Chapter 178: The Artemis Family

Renata had no intention of wandering aimlessly with the others. If Sol and his companions couldn't locate her group later, she thought with some amusement, it might even be fun.

With her communicator—conveniently engineered by Heimerdinger—communication was much easier. Otherwise, she, Shen, and the others would have had to wait around indefinitely.

Soon, Sol's voice came through her earpiece.

"This is Sol."

The tone of his voice sounded as energetic as ever.

"Sol-sama, did you perhaps forget something in Rakia?" Renata's voice held a hint of displeasure, though she kept it controlled out of respect. After all, he was her main God; anyone else might have heard far more frustration.

"Renata? Are you finished with business there?"

"Of course. We're ready to return to Orario. Where are you?"

"Stay put in Rakia for now. I'm currently at the residence of the Artemis Family. Something came up here, and I'll need a bit of time to handle it."

Renata noted the uncharacteristically serious tone in Sol's voice. Wasn't Alfia by his side? What could possibly trouble someone as powerful as a Level 8? Could it be... a black dragon outside Orario?

"Alright then," she replied. "We'll wait to hear back from you."

——

Meanwhile, Sol looked around the Artemis residence, where a group of young women lay unconscious. Each had various injuries, some severe enough that he'd been forced to bandage them personally. Although he treated them with care and avoided anything improper, a few of their torn garments had hindered his work.

Not one of them was conscious, so for now, Sol tended to their injuries alone. Alfia, however, stood off to the side, quite uninvolved and seemingly unconcerned.

"You could at least come closer," he called to her, attempting to lighten the heavy atmosphere.

"Why bother?" Alfia replied dismissively. "Think instead about how you're going to explain this situation when they wake up."

"I saved them. They should be grateful, shouldn't they? This is a classic story: they'll all want to thank me, maybe even pledge lifelong gratitude."

"We'll see about that," Alfia teased, clearly uninterested in helping him out of this awkward situation.

—

It all began shortly after they left Rakia. With little to do after dropping off Renata and her group in Rakia, Sol and Alfia had wandered aimlessly. Eventually, as they passed near a wasteland, Sol felt a surge of divine energy—Artemis' unmistakable presence. It reminded him of Hestia's outburst in the dungeon, though Artemis' aura carried a sense of desperation.

Sol's relationship with Artemis was decent; he was one of the few male deities she'd talk to comfortably. Mostly, they shared a common friendship with Astraea, who'd even nudged them closer over time. Naturally, the opportunity to reunite with Artemis piqued his interest. Driven by both curiosity and friendship, he and Alfia tracked the signal.

Despite the supposed closeness of the wasteland, it took them over half an hour—along with Alfia's guidance—to finally reach an encampment bearing Artemis' family banners. At the gate stood a grand statue of Artemis, carved from stone. The place seemed to be a sanctuary for generations of Artemis children.

Inside, Sol observed several ancient altars and ritual spaces, but there was little time to ponder them. As he and Alfia arrived, the stronghold was under attack. An enormous, unfamiliar monster was laying waste to everything in sight, and the young women of the Artemis family—desperately outmatched—were holding the line with sheer determination.

Although they fought valiantly, they were nowhere near a match for the creature. Had Sol and Alfia arrived moments later, Artemis might have been lost. Alfia wasted no time; with unmatched speed, the Level 8 adventurer drove the monster off with a few decisive strikes.

Sol intended to finish the monster off. A creature of this strength, so close to Orario, was too dangerous to leave unchecked. But, as Alfia attacked, its wounds closed as quickly as she inflicted them, healing faster than she could deal damage.

This should've been impossible, yet it was happening right before their eyes.

"What in the world?" Sol muttered. "You're no black dragon—why do you have such a terrifying recovery rate? Are you a Leviathan or Behemoth?"

Nothing in his extensive knowledge explained a creature with this kind of resilience. 

Recognizing it couldn't defeat Alfia, the beast retreated, twisting its head and slipping away before Alfia could land another blow. Her attempts to pursue it were futile; the monster seemed determined to flee, evading her attacks with unrelenting tenacity.