The Pantheon of Mythical Beasts [1]

"Who in the world are you people?" a bewildered sixteen-year-old boy exclaimed, gazing up at the grandstand packed with unfamiliar faces.

His expression was a mix of annoyance and disorientation, as if he'd been abruptly yanked from a peaceful nap. One minute, he was cozy under his blanket, masturb-ahm practicing self-care. Then, he found himself floating above the clouds, surrounded by strange beings who seemed to be staring into his soul as if trying to unravel his deepest secrets.

"Hmmm, this guy looks like he'd break if you sneeze on him. Not a good choice if you ask me."

"True, the gods wouldn't even lift a finger. Those dirty demons would get rid of him first."

"Hmph, if he doesn't get devoured by a Beast first, I bet at this rate even a weak Monster could get rid of him."

"Sigh, we should probably kill him and seek another Soul that would be fitting for the role. This one's clearly a lost cause," one of them said with a voice dripping with scorn and a healthy dose of eye-rolling disdain.

"Silence!"

While they were busy discussing among themselves, a powerful voice rang out in all directions and instantly silenced the noisy chatter of people, something the young boy was very grateful for because listening to all these voices at once nearly made him bleed through the ears.

Raising his head, the boy stared at the place where the voice had come from, hoping to thank his savior. However, what he saw next made his eyes tremble in shock!

"A cat girl! What sort of lewd dream is this?" The boy didn't even know when these words left his mouth.

"A cat girl, you say? How…quaint," the woman murmured, her piercing blue eyes sparkling with a hint of mirth as she lounged on her imposing throne. Her feline ears, sticking out of snowy hair, twitched as she looked at the boy in amusement.

Just merely standing in the presence of this woman, the boy swayed on his feet because she exuded an air of confidence and power. Her mere presence alone was capable of toppling even the mightiest of nations. What made things more difficult was the revealing attire this woman was wearing.

She was draped in a toga that hugged her voluptuous curves. The fabric barely concealed her ample bosom, revealing teasing glimpses of her generously soft supple cleavage.

In fact, had she not been restraining her aura at that moment, the boy would have found himself on his knees like a dog in heat.

"And who might you be, little human?" the cat woman inquired in a voice that was melodious and filled with mischief.

"Nox. My name is Nox!" After regaining his composure, the boy said, but his eyes couldn't help but wander to the woman's face as he admired her heavenly beauty. "I must say, I didn't expect to find a beauty such as yourself in the presence of these annoying old geezers."

"Mind your mouth, kid! Who are you calling annoying?" A stout rabit-like creature sprang to his feet, his face redder than fiery ale as he glared at Nox with a look that could kill.

"No need to get your beard in a twist, little guy! I was just stating the obvious," the boy smirked as he looked back at the creature with a fearless expression.

"Insolent brat, speak more and watch me beat you to a pulp!" The rabbit's face turned an even deeper shade of red, his eyes bulging with rage as he took a step closer to Nox, his fists clenched at his sides.

"Boy, oh boy, thank your lucky stars that you're in the presence of the goddesses. If we'd met in different circumstances, I would have definitely circumcised you, you stupid waste of sperm!"

The boy suddenly felt that his life was in danger as all his hair stood on edge, even his palms became sweaty. It was at that moment that Nox realized that if it weren't for the white-haired cat woman, the people would have certainly pounced on him like the angry beasts they were and thoroughly beaten him to a pulp.

'Welp? Isn't this a dream? What more can they do? If worse comes to worst, I'll just open my eyes and wake up in the real world.' A mischievous smile tugged on his lips as the urge to provoke these people welled up in his heart.

Earlier, he didn't like the way they were assessing him and talking about killing him off as though a human life was such trivial thing in their eyes. Although Nox believed this entire scenario to be a dream, his petty self couldn't resist the urge to retaliate and take revenge.

"Shut up, ugly fuckers! Can't you see I'm talking to the beautiful lady?" Nox sneered at them, and the eyes of the people bulged in anger, their teeth grinding back and forth.

If this clueless boy knew about their identity, he wouldn't be spewing all these words now! If not for their goddess, with a simple snap of their hands, this stupid mortal wouldn't even know how he found himself in the afterlife. Where was he even getting the confidence to talk so lowly to them? The people couldn't help but wonder to themselves.

Not all of them were angry, though. Some of them couldn't help but admire his confidence. The previous candidates had been very nervous and frightened just by the mere presence of their goddess, but this boy…not only did he insult them, he even had the guts to flirt with their powerful goddess.

"Fufufufufu, I don't know if he's being stupid or brave, but I like him already." A fox-like woman chuckled to herself, her nine tails swishing behind her like a mesmerizing whip as she gazed at the boy with a hungry gleam in her eyes.

"Agreed, it's such a shame these bored bastards would make him go through a lot of pain if the goddesses don't choose him." A giant panda replied, its black eyes staring at the boy who had somehow managed to rile up several powerful beings with just his words.

"If he somehow gets selected, there would be no peace in Eos." A large beautiful blue python voiced out, as it imagined a chibi version of Nox being impaled by several swords and spears by powerful experts in the fantastical world of Eos.

Yup, the python didn't think this prickly boy would get a good ending with this attitude of his.

"I like you," the cat goddess said after a while. Seeing this boy's confidence despite being in the presence of powerful beings made her subconsciously develop a soft spot for the boy. After all, she was looking for someone as confident and fearless as this boy to carry out her goal and to ensure that everyone here continues living. Therefore, she came to a decision in her heart.

"Thank you, goddess, the feeling is mutual." Nox smiled but thought inwardly, 'Come on, can't we fast-forward all this formalities and get to the snu snu part!'

Why was even his dream looking like the unhealthy videos on the internet that would need both parties to engage in dialogues and other drama before getting to the exciting part?

"Although I'd like to discuss more with an intriguing young man such as yourself, unfortunately, we don't have the time, so shall we proceed to the next part?"

'The phase where you ride me till I lose my mind? Of course!' Nox nodded earnestly.

"Have you ever dreamed of being in control of powerful mythical creatures to accompany you in battles? Monsters with power so strong that it'd make the gods tremble? An army so formidable that it would cause mortals to shiver at the mere mention of your name?"

Nox narrowed his eyes when he heard these words. 'This is not how the plot is supposed to go.'

What the heck does she mean by an army of mythical creatures? the boy wondered in confusion, but little did he know he had been caught in the whirlwind of something much greater than he could have ever imagined.