Chapter 11
"Pleased to meet you. I am Apollo. As you can see, I am a god."
Apollo walked up to Kiriya and extended his hand, speaking in an almost theatrical tone.
"..."
Kiriya looked at the outstretched hand and instinctively took a step back.
"Oh my, oh my. Are you shy? What a reserved child."
Apollo seemed to imagine something strange, because a suspicious blush actually appeared on his face.
The gaze he directed at Kiriya grew even hotter and greedier!
It was the look of a starving gourmet who had gone three days without food and suddenly found himself standing before a grand feast.
This was Babel’s plaza, and countless adventurers were coming and going.
After spending so long fighting in the Dungeon, many of them were already mentally tense, but the moment they noticed there was a show to watch, their spirits immediately rose.
"Hey, look. Isn’t that God Apollo? Who’s the brat opposite him?"
"That one? I know. He’s a rookie who only popped up recently! I heard he caused quite a commotion when he registered."
"What, is he some amazing genius?"
"...No. It was because of his face."
The conversation stopped there.
Everyone looked at Kiriya’s handsome face, then looked at Apollo, whose intentions were obviously far from pure, and anticipation began to rise.
"Hehehe, then that kid is in trouble. A child Apollo sets his eyes on has never escaped before."
"Exactly, especially when the kid is only a Level 1 rookie."
"How can you say that? This is clearly a wonderful thing, isn’t it? He’ll get to enjoy a god’s affection."
That adventurer placed particular emphasis on the word "affection," causing the people around him to burst into teasing laughter.
After all, everyone knew exactly what kind of god Apollo was.
A rookie adventurer who had looks but no strength to protect himself, once Apollo set his sights on him, had almost no chance of getting away.
Thinking of that, the crowd could not help looking forward to what would happen next.
...
At this time, the Loki Familia had not yet gone far, so naturally, they also noticed the situation.
Tiona’s face wrinkled in displeasure, and she immediately lifted her foot to walk over, only to be stopped by her older sister.
"Don’t be rash. Let’s see what happens first."
Tione held her younger sister back.
"But the one targeting that little guy is... Apollo."
Tiona’s face was full of disgust, as though she were talking about something indescribable.
"Don’t rush. That boy isn’t simple either." Riveria spoke meaningfully.
Back in the Dungeon, Kiriya had released that large-scale Magic without even breathing hard afterward.
It was obvious that he still had plenty of strength left.
With that level of ability, he should be able to retreat safely even against the Apollo Familia.
After all, Apollo currently had only a few small fry with him.
The strongest among them was merely an adventurer who had just entered Level 2.
That kind of lineup might be powerful against other Level 1 adventurers, but against this boy, perhaps not.
"..."
Kiriya’s brows furrowed sharply.
The gaze he directed at Apollo was full of killing intent.
"Stop looking at me with those eyes! Otherwise, I don’t mind digging them out and throwing them into a pit."
The moment those words came out, the entire plaza fell into deathly silence.
Everyone stared at Kiriya in disbelief, and only one thought remained in their minds.
’He dare?’
Standing before him was a true god.
No matter how infamous that god was, one still had to show proper respect on the surface.
How could anyone openly talk back to a god like that?
Though, to be honest, hearing it did feel rather satisfying.
"How bold!"
"How insolent!"
"Kill him!"
The members of the Apollo Familia behind Apollo immediately changed expressions.
They stepped forward together and shouted angrily.
"What do you think you are, daring to disrespect Lord Apollo?"
"Kneel and apologize!"
As they spoke, ten members had already surrounded Kiriya.
Each of them tightened their grip on their weapons, waiting only for their god’s order before teaching this delusional boy a lesson he would never forget.
"Eh? How can you all be so fierce?"
Unexpectedly, what they received was not Apollo’s praise, but his reproach.
"What family doesn’t have a mischievous child or two? Are we supposed to give up on the children we love simply because they’re naughty? Could such a thing still be called divine love?"
"Yes! We are terribly sorry, Lord Apollo!"
"Ah, what profound love. Lord Apollo is truly magnificent."
The members of the Apollo Familia immediately showered him with praise like a tide, making Apollo’s expression turn pleased and relaxed.
Then he turned to Kiriya.
"It’s all right, i’ve already scolded them. Come, return with me to my Familia’s home."
His attitude made it seem as though Kiriya was already something in his pocket, without the slightest consideration for Kiriya’s own will.
Smack!
At some point, a greatsword had appeared in Kiriya’s hand.
He slapped Apollo’s reaching hand away with it, hard enough that even the god could not help crying out in pain.
That scene left many onlookers dumbfounded.
He actually dared to strike the patron god of another Familia!
Was this guy planning to go to war with the Apollo Familia?
"Nice! I’ve wanted to hit him for ages."
Tiona waved her small fist, and her loud voice pulled everyone’s thoughts back to reality.
"Lord Apollo!"
The members of the Apollo Familia finally reacted.
They brandished their weapons and charged toward Kiriya.
Their patron god had suffered such great humiliation.
If the members of his Familia did not retaliate with enough determination, their captain would surely skin them alive when they returned!
"Now this is getting good."
"Fight, fight! Hurry up and fight!"
"I want to see blood flow like a river!"
The adventurers around them were happy to watch the chaos grow bigger, each one shouting eagerly from the sidelines.
They did not care whether Kiriya won or whether the Apollo Familia won.
As long as there was entertainment, that was enough.
Yet in the next moment, their shouting stopped abruptly.
One after another, they looked like ducks with their throats grabbed, unable to make the slightest sound.
Because on the empty ground around Kiriya, a large number of trees and vines suddenly grew out.
They turned into flexible ropes, binding all the unprepared members of the Apollo Familia tightly.
Sharp thorns extended from the surface of the vines and pierced into flesh.
In an instant, screams rang out across the area, and blood flowed freely.
Of course, there was one who slipped through the net.
The only Level 2 among them managed to dodge the sudden strike and entanglement thanks to his higher Agility.
Even so, his back was already soaked with cold sweat.
He truly had not expected this seemingly ordinary Level 1 to be hiding such magic.
If he had not been cautious just now, he would have capsized in shallow water!
"But now I’ve seen through your trump card! Kid, you have no chance of winning."
That Level 2 pushed his speed to the limit, leaving afterimages in the air.
He constantly changed positions, trying to confuse Kiriya.
Then he rushed in from behind, preparing to knock Kiriya unconscious with a chop to the neck.
He did not dare use lethal force.
After all, this was something his god had personally named as desired. If he really damaged the boy, there would be no good ending waiting for him.
The Level 2 thought he had succeeded, but he had no idea that his movements were completely clear in Kiriya’s eyes.
Kiriya did not even turn around to intercept him. He simply tapped the ground with the tip of his foot.
A wooden pillar as thick as an arm shot up behind him like a rocket, landing exactly on the Level 2’s path.
From the perspective of the onlookers, it looked as though the man had willingly rammed his own stomach into it.
Puff!
His own charge had already been fierce, and when combined with the upward force of the wooden pillar, this Level 2 brother suffered terribly.
He felt as though his stomach had nearly been pierced through.
His entire body curled up like a shrimp, and he collapsed on the spot, unable to get up again.
All of this seemed like it had taken a long time, but in reality, it happened in an instant.
In the space of a few swift exchanges, ten members of the Apollo Familia—nine Level 1s and one Level 2—had been dealt with by Kiriya.
That crisp and clean counterattack stunned the onlookers.
Although those people were not geniuses, they were still experienced adventurers who had seen their share of battles. One of them was even Level 2.
And they had been taken down just like that?
What happened to level suppression?
At that thought, some gods could no longer sit still.
They immediately ordered their Familia members to gather detailed information on Kiriya.
After a long silence...
"NICEEEEEEEE!"
No one knew which god shouted first.
Then came a wave of applause and praise.
The increasingly lively atmosphere only made the miserable state of the Apollo Familia look even worse.
The group hanging from the vines felt as if their faces were burning.
They wanted nothing more than to immediately find a hole to crawl into.
This was so damn humiliating!
"Wonderful. Truly wonderful, Kiriya-kun."
Faced with what had happened to his Familia members, Apollo showed not the slightest anger or concern.
Instead, he looked ecstatic, as though he had discovered a new toy!
"I never expected that beneath your outstanding appearance, you would also possess such remarkable talent. It makes me want you even more, Kiriya-kun."
"..."
Kiriya looked coldly at Apollo.
The twisted possessiveness in the other party’s gaze made him deeply uncomfortable.
He wanted nothing more than to kill this disgusting god on the spot.
Unfortunately, he could not.
This was Orario, the city of adventurers.
The gods and the Falna system they bestowed were the foundation of everything here. Because of that, the dignity of the gods had to be preserved.
If he truly killed a god in public, he would probably be attacked by everyone and lose any place to stand in this city.
’Now isn’t the time. I’ll let you keep that dog life for now.’
Kiriya gave Apollo one deep look, then turned and left.
Wherever he stepped, the low-level adventurers moved aside one after another, creating a path for him.
They watched Kiriya leave with awe in their eyes, still sighing inwardly.
’We’re all Level 1, so why is the gap between us this huge?’
"As expected of the little guy I had my eye on. He really is impressive!"
Tiona praised him.
Finn and Riveria exchanged a glance, both seeing the same "as expected" look in each other’s eyes.
Finn smiled and called to everyone, "The show is over. Let’s go."
The members of the Loki Familia turned and left one after another.
Ais is the only one kept looking at Kiriya’s departing back with a thoughtful light flashing through her eyes.