Danmachi: The Multiverse Portal

We made it to 100 chapters! Thank you all so much for your support, and a special thank-you to everyone who has stayed with us this far.

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The Denatus.

"This army is incredibly well-trained."

"Hestia really hit the jackpot..."

"These kids don't even have a Falna, yet their raw strength easily rivals a [Level 1]. Are the people from that other world just born at Level 1?"

The Gods were whispering loudly amongst themselves. If time and the rules allowed it, they would have already rushed over to mass-contract every single one of those soldiers.

An entire army of Level 1s who fought fearlessly against a monstrous horde without an ounce of hesitation? It was unprecedented.

"Ah, it hits right in the heart..."

"The romance between those kids is so beautiful. It's right there in front of them, but they're separated by two different worlds. Sigh..."

Several Goddesses, especially those obsessed with romance, were swooning.

Watching people from two different universes suddenly meet and fall in love, only to realize the cruel reality of their situation, felt like a literal knife to the heart.

The battle had ended quickly, and the broadcast had shifted to scenes of the soldiers clearing out the remaining monster carcasses.

"My fellow gods, behold! These are the children living on the surface of that world!"

"Look at their noble character. Look at their quiet, restrained youth."

"It is truly a beautiful sight!"

Hermes stood in front of the divine mirror, acting like an enthusiastic movie director.

What a beautiful story. It had action, struggle, heroic sacrifice, and the bitter tang of forbidden romance. To the Gods, these mortal kids were the best kind of entertainment.

"Such a picturesque scene," Hermes mused. He knew this script was pure gold for his divine audience.

But of course, the God of Messengers had his own little agenda.

He smoothly panned the camera over to August.

At that moment, August was sitting on top of an armored tank as it rolled through the perimeter, casually writing and sketching something on his tablet.

"..." Through the Goddesses' eyes, the framing was flawless. August's sharp gaze seemed to speak volumes. The breeze moved his hair, and his calm expression made him look focused and confident. It was a beautiful and memorable image.

"Hey, hey, Hermes, you're doing this on purpose!"

The Goddesses watching the screen almost squealed, acting just like fans swooning over a celebrity.

"AH! HE'S SO HANDSOME!!"

"You know, looking closely, his face really is gorgeous."

"His eyes are so expressive. He's got this incredibly magnetic charm."

Some of the Goddesses were already planning to take August out on a romantic, moonlit date the second he returned to Orario. Just seeing him on the screen was enough to make them swoon.

But Hermes' cinematic flair wasn't quite finished.

He quickly panned the camera over to Artemis and Hestia, letting them flash across the screen for just a second.

And right before the feed cut to black, Hermes dropped a bomb:

"Next Episode: The Call of the World!"

Click.

The connection vanished...

"AAAAAAAAAH!"

What the hell?

"Next episode?? What do you mean 'next episode,' you bastard?"

"What the hell does 'The Call of the World' mean?"

"And why did the last shot focus on the Shrimp and Artemis?? Someone tell me what is going on!"

The Gods were absolutely livid.

Are you kidding? He just dropped a massive cliffhanger and dipped. If there was one thing these immortal beings hated more than anything else in existence, it was a Riddler. And Hermes had just hit them with the mother of all riddles.

Only Hephaestus and Miach managed to piece together the meaning behind the cryptic sign-off.

'The Call of the World... A new world?' Hephaestus's eyes flashed.

If she remembered correctly, Hestia's two newest Familia members came from an entirely different dimension. This meant August had likely unlocked a gateway to yet another brand-new world.

And the final shot of Hestia and Artemis?

There was only one logical conclusion: this new world had actively summoned August.

'The world summoned him...'

'Hestia, you took Artemis with you instead of me?? Dammit!'

Hephaestus was furious. In her mind, she imagined strangling her best friend. Hestia chose Artemis over the Goddess of Forging? Was she really that weak? As a smithing deity, Hephaestus could have brought a whole arsenal of weapons.

'But then again... Artemis possesses a Divine Construct.'

Hephaestus sighed and tried to calm down.

She knew that the world August was going to must be very dangerous if it had called for him. Bringing Artemis, who had an anti-god arrow that could pierce heaven itself, was the smart choice.

But she was still a Goddess, and Goddesses often felt jealous. If she did not let herself be upset for a while, it would feel like wasting a good grudge.

Miach, on the other hand, simply smiled warmly.

'As expected of an outstanding child.' That was all he had to say.

While the majority of the Gods were dying to know what Hermes meant, witnessing the bravery and character of the other world's mortals had put most of them in a great mood.

Of course, not every God shared that sentiment.

Sitting quietly in the shadows, keeping a low profile, was Ikelos.

He coughed dryly, watching the black screen. 'Well, Dix... looks like you boys are really going to die this time.'

He had seen August's fierce and commanding way of fighting. He noticed the cold look in the boy's eyes. It was clear that if his Familia, Dix and the Evilus, met this kid—they would be wiped out.

There was zero doubt in Ikelos's mind. August was exactly the type of person who would hunt them to the ends of the earth and slaughter every last one of them if he found out what they were doing.

As for fighting back? Ikelos mentally threw in the towel.

'Oh well. I might as well witness the final, dignified end of my Familia.'

Ikelos gave a low laugh. In his mind, he could already see his children meeting a bloody and unavoidable end.

Some of the other dark faction Gods glanced at Ikelos.

They all knew about each other's connections to the remnants of the Evilus. If they remembered right, August had made it clear that anyone who went after him would be hunted down without mercy.

From the way August acted on screen, it was obvious he meant every word. If they pushed him, he wouldn't just kill them. He would probably destroy their very souls to make sure nothing was left.

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Meanwhile, back on the frontline.

August, who had earned the grudges of several gods, sneezed a few times. He rubbed his nose and sat on the tank as it rolled back to the main camp.

Not far away, near another parked tank, something very different was happening.

Hestia and Artemis stood together, holding heavy military shovels as if they were executioners' axes. Hermes knelt on a hard steel plate in front of them.

"YOU IDIOT! ALL YOU EVER DO IS CAUSE TROUBLE!"

"DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH??"

As soon as Hermes turned the camera on them, both Goddesses noticed. They could feel the eyes of the other gods watching.

Since Hermes looked ready to reveal their secrets to everyone, they acted right away.

They tackled him, held him down, and made him kneel on the steel plate. If they didn't discipline him now, who knew what kind of chaotic rumors he would spread next?

"I didn't do anything! I was just sharing a little secret!" Hermes laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. "Just spreading the joy!"

Apologizing was out of the question. Hermes's skin was thicker than a castle wall—he knew they couldn't actually kill him. Though he really didn't want to get beaten with shovels. He had a handsome face to protect...

"Asfi! A little help here??" Hermes called out to his captain.

"..." Asfi Al Andromeda rolled her eyes. She knew her Patron was a troll who lived for the drama of leaking secrets. But as his captain, she was obligated to intervene.

"Lady Hestia, Lady Artemis..." Asfi sighed. "Lord Hermes is just showing off. He enjoys flaunting secrets that the other Gods don't have. His lips are actually quite sealed—he won't reveal anything critical unless he's actively plotting something."

She tried to talk them into letting Hermes off the hook. But as soon as she spoke, Hermes could feel a deadly aura settle over him.

"This fool gets tempted by other Goddesses far too easily. He'll mess up just to show off," Hestia said, narrowing her eyes. "Let's just bury him."

"Agreed," Artemis nodded coldly.

"Excellent. Dig the hole."

Asfi threw up her hands and gave Hermes a look that clearly said: You're on your own. Good luck.

Hermes's face fell. They weren't joking.

When the tanks returned to camp, the soldiers quickly dug a shallow trench nearby. Hermes tried to escape, but two strong soldiers caught him and dragged him to the pit.

"Hey! I'm a God! If I'm going in a grave, it better be a grand tomb!" Hermes squawked as they tossed him in.

They buried him anyway.

The trench was shallow, and being buried in loose dirt couldn't really hurt a god. After a while, Asfi felt sorry for Hermes and dug him out before he could suffocate. Leaving him there would have meant a mountain of paperwork.

—•——•——•——•——•——•—

Jokes aside, the aftermath of the battle was grim.

August had just returned to camp. While a small detachment of soldiers was out sweeping the stragglers, the camp's logistics and medical teams were working in overdrive.

The surprise attack had taught the military a hard lesson. Even though Hestia secretly lessened the worst injuries, many soldiers still got hurt. Some were barely hanging on—soldiers with stomach wounds who were awake but couldn't move at all.

August didn't waste a second. He immediately went to work.

Now that he was [Level 2], his [Healing Fire] was much stronger. He could heal more than just a handful of people at once. As long as he had enough mana, he could cover the whole medical ward and quickly heal even the worst injuries.

Meanwhile, at Elsos Village.

The village was badly damaged during the scorpion raid. The Logistics Chief led the uninjured soldiers and quickly switched to rebuilding what was lost.

Chief Olly watched as the soldiers not only defeated the monsters but also helped rebuild the villagers' homes from scratch. The old man was brought to tears.

Greatness speaks for itself.

Hermes, freshly dusted off, stood nearby and watched the soldiers working hard in the sun as they fixed roofs and strengthened walls.

He let out a real sigh of admiration. These soldiers were inexperienced, but their hearts were in the right place. They worked with simple, honest ideals of service and protection. Seeing them rebuild the village piece by piece was truly moving.

But then Hermes noticed something else.

He saw the young village girls and widows who had lost their husbands. They lingered nervously at the edge of the construction sites, sometimes helping carry wood or offering water to the soldiers they liked, but always pulling back quickly.

Asfi noticed it too.

Even the girls from the Artemis Familia—Rethusa, Lante, and the others—stood down the road, quietly watching the touching scene.

It was clear the villagers had fallen for the soldiers. But they kept their distance, knowing the harsh reality that lay ahead.

"A pity... The ones they love are right in front of them, yet they have to shrink away because they know where they both come from," Hermes murmured.

Hermes saw the awkward tension of first love... a love that would break like a fragile bubble as soon as the soldiers returned to their own world.

It was a cruel twist of fate—giving someone hope, only to show them it was impossible to reach.

Asfi looked away. "They won't find happiness. They come from two completely different worlds. Their backgrounds and origins mean they're bound to be separated."

Why chase a love that was sure to end in heartbreak? The pain between these star-crossed lovers was a tragedy with no answer.

The girls of the Artemis Familia stood in silence, watching the heartbreaking display.

Finally, a few of them turned to their Captain, Rethusa.

"Captain... shouldn't we say something to Lady Hestia?" a Level 2 Amazonian girl asked, wiping a stray tear from her eye. "I know we swore off romance... but seeing them suffer like this, tangled up in feelings they can't express... we can't just let it end like this."

Another Level 2 girl nodded.

Most of the Artemis Familia girls had grown up with hardship or loss—like Lante, who was abandoned for being a half-elf. They might have given up on romance for themselves, but they couldn't just watch others suffer for love.

Seeing these star-crossed lovers suffer in silence was too much for them.

Rethusa turned on her heel and started marching down the road.

"Captain, where are you going?" Lante called out.

"To talk to Lady Hestia and Lady Artemis," Rethusa smiled over her shoulder. "Did you really think I was just going to sit here and do nothing?"

"Whoa! That's our Captain!" Lante and the others grinned and hurried after her. When their Captain decided on something, she always followed through.

"Oho!" Hermes smirked as he adjusted his hat. "I'm coming too. I have a score to settle with Hestia and Artemis, and I plan to get my payback."

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