[Greek Mythology] The Demons Under My Command - Chapter 18

Li Jia had been working with Hera for over half a month, and they had been “living together” for almost a full month.

The days were too comfortable; Li Jia had almost forgotten she even had a mission. Counting the grains of sand in the hourglass, there were only ten left to speak of.

At this rate, how many years would it take to max out the favorability meter? The Tang Monk’s journey to the West only took fourteen years, and Li Jia felt she might not fill the entire hourglass in 140 years.

So she started exploring other directions. What if only a third of the hourglass was full? Anyway, as long as Hera didn’t marry Zeus, and Demeter successfully married Zeus and gave birth to the Goddess of Spring, wouldn’t the mission be complete? Li Jia’s mind suddenly cleared, and she began to giggle foolishly.

“Pack your things; we are going on a long journey.”

Hera’s divine message drifted into her ears.

Li Jia replied: “Received!”

A long journey = going out to have fun.

At least, that’s how Li Jia understood it. Hera’s divine power was needless to say—the battle-power ceiling of the book—and her execution in handling affairs was also super strong. Li Jia could just be a carefree accessory and go out to play.

The next second, a familiar electronic sound rang in Li Jia’s mind:

Master, the plot segment in the book has entered the correct track. You must follow the target (the one being strategized) to the Extreme Night Fortress and assist the system. The key plot point here is courage

Courage? No, what’s the difference between saying that and saying nothing?

Sensing Li Jia’s exasperation, the System coughed awkwardly.

I can’t help it, Master. My level is really too low. I don’t have the authority to see that much. I can only take it one step at a time. The hint the book gave is just those few words—courage. I can’t do anything about it .

What else could she do? Just make do. Now, only she and the System were modern people and modern technology. When fellow villagers meet fellow villagers, tears well up in their eyes.

“Then, look up the climate of this place I’m going to.”

“Check whether to bring summer or winter clothes.” Li Jia didn’t want to get sick; being sick would be very uncomfortable.

The System could easily handle this small matter. Within two seconds, the information about the Extreme Night Fortress was uploaded to her mind.

The Extreme Night Fortress is located in the Shrine Ruins. It is dark all year round, sparsely populated, and frighteningly silent. There, time seems to be frozen, and cold and darkness have become eternal rulers.

Li Jia grasped the keywords: cold and dark. That meant it was cold and had no light. She needed to bring some thick clothes and candles.

Li Jia dragged a 28-inch pink My Melody suitcase out of the closet and started rummaging for things.

Compared to summer, Li Jia preferred winter, because in winter, she could put on a thick padded coat to resist the cold, but she couldn’t in summer. In summer, she could only turn on the air conditioner to cool down, but the electricity bill was too expensive. Li Jia only dared to work part-time in the shop during the day, stayed at KFC until midnight before daring to return to her rented room, turn on the air conditioner for a few hours, and then repeat the work the next day.

There were countless people like Li Jia in modern society. No choice; this was life. There were plenty of people who would do the job if you didn’t.

Li Jia only changed this not-so-bad habit after personally witnessing a construction worker uncle quietly collapse on a scorching hot day. He suffered from heatstroke, and his internal organs were all cooked through. When he was sent to the hospital, he was already dead. The doctor couldn’t help but sigh, “Was it really worth it to lose his life just to save a few coins?”

However, Li Jia felt deep empathy for this uncle. Life is only for a few ounces of silver, carrying a heavy burden for the family.

After that, Li Jia started her “Li Jia Lazy Law.” She only had one life, and she didn’t have family or friends, so she absolutely had to be good to herself.

Li Jia dragged her large suitcase out of the deep palace. Winslow and Dorin had been waiting outside for a long time. Seeing her panting and pulling the suitcase, Winslow pointed to the thing in Li Jia’s hand. Dorin understood and took the suitcase from Li Jia.

Winslow held Li Jia’s arm, and the two walked ahead, chatting, while Dorin dragged the luggage behind.

Li Jia had no idea where Li Jia got these strange things, but Dorin thought this thing called a suitcase was quite convenient. It had wheels that allowed it to move with the force of the ground.

But… why was there so much to bring? Dorin only took people with her every time she went out with Hera, so she really didn’t understand.

Why was it so heavy? Fortunately, she was a blademaster who had trained with a blade for years. It was difficult for ordinary people to drag, but she was fine.

It wasn’t until Dorin watched Li Jia open the suitcase on the war chariot and take out two copper kettles full of water, some sketchbooks, and some toys to relieve boredom that she got it. She looked at the Divine Master (Hera) and then took a bite of the osmanthus cake Li Jia had brought.

This was a new product Li Jia had asked Winslow to develop.

Hera finished eating and continued to close her eyes and rest, ignoring Dorin’s speechlessness.

Dorin: “…” My life is so bitter.

Throughout the journey, Hera was either resting or handling official business. Apart from occasionally observing the war chariot’s flight path and being alert to the surrounding environment, Dorin spent the rest of the time watching what Winslow and Li Jia were doing.

They got tired of looking at the sketchbooks. Li Jia took out a deck of poker cards and invited Dorin to play “Fight the Landlord” (Dou Dizhu). They had never seen this way of playing cards. Li Jia got excited and taught them how to play “Golden Flower Bomb” (Zha Jinhua) and “Tractor” (Tuolaji).

They didn’t gamble money, as gambling was illegal. Li Jia was a person who had received twelve years of compulsory education.

She refused to get involved with “yellow” (pornography), “gambling,” and “drugs.”

Yellow is the root of all evil.

Gambling leads to family ruin.

Drugs lead to corpses everywhere.

May the world be peaceful. Amen.

Li Jia also couldn’t bear to part with the gold coins she had worked so hard to earn. A miser must never give up their money.

So they just used stickers. The loser had to stick paper strips on their face.

Half an hour later, Hera opened her eyes. The three people were sitting on the chariot’s side panel, with Winslow and Li Jia covered in paper strips, while Dorin, seeing Hera look at her, gave a helpless expression.

Hera: “…” She really couldn’t be blamed. Who told the two “farmers” that they couldn’t defeat her, the “Landlord.”

As they got closer to their destination, the color of the sky became muddier, and the surrounding scenery was also affected by the fortress’s environment. Everything that approached here was only dead matter.

The moment they stepped into the Extreme Night Fortress, a chilling aura swept over them, like an invisible hand, drilling straight from their pores into their bone marrow.

Looking around, the fortress grew out of a dark abyss. Giant black rocks were stacked layer upon layer, their surfaces rough and uneven. These rocks were tightly intertwined, and a bizarre, faint light flowed from the gaps, like the eyes of a demon peering from the shadows.

When the war chariot came to a complete stop at the destination, Li Jia immediately opened her suitcase and put on a creamy-yellow chicken-embroidered cotton coat. It was specially made with a hood, and when zipped up, she looked like a thick sleeping bag.

“Aren’t you cold?” Seeing Dorin look like she wanted to speak but didn’t, Li Jia asked curiously.

“Our bodies were granted eternal life by His Majesty Hera, so we don’t feel the changes in seasonal temperature. But Li Jia, you’re so cute.”

Winslow was already used to Li Jia’s actions. She reached out and touched Li Jia’s fluffy hat. So cute and adorable. Winslow immediately made a date with Li Jia to draw a design and make a pattern for her when they returned.

No wonder she started shivering as soon as she entered this place. The three of them looked completely fine.

“Then what are we here at the Extreme Night Fortress for?” Li Jia pulled her small hat tighter and asked curiously.

“How do you know we’re going to the Extreme Night Fortress?” Hera suddenly asked.

WC, she forgot. Hera hadn’t told her where they were going. How did she let that slip? Hera was not as easy to deal with as Winslow. She had to think of a way.

In the end, she decided to throw her best friend under the bus.

Li Jia casually patted the person next to her on the shoulder and laughed: “Of course Winslow told me! Otherwise, why would I bring so many thick coats?”

Before Winslow could react, she pulled her and ran forward.

Winslow was bewildered. When did she tell Li Jia? She didn’t even know where they were going this time. Before she could open her mouth to explain, Li Jia had already pulled her away.

While Li Jia created a diversion, Winslow completely forgot about the incident, leaving only the pair of contemplative red eyes behind them, flickering indistinctly in the darkness.

At the fortress gate, two massive statues stood quietly. Their forms were twisted, neither fully human nor fully beast, surrounded by mysterious runes that flashed with dazzling purple spots of light.

Stepping inside the fortress, the streets were narrow and winding, and most of the buildings on both sides were twisted and slanted, with a pervasive atmosphere of oppression. The doors and windows of the buildings were mostly small and dim, occasionally revealing a faint, yellowish candlelight, but this light could not dispel the surrounding darkness in the slightest; instead, it made the darkness seem even thicker.

The air was filled with the smell of decay and blood, the breath of death, spreading wantonly in every corner.

On the streets, pedestrians were sparse and hurried. Their figures appeared and disappeared in the darkness, like a group of lost ghosts. Everyone was wrapped in a black cloak, revealing only pairs of vigilant and indifferent eyes of different colors.

Occasionally, a low roar or a painful groan came from a dark corner, sending chills down the spine.

In the center of the fortress stood a towering high tower. The tower body was entirely black, inlaid with countless gems that emitted a faint light. These gems were arranged in a strange formation, radiating powerful and mysterious energy fluctuations.

At the top of the tower, a ball of black flame burned fiercely. Under the firelight, the entire fortress seemed to be shrouded in an evil shadow. This flame was the symbol of the power of the Extreme Night. It never went out, guarding this fortress and also imprisoning countless unknown secrets.

Li Jia felt this place was very much like a modern haunted house, just more realistic and bigger.

Hera and Dorin had unknowingly walked ahead of her and Winslow. Their tall figures helped block the ambiguous gazes from the two smaller girls. Hera casually released her divine pressure, making people stay far away, guiding them in the darkness.

Li Jia tried to speak: “Your Majesty, what are we doing here?”

Hera spoke plainly: “To dissolve a bond of fate (Yuan Qi).”

Li Jia nodded, indicating she understood. Marriage registry office + court + police station providing door-to-door service.

Then this environment was indeed understandable; rooted in the grassroots, going up to the mountains and down to the villages to break the old and establish the new. Li Jia considered herself half a civil servant.

“Then whose bond of fate are we dissolving this time?”

“The Evil Dragon Murphyria and the bride he stole, Lorelei.”

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