A moment later, the radiant, handsome, and dashing god of light, Apollo, disappeared from Ares's sight, replaced by a slender, petite, and almost perfectly beautiful young woman.
"What the hell."
Looking at the beautiful young woman before him, Ares gazed at the horizon and exclaimed,
"If Zeus saw you dressed like that, there probably wouldn't be a place for Aquarius at tomorrow's banquet… Even I'm starting to feel a little moved."
"Ares."
Apollo also looked down at his current attire, then subtly stepped two paces away from Ares. He looked at Ares with suspicion and asked,
"Why are you so skilled at makeup? Do you have some unspeakable hobby?"
As he spoke, Apollo couldn't help but recall Ares's astonishing actions at a banquet more than half a year ago.
Of course, Apollo didn't know that the Ares War God clone at the time was controlled by the goddess of magic, Hecate. He only remembered that when Ares was pestered by Eos, the goddess of dawn, who still held a crush on him at the banquet, he impatiently blurted out the self-appellation "someone." At that time, not only Eos but even Athena was startled away by him.
No way, this guy looks like he's taken a virginity vow, all proper and upright, but secretly he's even wilder than Zeus and I.
He made me like this, he wouldn't be plotting something against me, would he?
Thinking of this, Apollo couldn't help but feel a little scared. Although he was considered capable among the main gods, he was still no match for Ares.
Seeing Apollo retreat several paces away, Ares was also a bit puzzled. He asked, "Why are you retreating so far? I won't actually do anything to you."
"Well, I can't say for sure," Apollo said guiltily. "I have great confidence in my own charm, and very little confidence in your self-control."
"Forget it, if you want to keep your distance, then keep your distance. Anyway, I also think it's disgusting to get too close to a man in women's clothing," Ares said, waving his hand.
Apollo thought for a moment, then angrily retorted, "Didn't you make me wear this? Do you think I want to wear it?"
"Alright, don't throw a tantrum, Apollyse. If you really want to protect your sister, quickly use your charm to seduce that simpleton over there," Ares clapped his hands and said.
"What the hell is Apollyse?" Apollo's anger surged.
"Then do you want to use your real name?" Ares pointed at Orion and said, "'Oh, dear Mr. Orion, I am the god of light Apollo, and I would like to develop a relationship with you that transcends friendship.' If you tell him that, do you believe he'll turn around and run on the spot?"
Apollo thought this made sense. After all, his reputation in this world was well-known, and if his cross-dressing was discovered, it would be quite embarrassing. So, he reluctantly agreed, "Then I'll listen to your arrangements."
…
On the other side, after learning that he was finally free from the pressure of the goddesses during this period, Orion felt his body lighter than ever before. He felt as if he could fly with just a slight jump.
However, despite his happiness, Orion decided to satisfy his appetite first. So, he picked up his bow and arrow and club and walked into the nearby forest.
As the beloved and companion of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, Orion's hunting skills naturally needed no elaboration. His skills in this regard were far superior to Ares, who only knew how to shoot arrows. Furthermore, even if Orion found nothing in the forest, he could use the power he inherited from the Sea God to catch fish in the river. Catching fish was even simpler for him, the Son of the Sea God, than scooping water from the water tank behind his house.
After he had eaten his fill, Orion planned to visit other populated areas. Previously, under the pressure of Artemis, he had been forced to live in this desolate place. But how could Orion's favorite beautiful maidens appear in such a place? Artemis's actions had prevented many of Orion's recent pick-up strategies from being implemented. Now was the perfect time for him to put these strategies into practice.
Perhaps it was truly the guidance of fate, as Orion was traversing the forest, he suddenly heard a series of panicked cries for help.
"Help! Is anyone coming to save me?!"
It was not strange for someone to cry for help. The Greek World was not safe now, wars broke out every day, and people died every day. After city-states were destroyed, former soldiers who had weapons and equipment but no money or food easily became mountain bandits, robbing and kidnapping for wealth and people. In addition, dangerous beasts and magical creatures were rampant in the wilderness of the divine age, so it was very unsafe for ordinary people to travel alone after leaving the city-states.
However, that wasn't the main point. The crucial reason this voice attracted Orion was that it sounded ethereal and melodious, as captivating as a nightingale, clearly belonging to an extraordinary beauty.
So, upon hearing this voice, the playboy Orion immediately became as excited as if he had been injected with adrenaline. Two streams of white vapor shot from his nostrils, and he was no longer hungry, nor was he dispirited. He immediately quickened his pace and rushed towards the source of the sound.
Upon arriving at the scene, Orion saw a blonde maiden surrounded by a group of sword-wielding bandits. When his gaze fell upon this blonde maiden, Orion's mind felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, and he completely froze in place.
What a beautiful maiden she was! Her pitifully delicate posture and slender figure were even three parts more beautiful than the most beautiful woman Orion had ever seen in his life, the goddess Artemis. Orion even felt that, with her temperament, the position of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, should be given to this blonde maiden instead.
While he was stunned, those fierce-looking bandits had already closed in on the maiden. Seeing that this delicate flower was about to be ravaged by this group of unappreciative barbarians, the righteous Orion felt that he could not stand by and do nothing.
So he quickly leaped out, holding a large club, and shouted at the bandits, "Under the watchful eyes of the great gods, how dare you commit such evil deeds! I, Orion, a righteous companion, cannot stand idly by!"
"Who do you think you are?" The bandits, seeing their good deed ruined, immediately cursed. One by one, they surrounded Orion with bronze short swords and wooden clubs, intending to use their numerical advantage to directly kill this burly brute.
But they were mere mortals. In front of Orion, whose wrist strength was powerful enough to directly strangle a lion and whose physical toughness was basically only a step below Heracles, these bandits were like chickens and dogs, Vulnerable. Orion merely swung his wooden club casually, striking down several bandits. The remaining ones, seeing that the situation was not good, immediately abandoned their target and fled.
And after completing this heroic feat, Orion tidied his appearance, then tried to maintain a gentlemanly demeanor as he approached the golden-haired beauty.
"Hello, beautiful maiden," he asked gently. "My name is Orion. What is your name?"
The golden-haired beauty stared at him with sparkling eyes for a moment, then softly said, "Hello, brave hero, my name is Apollyse."