Anime Crossover: I, the Shadow King, slaughter my way through DanMachi!

Upon seeing Artemis, Hestia became even more excited: "Artemis! My dearest friend! It really is you!"

She flew towards the blue-haired goddess like a joyful little bird, and the two embraced tightly.

"Hestia, it's been a long time."

Artemis's voice was as melodious as a clear spring.

"What are you doing in Orario?"

Hestia asked excitedly, "You didn't even tell me you were coming!"

Artemis gently patted Hestia's head: "There are all sorts of reasons..."

She glanced at Ying Ping, her expression somewhat complicated, and said, "So, you are my Orion...?"

Orion... indeed it is so.

Yingping couldn't help but sigh.

Hermes interjected at the opportune moment, "It seems the two goddesses have been reunited after a long separation and have much to say. Why don't we move to a quieter place?"

Artemis nodded and extended her hand to Ying Ping: "May I invite you to come with me? This divine artifact... seems to have already recognized you as its master."

Her voice was as clear and cold as moonlight, causing Ying Ping to unconsciously nod in agreement.

Chapter 42 Departure! An Expedition to the Great Tree Sea! [Please customize]

In the hotel lobby, Kokoro was obediently and thoughtfully making tea for everyone.

The subtle aroma of tea filled the room, slightly easing the somewhat hurried atmosphere.

Hermes picked up his teacup, took a sip, and began, "Gentlemen, the matter is like this..."

He explained in detail the reason why Artemis came to Orario.

It was originally located in the Great Forest Secret Realm outside Orario.

Near Artemis and her kin's encampment, a large number of unusually powerful monsters suddenly appeared.

These monsters are not only numerous, but also seem to be driven by some mysterious force, constantly destroying the forest.

Many adventurers are bravely fighting monsters on the front lines to protect the village.

"so..."

Elena took an elegant sip of the calming tea, a knowing glint in her violet eyes. "The so-called round-the-world trip is just a pretext."

"Lady Artemis's true purpose is to find the owner who can pull out that spear, and then return to the Great Tree Sea to deal with those monsters?"

"Bingo!"

Hermes snapped his fingers, a bright smile on his face. "This lovely young mage is truly clever!"

He paused, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes, "But... why do you address Lord Yingping as 'master'?"

Elena didn't answer, but instead turned her gaze to Ying Ping, her eyes questioning: "Master, was my analysis correct?"

"Yes, that's right, as expected of my Elena."

Ying Ping reached out and ruffled Elena's hair, but his gaze turned to Artemis, who had been watching him intently since earlier: "Lady Artemis, is that really the case?"

Artemis slowly rose and walked straight to Winning Face.

She stretched out her slender fingers and, to the astonishment of Hestia and the others, gently stroked Yingping's cheek.

A complex emotion flickered in those eyes, as clear as moonlight: "Yes... can you help me? My Orion..."

The entire hall fell silent instantly.

Ying Ping grasped Artemis's wrist, his gaze deepening: "You said I was your Orion... but Orion has another meaning in divine language, namely, the piercer."

Right?

Artemis's body stiffened for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.

She didn't answer Yingping's question, but instead asked again softly, "Are you willing to help me?"

Hestia looked at Artemis, then at Yingping, her little face full of confusion: "Wait... what are you talking about? Orion isn't..."

Yingping was silent for a moment, then finally nodded: "Of course, I'm willing to help you."

A hint of relief flashed in Artemis's eyes, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly: "Thank you..."

Yingping looked around at everyone: "It seems we need to set off immediately to the Great Tree Sea to support the front lines."

Hestia suddenly jumped up: "Wait! Did you forget to ask for my opinion?!"

"Artemis! You've been acting strangely ever since! Are you trying to kidnap my Yingping-jun?!"

Artemis looked apologetic: "It's not like that, Hestia, the situation in the Great Tree Sea is really urgent..."

"Humph!"

Hestia angrily grabbed Yingping's arm, "You can go over there! But you have to take all of us with you!"

Yingping chuckled and ruffled her hair: "Of course, how could we not include everyone in something like this? We're a clan, after all."

Elena gracefully set down her teacup: "Sounds like an interesting trip!"

Kokoro nodded gently: "I will definitely do my best to assist my master."

Chizuka and Takina exchanged a smile and said in unison, "Me too!"

After deciding to set off that evening, everyone arrived at the majestic walls of Orario.

"These are some small gifts I specially prepared for you all~"

Hermes smiled as he showed off the exquisitely crafted equipment, saying, "Considering the unique environment of the Great Tree Sea, this equipment is imbued with waterproof and corrosion-resistant magical effects."

Hestia held up a light blue travel outfit with delight: "I got one too?"

"Of course!"

Hermes gave a graceful bow. "How could I forget my old friend, Lord Hestia?"

Chizuka excitedly tried on the new wrist guards and gloves: "So lightweight! They don't affect drawing the bow and shooting at all!"

Takina carefully inspected the new clothes and backpack, then nodded in satisfaction.

Kokoro and Elena also received equipment suitable for their magician roles.

Yingping's new equipment is a set of dark silver light armor.

The surface is engraved with exquisite patterns, which neither hinders movement nor hinders movement, and provides sufficient protection. It is much better than the beginner equipment rented by the guild.

Just as everyone was organizing their equipment, a commotion suddenly broke out on the city wall.

"roar-!"

Accompanied by a deafening roar, several enormous dragons descended from the sky, stirring up a gust of wind.

On the back of the lead dragon, a burly man wearing an elephant-head mask jumped down in an extremely exaggerated manner.

"That's right! I am—Ganesha! Hahahaha!"

Ganesha, the elephant god, struck his signature pose and introduced himself in a booming voice...

Startled by this sudden appearance, Hestia hid behind Yingping, stammering, "W-what's going on... what's with all these dragons...?"

Hermes explained with a smile, "It would take at least a month to walk to the Great Tree Sea, but it can be reached in ten days by riding these dragons."

As soon as he finished speaking, one of the dragons suddenly snorted, startling Kokoro, who shrank back behind Yingping.

"It will only take ten days to get there?"

"That means it will take at least 20 days to go round trip, it's a really long journey."

Ying Ping fell into deep thought.

Seeing that everyone seemed a little worried about the dragons, Ganesha patted his chest and added, "Don't worry, everyone. These dragons have received the most professional training since they hatched. They're as docile as kittens and absolutely safe and reliable!"

Hestia counted the number of dragons and frowned: "Only four? Not enough for all of us..."

Hermes grinned smugly: "Don't say that. The Ganesha Familia has already scraped together this much in such a short time."

"Please bear with us, everyone. Let's at least split into pairs and share the ride."

His lewd gaze lingered on the several cute girls, and his thoughts were self-evident.

Ying Ping saw through his thoughts at a glance and interrupted him directly, saying, "Lord Hermes, you and I will be in the same group, and the others can be assigned freely."

"Eh?!"

Hermes' face fell dramatically, and he retorted in disbelief, "Isn't this a bit much? I want to be with the lovely Chizuka-san..."

Before he could finish speaking, under the icy gazes of Ying Ping and Hestia, he awkwardly changed his tune: "Ahem,... I meant, this distribution is quite reasonable, haha..."

Hestia immediately stood next to Yingping, hands on her hips: "That's right! This distribution is reasonable, it's decided!"

"I want to be paired with Artemis!"

The final groupings are as follows.

Yingping and Hermes rode together on one horse.

Hestia and Artemis are in the same group.

Chizuka and Takina are a pair.

Elena and Kokoro also rode together in a group.

As night fell, the dragons spread their enormous wings and carried everyone into the air.

Ganesha waved goodbye from the city wall: "Have a safe journey! May my blessings be with you, Ganesha!"

As the dragon soared into the sky, the night wind howled and the stars filled the heavens.

The lights in Orario gradually dimmed.

P.S.: Artemis, the moon goddess, has arrived! Please give me some flowers and ratings! Subscriptions have really plummeted, only single digits left.

Chapter 43 Hermes' Test! [Please Subscribe]

In the night sky, the dragon soared steadily.

The deep blue sky was dotted with stars, and the moonlight shone down on everyone like water.

Wow! It's so tall!

Chizuka excitedly climbed onto the dragon's back and looked down, "Takina, look! Orario has become so small!"

Takina's eyes also sparkled with excitement: "Hmm...it's beautiful."

On the other dragon, Hestia hugged Artemis tightly around the waist: "Artemis! I'm so happy to be with you again!"

Artemis smiled gently, lightly pressing down on her blue ponytail, which had been ruffled by the wind: Yes, me too.

Elena and Kokkoro's dragons followed closely behind.

Elena manipulated wind magic to reduce air resistance, while Kokkoro curiously observed the scenery below.

"Their masters are flying ahead..."

Kokoro said softly.

Irene followed her gaze, pursed her lips, and said, "That cunning Hermes is definitely up to something again."

as predicted.

On the back of the foremost dragon, Hermes suddenly spoke: "Lord Yingping, I'm very curious..."

His 26-year-old voice sounded exceptionally clear in the wind, "Why did you agree to this support mission? You could have easily refused, couldn't you?"

Ying Ping looked straight ahead and casually replied, "It was just a spur-of-the-moment decision, out of respect for the beautiful Lady Artemis."

"Oh?"

Hermes narrowed his eyes, a fox-like smile faintly visible in the moonlight. "I thought Lord Yingping was someone who hated trouble."

"That depends on what kind of trouble it is."

Yingping answered casually.

The dragon lurched slightly, and the two figures swayed gently in the moonlight.