Amini was the illegitimate son born of an affair between the Goddess of Beauty and a mortal. Endowed by nature with the attribute of desire, he had to take pleasure with women every single day; otherwise, the uncontrollable lust burning within him would strip away his sanity.
Zhang Yuanqing had entered the dungeon yesterday, eager to flex his muscles and experience what this final S-rank dungeon was like.
Yet before the head on his shoulders could heat up, the head between his legs had already caught fire.
As luck would have it, one of Aphrodite's handmaidens had been posturing coquettishly right before him, so he hauled her off to the beach and indulged first.
Holding the girl in his arms, Zhang Yuanqing narrowed his eyes, enjoying the warm sea breeze as he pondered this S-rank dungeon: The Sinking of Paphos Island.
[Dungeon Description: A powerful enemy watches over Paphos Island, his towering wrath and hatred silently brewing. When he makes his move, this world-renowned island will ultimately be submerged.]
[Main Mission: Survive.]
Zhang Yuanqing's take on this objective was straightforward: once Paphos Island sank, the dungeon would likely conclude, and all he had to do was live until then.
Without a set survival duration, the dungeon could prove very short, or it could drag out for a long time.
Furthermore, the enemy's description was exceedingly vague, offering no clear target. For now, he had no idea who the enemy of Paphos Island actually was.
However, the master of the island was the Goddess of Beauty, Aphrodite—a deity embodying love and desire. Very few beings could afford to make an enemy of her.
As the social butterfly of the Spirit Realm, the Goddess of Beauty might not have been the strongest, but she unquestionably possessed the broadest network of connections.
Yet for that very reason, the enemy lurking behind the scenes was all the more terrifying.
"Mm..."
The blonde girl in his arms let out a soft murmur and slowly blinked awake.
Looking at Amini lying naked before her, the intoxicating ecstasy of last night rushed back to her mind. Helen, the blonde maiden, furrowed her brows and scolded playfully:
"You brazen, lustful bastard! How dare you lay hands on even me? If Lady Aphrodite found out what you did, she'd banish you from Paphos Island for sure!"
At that, her tone shifted, and she huffed, "What, couldn't your sister Herasine satisfy you?"
Though she feigned anger and reproach, her voice was soft and languid, and her gaze gentle. Clearly, after reaching the heights of pleasure last night, she was in a fairly pleasant mood.
*Herasine? Amini's sister and lover?* Zhang Yuanqing drew in a sharp breath. *Greek mythology never fails to deliver when it comes to messed-up family trees,* he thought.
He hadn't received many memories, so he had no clue he even had a lover who doubled as his sister.
Just then, a cold sneer drifted over from not far away:
"So this is where you two were! Helen, Amini—the followers of the God of Light could attack Paphos Island at any moment! Leaving the palace without permission... have you lost your minds?"
Zhang Yuanqing looked toward the voice. Standing gracefully in the shade of a nearby tree was a girl with long, dark green hair. She wore a one-piece tunic cinched at the waist with a belt woven from vines.
On her feet were straw sandals with vine bindings around her calves.
Her facial features were striking: beneath long eyelashes were deep blue eyes that shimmered like the rolling sea, complemented by a delicate nose, rosy lips, and healthy wheat-toned skin.
The unique allure inherent to the Desire class made her shine like the most brilliant pearl in the world.
Helen's expression changed instantly. She hurriedly picked up a matching one-piece tunic, pulled it on, slipped into her soft undergarments, and said:
"Herasine, it was Amini who forced himself on me! If not for the God of Light threatening Paphos Island's safety—and my not wanting to cause trouble—I would have reported this to Aphrodite!"
With that, she bolted into the woods and vanished.
The girl Herasine watched her retreating figure, her eyes blazing with undisguised venom and rage.
*The followers of the God of Light are threatening Paphos Island?!*
Zhang Yuanqing was still processing Herasine's words.
*The Goddess of Beauty's enemy is the God of Light? This S-rank dungeon actually ties into the Forest of Elves!*
*Maybe in this dungeon, I can uncover why the God of Light killed the Goddess of Beauty—and who that God of Light really is!* While pondering, Zhang Yuanqing picked up his clothes. His outfit was identical to the two girls': a one-piece tunic with a hem that reached his knees.
In the dawn of civilization, clothes served primarily to cover the body and fend off the cold; distinct concepts of male and female fashion hadn't emerged yet.
He deliberately slowed down his movements as he dressed, sensing Herasine's emotions: anger, sorrow, agitation, resentment...
A textbook reaction for a girl betrayed in love.
Even if the object of that love was her own brother.
Putting the feud between the God of Light and the Goddess of Beauty aside for a moment, his immediate priority was to handle this girl.
Zhang Yuanqing's thoughts raced. He didn't think he could just brush this off. In an S-rank dungeon, mortal danger lurked at every turn. Right upon entering, his character's constitution had driven him to fool around with someone he shouldn't have.
Not only had he crossed Goddess Aphrodite's boundaries, but he had also been caught red-handed by his sister Herasine.
Mishandle this, and his very first crisis would be triggered.
At that thought, Zhang Yuanqing finished dressing and strode toward the dark-green-haired girl.
"Herasine, let me explain!"
Herasine lashed out, "Amini! You fool around with that filthy Helen! You broke our vow, and I will fulfill our promise—I'll kill you!"
With that, she spun around to leave. "I'm going to tell Cupid about you and Helen! He's always hated you; he will kill you!"
Zhang Yuanqing remained where he was, his fists clenching quietly to ignite Herasine's anger and indignation.
Mid-stride, Herasine suddenly froze. She whipped around and snapped fiercely:
"Amini, you bastard!
"Are you really in love with Helen?!"
Tears and desperate resolve welled in her eyes, as if the moment Amini nodded and said "yes," she would tear everything down in mutual destruction.
Zhang Yuanqing made no response, standing rooted to the spot without moving an inch.
The light in Herasine's jewel-like eyes slowly gave way to despair. Just as she steeled herself to turn away, Amini's voice sounded behind her in a timeless, poetic cadence:
"Oh, my dearest Herasine, my true love, my sister... If my death can earn your forgiveness, then that will be my finest end."
Herasine remained expressionless.
Zhang Yuanqing walked toward her of his own accord, his eyes brimming with deep affection, his tone utterly sincere as he maintained that poetic resonance:
"You can report me to Cupid, but you cannot say I betrayed our vow. My body may perish, yet my soul remains inviolate, for it is filled to the brim with love for you! Herasine, I couldn't find you last night, and the physical desires of my flesh drove me to Helen. Believe me, that was never my will!
"My one and only true love is the Herasine standing before me. We both hail from the great Goddess of Beauty; our souls and blood call to one another.
"My love for you will endure until the heavens turn barren and the earth grows old! My love for you is unyielding—harder than Athena's shield!"
Where could Herasine have ever heard such romantic sweet talk? Tears instantly flooded her eyes, and she threw herself into Zhang Yuanqing's embrace.
*Handled!*
Zhang Yuanqing exhaled a breath of relief, holding Herasine close in the warm breeze.
A few minutes later, the girl pushed him away, glaring at him.
"Amini, if you're ever unfaithful to me again, I swear I will kill you!"
*To think the Goddess of Beauty Association's debauchery contains a pure-hearted romantic!* Zhang Yuanqing complained inwardly while solemnly swearing his oath.
Reassured by his earnest promises, Herasine's temper softened. "We should return to the palace," she said. "The followers of the God of Light could arrive at any moment. We need to reinforce the palace and set up weapons. If Cupid doesn't see us, he'll be furious."
Zhang Yuanqing nodded and walked side by side with Herasine deeper into the forest.
*Sounds like Cupid is bad-tempered and has a terrible relationship with me?* Zhang Yuanqing noted to himself. This could be a latent threat in the S-rank dungeon.
"Don't worry, Herasine!" Zhang Yuanqing spoke up, deliberately putting on an exaggerated bravado. "I can take down the followers of the God of Light all by myself. I'll protect you."
Herasine chided, "Amini, you never used to brag like this... Sigh. The God of Light is an immensely powerful deity. Aside from the King of the Gods, no one dares offend him."
Zhang Yuanqing immediately sighed in sympathy. "I wonder how Lady Aphrodite ever made an enemy of him in the first place."
Herasine paused, looking bewildered. "Amini, what are you talking about? How could you not know?"
Keeping his composure, Zhang Yuanqing smiled. "Oh, my sweet sister, I just wanted to talk to you a bit more. Just pretend I don't know."
Dealing with love-struck women only took sweet words.
Because infatuation completely shut down the brain.
Sure enough, Herasine didn't think much of it and scoffed, "It's all Cupid's fault! If he hadn't been so mischievous and vicious, causing the death of the God of Light's beloved, why would our Paphos Island ever have ended up at odds with him?"
Zhang Yuanqing chimed in, "Cupid is indeed mischievous. Go on."
Herasine nodded and continued:
"Cupid shot the Arrow of Repulsion at the Laurel Goddess, stripping her of the ability to love anyone. She suffered deeply because of her love with the God of Light, yet she could never love anyone again. But the God of Light wouldn't grant her freedom, so in despair, she took her own life.
"The God of Light despised Cupid to the bone and swore to destroy Paphos Island.
"Sigh. When the King of the Gods was still around, the God of Light didn't dare act against Aphrodite or Paphos Island. But the King of the Gods has departed for the distant East, so there is no one left to keep the God of Light in check."
Zhang Yuanqing frowned, a distinct sense of absurdity rising in his chest.
Ever since learning that the Spirit Realm walker districts corresponded to the Chinese, Greek, and Norse mythologies, he had crammed knowledge of the latter two pantheons.
Greek mythology indeed had such a tale.
Because Cupid was displeased with Apollo, he used his arrows to tear Apollo and the Laurel Goddess apart.
Now that legend aligned with Herasine's account.
What felt absurd to Zhang Yuanqing was that Herasine's words virtually confirmed the God of Light was Apollo.
Yet among the Spirit Realm walkers of the First District, there was no such class as the God of Light.
A contradiction existed between history and reality.
There was another detail that didn't sit right with him: in the Forest of Elves dungeon, the Goddess of Beauty had ultimately died at the hands of the God of Light. In other words, right up until the very end, the rift between the Goddess of Beauty and the God of Light had never been resolved.
That didn't make sense.
If Cupid was the instigator, the Goddess of Beauty could have easily handed Cupid over to appease the God of Light's wrath.
After all, the Goddess of Beauty had many offspring, and Cupid was merely one of them.
Dying for the sake of one misbehaving child might be understandable in the mortal world, but in the chaotic morality of Greek mythology, it felt bizarre.
To these mighty deities, morals and ethics weren't things they held in such high regard.
After all, an endless lifespan was more than enough to crush any standard of morality to dust.
Chapter 932