Rise of the Eromancer

"My name is Achilles…

…what is yours, Young Warrior?"

The name sounded incredibly familiar to Rhys, but he couldn't quite remember where he had heard the name before—but even then, however, the name held a certain weight that caused Rhys to just stand there; his eyes, looking at Achilles from head to toe.

Rhys stared at him for a while before letting out a sigh and shaking his head.

"Rhys Wilder," Rhys muttered—a little conflicted with what was happening. Seeing it from an outside perspective, wouldn't he almost be seen as the villain?

He was so busy fighting with Achilles that he did not even notice that an innocent bystander was about to get squashed because he couldn't control his strength and knocked down a pillar.

All these things about quests and labors seemed to be making him impatient—and Pythia's annoying, vague teasing remarks did not really help at all. For once, he just wanted answers and all that was being given to him were riddles.

He just wanted to let loose… and yet what exactly was happening now?

"R… Rhys!" Clio, who was watching from afar, finally rushed toward Rhys's side; wrapping her arms around his arm as she glared at Achilles, "Let's just… let's just go. There's… I don't think there's anything for us here. The prophecy… meeting the Oracle. Nothing is… nothing's going right—and people… people aren't looking at us good."

"..." Rhys quickly turned his attention to the crowd of workers building the shrine, only to see all of them glaring at them—after all, Achilles just saved one of their own, and it was Rhys's fault in the first place—of course, if he actually took the time to tell them that Achilles tried to assassinate Clio, then maybe they would change their mind.

But truthfully, they weren't on Earth and Rhys was not interested at all about what these people were thinking. But… perhaps he should?"

"No…" Rhys slightly raised his voice as he also suddenly glared at Achilles, "...This man tried to kill you!"

"Oh…?" Achilles blinked a couple of times as he noticed the sudden shift in Rhys's tone—and as soon as he realized what he was doing, a small smirk crawled on his face, "Perhaps I can explain. That—"

"Perhaps we should all relax and have wine?" Before Achilles could actually say anything, Pythia's voice once again hummed in the air; the smile on her face still as calm as before—still teasing, almost as if everything that was happening was only an amusement for her, "Although the shrine is not complete yet, Apollo teaches that there is always time for respite."

"Why… would you think we would even come with you?" Clio's eyebrows lowered, "You tried to have me killed—who knows what sort of poison you will be placing in the wine!?"

"I did not try to have you killed, little lady," Pythia let out a small chuckle before brushing her long golden hair to the side—slightly revealing her breasts which seemed to be the ones responsible for holding her gown up; her teats, clearly visible on them.

"Little… lady?" Clio's eyes widened as she saw Pythia just smirking at her; she then very subtly looked at her own breasts—but alas, Pythia's was larger, "Rhys, we should go before they try to kill us again."

"I promise in my honor that I will not attempt to harm you again, milady," Achilles let out a small sigh as he just suddenly knelt on the ground, "I have already failed once—and for that, you have my respect for surviving."

"Why… would you even have someone assassinate me?" Clio looked at Achilles for a while before turning to Pythia.

"I am not—I knew that you would be alive," Pythia finally let out a small sigh, "And you were not the intended target in the first place, Princess—I have already told you that the role you play here is insignificant."

"But you just told me I am in the center of a war!"

"But are you?" Pythia tilted her head to the side before looking around the field of moving stones and marbles, "Where is the war here…?"

"That—"

"The only reason why I asked Achilles to assassinate you is because I knew that the Stranger would be there," Pythia then focused her eyes on Rhys; trailing her finger on her lips as she stared at him, "If ever you have importance to me, then it is done—you have done your duty in bringing Rhys Wilder here—And oh, it was a wonderful revelation."

"...Are you even telling the truth right now?" Clio was starting to hear the inconsistencies in Pythia's words—she said at first that Rhys and she were intertwined, and that it was the will of the Fates that brought them together… and that their story would ultimately lead to Rhys finding his father…

…and now all of a sudden her job was done?

"Hm, I don't know," Pythia just let out a small giggle.

"I think I'm going to lose my mind, Rhys…" Clio could really only tighten her embrace on Rhys's arm, "...Let's just go and return to Calydon."

"If you go back to Calydon, you'll die," Pythia then suddenly said without any hesitation, "I told you, you can change nothing if you go there—you will only bring death closer to you."

"I think we are done listening to you," Clio shook her head, "We've been talking and talking and not much is really happening—we're wasting our time. If the Fates are watching, they would realize how much all of this is dragging on."

"Do you share the same sentiment, Rhys Wilder?" Pythia squinted her eyes as she looked at Rhys.

"...I just want to find my father and go home," Rhys sighed, "And I'm starting to think it might be a mistake coming to this world altogether."

"This world, you say…?" A wide smile started to crawl on Pythia's face, "You speak as if you are from another realm, Rhys Wilder—are you?"

"I get the feeling you already know the answer to that," Rhys just let out a small but very deep sigh.

"I do," Pythia just smiled, answering without even thinking about it, "After all—you are a Stranger. That could really only mean one thing, you are a god walking amongst the mortals…

…or you are from the Underworld."

"W…what?" Clio blinked a couple of times; her hands almost instinctively let go of his arm, but she tightened it instead, "What are you even saying!? That's not true! Rhys is—"

"You're right," Rhys also no longer hesitated.

"Ho…? Interesting," Achilles quickly turned to look at Pythia for confirmation, and since the smile on her face slowly faded away… it would seem that it was true, "I thought the Underworld had been sealed, High Priestess. What is the meaning of this?"

"...What indeed." Before the smile could completely fade away, however, Pythia just turned around, "...Perhaps we should reset again to make things interesting? I am getting tired of repeating this. I think the others would agree too."

"Reset…?" Achilles blinked a couple of times, "But the war is about to happen! I was promised an endless war, High Priestess!"

And all of a sudden, Clio could not understand anything anymore.

"Rhys… it's true?" Clio finally let go of Rhys's arm, "Are you… really from the Underworld?"

"...It's a little bit more complicated than that," Rhys could really only sigh as everything was suddenly out, "The Underworld… isn't what you think it is. It's another—"

"Stop it."

And before Rhys could finish his words, a sudden silence suddenly filled the air—silence, because everything else just suddenly stopped.

"What…" Rhys could not help but just blink a couple of times as he looked around. The workers who were carrying the stones non-stop, the chatter, everything just… froze. And the only things that were moving were—

"If you reveal to her the truth, I would have to reset."

Rhys then quickly turned around to look at Pythia, whose golden hair was now giving out a harsh light, almost glowing.

"You are very lucky, Rhys Wilder—out of all the worlds you landed, you landed on mine."

"What…?" Rhys could not help but slightly take a step back as he felt something… different from Pythia.

"Who is he?"

"..." Rhys then turned to Achilles, who seemed to also be able to move in this world that seemed to have stopped, "...What's going on here?"

"That is what I also want to know, Rhys Wilder," Pythia then approached Rhys, "Lord Hades has sent numerous people here throughout the years—but you stand out among them. The previous ones he had sent all die without a purpose—but you, you clearly have something to do here."

"...I don't understand," Rhys squinted his eyes.

"You're on a chessboard, Rhys of Wilder." Achilles started walking around the unbuilt shrine, "And you are… well, I suppose a piece that is not supposed to be here."

"Do not insult him, Achilles," Pythia waved her hand, "He comes from a world far more advanced than this one—after all…

…this world just repeats itself over and over again."