radicalducati Page 114
Page 114
"It's you." Mochizuki Oboro put away the drawing board. "Is there something you want to ask of me?"
When defeating Cerberus from Hades, Mochizuki Oboro owed Ereshkigal a favor, and thus promised to help her with something.
"Something's come up." Ellie's eyes darted around. "You definitely can't just kill yourself, can you?"
"Not very feasible."
That would just result in a game over. Who knows what BB might do to punish you?
"Y-yes, that's true, haha..."
[Ailee hopes you can spend ten minutes each evening chatting with her from now on.]
You selected "Accept the request".
Ten minutes isn't a long time, but it's not short either. After agreeing to meet tomorrow, you returned home.
The atmosphere seems a little awkward.
Faced with the unspoken gazes of the four, you chose to "actively reveal your true intentions."
Although slightly annoyed, you managed to overcome the difficulty after considering it was a favor owed.
……
The eighth trial is to defeat the Yamata no Orochi.
Other magical beasts rely on their innate bloodline to become stronger, and the act of devouring flesh and blood is equally essential during their growth process.
But this oddball relies on cheating, and it's very consistent with it.
It cheated on its partner when it was 21, cheated on its partner four times when it was 42... and now it's 84 years old, and has cheated on its partner eight times.
Each time it cheats, a new head will grow. If it is not defeated in time, it may eventually become a cheating immortal, transforming into a giant monster with a hundred heads.
“Who knows, my brother might be even more amazing than it in the future.” Ipsilon said with a hint of jealousy, “He’s already got two new lovers in less than three months, and there’s another ambiguous relationship that he’s about to fall for.”
"Don't worry, it won't get any more," Kuonji Yuju said firmly.
Tiphon: "Why?"
“I’ll clean it up,” the witch said with a matter-of-fact smile. “Both sides.”
Mochizuki Oboro did not respond.
What if real-world beads are the same as the simulation?
Mary, Sajō Aika, Lilith, Typhon, Ypsilon, Tralock, Melusin...
Mochizuki Oboro shivered. Even five equal parts could be considered a fortunate end.
As soon as Atalanta drew her bow, Typhon stopped her: "This is his own trial. We just need to trust and wait."
It sounded very touching, but Mochizuki Ryou inexplicably felt a chill.
Thinking about it carefully, that makes sense. Last time, the simulation resulted in a total attack. If Typhon and Epsilon were to unexpectedly declare tolerance now, Mochizuki Oboro would be worried about her own neck.
Let's forget about the idea of a good ending; I'd rather not have it.
The four turned and left, watching the battle from a safer distance.
[Boss Battle Begins]
【Yamata no Orochi】
[Muscle Strength: A+]
Durability: A
[Agility: B]
【Magic Power: C】
[Lucky: D]
[Skills: Demonic Roar (A), Multi-Headed Monster (B), Super Strength (B++)]
"Brother, you've had it tough too," said the Yamata no Orochi, lazily lying on the beach.
Mochizuki Oboro was taken aback: "You can talk?"
“Not all monsters are incommunicable; they just have different perspectives.” The Yamata no Orochi yawned as it spoke. “Everyone’s had a tough time, so let’s just give it a little something.”
"But the content of my trial is..."
“I know, being driven away is dangerous, right? You can even defeat Cerberus, why would I want to die? After today, I will retreat into the sea and promise never to come out again. As compensation to the fishermen, I can also bring the fish to the shore from time to time.”
This master of infidelity also has his own philosophy of survival.
The extremely perfunctory battle has ended.
The Yamata no Orochi let out an exaggerated scream and fled back into the sea. Since then, the local residents have indeed never seen it emerge again, and fish and shrimp frequently spawn on the beach.
The eighth trial is complete.
[You have successfully completed the Ninth Trial: Capture the Red Doe; the Tenth Trial: Defeat Queen Hippolyta head-on and seize the Belt of Ares; and the Eleventh Trial: Tame the Mad Bull of Crete.]
[The final trial of the twelve trials remains. Its contents can only be learned in a personal audience with the king.]
King Vlad III praised your bravery, and having completed the eleven trials, you became the most renowned warrior of this era.
The final trial was jointly assigned by the gods. They had been agonizing over this for months and were utterly exhausted.
Someone tossed out a golden apple, inscribed with "For the most beautiful woman."
The goddesses of the underworld, Ereshkigal, Ishtar, and Lilith, the goddess of discord, have been arguing about this for a long time.
You need to act as a mediator to end this dispute and prove your wisdom.
Chapter 148 Golden Apple
The workaholic from the game simulation has finally made an appearance.
In Mochizuki Oboro's memory, Lilith seemed to have missed only one of the four games, which can be described as diligent and conscientious.
As the final trial, the difficulty of the task itself can be described as insane.
Women's pursuit of beauty is undeniable, and even goddesses cannot escape this trap... Rather, it's more accurate to say that as goddesses, their self-esteem is likely to be even stronger.
No matter how friendly and understanding they are in normal times, it's unlikely that the three goddesses will back down when it comes to choosing the "most beautiful".
Uninhabited island.
The sole judge held the golden apple that brought discord, while the goddesses sat around a stone table.
Ishtar, radiating confidence; Ereshkigal, with shifty eyes; and Lilith, who seems indifferent.
Mochizuki Oboro always felt that the three of them didn't quite fit the style of the Greek film set.
Ishtar, the sky goddess, often played pranks and caused the gods considerable trouble, thus earning her reverence and worship in many parts of the mortal realm. However, she would also do good deeds on a whim.
Ereshkigal, the goddess of the underworld, is the complete opposite of Ishtar. She works diligently and conscientiously, rarely doing anything outside her duties, and is at odds with Ishtar.
The only advantage of offering sacrifices to Lilith, the goddess of strife and discord, is that you won't be targeted. If you're careless, Lilith will use her power to remind you why she's the most troublesome goddess.
If there's one thing these three have in common, it's that they're all perpetual virgins.
Apart from the virgin god, almost all gods do not refuse the pleasures of carnal desire. Instinctive behavior can bring supreme happiness, which is something that bored gods cannot refuse.
But Ishtar was extremely discerning and would never compromise on this matter, preferring to be a miner herself rather than settle for something inconvenient... The goddess who possesses the power of love and desire being a virgin sounds like a unique form of performance art.
Ereshkigal, on the other hand, has absolutely no interest in men and works diligently in the Underworld, much like a workaholic. However, after the arrival of a certain protagonist, Ereshkigal's feelings have changed somewhat, but she doesn't like to express it openly.
Lilith… no one dared to provoke her; they all wished to stay far away from this goddess of conflict. Even with her undeniable charm, no one coveted her beauty.
Although some people suspect that Lilith threw out the Golden Apple herself to watch the show, no one would directly ask her.
No god attempted to intervene in the goddesses' disputes, fearing that the fire would spread to them.
Just then, Mochizuki Oboro completed eleven trials, and the gods issued a divine decree to King Vlad III, passing the buck to him.
[Skills "Charm of the Source (C)" and "Floral Splendor (A)" have been activated. The additional attribute "Charm (C)" remains active.]
[Due to the influence of charisma, the persuasion rate increased dramatically.]
“As the strongest among mortals, you must be able to tell who is more beautiful, right?” Ishtar raised her snow-white neck.
Ai Lei returned a speechless look: "You stupid goddess should just give up."
To get Mochizuki Oboro to tell the truth... he thought the two looked quite alike.
Lilith rested her chin on her hand: "Instead of talking about this, let's think about how to please the judge. Why would he give us a golden apple if there's no benefit to it?"
In order to win the title of "Most Beautiful Goddess", the three goddesses each stated their own conditions.
Either way, it would be a fatal temptation for an ordinary person.
"I can give you the most beautiful woman in the mortal world, how about it?" Ishtar can do it as long as she uses her powers.
She didn't believe any man could resist such temptation.
Lilith scoffed, "He's only been married a short time. His wife seems to be Atalanta, right? Besides that, he also has a witch and two pureblood dragons. Where do you get your confidence?"
“Do we even need to know about this? How could a man possibly refuse such a offer?” Ishtar immediately retorted.
Mochizuki Oboro interrupted the conversation: "Next one."
The goddesses in front of the judges were more restrained and didn't argue as much as before.
The second person to offer a condition was Ellie.
"I can give you anything you desire, from the most noble mortal to the most glorious hero. The only thing you cannot overcome is death, which is the privilege of the gods."
Like Ishtar, Ereshkigal believed that Mochizuki Oboro would not refuse her conditions.
Beautiful women? Judging from the current situation, he has quite a few around him.
What motivates heroes to act is often a sense of honor, or in other words, the pursuit of fame and fortune.
This is a very natural psychological need, and there is nothing to despise about it.
From the fact that Mochizuki Oboro underwent the Twelve Trials, Ai Lei felt that he must have been driven by fame and fortune.
In that case, we should just treat the symptoms.
"They're all desires that stem from instinct. What do you choose?" Lilith asked with great interest.
Mochizuki Oboro looked at Lilith: "You haven't said anything yet."
“I have nothing to give you,” Lilith smiled. “Or do you want conflict and discord? Then you can have as much as you want.”
The three goddesses await your answer.
It seems the time has come to decide the ending of the game's main storyline...
Please make a selection
To be or not to be, that is the question.
Regardless of who is chosen, the other two goddesses will inevitably be furious.
"What do you consider 'beauty'?" Before answering, Mochizuki Oboro asked a seemingly unrelated question.
Ishtar put one hand on her hip, striking a confident pose: "Any other options besides my body? No matter how you look at it, my curves are perfect, number one, right?"
"The body will decay sooner or later. The beauty of the soul is eternal." Ellie retorted sharply, "Look at those beauties among mortals. A hundred years from now, they will have long since turned into skeletons. When that time comes, can you still call them beautiful?"
Lilith pressed her index finger to her lips: "I don't know, I can't explain it. It feels like my face, but it also seems to have something to do with other things."
“See?” Mochizuki Oboro revealed an expression of certainty: “Beauty is such a subjective thing; it cannot be determined by objective conditions.”
Some people prefer a slim figure, while others prefer a fuller figure. Some adore fair skin, while others prefer a tanned complexion.
Long hair vs. short hair, arrogant vs. clueless, beautiful vs. healthy... As long as one possesses the intellect to think for oneself, a series of different answers will be drawn.
"What exactly does 'most beautiful goddess' refer to? Physical body? Is it better to be mature or youthful? Soul? There are many more aspects to consider."
Your words have thrown the three goddesses into confusion.
Everyone has a different definition of beauty. Even if you were forced to choose one answer, others might have a different perspective. It's impossible to determine the exact definition this way.
"If one's beauty needs to be proven by a golden apple, then aren't all the others who receive it also 'the most beautiful'?"
Mochizuki Oboro held up the golden apple: "Or rather, if I were to cut it into three equal parts and give them to the three of you, how would you judge the outcome?"
My head feels dizzy.