"We were about to catch up when that thing jumped into the water and disappeared,"
"Didn't you go after it?" Aphrodite was somewhat displeased.
"We did, but there seems to be an underground river connected there, with water channels stretching in all directions; we had no idea where it could flow to,"
The Three Graces explained gravely, and then added with a strange look on their faces.
"That pig, it not only swims, but it seems it can even dive..."
Aphrodite raised her eyebrows, a chilly smile emerging on her stunning face.
"Pigs can't dive, but some things can!"
The Graces looked at each other, seemingly having realized something, and then tentatively sought confirmation from their mistress.
Without directly answering, Aphrodite gently picked up the wounded Adonis onto the Swan Chariot, and signalled to her attendants to take him away, then lifted her head and looked towards the distant sacred mountain in the clouds, the grinding of her silver teeth producing a gritty sound.
"Let's go, back to Olympus with me!"
Seeing their mistress's gloomy face, the Three Graces couldn't help feeling a shiver in their hearts.
This time, she was probably truly enraged.
Meanwhile, somewhere deep in a mountain pool, water splashed furiously, and a robust Magic Beast leaped onto the bank, panting heavily, its eyes filled with bloodred veins. Intense bloodlust and brutal aura were nearly bursting forth from within.
The ferocious beast looked at its reflection in the water as if regaining a moment of clarity, then bit at its own skin, trying to tear it off.
However, the intense pain and the stubborn adhesion forced it to whimper and let go reluctantly.
It couldn't manage on its own; it had to get to the sea quickly!
Underneath the pigskin, Luo En bit the tip of his tongue, striving to maintain a sliver of clarity and dashed towards the prearranged rendezvous point.
But as he pushed his speed to the limit, the Magic Beast's savage nature and warlike Divinity's instinct for slaughter also accumulated, blurring his consciousness.
Although the early stages of the plan had gone smoothly, he hadn't expected Aphrodite to return so quickly.
She had hurried over almost as soon as Adonis was in danger.
Luckily, when the Goddess of Love reached the scene, she was preoccupied with taking care of her half-dead darling, leaving the pursuit to the Three Graces.
This gave him the chance to jump into the water according to the retreat plan he had prepared early, and using the complicated underwater passages along with the protection from the sea, he managed to slip away successfully.
Yet, even so, to shake off the Three Graces completely, he had expended a great deal of time.
By the time those fearsome auras fully dissipated and he emerged from the water, there wasn't much time left from his three-hour transformation limit.
Now, he could only pray that everything went smoothly for Artemis, that he could catch up and meet the Goddess of the Hunt in time.
As such thoughts raced through his mind, Luo En hurried towards the coast where the crossing boat lay hidden.
With each passing second, the vicious beast's eyes were gradually filled with bloodred streaks.
Finally, as Luo En could scarcely distinguish whether he was human or a Magic Beast, the shimmering shallows came into view.
And there on the pristine white sand, a tall and athletic huntress was pacing back and forth.
As he drew nearer, the beautiful young girl's face brightened with a relieved smile, and she opened her arms, rushing forward swiftly.
Luo En took a deep breath, unable to help but hasten his pace.
Because she smelled so good...
The robust Magic Pig burst out of the dense forest like a heavy tank, the scarlet bloodlust rising like blazing flames, and its sharp fangs gleaming with a chilling light.
Watching the figure accelerating towards her, the huntress on the sand beamed with a radiant smile, her arms spread wide; one arm then dropped, while the other was raised high.
An enormous boom echoed across the beach, and the mountainous beast fell thunderously to the ground, a huge swelling blister emanating steam quickly rising on the Magic Pig's head.