Chapter 184: Forest Guardian (4)

"Arcan? She's a woman who brings trouble."

As divine power poured into the crescent moon in the sky, points of starlight gradually began to form the shape of an arrow—an arrow that only Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, could use.

Sol had heard about it often in the heavens, but this was his first time seeing it in person.

"Although I'm tempted to test its strength, I'd rather not let that thing land on Valoran."

Sol admired the arrow for a moment but quickly acted before it was fully formed. Known as the strongest arrow in the God Realm, the Arcanum was no joke. Valoran, which he was still building, could hardly withstand its force.

If Artemis herself were wielding it, things might be more challenging, but fortunately, the one using it was the monster Antares. It was foolish enough to stand motionless as it charged up, leaving itself completely vulnerable.

"Alright, hand over Artemis!" Sol declared.

With a look of terror in its eyes, Antares watched as Sol revealed his form as the Star-Forger Dragon King. His massive body forced Antares to look up in awe.

Sol's huge claws wrapped around Antares's body, dwarfing it to the size of a doll. He lifted it effortlessly into the air, and with his other claw, gripped the crystal embedded in its chest. A simple flex of his arm tore the flesh and crystal away, blood gushing from the wound.

Antares shrieked in agony, like a lover robbed of their beloved.

With Artemis freed from its body, the Arcanum in the sky visibly collapsed, and the divine power floating in the air began to disperse into Valoran, ready to be absorbed.

Sol smirked. "Now that's good resource management—no energy should go to waste~"

Turning to Artemis, now resting in the crystal like a sleeping beauty, he gently squeezed the crystal, causing cracks to appear. With a final shattering sound, the crystal disintegrated, and shards fell to the ground.

"Still not awake?"

He studied Artemis for a moment, noting that her exhaustion from the loss of divine power left her unresponsive. Setting her aside for now, he turned his focus back to Antares. Even without Artemis's power, the creature was still a threat.

"Guess we'll have to disarm you first," Sol said, almost casually, unaware of how chilling his words sounded.

Under Antares's horrified gaze, Sol's claws reached toward it. With brutal ease, he tore off its limbs as if breaking branches from a tree.

Antares, weakened and unable to regenerate quickly without Artemis's aid, looked pitiful now—a hulking creature reduced to a mere child's helplessness.

"I just don't know if it can still continue spawning more baby scorpions with its injuries," Sol mused.

While animals generally didn't reproduce in high-stress environments, he wasn't sure if this monster had similar instincts. Either way, he'd brought it here for a reason, and caring for it wasn't his problem.

Long before, he'd already planned out Antares's fate.

Clutching both Antares and the still-sleeping Artemis, Sol soared into the sky. In a few blinks, he descended into the dense forest of Ionia.

Not long after Sol landed, Ivern, a towering figure with the appearance of a man melded with a tree, approached swiftly.

"Welcome to the forest, Sol-sama," Ivern greeted.

With Ionia unlocked, Ivern and other champions could now be summoned here freely. While they couldn't easily appear in Orario, Ivern and his kin occasionally visited Sol's family estate.

As Ivern welcomed Sol, a small figure peeked shyly from behind a nearby tree.

Sol spotted her instantly—the young fawn with a human body name Lillia, clutching a magical branch adorned with a glowing sphere.

"Come over here, Lillia," he called.

She trotted over, her curious eyes fixed on Antares as Sol held it firmly.

"Is this a new friend?" she asked, her voice laced with wonder.

Ivern knelt beside Antares, gently touching its wounds. His kind expression somehow soothed the monster, making it yearn for refuge away from the terrifying dragon.

"It's more of a gift, really," Sol explained with a grin. "This one caused plenty of trouble. You might need some time to train it."

He outlined his plan to Ivern, who nodded thoughtfully. With its enhanced druidic abilities, Ivern was well-suited to care for a creature like Antares. Sol had already chosen Ivern as its caretaker, knowing he could provide the vitality needed for Antares to reproduce.

With Lillia's help, Antares wouldn't pose any real threat here, having been thoroughly subdued.

"I'll take care of this child as you wish," Ivern replied warmly, exuding an air of wisdom.

Sol gave Lillia a gentle pat on her fawn's head, promising to take her exploring soon. As she looked up at him with hopeful eyes, he took his leave, returning to Orario with a smile.