The Greece Antagonist

In front of the abandoned temple, dozens of people bustled about the square, transporting the loot they had harvested onto the ship. The bald, muscular man responsible for supervising the work occasionally glanced toward the dense forest by the distant coast, his brow gradually knitting together.

Since that half-blood descendant of Hermes had failed to return for so long, his unease prompted him to dispatch two more men to investigate the situation.

However, to this moment, there was still no sign of activity from the other side.

Under the gloaming, the forest by the sea resembled a monster lurking in the dark, chewing and swallowing life, sending shivers down one's spine.

Just as the bald strongman hesitated, out of nowhere, a sudden explosion roared like thunder from the ground.

"Boom!"

Fierce flames shot up from deep within the forest, swiftly forming a violent shockwave that swept across all directions. As it passed, grass and trees were shattered, and rocks turned to dust, forming a huge mushroom cloud that expanded rapidly before the naked eye.

Even from halfway across the island, the deafening explosion and the trembling ground beneath their feet caused many people in the square to stagger.

"Bang! Bang!"

Accompanied by the dull sound of heavy objects hitting the ground, two figures, tossed into the air like rag dolls by the blast, clumsily got up from the earth.

One had a face smeared with blood, his expression one of panic.

The other was none other than Skester, who had lost contact earlier.

At this moment, the right arm of this half-blood descendant of Hermes was twisted in an unnatural way, and his abdomen had been stabbed. Blood, tinged with hints of gold and red, poured out from his grievous wounds. His face, pale as paper, barely retained any color or signs of life.

"Bastard, don't even think about running!"

Meanwhile, a roar filled with murderous intent came from behind, followed by several deep blue Tridents whistling through the air along with the surging waves.

"Get down!"

In an instant, the bloodied attendant jolted to action, crying out forcefully while simultaneously tackling the half-dead Skester to the ground, rolling forward.

"Thud, thud, thud, thud!"

Before the others in front could react, the deep blue Tridents, narrowly missing the two men's heads, landed in the square, sending up sprays of blood and cries of agony.

As the scene descended into chaos, the bloodied attendant, dragging the half-dead Skester, quickly got up from the ground and rushed into their own camp before the next wave of attack could arrive.

Such agile response was enough to make one acknowledge his devotion to Hermes, the God of Speed.

"What are you waiting for, want to die? Help out, damn it! Fight off these looters!"

With the urgent shouts reverberating in their ears, the people on the square, suddenly struck by the attack, snapped out of their daze.

Seeing the sorry state Skester was in, who had gone to gather information, and coupled with the screams of their companions and the thick scent of blood in the air, they instinctively stirred their Magic Power and drew their weapons.

At this moment, several streaks of sea blue light that were pursuing them across the sky seemed to be intimidated by the momentum on the square, abruptly halting. They moved their lips as if trying to speak.

"Don't let them cast spells!"

Timely warnings resounded amongst the crowd, as the figure who cried out loudly took the initiative to throw the dagger in his hand, signaling the charge.

"They're outnumbered, flank them!"

Following the lead sheep's example, those who had been caught off guard, their nerves stretched taut, each pulled out Spears, hand crossbows, and axes to welcome their attackers.

The pursuers, equally unwilling to wait for death, instinctively counterattacked.

In no time, the two clashing forces were fully engaged on the square, the intensity of the battle escalating with each clash of steel and each spurt of blood.

Yet, no one noticed that the hero who had first rallied their spirits, along with the half-dead bloodline of Hermes, had disappeared from the fray.

Nor did anyone realize that the large patches of crimson blood on the square were gradually fading, the fresh blood they had spilled quietly seeping into the ground amidst the darkness.

At that moment, on the southeast of Formless Island.

A small and fierce figure, clutching his bleeding abdomen, stumbled to the shore. He dug out a rope tied to a rock from the sandy ground and heaved with all his might.

In a moment, a fir wood boat approached slowly from near the reefs.

Phew! Thank goodness, it's all here.

Under the cover of night, Skester glanced at the deep waterline of the boat and let out a sigh of relief, collapsing on the sand almost fainting from exhaustion.

As his body and spirit relaxed, a tide of uncontainable sharp pains washed over him.

Skester couldn't help but gasp for air, his face contorted in pain, inwardly cursing the perpetrator to no end.

The bastard played dirty!

If he hadn't feigned death and slipped away during the chaos, he might have been silenced by now, right?

This half-blood descendant of Hermes, having narrowly escaped death, shuddered at the memory of the harrowing experience and was increasingly grateful for his cunning decision.

Though he had conspired with strangers to betray his own team—it was, after all, due to circumstances since his life had been in the enemy's hands—he had no choice.

If he hadn't agreed, the two comrades from his homeland, charred beyond recognition in the forest, would have served as prime examples.

Of course, even if he put forth that explanation, betrayal was an act most teams could never tolerate.

And since both parties suffered heavy losses due to their conspiracy, regardless of which side won in the end, once everyone calmed down, scrutinized the process, and found the root and the problems, he didn't believe he would meet a good end.

Rather than waiting here for death, it's better to make a last score and run off as soon as possible. I could always change my name later if needed.

Skester looked at the deep waterline of the small boat in front of him, a pleased smile curling the corners of his lips, his face flush with triumph.

This was the boat he had secretly prepared for himself to avoid that bald guy's betrayal.

Inside, there were some of the best spoils he had reserved for himself.

As a grey-area worker disdained by both man and dog, mingling every day with a crowd of violent brutes who lived on the edge of a knife, how could he expect to survive long without a backup plan?

Skester turned his head and scoffed at the temple square on the island from where the sounds of battle emerged, then he staggered to his feet and climbed aboard his boat.

However, due to excessive blood loss and weakness, he stumbled and almost fell back into the sea from the bow.

Fortunately, a hand reached out from the darkness, pulling him back onto the boat, and a solemn reminder resonated in his ear.

"I told you to be careful."

"Thank..."

The instinctive response cut off abruptly, as Skester, who was trying to find his bearing, stiffly turned his neck to look at the nightmare that had appeared before him, grinning at him in the dark. He couldn't help the sourness in his nose, his voice nearly breaking into a sob.

"You, how did you get here?"

"Well, I was worried about you."

Luo En laughed with a look of concern, chiding him softly.

"You're almost dead, and yet you go so far. What if you ran into danger?"

Danger? Who on this island could be more dangerous than you?!

Skester couldn't help his bitter complaints, and felt an urge to jump ship and flee. But the paddles cutting the water had already pushed the boat towards the deep sea, far from the shore.

And with the bone in his right arm still dislodged and an abdominal wound that nearly gutted him alive sending piercing pain, he slumped against the side of the boat, feeling an even stronger sting in his nose.

What master escape artist? What clever schemes? All delusions!

Thinking about how he had crawled out of that bloody battleground, dragging his near-dead body to the coast, thinking he was so clever when in fact he had been under the other's watch the entire time, Skester shivered and felt bitter indignation.

His feigned death and sneaky escape had been known to the other party all along, who was just toying with him.

However, even though he wanted to slice his opponent finely and feed him to the fish in the sea, Skester still pulled a professional, fake smile on his face and showed proactiveness.

"You're right! This is the boat I prepared for you to leave the island, and there's also a generous gift inside. It's all the best stuff on this island!"

The demigod opened his mouth, displaying the eloquence inherited from his ancestor Hermes, and effortlessly turned his treacherous escape and the hoarding of treasures into a thoughtful gesture for Luo En's sake.

Then, he paused, glancing at the temple square where the sounds of battle seemed to have weakened slightly, and carefully suggested,

"Let's get going while we can?"

Although he had ensnared both parties with his superb acting and the right amount of misinformation.

But upon closer reflection, many details would not hold up to scrutiny.

Moreover, the disappearance of the two instigators was an irreparable gap.

Once the other side realized what was happening, they might face not one, but both sides' pursuit.

Luo En smiled, continuing to row leisurely, showing no signs of urgency as he gazed at the increasingly distant island, lips curling up into a smile.

"I forgot to tell you, before catching up to you, I did something else."

"What?"

Skester froze for a moment, asking instinctively.

"Snap!"

Luo En let go of the paddle, raised his right hand, and made a sharp snap with his fingers.

"Boom!"

At that moment, a violent explosion erupted from the other side of the island, with deep blue water shooting into the sky, wooden fragments scattering, and a ruined warship billowing with thick smoke slowly sinking into the deep sea.

Simultaneously, upon the temple square, the hesitation of the bald, muscular man turned into rage upon seeing this.

"The boats! They've destroyed our boats! And all of our stuff!"

An intense killing intent spread, and the clanging sounds of armor rubbing together filled the air.

Their true identity was not that of bandits but regular soldiers of Celifos.

Without regaining the Blood of Gorgon and any compensatory loot for their losses at sea, and with their only means of transportation destroyed, their fate was clear to imagine.

If we can't live, then neither will they!

The remaining warriors were agitated, stripping off their outer clothes to reveal the standard armor underneath, roaring with fury.

"All in! It's fought to the death with them!"

Meanwhile, several Atlantean Guards who were already disoriented by the fight just stood numbly and mechanically faced the human soldiers rushing at them, determined to fight to the death.