staff tighter as she gave a grave nod.
"I sensed it too. That must be it. The ecosystem here has been completely destroyed. The Demon Boar has taken full control of this forest—and it's still breeding, endlessly mutating."
Caenis scratched her head, a savage grin spreading across her face.
"So there are plenty more of these things running around? And if they've devoured other Magical Beasts, that means they're even stronger now, right? Sounds like a slaughter waiting to happen."
Everyone instinctively ignored the battle maniac's outburst. One by one, they nodded and gathered to discuss their next move.
They were only halfway to the forest's core, yet the outer herds alone had already proven dangerous enough. Whatever lay deeper within must be something far worse—something that might truly require all the heroes together to defeat.
And given how prolific pigs were, there was no telling how many of their offspring infested the woods ahead.
Unfortunately, both the Spartan team and Samael's group had weaker members who needed protection.
Samael shot a glance at the blond youth grinning awkwardly as he helped broker the alliance, his lips twisting in mild exasperation.
Of course, on his side, the one he meant was Jason—not Circe.
The Spartans' leader, though proud, wasn't a fool. Taking the opportunity, the twin-sword warrior quickly agreed to travel with Samael's group, the two sides joining forces to watch each other's backs.
The journey that followed confirmed everyone's suspicions.
Wave after wave of Demon Boars—some barely a meter tall, others close to ten—charged out from every corner of the forest, bellowing as they swarmed toward the group.
Fortunately, everyone had been prepared. After cutting down herd after herd, they managed to advance safely, though not without a few close calls.
Samael roughly tallied their kills. At least four to five hundred small Demon Boars, seventy to eighty medium ones, and more than a dozen large ones—practically the equivalent of butchering a small pig farm.
And that was only the count for their two teams. If he added up the results from all directions, Samael estimated that several thousand demonized boars of various sizes must have been slain.
Good thing Prince Calydon had summoned heroes from all across Greece. If they'd come with fewer numbers, even killing the God's Blessing Demon Boar wouldn't have solved the problem—its countless offspring spilling out into the wild would have been a disaster for the common people.
Still, they had underestimated the Demon Boars' breeding capacity and population. Their supplies were dwindling fast. Atalanta's arrows had already been recovered and reused twice; many now had damaged heads and frayed feathers, seriously affecting both power and accuracy.
Samael's spear and shield, Jason's sword, and the weapons of the two Sparta Divine Blood Warriors all showed signs of wear. Circe's mana reserves were nearly exhausted.
As darkness began to fall, Prince Calydon reached out to all the teams, urging them to halt their advance for the night and hold their ground for safety's sake. They would resume their sweep of the forest at dawn.
Meanwhile, supply units in the rear would deliver fresh arrows, potions, and other resources to replenish what had been spent.
After a short discussion, most of the ten or so teams agreed this was the safest course of action. They began setting up camp where they were, waiting for resupply and preparing for tomorrow's final push.
With Circe accompanying them, setting up the encampment was an effortless affair thanks to her Magecraft.
The great sorceress made full use of her talents in "Territory Creation" and "Item Creation," inscribing a protective Magecraft barrier around the camp and summoning several rock golems to stand guard through the night.
The Spartan twins, proud as they were, still couldn't resist the comfort of Circe's conjured workshop—proving once again the unbreakable "law of convenience."
As the campfire crackled to life, the two teams drew lots to determine the night watch rotation.
In the end, Atalanta was paired with the younger twin swordsman, while Jason was matched with the older brother.
The separated siblings clung to each other with theatrical reluctance, exchanging resentful glares with their temporary partners as if being torn apart by fate itself.
The display was so over-the-top it made everyone speechless—clearly, these two didn't care who knew about their terminal case of brother-complex and sister-complex.
Honestly, this kind of twisted affection probably warranted a trip to Germany's "Bone Clinic."
Samael grumbled inwardly, glancing down at the numbered bamboo slip in his hand before looking up—only to see the Sparta princess approaching with a faint blush on her face.
Great. Paired with this enchantress again? Seriously?