Meanwhile, on the other side of the dense forest.
"What brings you here?"
"We've been ordered to escort supplies and assist you in your campaign against the Magical Beasts, fulfilling your great mission."
"I recall Father stripped you of your hunting privileges last night due to your misconduct."
Prince Calydon's gaze turned icy as he stared at his two uncles, flanked by their knights, his brow furrowing.
"Your Highness, we acknowledge our error and have deeply repented. We have received the King and Queen's forgiveness. Please permit us to rejoin the expedition."
The two exchanged a glance. The elder, shield in hand and spear at the ready, stepped forward to plead, his demeanor exceedingly humble.
"Leave the supplies and return!"
Prince Calydon bluntly refused his uncles' request to join. The hunting parties were now closing in, coordinating their positions to encircle the Demon Boar. He had no desire for further complications.
Yet, just as he prepared to mount his steed, his uncles threw themselves at his legs, clutching them tearfully and sniveling.
"Your Highness, all the esteemed families of Calydon have joined this hunt.
Look—we've even brought weapons forged by the gods for this occasion. If we're shut out and return empty-handed, how could a family of demigods possibly show their faces in the royal city?"
"Indeed, please grant us a chance to atone, Your Highness. We held you in our arms when you were a child. Even if you feel no gratitude for that bond, how could you bear to let your mother's family suffer such disgrace?"
The two elders played the family card and resorted to tearful pleas. Hunters from Calydon nearby murmured among themselves, their eyes filled with strange looks.
Prince Calydon's face darkened. Suppressing his anger, he waved his hand, silently permitting them to join the group.
Those two old fools had no shame, but he still had his pride. For the mere vanity of participating in the Calydonian Hunt and basking in hero worship upon returning home, they'd stoop to anything—a disgrace to the royal house and to Calydon itself.
Yet his mother, ever blind to right and wrong, favored her two brothers. Still unsatisfied, these two old codgers had even tried to instill selfish notions in him as a child, their royal nephew—ideas like "stay close to Mother's family line" and "the throne belongs half to them."
When the Calydonian Boar ravaged the land, they lacked the courage to stop the disaster. Now that heroes had gathered, they wanted to pick the fruit and join the hunt. Restless and insatiable, they'd bring disaster upon themselves sooner or later.
Meleager snorted inwardly, his distaste for his two uncles deepening.
...
Meanwhile, the two middle-aged men who had reintegrated into the group now shed all trace of their earlier obsequiousness before the Calydon prince. With haughty arrogance, they barked orders for the hunting party members to carry several supply chests.
"Arrows, potions, and armor? Why so much?"
Several heroes stared at the items distributed to them, their surprise evident. Their provisions weren't merely ample—they bordered on extravagant.
"Of course. After gathering supplies for the other teams..."
"Ahem, after gathering supplies for the other teams, we dipped into our own fortunes to purchase extra for ourselves."
"Haha, exactly! If we take first place in the Calydonian Hunt, you'll owe us brothers a huge debt of gratitude."
The two middle-aged men exchanged a knowing glance, grinning with ambiguous satisfaction.
However, when Prince Calydon shot them a cold stare, the two men, who had been boasting about their achievements, instinctively cringed. They followed the group with nervous chuckles, hastening to tighten the encircling perimeter.
Meanwhile, the two scheming elders muttered under their breath.
All this effort is for Calydon. The highest honor of this hunt belongs solely to our two demigod families. If you useless old fools and you, you little brat, don't appreciate it, we might as well hand the reins to a more divine bloodline.
As magical resonance spread between them, each squad began their exploration.
Having learned from their initial skirmish, the heroes showed no haste in venturing deep into the primeval forest to hunt the primordial Demon Boar alone. Under Prince Calydon's command, they advanced step by step, systematically combing the entire forest.
Herds of Demon Boars, both large and small, scattered in panic. Under waves of arrows and Magecraft assaults, they fell one after another, their cries echoing through the woods.
Stepping over these fallen foes, the regular human troops following behind cleared the battlefield. They butchered the Demon Boar carcasses into meat, transporting it back to the city. Some portions were distributed to the populace as a release of pent-up anger, while others were offered as sacrifices to the gods to bolster morale.
Human soldiers stripped the Demon Boar's hides, tanning and preserving them. These skins would become the raw material for crafting leather armor, strengthening Calydon's military might.
Magical Beasts beyond conquest are called dreadful calamities.
Magical Beasts conquered are called nature's bounty.
However, after clearing several waves of Demon Boars, the hunting party's advance proceeded remarkably smoothly. Only the swamps, thick fog, and the corrupted vegetation and venomous insects posed any significant trouble.
As evening fell, the sun dipped low in the west.
Shrouded in thick fog and the dense canopy of the forest, dusk came early, cloaking the surroundings in a dim, hazy twilight.
Prince Calydon, overseeing the hunt's coordination, was just considering whether to call for the heroes to set up camp and postpone the advance until dawn when shouts and roars suddenly erupted from the scouting team ahead.
Mana projectiles lit up the fog as they shot skyward, while whistling arrows tore through the air, exploding with sharp, echoing blasts.
Through the mist, a monstrous silhouette emerged—over twenty meters tall, massive as a small mountain—its ferocious outline gradually revealed.
In the next instant, a thunderous roar split the air. The ground trembled as the beast surged forward, its demonic red and blue afterimages tearing violent gusts through the forest.
At the same time, the tremors beneath the earth multiplied chaotically.
One, two, three…
Ten, a hundred, a thousand...
From muddy pits, behind thickets, and out of burrowed dens, Demon Boars of all sizes burst through the fog, forming a torrent that thundered toward the hunting party.
They're attacking us under cover of night!
Faced with this massive counteroffensive, the hunters' gazes sharpened, their expressions growing grim.
"Spare the small and medium Magical Beasts! Leave them to the outer guards and hunters! Focus on the larger ones—lock onto that Primordial breed! Don't let it escape!"
Prince Calydon remained calm under pressure. He drew his sword, swung it downward, and shouted a battle cry as his warhorse charged forward.
On the left flank, a towering figure over two meters tall lunged ahead. With a single, effortless punch, every Demon Boar in his path—big or small—had their skulls crushed, their bodies collapsing lifelessly.
"Roar!"
The Primordial Demon Boar seemed to sense danger. It bellowed a furious command, summoning its kin to throw themselves at the charging giant to block his advance.
Dozens of massive Demon Boars pounced, piling over him in a violent clash.
But a blinding golden light burst outward in the next moment. The creatures—beasts that would have been a nightmare for any ordinary warrior—were instantly reduced to sprays of blood and gore.
Organs, bone fragments, brain matter, and torn flesh scattered through the air, raining crimson across the forest and dyeing the fog in shades of red.
Through the mist and the heavy scent of blood, the Primordial Demon Boar charged again, tusks gleaming as it swung upward in a vicious strike toward the mighty hero.
"Boom!"
A muffled explosion followed. Twisting waves of light rippled outward, and dozens of nearby trees splintered into debris as the ground burst apart in layers.
Two figures—one massive, one small—were sent flying in opposite directions.
Thrilling! Thrilling!
Leaping from the pile of corpses, Heracles let out a booming laugh, exhilaration coursing through him. His coiled muscles rippled like serpents under his skin, alive with power.
The dazed Primordial Demon Boar struggled to its feet. Realizing that Heracles was no ordinary opponent, it let out a furious roar, ordering its kin to delay the hunter as it turned to flee in the opposite direction.
The heroes, blood boiling with excitement, shouted as they gave chase.
Spears and arrows flew in chaotic volleys, most missing their mark. Even the few that struck true were deflected effortlessly, the divine patterns on the creature's hide pulsing faintly as they dispersed the impact without leaving a single wound.
...
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