King of Underworld

Chapter 147

"The Story of Asclepius - (1)"

Asclepius (Asklepios).

He was the child born to Apollo, the god of the sun, and Princess Coronis of Thessaly.

However, while Coronis was pregnant with him, she became involved with a mortal man. Upon hearing of this from a crow, Apollo killed her. Naturally, the crow with white feathers that delivered the news was scorched black by Apollo’s gaze.

Apollo then removed the newborn Asclepius from Coronis's corpse and, noticing his talent, sent him to Thebes.

Thus, Asclepius began learning medicine from Chiron in the Underworld.

"Indeed. Just as Lord Apollo said, he has talent."

"...?"

"Though he couldn't grasp the use of weapons, he surpasses all others in his medical abilities."

Setting aside sword and spear, he devoted himself solely to the study of medicine and soon surpassed Chiron.

The heroes fighting endlessly in the Underworld became his unwilling practice subjects.

Crunch!

"Aaagh! Asclepius, you madman!"

"Oh, not this way? Let’s try turning it in the opposite direction then..."

Crack!

Although he made many mistakes along the way, he continued to grow steadily.

"Now, when going outside, please wear this face covering. Dust tends to settle in the chest area..."

"It’s a bit stuffy."

"And if a child suffers from stomachaches after eating, give them the herbal water I prepared..."

"Asclepius, the king urgently calls for you!"

"Does he complain of foot pain again?"

"...How did you know?"

"It’s an incurable, recurring ailment. Take this care plan to him..."

While other heroes roamed to slay monsters, he wandered Greece, treating the sick.

"The medicinal powers of mint given by Pluto are impressive... hmm."

"Teacher! As you instructed, we’ve obtained a body from someone who died of plague..."

"Did you get proper permission from his parents?"

As other heroes sought glory through battle training, he expanded his knowledge by researching medicine. As a result, Asclepius’s reputation among the people grew to this point:

"Asclepius, master of medicine."

"Isn't he the best doctor in Greece who can cure anything?"

"Can he revive the dead too? Didn’t he press on the chest of someone who wasn’t breathing and bring them back?"

"Reviving the man who drowned? That was remarkable."

"Maybe he can do it because he's Apollo’s son."

In the Underworld’s hero training grounds, he was the only one qualified purely through his medical skills. Recognized throughout Greece as a medical prodigy, his skills were nearly on par with Orpheus's music.

So pervasive were the rumors that he could revive the dead that in some rural areas, people even began to worship him as the god of medicine.

"Are you truly Asclepius, the man who can revive the dead?"

"...Who are you?"

"I am Artemis. Your father, Apollo, is my brother."

Naturally, word of his abilities spread even to the gods of Olympus.

Boom!

"..."

Asclepius’s eyes wavered under the goddess’s insistence.

However, unlike a person who had just stopped breathing, this was a creature with gaping wounds. How was he supposed to revive it?

"Do your utmost to treat it. With your skill, you’ll surely revive my beast."

"...Understood."

Unable to defy the goddess, Asclepius began tending to the boar.

With her watching closely, he could only put forth his best effort.

He pulled out the spears and cleaned away the blood...

Used herbs to aid recovery, bound the wounds with bandages...

"This goes here..."

Sss. Ssss.

Asclepius’s "treatment" continued for some time.

Even he did not expect that the dead boar would actually come back to life, but...

"Squeeeal..."

'...What’s going on? How is it alive?'

How could this be? The boar had been dead, yet it was alive.

A feat far beyond merely saving a drowning man.

This happened because...

A hero is one who not only reaches the limits of humanity but often surpasses them.

Orpheus’s music calmed storms.

Idas’s courage never faltered before the sun god.

Atalanta’s archery skill was admired even by the gods.

Then what about Asclepius?

All of Greece revered him as a master of medicine, unmatched by any other healer. In remote villages, people even worshipped him as the god of medicine.

Just as Orpheus’s music had surpassed even Apollo’s, Asclepius’s skill had already exceeded that of Apollo.

In the field of medicine, his name held absolute authority, and his fame for reviving the dead rivaled Orpheus’s reputation for calming storms during the Golden Fleece expedition.

Moreover, his father was Apollo, and Artemis herself, one of the Twelve Olympians, believed he could revive the dead.

In short, he was a demigod who possessed skill, accomplishment, fame, and divine favor.

This combination inevitably led to a rise in his rank...

"You’ve done well. I’ll see you again on Olympus."

"...?!"

He had accomplished the feat of truly reviving the dead.