Why is my anime art style so weird?

Chapter 533 Are Greek heroes really this kind of scum?

This was, after all, a semi-military fortress, and Xu Ming noticed that there were even more soldiers patrolling here.

After explaining the situation to the soldiers on duty at the entrance, the captain of the soldiers ordered a young soldier to take Xu Ming into the city.

Xu Ming hadn't expected to enter the Acropolis so easily.

It seems the city guard captain was right; recently, heroes from all over the world have been coming to Athens to fight the Gorgon monster.

Moreover, this must have been instructed by the Athenian high command, which is why the soldiers stationed at the Acropolis were very cooperative.

Soon, Xu Ming followed the soldier and ascended the fortified city along the specially constructed passage.

Although this granite mountain is not very high, its shape is quite unique, with steep cliffs on three sides, making it impossible for ordinary people to climb.

The only entrance is also very narrow, perfectly embodying the principle of "high vantage point, easy to defend and difficult to attack".

In the event of war, this acropolis could immediately transform into a sharp spike protruding from the outskirts of Athens, inflicting heavy casualties on the attacking side.

Furthermore, since the Acropolis is backed by the main city of Athens, supplies could be easily pulled up from the cliff using ropes.

Unless human lives are sacrificed to exhaust the Acropolis's defenses, it would be virtually impossible to conquer the Acropolis through a direct assault.

As Xu Ming followed the soldier along the way, he observed that the entire city was heavily guarded. Patrols of soldiers passed by in groups, and there were many hidden sentries in every corner, making it almost impossible to see any blind spots.

It is quite incongruous that such a fortress would allow a large number of soldiers from other countries to enter.

There may be other reasons hidden within this.

However, all of this was irrelevant to Xu Ming. He came here to participate in the class-level trial, and the conflicts of interest between the ancient kingdoms had nothing to do with him, nor did he want to get involved in them at all.

Soon he arrived at the Parthenon, located in the center of the Acropolis, led by the soldier.

Thick white stone pillars support the temple's heavy triangular roof, and the walls are carved with lifelike heroic epics.

The statue of the goddess, clad in armor, holding a shield in one hand and a sword in the other, exudes a heroic aura, as if she were an invincible female warrior.

This is a typical ancient Greek temple.

After the soldier brought Xu Ming to the square, he immediately turned and left.

A large crowd had already gathered in the huge square in front of the temple.

These people were dressed in a variety of ways, mostly in leather or bronze armor, and carried bronze weapons such as round shields, short swords, and spears. Some of them also carried bows and arrows on their backs.

They gathered in twos and threes, talking and gesturing, occasionally letting out unrestrained laughter.

Some people noticed Xu Ming, who had just arrived. After looking him over, they immediately showed contemptuous and disdainful smiles.

Come to think of it, almost everyone who comes to this square is fully armed, as if they want to be armed to the teeth.

In contrast, Xu Ming carried no weapons and had a backpack on his back, looking exactly like someone on a picnic.

Moreover, the auras emanating from these heroes gathered here are all different.

Many of them looked fierce and menacing, exuding a menacing aura; they were clearly people who had killed and seen blood.

As for Xu Ming, he was the epitome of a young heartthrob, or as these heroes would say, a pretty boy only fit to please his master.

"Hey! Kid, this isn't a place for you."

A man with a bald head, a full beard, and a huge double-edged axe on his back walked over.

He was over two meters tall, with a muscular build like a bear walking upright. His size alone made him look two or three times the size of Xu Ming, and the muscles exposed on his body outside his armor were as hard as blocks of iron.

“I am Bocrius from Thebes, and I once single-handedly killed five monsters and a boar.”

The bald, burly man arrogantly pointed to himself with his thumb and introduced himself.

Several soldiers not far from him were watching this side with mocking expressions, eyeing Xu Ming with ill intent.

"Bocrius has found new prey."

"There's nothing we can do about it; this guy just has a thing for pretty boys."

“Oh, poor child, I wonder if he can withstand Botrysus’s lashes.”

Hehehe~~!

Everyone immediately burst into laughter, but the laughter was full of gloom and darkness.

Boklisos, with his shiny bald head and fierce appearance that could scare children, tried his best to put on a kind face and began to lure Xu Ming.

“If you come to my room at night and swear to be my servant… I promise to protect you.”

A cold glint flashed in Xu Ming's eyes, but a chilling smile appeared on his face.

Although he had long known from various classics and myths what kind of people the so-called 'heroes' in Greek mythology were.

But when he actually witnessed it, and when the other party even tried to harm him, Xu Ming couldn't help but feel his temples throbbing with anger.

His black hair and black eyes were already conspicuous enough, and he had planned to keep a low profile, but this guy had a lewd smile on his face and actually reached out to hug his neck!

Go to hell! You damn gay!

Without saying a word, Xu Ming pulled out a crowbar and swung it at the guy's face.

Bah!

Boklissos was sent flying backwards, along with several yellowed teeth.

The massive, bear-like body flew more than ten meters before crashing heavily to the ground, where it immediately lost consciousness.

The guys who were waiting to see Xu Ming make a fool of himself were immediately dumbfounded.

They glanced at the unconscious Bokrissos, then at the smiling, thin Xu Ming, and couldn't help but swallow hard.

Where did this tough guy come from?!

Xu Ming scanned the crowd expressionlessly, and many heroes and warriors dared not meet his gaze, lowering their heads in disbelief.

Now, no one dares to look at Xu Ming with contempt anymore.

Xu Ming revealed a cold smile.

These guys are just despicable!

Give them a good beating, and they'll know what's what.

Faced with this group of so-called heroes, there is nothing more effective than fists.

Just as Xu Ming had predicted, no fool dared to provoke him again after that.

Moreover, the people in the square involuntarily moved away from Xu Ming.

A large space quickly became available around Xu Ming.

After a while, several women dressed in white priestly robes came out, escorting a woman.

The leading woman wore a similar style of priest's white robe, but it was embroidered with bird and snake patterns in gold thread. These two animals were sacred objects of the goddess Athena.

Chapter 534 Athena's Trial

The high priestess of the goddess had half of her face covered by a white veil, revealing only a pair of beautiful golden eyes.

This attire did not conceal her beauty at all; on the contrary, it added a touch of mystery and hazy beauty, making people want to lift the veil and see for themselves just how beautiful she truly is.

The murmurs in the square quickly subsided.

This is a world where gods manifest themselves, and the gods who can move mountains and fill seas are not just vague and ethereal symbols.

Aside from a very small number of madmen, even powerful warriors capable of fighting monsters still maintain awe when facing gods.

The high priests of the goddess, in a sense, represent the goddess herself, so these people certainly dare not be presumptuous.

Of course, reverence for goddesses cannot stop certain animals who only think with their lower bodies.

Some lecherous individuals lurked in the crowd, their lustful gazes brazenly sweeping over the white-robed priestesses on the platform, their eyes practically screaming that they wanted to strip them naked.

The leading priestess glanced at the heroes and powerful warriors gathered below the steps. She may not have noticed their evil gazes, or she may have noticed them but didn't see anything amiss.

She then slowly began to speak.

"Welcome, mighty warriors, to Athens! At this moment, Athens needs your help..."

The priestess's clear and melodious voice immediately reached the ears of everyone in the square.

Xu Ming was no exception.

"The evil Gorgon monsters have taken over the Isle of No Return. They are wantonly destroying passing ships and slaughtering innocent civilians..."

The priestess's voice possessed some kind of magic; her tone, though seemingly calm, was incredibly infectious. Xu Ming felt a surge of heat rising within him, and his emotions instantly became heightened.

But soon, a chill emanated from the ice rose he was wearing on his chest, instantly clearing his mind.

Xu Ming quickly became alert.

He began to quietly observe his surroundings and immediately noticed that the emotions of all the heroes around him had been stirred up.

It seems that the Gorgon monsters on the Isle of No Return are indescribably evil, and defeating them not only rids the people of a scourge but also brings immense fame and unparalleled glory!

The heroes were instantly filled with excitement, eager to rush onto the Invisible Island and cut off the head of that evil monster!

The priestess's rhetoric wasn't particularly sophisticated, but it was extremely persuasive.

There must be something fishy going on here!

Xu Ming strongly suspected that this was the effect of witchcraft or divine magic.

What exactly does Athena want to do?

Before Xu Ming could figure it out...

The priestess then suddenly announced something.

"To date, there have been no fewer than several hundred heroes who have died at the hands of the Gorgon."

To avoid unnecessary sacrifices, we hope that all warriors will participate in a competitive trial before revealing the exact location of the Invisible Island.

Only the most elite warriors are qualified to challenge the mighty Gorgon monsters!

What the hell are these guys up to?!

Xu Ming's mind was filled with more and more questions.

"Ooh!!"

However, the heroes, who had been thoroughly swayed by the priestess's speech, not only did not object, but instead eagerly cheered.