บท 1: Chapter 1
(This chapter is over 3000 words)
In the vast expanse of his mind, he found himself unable to recall anything tangible, as if he were adrift in an ocean of nothingness. This state of emptiness was not merely a figment of his imagination, but rather a profound and all-encompassing void that seemed to stretch on for an eternity. It was within this abyss that he reached a state of true emptiness, a sensation so pure and absolute that it defied all description.
As he floated in this realm outside of time and space, he found himself still tethered to the emptiness that had consumed him. It was then that he saw an old man, his face etched with lines of age and wisdom, his eyes alight with a mischievous gleam. The old man's laughter echoed through the void, a sound that was both joyful and unsettling, as if it were a paradoxical expression of happiness and despair.
In that moment, he felt a surge of memories that seemed to belong to someone else, yet were inexplicably intertwined with his own. The sensation was disorienting, as if he were staring into a mirror that reflected not his own image, but that of a stranger. He saw a woman with golden blond hair and piercing red eyes, her gaze fixed upon him with an intensity that was both comforting and unnerving. She held him close, as if he were a precious treasure that she was unwilling to let go.
But as quickly as the memory had come, it faded away, replaced by a sense of abandonment and loss. He realized that he had been nothing more than a tool, a key to be used by those who had claimed to care for him. And then, just as suddenly, he was aware of the presence of Enkidu, a figure who seemed to embody both friendship and betrayal.
He felt the weight of loneliness descend upon him once more, a burden that threatened to crush him beneath its oppressive force. Even though he understood his purpose and the significance of his life, he could not escape the feeling of isolation that gnawed at his very soul. It was as if he were a solitary traveler on a journey that would never end, destined to wander the earth alone for all eternity.
And then, inexplicably, he found himself a baby once again, his future stretching out before him like an unwritten book. He knew that he was destined to become a king, a ruler who would wield great power and influence. As he grew older, he remembered the challenges and triumphs that had shaped his reign, from the moment his brother had claimed the throne for himself to the forgiveness he had extended in the face of betrayal.
He remembered the dreams in which he had communed with God, seeking the wisdom and understanding that would allow him to rule with compassion and justice. He recalled the two women who had come to him with their requests, and the political marriages that had been arranged to secure alliances and maintain the fragile balance of power.
In time, he had overseen the creation of a magnificent temple, a testament to the glory of his people and the divine power that guided them. He had even acquired the rings of God and the fight with the 72 demon pillars, artifacts of immense power that had been entrusted to his care.
And then, as suddenly as it had begun, the torrent of memories came to an end, and he found himself awakening in a dense, verdant forest. The world around him was alive with the sounds of birdsong and the rustling of leaves, a stark contrast to the emptiness that had consumed him just moments before.
As he slowly rose to his feet, his piercing red eyes scanned the surrounding area with a keen, almost predatory intensity. The forest that stretched out before him was vast and seemingly endless, its dense canopy of trees casting dappled shadows across the leaf-strewn ground. With a slight rub of the back of his head, his white hair fell partially across his eyes, obscuring his vision momentarily.
Without any particular destination in mind, he began to walk in a random direction, his senses alert to the sights and sounds of the forest around him. It was then that he caught sight of a young girl, her appearance that of a child no older than twelve. Yet, as his gaze met hers, he knew instinctively that she was no ordinary mortal - she was a goddess.
The girl's eyes narrowed as she regarded him with a mixture of curiosity and disdain. "Man," she began, her voice tinged with disgust, "how did you come to be here?" Her question caught him off guard, and he paused for a moment, considering his response. He had no recollection of how he had arrived in this place, and his mind was still clouded with confusion.
With a sigh, he replied smoothly and impassively, "I don't know." There was a hint of annoyance in his voice, but he quickly suppressed it, knowing that it would do him no good to antagonize the goddess. To his surprise, she seemed to accept his answer, her expression softening slightly.
"Very well," she said, her tone grudgingly respectful. "Normally, I would not hesitate to turn a mortal who trespassed here into an animal, but there is something about you that intrigues me. I will help you leave this forest, but on one condition - you must never return."
He nodded his agreement, feeling a mixture of annoyance and curiosity. Who was this goddess, and why had she been so hateful to him? As they began to walk, he took in the sights and sounds of the forest, his interest piqued by the strange and wondrous creatures that inhabited this realm.
"What is your name?" he asked, glancing towards her in the hope of eliciting some reaction. She hesitated for a moment before responding, "You may call me Arty." Her tone was clipped and dismissive, and it was clear that she had no desire to engage in further conversation.
Despite his increasing annoyance at her reticence, he continued to follow her through the forest, his mind racing with questions about where he was and how he had come to be here. As they walked, he became increasingly aware of the strange and disorienting nature of the forest, its landscape shifting and changing in ways that seemed to defy logic and reason.
It was then that the goddess spoke again, her voice sharp and inquisitive. "You possess a great deal of gold, yet you seem to be lost and alone in this forest. How did you come by such wealth at such an age? And how did you come to be here?"
He hesitated for a moment, unsure of how much to reveal to the goddess. In truth, he had no memory of how he had acquired the gold or how he had come to be in this place. It was as if his past had been wiped away, leaving him with nothing but a vague sense of unease and confusion.
As the goddess pointed out his youthfulness, he suddenly became aware of the fact that he was not yet at his full height. He realized that he had been so preoccupied with his surroundings and the situation at hand that he hadn't even noticed his own physical state. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that his body felt somewhat unfamiliar, as if he were still growing into it.
Now that he thought about it, he hadn't taken any overly large steps or made any sudden movements that would have required him to be fully adjusted to his body. It was only because the goddess had mentioned it that he became conscious of his own youthfulness and the fact that he was still growing.
"I don't know," he replied, his voice tinged with frustration. "I woke up here, and I have no memory of how I came to be in this place." He frowned slightly, "My rings were gifts and my earrings were gained" he said cryptically.
The goddess frowned at his response, her expression inscrutable. As they continued to walk, he became increasingly aware of the strange and otherworldly nature of the forest, its dimensions shifting and changing in ways that seemed to defy the laws of physics.
After what felt like hours of walking, the goddess finally came to a halt, her eyes scanning the surrounding area with a critical gaze. "We will make camp here," she said, her voice weary.
As he observed her, he found himself intrigued by the way she effortlessly manipulated reality to create tents for them to rest in. He had expected her to attempt to conceal her divine nature, but she made no such effort. In fact, the ease with which she altered their surroundings suggested that she was some sort of goddess of the hunt or of the earth itself. He let out a slight sigh as she turned to him and said, "Let us rest here."
He nodded in agreement and asked, "Which tent can I use?" Glancing at the tents, he waited for her response. She gestured to the one next to the one in front of them, and he turned away to head towards it. As he walked, he said, "I suppose we should start a fire and go find something to eat."
She raised an eyebrow at his suggestion, questioning whether he knew what he was doing. He simply nodded and disappeared into the forest, leaving her behind. She wasn't worried about him getting lost, as she had already recognized his scent. She suspected that he was a powerful demigod, possibly even a son of her own father. It would explain his potent divinity, even though he seemed to be suppressing it.
Meanwhile, as he walked through the forest, he came across a monster that was clearly not human. Without hesitation, he unleashed a blast of condensed magical energy, causing its head to explode into sand. It was an interesting sight, but he didn't dwell on it for long. He continued on until he found a river, and with a wave of his hand, he manipulated the water to catch enough fish to feed both him and Arty.
A golden portal materialized next to him, and a small wooden basket fell from it before the portal disappeared once more. It was refreshing to use his power again, but he didn't let his reminiscing distract him from the task at hand. He placed the fish in the basket and headed back to Arty, finding her already starting a fire.
As he approached, he placed the basket next to her and said, "Here, the food is in there." She glanced at the basket and then back at him, confused about where it had come from. He raised his hand, and a golden portal appeared above it. "It's the Gate of Babylon, my Noble Phantasm. It's a dimensional storage that stores every single treasure the world owned in the past, present, and even the future," he explained casually.
She stared at him in surprise for a moment before asking, "How did you gain that ability?" He shrugged nonchalantly, replying, "Greed, I suppose." A frown crossed his face as he realized he had forgotten to introduce himself. "Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. You can call me Solomon," he said with a slight smile. It was likely the closest thing to a genuine smile he could muster, aside from his smirks and laughs.
She nodded slightly and began to cook the fish as he sat down across from her on a tree branch that hadn't been there before. He didn't question its sudden appearance, however, and simply watched her as she worked. The fire crackled and popped, casting a warm glow over their makeshift campsite, and the smell of cooking fish filled the air. For a moment, it almost felt like they were just two ordinary people sharing a meal together, rather than a goddess and a powerful demigod with a mysterious past.
As the aroma of the cooked fish filled the air, Arty broke the silence between them. "You know you're a demigod," she stated matter-of-factly. Solomon's red eyes, which had been focused on the food, shifted to meet her gaze. "Yes, of course, I do. Why wouldn't I?" he asked, confusion etched on his face. He knew that even with him suppressing his divinity, she would be able to detect it. After all, she was a goddess, and his divinity was too high to suppress completely, even by his standards.
Arty frowned heavily at his response. "Why would your parent tell you so soon?" she questioned. The increased awareness that came with knowing one's divine heritage made the monsters more aware of their presence. "The more knowledge you have, the more the monsters can smell your divine scent," she explained.
Solomon furrowed his brow slightly at her words. "The monsters?" he murmured to himself, assuming she was referring to the phantasmal beasts. "Well, the beasts were never really a problem. They were all really weak, but..." he paused, frowning. "How would I not recognize my own mother?" he asked, which only served to confuse Arty further.
She had assumed he was a child of her father, but perhaps that was not the case. "So, you know who your godly parent is?" she questioned, to which Solomon gave a swift nod. "Even if I hadn't lived with her for a while, I would have found out who she was anyway," he added.
Arty's eyes widened in shock at his revelation. "You lived with her?" she asked, incredulous. Solomon nodded once more, confused by her reaction. "What's the problem?" he asked.
"The gods have rules in place. One of those rules states that a god isn't able to see or meet their demigod children," Arty explained. Solomon put his finger to his chin, contemplating her words. "How long ago was that?" he questioned, causing Arty to pause.
"Why would you ask that?" she asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. Solomon simply shrugged, not giving her an answer, much to her annoyance. She let out a sigh, realizing that there was much more to this demigod than she initially thought. The night was still young, and there were many questions left unanswered. But for now, they would eat and rest, and perhaps tomorrow would bring more clarity to their situation.
As the food was finished, they both ate in a calm and peaceful silence. Once Solomon was done, he stood up and bid Arty goodnight before walking into his tent. Arty simply gave a light nod, watching as he entered the tent. She let out a sigh before standing up and making sure to put out the fire before entering her own tent.
The next morning, Arty awoke and emerged from her tent, glancing around the campsite. Seeing no one, she assumed that Solomon was still sleeping and decided to take a bath before they continued on their journey. As she walked towards the sound of running water, she suddenly paused, her eyes widening in shock as she saw Solomon bathing in the river.
Confusion washed over her as she stared at his naked form. She had previously ignored his handsome features, but now they were extremely evident. His body, for a lack of a better word, was perfect. It rivaled that of a god, if not better. She couldn't help but wonder if his divine parent was Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. But unlike most of her demigod children who would flaunt their beauty and attempt to court her, Solomon did neither. He was truly gaining her interest, even if he was a male.
Turning her eyes away from his form, she walked back to their campsite and waited for him to return. A few minutes later, he emerged from the river, a slight smile on his face as he saw her. "Good morning, Arty," he said casually.
She nodded slightly in response. "Good morning to you as well," she replied, standing up. "I'm going to bathe. Once I'm done, we can continue."
Solomon nodded, watching as she walked away. He couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity towards the goddess. She was different from the others he had encountered, and he found himself wanting to know more about her. But for now, he would wait for her to return, and they would continue on their journey.
As they resumed their journey through the dense forest, Solomon finally broke the silence. "Arty, you're a goddess, right? Are you a goddess of the earth?" he asked casually. He already knew she was a goddess, but he was unsure of what domain she ruled over. Arty sighed and glanced at him for a moment before responding. "I am a Goddess, and I suppose I can tell you what I am the goddess of. I'm the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity." She stated confidently, not mentioning her main domain.
Arty then pulled out a bottle of water, its clear surface glinting in the dappled sunlight that filtered through the canopy above. She brought it to her lips, her movements fluid and graceful, like a deer drinking from a forest stream. Solomon watched, his gaze drawn to the way her throat moved as she swallowed, the way the water seemed to shimmer and dance within the bottle.
Solomon raised an eyebrow, confusion etched on his face. "Where did you get the water?" he asked, his curiosity piqued. Arty responded casually, her voice a soft murmur that seemed to blend with the sounds of the forest. "I got it from the river. The water there was clean enough. I had the water bottle since the beginning; I just ran out of water."
She lowered the bottle, her lips glistening with a thin film of moisture. Solomon found himself captivated by the sight, his mind filled with images of clear, sparkling rivers and the untamed beauty of the wilderness. The moment was fleeting, a brief interlude in their journey, but it left an indelible mark on Solomon, a sensual tableau that he would revisit time and time again.
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