Painting the Gods

Chimera, with its multiple fearsome heads, opened its jaws wide and spewed a stream of fire towards the sky, aiming at Promise and Pegasus, who had been challenging it from above.

However, unfazed, Pegasus did not dodge; instead, as Promise drew his bow, bathed in light, the arrow he released pierced through the flames and struck Chimera.

However, Chimera did not fall.

In fact, by the time Hecate brought Medea to the scene, Promise had already been engaged in combat with the monstrous beast for over half an hour.

"When I first knew it was Chimera, I thought it wouldn't be too difficult..." Promise murmured, a hint of frustration in his voice as he watched the beast roar angrily again below.

Because of the painting and the events that followed, both the Moon Goddess Artemis and the God of Light Apollo could no longer refuse any of his requests.

If Promise needed it, and his body could withstand it, they would fulfill his wishes, even if it meant creating arrows of light and moon.

Normally, a Chimera would not have lasted so long against him; one arrow should have been enough to bring it down.

But this was no ordinary beast.

It was one of the most terrifying creatures in Greek mythology, a child of Typhon, the only entity that nearly overthrew Zeus and who was once the bane of all Olympian gods.

Typhon's progeny included the Lernean Hydra, Cerberus, and the Nemean Lion, all formidable beasts vanquished by heroes of myth.

In the legends, Typhon was said to possess strength even greater than Zeus, especially after stealing Zeus's thunderbolt.

The reason it was ultimately defeated was that it was deceived by Moirai—the Fates.

Typhon captured the other two goddesses of fate and came to the last one, Clotho, who was in charge of future destiny.

It asked her about its future, and also asked how it could become stronger and even have the power to break it's fate.

So the fates tricked the creature into eating a magical fruit that they promised would strengthen him.

In reality, this "ephemeral" fruit greatly weakened Typhon, and Zeus defeated him soon after.

However, it is said that the fruit can really make the person who swallows it stronger, but the prerequisite is to safely survive the period of weakness.

Well... Promise didn't know much about the truth and sayings but now wasn't the time to dwell on it.

"Sorry, Pegasus, my presence has restricted you too much," Patting Pegasus's mane, he spoke.

As Pegasus shook its head, about to indicate that it was not a problem, after all, it was Promise, who captured it with both hands not to mention, it enjoyed eating the grass and the freedom, Promise suddenly laughed, released the reins, and encouraged the winged horse, "Run free, Pegasus, don't worry about me. I trust you will catch me."

With those words, Promise seemed to stumble accidentally, falling off Pegasus.

Medea, who had been watching in shock, gasped, and Atalanta, who had been anxiously observing from a distance, tensed up.

Promise fell off Pegasus, tumbled through the air as the evening sky faded into night.

A goddess waved her hand, dispelling the clouds that had shrouded the area, revealing a starry sky as clear as day.

Reacting instantly, Pegasus burst into a brilliant silver light, transforming into a star shooting across the heavens before diving down toward the roaring Chimera.

The monster Chimera naturally would not sit still and wait for death.

It kept spewing flames relentlessly in an attempt to stop and burn Pegasus to death, but the latter endured the heat and ignored it.

Then, in front of everyone's eyes, the falling meteor collided with the monster Chimera.

Boom—a massive explosion shook the earth, creating a huge crater with Chimera at its center.

This was the full force of Pegasus's celestial charge.

But even so, Chimera was not defeated.

It lay at the crater's center, bleeding green venomous blood that hissed upon touching the ground.

It became even more enraged; struggling to its feet, its three heads screaming in fury at the fleeing Pegasus.

The surrounding flames, fueled by the beast's rage, turned the desolate area as bright as day.

Pegasus smoothly caught Promise, who had deliberately fallen. It even neighed in complaint about his rash act.

"It's okay because I completely trust you, Brother Pegasus. I knew you'd catch me," Promise reassured the celestial horse.

"But... it's still alive," he added, noting Chimera's resilience and the continued blaze around them.

As the furious Chimera unleashed another torrent of fire, Pegasus nimbly avoided the blaze.

Promise, observing the severely wounded but increasingly ferocious beast below, furrowed his brows in concern and spoke to Pegasus, "Can you manage another run?"

Pegasus hesitated for a moment before nodding in affirmation.

However, Promise, noticing the worn feathers on Pegasus's wings, decided against it, tightening his grip on the reins.

"No need. It seems it's on its last legs, but continuing like this isn't a solution either. If it decides to flee, there's a town not too far from here..."

As he spoke, Promise paused, the concern evident on his face.

Then, as if struck by sudden inspiration, he glanced at the Sky Bow in his hands, recalling the image of Atalanta drawing her bow.

He then looked up at the moon, which was full and brilliant that night.

The light of the full moon bathed everything, seeming to imbue the Celestial Bow with a radiant glow.

"Pegasus, let's go to the moon," he said decisively.

With a light neigh, Pegasus no longer concerned itself with the Chimera on the ground.

It turned and galloped towards the moon in the sky.

Hestia, the oldest sister in Olympus, couldn't help but laugh when she saw this scene as she spoke, "Speaking of which, is this considered cheating?"

"Of course not..." Hera answered, and then thought for a moment, and then said: "After all, could you give Artemis a painting like the one on that night?"

Hearing this, Hestia recalled the sky lantern that night and couldn't help shaking her head.

Soon, Pegasus carried Promise into the moon's embrace.

The Chimera on the ground was still angry, with a human-like doubt in its eyes.

However, its doubts, as well as the doubts in the minds of Medea and others who were watching this scene, were all answered in the next moment.

As Promise sat astride the magnificent winged horse within the moon's corona, he drew his bow.

The power of Artemis converged upon the bowstring.

In that moment, Chimera, the terrifying beast of legend, felt the sting of impending doom and turned to flee.

But it had just taken two steps, and at the moment when the moonlight completely turned into a sharp arrow, the boy shot the sharp arrow from the bow, which transformed into a brilliant streak of light that pierced through Chimera's body.

"...It seems that I am quite talented as an archer."

After everything was over, Promise smiled.

Well...after all, he had originally intended to become an Archer, and this moment only reinforced his natural talent.

The image of Promise, drawing his bow in the full moon, was etched deeply into Medea's mind.

She covered her mouth in awe, eyes wide with wonder as she watched from a distance.

However, Hecate, watching alongside Medea, tapped her lightly on the head, "Alright, don't look so awestruck... Don't worry about it; such scenes are just the beginning of tonight."

"I didn't bring you here just to witness this," she continued, her beautiful red eyes glinting with mischief.

Hearing this, Medea, who was holding her head, came back to her senses and looked at Hecate, her teacher, in confusion.

However the latter's beautiful red eyes had already looked away.

"You are here too." As she said with a smile.

In Medea' suprised eyes, three goddesses arrived under the moonlight.

It was the Moirai—the Fates themselves.

The second sister Lachesis held the hand of Clotho, who was holding the crystal ball, and gave Hecate a weak smile.

At the same time,

"We caught up, we caught up, we finally caught up!"

"Made it just in time," Athena panted slightly as she and Hermes arrived, relieved to see that the battle had just come to an end.

"Great, the time is just right, everything hasn't started yet!" Athena said, and then she noticed the completely stunned gazes of the goddesses and Medea beside her.

So after tidying up her beautiful silver hair, she gave them her usual elegant smile.

Not only that, the goddess of justice Themis, holding a scale, came here accompanied by the goddess of agriculture Demeter and her daughter Persephone.

In the darkness of this desolate land was Hades, the god of the underworld, who had also arrived from the underworld.

Needless to say, Artemis, the goddess of the moon, and Apollo, the god of light, appeared beside Atalanta who was about to walk towards Promise.

However, Apollo smiled and held her shoulders, asking her to wait.

At this moment, all the gods related to the promise, except Hephaestus, the god of craftsmen, appeared here.

They seemed to know what was going to happen next, so they arrived early.

And what will happen next?

That was naturally a promise to present the painting to the noble Queen Hera.

But who said that tonight was just going to be a painting?

.....